Early Years of Trial and Fervor
Born in 1515 in Ávila, Spain, Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada, later known as Teresa of Avila, embarked on a spiritual journey that would both challenge and transform her. Raised in a family with a Jewish heritage, Teresa faced personal trials early on, losing her mother at the age of 12. As a child, she showed a fervent desire for holiness, even attempting to run away to become a martyr.
A Spiritual Journey Begins
At the age of 20, Teresa entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in Ávila. Initially, her commitment to the religious life was lukewarm. She struggled with illness and paralysis, and her spiritual life was one of mediocrity. Teresa herself admitted that for many years, she was torn between the allure of worldly distractions and a deeper calling to God.
The turning point came when, at around 39 years old, Teresa experienced a profound conversion while contemplating a statue of the wounded Christ. This moment stirred a deeper love for Jesus, leading her to embrace mental prayer more earnestly. As she recounted, 'My present procedure in prayer is as follows: I am seldom able while in prayer to use my intellect in a discursive way, for my soul immediately begins to grow recollected.'
This commitment to prayer opened Teresa to extraordinary spiritual experiences, including visions and ecstasies. She described an angel appearing to her, 'The angel was not large but small; he was very beautiful, and his face was so aflame that he seemed to be one of those very sublime angels that appear to be all afire.' These experiences culminated in what she described as a spiritual marriage with the Lord.
Teresa's transformation was not just personal but communal. Disturbed by the laxity she observed, she initiated a reform of the Carmelite order. She founded the Discalced Carmelite convent of St. Joseph in Ávila in 1562, emphasizing a return to the order’s original values. Her writings, including *The Interior Castle*, laid out a path to spiritual intimacy, describing the soul's journey through various stages toward union with God.
Throughout her life, Teresa endured opposition and trials, yet she embraced suffering as a means to serve God. Her words, 'Do you think, daughter, that merit lies in enjoyment? No, rather it lies in working and suffering and loving,' reflect this belief. Her legacy as a mystic and reformer continues to inspire, highlighting the transformative power of divine love and the importance of a committed prayer life.
