Autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582)

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Nearly four centuries have passed since St. Teresa began to write, and, both in her own country and abroad, her fame is still widespread and still growing. Her purely human qualities and gifts, the saintliness of her life by which they were illumined and overshadowed, the naturalness and candour of her manner and style — these are some of the reasons why her name is not only graven upon the enduring marble of history but taken on the lips of generation after generation with reverence and love.

She is a mystic — and more than a mystic. Her works, it is true, are well known in the cloister and have served as nourishment to many who are far advanced on the Way of Perfection, and who, without her aid, would still be beginners in the life of prayer. Yet they have also entered the homes of millions living in the world and have brought consolation, assurance, hope and strength to souls who, in the technical sense, know nothing of the life of contemplation.

Devoting herself as she did, with the most wonderful persistence and tenacity, to the sublimest task given to man — the attempt to guide others toward perfection — she succeeded so well in that task that she is respected everywhere as an incredibly gifted teacher, who has revealed, more perhaps than any who came before her, the nature and extent of those gifts which the Lord has laid up in this life for those who love Him.

In past ages, of course, there had been many writers kindled with Divine love to whom He had manifested His ineffable secrets, but for the most part these secrets had gone down with them to the grave. To St. Teresa it was given to speak to the world, in her diaphanous, colloquial language and her simple, unaffected style, of the work of the Holy Spirit in the enamoured soul, of the interior strife and the continual purgation through which such a soul must pass in its ascent of Mount Carmel and of the wonders which await it on the mountain’s summit.

Epiphany (Greek for “to manifest” or “to show”), is a Christian feast day which celebrates the alleged revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany falls on January 6. Western Christians commemorate the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the child Jesus on this day, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. It is also called Theophany, especially by Eastern Christians.

How to Celebrate Feast of the Epiphany:-

1. Have a family “undecorating” party on January 6. Spend the day taking down the tree and other holiday trimmings at a leisurely pace.

2. Prepare a quiet dinner afterward and discuss what you liked about this Christmas season and what you might want to do differently next year. (Think of it as “thinking out loud” time, though – not as a planning session.)

3. Read the story of Befana. According to legend, as the three wise men journeyed toward the manger, they came upon an old woman who was cleaning her house. They invited her to join them; she needed to continue cleaning but said she’d follow when she’d finished. But Befana never found her way to the manger, and has since been wandering the earth looking for the Christ child.

4. Let the kids decorate a “king’s crown” to serve for dessert. It’s a traditional Epiphany cake with a trinket baked inside it. Whoever gets the piece with the trinket reigns as king or queen of the feast and gets to order everyone else around.

5. Make this the day you exchange gifts with friends. You’ll avoid another must-do event on December’s calendar ‘ and you’ll be able to put off some of your shopping until after the holidays, when you can take advantage of post-Christmas sales.

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