Happy Feast Day, St. Teresa of Avila

Saint Teresa of Jesus

15 October

St. Teresa of Jesus (St. Teresa of Avila), Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

St. Teresa was born in Avila (28 March, 1515) and died in Alba, Spain (1582). In 1533 she entered the Carmelite Order; for eighteen years she suffered physical pain and spiritual dryness. Under divine inspiration and with the approval of Pope Pius IV, she began the work of reforming the Carmelite Order. In spite of heavy opposition and constant difficulties, she founded thirty-two reformed convents. When dying she often repeated the words: "Lord, I am a daughter of the Church!" At the time of her death, a sweet odor pervaded the room in which her body lay; so strong was the odor that it was found necessary to open windows, allowing outside air to dilute the intoxicating fragrance. Her holy body rests upon the high altar of the Carmelite church in Alba, Spain and her heart with its mysterious wound is reserved in a precious reliquary on the Epistle side of the altar. She was canonized by by Pope Gregory XV on 12 March 1622. Pope Paul VI, on September 27, 1970, officially declared the Carmelite nun to be the first woman Doctor of the Church.

Patron of bodily ills, headaches, lacemakers; laceworkers, loss of parents, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety, sick people, sickness and Spain.

O God, who through your Spirit raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show the Church the way to seek perfection, grant that we may always be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching and fired with longing for true holiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Tuesday, 15 October, 2013
St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Romans 1: 16 - 25
16	For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17	For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live."
18	For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
19	For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20	Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
21	for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
22	Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23	and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.
24	Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25	because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

Psalm

Psalms 19: 2 - 5
2	Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3	There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4	yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5	which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Gospel

Luke 11: 37 - 41
37	While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.
38	The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.
39	And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.
40	You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?
41	But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.

Let nothing affright thee, 

Nothing dismay thee. 

All is passing, 

God ever remains. 

Patience obtains all. 

Whoever possesses God 

Cannot lack anything

God alone suffices.

~ St. Teresa ~