杏MAP导航

By Lydia O'Kane

In a video message to participants taking part in an International Congress commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of St. Teresa of Ávila as a Doctor of the Church, 杏MAP导航 Francis spoke of how prayer made this great Saint an 鈥渆xceptional woman鈥�.

The Congress, which began on Monday, April 12, at the St Teresa of Ávila Catholic University, closes on Thursday, April 15.

The 杏MAP导航 said that St Teresa was outstanding in many ways. However, he underlined, 鈥渋t should not be forgotten that her recognized relevance in these dimensions is nothing more than the consequence of what was important to her: her encounter with the Lord, her 鈥榙etermined determination,鈥� as she says, to persevere in her union with Him through prayer, her firm intention to carry out the mission entrusted to her by the Lord, to whom she offered herself with simplicity.鈥�

St. Teresa's boldness, creativity and excellence as a reformer, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渁re the fruit of the interior presence of the Lord.鈥�

Recalling the universal call to holiness spoken of by the Second Vatican Council, the 杏MAP导航 said, it is 鈥渘ot only for some 鈥榮pecialists of the divine鈥�, but it is the vocation of all believers.鈥�

Uniqueness of the Saints

鈥淯nion with Christ, which mystics like St. Teresa experience in a special way by pure grace, we receive through Baptism,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he saints stimulate and motivate us, but it is not for us to literally try to copy them; holiness cannot be copied, because even that could lead us away from the unique and different path that the Lord has for each one of us.鈥�

鈥淲hat is important,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 added, 鈥渋s that each believer discerns his own way, each one of us has his own way of holiness, of encounter with the Lord.鈥�

Union through charity

杏MAP导航 Francis recalled that St. Teresa herself warned her nuns that prayer is 鈥渘ot to experience extraordinary things, but to unite us to Christ. And the sign that this union is real are works of charity.鈥�

Path of Prayer

The 杏MAP导航 stressed that 鈥淪t. Teresa teaches us that the path of prayer that made her an exceptional woman, and a person of reference through the centuries, is open to all who humbly open themselves to the action of the Spirit in their lives.鈥�

Such a path, he said, 鈥渋s not open to those who consider themselves pure and perfect, the Cathars of all centuries, but to those who are aware of their sins.鈥�

鈥淧rayer made St. Teresa an exceptional woman, a creative and innovative woman,鈥� emphasized 杏MAP导航 Francis.

鈥淔rom prayer she discovered the ideal of fraternity that she wanted to make a reality in the convents she founded.鈥�

Faithful friends of God

In his video message, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that like the Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa, we live in hard times that require 鈥渇aithful friends of God.鈥�

He emphasized that 鈥渢he great temptation is to give in to disillusionment, to resignation, to the dismal and unfounded presage that everything will go wrong.鈥�

Some people, he said, 鈥渇rightened by these thoughts, tend to shut themselves away, to take refuge in little things.鈥�

Giving an example of this, the 杏MAP导航 recalled a convent where all the nuns took refuge in 鈥渓ittle things鈥� because they were all enclosed in little things, 鈥渁s a refuge, in selfish projects that do not build up the community, but rather destroy it.鈥�

On the other hand, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, 鈥減rayer opens us up, allows us to taste that God is great, that He is beyond the horizon, that God is good, that He loves us and that history has not escaped from His hands.鈥�

God gives us fullness and joy

We can be encouraged to do great things, stressed the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渂ecause we know that we are favoured by God. And together with Him, we are capable of reaching any challenge, because in reality it is only His company that our heart desires and that gives us the fullness and joy for which we have been created.鈥�

Concluding his video message, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited participants to pray St Teresa's prayer:

"Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; all things pass away, God does not change. Patience, all things come to pass. He who has God lacks nothing. God alone is enough."