Today, Oct. 15, is the Feast of St. Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus. I love this woman. Although she is a doctor of the Church and one of the three great 16th century Spanish mystics (along with St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. John of the Cross), she is funny.
St. Teresa is down-to-earth with a wonderful sense of humour which is always a sign of holiness for me. Her humourous quotes tell me that she was real, humble enough to laugh at herself and that she lived in the joy of the Lord. Thank heaven she did not take herself too seriously. Teresa was a Carmelite nun, writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through. She was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be a founder of the Discalced Carmelites along with her protege, St. John of the Cross.
Famous HUMOUROUS Quotes
- The first line of her autobiography is funny.
“Having virtuous and God-fearing parents would have been enough for me to be good if I were not so wicked.”
- After a donkey threw her into a cold river
“If this is how You treat Your friends, then it is no wonder You have so few of them.”
You’ve gotta love that level of practicality and annoyance in a mystic.
- On false piety
“From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!”
- Teresa of Avila was fully, deeply, unapologetically herself. If she had written a letter to which her correspondent had not replied, she did not hesitate to write again, demanding,
“Why haven’t you answered my letter? Don’t you love me? Do you have any idea of the pain your silence is causing me?”
- Succinct
“There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.” -St. Teresa of Avila
joy of nine9 
Thank you for introducing me to a new saint. She sounds like somebody I would have loved to share a cup of tea.
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:)..I think truly holy people help us relax in their presence and feel loved, loved enough to open up and loved enough to let them teach us
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Haha, love it! 😀 St Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
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my smile for today
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