It’s that time of year again, especially starting today.   As we go about the hustle and bustle of our Black Friday shopping,  we will begin to hear that dreaded phrase, “Happy Holidays!”  Hence begins time for all and sundry to argue the finer points of holiday greetings:  Merry Christmas versus Happy Holidays, and God forbid someone writes “Xmas.”  How unChristian!  There’s a war on Christmas!!!  Keep Christ in Christmas, for Christ’s sake!!!  (Literally???)  At the risk of being seen as a non-Christian priest, or a politically correct one, and abandoning or at least not defending my faith and my Lord, I feel compelled for some odd reason, to offer a treatise on the use of Happy Holidays.  So here goes….

“Happy Holidays.”  Now really, what’s wrong with that?  It’s a pleasant wish that encompasses good wishes for an entire month and a half long season.  Granted, that “season” is usually meant to be the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, and is usually understood to include only Christmas and New Year’s Day.   However, in that time period, what other holidays are there?  “Happy Holidays” is a collective and inclusive wish for the period encompassing Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Winter solstice, Christmas Day (The Nativity of the Lord), Boxing Day and St. Stephen’s Day, St. John’s Day, the New Year and Epiphany, and it would take me forever to get through the list, if I could remember the list at all, just to give a pleasant hello to someone!  “Happy Holidays” is just easier!  Most of the aforementioned holidays ARE Christian holidays, though, so what’s wrong with “Happy Holidays?”

Leaving those “Happy Holidays” that are in the Christian calendar for a few minutes; let’s look at the ones that aren’t Christian holidays.  Granted, I don’t really consider the Winter solstice a holiday and don’t think I know any Wiccans personally, so I can omit that one altogether and not feel too bad about it.  Kwanzaa is celebrated by our African American brothers and sisters and is not a substitute for Christmas, nor is it a religious holiday.  Wishing someone a happy Kwanzaa does nothing to deny Christianity, but it’s a holiday that I personally don’t celebrate, since I’m not African American.  I DO have many African American friends, however, and most certainly wish them all a happy and joyous Kwanzaa, as well as Merry Christmas!

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival, celebrating a miracle that occurred way back in the 2nd century BCE.  Also known as the Festival of Lights, it is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt.  The story of Hanukkah is alluded to in the book of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, but Hanukkah is not specially mentioned; rather, a story similar in character, and obviously older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18,  according to which the relighting of the altar fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the 25th of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee.  Now, 1 and 2 Maccabees are not considered canonical books by most Protestants, but are included in the Apocrypha, which IS in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.  So while Hanukkah is not a Christian holiday, per se, it can be considered Biblical.  And since it celebrates the lighting of the rededication of the Temple and is celebrated with lights, and Christ is “the Light of the World,” and the fact that Christianity has its roots in Judaism, Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends!

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day, which is celebrated in the Commonwealth countries.  The tradition of Boxing Day has long included giving money and other gifts to those who are needy and in service positions, and this European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages.  Shouldn’t we, as Christians, do this year round, and not just during the “holidays”?

New Years Day:  Now, there’s a pagan holiday for you!  The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.  It is from this Roman custom that we get the making of New Year’s resolutions:  looking backward, we resolve to not do something or other, and looking forward, we resolve TO do something or other.  Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year.  So, I guess I’m asking, should we as Christians NOT celebrate the new year and not wish everyone a “Happy New Year”?  If this is the case, then we should certainly avoid making New Year’s resolutions, too. (Especially those that include diets and exercise!)

And then, there are the religious holidays that most Christians don’t really celebrate, and some don’t even know about.  The Feast of Saint Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr on 26 December, the Feast of St. John who was the “Beloved Disciple” on 27 December, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on 12 December have already been mentioned.

Finally, there is Epiphany, which is perhaps one of the most important holidays of the liturgical or church year.  It is the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmas of which we sing in the (often-denigrated) Christmas carol, and which is overlooked by most non-liturgical churches.  Epiphany, which falls on January 6, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ.  Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles.  The early Christian Fathers fixed the date of the feast on January 6.  Ancient liturgies noted Illuminatio, Manifestatio, Declaratio (Illumination, Manifestation, Declaration) taken from  Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:22; and John 2:1–11; where the Baptism and the Marriage at Cana were dwelt upon. Western Christians have traditionally emphasized the “Revelation to the Gentiles” mentioned in Luke, where the term Gentile means all non-Jewish peoples. The Biblical Magi, who represented the non-Jewish peoples of the world, paid homage to the infant Jesus in stark contrast to Herod the Great (King of Judea), who sought to kill him.  In this event, Christian writers also inferred a revelation to the Children of Israel. Saint John Chrysostom identified the significance of the meeting between the Magi and Herod’s court: “The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way, the birth of Jesus would be made known to all.”  The earliest reference to Epiphany as a Christian feast was in A.D. 361, by Ammianus Marcellinus.   St. Epiphanius says that January 6 is hemera genethlion toutestin epiphanion (Christ’s “Birthday; that is, His Epiphany”).  He also asserts that the Miracle at Cana occurred on the same calendar day, and it was on this day, too, that John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.  So on 6 January, after all the Christmas trimmings have been put away, the gifts exchanged, New Years resolutions have been made (and some broken already), and the kids are back in school, we can still say, with all feeling, “Happy Holidays.”

Honestly, don’t you think “Happy Holidays” is so much easier?  And besides, I really like Bing Crosby’s Christmas carol, “Happy Holidays!”

Now, What about that pesky “Xmas” that annoys so many people?

To begin:  Look around in your churches, my friends, especially those of you from a liturgical background, and see how many X’s you can find.

“Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas”.  The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass”, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”.  There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”.  While “Xmas” is considered to be an informal abbreviation, and should never be used in formal writing, it is historically correct.

The word “Christ” and its compounds, including “Christmas”, have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern “Xmas” was commonly used. “Christ” was often written as “XP” or “Xt”; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for “Christ”), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the OED Supplement have cited usages of “X-” or “Xp-” for “Christ-” as early as 1485. The terms “Xpian” and “Xtian” have also been used for “Christian”. The dictionary further cites usage of “Xtianity” for “Christianity” from 1634. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from “educated Englishmen who knew their Greek”.

In ancient Christian art, χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ’s name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, Χ is an abbreviation for Χριστος, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

Thus, really and truly, the use of the “X” isn’t taking Christ out of Christmas at all.  And instead of protesting the use of “X” during the  Christmas season, wouldn’t we ALL be better people, the world be a better place, and Christ be better served,  if we kept that “X” in our words and deeds every day of the year?  Should we not celebrate Him always, 24/7/365?

So, having said all of the above, Happy Holidays (all of them) to all of you, and may you keep Christ, not only in Christmas, but also in your hearts and minds and lives, every day and always.  Amen.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born Maria Francesca Cabrini on July 15th, 1850 at Sant’Angelo Lodigiano.  The young girl with was drawn to a life of religious service at an early age. She was influenced by her older sister, her uncle, a priest who captured her imagination with stories of missionary work, and also by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart,  who prepared her for a normal school diploma in 1870.

Francesca who had already vowed herself to virginity at the age of 12, attempted to enter the Daughters of the Sacred Heart in 1872, but she was declined due to health reasons as had contracted smallpox whilst caring for the sick during an epidemic, and although she was healed from such, she still did not seem to be strong physically.

She found employment briefly as a teacher in Virdardo and then she was persuaded to do charity work at an orphanage at Codogno, and it was here that she took her vows in 1877.

In thissame year she was appointed to be Prioress of her new foundation, The Institute of Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, which at the onset consisted of seven orphaned girls whom she had trained.

Mother Cabrini had much to do in Italy but very soon craved fulfillment ofa lifelong wish to do missionary work in China but Pope Leo XIII and Bishop Scalabrini of Piacenza instead urged her to carry her talents to Italian immigrants in the slums of the United States, and dutifully, but with reluctance, she sailed in 1889 with six sisters.

From modest beginnings in the New York City area,  Mother Cabrini and her followers gradually built a national and international network of some 70 institutions.

In 1909 she became an American citizen. Her journeys on behalf of her mission, which included 30 crossings of the Atlantic, occupied much of her time and energy, although she remained frail physically throughout her life.

At the breakout of World War I in Europe, she dedicated her hospitals, and nuns in Italy to the war effort there.

On December 22nd, 1917, she after a brief illness, died of malaria in her own columbus Hospital in Chicago.

Cardinal George Mundelein of Chicago and others launched the process of her canonization in 1928. She was pronounced Venerable in 1933, was beatified in 1938, and was canonized in 1946.

Her remains originally at West Park in New York, are now enshrined in the Chapel of the Blessed Mother Cabrini High school in New York City.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, though declared to have effected the two miracles needed for canonization, is best remembered for her energetic labours among immigrants and the poor in the United States and for establishing and the staffing of orphanages, schools, hospitals, convents and other facilities throughout the world.

St. Martin of Tours was born in what is modern day Northern Yugoslavia and western Hungary. In about 316 A.D., when St. Martin was born, it was then known as Sabaria of Upper Pannonia.  Saint Martin was born to pagan parents – his father being an officer of the Army of Rome.  Due to a military transfer, Martin and his family relocated to Pavia in the north of Italy.  It was here, at Pavia, that Martin first encountered Christianity.  Being so drawn to the the faith, he soon became a catechumen, that is, one actively studying the faith before baptism into the Church. 

During this time of study, Martin reached the age of 15 and, as his father was a Roman  Officer, Martin was required to enter Roman Military service at this point.  History and tradition are quick to point out that Martin never attempted to get around the requirement and did sign on as an officer, but lived “more like a monk than a soldier.” 

Saint Martin was stationed to a place then called Amiens, in Gaul (modern day France).  Tradition hold that it was here that Martin had an experience that changed his life forever.  The story goes that one day, whilst riding toward town one cold winter day, Martin noticed a beggar at the entrance gates.  The man was dressed in threadbare rags, freezing and shivering from the elements and begging for alms.  Martin also noticed that EVERYONE else passed the beggar by without any notice, neverminding any charity or love toward the man. 

Martin’s heart was touched and the legend continue that he removed his heavy military issued cloak, and with his sword, cut the cloak in half.  Keeping half for himself and giving the other half to  the poor beggar.  Later the following night, Martin, while sleeping, saw Christ surrounded by throngs of angels.  And in this vision, Our Lord was wearing half of the cloak that Martin had given the beggar.  Martin was then asked, in the vision, whether or not he recognized the piece of the cloak – which he did.  Then Christ was heard to say to the surrounding angels:  “Martin, not even yet baptized, has covered ME with his cloak.”  Upon waking from the vision, Martin immediately looked to be baptized into the faith fully. 

Closer to the age of twenty, Martin, with a few soldier-comrades, was summoned by the Emperor Julian and given orders to go and take care of the Teutonic invasions happening in Gaul.  Martin’s conversion of heart kicked in and he was compelled to tell the emperor that he must refuse the order.  Saying to Emperor Julian: “Up to now, I have served you as a soldier, allow me henceforth to serve Christ.  Give the bounty and orders to others who are going out to battle.  I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.”   You might say that Saint Martin is one of our earliest Christian examples of a “conscientious objectors.” 

However, Emperor Julian, not being accustomed to being refused ANYTHING, had Martin hauled off to prison.  Fortunately his incarceration ended rather quickly with truces being put into place.  Martin, now free and on the go, then travailed to Poitiers, and under the Bishop and friend, Hilary, was ordained a deacon into the church. 

Other travels took Martin back toward his homeleand.  There he converted his mother and many others to the Christian faith.  To his dismay, Martin could not convince his father to give up his pagan beliefs.  Martin later felt a religious calling to a life of solitude.  His friend, the Bishop Hilary, gave him a small tract of land in what is now central France.  There, in this place called Liguge, Martin was joined by hermits and other holy men and then established a monastery, said to be the fist established in Gaul. It survived until the early 17^th Century.

For the next 10 years of his life, Martin lived as the Prior of the monastery – directing the other brothers lives and preaching in nearby areas.  Around 371, the Bishop of Tours died, and so popular was Saint Martin with the locals, it was urged that he take up the vacant post.  Reluctantly, and actually with a bit of trickery from the locals, Martin did accept the post as Bishop of Tours.  But, even in this high post, Martin continued to live a strict and austere and simple life.  Martin soon grew tired of the rigorous life as a bishop and longed to return to a simple monastic life.   He retired from his post as Bishop and went Marmoutier, where he founded another simple monastery that later became a famous abbey of the region.  In fact, later Bishops of Tours were often selected from among the brothers and priests of Saint Martin’s monastery.  

During his life, Saint Martin was a true soldier for Christ.  He stood up to Emperors and fought heretics.  He won many souls for Christ and to him are attributed many, many other legends and miracles. 

Closing in on the year 400, St. Martin began to have premonitions of his death and eventually sickness fell upon him.  Ton the 8^th of November, in the year 400, Saint Martin fell asleep in the Lord.  He was buried 3 days later, at Tours.  It is said that over two-thousand monks, nuns and religious attended his funeral.  Soon after his burial, a chapel, then basilica where built upon Saint Martin’s grave.  Both, long since destroyed, currently a modern church is built upon the site – which, still, annually has thousands of faithful pilgrims visit it.

Saint Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538, into a noble family of Milan and was also related to the powerful Medici family.  But Charles desired to devote himself to the Church. His uncle, Cardinal de Medici, was elected pope in 1559( he took the name Pius IV).  Pope Pius IV placed Charles in the office of cardinal deacon and made Charles the  administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan – and all while  he was still a layman and a student. But it is because of his intellectual gifts that he was entrusted with several important offices connected with the Vatican. Later in life, he was appointed secretary of state, which carries the responsibility for the papal states.

In the midst of all this, Charles’ older brother passed away.  The death was untimely, but it is what brought Charles  to his definite decision to become an ordained priest.  His relative objected – they wished to see Charles marry and have children.  But Charles was adamant about his calling, and, at the age of 25, he was ordained to the priesthood.  Very soon after his ordination, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Milan.

St. Charles Borromeo lived during the tumultuous times of the Protestant Reformation and was also involved in the final years of the Council of Trent.  Charles had encouraged the pope to renew the Council in 1562 after it had been suspended for 10 years. Using his mind and persuasion, much credit is due to St. Charles for keeping the Council of Trent going, when at many times it was on the verge of breaking up. For the Council, St Charles himself, took up the task of correspondence during the final phase – NOT AN EASY JOB!!

After the Council of Trent drew to a close, Saint Charles was allowed to devote his time to the Archdiocese of Milan, where religious and moral reform was needed from within. Saint Charles initiated a provincial council, made up of all the bishops under his leadership.  This Council focused on every phase of Catholic life from among the laity to the clergy and the specific changes and reforms needed therein.  Saint Charles new that the changes had to start with the clergy, if the laity were to change then they must first be given a good example of the desired reforms by the bishops and other clergy.  The people needed a reformed Catholic example, and Saint Charles knew this.

Saint Charles took the initiative in being a Christ-like example. Most of his income went to various charities. He gave up all luxuries and imposed harsh penances on himself. He denounced honors, esteem and influence to become poor. During the plague and famine of 1576, he tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people DAILY!!  This he accomplished by getting loans of large sums that required years to repay. Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ.  Whilst the civil authorities and powers fled during the height of the plague, Saint Charles Borromeo stayed in the city and he ministered to the sick and the dying and continued to help those in need.

By the age of 46, the overwhelming work and burdens of his office began to affect his health and Saint Charles gave up his ghost.  The Church that he had worked so hard to make more human, recognized him as a saint in 1610. His feast day is celebrated on November 4th.
 

Today we as a church commemorate the joint feasts of St’s Simon and Jude. St Simon was called the Cananaen or Canaanite because he was born in the Galilean town of Cana.  This is the town in which our Lord Jesus wrought his first miracle by changing water into wine as is known to us from the Gospel. Some including Nicephorous have the opinion that Simon was the bridegroom of this wedding at which Our Lord Jesus and his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary honoured with their presence and that later with the consent of his bride, Simon left to follow Christ. This account though is disputed by others. St. Jude according to some traditions is believed to be the brother of Simon and is also named Thaddseus to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot who was the one who betrayed the Lord before his crucifixion. According to Nicephorous, Mary Cleophas was the mother to Simon and Jude and James the less was also their brother. Other writers and traditions however say that Simon and Jude were not brothers.

On the various lists of the twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2=4,  Mark 3:16=19, Luke 16:14=16,  Acts 1:13), the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by St. Simon and St. Jude.

We are told in the Gospel that Our Lord Jesus chose both Simon and Jude to be his Apostles, but when and under what circumstances this took place, has not been recorded and none of the particulars of their works are known by us, however, we know for sure that like all the Apostles, they constantly followed Christ.

When the apostles separated to preach the Gospel,  according to some traditions,  Simon first travelled to Eygpt and St. Jude to Mesopotamia. Both also travelled to other lands preaching the Word of Christ and that after thirty years they met again in Persia. Other traditions say that both Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia and were martyred there.

St. Jude is often referred to as the Patron of desperate causes,  the ‘saint of last resort’,  and is the one often asked for help when all else fails. Since his name reminds many of Judas of Iscariot,  there is a tendency to ask for intercession from any of the other Apostles first.

Let us pray:

Father,

You revealed yourself to us through the preaching of your Apostles Simon and Jude.       By their prayers,  give your church continued growth and increase the number of those who believe in you.                                                             Through our Lord Jesus Christ,  your Son,            who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,                                                                             one God,  for ever and ever.                                    Amen.  Continue reading →

Saint Teresa of Avila (Saint Theresa of Jesus)
Born in Avila, Spain March 28, 1515; died in Alba de Tormes, October 4, 1582
Foundress of the Discalced Carmelites, 1560-62.
Canonized by Gregory XV, 1622; declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

Spanish mystic, writer and reformer of the Carmelite order.

St Terese of Avila was an influential and pivotal figure of her generation. St Teresa (Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was born in Avila, Spain on 28th March 1515. Her parents were both pious Catholics and in some ways inspired their daughter to take up a life of prayer. As a young child Teresa showed signs of a deeply religious nature; she would often retreat into silence for prayer and would enjoy giving alms to the poor. She was very close to her Mother, who provided a warm counterbalance, to the strictness of her father. However in her teens, Teresa’s mother passed away, leaving the young Teresa distraught at the void she felt. The young St Teresa tells of her despair and how she turned instinctively to the Virgin Mary for comfort.

“I threw myself down in despair before an image of the Mother of God. With many tears, I implored the Holy Virgin to become my mother now. Uttered with the simplicity of a child, this prayer was heard. From that hour on, I never prayed to the Virgin in vain.”

During her later teen years Avila lost some of her early piety and religious zeal. She recounted how she became interested in worldly matters and enjoyed the company of a wide circle of friends. She had a natural charm and found it easy to make friends. In return she enjoyed the compliments and friendships of others. However, she was not at peace, considering herself to be a miserable sinner; later she would look back in guilt at her early life. However this sense of being a “miserable sinner” was probably the result of a harsh self-judgment, encouraged by her fathers exacting religious standards. At the age of 16, her father decided to send Teresa to a convent school to be educated.

This re-ignited in Avila an interest in following a spiritual life and after some deliberation resolved to become a nun of the Carmelite Order. At the time the convent rules were not very strict; it was probably more relaxed than living with her father. At the time the convent accepted many people into the order, often for financial reasons. The convent became overcrowded and people were often judged not on the basis of spiritual intensity but on material possessions. In this climate, Teresa struggled to find time for quiet reflection; although she did start teaching people on the virtues of mental prayer.

Shortly after becoming a nun, Avila experienced a severe illness (malaria), which left her in great pain for a long period. At one point it was feared that her illness was so severe that she would not be able to recover. However during this period of intense physical pain, she began to increasingly experience divine visions and an inner sense of peace. These inner experiences of joy and peace seemed to transcend the intense physical pain of the body.

When she was a little better she resumed her prayers with renewed vigor. However after telling others of her visions and spiritual experiences, she was dissuaded from persuading them. Certain clergy felt they were just delusions of the devil. As a result, for many years Teresa lost the confidence to pursue her prayers and her spiritual life was almost put on hold. However, when Teresa was 41, she met a Priest who convinced her to go back to her prayers and implore God to come back. Initially, she had some difficulty sitting through prayers. She wryly remarked the end of the hour’s prayer couldn’t come soon enough. However, in the course of time, she became absorbed in deep contemplation in which she felt an ever growing sense of oneness with God. At times she felt overwhelmed with divine love. The experiences were so transforming, she at times felt the illumining grace of God would wash her soul away. She was so filled with divine contemplation it is said at times her body would spontaneously levitate. Teresa, however was not keen on these public displays of “miracles”. When she felt it happening she would ask other nuns to sit on her to prevent her floating away.

Teresa was not a just a quiet, placid saint. She had an endearing, natural quality; her life energy attracted and inspired many who were close. They admired her for both her outer charm and inner serenity. But at the same time her religious ecstasies also caused jealousy and suspicion. Unfortunately she was born into the period of the Spanish inquisition, during this time any deviation from the orthodox religious experience came under the strict observation and scrutiny. On one occasion Teresa complained to God about her mistreatment from so many different people. God replied to her saying “That is how I always treat my friends” with good humor St Teresa replied “That must be why you have so few friends”. St Teresa struggled because there were few who could understand or appreciate her inner ecstasies. However on the one hand she felt these experiences to be more real than ordinary events.

At the age of 43, St Teresa decided she wanted to found a new order recommitting to the values of poverty and simplicity. She wanted to move away from her present convent which made a life of prayer more difficult. Initially her aims were greeted with widespread opposition from within the town of Avila. However, with the support of some priests, the opposition waned and she was allowed to set up her first convent. St Teresa proved to be an influential leader and founder. She guided the nuns not just through strict disciplines, but also through the power of love, and common sense. Her way was not the way of rigid asceticism and self denial. Although she underwent many tribulations herself, to others she stressed the importance of experiencing God’s love.

St Teresa devoted much of the rest of her life to traveling around Spain setting up new convents based along the ancient monastic traditions. Her travels and work were not always greeted with enthusiasm, many resented her reforms and the implied criticism of existing religious orders. She often met with criticism including the papal nuncio who used the rather descriptive phrase “a restless disobedient gadabout who has gone about teaching as though she were a professor” St Teresa also had to frequently contend with difficult living conditions and her frail health. However she never let these obstacles dissuade her from her life’s task. She eventually died on October 4 at the age of 67. In 1566 she wrote Camino de perfeccion (Way of Perfection), to tell the nuns how to reach their goal. In 1580 she wrote what is considered her greatest work; the Castillo interior/ Las moradas (Interior castle/ The mansions). This involved describing the various stages of spiritual evolution leading to full prayer; she wrote Las Fundaciones (Foundations) from 1573 to 1582, so they would remember the early history of their order.

St. Theresa’s most popularly known writing, is a brief poem, which is known as her “Bookmark”, because it was found in her prayer book after her death in 1582. It has been variously translated into English, and has been very widely circulated.

“God alone is enough.”

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 suffices.

Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform. She was born before the Protestant Reformation and died almost 20 years after the closing of the Council of Trent.

The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.

As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man’s world of her time. She was “her own woman,” entering the Carmelites despite strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer. A holy woman, a womanly woman.

Teresa was a woman “for God,” a woman of prayer, discipline and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical and graceful. A woman of prayer; a woman for God.

Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life.

Her writings, especially the “Way of Perfection”and “The Interior Castle”, have helped generations of believers.

In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored.