Sunday, August 9 : conference by Father Romulo Cuastas Londoño, ocd
Who was Saint Teresa of Ávila ?
She was born in 1515 in Ávila, Spain, and she died in 1582, in Alba de Tormes. She led what was considered a long life in her day. Her life’s journey is simple : she spent 20 years with her family, 27 in the convent of the Encarnación, and 20 more founding other convents.
An important year is 1554, the year of her conversion. She was an excellent nun, highly regarded by the sisters of the Encarnación. But she felt herself called to become more. She was not content to live a mediocre life as a “good nun”. She was always searching and questioning. What was she lacking ?
Sure of her convictions, she had a pharisaical mentality (I obey the law, and therefore I have certain rights). But God asked more of her. Contemplating the image of Christ, she understood that what she was living, although it was good, was not enough. She journeyed from self-sufficiency to trust, from pride to surrender. Trust and surrender are the foundations of her conversion.
Through ongoing formation today, we can increase our self-confidence in such a way that we remain close to God in trust. This formation should help us to increase our trust and surrender to God so that we may eventually be able to place all our security in the One who lives in us.