A beautiful thought attributed to St. Teresa of Ávila

We visited the small but beautiful town of Ávila today, where they’re celebrating the five hundredth anniversary of the birth of their famous and beloved saint, Teresa (generally known as either St. Teresa of Jesus or St. Teresa of Ávila).

One of the great mystics of the Catholic tradition, she is the author of such works as El Castillo Interior (“The Interior Castle”), El Camino de Perfección (“The Way of Perfection”), and an autobiography, which are considered not only masterpieces of Catholic devotional writing but classics of Spanish Renaissance literature altogether.  She was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, forty years after her death.  In 1970, Pope Paul VI named her a “Doctor of the Church” — i.e., an officially recognized teacher of doctrine and practice.

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world.

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Attributed to Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)

Posted from Madrid, Spain