October 15, 2012. The Feast of St Teresa of Avila

I write this thinking of you all on the very day of our feast. St. Teresa is an extremely important person on Spain who happens to be patron saint of the country. Why is she so important to the entire church?

Her teaching on prayer, on the "four ways" of watering the garden, provide the greatest explanation of the movement of the life of prayer.

In the first movement of watering our garden we do all the work by carrying the water from the well to our garden. Gradually, through ingenuity and creativity, we build a system of irrigation allowing the water to come to our garden making the effort less focused on ourselves. The goal of the process is to let the garden be watered by the rain totally removing our own effort.

St Teresa taught that the life of prayer always begins with us doing most of the work, much like carrying the water or building an irrigation system. It is when we LET GO on our prayer and let God take over so to speak that our relationship with God truly deepens.
Teresa believed we all have the ability to pray contemplatively, to rest in God's Presence.
Teresa created her reform of the Carmelite order based on her belief that her community had become too attached to wealth and security. Like the rich man in yesterday's gospel,there was "one thing more " she needed to do, not only for herself, but for her community.
She was deeply resented by leaders in the church for encouraging her sisters to pray in ways only associated with men who were monks. Women at the time of Teresa were encouraged to simply pray using words and repetitive prayers: what we call vocal prayer.
But Teresa was also despised by many of her own sisters who resented her for asking them to "let go" of the trappings of wealth and live poverty, being totally dependent upon God. Many of her own wanted to be rid of her influence by getting rid of her. And at times they succeeded.
Our patron was a woman of great faith and deep intellect who is now beloved around the world. But we can't forget her many struggles with rejection.
Letting go is never an easy process. Jesus cuts right through all of our defenses and requires we do the one extra thing....to let go of whatever dominates our lives in such a way that God is not in the center of our beings. Letting go of fear, worry, control, status, and most importantly ,how we see God is a painful process, but one that leads to inner transformation.

I believe the rich man went away sad but went home and gradually "sold off" his possessions. Isn't that the way it is for each and everyone of us: letting go step by step and day by day, letting God water down His Grace in the garden of our souls. Happy Feast day and buen camino. Padre