Whoever lives in the presence of so good a friend and excellent a leader as is Jesus Christ can endure all things.

 

These are the words of St. Teresa of Jesus, also known as St. Teresa of Avila, virgin and doctor of the Church, who’s feast we celebrate today.

Teresa was born in Avila in Spain in the year 1515. She entered the Carmelite order and would go on to be known for her books, “The Way of Perfection” and her Autobiography. Teresa spent her entire religious life attempting to help the Carmelite nuns and priests become more prayerful by encouraging them to follow their promises or vows to God in a stricter way. Central to the Carmelites, like all religious orders, was their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Further, central to the Carmelite order, was the importance to spend quiet time with the Lord in devout prayer, contemplation and meditation. At the time of Teresa, many of the nuns and priests were living lives not worthy of their religious callings. They were betraying their call to serve God in a way pleasing to Him.

The focus of Teresa’s teachings to the nuns and priests, and to us today, was always to have Jesus as the center of who we are in all we do. In her teachings, she reminded everyone that we are always in the presence of Jesus, whether we’re in church, at home, or doing our chores during the day. So, in all our activity, we are to perform it in a way that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is present in our every move and action. This earthly road we travel, remembering that Christ is always present to us in whatever we do, was important to Teresa. Teresa says, “A person should desire no other path, even if he be at the summit of contemplation. This Lord of ours is the one through whom all blessings come to us.”

As we come to church and offer up our prayers to God, and as we go through our day, let us remember that Jesus is walking with us hand in hand in all we do. We can make each thing we do a prayer to God. Not only the prayers we offer at mass, or by praying the rosary daily, but, also, as we go through our days, let us meditate on the presence of God in our lives, present in every moment and activity.

St. Teresa would go on to say in her autobiography, “We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.” As we go through this day, let us remember that we, and all we meet, are citizens of heaven. Let us pray for those we know that may fall short of being followers of Christ and pray for ourselves that we may have the strength to always act in ways that reflect that we are followers of Jesus Christ.