St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa was born March 28, 1515 in Avila, Spain. When Teresa was 11 her mother died, leaving Teresa devastated but drew her closer to the Virgin Mary.

She received her education from the Augustinian nuns in Avila. During her time there she suffered many illnesses, but during these periods of sickness she would experience great spiritual ecstasies. She said she became conscious of the “awful terror of sin and the inherent  nature of original sin.” In 1556 several friends suggested her mysticism was not from God. She began to inflict terrible physical tortures upon herself as a form of mortification. However, her confessor assured her of her divine inspiration. In 1559 she began having intense spiritual visions, she said

“I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it…”

St Teresa died in October of 1582 and is considered one of the great mystics. She was canonized in 1622 and is a Doctor of the Church. She is the patron saint of bodily illnesses, headaches, loss of parents, people in need of grace and people ridiculed for their piety.