Spain in the 16th century was a tumultuous place. The Moors, who had invaded Spain in the year 711, were finally driven out of the country at the end of the 15th century with the fall of the Alhambra. Europe was going through the Protestant Reformation, which challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and which inaugurated many changes in society. If anyone in Spain spoke out against the Catholic Church or wanted to change things, he could be subject to the Spanish Inquisition. Many in Spain were leaving for the Americas for conquest and adventure in the era of Conquistadors. In this era, a Carmelite sister named Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582) felt called by God to reform her order against the luxuries and excesses that she saw detracting from the Gospel simplicity, austerity, and prayer that inspired the original founders of the Carmelites. With her collaborator John of the Cross, they founded a new order that branched off from the Carmelites, called the Discalced Carmelites. The word “discalced” comes from the Latin word “without shoes,” signifying the poverty, simplicity, and humility to which this religious order is called. The tenacity, courage, and wisdom of Teresa of Avila call out to us in the midst of the challenges we face as Catholic in 21st century America. Teresa of Avila was canonized a saint alongside an illustrious group of other notable Catholic in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, a group which also included St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Phillip Neri, and Isidore the Farmer. In addition, Teresa, alongside St Catherine of Siena, were the first women to be named as Doctors of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. We celebrated her feast day on Friday, October 15. The words of the prayer Teresa of Avila call out to us today in these challenging times:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices. AMEN.
No comments:
Post a Comment