Tomorrow, October 15, we celebrate the feast day of St Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun from Spain in the 16th century. She was born in 1515, two years before the publication of the 97 theses by Martin Luther, which is seen as the starting event of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is in this era of great reform that she called her order of Carmelites to reform as well. A mystic, a theologian, a Doctor of the Church, a Church reformer, and a founder of many Carmelite monasteries, St Teresa is an important figure in the history of the Catholic faith. I have been honored to have visited her home city of Avila, Spain on three different occasions, telling you of the esteem and devotion I have to this wonderful saint.
Here is one of her quotes: "May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
To me, St Teresa’s words remind us that sometimes we can lose sight of the love and peace of Christ that we can pass along to others. During the pandemic, we have seen so much unrest, anger, and violence spill out to the street. We have seen so many attacks, both verbal and physical. The peace we are to bring to the world must begin with our own internal peace, a peace we have in our faith and in our relationship with Christ. We are to take that peace that we nurture in our own hearts and spread that peace to our families, our friends, our co-workers, and our community. Suffering, pain, and loss will still be a part of our experiences on our journey through life. Yet, through it all, we are called to be instruments of peace.
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