Most of us know St. Teresa of Ávila as a mystic, visionary, author, reformer, and foundress. She was all of these things, but she was also something more: she was a convert.
Born into Spanish nobility in the 16th century, Teresa entered the Carmelite order at the age of 20. For nearly two decades, Teresa’s life as a Carmelite was marked with inconsistency: she often suffered from ill health and grew in the spiritual life during her illnesses, but when she regained her health, she returned to indifference toward prayer.
Despite her own indifference, however, she frequently told other sisters within the monastery how they ought to pray and live the Carmelite life. Before long, they began pointing out her hypocrisy to her.
Finally, Our Lord Himself stepped in. One day, He took Teresa to a horrible place—a place so awful that words fail to describe it, but which she likened to a slimy, dark tunnel filled with an inexpressible stench.
This place, He told Teresa, was her very own place in hell. This was the spot reserved particularly for her, Teresa of Ávila, and which awaited her in the next life. He showed it to her that she might understand her danger, humble herself, and start to take her religious life more seriously.
Teresa did just that. From that day until her entrance into heaven, she clung to Christ as her Savior and Spouse, throughout all the heavy crosses and trials of her life. She not only grew consistent in prayer and her observance of the Carmelite Rule—she reached immense heights of mystical prayer and became the great reformer of the Carmelite Order. She is one of the Church’s greatest teachers on prayer and a Doctor of the Church.
This great saint knew what truly matters in life and she is eager to teach us. Bring her greatest lesson home in the form of our St. Teresa of Ávila Parchment Print. Illustrated with the complexity and richness of a medieval manuscript, this print features Teresa’s most powerful quote. Take it from a saint who saw hell—these words of confidence and comfort are concrete and sincere! Secure your print today from The Catholic Company!
