Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582)

Ken Kalis
Oct 15
4 min read

Teresa of Ávila, by Rubens. This is the portrait of Teresa that is probably the most true to her appearance. It is a copy of an original 1576 painting of her when she was 61. PUBIC DOMAIN

“Let nothing disturb you; let nothing frighten you. Whoever has God lacks nothing—God alone suffices.”

As a boy in a very Protestant Pentecostal Church, I stayed away from Roman Catholics.

I never thought I would have anything in common with a Catholic nun, but I was wrong.
Teresa of Avila had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and so did I.
We are not alone: Thomas Aquinas had one in 1273, Bob Dylan in 1977.
Jesus wants a personal relationship with you, too! Here's His invitation:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

A Heart on Fire for Christ

Teresa of Ávila was born on March 28, 1515, in the ancient walled city of Ávila, Spain. From her youth, she was drawn to prayer and to the beauty of knowing Jesus Christ* (4BC-30AD) personally.

An asterisk* after a name means the person is in my book SPIRITUAL LIVES

But her path was not easy—her health was poor, her soul often troubled, and the religious world around her, though devout in form, had grown cold in spirit.

In 1534, she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation, yet found there a spiritual laxity that pained her. The sisters were kind, but the discipline was weak, the silence broken, and the sense of divine presence dim.

Teresa longed for something deeper—for the pure, consuming love of Christ that could change not only cloisters but hearts.

A Vision of the Living Christ

In 1559, Teresa experienced one of the defining moments of her life. While at prayer, she felt the unmistakable presence of Christ Himself—bodily real, though invisible to the eye. It was not imagination but encounter: the Lord speaking to her heart, drawing her into intimate friendship.

From that moment, she resolved to give her life entirely to Him. She said, “Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth but yours.”

This encounter transformed her prayer life. Her devotion was no longer duty—it was a living relationship with the Lord Jesus, her Bridegroom and Friend.

Teresa, the Reformer and the Writer

Burdened by what she saw as complacency in monastic life, Teresa set out to reform her Order. In 1562, she founded the Convent of St. Joseph in Ávila, dedicated to simplicity, poverty, and prayer. Her reforms emphasized silence, humility, and wholehearted love for God.

Teresa also became one of the great writers of Christian spirituality. Her works, especially The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, remain among the most profound guides to prayer ever written. In them, she describes the soul as a castle of many rooms, with Christ dwelling in the innermost chamber—waiting to be found by those who seek Him in purity and love.

Her reforms spread across Spain, and through her friendship with John of the Cross, the same renewal touched the Carmelite friars.

The Mystical Life and Legacy

Teresa died in 1582 at Alba de Tormes, whispering her final words: “O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come.”

She was canonized in 1622, and in 1970 was named a Doctor of the Church, one of the first women to receive that honor. Her life stands as a witness that holiness is not reserved for the strong, but for those who yield their weakness to Jesus*

Her motto remains timeless: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass away; God never changes.”

A Saint for All Seekers

Teresa teaches us that prayer is not escape—it is encounter. True holiness is not perfection of manners but perfection of love.

She wrote, “In the presence of Jesus, our only task is to love.”And that, dear reader, is as true today as it was in sixteenth-century Spain.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,You called Teresa of Ávila to a deep life of prayer and love.Kindle in us the same holy longing to dwell in Your presence.Cleanse our hearts of distraction, restore our first love,and teach us to find our rest in You alone.May her example draw us closer to Your heart,until we too can say, “God alone suffices.”Amen.

Discussion Question

How does Teresa’s example challenge you to seek a more personal, prayer-filled relationship with Jesus in the midst of today’s distractions?

Post your thoughts in the Comments section.

O! What glory it is to walk with Jesus. My brother interviewed the author of this song, and you can find that interview here: https://www.joy-bringer-ministries.org/oswaldsmith.html

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I have walked alone with Jesus

in a fellowship divine.

Never more can earth allure me,

I am His and He is mine.

On the mountain I have seen Him,

Christ, my Comforter and Friend

And the glory of His presence

Will be with me to the end.

I have seen Him, I have known Him,

And He deigns to walk with me;

And the glory of His presence will