Saint Teresa of Avila and the Way of Contemplative Prayer

There are some saints with whom you instantly connect. We all have them. Saint Teresa of Avila is one of them for me. Saint Teresa passed away on the night of the 4th of October 1582 but is celebrated today, the 15th of October, due to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar as a replacement to the Julian calendar in Spain that year, which caused all days from October 5th (included) to be skipped until October 15th. Teresa therefore died on a day that never existed.

Saint Teresa of Avila was a mystic and a doctor of the Church. She is known for a few things : Having founded a monastery (and many more later on) despite strong opposition, having reformed the Carmelite order for both males and females emphasizing poverty and contemplative prayer as pillars of the order, and being the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church. But did I mention she also levitated? However, that's not why I identify with her. I don't levitate just yet.

In all her books, she is raw, she speaks from the heart, she has fears and doubts. She tells things plainly, but powerfully, with all her heart. She is stuck in her environment, often mistreated by her own Church. She suffered many trials. Some emotional like when she was told she was having demoniac influence when we now know it was God's, or when the Church got in her way when she tried to do God's will ; and some physical like when she was paralyzed with intense nerve pain (the worst kind there is) for 3 years or when she was thrown on the floor by demons.

However, amongst those trials, she continued to persevere. She is known as the Doctor of Prayer, but for over 14 years she felt she was not worthy to address God. That is one of the reasons why she is the Doctor of Prayer : she lived it all and can therefore teach about it. The joy, the pain, the temptation, the dryness, the reprimands, the raptures...that's what makes her a good guide for all of us. In that respect, because she experienced the same struggles as I sometimes do in prayer, she is very relatable to me, and I think to everyone who sometimes struggles in prayer, be it because of lack of attention, of feelings of unworthiness to speak with God, of lack of time...

But what does she actually teach us?

She teaches us there is never a good reason for not praying, that the kingdom of God is within us as she explains in the Interior Castle. She also teaches us that beyond a certain point we can only progress through God's grace and not our own effort, that the closer we get to God through prayer, the more we conform to his will too. Though she recognizes the virtues of vocal prayer, she has a strong preference for mental prayer that she considers to be a higher form of prayer as it fosters intimacy beyond what words can achieve.

Therefore, prayer, that she defines as a conversation between friends is her way to sanctity, her way of perfection. And ours, too. If you want to learn about her way, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Way or Perfection, The Interior Castle and Mansions, and the book of her life.

In our world that is busy, stressful, constantly tempting us with distractions, it is sometimes hard to find time to pray. Though let's be honest, finding time is often a matter of priorities more than anything else.

So I invite you today, to find a new way to add a little more mental prayer in your life. To make it a priority and a new habit. It might mean going to Adoration (Saint Thomas has one on Thursdays and first Saturdays but you can find more on bohosluzby.apha.cz) ; it might be picking up your Bible (or books such as the Imitation of Christ or Divine Intimacy) and meditating on a passage for a few more minutes in silence and then asking God about it ; it might be just going to bed or waking up early and spending 15min in mental prayer ; It might be spending 3min with God before every time you open any entertainment application (YouTube, social media...). Anything that allows you to spend more time counts.

In the words of Teresa :

Nada te turbe,

nada te espante,

todo se pasa;

Dios no se muda.

La paciencia todo lo alcanza.

Quien a Dios tiene

nada le falta;

solo Dios basta.

(Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.)