Catholic Fire

Today is the feast of St. Peter of Alcantra, one of the famous sixteenth century Spanish mystics. He was a Franciscan Friar who initiated one of the strictest reforms of his Order. He was born in 1499 at Alcantara, Estremadura, Spain, the son of Peter Garavita, governor of the palace. His mother was a member of the noble family of Sanabia. Peter studied grammar and philosophy at Alcantara, and both civil and canon law at Salamanca University. At 16, he entered the Observant Franciscans at Manxarretes (Manjaretes). At 22, he was sent to Badajoz to found a friary. He was ordained a priest at the age of 25 (1524), and preached missions in Spain and Portugal. He was a noted preacher, who preferred to preach to the poor; and his sermons, taken largely from the Prophets and Sapiential Books, reflected much empathy and tenderness. He was made superior of the province of Saint Gabriel in 1538.  As the superior, he drew up new constitutions for the order of Stricter Observanc...

October 15 is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), virgin and Doctor of the Church. She helped reform the Carmelite order and founded seventeen monasteries. Teresa de Ahumada y Cepeda was born in Avila, Castile, Spain, on March 28, 1515.  Her family was prominent, as her father was a wealthy merchant.  Teresa was the "most beloved" among her nine brothers and sisters.  From her youth, she showed great zeal and piety, as well as courage.  However, the one trait of Teresa that stood out the most was her strong will.  When she was seven years old, St. Teresa ran away with her brother to the land occupied by the Moors in hopes of attaining the crown of martyrdom.  However, they only made it a few miles down the road. Teresa was considered by all those around her to be exceptionally beautiful. She also had an irresistible charm, a sharp wit, a kind nature, and was lively and animated. She was extroverted and sociable. Everyone loved to be around...

St. Teresa of Avila is a virgin and a Doctor of the Church. She was a prominent Spanish mystic, a Carmelite nun, and a theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. She was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be a founder of the Discalced Carmelites along with John of the Cross. She is the patron saint of the sick and against headaches. She is also the patron of the religious and those in need of grace. This nine day novena was written by St. Alphonsus of Liguori. Each day we pray for a different gift. First Day On the first day, we thank Christ for the gift of faith, one of the three theological virtues, and for the gift of devotion to the Eucharist, and we ask Him to increase those gifts in our souls, as He did for Saint Teresa. Prayer O most amiable Lord Jesus Christ! We thank Thee for the great gift of faith and of devotion to the Holy Sacrament, which Thou didst grant to Thy beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits and by those of Thy fa...

“Our Lord has shown me the way that leads to love – it is the only way that leads to love – it is the way of childlike trust and surrender; the way a child that sleeps is afraid of nothing in its father’s arms.” -- St. Therese of Lisieux "We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us." – St. Teresa of Avila “Just surrender it to God!” I heard my wise friend saying as I recounted to her the events of the past week. “I am!” I retorted. “I am going to pray for you”, she replied. I like to think that I am immune to letting my feelings get out of control. I am an intelligent, rational human being after all, almost Spock-like at times. Of course, I know what I am supposed to do spiritually when things become chaotic and are totally out of my control in this life. The very first thing to do is to pray – to share my intimate feelings with God. After all, He knows me inside and out, and loves me uncond...

Saint Teresa of Avila is one of the most influential women in the history of the Catholic Church. Her revolution began in 17 convents of the Carmelite Order spread throughout Spain in the 16th century. MIGUEL ÁNGEL GARCÍA NIETO President, "Footsteps of Teresa” Foundation "She wrote a book, called "The Foundations”. In it, she describes the 17 places in Spain where,  little by little, she installed what she called "bird houses”. She would call her nuns "doves”. To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Saint Teresa of Avila's birth, these 17 Spanish cities came together to promote a pilgrimage where religion and culture go hand in hand. The initiative is called "Footsteps of Teresa” and among the cities participating are Ávila, Burgos, Valladolid, Sevilla and Granada. MIGUEL ÁNGEL GARCÍA NIETO President, "Footsteps of Teresa” Foundation "The first goal is to come closer to Saint Teresa. To look for her. The second, logically,...

Today is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila , the first woman doctor of the Church. Here are her top twenty quotes: 1. “Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, all things are passing: God never changes.     Patience obtains all things. He who possesses God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”  2. “It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves.”  3. “It is love alone that gives worth to all things” 4. “Thank God for the things that I do not own.”  5. “You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.”  6. “From sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!”  7. “Love turns work into rest.”  8. “Be gentle to all, and stern with yourself.”  9. “God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us. ...

"Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes 'more a human being'."  ~ Pope St. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 9 "The Christian finds in human work a small part of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his Cross for us. In work, thanks to the light that penetrates us from the Resurrection of Christ, we always find a glimmer of new life, of the new good, as if it were an announcement of 'the new heavens and the new earth' in which man and the world participate precisely through the toil that goes with work. Through toil-and never without it. On the one hand this confirms the indispensability of the Cross in the spirituality of human work; on the other hand the Cross which this toil constitutes reveals a new good springi...

This choir is singing with a purpose! The order of the Discalced Carmelites are singing to honor 500 years since the birth of St. Teresa of Avila. It's part of a so-called "virtual choir”composed of Carmelite friars and nuns from all over the world. They are accompanied by the Teresian Orchestra of the Cathedral of St. James in Seattle, Washington. To bring these voices together in one choir, they all recorded themselves singing. "Nada te turbe”, which translates to "Let nothing disturb you” is the choir's first song. It's based on a poem written by Saint Teresa of Avila. The second song is a version of the Salve Regina. Sr. Claire Sokol composed both melodies for the occasion. The videos have received thousands of hits on YouTube since it was first posted. Related:  “Let Nothing Disturb You”: A Virtual Choir of Carmelites

The plan is set to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa of Ávila. A delegation from her hometown met with Pope Francis to update him and invite him to visit Spain for the celebrations in 2015. ALICIA GARCÍA Government of Castilla y León (Spain) "It was a beautiful moment, very intense and full of emotion. We were able to give the Pope a letter from the President of the Castilla y León Government, on behalf of everyone there, inviting the Holy Father to visit Ávila, for the 500 anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa of Jesus.” MIGUEL ÁNGEL NIETO Mayor of Ávila (Spain) "We formally invited him, and asked him face to face. We hope he'll be able to go to Ávila. It would be a wonderful occasion.” The Pope's schedule in 2015 could take him to Spain, though there is no official confirmation yet. For now, the organizers for the fifth centennial celebrations return to Spain hopeful, and encouraged by his warm response to their proposal. FR....

"My method of prayer was this: As I could not reason with my mind, I would try to make pictures of Christ inwardly; and I used to think I felt better when I dwelt on those parts of His life when He was most often alone. It seemed to me that His being alone and afflicted, like a person in need, made it possible for me to approach Him. I had many simple thoughts of this kind. I was particularly attached to the prayer in the garden, where I would go to keep Him company. I would think of the sweat and of the affliction He endured there. I wished I could have wiped that grievous sweat from His face, but I remember that I never dared to resolve to do so, .... I used to remain with Him there for as long as my thoughts permitted it. ..... This method of praying in which the mind makes no reflections means that the soul must either gain a great deal or lose itself -- I mean by its attention going astray. If it advances, it goes a long way, because it is moved by lov...

December 14th is the feast of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church. St. John of the Cross (along with St. Teresa of Avila) is one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites and today is one of their principal feast days. Among the Church's contemplatives, St. John is one of the acknowledged masters of mystical theology. Indeed, perhaps no other writer has had greater influence on Catholic spirituality. Gonzalo de Yepes, John's father, was disowned by his wealthy family of silk merchants for marrying a humble silk weaver, Catalina Alvarez. When forced to adapt to surroundings of poverty and hard work, Gonzalo died young, shortly after the birth of John, his third son. John received his elementary education in Medina del Campo at an institution for the children of the poor, in which he was also fed and clothed. At 17 he found work at a hospital in Medina and was able to enroll in the Jesuit College, where he received solid training in the humanities. ...

Bangalore - The Carmel of the future is called to offer tools that correspond to the thirst for God that is present today in Asia. Carmelite spirituality has immense possibilities to respond to this thirst for God, and to lead people in his relationship with God: this is what emerged from the conclusions of the Asian Congress entitled "Saint Teresa speaks to Asia", organized by the Carmelites in India in preparation for the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila, reformer of the Carmelite Order. As Fides learns, the Congress, held in Bangalore from 28th November to 1st December, was attended by Msg. Albert D'Souza, Archbishop of Agra and Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference, Mgr. Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore, together with the other Bishops of Karnataka and the Superiors General of the various congregations existing in India. Over 500 Carmelite delegates from all over India and abroad were present. The Congress revived the character, s...

Today is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), virgin and Doctor of the Church. She helped reform the Carmelite order and founded 17 monasteries. Teresa de Ahumada y Cepeda was born in Avila, Castile, Spain, on March 28, 1515.  Her family was prominent, as her father was a wealthy merchant.  Teresa was the "most beloved" among her nine brothers and sisters.  From her youth, she showed great zeal and piety, as well as courage.  However, the one trait of Teresa that stood out the most was her strong will.  When she was seven years old, St. Teresa ran away with her brother to the land occupied by the Moors in hopes of attaining the crown of martyrdom.  However, they only made it a few miles down the road. Teresa was considered by all those around her to be exceptionally beautiful. She also had an irresistible charm, a sharp wit, a kind nature, and was lively and animated. She was extroverted and sociable. Everyone loved to be around her.  S...

Dan Burke at Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction lists seven of them here . In addition to these, I would like to share three of my own: 1.    Conversation With Christ: The Teachings of St. Teresa of Avila about Personal Prayer b y Peter Thomas Rorhbach 2.   A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Therese of Lisieux by Fr. John F. Russell O. Carm. 3.   A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. John of the Cross by Fr. George Mangiaracina, O.C.D.

"There is more value in a little study on humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world." ~ St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila: Favorite Quotes and Prayers Prayer for a Busy Life by St. Teresa of Avila Brief Biography of St. Teresa of Avila Detailed Biography of St. Teresa of Avila Excerpts from Interior Castle : "This body has one fault, that the more people pamper it, the more its wants are made known. It is strange how much it likes to be indulged. How well it finds some good pretext to deceive the poor soul! . . . Oh, you who are free from the great troubles of the world, learn to suffer a little for the love of God without everyone's knowing it! . . . " "Sometimes the Devil proposes to us great desires, so that we shall not put our hand to what we have to do, and serve our Lord in possible things, but stay content with having desired impossible ones. Granting that you can help much by prayer, don't try to benefit all the world, but those who are in your company, and so the work will be better for you are much bounden to them...." A LOVE SONG by Saint Teres...

"Whether you have much or have little, the Lord requires everything."

"Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." ~ St. Teresa of Avila

"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials." ~St. Teresa of Avila "The greatest greatest honor God can do for a soul is not to give it much, but to ask much of it." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux "Suffering is the very best gift He has to give us. He gives it only to His chosen friends." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux