Woe. Woe to the Pharisees, woe to the scholars of the law. These leaders of their time surely believed they were among the least likely to deserve woe. They knew the Word of God, and it was their calling to preserve it. But they had lost their way. Arrogance had crept in and robbed their hearts of wisdom, and preservation of the law had become policing of the law. Jesus’ words, “but you yourselves do not lift one finger,” were not necessarily a condemnation but rather a beacon to light their path and help them find their way. Some followed His light and others were so blinded by their own authority that they sought to put him to death.
During the 2,000-year history of the Church Christ founded, those in authority have also lost their way at times. By God’s grace, though, we have had good men and women rise to the occasion and urge them home. Saints like Catherine of Sienna, Francis, Ignatius, and Philip Neri pushed back against the corruption of their time. Those who showed profound holiness and revealed a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith for the whole Church are honored with the title, Doctor of the Church. One of these courageous souls is celebrated today — St. Teresa of Jesus.
Also known as St. Teresa of Ávila, this important Saint was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515. Teresa arrived at a tumultuous time in history. Exploration had opened the Western hemisphere, Luther had ushered in his Reformation, which would not reform the Church but rather divide it, and the Spanish Inquisition was on the horizon.
Like so many of our great Saints, Teresa’s holiness was hard-fought and hard-earned. Lovely and charming, she was drawn to the trappings of her time, but by God’s grace, she forged a different path. Teresa directed her talents toward the true reformation of a hurting Church. Despite powerful opposition, she founded the Discalced Carmelites with St. John of the Cross. Their order urged a simpler, more contemplative way of life, and Teresa’s writings on the interior life and mental prayer have inspired millions to a deeper relationship with God.
As Teresa writes in Interior Castle, “For mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.”
Yes, the grace-filled burdens of faith can be hard to carry, but unlike the woeful Pharisees and scribes whom Jesus addresses in today’s Gospel, St. Teresa of Avila lifted a finger — a pen in fact — to touch those who strive to carry those burdens with love.
¡Ay! ¡Ay de los fariseos, ay de los doctores de la ley! Estos líderes de su tiempo seguramente creían que eran de los menos propensos a merecer la aflicción. Conocían la Palabra de Dios y su llamado era preservarla. Pero se habían extraviado. La arrogancia se había infiltrado y les había robado la sabiduría, y la preservación de la ley se había convertido en una forma de vigilarla. Las palabras de Jesús: “pero ustedes no las tocan ni con la punta del dedo”, no fueron necesariamente una condena, sino más bien un faro que les iluminaba el camino y les ayudaba a encontrarlo. Algunos siguieron su luz y otros estaban tan cegados por su propia autoridad que intentaron condenarlo a muerte.
Durante los 2000 años de historia de la Iglesia que Cristo fundó, quienes ostentaban autoridad también se han extraviado en ocasiones. Sin embargo, por la gracia de Dios, hemos tenido hombres y mujeres buenos que se han puesto a la altura de las circunstancias y los han animado a volver a casa. Santos como Catalina de Siena, Francisco, Ignacio y Felipe Neri se opusieron a la corrupción de su tiempo. Quienes demostraron una profunda santidad y revelaron una comprensión más profunda de la fe católica para toda la Iglesia son honrados con el título de Doctores de la Iglesia. Una de estas almas valientes es celebrada hoy: Santa Teresa de Jesús.
También conocida como Santa Teresa de Ávila, esta gran santa nació en Ávila, España, en 1515. Teresa llegó en un momento tumultuoso de la historia. La exploración había abierto el hemisferio occidental, Lutero había iniciado su Reforma, que no reformaría la Iglesia, sino que la dividiría, y la Inquisición española estaba en el horizonte.
Como tantos de los grandes santos, la santidad de Teresa fue una conquista ardua y difícil de alcanzar. Bella y encantadora, se sintió atraída por las trampas de su tiempo, pero por la gracia de Dios, forjó un camino diferente. Teresa dirigió sus talentos hacia la verdadera reforma de una Iglesia herida. A pesar de la fuerte oposición, fundó las Carmelitas Descalzas junto con San Juan de la Cruz. Su orden instaba a una vida más sencilla y contemplativa, y los escritos de Teresa sobre la vida interior y la oración mental han inspirado a millones de personas a una relación más profunda con Dios.
Como escribe Teresa en El Castillo Interior: “Porque la oración mental, en mi opinión, no es otra cosa que un intercambio íntimo entre amigos; significa tomarse tiempo frecuentemente para estar a solas con aquel que sabemos que nos ama. Lo importante no es pensar mucho, sino amar mucho, y así hacer lo que más te impulse a amar. El amor no es un gran deleite, sino el deseo de agradar a Dios en todo”.
Sí, las cargas de la fe, aunque llenas de gracia, pueden ser difíciles de llevar, pero a diferencia de los tristes fariseos y escribas a quienes Jesús se dirige en el Evangelio de hoy, Santa Teresa de Ávila levantó un dedo —una pluma, de hecho— para tocar a quienes se esfuerzan por llevar esas cargas con amor.
Pamela Kavanaugh is a grateful wife, mother, and grandmother who has dedicated her professional life to Catholic education. Though she has done her very best to teach her students well in the subjects of language and religion, she knows that she has learned more than she has taught. She lives, teaches, and writes in southwest suburban Chicago.
Feature Image Credit: BALaT, creativecommons, art.diocesan.com/stock-photo/saint-teresa-of-avila-20294/
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