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Her mother died when Teresa was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to
be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry to religious
life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a
Carmelite house at 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her
father and family consented.
Soon after taking her vows, Teresa became gravely ill, and her
condition was aggravated by the inadquate medical help she
received; she never fully recovered her health. She began
receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits,
including Saint Francis Borgia, who pronounced the visions to be
holy and true.
She considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she
founded a reformed convent of Saint John of Avila. Founded several
houses, often against fierce opposition from local authorities.
Mystical writer. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on September
27, 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
Prayer to Redeem Lost Time
Saint Teresa of Avila
O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Your sovereign
power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I
believe that You, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to
gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that You can do
all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Your
grace, both now and in the future, that I may appear before
You in "wedding garments." Amen.
Novena to
St. Teresa of Avila
by St. Alphonsus of Liguori
( Pray especially beginning on October 7 and
ending on October 15 , the Feast of St. Teresa.)
First Day: O most amiable Lord Jesus Christ! We thank
Thee for the great gift of faith and of devotion to the Holy
Sacrament, which Thou didst grant to Thy beloved Teresa; we pray
Thee, by Thy merits and by those of Thy faithful spouse, to grant
us the gift of a lively faith, and of a fervent devotion toward
the most Holy Sacrament of the altar; where Thou, O infinite
Majesty! hast obliged Thyself to abide with us even to the end of
the world, and wherein Thou didst so lovingly give Thy whole Self
to us.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Second Day: O most merciful Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the great gift of hope which Thou didst grant to Thy
beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy
holy spouse, to give us a great confidence in Thy goodness, by
reason of Thy Precious Blood, which Thou hast shed to its last
drop for our salvation.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Third Day: O most loving Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the great gift of love which Thou didst grant to Thy
beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy
most loving spouse, to give us the great, the crowning gift of Thy
perfect love.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Fourth Day: O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the gift of great desire and resolution which Thou didst
grant to Thy beloved Teresa, that she might love Thee perfectly;
we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy most generous
spouse, to give us a true desire, and a true resolution of
pleasing Thee the utmost of our power.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Fifth Day: O most kind Lord Jesus Christ! we thank Thee
for the great gift of humility which Thou didst grant to Thy
beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy
most humble spouse, to grant us the grace of a true humility,
which may make us ever find our joy in humiliation, and prefer
contempt before every honour.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Sixth Day: O most bountiful Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the gift of devotion towards Thy sweet mother, Mary and
her holy spouse, Joseph, which Thou didst grant to Thy beloved
Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy most dear
spouse, to give us the grace of a special and tender devotion
towards Thy most holy mother, Mary, and towards Thy beloved
foster-father, Joseph.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Seventh Day: O most loving Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the wonderful gift of the wound in the heart which Thou
didst grant to Thy beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits,
and by those of Thy seraphic spouse, to grant us also a like wound
of love, that, henceforth, we may love Thee and give our mind to
the love of nothing but Thee.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Eighth Day: O most beloved Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the eminent gift of the desire for death which Thou didst
grant to Thy beloved Teresa; we pray Thee, by Thy merits, and by
those of Thy most constant spouse, to grant us the grace of
desiring death, in order to go and possess Thee eternally in the
country of the blessed.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Ninth Day: Lastly, O dearest Lord Jesus Christ! we thank
Thee for the gift of the precious death which Thou didst grant to
Thy beloved Teresa, making her sweetly to die of love; we pray
Thee, by Thy merits, and by those of Thy most affectionate spouse,
to grant us a good death; and if we do not die of love, yet, that
we may at least die burning of love for Thee, that so dying, we
may be able to go and love Thee for evermore with a more perfect
love in heaven.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
V. St. Teresa, pray for us:
R. That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation! that
as we rejoice in the commemoration of the blessed virgin Teresa,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine, and draw from
thence the fervour of a tender devotion; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen |
