Saint Teresa of Avila Feast Day

“Nada Te Turbe” is a devotional hymn celebrating Saint Teresa of Avila, also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus, one of the great mystics, reformers and spiritual teachers of the Catholic Church. Born in Avila, Spain, in 1515, Teresa was a gifted and deeply religious child. After losing her mother at the age of fourteen, she turned with renewed devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom she came to regard as her spiritual mother. At twenty, Teresa entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. Her early religious life was marked by periods of struggle, illness and difficulty in prayer. Yet through perseverance, meditation on Scripture and continual conversion of heart, she gradually entered into a much deeper life of contemplative prayer. Teresa eventually experienced profound mystical graces, including visions and an intense awareness of the love of Christ. Yet she remained cautious and obedient, submitting her experiences to her confessors and spiritual advisers. Her spirituality was practical as well as mystical. Teresa taught that prayer is fundamentally a friendship with God—spending time with the One we know loves us. Her writings are filled not only with mystical theology, but also with remarkably practical advice about perseverance, humility, discernment and the difficulties of ordinary Christian life. At the age of 47, Teresa began a great reform of the Carmelite Order. She founded communities dedicated to a stricter and more contemplative way of life, eventually establishing numerous monasteries throughout Spain. Her reform developed in collaboration with Saint John of the Cross, helping establish the Discalced Carmelites. Teresa's writings became spiritual classics. Her major works include: 📖 The Life of Teresa of Jesus 📖 The Way of Perfection 📖 The Interior Castle In The Interior Castle, Teresa describes the soul as a spiritual journey through rooms or mansions leading ever deeper toward union with God.