St. Teresa of Ávila

Today is the great feast of Pentecost! It also happens to be the sixth anniversary of my ordination to the diaconate. So I thought this would be an ideal day to take a look at another saint who is strongly associated with the Eucharist, who was greatly inspired by the Holy Spirit and who also happens to be my favorite saint: St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1584, feast day October 15).

Teresa was a Carmelite nun, a mystic and a contemplative, and a thoughtful writer. She lived in the time of the Protestant revolution sparked by Martin Luther, and others. 

One of the most important doctrines she defended was the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, that it is truly and substantially the Incarnate Son of God. The Protestant argument was that Christ was present only symbolically in the Eucharist, but not in the fullness of his humanity united with his divinity. St. Teresa strongly defended the truth, compelled by the Holy Spirit and her personal experience of the Eucharist, that Jesus acts through the Eucharist by being fully present to give us the strength we need to deal with the difficulties of life and prepare to be with him eternally in heaven.

It is important to note that because of theological teachings such as this, as well as the spiritual direction she gave in her writings, the Church conferred upon her the important title of Doctor of the Church, a title that only a few theologians have been granted. In fact, she was the first woman recognized in this way, though it took the Church nearly 400 years after her death to do so (by Pope Paul VI in 1970). 

St. Teresa, pray for us, that we may be so strongly devoted to the Eucharist as you were!

“Here on earth it’s impossible to perform a more meritorious act than visiting Jesus often in the Eucharist. If you took all of the good works done by all of the humans who have ever lived in all of history and stacked them all up and multiplied them by a million, they wouldn’t equal the merit, the virtue and the worth of one Mass. The Eucharistic sacrifice is Christ’s infinite merit, infinite value.”  - St. Teresa of Ávila

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at eucharist@stmli.org.