Today we celebrate the great Spanish mystic, St. Teresa of Ávila, a Doctor of the Church, whose life and teaching perfectly illuminate our r...
Today we celebrate the great Spanish mystic, St. Teresa of Ávila, a Doctor of the Church, whose life and teaching perfectly illuminate our readings. Her message, like the Gospel, is a call to look inward.
Jesus issues a series of "Woe to you" statements, rebuking the religious leaders for focusing on tiny details—tithing mint and rue—while neglecting justice and the love of God. Their error was an outward show of piety that lacked an Inward reality. St. Paul echoes this: God has no partiality; He will render to each according to their works, to those who patiently seek glory through good work. St. Teresa of Ávila taught that all true reform must begin with the interior life, in the Inner Castle of the soul. She reminds us that all our external actions—all our tithing and synagogue seats—are empty if they are not rooted in a pure heart.
This interior work demands Integrity. Jesus denounces those who "load men with burdens hard to bear" but won't lift a finger themselves. This is a lack of spiritual honesty—a lack of integrity. St. Teresa's reformation of the Carmelite Order was a pursuit of spiritual integrity, simplifying life so the nuns could focus purely on God. For us, integrity means aligning our actions with the Gospel: ensuring our public piety matches our private prayer, and that we do not put burdens on others we are unwilling to carry ourselves.
The reward of this inward labor and integrity is Intimacy with God. St. Teresa’s life was defined by a profound, mystical relationship with Christ, developed through persistent prayer. She famously said, “God, deliver me from sullen saints.” Intimacy with God produces a genuine joy and a love that overflows into true justice and charity. Let us take St. Teresa's lesson: turn your gaze inward, seek integrity in all things, and persist in prayer to grow in that deep, transformative intimacy with Christ. Amen.
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