Fr. Scott A. Haynes
A Meditation in Honor of St. Teresa of Avila
- October 15 -
Today we celebrate the feast of St Teresa of Avila. This great mystic often meditated upon the great humility of Jesus in His Incarnation. And as she traveled from one convent to another in her reform of the Carmelite order, she always traveled with her statue of the Infant Jesus, especially when she was establishing new convents. It is believed that she was responsible for an increased devotion to the Child Jesus in Spain during her lifetime.
But how did her devotion to the Child Jesus get started you might ask? Well, it comes from an amazing thing that happened the day after she made her vows. As she was walking inside the convent cloister, she came down the stairs and ran into a boy about 12 years old. She was really taken by surprise because no one except the nuns could be in the cloister, and the doors were always locked.
Before she could say anything, the young intruder asked her: “What is your name?” She answered, "I am Teresa of Jesus and who are you?" The Child answered with a play of words: "I am Jesus of Teresa!" and then He disappeared. But that holy Child would appear to St Theresa many, many times afterwards. As time went on, He mostly came to her as the Man of Sorrows, suffering for sinners as He encouraged her to sacrifice and suffer in union with Him on the Cross for the conversion of sinners.
My dear friends in Christ my point is very simple. Because we are bound to Jesus in baptism the Lord can say to us what he said to St Teresa. "I am His and He is mine." Let us never fear, because Jesus is here.
St. Teresas of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Comments