Teresa was born at Ávila 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 which are renowned for their depth of doctrine and which showed her own spiritual experiences. She died at Alba in 1582.
Saint Teresa is among the most important figures of all time for Catholic spirituality. Her works — especially the four best known (The Life, The Way of Perfection, The Mansions and The Foundations) — together with her more historical works, contain a doctrine which encompasses the whole of the spiritual life, from the first steps right up to intimacy with God at the centre of the Interior Castle. Her Letters show her occupied with a great variety of everyday problems.
Image: By Peter Paul Rubens — Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Bilddatenbank. Wikimedia.org. Public Domain
