Oct 15 – Memorial for St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor
Also known as Teresa of Avila, Teresa of Jesus (1515–1582) was born to the Spanish nobility, the daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Dona Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints and playing at ‘hermit’ in the garden.
Crippled by disease in her youth, which led to her being well educated at home, she was cured after prayer to St. Joseph. Her mother died when she was 12, and Teresa prayed to Our Lady to be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry into religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family consented.
Soon after taking her vows, Teresa became gravely ill, and her condition was aggravated by the inadequate medical help she received; she never fully recovered her health. She began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including St. Francis Borgia, who pronounced her visions to be holy and true.
She considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she founded a reformed convent of St. John of Avila. She founded several houses, often against fierce opposition from local authorities. She was a mystical writer, and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 27 September 1970 by Pope Paul VI. She is known for ‘holy wit’.
“God, deliver me from sullen saints.” – St. Teresa of Avila
- Patron Saint Index
Eph 1:1-10
Lk 11:47-54
…he chose us…
Way back when I was a scrawny kid in primary school, whenever it came to being divided up into two teams for an impromptu game of soccer/basketball, I was always the last pick. I resigned myself to the fact that ‘no one wanted me on their team’ and I was merely there to make up the numbers.
I have often wondered if this is why I spent a good part of my teenage years and young adult life seeking validation, always searching for love. What I could not find at home, I ‘found’ elsewhere – most of the time, to my detriment and to the disappointment of others – especially with some of the choices I made.
But God is good, and I was ‘chosen’ by Him to encounter Jesus in May 2011. And since then, He has ‘chosen’ me countless times – in the various retreats I have served/ministered at, to receive His healing graces at different points on my faith journey, and in the various encounters I have been blessed/privileged to experience. I have no doubt that He continues to be the driving force, guiding/nudging and leading me on my way. Admittedly, it is not a smooth, uphill climb all the time and I recently nudged a friend along by encouraging her not to ask ‘Why?’ but instead, to ask ‘What?’.
Brothers and sisters, as children of God, we are not just created in His image, but we are the chosen ones – to proclaim His message and to be His soldiers in the fight against the powers of evil and darkness. Yes, it might be a stretch for some of us, because we ourselves have our struggles and crosses in life. So when we are called/chosen for something, the best thing to do is to ask God, “What is it you want of me?”
Inevitably, He will reveal the answer and trust me, it will be nothing you expect. All He asks is that we trust in Him and that He will provide…as long as we surrender and keep praying for His outcome to be fulfilled. I am always comforted by the lyrics of this particular song we use at retreats – ‘Do not be afraid I am with you. I have called you each by name.”
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: Lord God, you are the master of the universe and the master of our lives. Help us to continually trust in you and in your divine providence, that You will lead us to the outcome(s) that You have desired for each and every one of us.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, dear heavenly Father, for all that you do for us.
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