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Her father, being a Jewish converso and a highly respected man in Avila, was excluded from many offices in State and religious orders in Spain because of his racial purity. The family though, was large and wealthy in Avila and had no major problems. Teresa’s childhood was happy and religious. She read the Lives of the Martyrs devotedly because they adventure stories to her. Teresa and her older brother, Rodrigo, played at martyrdom to get into heaven as children by running away from home to be killed by the Moors. Their uncle found them and returned them home. She was seven at the time and Rodrigo was eleven. This was an early sign of Teresa’s ability to enthuse other people to follow her passion. Teresa grew into a graceful, pleasing teenager who enjoyed dressing up and wearing jewelry. She later regretted this period of her life. When she was thirteen, her mother, Dona Beatriz, died. Her father sent Teresa away to an Augustinian school for girls. She then had to choose between marriage, in which she had no interest, or the religious life. At that point Teresa became very ill, and decided to join the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation without her father’s permission. She secretly left home in November of 1536 to begin her new life. Don Alonso then decided to approve of her decision. Teresa chose the Carmelite order because a close friend was in the convent. The convent was relaxed, people could visit without censure and nuns could spend time away whenever they wanted. The convent had several factions, as they had over 180 nuns. Even though the order wasn’t strict, they still attended chapel several times a day, went to confession every couple of weeks and fasted regularly, which was the ideal Carmelite way of life. After a year, Teresa became sick again and was taken back to Avila by her father to be treated. Her religious uncle gave her a prayer book by Francisco de Osuna, which inspired the reform of religious orders and to help lay people form a spiritual mentality. Teresa found this very interesting. She learned the importance of recollection and the possibility of opening her soul to a passive reception of God in the prayer of quiet. She tried to follow this with all her might. She became worse in her illness to the point of total paralysis. After a “fit”, Teresa was thought to be dead. It took three years for Teresa to recover from this illness. When she was well, she returned to the Carmelite convent and all of its distractions. Teresa was depressed and so didn’t feel she was worthy to speak to God intimately through mental prayer. This was a trying time for Teresa, and even found it difficult to perform the external practice of religion. These years, however, were important in that she learned from her lack of success to persevere, examine her conscience and get through the things that were keeping her from God. Her spiritual recovery was slow. She had God calling her on one side and the world on the other. After this period of depression, Teresa began to become aware of God, which brought about interior voices and visions. Saints Francis Borgia and Peter of Alcantara told Teresa to accept these voices and visions as if from God. Mary Magdalene came to her when she was meditating on Jesus Christ’s sufferings. From that day on, she stated that she improved in her spiritual life. Part of her conversion was to break away from human relationships and instead turn to God alone. Her idea of what an effective convent should be also changed during these years. Teresa felt that the Carmelite convent was far too large to be an authentic religious community, that it was too open to worldly distractions and the nuns were too worried about social standings. She wanted a poverty-stricken, small community that could follow true Carmelite rules. Teresa decided her nuns would pray and suffer deprivation to ward off the “reformation” that was happening in Europe by the Calvinists. When she wanted to found her own house to follow strict Carmelite Rule, there was much opposition. The Sisters of the Carmelite Convention of the Incarnation objected because they wanted to retain their relaxed lifestyle. Other opposition was due to the poverty, Teresa did not wish to accept dowry or endowments for the order. Teresa felt when contemplating Christ’s suffering on the cross that she could not bear wealth. If not for her internal voices and visions to keep her focused, Teresa would not have been able to stand firm against the objections of the theologians, local bishop, cathedral chapter and other authorities. Their arguments were not unreasonable because many towns had other houses and convents established and why did she need to start another. Teresa’s first Carmelite Convent under strict Rule was Saint Joseph’s, opened in Avila in 1562. She began with four companions initially and they set out to follow what they thought was the original Carmelite Rule. They did not wear shoes. Their life was one focused on prayer and penance, which gave them the name of “Discalced Carmelites”. Teresa believed that the “holier” her nuns became, the more sociable they would be to each other. Throughout the first five years, the total number of nuns was thirteen. Never once did they resort to begging, relying entirely on donations. In 1567, Saint Joseph’s had a visit from the father of the Carmelite order, who saw Teresa as a “perfect instrument”. He gave her permission to create new convents and two friars’ houses, an extraordinary vote of confidence. These five years were the happiest of her religious life. Throughout the next nine years, Teresa founded twelve houses, traveling all through Spain. She faced horrible conditions, opposition all the time and increasing ill health. In this period of her life, she wrote many letters that show her as a very human person with a shrewd sense of business. She became well know and respected by royalty in Spain. Teresa’s spiritual life increasingly developed intensity, all the way to a mystical union with God. She felt she had become “one” with God in some way, constantly aware of God’s presence where her only desire was for God’s will to be done. She wrote to her brother that she was having “raptures” (visions and voices) in public and appearing as if she were drunk. In 1576, the Calked (unreformed friars) attempted to stop Teresa’s reform by kidnapping and sending to prison her closest friend and leader of the Discalced, Saint John of the Cross and others on house arrest. Spain viewed Teresa as “restless, disobedient, who told of false doctrines against the order of the Council of Trent”. The Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation asked Teresa to be their prioress, and were excommunicated from the Council of Trent and forbidden to accept any more novices. Phillip II, King of Spain and supporter of the reform, was Teresa’s friend. Teresa asked Phillip to help with her problem with his royalty. They made peace in 1580, when the Discalced Carmelites were given the right to separate from the Calced. Which eventually helped toward the Order in 1594. Teresa, from 1580 to 1582, established four more foundations during this period and arranged for a fifth one to be made by Saint John of the Cross. While still traveling, Teresa again (yes, again) became sick and wanted to return to Avila. Teresa could only make it back to Alba de Tormes, where she died on October 4, 1582 in the arms of her close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. She repeated the words “A broken and contrite hear, Lord, thou wilt not despise...Cast me not away from thy face.” Teresa always told her Sisters she had always been a faithful daughter of the Church. Teresa was not at all confident in her writing abilities, but wrote many books on love, her autobiography, and many minor works such. She lacked in any formal education but when she wrote it had referred to the Gospels. She did not believe in her writing capabilities, because even when she was asked to write something on a prayer, she said, “For the love of God let me work at my spinning wheel and go to choir and perform the duties of religious life, like the other sisters. I am not meant to write. I have neither the health nor the intelligence for it.” But she did write one of the greatest spiritual works of the Church, The Interior Castle. Teresa was beatified on April 24, 1614 by Pope Paul V and later canonized on March 12 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. She has numerous patronages including headaches, loss of parents, people in need of grace, people in religious order, and even Spain. Saint Teresa of Avila, also known as the Roving Nun, imitated Jesus even at the early age of seven; even though running off to be killed, her idea was in the right place of going to heaven. She was sick more than most, and suffered a great deal, mentally and physically in her early convent years. As many do, she questioned her faith and even herself, but through perseverance experienced “little” victories of faith by praying again. Teresa had many visions and voices, internal that imitate the apostles because even if they did not know it, all were affected by the Holy Spirit. Teresa went up against the opposition of Spain and the Calced, facing arguments even from the local bishops and cathedral chapters, which was a big deal. But she truly believed in God’s plan, and never gave up her (and God’s) dream. The apostles, and other martyrs, faced every opposition during their time, from the Jews and Romans persecuting killing of the Christians brutally, but neither Teresa nor the apostles or martyrs left their faith. Teresa de Ahumada y Cepeda, Saint Teresa’s complete name, was born in Avila, Castile, Spain on March 28, 1515. Her father, Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda, had remarried to his second wife, Dona Beatriz de Ahumada, and Teresa was the third of their nine children. Her father, being a Jewish converso and a highly respected man in Avila, was excluded from many offices in State and religious orders in Spain because of his racial purity. The family though, was large and wealthy in Avila and had no major problems. Teresa’s childhood was happy and religious. She read the Lives of the Martyrs devotedly because they adventure stories to her. Teresa and her older brother, Rodrigo, played at martyrdom to get into heaven as children by running away from home to be killed by the Moors. Their uncle found them and returned them home. She was seven at the time and Rodrigo was eleven. This was an early sign of Teresa’s ability to enthuse other people to follow her passion. Teresa grew into a graceful, pleasing teenager who enjoyed dressing up and wearing jewelry. She later regretted this period of her life. When she was thirteen, her mother, Dona Beatriz, died. Her father sent Teresa away to an Augustinian school for girls. She then had to choose between marriage, in which she had no interest, or the religious life. At that point Teresa became very ill, and decided to join the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation without her father’s permission. She secretly left home in November of 1536 to begin her new life. Don Alonso then decided to approve of her decision. Teresa chose the Carmelite order because a close friend was in the convent. The convent was relaxed, people could visit without censure and nuns could spend time away whenever they wanted. The convent had several factions, as they had over 180 nuns. Even though the order wasn’t strict, they still attended chapel several times a day, went to confession every couple of weeks and fasted regularly, which was the ideal Carmelite way of life. After a year, Teresa became sick again and was taken back to Avila by her father to be treated. Her religious uncle gave her a prayer book by Francisco de Osuna, which inspired the reform of religious orders and to help lay people form a spiritual mentality. Teresa found this very interesting. She learned the importance of recollection and the possibility of opening her soul to a passive reception of God in the prayer of quiet. She tried to follow this with all her might. She became worse in her illness to the point of total paralysis. After a “fit”, Teresa was thought to be dead. It took three years for Teresa to recover from this illness. When she was well, she returned to the Carmelite convent and all of its distractions. Teresa was depressed and so didn’t feel she was worthy to speak to God intimately through mental prayer. This was a trying time for Teresa, and even found it difficult to perform the external practice of religion. These years, however, were important in that she learned from her lack of success to persevere, examine her conscience and get through the things that were keeping her from God. Her spiritual recovery was slow. She had God calling her on one side and the world on the other. After this period of depression, Teresa began to become aware of God, which brought about interior voices and visions. Saints Francis Borgia and Peter of Alcantara told Teresa to accept these voices and visions as if from God. Mary Magdalene came to her when she was meditating on Jesus Christ’s sufferings. From that day on, she stated that she improved in her spiritual life. Part of her conversion was to break away from human relationships and instead turn to God alone. Her idea of what an effective convent should be also changed during these years. Teresa felt that the Carmelite convent was far too large to be an authentic religious community, that it was too open to worldly distractions and the nuns were too worried about social standings. She wanted a poverty-stricken, small community that could follow true Carmelite rules. Teresa decided her nuns would pray and suffer deprivation to ward off the “reformation” that was happening in Europe by the Calvinists. When she wanted to found her own house to follow strict Carmelite Rule, there was much opposition. The Sisters of the Carmelite Convention of the Incarnation objected because they wanted to retain their relaxed lifestyle. Other opposition was due to the poverty, Teresa did not wish to accept dowry or endowments for the order. Teresa felt when contemplating Christ’s suffering on the cross that she could not bear wealth. If not for her internal voices and visions to keep her focused, Teresa would not have been able to stand firm against the objections of the theologians, local bishop, cathedral chapter and other authorities. Their arguments were not unreasonable because many towns had other houses and convents established and why did she need to start another. Teresa’s first Carmelite Convent under strict Rule was Saint Joseph’s, opened in Avila in 1562. She began with four companions initially and they set out to follow what they thought was the original Carmelite Rule. They did not wear shoes. Their life was one focused on prayer and penance, which gave them the name of “Discalced Carmelites”. Teresa believed that the “holier” her nuns became, the more sociable they would be to each other. Throughout the first five years, the total number of nuns was thirteen. Never once did they resort to begging, relying entirely on donations. In 1567, Saint Joseph’s had a visit from the father of the Carmelite order, who saw Teresa as a “perfect instrument”. He gave her permission to create new convents and two friars’ houses, an extraordinary vote of confidence. These five years were the happiest of her religious life. Throughout the next nine years, Teresa founded twelve houses, traveling all through Spain. She faced horrible conditions, opposition all the time and increasing ill health. In this period of her life, she wrote many letters that show her as a very human person with a shrewd sense of business. She became well know and respected by royalty in Spain. Teresa’s spiritual life increasingly developed intensity, all the way to a mystical union with God. She felt she had become “one” with God in some way, constantly aware of God’s presence where her only desire was for God’s will to be done. She wrote to her brother that she was having “raptures” (visions and voices) in public and appearing as if she were drunk. In 1576, the Calked (unreformed friars) attempted to stop Teresa’s reform by kidnapping and sending to prison her closest friend and leader of the Discalced, Saint John of the Cross and others on house arrest. Spain viewed Teresa as “restless, disobedient, who told of false doctrines against the order of the Council of Trent”. The Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation asked Teresa to be their prioress, and were excommunicated from the Council of Trent and forbidden to accept any more novices. Phillip II, King of Spain and supporter of the reform, was Teresa’s friend. Teresa asked Phillip to help with her problem with his royalty. They made peace in 1580, when the Discalced Carmelites were given the right to separate from the Calced. Which eventually helped toward the Order in 1594. Teresa, from 1580 to 1582, established four more foundations during this period and arranged for a fifth one to be made by Saint John of the Cross. While still traveling, Teresa again (yes, again) became sick and wanted to return to Avila. Teresa could only make it back to Alba de Tormes, where she died on October 4, 1582 in the arms of her close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. She repeated the words “A broken and contrite hear, Lord, thou wilt not despise...Cast me not away from thy face.” Teresa always told her Sisters she had always been a faithful daughter of the Church. Teresa was not at all confident in her writing abilities, but wrote many books on love, her autobiography, and many minor works such. She lacked in any formal education but when she wrote it had referred to the Gospels. She did not believe in her writing capabilities, because even when she was asked to write something on a prayer, she said, “For the love of God let me work at my spinning wheel and go to choir and perform the duties of religious life, like the other sisters. I am not meant to write. I have neither the health nor the intelligence for it.” But she did write one of the greatest spiritual works of the Church, The Interior Castle. Teresa was beatified on April 24, 1614 by Pope Paul V and later canonized on March 12 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. She has numerous patronages including headaches, loss of parents, people in need of grace, people in religious order, and even Spain. Saint Teresa of Avila, also known as the Roving Nun, imitated Jesus even at the early age of seven; even though running off to be killed, her idea was in the right place of going to heaven. She was sick more than most, and suffered a great deal, mentally and physically in her early convent years. As many do, she questioned her faith and even herself, but through perseverance experienced “little” victories of faith by praying again. Teresa had many visions and voices, internal that imitate the apostles because even if they did not know it, all were affected by the Holy Spirit. Teresa went up against the opposition of Spain and the Calced, facing arguments even from the local bishops and cathedral chapters, which was a big deal. But she truly believed in God’s plan, and never gave up her (and God’s) dream. The apostles, and other martyrs, faced every opposition during their time, from the Jews and Romans persecuting killing of the Christians brutally, but neither Teresa nor the apostles or martyrs left their faith. Bibliography: Bibliography Page 1. www.newadvent.org/cathen/14515b.htm 2. www.catholic-forim.com/saints/saintt01.htm (Good Website for Saints) 3. Butler’s Lives of the Saints, New Fall Edition (October) by Peter Doyle Word Count: 3391
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