Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Brief Background: 

St. Teresa of Jesus, also known as St. Teresa of Ávila, was born in 1515 in Ávila, Spain. She entered the Carmelite convent at a young age and became known for her deep spirituality, reform efforts, and mystical writings. Teresa sought to renew the Carmelite Order by returning it to its original spirit of prayer, poverty, and simplicity, founding the Discalced Carmelites alongside St. John of the Cross. Her most famous works, The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, remain classics of Christian spirituality, offering profound insights into prayer and the soul’s journey toward union with God. Canonized in 1622 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970, she is the patron saint of headaches, Spanish Catholic writers, and those seeking a deeper life of prayer and contemplation.

REFLECTION: 

People like to use the phrase, “Don’t judge!” or “You can’t judge him/her,” or “It’s not your role to judge—only God can judge.” This is true in one sense—God alone is the final and ultimate judge. But can we as Christians ever make judgments? The answer is both yes and no. We can judge the actions of a person, because right and wrong do exist and are revealed through God’s Word. But we cannot judge the heart, because only God sees what’s hidden within.

In Romans 2:1–11, St. Paul warns the believers in Rome about a dangerous hypocrisy: pointing out the sins of others while committing the same ones ourselves. He says, “When you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things.” This is not just a warning against criticism—it’s a reminder that God’s judgment is impartial and that He alone knows the full truth of a person’s soul.

St. Teresa of Jesus, whose feast we celebrate today, understood this deeply. She spent much of her life seeking interior conversion—turning her gaze inward to let God transform her heart. In her writings, especially The Interior Castle, she reminds us that the true journey toward holiness begins within the soul, not by looking outward at the faults of others. “Let us always remember,” she wrote, “that if we see our neighbor committing a sin, we may not know the struggles of that soul, nor the graces God has given.”

Like St. Teresa, we are called to humility—to look at ourselves before judging others. Her own reform of the Carmelite order began not with criticism or harshness, but with prayer, example, and love. She believed that if we truly allowed God to dwell within us, our hearts would be too busy being purified to spend time judging others.

So instead of focusing on the sins of others, perhaps we can ask: “Where is God inviting me to change?” When we acknowledge our own weakness and seek forgiveness, our hearts become more compassionate, less judgmental, and more open to grace.

The goal is not to ignore sin or pretend that everything is acceptable, but to judge rightly—with humility and love. True Christian judgment doesn’t condemn; it calls to conversion. It seeks not to shame but to save.

May the example and intercession of St. Teresa of Jesus inspire us to let God’s mercy transform us from within—so that instead of judging others, we become instruments of His love, patience, and truth.