Wisdom from St Teresa of Avila

We are always in the presence of God, yet it seems to me that the manner in which He is present is different for those who pray. So said Teresa Cepeda y Ahumada, a most extraordinary 16th century Spanish woman. We know her as St Teresa of Avila or St Teresa of Jesus, the founder…

Reading as spiritual practice

I’m deeply encouraged by St Teresa of Avila’s advice in her autobiography, Life, that reading a spiritual book is a good substitute for mental prayer if one finds it hard to pray. I find that keeping a dedicated mental prayer time can be both the easiest thing in the world, and the hardest, but I can always pick…

Here’s a humility project challenge for you

Humility, however deep it be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy and tranquility. St Teresa of Avila, Way of Perfection. Ok, so I had a couple of people wanting to follow me on this project I set myself of wanting to spend the month reflecting on and…