a biography of Saint Teresa of Jesus, and her spiritual legacy

1. SAINT TERESA OF AVILA

2. Teresa Sánchez Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada, was born
in Ávila, Castilla la Vieja, on March 28, 1515;
Family and childhood

3. and died in Alba de Tormes, on October 4, 1582.

4. She was the third child of Don Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda, with his second wife,
Mrs. Beatriz Dávila y Ahumada, who died when the saint was fourteen years old.

5. Teresa was
raised by her
pious father,
who was a
lover of
serious books,
and by a
tender and
pious mother.

6. When she was very young, she persuaded her younger brother
Rodrigo to escape to the missions to die as martyrs at the hands
of the Saracens. Her uncle found them and brought them home.

7. Her mother died
when she was
14 years old.
In her pain,
she turned to
the Virgin Mary,
asking her to
console her and
to be her mother
from there on.

8. But later her cousins ​​led her to a shallow life, where she
cared about her appearance, and social treatment.

9. After the death of his mother and
the marriage of his older sister,
Teresa was sent to the Augustinian
nuns in Avila to be educated,
THE BEGINNING OF HER VOCATION

10. Sister Maria Eugenia, of the Agustinians,
helped her focus and renew her spiritual life.

11. A friend of hers, Ana Suarez entered the convent of
the Incarnation, and Teresa also wanted to enter.

12. When she did not
obtain the consent
of her father, in
November 1535,
she secretly left her
father's house,
entering the Carmelite
Convent of the
Incarnation, in Ávila,
which at that time
had 140 nuns.

13. Leaving her family caused her great pain, which she then
compared with the pain she felt about death. Her father
eventually relented and Teresa took the Carmelite habit.

14. After her profession,
she became seriously
ill, having to endure
a long convalescence,
which, together with
the clumsy medical
treatments, left her
very weak. Even after
her partial recovery,
(thanks to the
intercession of Saint
Joseph), her health
was always poor.

15. They took her to recover to her uncle
Don Pedro's house in Horgigozo de
la Cañada. He asked Teresa to
read spiritual books to him and was
introduced to Christian authors.
She read the Third Alphabet
of Francis of Osuna. She began
to learn the prayer of recollection
and had the gift of tears.

16. Her uncle gave her the Letters of Saint Jerome, which
inspired and encouraged in the option for religious life

17. During these years of illness she began the practice of mental prayer, but,
fearing that the conversations on worldly subjects that she had with some
relatives who frequently visited the convent would make her unworthy
of the graces that God granted her, she abandoned this type of prayer,
until she was directed first by the Dominicans and then by the Jesuits

18. Teresa could find
God everywhere,
even among
the pots of
the kitchen

19. God had begun to visit her with "intellectual visions
and locutions“. These encouraged and strengthened
her to cope with trials, both internal and external.

20. In 1554 she had her second conversion. In a vision she saw Christ in his
passion and was moved and asked, what can I do for the Lord.

21. SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS AND COUNSELLORS
During her life, Teresa had several confessors, spiritual directors,
and counselors. Unable to reconcile the graces she received with
her defects, which she considered to be great faults, she sought
spiritual confessors, but also some saintly lay advisors.

22. When she recounted her vivid spiritual experiences, some
thought they came from the devil, eg Francisco de Alcedo and
Gaspar de Daza. Their negative opinion made her suffer a lot.

23. Don Diego de Cetina, on the other hand, was positive and encouraged
her, because he was convinced that her inspirations came from God.

24. She sought direction from Saint Francis de Borja

25. y Saint Peter of Alcantara,

26. and later several Dominicans
(particularly Pedro Ibáñez
and Domingo Bañez),
Jesuits, and other religious
and secular priests, to discern God's
work and guide down a safe path.

27. John de Prádanos helped her with his advice, guiding
her to free herself from certain attachments.

28. Baltasar Alvarez
was her director for
3 years in a period
when Teresa was
taken for half crazy,
and the criticism
affected him too,
because he
directed her.

29. VISIONS
AND
MYSTICAL
EXPERIENCES

30. The Saint saw in visions,
the Holy Spirit, the Trinity,
the Virgin Mary,
Saint Clare,
Saint Peter and Saint Paul,
Saint Peter of Alcantara,
and also her sister María and
two priests, after their deaths.
In addition, some angels,
but also some demons
appeared to her

31. In a vision
the Lord
presented
her with
a nail as a
sign of her
mystical
wedding
with Him.

32. She also
sometimes
experienced
transverberation,
when she felt her
heart penetrated
and wounded by
pain and love for
Christ at the
same time.

33. Teresa felt the inner stigmatization
in her mystical experiences

34. In 1560 Teresa
had a vision
of the glorified
humanity
of Christ.
These mystical
experiences
marked her
entire life.

35. She also had a vision of hell, and what would be the fate of the
unfaithful; the pangs of the spirit, and the despair at being deprived
of God forever, which would be worse than the sufferings of the body.
Her gratitude to the Lord who saves her increased.

36. One day, Saint Teresa of Jesus
was going down the stairs and
she came across a beautiful child
who was smiling at her.
Sister Teresa, surprised to see a
little boy inside the convent,
asked him: And who are you?
To which the child responds
with another question:
And who are you?
The holy nun replied:
"I am Teresa of Jesús."
And the boy, with a wide and
luminous smile, said:
"Well, I'm Jesús of Teresa."

37. She was very devoted to Saint Joseph
«I would like to persuade everyone to
become very devoted to this glorious
Saint, from my experience of the
benefits that he obtains from God».
When she was 27 years old, she
became ill, to the point of no longer
being able to walk, and could only
crawl on the ground. Medical science
could no longer do anything for her,
and the holy woman entrusted herself
to Saint Joseph: «I took the glorious
Saint Joseph as my lawyer and lord,
and I entrusted a lot to him ..., and he
enabled me to get up and walk».
In addition, St Joseph appeared to her,
and promised her heavenly support
for her foundations, and even financial
support, since she had no money.

38. Teresa resurrected a dead girl - “her father, invoking the holy virgin and
mother, Saint Teresa of Jesus, to intercede with God, put her picture on the chest
of the child who had been dead for nine hours. The next day at dawn, she rose
good and healthy, without fever or any other ailment or disease, with her
natural color. She asked for food which they gave her and she ate by her own
hand. Then she asked to get dressed and got up and sat at a window.

39. THE REFORM OF THE CARMELITES,
AND THE FOUNDATIONS

40. In 1560 after receiving communion, in thanksgiving,
she was inspired to return to the original fervor of Carmel.
She told Don Pedro de Alcantara who supported her.

41. In Toledo she received permission to undertake the reform, with other
inspired and willing nuns, but in the Incarnation there was great
opposition. Many complained that such a convent of Saint Joseph
would have no fixed income, depending on divine providence.
Eventually all setbacks were overcome.

42. Saint Teresa founded the convent
of Discalced Carmelites of the Old
Observance of the Rule of Saint Joseph
of Ávila (August 24, 1562)

45. In 1567, she received the visit
of Juan Bautista Rubeo (Rossi),
the General of the Carmelites,
who not only approved what
she had done, but also gave her
permission to found other
convents, both for friars and
nuns. Almost immediately, she
founded convents in
Medina del Campo (1567),
Malagón and Valladolid (1568),
Toledo and Pastrana (1569),
Salamanca (1570),
Alba de Tormes (1571),
Segovia (1574),
Beas and Seville (1575),
and Caravaca (1576).

46. Teresa always acted with spirit of
obedience, even in more difficult
situations like when she was sent back
to the Incarnation as prioress.

47. In the "Book of
Foundations", she tells the
history of these convents,
which, were founded
despite great opposition,
but with the manifest
Help from heaven.
Everywhere she found
generous souls who
wanted to support the
genuine spirit of the
original rule of Carmel,
e.g. Mrs. Guiojar de Ulloa.

48. After meeting Antonio de
Heredia, prior of Medina,
and Saint John of the Cross,
she began her reform of the
friars (November 28, 1568),
the first convents were…
Duruelo (1568),
Pastrana (1569),

49. Mancera, and
Alcalá de Henares (1570)
Mancera
Alcalá de Henares

50. The nuncio, appointed Jerónimo
Gracián as Apostolic Visitor of the
Carmelite friars and nuns of strict
observance of Andalusia, and as such,
he had the right to object to the
restrictions given by the general
superior and the general chapter

52. THE PERSECUTION OF THE REFORM

53. In 1577 a new persecution was unleashed. The superior general sent letters to Teresa,
which she answered, but the answers did not arrive on time and he suspecting her
disobedience, sent Father Tostado as his representative to suppress the order.

54. On the death of the nuncio
and with the arrival of his
successor, a great storm
began over Santa Teresa
and her work, which lasted
four years and it seemed it
would be the end of the
nascent reform. The facts of
this persecution are well
described in his letters.
The difficulties would only
be overcome with the
support of King Philip II.

55. John of the Cross
who had already
been arrested for a
few days by the
friars in Medina del
Campo, in 1575 was
again imprisoned.

56. On the night of December 3, 1577, John of the
Cross was again arrested and transferred to
the Carmelite monastery of Toledo, where he
was forced to appear before a court of shod
friars to retract the Teresian Reform.
Faced with his refusal, he was confined in
a conventual prison for eight months. During
this period of seclusion he wrote the first
thirty-one stanzas of the Spiritual Canticle.

57. With the help of a jailer, he escaped in the
middle of the night and took refuge in the
convent of the Discalced Carmelite Mothers, also
in Toledo. The nuns sent him to the Hospital de
Santa Cruz, where he spent a month and a half.

58. Things changed
when Don Felipe
Cega is appointed
the new nuncio.
In 1580 they get
a papal bull
separating the
orders, barefoot
and shod.
They were approved
and canonically
established on
22 June 1580.

59. Father Antonio de Heredia gives the viatico to SaInt Teresa
THE END OF HER LIFE

60. Saint Teresa, even
when old and of broken
health, made more
foundations, in
Villanueva del la Jara
and Palencia (1580),
Soria (1581), Granada
(with help from her assistant
the Blessed Ana of Jesus),
and Burgos (1582)

61. In 1582 Teresa
went with Fr.
Gracian to Burgos.
The Duchess of
Alba de Tormes
sent for her but
she became ill in
Medina del
Campo.

62. She arrived in Alba de Tormes in September, enduring great bodily suffering.
Soon after, she had to stay in bed, and died on October 4, 1582.

63. After some years his
body was transferred
to Ávila, but then Alba
was transferred again,
where it is still
preserved uncorrupted.
Her heart, which
shows the marks of
transverberation,
is also exposed to be
venerated by believers.

64. She was
beatified in
1614, and
canonized in
1622 by Pope
Gregory XV,
her feast was
fixed on
October 15

65. THE SPIRITUAL LEGACY OF
SAINT TERESA OF AVILA
The Mansions of the Interior Castle

66. LITERARY WORK
Life of Mother Teresa of Jesus
The Path of Perfection
The Dwellings of the Inner Castle
The Foundations
Letters

67. In her writings she narrates clearly her personal experiences,
thanks to her gift of deep insight and capacity of analysis.
Her Thomist substratum can be traced to the influence of her confessors
and directors, many of whom belonged to the Dominican order.

68. - She uses the short meters of traditional poetry
- The extension of your poems will vary from one to another.
- In her works she deals with the theme of idealized love,
God being the beloved and she the beloved
WORKS
-I live without living in myself
-I am yours for you I was born
-love colloquium
-oh beauty that you excede
-soul look for you in me
-in the cross is life
-to saint andrew
- to saint Catherine, the martyr

69. She was proclaimed
a doctor of the
Church Oct 28, 2020

70. LIST OF PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
Revised 30-9-2021
Advent and Christmas – time of hope and peace
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – In the Light of the Word
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – The Experiences and Challenges of Families
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 - Looking to Jesus, the Vocation of the Family
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - Love in Marriage
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Love made Fruitfuol
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Some Pastoral Perspectives
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Towards a better education of children
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Accompanying, discerning and integrating weaknwss
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
Beloved Amazon 1ª – A Social Dream
Beloved Amazon 2 - A Cultural Dream
Beloved Amazon 3 – An Ecological Dream
Beloved Amazon 4 - An Ecclesiastical Dream
Carnival
Christ is Alive
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – Church and Family today
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - God’s plan for the family
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – family as a Community
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – serving life and education
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – mission of the family in society
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - Family in the Church
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Football in Spain
Haurietis aquas – devotion to the Sacred Heart by Pius XII
Holidays and Holy Days
Holy Spirit
Holy Week – drawings for children
Holy Week – glmjpses of the last hours of JC
Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Juno explores Jupiter
Laudato si 1 – care for the common home
Laudato si 2 – Gospel of creation
Laudato si 3 – Human roots of the ecological crisis
Laudato si 4 – integral ecology
Laudato si 5 – lines of approach and action
Laudato si 6 – Education y Ecological Spirituality
Love and Marriage 12,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Lumen Fidei – ch 1,2,3,4
Medjugore Pilgrimage
Misericordiae Vultus in English
Mother Teresa of Calcuta – Saint
Pope Franciss in Thailand
Pope Francis in Japan
Pope Francis in Sweden
Pope Francis in Hungary, Slovaquia
Pope Francis in America
Pope Francis in the WYD in Poland 2016
Querida Amazonia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ –according to the Gospels
Russian Revolution and Communismo 3 civil war 1918.1921
Russian Revolution and Communism 1
Russian Revolution and Communismo 2
Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Saint James, apostle
Saint Joseph
Saint Maria Goretti
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta
Saint Jean Baptiste MarieaVianney, Curé of Ars
Saint John of the Cross
Saint Patrick and Ireland
Signs of hope
Sunday – day of the Lord
Thanksgiving – History and Customs
The Body, the cult – (Eucharist)
Valentine
Vocation – mconnor@legionaries.org
Way of the Cross – drawings for children
For commentaries – email – mflynn@legionaries.org
Fb – Martin M Flynn
Donations to - BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Name – EUR-CA-ASTI
IBAN – IT61Q0306909606100000139493

71. LISTA DE PRESENTACIONES EN ESPAÑOL
Revisado 30-9-2021
Abuelos
Adviento y Navidad, tiempo de esperanza
Amor y Matrimonio 1 - 9
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – A la luz de la Palabre
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – Realidad y Desafíos de las Familias
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 La mirada puesta en Jesús: Vocación de la Familia
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - El Amor en el Matrimonio
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Amor que se vuelve fecundo
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Algunas Perspectivas Pastorales
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Fortalecer la educacion de los hijos
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Acompañar, discernir e integrar la fragilidad
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – Espiritualidad Matrimonial y Familiar
Carnaval
Cristo Vive
Domingo – día del Señor
El camino de la cruz de JC en dibujos para niños
El Cuerpo, el culto – (eucarisía)
Espíritu Santo
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – iglesia y familia hoy
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - el plan de Dios para la familia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – familia como comunidad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – servicio a la vida y educación
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – misión de la familia en la sociedad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - participación de la familia en la iglesia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Fátima – Historia de las Apariciones de la Virgen
Feria de Sevilla
Haurietis aquas – el culto al Sagrado Corazón
Hermandades y cofradías
Hispanidad
Laudato si 1 – cuidado del hogar común
Laudato si 2 – evangelio de creación
Laudato si 3 – La raíz de la crisis ecológica
Laudato si 4 – ecología integral
Laudato si 5 – líneas de acción
Laudato si 6 – Educación y Espiritualidad Ecológica
Lumen Fidei – cap 1,2,3,4
Madre Teresa de Calcuta – Santa
María y la Biblia
Medjugore peregrinación
Misericordiae Vultus en Español
Papa Francisco en Bulgaria
Papa Francisco en Rumania
Papa Francisco en Marruecos
Papa Francisco en México
Papa Francisco – mensaje para la Jornada Mundial Juventud 2016
Papa Francisco – visita a Chile
Papa Francisco – visita a Perú
Papa Francisco en Colombia 1 + 2
Papa Francisco en Cuba
Papa Francisco en Fátima
Papa Francisco en la JMJ 2016 – Polonia
Papa Francisco en Hugaría e Eslovaquia
Queridas Amazoznia 1,2,3,4
Resurrección de Jesucristo – según los Evangelios
Revolución Rusa y Comunismo 1, 2, 3
Santa Agata, virgen y martir
San Antonio de Padua
San Francisco de Asis 1,2,3,4
Santa Maria Goretti
San Ignacio de Loyola
San José, obrero, marido, padre
San Juan Ma Vianney, Curé de’Ars
San Juan de la Cruz
San Maximiliano Kolbe
Santa Teresa de Calcuta
San Padre Pio de Pietralcina
San Patricio e Irlanda
Santiago Apóstol
Semana santa – Vistas de las últimas horas de JC
Vacaciones Cristianas
Valentín
Virgen de Guadalupe
Vocación – www.vocación.org
Vocación a evangelizar
Para comentarios – email – mflynn@lcegionaries.org
fb – martin m. flynn
Donations to - BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Name – EUR-CA-ASTI. IBAN – IT61Q0306909606100000139493