In this famous spiritual classic the great St.
Her feast is celebrated on October 15..
She died in 1582 at the age of 67, and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622.
She is also the author of The Interior Castle , The Way of Perfection , and an Autobiography .
Teresa of Avila founded a good many convents, including at Andalusia, Palencia and Soria.
In 1599 she was convinced that she was actually seeing visions of Christ, which continued often for two years.
She later became a Carmelite nun and began to experience, while suffering from sickness, spiritual ecstasy as a result of reading Francisco de Osuna\'s Third Spiritual Alphabet .
She attempted to find martyrdom by running away from home when she was seven, but was promptly stopped by her uncle.
Teresa of Avila was born in 1515 at Avila, Spain, and her mother Beatriz was determined to bring her up as a good Christian.
About author(s): St.
In this book, she shares her own ardent spirit, encouraging us in our efforts to serve God and assuring us that these efforts will be rewarded far beyond what we might ever deserve or can possibly imagine.
Teresa\'s wonderful combination of common sense, strong Catholic faith and amazing spiritual energy and penetration.
The Way of Perfection shows St.
St Teresa assures us that those who practice this simple mental prayer may well hope that God will grant them the "prayer of quiet," which is the beginning of contemplation and of God\'s heavenly "Kingdom" enjoyed even on this earth.
In the process, she analyzes the Pater Noster or "Our Father" phrase by phrase, showing its hidden meanings and explaining how to transform our vocal prayer into mental prayer.
She explains what contemplation is and how it differs from ordinary mental prayer and from vocal prayer.
In the second half, she teaches how to begin a life of prayer. natural love, and other subjects-especially as lived in a convent.
Teresa gives many fascinating insights into the spiritual life regarding relatives, confessors, health, the snares of Satan, supernatural vs.
In the first half of the book, St.
In The Way of Perfection , she starts at the beginning in the matter of prayer, teaching a simple form of mental prayer by which one may progress far in a short time.
Teresa of Avila comes down from the heights of contemplation that she described in her Autobiography.
In this famous spiritual classic the great St
