But what disorder in the way I write! Really, it’s as though the work were done by one who doesn’t know what she’s doing. The fault is yours, Sisters, because you are the ones who ordered me to write this. Read it as best you can, for I am writing it as best I can. And if you find that it is all wrong, burn it. Time is necessary to do the work well, and I have so little as you see, for eight days must have gone by in which I haven’t written anything. So I forget what I have said and also what I was going to say. Now it is wrong for me to ask you to avoid doing what I have just finished doing, that is, making excuses. For I see that not making excuses for oneself is a habit characteristic of high perfection, and very meritorious; it gives great edification. And although I have often taught it to you, and by God’s goodness you practice it, His Majesty has never given it to me.
Saint Teresa of Avila
The Way of Perfection, Chap. 15
Saint John Paul II blessed the monument of St. Teresa next to the Gate of Alcazar during his visit to Avila for the closing of the fourth centenary jubilee year of her death, 1 November 1982. During his homily at the Mass, he said, “I have come here today to Avila to adore the Wisdom of God.” | Photo credit: Teresa de la rueca a la pluma
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Forma ya parte de la imagen de Ávila que nos llevamos en la retina después de pasear por sus calles. Junto a la puerta del Álcázar, a los pies de la monumental muralla, surge la blanca figura de Teresa de Jesús, pluma en mano y mirada a lo alto.
El título es confuso e intentaré explicarlo para que los lectores sepan a qué me refiero. Existen dos posibles modos de interpretar la figura de santa Teresa. Uno, desde la aceptación de que Dios existe y que actúa en la vida de los creyentes y con […]
The blessings gained through true poverty I think are many, and I wouldn’t want to lose them. I am often aware of a faith within me so great that I think God cannot fail anyone who serves Him. I know that there never is or will be any time in which His words will fail; for I cannot persuade myself otherwise, nor can I fear…
It seems to me I have much more compassion for the poor than I used to. I feel such great pity and desire to find relief for them that if it were up to me I would give them the clothes off my back. I feel no repugnance whatsoever toward them, toward speaking to or touching them. This I now see is a gift given by God. For even though I used to give alms for love of Him, I didn’t have the natural compassion. I feel a very noticeable improvement in this matter.
Spiritual Testimonies: 2, Nos. 3-4
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
According to Teresa, while interior development necessarily involves continued progress in self-knowledge and self-awareness, it is not egotistical, because it also encourages us to look beyond ourselves to God and to others. Thus progress in the spiritual life really authenticates itself in charity. God’s love, as the evangelist John tells us, is for all and is so profound that He sent His Son for our redemption. For those engaged in a life of prayer, we must also love with this Divine love. It is a transformative love that changes the way we see and approach our fellow men and women, as Teresa illustrates in the passage above.
May we, therefore, learn to love others with the love that God loves us, that our prayer may be truly perfected.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
October 15 SAINT TERESA OF JESUS Virgin, Doctor of the Church, and our Mother
Solemnity
The solemnity is observed even when October 15 falls on a Sunday
Teresa was born at Avila in Spain in 1515. She entered the Carmelites and made great progress in the way of perfection and was granted mystical revelations. Wishing to share in the spiritual renewal of the Church of her time, she began to live her religious life more ardently and soon attracted many companions, to whom she was like a mother. She also helped in the reform of the friars, and in this had to endure great trials. She wrote books that are renowned for their depth of doctrine and which showed her own spiritual experiences. She died at Alba in 1582.
Evening Prayer I
Hymn
As messenger of the Most high, Theresa from her home would fly,
Good tidings of the Heavenly King
To heathen lands afar to bring, Or yield for Christ her gentle life,
In ruddy streams of martyr strife.
But death with sweeter aspect came,
Awaiting her with rapturous claim. Ecstatic pangs delight her soul, And, conquered by their strong control,
She falleth, wounded from above By piercing lance of heavenly love.
Oh, flaming victim! may thy dart
Enkindle every frozen heart, That upward mounting, one with thine,
They rise, consumed with fire divine. And may thy pleading safely keep Thy nations from the burning deep.
All praise unto the Father be, And to the Son eternally,
With joyful harmony repeat
All praise unto the Paraclete,
The Blessed Trinity adore
With reverent homage evermore.
88.88.88. Regis superni nuntia
Psalmody
Ant. 1 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to little ones.
Psalm 113
Praise, O servants of the Lord, * praise the name of the Lord! May the name of the Lord be blessed *
both now and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting *
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord, *
above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, *
who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down, *
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly, *
from his misery he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes, *
yes, with the princes of his people. To the childless wife he gives a home *
and gladdens her heart with children.
Ant.The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to little ones.
Ant. 2 Nations will proclaim her wisdom, and the Church will sing her praise.
Psalm 146
My soul, give praise to the Lord, †
I will praise the Lord all my days, * make music to my God while I live.
Put no trust in princes, * in mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay *
and their plans that day come to nothing.
He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God, *
whose hope is in the Lord his God, who alone made heaven and earth, *
the seas and all they contain.
It is he who keeps faith forever, * who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, *
the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
the Lord who gives sight to the blind, *
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger * and upholds the widow and orphan.
It is the Lord who loves the just *
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever, *
Zion’s God, from age to age.
Ant.Nations will proclaim her wisdom, and the Church will sing her praise.
Ant. 3 The Lord gave her wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and a heart as vast as the sand on the seashore.
Canticle: Ephesians 1:3-10
Praised be the God and Father *
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who has bestowed on us in Christ *
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him *
before the world began,
to be holy *
and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us †
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ, *
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor *
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed, *
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous *
is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom *
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased *
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out *
in Christ, in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in him, *
in the heavens and on the earth.
Ant.The Lord gave her wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and a heart as vast as the sand on the seashore.
Reading
1 Corinthians 2:6-9
There is, to be sure, a certain wisdom which we express among the spiritually mature. It is not a wisdom of this age, however, nor of the rulers of this age, who are men headed for destruction. No, what we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew the mystery; if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Of this wisdom it is written: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Responsory
In the midst of the Church she spoke with eloquence. —In the midst of the Church she spoke with eloquence.
The Lord filled her with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. —She spoke with eloquence.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. —In the midst of the Church she spoke with eloquence.
Canticle of Mary
Ant.Holy Mother Teresa, light of the Church, teach us the way of perfection, and lead us to the eternal mansions where Christ has his home.
Intercessions
With our Mother Saint Teresa let us call upon our loving Father, in the name of Christ our friend and companion. Let us pray:
R/. Lord, may your kingdom come.
You made your Son a source of life, so that whoever believes in him might have life for all eternity; —may we listen to the voice of Christ, our true life, and so have life in him.
You gave us your only-begotten Son as our teacher of holiness and our Way to you; —may we, your children, loyally follow Christ, the Way of perfection, and pray to you without ceasing.
You promised through Christ that with him you will come to dwell in those who surrender to your love; —may we let your Spirit of love take possession of our hearts for Christ, and so be admitted to the inmost mansions of your dwelling-place.
You made Christ head and cornerstone of the Church, the foundation on which we might build; —may we love and serve the Church for his sake, rooted and founded in his love and faith.
You raised Christ to your right hand in glory, to prepare a place for us in your presence; —may all the dead who seek your face be with Christ, and contemplate the glory you have given him.
Our Father…
Prayer
Father, by your Spirit you raised up our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Invitatory
Ant.Come, let us worship the Lord, source of all wisdom.
Invitatory psalm, as in the Ordinary.
Office of Readings
Hymn
Noonday blaze of virtues rare;
Highest gifts of grace and prayer;
You have lived, in deep repose,
All that faith on us bestows.
Wedded to the Father’s Word,
Word of light, in silence heard
Leaning on the Savior’s breast,
Guided by the Spirit blest.
Blest the mind refined by fire
To receive divine desire,
Wisdom’s secrets in your heart,
Opened by the heavenly dart.
Christ drew you to his embrace
By the fragrance of his grace;
In your teaching we confide, Trusting you, our heav’n-sent guide.
Truth eternal, One and Three,
May Teresa constantly Lead us up the mountain’s ways
To the realms of joy and praise.
77.77. Sr. Margarita of Jesus, O.C.D.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when shall I see God face to face?
Psalm 42
Like the deer that yearns * for running streams,
so my soul is yearning *
for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, *
the God of my life; when can I enter and see *
the face of God?
My tears have become my bread, *
by night, by day, as I hear it said all the day long: *
“Where is your God?”
These things will I remember *
as I pour out my soul: how I would lead the rejoicing crowd *
into the house of God, amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving, *
the throng wild with joy.
Why are you cast down, my soul, *
why groan within me? Hope in God; I will praise him still, *
my savior and my God.
My soul is cast down within me *
as I think of you, from the country of Jordan and Mount Hermon, *
from the Hill of Mizar.
Deep is calling on deep, *
in the roar of waters: * your torrents and all your waves *
swept over me.
By day the Lord will send *
his loving kindness; by night I will sing to him, *
praise the God of my life.
I will say to God, my rock: *
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning *
oppressed by the foe?”
With cries that pierce me to the heart, *
my enemies revile me, saying to me all the day long: *
“Where is your God?”
Why are you cast down, my soul, *
why groan within me? Hope in God; I will praise him still, *
my savior and my God.
Ant. 1My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when shall I see God face to face?
Ant. 2Your splendor, Lord, is unending, who can tell your mercy and greatness?
Psalm 145
I will give you glory, O God my King, *
I will bless your name forever.
I will bless you day after day *
and praise your name forever. The Lord is great, highly to be praised, *
his greatness cannot be measured.
Age to age shall proclaim your works, *
shall declare your mighty deeds, shall speak of your splendor and glory, *
tell the tale of your wonderful works.
They will speak of your terrible deeds, *
recount your greatness and might. They will recall your abundant goodness; *
age to age shall ring out your justice.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion, *
slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, *
compassionate to all his creatures
Ant. 2Your splendor, Lord, is unending, who can tell your mercy and greatness?
Ant. 3 The Lord is faithful to all who call on him in truth; his kingdom will never end.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, *
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign *
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds *
and the glorious splendor of your reign. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; *
your rule lasts from age to age.
The Lord is faithful in all his words *
and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall * and raises all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all creatures look to you * and you give them their food in due time.
You open wide your hand, * grant the desires of all who live.
The Lord is just in all his ways *
and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, *
who call on him from their hearts.
He grants the desires of those who fear him, *
he hears their cry and he saves them. The Lord protects all who love him; *
but the wicked he will utterly destroy.
Let me speak the praise of the Lord, † let all mankind bless his holy name forever, for ages unending.
Ant. 3 The Lord is faithful to all who call on him in truth; his kingdom will never end.
You, O Lord, are close. —And all your commands are truth.
First Reading
Phil 3:8-21
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians
The knowledge of Christ Jesus is supreme
I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him. I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith. All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection I and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you my brothers, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upward to receive in Christ Jesus. We who are called “perfect” must all think in this way. If there is some point on which you see things differently, God will make it clear to you; ·meanwhile, let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the Savior we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
Responsory
Colossians 3:3-4; Romans 8:38-39
Your life is hidden now with Christ in God. —When Christ your life appears, you too will appear with him in glory. Neither death nor life, nor anything in all creation, can come between us and Christ’s love for us. —When Christ your life appears, you too will appear with him in glory.
Second Reading
Ch 22:6-7, 14
From the Autobiography of Saint Teresa of Jesus
We should always be mindful of Christ’s love
Whoever lives in the presence of so good a friend and excellent a leader, who went ahead of us to be the first to suffer, can endure all things. The Lord helps us, strengthens us, and never fails; he is a true friend. And I see clearly, and I saw afterward, that God desires that if we are going to please him and receive his great favors, we must do so through the most sacred humanity of Christ, in whom he takes his delight. Many, many times have I perceived this through experience. The Lord has told it to me. I have definitely seen that we must enter by this gate if we desire His Sovereign Majesty to show us great secrets.
Thus your Reverence and Lordship should desire no other path, even if you are at the summit of contemplation; on this road you walk safely. This Lord of ours is the one through whom all blessings come to us. He will teach us these things. In beholding his life we find that he is the best example. What more do we desire than to have such a good friend at our side, who will not abandon us in our labors and tribulations, as friends in the world do? Blessed is he who truly loves him and always keeps him at his side! Let us consider the glorious Saint Paul: it doesn’t seem that any other name fell from his lips than that of Jesus, as coming from one who kept the Lord close to his heart. Once I had come to understand this truth, I carefully considered the lives of some of the saints, the great contemplatives, and found that they hadn’t taken any other path: Saint Francis demonstrates this through the stigmata; Saint Anthony of Padua, with the Infant; Saint Bernard found his delight in the Humanity; Saint Catherine of Siena—and many others about whom your Reverence knows more than I.
We must walk along this path in freedom, placing ourselves in the hands of God. If His Majesty should desire to raise us to the position of one who is an intimate and shares his secrets, we ought to accept gladly. As often as we think of Christ we should recall the love with which he bestowed on us so many favors, and what great love God showed in giving us a pledge like this of his love; for love begets love. Even if we are at the very beginning and are very wretched, let us strive to keep this divine love always before our eyes and to waken ourselves to love. If at some time the Lord should favor us by impressing this love on our hearts, all will become easy for us, and we shall carry out our tasks quickly and without much effort.
Responsory
Phil 1:21; 2 Cor 12:9
For me, to live is Christ, —to die is gain. Gladly will I glory in my weakness, so that Christ’s strength may come to dwell in me. —To die is gain.
Where the Vigil Office is celebrated:
Ant.I have been zealous for the honor of my spouse, Jesus Christ; he said to me: Be zealous for my honor like a true bride.
Canticle I
Is 2:2-3
All the peoples will come to the house of the Lord
The mountain where God has chosen to dwell (Ps 67:17)
It shall come to pass in the latter days *
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains †
and shall be raised above the hills, *
and all the nations shall flow to it.
And many people shall come, and say: †
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, *
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways *
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Sion shall go forth the law, *
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Canticle II
Is 61:10-62:3
The prophet rejoices in the new Jerusalem
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, as beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband (Rev 21:2)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord *
my soul shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, *
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, *
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, *
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise *
to spring forth before all the nations.
For Sion’s sake I will not keep silent, *
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest
until her vindication goes forth as brightness, *
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication, *
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name *
which the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty *
in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem *
in the hand of your God.
Canticle III
Is 62:4-7
The glory of the new Jerusalem
Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them (Rev 21:3)
No longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken,’ *
nor your land ‘Abandoned,’
but your shall be called ‘My Delight’ *
and your land ‘The Wedded;’
for the Lord takes delight in you *
and your land will have its wedding.
Like a young man marrying a virgin, *
so will the one who built you wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, *
so will your God rejoice in you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, *
I set watchmen.
Day or night *
they must never be silent.
You who keep the Lord mindful *
must take no rest.
Nor let him take rest †
till he has restored Jerusalem, *
and made her the boast of the earth.
Ant.I have been zealous for the honor of my spouse, Jesus Christ; he said to me: Be zealous for my honor like a true bride.
Gospel
Jn 14:1-11a
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
There are many rooms in my Father’s house
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus said:
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.” “Have I been with you all this time, Philip,” said Jesus to him, “and you still do not know me?
“To have seen me is to have seen the Father,
so how can you say, ‘Let us see the Father?’
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:
it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
Te Deum
You are God: we praise you; *
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father: *
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, *
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might, *
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you. †
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. *
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: *
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, *
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory, *
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free *
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death, *
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. *
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people, *
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints*
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance. — Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you. — We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin. — Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy, — for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope: — And we shall never hope in vain.
Prayer
Father, by your Spirit you raised up our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Morning Prayer
HYMN
The day is dawning with delight,
When, spotless as the dove,
Theresa winged her spirit flight
Afar, to realms of love and light,
In heavenly courts above.
Her ear hath caught the mystic sound,
Oh, come, my sister, spouse! From Carmel’s summit come, be crowned,
Bride of the Lamb, in bliss profound,
Come plight thy nuptial vows!
O Jesus! Spouse of Virgin choice,
Thy holy name we praise! While heavenly choirs, too, rejoice,
Their bridal canticle to voice, And hymn their endless lays.
86.88.6. Felix dies, qua candidae
Psalmody
Ant. 1 For you my soul is thirsting, Lord; my body pines for you.
Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, for you I long; *
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you *
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary *
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life, *
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life, *
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, *
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you. *
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help; *
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. For you my soul is thirsting, Lord; my body pines for you.
Ant. 2 All your creatures praise you, Lord; your saints shall bless your name.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord,
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. *
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord. *
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord. *
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord. *
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord. *
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. *
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. *
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. *
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. *
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. *
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.
Ant. All your creatures praise you, Lord; your saints shall bless your name.
Ant. 3 I have sung the praises of your mercies, Lord, in the assembly of the faithful.
Psalm 149
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. I have sung the praises of your mercies, Lord, in the assembly of the faithful.
Reading
2 Cor 4:5-7
It is not ourselves we preach but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ. This treasure we possess in earthen vessels, to make it clear that its surpassing power comes from God and not from us.
Responsory
My heart is ever pleading, show me your face. —My heart is ever pleading, show me your face. I long to gaze upon you, Lord. —Show me your face. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. —My heart is ever pleading, show me your face.
Canticle of Zechariah
Ant.All who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers*
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant.All who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
Intercessions
The Lord of glory, Crown of all the Saints, gives us the joy of honoring our Mother, Saint Teresa.
Let us praise him, saying: Glory to you, Lord!
Source of life and holiness, in your saints you show us the infinite marvels of your grace;—in company with Saint Teresa may we sing of your mercies forever.
You want your love to blaze like fire throughout the world; —with Saint Teresa, make us zealous in spreading your charity.
You make friends of your saints, and reveal to them the mysteries of your heart; —bind us to yourself in friendship so close that we may taste the secrets of your love, proclaim your wonders, and draw others to you.
You pronounced blessed the pure of heart, and promised that they should see you; —purify our sight, so that we may see you in everyone and be faithful to you in all things.
You resist the proud and give wisdom to little ones; —make us humble of heart, so that we may receive your wisdom for the sake of the whole Church.
Our Father…
Prayer
Father, by your Spirit you raised up our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Daytime Prayer
The complementary psalms are used. In place of psalm 122, psalm 129 may be said, and in place of psalm 127, psalm 131 may be said. If this feast falls on Sunday, then psalms from Sunday, Week I are said.
Midmorning
Ant.When you pray go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden.
Psalm 120
To the Lord in the hour of my distress *
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, *
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he repay you in return, *
O treacherous tongue?
The warriors arrows sharpened *
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
(Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, *
dwell among the tents of Kedar!)
Long enough have I been dwelling *
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak, *
they are for fighting.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; *
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord *
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble! *
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, *
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; *
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you *
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil, *
he will guard you soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming *
both now and for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 129
“They have pressed me hard from my youth,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“They have pressed me hard from my youth *
but could never destroy me.
They plowed my back like plowmen, *
drawing long furrows.
But the Lord who is just, has destroyed *
the yoke of the wicked.”
Let them be shamed and routed, *
those who hate Zion!
Let them be like grass on the roof *
that withers before it flowers.
With that no reaper fill his arms, *
no binder makes his sheaves
and those passing by will not say: †
“On you the Lord’s blessing!” *
“We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Rev 3:20
Here I stand, knocking at the door. If anyone hears me calling and opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him, and he with me.
I will pray to the God of my life. —I will say to him: You are my support.
Midday
Ant.Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say: Rejoice! The Lord is near.
Psalm 123
To you have I lifted up my eyes, *
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves *
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant *
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God *
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. *
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul †
with the scorn of the rich, *
with the proud man’s disdain.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 124
“If the Lord had not been on our side,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side *
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive *
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us, *
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept *
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us *
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped *
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken *
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, *
who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 125
Those who put their trust in the Lord †
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, *
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her, †
so the Lord surrounds his people *
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest *
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just *
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good, *
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil, *
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Reading
1 Thess 5:16-18
Rejoice always, never cease praying, render constant thanks; such is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
You will show me the path of life. —The fullness of joy in your presence.
Midafternoon
Ant.Let us live in truth and love, and let all things aid our growth into Christ.
Psalm 126
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels *
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat, *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 128
O blessed are those who fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat. *
You will be happy and prosper;
the wife like a fruitful vine *
in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive, *
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed *
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion *
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children *
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
Reading
3 John 3-4
It has given me great joy to have the brothers bear witness to how truly you walk in the path of truth. Nothing delights me more than to hear that my children are walking in this path.
Serve the Lord in truth. —All who follow the truth come to the light.
Prayer
Father, by your Spirit you raised up our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Evening Prayer
Hymn
Glory of Carmel, Mother Saint Teresa
Called to refashion Mary’s holy Order,
Yearning to suffer, even die for Jesus
From early childhood.
Carmel’s enclosure was the chosen desert Where purest blossoms should be gathered for him— Christ gave his right hand, sealing your espousals
With him forever.
God was your Teacher, to your mind imparting
Learning surpassing human intuition; Bread full of sweetness, secret strength and virtue
You give the faithful.
Praise to the Godhead through the world resounding,
Majesty, honor, joy and jubilation, Christ our Redeemer, through Teresa’s pleading
Grant us salvation!
11.11.11.5. Text: Sr. Margarita, O.C.D.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 The Lord showed me the holy city: it was resplendent with the glory of God, and shone like a precious jewel.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
“Let us go to God’s house.” And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city *
strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, *
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, * there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment *
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray; *
“Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, *
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends *
I say: “Peace upon you!” For love of the house of the Lord *
I will ask for your good.
Ant.The Lord showed me the holy city: it was resplendent with the glory of God, and shone like a precious jewel.
Ant. 2 Behold, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will make his home among them.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat: * when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth * are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man * who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Ant.Behold, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will make his home among them.
Ant. 3 I will make up in my body whatever is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of his body the Church.
Canticle: Col 1:12-20
Let us give thanks to the Father *
for having made you worthy to share the lot of the saints *
in light.
He rescued us * from the power of darkness
and brought us * into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption, *
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, *
the first-born of all creatures. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, *
things visible and invisible.
All were created through him; *
all were created for him. He is before all else that is. * In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church! *
he who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead, * so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him *
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens, * making peace through the blood of his cross.
Ant.I will make up in my body whatever is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of his body the Church.
Reading
Jude 20-21
Beloved, grow strong in your holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit. Persevere in God’s love, and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to life eternal.
Responsory
You are the temple of the living God. —You are the temple of the living God. And the Spirit of God dwells in you, —the temple of the living God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. —You are the temple of the living God.
Canticle of Mary
Ant.Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house, there are many mansions, and I am going to prepare a place for you.
Or:Holy Mother Teresa, look down from heaven and see; visit this vineyard of yours, and perfect what your right hand has planted.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant, *
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me: *
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant.Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house, there are many mansions, and I am going to prepare a place for you.
Or:Holy Mother Teresa, look down from heaven and see; visit this vineyard of yours, and perfect what your right hand has planted.
Intercessions
Christ loved his Church and gave his life for her that she might be holy: let us pray to Christ that his Church may be holy and spotless in all her members:
Be with your Church, Lord Jesus.
You are the Head of the Church and the source of all her grace; —may all your people be joined to you in faith and love, and realize that they are the living and holy members of your Body.
You founded the Church on Peter and the apostles, and through them you teach us the truth and lead us in green pastures; —enlighten and guide those you have placed over your Church, and confirm our faith so that in them we may hear your voice leading us to life.
You choose some to announce the Good News by teaching, baptizing, calling to repentance, and offering in your memory the Eucharistic Sacrifice; —as the harvest is great, and the laborers few, send laborers into your harvest.
You choose some of your friends to follow you more closely in your poverty, your chastity and your obedience, for the building up of the Church; —with Mary as their Mother and teacher, may all religious cling to you and show forth your life within them as they serve the Church.
You made your people one body and one spirit in the unity of faith and baptism; —may all whom you have redeemed preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace.
You died for our redemption and rose so that we could have life; —may all who have died in your love and await the revelation of your glory rejoice at the eternal banquet in the company of your saints.
Our Father…
Prayer
Father, by your Spirit you raised up our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
St Teresa praying at a desk to left, looking at the Holy Spirit in top left, a book and ink-well on the table; unsigned; illustration to page 122 of Aubert le Mire’s “Sanctorum Principum … Imagines” (Antwerp: 1613) Engraving | British Museum (Creative Commons)
I repeat, it is necessary that your foundation consist of more than prayer and contemplation. If you do not strive for the virtues and practice them, you will always be dwarfs. And, please God, it will be only a matter of not growing, for you already know that whoever does not increase decreases. I hold that love, where present, cannot possibly be content with remaining always the same.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
I repeat, it is necessary that your foundation consist of more than prayer and contemplation. If you do not strive for the virtues and practice them, you will always be dwarfs. And, please God, it will be only a matter of not growing, for you already know that whoever does not increase decreases. I hold that love, where present, cannot possibly be content with remaining always the same.
The Interior Castle: VII:4, No. 9
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
Teresa writes these words toward the end of her description of the interior journey, when the soul arrives at union. Fundamental to spiritual progress is the development of a life of virtue, as virtues and prayer shape one another. In the context of Teresa’s definition of prayer as the intimate sharing between friends, virtues are all that we do and suffer for the love of God our great friend. Therefore, engagement in recollection helps us to cultivate practices to enhance our relationship with God, while the continued exercise of these virtues helps us to be gradually more receptive to interacting with Him.
In our prayer today, let us ask for the grace to develop and grow in lives of virtue, that God’s love for us may be expressed and nurtured in our love for Him.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
I’ve never met a leper. I’ve seen plenty of pictures of them but never seen or met one myself. Fortunately, it has been eradicated from Europe, where it used to be a problem. Both today’s readings speak of leprosy and of healing, even miraculous healing. Jesus heals […]
¿Alguna vez os imagináis a Dios mirándonos desde el cielo? ¿Alguna vez pensáis qué pensará Cristo al mirarnos (desde la cruz)?
Personalmente, cuando medito las lecturas que la liturgia de la Iglesia nos propone este domingo, me viene a la mente la imagen de un Dios que se pregunta un tanto sorprendido: “¿Nadie más? ¿Ninguno regresa a darme gloria más que este extranjero?”. Y, después de imaginarme así a Dios, imagino que me dirige a mí su mirada y su pregunta.
I gave myself to Love Divine, And lo! my lot so changèd is That my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
When that sweet Huntsman from above
First wounded me and left me prone,
Into the very arms of Love
My stricken soul forthwith was thrown.
Since then my life’s no more my own
And all my lot so changèd is That my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
The dart wherewith He wounded me
Was all embarbèd round with love,
And thus my spirit came to be
One with its Maker, God above.
No love but this I need to prove:
My life to God surrender’d is And my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
de Jesús, T 1963, The complete works, vol. III, The Book of Foundations, minor prose works, poems, documents and indices, translated and edited by Peers, E, Sheed and Ward, London.
I gave myself to Love Divine, And lo! my lot so changèd is That my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
When that sweet Huntsman from above
First wounded me and left me prone,
Into the very arms of Love
My stricken soul forthwith was thrown.
Since then my life’s no more my own
And all my lot so changèd is That my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
The dart wherewith He wounded me
Was all embarbèd round with love,
And thus my spirit came to be
One with its Maker, God above.
No love but this I need to prove:
My life to God surrender’d is And my Beloved One is mine And I at last am surely His.
Poems III. I gave myself to Love Divine … (“Yo toda me entregué y dí. …”) (translation by E. Allison Peers)
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
This beautiful poem is the result of Teresa’s reflection on Songs 2:16: “My Beloved belongs to me and I to him.” In her verse, she expresses a fundamental truth of the interior journey: God himself initiates and sustains the relationship, and invites us to surrender to Him in faith. Our efforts of self-renunciation, sacrifice, and humility about which Teresa constantly discusses in her writings are our personal response to this love. In renouncing ourselves, we allow the Lord to unite us to Himself.
Let us not tire of making our sacrifices of love, but instead take courage, sure in the knowledge that we are already loved.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V.Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R.That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
A long-time after the Lord had already granted me many of the favors I’ve mentioned and other very lofty ones, while I was in prayer one day, I suddenly found that, without knowing how, I had seemingly been put in hell. I understood that the Lord wanted me to see the place the devils had prepared there for me and which I merited because of my sins…
What I felt, it seems to me, cannot even begin to be exaggerated; nor can it be understood. I experienced a fire in the soul that I don’t know how I could describe.The bodily pains were so unbearable that though I had suffered excruciating ones in this life and according to what doctors say, the worst that can be suffered on earth… these were all nothing in comparison with the ones I experienced there. I saw furthermore that they would go on without end and without ever ceasing.
This, however, was nothing next to the soul’s agonizing: a constriction, a suffocation, an affliction so keenly felt and with such a despairing and tormenting unhappiness that I don’t know how to word it strongly enough… I felt myself burning and crumbling, and I repeatthe worst was that interior fire and despair.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
A long-time after the Lord had already granted me many of the favors I’ve mentioned and other very lofty ones, while I was in prayer one day, I suddenly found that, without knowing how, I had seemingly been put in hell. I understood that the Lord wanted me to see the place the devils had prepared there for me and which I merited because of my sins. This experience took place within the shortest space of time, but even were I to live for many years I think it would be impossible for me to forget it. The entrance it seems to me was similar to a very long and narrow alleyway, like an oven, low and dark and confined; the floor seemed to me to consist of dirty, muddy water emitting a foul stench and swarming with putrid vermin. At the end of the alleyway, a hole that looked like a small cupboard was hollowed out in the wall; there I found I was placed in a cramped condition. All of this was delightful to see in comparison with what I felt there. What I have described can hardly be exaggerated.
What I felt, it seems to me, cannot even begin to be exaggerated; nor can it be understood. I experienced a fire in the soul that I don’t know how I could describe. The bodily pains were so unbearable that though I had suffered excruciating ones in this life and according to what doctors say, the worst that can be suffered on earth (for all my nerves were shrunken when I was paralyzed, plus many other sufferings of many kinds that I endured, and even some, as I said, caused by the devil), these were all nothing in comparison with the ones I experienced there. I saw furthermore that they would go on without end and without ever ceasing. This, however, was nothing next to the soul’s agonizing: a constriction, a suffocation, an affliction so keenly felt and with such a despairing and tormenting unhappiness that I don’t know how to word it strongly enough. To say the experience is as though the soul were continually being wrested from the body would be insufficient, for it would make you think somebody else is taking away the life, whereas here it is the soul itself that tears itself in pieces. The fact is that I don’t know how to give a sufficiently powerful description of that interior fire and that despair, coming in addition to such extreme torments and pains. I didn’t see who inflicted them on me, but, as it seemed to me, I felt myself burning and crumbling; and I repeat the worst was that interior fire and despair.
The Book of Her Life: Chapter 32, Nos. 1-2
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
Teresa experiences the vision described above within the context of God’s salvific action, both universal and personal, in order that she might understand the torments from which she was freed because of His mercy, and also motivate her to realize her personal vocation of reform.
The theme of hell appears often in her writings and underlines humanity’s gift of free will and its natural consequences. The redemption wrought by Christ is intended for all, and the Divine plan is that all should be saved, but this does not preclude one’s possibility to choose. Hell is the result of a lifetime of choices made of separating oneself from God through sin, resulting in the suffocating experience of being completely bound in the darkness of God’s absence, without freedom and without hope.
Not wanting to see others end like this, Teresa exercised her own free will, dedicating her life to participating in Christ’s own saving action via her life of prayer. May we, like Teresa, give thanks to God for the truths revealed to us about eternal life, for our redemption through Christ’s blood, and for the gift of free will that allows us to choose and love him freely. Let us also pray for all those who most need our prayers for conversion of heart today.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
Dios la hizo depositaria de un carisma. Un carisma, como sabéis, es una gracia concreta que está viva y actúa. Carisma es siempre una gracia del Espíritu pero en acción, una gracia actuante, viva, que por donde va infunde vida y vivifica. Pero vivifica con un color, con un sabor, con un modo concreto… Eso […]
O Eternal Father! How much this humility deserves! What treasure do we have that could buy Your Son? The sale of Him, we already know, was for thirty pieces of silver. [Mt 26:15]But to buy Him, no price is sufficient. Since by sharing in our nature, He has become one with us here below—and as Lord of His own will—He reminds the Father that because He belongs to Him, the Father, in turn, can give Him to us. And so He says, “our bread.” He doesn’t make any difference between Himself and us, but we make one by not giving ourselves up each day for His Majesty.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
O Eternal Father! How much this humility deserves! What treasure do we have that could buy Your Son? The sale of Him, we already know, was for thirty pieces of silver. [Mt 26:15] But to buy Him, no price is sufficient. Since by sharing in our nature, He has become one with us here below—and as Lord of His own will—He reminds the Father that because He belongs to Him the Father, in turn, can give Him to us. And so He says, “our bread.” He doesn’t make any difference between Himself and us, but we make one by not giving ourselves up each day for His Majesty.
The Way of Perfection: Chapter 33, No. 5
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
Teresa composed these words as she reflected on the words of the Our Father: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Her meditation on this phrase brought her immediately to Christ’s experience of the passion and its significance for her and her contemporaries. For her, Jesus is the foundation and model of humility in the spiritual life.
Humility plays an important role in interior progress, because through it we come to appreciate and understand the beauty of our souls and our limitations, to gradually cede control of our lives to God in faith and trust and develop a sensibility for perceiving and carrying out His will, to love others properly, and to accept and cherish the depth of the love God has for us.
So let us ask for the grace of humility, that we may grow in truthful relationship with God, ourselves, and others.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V.Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
There came to my mind what I shall now speak about, that which will provide us with a basis to begin with. It is that we consider our soul to be like a castle made entirely out of a diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many dwelling places. For in reflecting upon it carefully, Sisters, we realize that the soul of the just person is nothing else but a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight….
Well if this is true, as it is, there is no reason to tire ourselves in trying to comprehend the beauty of this castle. Since this castle is a creature and the difference, therefore, between it and God is the same as that between the Creator and His creature, His Majesty in saying that the soul is made in His own image makes it almost impossible for us to understand the sublime dignity and beauty of the soul.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Today while beseeching our Lord to speak for me because I wasn’t able to think of anything to say nor did I know how to begin to carry out this obedience, there came to my mind what I shall now speak about, that which will provide us with a basis to begin with. It is that we consider our soul to be like a castle made entirely out of a diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many dwelling places. [Jn 14:2] For in reflecting upon it carefully, Sisters, we realize that the soul of the just person is nothing else but a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight. [Pr 8:31] So then, what do you think that abode will be like where a King so powerful, so wise, so pure, so full of all good things takes His delight? I don’t find anything comparable to the magnificent beauty of a soul and its marvelous capacity. Indeed, our intellects, however keen, can hardly comprehend it, just as they cannot comprehend God; but He Himself says that He created us in His own image and likeness. [Gen 1:26-27]
Well if this is true, as it is, there is no reason to tire ourselves in trying to comprehend the beauty of this castle. Since this castle is a creature and the difference, therefore, between it and God is the same as that between the Creator and His creature, His Majesty in saying that the soul is made in His own image makes it almost impossible for us to understand the sublime dignity and beauty of the soul.
The Interior Castle: I:1
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
Teresa uses a variety of images to describe the soul, likening it to a beehive, a garden, and in this case, a castle. In doing so, she attempts to explain its innate fecund richness brought about through its creation.
Made in the image and likeness of God, our souls mirror the Divine in our natural interior profundity and in our capacity to do His loving and saving will. Moreover, our souls are where Christ resides and interacts with us, and desires to permeate with his light. The experience of God, therefore, is not something beyond the human experience, but intimately connected to it. Indeed, the work of personal transformation takes place in this interior environment.
May we learn from Teresa how to appreciate and care for our souls, that we may radiate Christ to others and give thanks to God for making us his home.
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V.Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
The thought comes to me now that our good Jesus showed us the weakness of His humanity previous to the trials, and when He was in the abyss of His sufferings showed such great fortitude that He not only did not complain but did nothing that would make it appear He was suffering with weakness. When He went to the garden, He said: My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Yet, while on the cross, for He was already suffering death, He did not complain. Nor did He do so when in the prayer of the garden He went to awaken His apostles. With greater reason might He have complained to His Mother and our Lady when she was at the foot of the cross, and not asleep but suffering in her most holy soul and dying a harsh death; it always consoles us more to complain to those who we know feel our trials and love us more.
Saint Teresa of Avila
Meditations on the Song of Songs: Chap. 3
What Our Lord Saw from the Cross (Ce que voyait Notre-Seigneur sur la Croix), James Tissot (French, 1836-1902), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray-green wove paper, Brooklyn Museum | Download this image on the museum website and learn more here
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
The thought comes to me now that our good Jesus showed us the weakness of His humanity previous to the trials, and when He was in the abyss of His sufferings showed such great fortitude that He not only did not complain but did nothing that would make it appear He was suffering with weakness. When He went to the garden, He said: My soul is sorrowful even to death. Yet, while on the cross, for He was already suffering death, He did not complain. Nor did He do so when in the prayer of the garden He went to awaken His apostles. With greater reason might He have complained to His Mother and our Lady when she was at the foot of the cross, and not asleep but suffering in her most holy soul and dying a harsh death; it always consoles us more to complain to those who we know feel our trials and love us more.
Meditations on the Song of Songs: Chapter 3, No. 11
Reflection by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm.
Teresa desired to share her reflections on the Song of Songs, a rather daring act for her time. Her ponderings on Songs 1:2, led her to describe the peace and union granted the soul, opening the person to the possibility of accepting trials in the service of God, opportunities that also bring one’s weaknesses and limitations to the fore. Desiring to encourage her sisters, she looks to Christ’s own experience during his Passion.
Indeed, the humanity of Christ plays a crucial role in her doctrine on prayer. In his Incarnation, he expresses the profundity of God’s love for humanity, and is the perfect mediator between the two. Moreover, his earthly life serves as the example and guide for our spiritual growth. In this way, he leads us to discover our true selves.
Thus, as we continue to pray through the intercession of the saint, let us recognize that she invites us to be in love with Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, “God-with-us.”
We pray together
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. Holy Mother St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Father,
by your Spirit, you raised up
our Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. is a friar of the Saint Elias Province and the pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A.
View the entire novena on the website of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order.
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