Teresa’s story did not begin well. She entered the convent in her late teens and slowly lost her initial fervor. Mediocrity took over, just getting by and living a “comfortable” life. Near the age of 40 her life would change forever. A travelling statue of a suffering Jesus carrying the Cross made its way to her convent. When she saw it, she was struck to the heart by the love God had for her. She knelt, cried and said to God that she would not rise again until He gave her the grace of truly opening her heart and life completely to that Love. She does not know how long she knelt there, but when she arose, Teresa was a new woman: God was now at the center.

It was a gradual journey of growing trust and surrender to God. She would reform her religious order, breathing new life through a deeper commitment to prayer. In “The Book of Her Life” Teresa would remark: “May God be blessed forever who has taken such care of me. Once in comforting me He told me with much love that I shouldn’t be anxious, that in this life we cannot always be in a stable condition, that sometimes the soul will experience fervor and at other times be without it, that sometimes it will have disturbances and at other times have quiet…; but that I should hope in Him and not be afraid.” 

Here at St. Joseph’s we too have at the very center of our church a crucifix that commands our attention. It is not a symbol of suffering or human cruelty. It is a reminder of God’s commitment of Love to us! This is what St Teresa of Avila teaches us: great comfort is waiting for those who dare to linger and behold what love that God the Father has given unto us… 

May God bless us all,
Fr Mullan