St. Teresa of Avila Novena Compendium (2021-2024)

Four Years of Teresian Wisdom

For the past seven years, we have prepared annual novenas honoring Saint Teresa of Avila in the days leading to her solemnity on 15 October. This compendium presents the four most recent novenas (2021–2024), each with a different focus: obedience, key themes from her writings, the fourth centenary of her canonization, and humility.

These novenas draw from Teresa’s own words in the ICS Publications edition of her Collected Works, with guest reflections from Father Emiel Abalahin, O.Carm. (2022) and Bishop Silvio José Báez, O.C.D. (2023). As Bishop Báez writes:

“St. Teresa of Avila, for me as a Carmelite bishop, is much more than a historical figure. She is my closest confidant, most luminous evangelical inspiration, and spiritual teacher in the depths of my being.”

Whether you are new to Saint Teresa or have walked the Way of Perfection with her for years, these materials offer solid spiritual direction rooted in her experience. Below are links to the four novena introductions. From each introduction, you can access all nine days of that novena’s prayers and reflections. Each stands on its own, addressing different aspects of the Teresian path. Pray them in order, or choose the theme that speaks to your present need.

May Saint Teresa lead us in these novenas to a closer embrace with God, our highest Good—because only God is enough: Solo Dios basta.

2024: Humility and Truth

Walking in Truth

Saint Teresa teaches that humility is the foundation of holiness. This novena explores how walking in truth—recognizing our complete dependence on God—means surrendering our desire to control our spiritual growth and trusting that God knows what is best for us.

Begin the 2024 Novena →

2023: Teresian Jubilee Year

Fourth Centenary of Her Canonization

Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d., preached these nine meditations at the Church of La Santa in Avila during the jubilee year. His daily meditations are a commentary on sacred scripture and Saint Teresa’s writings, offering a spiritual retreat on discipleship, prayer, and union with the Crucified Christ.

Begin the 2023 Novena →

2022: Key Themes in Teresa’s Writings

Guided by Father Emiel Abalahin, O.Carm.

Saint Teresa’s writings offer concrete spiritual formation, inspired prayers, and practical advice. Father Emiel guides us through nine key themes as we make our way along the way of perfection to the perfect union of love in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Begin the 2022 Novena →

2021: Obedience

“There is no path that leads more quickly to the highest perfection than obedience.”

Marking the 450th anniversary of Saint Teresa’s return to Avila under obedience, this novena explores her teaching on obedience as she understood and lived it—not merely as a religious observing the evangelical counsel but also as a Catholic woman of faith.

Begin the 2021 Novena →

How to Use This Collection

Each novena follows the same structure: a brief introduction followed by nine days of prayer and reflection. You can pray them:

• Around Saint Teresa’s feast day (15 October)
• During times of personal need for her intercession
• As part of your spiritual reading throughout the year
• With family or prayer groups seeking her guidance

The novenas work beautifully in any order, though newcomers to St. Teresa might begin with the 2023 novena by Bishop Báez for a comprehensive introduction to her teachings.

NOVENA PRAYER

O Holy Mother Saint Teresa, look down from heaven and see: visit this vine and protect what thy right hand hath planted.

mention your intentions here

Merciful God, who by thy Spirit didst raise up thy servant Saint Teresa of Jesus to reveal to thy Church the way of perfection: grant that her teaching may awaken in us a longing for holiness until assisted by her intercession, we attain to the perfect union of love in Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be…

Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us!

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Detail from stained glass window at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Central City, Kentucky. Photo by Nheyob, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

#inspiration #novena #prayer #quote #StTeresaOfAvila

The anarchist ideals are far from being in contradiction, as the "scientific socialists" claim, to the laws of evolution as proved by science; they are a conception which fits these laws perfectly; they are the experimental system brought from the field of research to that of social realization.
-- Errico Malatesta

#anarchism #quote #bot

“A man touched me: his hand... My thigh.I touched him too: my fist... His jaw.”
― Joseph Gordon-Levitt

#Bot #Quote #Funny #GirlPower #Unexpected

In caring for loved ones with dementia, perhaps an ocean of understanding, an ocean of love, and an ocean of patience.

#Alzheimers #dementia #caregiving #quote

WITCHES: Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

— Macbeth, I, i

#Shakespeare #literature #quote #quotation

Lack of fingers was another big spur to the development of camel intellect. Human mathematical development had always been held back by everyone’s instinctive tendency, when faced with something really complex in the way of triform polynomials or parametric differentials, to count fingers. Camels started from the word go by counting numbers.
(Pyramids)

#TerryPratchett #quotes #quote #bot

I don't know, apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at all.

#HitchhikersGuide #DouglasAdams #quotes #quote #bot