St. Teresa of Avila, pray for our Perseverance.
“As I have been commanded and left at liberty to describe at length my way of prayer, and the workings of the grace of our Lord within me, I could wish that I had been allowed at the same time to speak distinctly and in detail of my grievous sins and wicked life. But it has not been so willed; on the contrary, I am laid herein under restraint; and therefore, for the love of our Lord, I beg of every one who shall read this story of my life to keep in mind how wicked it has been; and how, among the Saints who were converted to God, I have never found one in whom I can have any comfort. For I see that they, after our Lord called them, never fell into I saw that I was thereby bound to serve Him more earnestly, knowing, at the same time, that of myself I could not pay the least portion of my debt.
May He be blessed for ever Who waited for me so long! I implore Him with my whole heart to send me His grace, so that in all clearness and truth I may give this account of myself which my confessors command me to give; and even our Lord Himself, I know it, has also willed it should be given for some time past, but I had not the courage to attempt it. And I pray it may be to His praise and glory, and a help to my confessors; who, knowing me better, may succour my weakness, so that I may render to our Lord some portion of the service I owe Him. May all creatures praise Him for ever! Amen.” ~ St. Teresa of Avila (from her autobiography)
So there you are. A Saint who felt herself unworthy, who felt no consolation in the stories of the Saints, for surely she was nothing like them. Who saw the many sins of her life and counted them greater in number than her virtuous acts. This coming from the reformer of the Carmelites, a doctor of the Church and well-known canonized Saint! For all of her great accomplishments, her stories contains so many of the attitudes, trials and fears which so many of us “common folk” endure. Her autobiography is a spiritual classic, and holds many treasures for those who read it.
What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: Saints are not perfect, and often times, it was their struggles with sin that made them Saints.
What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Read the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. (If you read this post, you have already finished the introduction!)
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother: to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I saw the tail-end of the movie of St. Teresa of Avila on ETWN over the weekend — fascinating. WHich particular version of her autobiography would you suggest?? Is there only one versin — I looked on your Amazon site, to no avail. Please advise. Also, I hope you are feeling a bit better after this terrible patch you have been through. Know we continue to pray for you and your family.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:19 am
October 27th, 2009 at 9:05 am
October 27th, 2009 at 9:06 am
October 29th, 2009 at 6:59 am