October 15
St Thérèse of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Thursday, week 28 in Ordinary Time — Year II
St Thérèse of Avila (1515–1582) was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and one of the first women to be declared a Doctor of the Church. Living during a period of intense religious reform and upheaval in 16th-century Spain, Thérèse became a key figure in the Catholic Reformation. She is best known for her efforts to reform the Carmelite order, leading it back to a stricter, more contemplative way of life, seeking to anchor prayer and poverty at the center of the Carmelite vocation. Thérèse founded numerous reformed convents, often in the face of misunderstanding and resistance, relying on deep faith and a keen sense of divine providence.
Thérèse is also remembered for her profound spiritual writings, including 'The Interior Castle' and 'The Way of Perfection', which explore the depths of prayer, the soul’s journey toward God, and the practical challenges of religious life. Her teachings on prayer, humility, and perseverance continue to inspire Christians worldwide. The Church honors her both for her mystical legacy and her practical wisdom in reforming religious life. Her feast invites us to seek deeper intimacy with God through prayer and to trust in His grace, even amidst difficulty.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingEp 1, 1-10
Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus
by the will of God,
to those who are sanctified and dwell in Ephesus,
those who believe in Christ Jesus.
Grace and peace to you
from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
He has blessed us and filled us
with the blessings of the Spirit,
in heaven, in Christ.
He chose us in Christ,
before the foundation of the world,
so that we might be holy, immaculate
before him, in love.
He predestined us
to be, for him, adopted children
through Jesus Christ.
This was his will in his goodness,
to the praise and glory of his grace,
the grace he gives us
in the beloved Son.
In him, through his blood,
we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our faults.
This is the richness of the grace
that God has lavished upon us
in all wisdom and understanding.
Thus he reveals to us the mystery of his will,
according to what his goodness had planned in Christ:
to bring all times to their fulfillment,
to sum up all things in Christ,
those in heaven and those on earth.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 97 (98), 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done wonders;
by his very holy arm, by his mighty hand,
he has won the victory.
The Lord has made known his victory
and revealed his justice to the nations;
he has remembered his faithfulness, his love,
toward the house of Israel.
All the earth has seen
the victory of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
sound out, sing, play!
Play for the Lord on the lyre,
on the lyre and with every instrument;
at the sound of trumpet and horn,
acclaim your king, the Lord!
GospelLc 11, 47-54
At that time, Jesus said:
"Woe to you,
because you build the tombs of the prophets,
while it was your fathers who killed them.
Thus you bear witness
that you approve of the deeds of your fathers,
for they themselves killed the prophets,
and you, you build their tombs.
That is why the Wisdom of God itself said:
I will send them prophets and apostles;
of these, they will kill and persecute some.
Thus this generation will have to answer
for the blood of all the prophets
that has been shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.
Yes, I tell you this:
it will be required of this generation.
Woe to you, experts in the Law,
because you have taken away the key of knowledge;
you yourselves have not entered,
and those who wanted to enter
you have prevented."
When Jesus left the house,
the scribes and the Pharisees
began to be very hostile toward him
and to harass him with questions;
they laid traps for him to catch
his slightest word.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org