St. Teresa of Avila is not a lofty, inaccessible saint; she’s a companion, and has been taking Christians on a journey through their own interior “castles” for hundreds of years. Honest, humorous, and insightful, her devotional and spiritual reflections show readers how to open up themselves to God in new ways. This journey through Teresa’s life and writings will engage readers for a full year, with carefully chosen daily selections from the broad range of her writings—letters, poems, memoirs, as well as spiritual and theological musings. Bangley makes all of these writings accessible—and essential—in these new translations into contemporary English.
This historic work reveals the inner spiritual life of one of the most beloved and important religious figures in history--Mother Teresa. During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world. Little is known, however, about her own spiritual heights or her struggles. This collection of her writing and reflections, almost all of which have never been made public before, sheds light on Mother Teresa's interior life in a way that reveals the depth and intensity of her holiness for the first time. Compiled and presented by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., who knew Mother Teresa for twenty years and is the postulator for her cause for sainthood and director of the Mother Teresa Center, Mother Teresa brings together letters she wrote to her spiritual advisors over decades. A moving chronicle of her spiritual journey—including moments, indeed years, of utter desolation—these letters reveal the secrets she shared only with her closest confidants. She emerges as a classic mystic whose inner life burned with the fire of charity and whose heart was tested and purified by an intense trial of faith, a true dark night of the soul. "If I ever become a Saint-- I will surely be one of "darkness." I will continually be absent from Heaven-- to light the light of those in darkness on earth." --Mother Teresa
Of all of Teresa of Avila's works, The Way of Perfection is the most easily understood. Written at the height of the controversy surrounding the reforms Teresa instituted in the Carmelite order, it instructed the nuns in the practice of prayer. Teresa discusses the three essentials of a prayer-filled life -- fraternal love, detachment from material things, and true humility. Her counsels on these are the fruit of her practical experience. The book develops these ideas and takes up directly the matters of prayer and contemplation. Teresa gives various maxims for the practice of prayer and concludes the book with her masterful and impassioned version of the Lord's Prayer. "How is it that Thou canst give us so much with Thy first word?" she says of the "Our" at the beginning of that prayer. The simple and practical nature of this mystical classic will appeal to all who seek a life of wholeness.
A cornerstone book on mystical theology, Interior Castle describes the seven stages of union with God. Using everyday language to explain difficult theological concepts, Teresa of Avila compares the contemplative life to a castle with seven chambers. Tracing the passage of the soul through each successive chamber, she draws a powerful picture of the path toward spiritual perfection. It is the most sublime and mature of Teresa's works, offering profound and inspiring reflections on such subjects as self-knowledge, humility, detachment, and suffering. One of the most celebrated works on mystical theology in existence, as timely today as when St. Teresa of Avila wrote it centuries ago, this is a treasury of unforgettable maxims on self-knowledge and fulfillment.
The acclaimed modern translation of St. Teresa of Avila's classic book on spiritual awareness and guidance Celebrated for almost five centuries as a master of spiritual literature, 16th-century saint Teresa of Avila is one of the most beloved religious figures in history. Overcome one day by a mystical vision of a crystal castle with seven chambers, each representing a different stage in spiritual development, Teresa immediately wrote The Interior Castle. Probably her most important and widely studied work, it guides the spiritual seeker through each stage of development until the soul's final union with the divine. Free of religious dogma, this modern translation renders St. Teresa's work a beautiful and practical set of teachings for seekers of all faiths in need of spiritual guidance. It also places this classic book on spirituality —"a gem of mystical literature made accessible and relevant to the modern spiritual seeker" –Sharon Salzberg—in a contemporary context, reasserting its literary importance even after more than 400 years.
Sharing personal stories and revealing insights, the co-founder of Mother Teresa's priests' community reveals the secret source of her passion, spirit, and impact.
Complete edition of the The Way of Perfection by Saint Teresa of Avila, translated by E. Allison Peers. This edition includes over 100 footnotes, creating a study edition for readers to better understand Avila's spiritual path to deepening a relationship with God and His glorious peace. It is beautiful advice, written to friends, about the stages of prayer and practicing a spiritual life. For many, it is a soul piercing and inspiring book. "Blessed and praised be the Lord, from Whom comes all the good that we speak and think and do." No student of thought should be without this historic book. This edition is provided in a slim volume with full text at an affordable price.
During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions, and none. Her selfless commitment to the care of the sick and the dying, as well as to thousands of others who no one else was prepared to help, has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world. Yet this impressive collection of her writings shows a different and unexpected picture of the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her absolute conviction that she was doing God's will is well known but what is a revelation is the discovery that she fulfilled her mission in spite of feeling a chasm of spiritual emptiness within her, which lasted for decades. This book is a moving chronicle of her spiritual journey and it reveals the secrets she shared only with her closest confidants. It also illustrates how the experience of an agonizing sense of loss need not hold anyone back from doing something extraordinary with their lives.
By the time of her death in 1997, Mother Teresa had become beloved the world over for her tireless efforts and service to millions of the poor, the outcast, the ill, and the dying. But her legacy extends beyond her actions, as Mother Teresa spoke in over a hundred countries on subjects close to her heart. Her Essential Wisdom collects hundreds of her inspiring quotations on the importance of charity, the value of family, and the absolute dignity of every human being.
Capturing the inner spiritual life of one of the twentieth century's most beloved religious figures, the private writings, reflections, and letters of Mother Teresa chronicle her spiritual journey, her dedication to charity, the trial of faith that tested and shaped her beliefs, and her contributions to the sick, the dying, and the forgotten. 60,000 first printing.
Experience the same Spirit-filled words that Mother Theresa shared with the poor, the dying, the hurting, and the skeptical. The quotes, stories, and prayers in this book are hers. Mother Teresa's work for -- and among -- the poor has become the yardstick by which millions measure compassion and generosity across religious and political divides. While Mother Theresa herself always stressed action over words, it is the latter that have provided solace and hope to those who never had the opportunity to meet her during her life. Though the world has lost one of its most admired women, Mother Theresa's words and her memory still serve to move men and women from every race and religious background to volunteer to help the poor. -- From publisher's description.
Born in 1515 in Spain (then called vila, Crown of Castile) Teresa is regarded as one of the foremost writers on Catholic mysticism and contemplative prayer, writing mostly about her own experiences and her relationship with God. She was fiercely devout, and had been known for her episodes of rapture during prayer, including bouts of levitation. Published in 1913, "Minor Works of St. Teresa" is a testament to that relationship, containing thoughts and guidance on contemplative prayer, as well as her poetry, full of passion, joy, sorrow, and love for her God, life, and humanity.
I love God, but my prayer doesn t seem to be going anywhere. What s happening? Sometimes prayer seems effortless. Other times, no matter who we are or what our vocation is in life, we are distracted by some other interest. Teresa of Avila teaches us to both live and pray in reality, and to find God s peace and his presence in the midst of our daily lives.
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