On Thursday morning of this week, Pope Francis marked the 500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila. Today, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of a letter which the Holy Father has sent to the Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites to mark the occasion.
Having completed five hundred years since the birth of Saint Teresa of Jesus, I wish to unite myself with all the Church, in giving thanks to the great family of discalced Carmelites - religious men and women and secular members - for the charism of this remarkable woman.
Letter of His Holiness, Pope Francis
on the occasion of the 500th anniversary
of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila
To our venerable brother
Father Saverio Cannistrà
Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites
Dear brother,
Having completed five hundred years since the birth of Saint Teresa of Jesus, I wish to unite myself with all the Church, in giving thanks to the great family of discalced Carmelites - religious men and women and secular members - for the charism of this remarkable woman.
I consider it a providential grace that this anniversary coincides with the Year dedicated to Consecrated Life, in which the Saint of Avila shines as a solid guide and model of total self-giving to God. It is a matter of another reason to look toward the past with gratitude and to rediscover the inspiring spark that gave energy to the founders and the members of the first community (cf Letter to Consecrated Persons, November 21, 2014).
The witness of her consecration continues to do so much good for all of us, a witness born directly out of an encounter with Christ, on her experience of prayer as a continual dialogue with God and on her community life, rooted in the maternity of the Church!
Above all else, Saint Teresa is a master of prayer. In her experience, the discovery of Christ's humanity was of primary importance. Moved by the desire to share this personal experience with others, she describes it in vivid and simple terms, making it available to everyone, since it consists simply in a relationship of friendship ... with the one we know loves us (Life, 8, 5). Many times, the narration itself is transformed in prayer, as though to introduce the reader to his interior dialogue with Christ. Teresa's narration was not only a prayer reserved to a specific space or moment during the day; it sprang forth spontaneously on various occasions: It would be very difficult if prayer was something that could only be done in specific places (Foundations, 5, 16). She was convinced of the value of continual prayer, even though it might not always be perfect. The Saint asks us to be steadfast, faithful, even in the midst of aridity, personal difficulty or present needs that call upon us.
In order to renew consecrated life today, Teresa has left us a great treasure, filled with concrete proposals, ways and methods of prayer which, far from closing in upon ourselves or leading only to an interior balance, makes us always begin with Jesus and constitutes an authentic school for growth in love for God and for others.
Beginning with her encounter with Jesus, Saint Teresa lived another life, was transformed into an untiring communicator of the Gospel (cf Life, 23, 1). Wishing to serve the Church, and facing grave problems of her time, she was not limited to being a spectator of the reality that surrounded her. In her condition as a woman and with her health difficulties, she decided - she says - to do what little they expected of me ... that is to follow the evangelical councils with all the perfections possible and to make it possible for these few sisters who are present to do the same (The Way, 1, 2). Thus began the Carmelite reform, in which she asked her Sisters not to waste so much time addressing to God interests of little importance while the world is ablaze (The Way, 1, 5). This missionary and ecclesial dimension has always distinguished the Discalced Carmelite women and men.
As she did then, so today the Saint opens new horizons for us, she calls us to a great endeavour, to look at the world with Christ’s eyes, to seek what He seeks and to love what He loves.
Saint Teresa knew that neither prayer nor the mission can be sustained without a genuine community life. Therefore, the foundation she laid in her convents was fraternity: All must love one another here, love each other and help one another mutually (The Way, 4, 7). And she was very attentive in admonishing her Religious about the danger of self-reference in fraternal life, which consists entirely or almost entirely in denying ourselves and our leisure (The Way, 12, 2) and putting ourselves at the service of others. To avoid such a risk, the Saint of Avila recommended to her Sisters, first of all, the virtue of humility, which is not exterior neglect or interior timidity of soul, rather each one should know his/her own possibilities and what God can do in us (cf Relations, 28). The contrary is what she calls a false point of honour (Life, 31, 23), the source of gossip, of jealousies and of criticisms, which seriously harms relations with others. Carmelite humility consists in acceptance of oneself, awareness of one’s dignity, missionary audacity, gratitude and abandonment in God.
With these noble roots, the Carmelite communities are called to become houses of communion, capable of witnessing the fraternal love and maternity of the Church, presenting to the Lord the needs of the world, lacerated by divisions and wars.
Dear Brother, I do not want to end without thanking the Teresian Carmelite Community that entrusts the Pope with special tenderness to the protection of the Virgin of Carmel, and which accompanies with their prayer the great trials and challenges of the Church. I ask the Lord that your testimony of life, like that of Saint Teresa, will let the joy and beauty of living the Gospel shine and attract many young people to closely follow Christ.
To all the Teresian Family, I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican
March 28, 2015
Francis
As she did then, so today the Saint opens new horizons for us, she calls us to a great endeavour, to look at the world with Christ’s eyes, to seek what He seeks and to love what He loves.
Saint Teresa knew that neither prayer nor the mission can be sustained without a genuine community life. Therefore, the foundation she laid in her convents was fraternity: All must love one another here, love each other and help one another mutually (The Way, 4, 7). And she was very attentive in admonishing her Religious about the danger of self-reference in fraternal life, which consists entirely or almost entirely in denying ourselves and our leisure (The Way, 12, 2) and putting ourselves at the service of others. To avoid such a risk, the Saint of Avila recommended to her Sisters, first of all, the virtue of humility, which is not exterior neglect or interior timidity of soul, rather each one should know his/her own possibilities and what God can do in us (cf Relations, 28). The contrary is what she calls a false point of honour (Life, 31, 23), the source of gossip, of jealousies and of criticisms, which seriously harms relations with others. Carmelite humility consists in acceptance of oneself, awareness of one’s dignity, missionary audacity, gratitude and abandonment in God.
With these noble roots, the Carmelite communities are called to become houses of communion, capable of witnessing the fraternal love and maternity of the Church, presenting to the Lord the needs of the world, lacerated by divisions and wars.
Dear Brother, I do not want to end without thanking the Teresian Carmelite Community that entrusts the Pope with special tenderness to the protection of the Virgin of Carmel, and which accompanies with their prayer the great trials and challenges of the Church. I ask the Lord that your testimony of life, like that of Saint Teresa, will let the joy and beauty of living the Gospel shine and attract many young people to closely follow Christ.
To all the Teresian Family, I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican
March 28, 2015
Francis
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