Teresa of Avila ~ Another Kind of Lenten Fasting

Peter Paul Rubens ~ St. Teresa of Avila

Saint Teresa of Avila wrote, "It is foolish to think we will enter heaven without entering ourselves." Teresa was a reformer of the Carmelite order whose members had grown worldly and lazy. She likely made some enemies directing her sisters to look inside and know themselves truly. It was more comfortable sitting in the parlor entertaining guests for tea all afternoon.

Lent is approaching and yet again we're invited to go with Jesus into the desert. Of course, the desert is inside ourselves, the place where, un-distracted, we are alone with God. And pray God, come Easter, somehow we are better persons, more fully alive as God would have us, more grown up in Christ.

Carmelites fast from food at different times during the liturgical year. But Teresa acknowledges that it's important for her to fast from making herself the important center of everything by going around all day expressing her likes and dislikes. A lot of energy can go into telling everyone I meet what pleases and displeases me. So here are a few possibilities we might consider with Teresa as we prepare to "go inside" with our Lenten fasting.

Fasting from I, I, I, I, I. A certain radio talk show host begins every other sentence with"I".

Fasting from complaining. We are among the most comfortable people on the planet, and yet, if we tune in to ourselves, there's an awful of complaining.

Fasting from so much noise - who can hear God's whisper!

Fasting from so much shopping. One monk says, "In this country it's not the Kingdom come but the thingdom come.

Fasting from having so much to say about everything. It's so common, it's even got a name. It's called bloviating.

Fasting from so many assessments of other people: spouses, siblings, parents, fellow workers, in-laws, maybe even the priest.

Fasting from so many opinions. One woman said of herself, "There's nothing new or original about myself; I'm just opinions."

Fasting from procrastination, making excuses or enabling others.

That's enough - we get the idea. "It is foolish to think we will enter heaven without entering ourselves." But some people never go there; deserts can be scary.

In Unsettling Times

Difficult days - though we're not powerless. Here is a late 15th century  wood carved image of Saint John under the hands of Jesus at the Last Supper. John knew where to place himself on that gloomy night. The image is very beautiful and deserves a long gazing. 

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, (1568-1591) who forfeited a royal inheritance to enter the Society of Jesus, said of the aristocratic life in which he lived, that is was full of fraud, dagger, poison and lust. Change dagger to gun and it sounds like today. 

Saint Teresa of Avila, (1515-1582)  who traveled all over Spain, likened life on this planet to a night in a bad hotel. Still, she wrote this prayer which we might memorize and pray often, especially when we hear of massacres, horrors, destruction, yet another war, disasters, political machinations:

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing,
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things,
Who has God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.

Teresa of Avila 16th c. Spain