15 October 2024
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Luke 11:37- 41
Tidy up your inner self prior to applying any make-up!”

St. Teresa of Avila was born in 1515 in Avila, Spain. She entered the Carmelite Convent at the age of 20 and lived as a contemplative nun for 17 years. At age 38, she underwent a spiritual transformation and dedicated the next 20 years to reforming the Carmelite Order and founding 18 new monasteries for women. In 1970, Pope Paul VI declared her the first woman Doctor of the Church.

When St. Teresa founded the Carmelite reform, she emphasised the importance of three virtues within her communities: love for others, detachment from worldly possessions, and humility. She considered humility the most crucial virtue because it formed the foundation for the other two. Teresa believed that detachment and humility were closely linked, referring to them as “two inseparable sisters” that are always intertwined.

The Gospel presents another dinner scene in which a Pharisee invites Jesus to a banquet but he becomes critical when Jesus does not follow the ritual washing before the meal. The setting helps us understand that Luke was using this dinner scene for catechesis for his community. It discusses Jesus’s instructions to the Pharisees, which were intended to address the pharisaic attitude in the early Christian community, emphasising that practising external rituals does not make anyone holier than others.

Our acts of love and compassion toward those in need are more significant to God than religious rituals and traditions. Popular piety and spiritual practices like Sunday Mass, Bible studies, and retreats are meaningful only when they contribute to becoming better individuals who spread God’s love and mercy to others in their families, churches, and society. Let us always remember Jesus’ words: “What I want is mercy and not sacrifice.”

© Claretian Publications, Macau
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2024