Teresa of Ávila: Let nothing disturb you

A castle with seven rooms—or rather, seven “dwelling places”. In 1577 Teresa of Ávila uses this unforgettable image to describe the inner life and the journey of prayer. Behind it stands a woman who travels, founds monasteries and negotiates with the authorities.

A saint who tells us about her detours, too

Born in 1515 into a large family, Teresa recalls in The Book of Her Life her childhood enthusiasm for stories of martyrs—and her later taste for much more worldly reading. At twenty she enters the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation. She survives a severe illness, then experiences a decisive turning point before an image of the wounded Christ in 1554.

Her autobiography lets us follow her frailties and changes as well as her mystical experiences. Here is a saint who holds nothing back!

Seventeen foundations take energy and a clear head

In 1562 she opens the reformed Carmel of St Joseph in Ávila. Eventually there will be seventeen foundations! In 1568, with John of the Cross, the male branch of the Discalced Carmelites begins at Duruelo. In 1580 the reformed Carmels gain their own province. Reform means organising communities and overcoming obstacles, one after another.

Which book should you start with?

The Book of Her Life follows her personal journey. The Way of Perfection, written for her sisters, also explores the Lord’s Prayer. The Interior Castle follows the growth of prayer, while The Book of the Foundations tells how communities take shape. Different doors: choose the one that sparks your curiosity.

For Teresa, prayer is friendship with God. She explains it through beautiful images, such as the silkworm becoming a butterfly. The castle’s dwelling places are not a spiritual scorecard for readers: they describe her religious journey.

Teresa dies at Alba de Tormes in 1582. Paul VI declares her a Doctor of the Church in 1970, and her memorial falls on 15 October. Between a famous quotation and a whole book, choose the book: you will meet a Teresa far more alive than you expected.

Let nothing disturb you: a prayer to keep

Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass; God does not change. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing: God alone suffices.

Pause over these words before an exam, while waiting or in the evening. Prayer can accompany difficult days; it does not replace support or treatment you may need.