RECOLLECTION AND PERFECTION - 10/15/22 (Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church)

Luke 12:8-9

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101522.cfm

Blessed Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila! In our gospel reading for today, our Lord Jesus speaks of a consoling truth to us and a warning as well. Whoever will acknowledge Him before others will be acknowledged by our Lord before the angels of God. We have the our guardian angel and all the angels and saints as our witnesses. The day that we enter heaven and join them in praising and loving God for eternity is truly joyful. However, Jesus also gave a warning. He tells us that those who deny Him before others will be denied before the angels of God. They will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God, not because God wants it, but because they i intentionally and consciously reject God's truth and mercy which leads them to eternal miseries in hell. Why did Jesus reveal these things to us? 

It's because following Jesus is not easy to do in this world. There are many temptations around us that may cause us to offend God through our sins. At the same time, when we meet some people whose lifestyle may be contrary to God's plan and commandments, we can be persecuted and opposed harshly by them. This is what we see in the life of the apostles. They became witnesses of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. But, despite the good news of salvation, they were persecuted by some people, and most died out of martyrdom. Because of this, some of us may be tempted to not defend our faith and to just tolerate the sins of others. Worse, when we become attached to people, their lifestyle and some worldly satisfactions, we may also deny our Lord Jesus by committing grave sins. 

Denial of our Lord is not just expressed in our words but also in works. Jesus Christ reminds us of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin. This is "unforgivable", not because God does not want to forgive us. On the contrary, He pours into our hearts His infinite mercy, and He desires our salvation. But, it's called the unforgivable sin because this pertains to mortal sins where the person does not go to the sacrament of confession or even repent of his sins even at the moment of his death. It is because of God's love for us that He wants us to know the consequences of grave sins especially as we consider that there are many temptations around us. The more we see our sins, the more we should be humble, seek the sacraments, and depend on God because of our desire to be with Him in heaven. 

St. Teresa of Jesus, also known as St. Teresa of Avila, was a mystical saint who wrote works about spirituality and prayer life. She's a Carmelite, a contemplative nun who dedicated most of her life in prayer. But, before she became united with God, she was lazy in her faith. When she started as a Carmelite, she was still attached to the world, and there were many times that she was making excuses not to pray. But, our Lord showed to her hell, and this made her humble and more grateful for God's mercy. She recognized how sinful she was, and with this, she radically gave her life to God and became an instrument for the reform of the Carmelite order. Reflections on her writing, The Interior Castle, can be read below this reflection. What can we learn from her for us to acknowledge Christ and not deny Him? 

We can learn many things from her, but one thing that is necessary is humility. It is an acknowledgement of our unworthiness and of the greatness of God's mercy for us. And, St. Teresa of Avila also taught of the importance of recollection. It is the means by which we detach ourselves from the world in our own state of life and give our attention to God. It is a recognition that God truly dwells within us. When we are aware that God is with us, we can avoid the temptations around us by God's grace, and we can do what is more pleasing to Him. To be more recollected, let's spend more time in silence praying to God. As also recommended by St. Teresa of Avila, let's pray the "Our Father" prayer with true devotion. By God's grace, our hearts will be enlightened, and we will have true longing for holiness in union with Him. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Life of St. Teresa of Avila:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-15st-teresa-of-vila/

The Interior Journey Toward God:

Reflections from Saint Teresa of Ávila

https://mycatholic.life/books/the-interior-journey-toward-god-reflections-from-saint-teresa-of-avila/

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/