Third part:1
Criteria for organizing Teresa's readings and specific proposals
I. Criteria for organizing the reading of the works of St. Teresa
32. The first criterion is provided by the personal spiritual experience of Mother Teresa. From her conversion, she gained, relying firmly on inner prayer, experiences of an ever-deepening meeting with the person of Jesus Christ, in whom she believed, whom she loved, and in whom she placed her hope. With his help, she penetrated into the life of the Most Holy Trinity, and through him, she dedicated herself to the service of the Church, exercising herself in apostolic and missionary contemplation. Therefore, our reading must also bring us into Christ, calling us to contemplate his face and encouraging us to become like him and thus be able to proclaim him as the Word from the position of witnesses to his love.
33. Secondly, regarding the power of God's word and the Scriptures in Teresa's experience, and in agreement with how it is being reassessed The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church (cf. Episcopal Synod, October 2008), it is necessary to offer such readings of Teresa's works that are based on a biblical perspective, which in Teresa's understanding is closely connected with the liturgy, "the source and summit of the spiritual life" (SC 10).
34. Thirdly, starting from Teresa's unique experience of the Church, we can propose as another key to reading her writings an awareness of the needs of today’s Church and an effort to respond in the areas of spirituality and evangelization, while drawing on the three coordinates of post-conciliar ecclesiology, which have been summarized in the document Vita consecrata: consecration, community, and mission.
35. The works of Saint Teresa of Jesus describe a style of brotherhood that is particularly significant for our modern society, marked by individualism, where increasingly clear signs of community are needed to proclaim universal brotherhood through a life filled with poverty, chastity, and obedience: “I decided to do that little which I can, that is to follow the evangelical counsels with all the perfection that I am capable of, and to strive so that the few sisters who are here do the same, trusting in the great goodness of God, who never fails to help anyone who decides to leave everything for Him” (CV 1,2; cf. VC 87).
36. Another criterion for reading is provided by the apostolic and missionary dimension that radiates from the life and works of the saint. It must be emphasized that her experience of the Easter mystery is the source of all evangelization and the apostolic service that today the Church requires from the consecrated life, as is evident from the third part of the document Vita consecrata, titled “The Service of Love.”
37. Finally, since we are convinced that the works of the saint contain messages relevant for our time and for all cultures, we encourage them to be read with eyes open to today, with a new religious and cultural sensitivity, while being constantly aware of different cultural and religious contexts, as our Order is situated within them. The framework for this reading can be the vision developed in the document of the General Chapter from 2003: On the path with Saint Teresa of Jesus and Saint John of the Cross: returning to the essential, 60–64; 74–78.
II. Specific proposals
38. We propose to read from October 15, 2009 to the same date in 2014, each year, both personally and in community, one of the works of Saint Mother Teresa of Jesus, with the help of a guide prepared by a commission that will be appointed by the definitorium.2 Where possible, communal reading will be complemented by [liturgical] celebrations, spirituality weeks, interdisciplinary congresses about Teresa's works, etc. In any case, annual meetings will be held in various areas for the purpose of sharing and evaluating the results of the project.
39. The schedule for reading Teresa's works will be as follows: The Book of Life (2009–2010), The Way of Perfection (2010–2011), The Book of Foundations (2011–2012), The Interior Castle (2012–2013), Spiritual Relations, Poems, and Letters (2013–2014).
40. The goal we have set for ourselves is to achieve, through listening to the words of Saint Teresa, a strengthening of our Christian existence on a biblical and evangelical basis both personally and in communities, and to enrich our life of faith in communion with the Church. As contemporary recipients of Teresa, we too must be able to affirm that the fruits of contact with her writings help us improve our lives as Discalced Carmelites, with a similar effectiveness that Saint Gregory attributed to Scripture, which “grows with those who read it,” in proportion to the faith and love of the reader. For this reason, our reading will be guided more by what is truly essential in Teresa’s writings for our life than by any systematic interest.
41. The definitorium will create a central commission, whose main tasks will be to develop guides or aids to reading for each year, and to support, coordinate, and promote initiatives that arise in various areas.
42. We will expand our circle of readers (of the works of Saint Teresa) from individuals and communities to Discalced Carmelites, the secular order, the Teresian family, and laypeople, in order to enrich this reading. In this way, to encourage reading Teresa's works combined with sharing in our communities and in the scope of our pastoral care.
43. Websites will be created aimed at spreading the writings of Mother Teresa, to allow for their easiest reading even through new technologies.
44. We will support the development of Ávila's potential as a center for welcoming pilgrims, especially youth, based on initiatives from the General Definitorium and in collaboration with the "La Santa" convent – the birthplace of Saint Teresa – with the Pyrenean Conference of Provincials and with CITeS. A pastoral offer should be provided that could be extended to other significant Teresian places and that would include pilgrimages, formation days, prayer meetings, etc. In this sense, the World Youth Day, which will take place in 2011 in Madrid, will also be seen as an opportunity to spread knowledge of the figure and work of Saint Teresa.
45. This pastoral offer will also be supplemented – with the contribution of other formation centers of the Order, such as Teresianum, through initiatives of a cultural and scientific nature, through courses and congresses, meetings and seminars for specialists, translators, and researchers focused on Saint Teresa. Specific programs will be developed, realizable in various areas and centers of spiritual theology studies, etc.
46. At least once during the following six years, an extraordinary definitorium will be organized, which will also consider the evaluation of the effectiveness of this reading plan among its discussion topics.
47. We will proceed to develop a critical edition (textus receptus) of the works of Saint Teresa, as well as a further procedure (modus operandi) for incorporating new texts, especially concerning letters and other fragments that could be found, in order to unify the way citations are made in both the original text and in translations. The definitorium will need to take up this commitment as soon as possible after discussing it with experts and publishers.
48. The definitorium will support the publication of the works of Saint Teresa in various languages, in popular and economically accessible forms.
Conclusion
49. Relying on the experience of the living God, who created us in His image and likeness and who made His dwelling in the depths of each person, we want to renew our awareness of our charism in the service of the Church and humanity today through a systematically structured reading of the writings of Teresa of Jesus. We desire to relive and share Teresian values: Teresa's sense of God and of man, her spirit of prayer, her openness to the events of our world, her sense of responsibility towards the Church, and her apostolic spirit. And finally, we want to join her and contemplate the beauty of “souls which the Lord delights in so much” (7H 1,1), starting from a renewed awareness of the dignity of each of us. In this way, we will also look at today's person positively and filled with hope and adopt a creative attitude both in building the kingdom of Jesus Christ and in proclaiming a new heaven and a new earth. “The greatness of God knows no bounds, nor will His works” (ibid.). God has not ceased to act and is still the Lord of history. Therefore, we want all of this to become a great contribution that the Teresian Carmel feels obliged to offer so that both men and women of the 21st century may be mystics, people who have experienced God, discovered the meaning of their lives, and wish to pass it on to their contemporaries.
Prayer to Saint Teresa of Jesus
Saint Mother Teresa of Jesus,
you dedicated yourself entirely to the service of love:
teach us to walk the path of inner prayer
decidedly and faithfully,
with attention focused on the Lord, the Triune God,
always present in the innermost center of our being.
Strengthen in us the foundation
of true humility,
renewed detachment,
and unconditional brotherly love,
in the school of the Virgin Mary, our Mother.
Grant us your fervent apostolic love for the Church.
May Jesus Christ be our joy,
our hope and our strength,
the inexhaustible Source
of the deepest intimacy.
Bless our great Carmelite family,
teach us to pray with all our hearts together with you:
“I am Yours, Lord, for You I was born.
What will You do with me?” Amen.
