Feast of Saint Teresa Of Avila

Reflection Date: October 15, 2026 | Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church 
Daily Readings: Ephesians 1:1-10; Luke 11:47-54

Children of God:
October 15 is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila.

Saint Teresa of Ávila lived in sixteenth-century Spain at a time when she became increasingly concerned about the direction of Carmelite religious life. She loved the Church and remained deeply committed to her vocation, yet she believed that some practices in religious life needed renewal. 

Her desire was to return to a more demanding observance of the Carmelite tradition, with greater emphasis on prayer, community life, simplicity, and contemplative dedication. 

In 1562, she founded the Monastery of San José in Ávila, which became the first reformed Carmelite community associated with her initiative. The foundation faced opposition and practical difficulties, but Teresa continued pursuing the reform with the support of Bishop Álvaro de Mendoza and, later, the Carmelite superior general. 

Teresa eventually founded seventeen Carmelite monasteries, while her collaboration with Saint John of the Cross extended the reform to the men's branch of Carmel. 

In 1568, Teresa and John’s reform produced the first community of Discalced Carmelite friars at Duruelo. 

The reform eventually received formal recognition from Rome in 1580 as an autonomous province, providing the institutional foundation for the Discalced Carmelites. 

Teresa therefore showed that love for the Church could include the courage to question practices that no longer served the deeper purpose of religious life. Her reform was rooted in prayer and aimed at a renewed way of living the Gospel rather than simply changing structures for the sake of change. 

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus confronted people who honored the prophets of the past while their own actions contradicted the message of those prophets. He said that they built the tombs of the prophets whom their ancestors killed, yet their behavior continued the same pattern of resistance to God’s messengers. 

Jesus also criticized the scholars of the law because they took away the key of knowledge and prevented others from entering. His words were uncomfortable because he exposed a contradiction between religious reputation and actual behavior. 

The people who heard him responded with hostility and began questioning him aggressively. The gospel story showed that criticism can become threatening when it touches habits, privileges, or systems that people prefer to preserve. 

Jesus therefore invited his listeners to examine whether their religious life genuinely opened people toward God or placed unnecessary obstacles in their way.

What are our inspirations for today?

First, loving the Church means having the courage to recognize what needs renewal.

Jesus said, “Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed” (Luke 11:47). 

His criticism pointed to the contradiction of honoring prophets from the past while resisting the truth they proclaimed in the present.

Every community can develop habits that become difficult to question because people have grown accustomed to them. A parish, religious community, organization, family, or ministry can continue doing something simply because it has always been done that way, even when circumstances have changed.

Faithful renewal requires discernment. We can ask whether our structures, schedules, traditions, programs, and ways of working continue to serve their purpose. 

Change does not automatically mean improvement, but refusing to examine anything can prevent a community from responding wisely to new needs.

Loving the Church means having the courage to recognize what needs renewal.

Second, good leadership removes obstacles that keep people from discovering the truth.

Authority can become harmful when people use their position to control access rather than help others understand.

This applies to every form of leadership. A priest, parent, teacher, administrator, coordinator, or community leader can make a process unnecessarily complicated, create fear around questions, or make people feel that they must pass through layers of unnecessary obstacles before they can participate.

Leadership carries a responsibility to open doors responsibly. We can examine whether our instructions are clear, whether our systems help people, whether our communication is accessible, and whether those entrusted to us feel accompanied as they grow. 

Authority becomes a service when it helps people move toward truth, responsibility, and deeper participation.

Good leadership removes obstacles that keep people from discovering the truth.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: What practices in my personal life, ministry, or community need honest examination and possible renewal? 

Do the responsibilities entrusted to me help people discover the truth, or do they create unnecessary obstacles? How can I respond to needed change with greater humility, wisdom, and openness?

Children of God:
Christian life calls us to remain faithful to what is essential while being willing to examine the ways we express that faith. 

We can respect tradition while recognizing that some practices require renewal when they no longer serve their proper purpose. 

We can also examine the authority entrusted to us and ask whether it opens doors for others or places unnecessary obstacles before them. 

True leadership requires humility because sometimes the person who loves a community most sincerely is also the person willing to ask difficult questions for its good. 

May we have the wisdom to preserve what gives life, the courage to change what needs renewal, and the humility to listen when others help us see what we have overlooked.