Saint Teresa of Ávila, 1515-1582
October 15

Saint Teresa was born in Spain. After she had been a nun in a Carmelite monastery for twenty years, she dedicated herself to reforming many Carmelite convents, which were not as holy as they could be. One of the first things she did was write new rules based on God’s Word in Scripture, particularly the teachings of Jesus and the Commandments. Teresa understood that it was important to listen and learn from God’s Word in order to lead a good and holy life. She was serious about God, but also knew it was important to laugh and have fun. She used to dance in the convents to make the other sisters happy.

Discuss: When do you listen and learn from God’s Word?

Activity
Multiple Intelligences: Visual/Spatial

Picture a Prayerful Place

Explain that Saint Teresa of Ávila was known for her devotion to prayer and contemplative life. She spent much of her life writing and teaching about prayer.

• Have the children close their eyes and imagine a perfect prayerful place. It can be indoors or outdoors.
• Instruct them to look around this place and notice all the details.
• Next, ask the children to draw or describe what they imagined