Prayer

When Pope Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa of Ávila the first woman Doctor of the Church on September 27, 1970, he selected one of her many titles as the basis for conferring that honor on her: Teresa of Ávila, Teacher of Prayer. The same sentiment was expressed by Pope John Paul II in a letter to the Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Friars to mark the fourth centenary of the death of Teresa. In this insightful article, Fr. Jordan Aumann, O.P., details the various stages of prayer as explained by St. Teresa through all of her major works—The Life, The Way of Perfection, and The Interior Castle.