St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin, Carmelites 1582
by VP
Posted on Tuesday October 15, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Wake Forest, NC
"(...)
All the Discalceates of both sexes suffered great and terrible
persecutions, from the heavy accusations and violent oppositions of
almost all the brethren of the mitigated Rule, and from the Pope's
nuncio, Sega, who succeeded Hormaneto, the great favorer of the
Reformed. This new nuncio seemed to be resolved upon the ruin of the
Reformation; and hereupon began with extreme rigor to condemn, imprison
and banish those whom he conceived most likely to make resistance.(...)
As
the holy mother had a great share in this persecution, not only by the
sufferings she endured in her own person, but also by the fellow-feeling
she had for all her children, so it is not to be doubted but that the
happy issue of the whole, to God's greater glory, and the great
advancement of her Order, is in a great measure to be attributed to her
prayers." Source: The life of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa
Prayer for priests by Saint Teresa of Avila
O my Most Sweet Jesus, O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep Thy priests in
the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where no one can hurt them. Keep their
anointed hands unsullied, which daily handle Thy Sacred Body. Keep pure
the lips which are reddened with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and
unworldly their hearts which are sealed with the sublime token of Thy
glorious priesthood.
Cause them to grow in love and loyalty to
Thee and protect them from the contamination of the world. With their
power of transforming bread and wine, give them the power of
transforming hearts. Bless their work with rich fruit and grant them one
day the crown of eternal life. Amen. Source: Cure d'Ars Prayer Group
At the age of eighteen, she obtained leave of her father to take the habit of the Carmelite nuns; and being professed, she became an example to the rest in the exercises
of humility, patience, prayer, and 'mortification. Here God was pleased
to try her with violent temptations and tedious sickness for above
twenty years. In all which time she remitted nothing of her usual
devotions or austerities; being always accustomed to say: Either suffer, or die!
She undertook to reform the Order of the Carmelites, and bring it to its
primitive austerity; and though she met with great opposition, and many
jealousies, she accomplished her design, and saw two-and-thirty
monasteries built of this institution. Having finished this work, she endeavored to approach still nearer to God in prayer and penance;
making a vow of doing whatever she judged to be most perfect; ever
lamenting the blindness of infidels and
sinners, but above all, her own misery, in being at so great a distance
from God.
Her writings discover what her spirit was, which God was likewise pleased to evidence by many miracles; though of all these, her life was the greatest. She exchanged this for a better, in the year 1582.
Learn from this saint to accustom yourself and those under your care to the reading of good books; and to be careful in the choice of company. Good conversation edifies, but that which is evil and worldly, makes ill impressions, and corrupts the soul.
If you have youth under your charge, be still more solicitous in this
point; and never expose them to bad company on any pretext of education,
preferment, or the like.
Learn not to be discouraged with sickness, temptations, troubles, or opposition. These are often the effects of God's greatest mercy and means for the greater perfection of those who sincerely seek him. Learn to be diligent in humility, charity, prayer, and penance. Pray that you may practice these holy lessons; and pray in particular for all the religious who follow the holy institution of St. Teresa." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER
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