Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
If the Church had something like the “big leagues” among the saints of the Church surely the saint we celebrate today would occupy a very high and respected place in that elite league. St. Teresa of Avila, declared a Doctor of the Church as late as 1970, lived in the second half of the sixteenth century. She enjoys the glorious company of Carmelite saints before and after her but also among the many great mystics and reformers of the Church. Surely, it’s due to God’s plan and not chance whenever we find the amazing combination of the right person appearing at the right time in history with the right charisma to make a lasting impact.
Her legacy as a courageous and brilliant reformer continues to bring hope and insight to all who would dare to speak truth to power today. The price of resistance and contradiction as Jesus confronted the power of the Pharisees in today’s Gospel is surely the same suffering then as now. The message of Jesus and Teresa of Avila is still the same. “Be not afraid.” Because of her abiding focus to place everything in the hands of Jesus she found a way to communicate in a mystical union that was profound as well as intimately personal. During a time of intense personal suffering, she is supposed to have simply said to Jesus: “If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!” That is a heart-to-heart talk! Do we dare to do the same?
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections