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Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint Teresa of Avila: Feast Day October 15th


(My rendition of François Gérard’s painting “Teresa of Ávila”  1827)

"Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing make you afraid. All things are passing. God alone never changes. Patience gains all things. If you have God, you will want for nothing. God alone suffices.” 

It's been a while since I've written a blog post, and as I reflect upon the words of Saint Teresa of Avila's "Serenity Prayer" above, I cannot help but find comfort in them. Living in a time when everything in the world seems to be turned upside down, and logic and truth abandoned, the wisdom of Saint Teresa offers hope, consolation, and peace. 

Teresa of Avila lived in a time similar to our own. Born in the 16th century, she witnessed a world that contained globalism, political conflicts, and religious tensions following the Protestant Reformation. Yet during this turmoil, she trusted in God. She lived a life of contemplation, excelled in writing and prayer, and helped reform the Carmelite Order. Faithful to God and truth, she lived a life that not only resulted in her canonization as a saint, but also being named a Doctor of the Church. 

For the past year, I've had a quote that Jesus told Saint Teresa of Avila in a vision resting on my dresser, and as I consider the quote, and the fact that the month of October is designated as "Respect Life Month" and also contains Saint Teresa of Avila's feast day, I am again filled with hope, consolation, and peace.  

“I would create the world again just to hear you say you love me.” Jesus told Saint Teresa of Avila. No matter what we have done in our lives, or how crazy and erroneous the world becomes, Jesus loves each and every one of us more than we can imagine. Not only would he create the world again just to hear you say you love Him, but His love for each of us is so great that He allowed Himself to be crucified for every person that would ever exist, and continues to allow Himself to be crucified every time we turn away from Him. 

So as we celebrate Saint Teresa of Avila today, do not lose hope and do not let anything disturb you, because God is constant, good, and triumphant, and He will continue to raise up the saints that each time in history needs.  Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us! 

Celebrating with Food:


Here is a recipe, from the website  “The Spruce Eats", that my family used to make traditional Spanish Yemas de Santa Teresa. These egg-based candy-like desserts were a super fun treat! The kids loved them! The recipe does not make a lot, so we also made vanilla meringue cookies in order to not waste the discarded egg whites, and because meringue cookies are too delicious not to make! Here is the recipe for the meringue cookies from "Taste of Home." We tripled it and used vanilla instead of peppermint.  

(Yemas de Santa Teresa ready to chill in the fridge)

 (Final product and a super big hit with the kids)

Teresa of Avila’s Serenity Prayer Activity: 


Learn Teresa of Avila's "Serenity Prayer." Here is a free pintable I made that you and your family can use for a fun scramble activity. Print the template and cut it into strips (each line of the prayer is a different strip). Then, mix the lines up and work together as a family to put the prayer together in the correct order. Finally, pray the prayer together as a family. For younger children, you can number each line and work on identifying numbers as you put the prayer in order. 








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