Carmelite Spirituality

The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila is one of the most remarkable life stories ever written. For here, in a scrupulously accurate translation that is beloved by the Carmelites, the great Reformer of Carmel describes her life and the extraordinary workings of grace within her soul. St. Teresa's vigorous prose shows forth her robust common sense, as well as her strong Catholic faith, which embraces wholeheartedly those teachings of Christ which the world finds most absurd. St. Teresa describes her own spiritual struggles, her long period of spiritual laxity, her vision of her potential place in Hell, the great assistance she received from St. Joseph, her many mystical graces-including visions and locutions-her fears of delusion by Satan and the guidance she received from learned spiritual directors, such as St. Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562). Her ardent spirit shines forth as she writes of what she holds most dear: the faithful service of God-"His Majesty," as she calls Him-and her great eagerness for more souls to withdraw from the worthless pleasures of this earth and give themselves to Him. St. Teresa of Avila was one of the most admirable and colorful women of all time, who despite her mystical gifts, remained intensely practical and down-to-earth, such that she was much loved in her own lifetime. And The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila is an ever-fresh source of inspiration from which the reader will come to know the great Madre Teresa and to understand a -little better the Divine Majesty she served. As to fine and beautiful things, such as water, fields, perfume, music, etc., I think I would rather not have them, so great is the difference between them and what I am in the habit of seeing, and so all pleasure in them is gone from me. Hence it is that I care not for them, unless it be at the first sight: they never make any further impression; to me they seem but dirt. -Relations, I (page 429).

This book contains Letters from 1546 to 1577. Includes Introductions, Endnotes, Biographical Sketches and Index.

This is the second edition of volume One of The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, first woman doctor of the church. The translators have taken full advantage of all that recent scholarship has contributed to a better understanding of Teresa and her writings. This volume includes her first major work, The Book of Her Life, and two of her shorter works, the Spiritual Testimonies and the Soliloquies. Clear and contemporary, this rendering captures Teresa's spirit while remaining faithful to her thought. Includes general and biblical index.

You know that in an Apostolic Letter in 2002, Pope John Paul II added five Luminous Mysteries. Did you know that in that same Letter he also called for a new way of praying the Rosary?

St. John Paul II's new way of praying the Rosary was based on the teachings of St. Theresa of Avila and has become known as the Contemplative Rosary because it more perfectly unites vocal prayer and meditation, transforming the prayers of the Rosary into a contemplative meeting with God.

In Dark Night of the Soul, Saint John of the Cross presents for us a portrait painted from his own experience of one who advances successfully through the struggles of the spiritual life. The dark night that St John describes is not abandonment by God but special consideration from Him for those who desire to purify and perfect their souls. With a soul purified from earthly attachments, we can advance through the much quoted but oft misunderstood dark night of the souls into unity with God. By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens itself to receiving and revealing more perfectly God's glory. Be not afraid--Dark Night of the Soul, though austere and exacting in its instructions for holy living, is laced with St. John's charity and kindness, his love of all things beautiful and sacred--including you.

On the same summer day in 1942, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) and hundreds of other Catholic Jews were arrested in Holland by the occupying Nazis. One hundred thirteen of those taken into custody, several of them priests and nuns, perished at Auschwitz and other concentration camps. They were murdered in retaliation for the anti-Nazi pastoral letter written by the Dutch Catholic bishops.

While Saint Teresa Benedicta is the most famous member of this group, having been canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1998, all of them deserve the title of martyr, for they were killed not only because they were Jews but also because of the faith of the Church, which had compelled the Dutch bishops to protest the Nazi regime. Through extensive research in both original and secondary sources, P.W.F.M. Hamans has compiled these martyrs' biographies, several of them detailed and accompanied by photographs. Included in this volume are some remarkable conversion stories, including that of Edith Stein, the German philosopher who had entered the Church in 1922 and later became a Carmelite nun, taking the name Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Several of the witnesses chronicled here had already suffered for their faith in Christ before falling victim to Hitler's "Final Solution," enduring both rejection by their own people, including family members, and persecution by the so-called Christian society in which they lived. Among these were those who, also like Sister Teresa Benedicta, perceived the cross they were being asked to bear and accepted it willingly for the salvation of the world. Illustrated

Edith Stein's writings on woman are the fruit of both reflection and debate with other leaders of the Catholic feminist movement in German-speaking countries between the World Wars. Edith Stein has been called one of the most significant German-Jewish women of the 20th century. Includes topical and place index.

More than a biography, these pages paint a multifaceted portrait of Edith Stein as seen by scholars, friends, and relatives and by Catholics and Jews alike. You'll gain new insights into the complex aspects of her life and death, as well as the impact of her character and personality on those who knew her. But most of all, you will enter into the interior life of this woman of Jewish descent who transformed her entire life because of her encounter with Jesus Christ, an encounter that led her from the depths of atheism to the heights of sainthood.

Elizabeth of the Trinity (Elizabeth Catez), who died in 1906 at the age of 26 in the Carmel of Dijon, is a mystic for our times, with a profound spirituality rooted not in visions and voices but in attention to the indwelling Trinity and in the call to become a "praise of glory" for God. This first volume of her Complete Works contains her major spiritual writings, including two sets of retreat notes ("Heaven in Faith" and "Last Retreat") and her famous prayer "O My God, Trinity Whom I Adore." A comprehensive introduction to Elizabeth's life and spirituality by the editor, Conrad De Meester, is also included, along with detailed notes and 5 pages of photos.

This book is the fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture.

But the teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from Teresa and John for contemplatives alone. It is meant for every Christian and is based on the Gospel imperative of personal prayer and the call to holiness. All the major elements of these great teachers are ordered, commented on and put in the context of their scriptural foundations. Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time, and based on the writings of the Church's two greatest mystical doctors.

Elizabeth of the Trinity (Elizabeth Catez) was a young French woman who became a Discalced Carmelite in the Carmel of Dijon. She was just twenty-one when she died in 1906. But those few years were enough for her to develop and deepen a distinctive approach to God, one that has since inspired countless people in their quest for a deeper relationship with the indwelling God. Although influenced by St. Thrse of Lisieux, Elizabeths spirituality is distinctive, highly biblical, simple to understand and to practice. Her perennial theme is the Blessed Trinitys indwelling within the human persona reality promised in the Gospel, discovered in the silence of prayer and adoration, and then lived out in love for God and neighbor.

A personal retreat based on St. Therese of Lisieux. A wondrous distillation of the teachings of St. Th r se of Lisieux on God's love and on confidence in Him; on humility, peace, and charity; on the Cross; and on abandonment to Providence. Learn to rest in God amid troubles, living joyfully with Him always.

Interior Castle guides the spiritual seeker through each stage of development until the soul's final union with the divine. Includes an introduction written by Teresa Tomeo.

Living the Mystery of Merciful Love: 30 Days with Thrse of Lisieux is the latest in the Navigating the Interior Life series, which brings the wisdom of the saints into the hands of today's readers. In this presentation of intimate letters from St. Thrse of Lisieux to her sisters and close friends, authors Anthony Lilles and Dan Burke lay out the Little Flower's program for complete self-offering to God through her Oblation to Merciful Love.