Born in Avila, Spain in 1515, Teresa was one of three children and grew up with a great love for the Saints. At the age of seven, she ran away briefly with her older brother with the idea that the two would become martyrs. 

When she was eleven, after already having lost her brother John, her mother died. Teresa found consolation in her love of Jesus and devotion to The Blessed Mother. 

Sent to finish her education at the monastery of the Augustinian nuns, Teresa became very sick. It was during this time in her life she began to have periods of ecstasy and visions of Jesus, which she described as providing perfect union with God. 

After a while, she began to doubt her experiences but her confessor, St. Francis Borgia, assured her that these truly were from God. All of this gave Teresa a lifelong desire to suffer for The Lord. 

After entering the Carmelite monastery she became disenchanted with the lax atmosphere of the cloister and, over time, urged significant reforms. 

In 1567 she was given permission to start houses more dedicated to the Carmelite Mission and then began to travel throughout Spain urging other Carmelites to follow. 

She had the support of St. John of The Cross and St. Anthony of Padua, however, Teresa encountered significant resistance and for three years, from 1576 to 1579, she was forced into retirement. 

But, through the intercession of King Phillip II of Spain and Pope Gregory XIII, Teresa was returned to her mission of reform. While on one of her journeys, she became ill and died on this day in 1582. 

Her last words were: “My Lord and my spouse the hour I have longed for has come. It is time to meet one another.” 

St. Teresa of Jesus, please pray for us.