April 25 - Avila

Had to get up early this morning as we needed to be on the bus by 8:00 and we had a 5 hour bus ride to Avila, Spain (might even be able to catch some well needed rest). Avila is likely the best preserved walled city in the world and home of St. Teresa who, along with her spiritual director, St. John of the Cross, reformed the Carmelite Order. 

St. Teresa was born in the year 1515 (so 2015 is the 500th anniversary of her birth) and died in 1582 at the age of 67. She was attracted to the religious life early and became a professed member of the Carmelite Order when she was 20. Around midway in her religious life, she proposed a return of the Carmelites to their original rule of life, a simple and austere form of monasticism- founded on silence and solitude. Along with her close collaborator, St. John of the Cross, she founded what is today known as the Order of Discalced Carmelites - "discalced" meaning barefoot, symbolizing the simplicity to which they chose to return the Order to after a period of corruption.She founded 30 monasteries during her life. 

Teresa is one of the foremost writers on mental prayer, and her position among writers on mystical theology is unique. Because of the depth of her understanding of theology and her writings, in 1970 Pope Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa one of two women Doctors of the Church, along with St.Catherine of Sienna.

For those wishing to know more about this very interesting woman, you can read more detail about her life at the following website:

Brief History of St. Teresa of Avila

Well, it was mid-afternoon by the time we reached Avila. We stopped briefly outside the town to get a great view. Just outside the town, we immediately met our local guide, Maria, and went to the convent where St. Teresa lived most of her life, the Monastery of the Incarnation of the Discalced  Carmelites. This is where Teresa lived, wrote and had most of her mystical experiences. Teresa left this convent in 1562 to found her first monastery and returned in 1571 as prioress.

The first thing we did was to have Mass in the Chapel of the Transfiguration, a beautiful but relatively simple chapel.  






In the center of the altar is a painting showing a scene of an angel thrusting an arrow into Teresa's heart. She writes that this left her "on fire with a great love of God". This is termed the "Transverberation of the heart".

Teresa's Cell.

Parlor where Teresa saw a vision of Christ 

After mass we went to the Museum of St. Teresa in the Monastery. We saw the cell in which she lived and the parlor where she saw a vision of Christ tied to a pillar, and a chalice used by St. John of the Cross.  

Chalice Used by St. John of the Cross

Garden Where Teresa Played as a Child. 

Teresa's bedroom as a little girl.

We then went to the convent of St. Teresa which was built over the home where St. Teresa lived. She was born into a prosperous family (her father was a merchant), but was attracted to God at a very early age. We were able to see her bedroom and  the garden where she played. 

Jean Snyder, Peg Roach and Janice Garcia

It was already getting quite late, so we went to the hotel and a nearby restaurant for nice dinner. It was here that I took this opportunity to take photos of our group. 

Phil and Marilyn Andreski

Ron and Betty Orr, Phil and Mary Kellerhals, Edna Rzucildo and Suzanne Bauzys

John and Emma Mailinger and Deirdre Mckay

Jose and Sylvia Perez, Rachel Bartlett and Viola Lucero

Kim and Brian Goodman

Marty and Marilyn Bunker

Jim and Jan Brady

Helen Bagnate, Frank Conte, Albina Quihuiz and Olivia Olson

John Gomez, and Dick and Terry Schubert

Jim Drotar and Gayle Rappold

Steve and Pat Luebbart and Fr. Paul Wicker

Bill and Ann Christman

Trudy Taylor and MaryAnn Maeckor

Dan and Leslie Paulonis

Randy and Eileen Scholl, and Lynda Campbell.

We all had a wonderful evening. After dinner, we called it a night since we were leaving early again the next day to go to Zaragosa, the site of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Spain's most revered site to honor the Virgin Mary.