Born in Avila , Spain , St. Teresa entered the Carmelite convent. Dissatisfied with the lax practices in the convent, she instituted reforms and, with the assistance of John of the Cross, founded the reformed Carmelite orders of nuns and friars. St. Teresa was a great mystic, a strong intelligent and active leader in the church in her day. She wrote several works considered classics of spiritual literature today, including The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. St. Teresa was the first woman to be declared a Doctor of the Church. May we follow her advice to:          

“Let nothing disturb you,

               Let nothing frighten you,

               All things are passing away;

               God never changes.

               Patience obtains all things.

               Whoever has God lacks nothing;

               God alone is enough.”

As Paul describes in these verses, this is what faith is about --not to be focused on circumstances and what we see around us, but to be focused on the love of God. This world, this life, brings groanings and sufferings, as did Paul and St. Teresa’s lives. The message for us today is to look beyond the suffering and disorder in our life to the hope which sustains us. Yes, we hope for what we can’t see, but we are called to patiently wait for it.

I remember visiting a patient, who was dying of cancer, and she said to me, “Can I pray for you?” I was amazed at her asking that and also inspired by how God gives us strength and courage and patience to walk through our pain, suffering and struggles of life with hope. The greater hope is that we don’t live for this life we wait for the next.