WALK THROUGH THE DOORWAY
St. Teresa of Avila
said, "Be kind to all and stern to thyself"… What doorway is the Holy
Spirit asking you to walk through in your life today?
Today the Church
honors Saint Teresa of Avila,
Virgin and Doctor. She was born in Spain in 1515, and her call in life
was to enter the Carmelite Order. St. Teresa walked through the door to enter
the convent in 1536. She used the same doorway when she left the convent in
1562 to begin the reform of the Carmelite Order. Before making any decision,
Teresa would pray and discern. She trusted in the Holy Spirit and took giant
steps into her future and the future of the Church.
St. Teresa of Avila lived by her words
and acted in faith. She said, "Be kind to all and stern to thyself."
Her advice is a good guide for all of us. We read in the Gospel of Luke,
"For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should
say" (Lk 12:12). She wrote books respected for profound spirituality and
insights that had been tested through her own experiences; she endured many
tribulations but persevered with the help of the Spirit of God. I bet she would
have been a great retreat master!
We all have the
temptation of criticizing others for their weaknesses while at the same time
giving ourselves room for our own weaknesses, shortcomings and inability to
live fully in God's will and desires. Let us pray deeply for the Holy Spirit to
give us the grace we need to take the proper steps in life. In our response
today, these words speak out loud and clear about St. Teresa's life:
"Those who follow You, Lord, will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12).
What doorway is the
Holy Spirit asking you to walk through in your life today? How can you rely on
the Spirit of God to help you take the steps to something greater?