Interior Reform Through Love

The Scriptures for the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus draw us into a necessary honesty: God’s kindness invites repentance, not pretense; love is the weightier measure of religion; and true rest is found only in God. Teresa of Avila, reformer and Doctor of the Church, embodies this interior truth-telling. She teaches that genuine renewal begins not with policing others, but with surrendering to God’s gaze and letting love reorder everything.

The Mirror That Judges Our Judging (Romans 2:1-11)

Paul warns that the standard we use to judge others becomes the very mirror by which we are judged (Rom 2:1-3). He is not excusing evil—he is exposing self-deception. God’s patience is meant to lead to conversion, not to self-satisfaction (Rom 2:4). And because God shows no partiality (Rom 2:11), the decisive question becomes: What do our works reveal about what we truly love (Rom 2:6-10)?

St. Thomas Aquinas helps here: charity is the “form” of all the virtues—it gives them life and right order. Without love of God and neighbor, even impressive achievements ring hollow. In the age of performative outrage and curated virtue, Paul’s words invite an examination: Is my zeal flowing from love, or from comparison, fear, and pride? The medicine is God’s kindness. Teresa would call it the “friendly” nearness of God that disarms the heart and makes truth bearable.

The Stronghold of Rest (Psalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 9)

“Only in God is my soul at rest… He only is my rock and my salvation” (Ps 62:2-3, 6-7). Many today carry invisible burdens: caregiving stress, workplace scrutiny, the relentlessness of notifications, the anxiety that comes from being always “on.” Psalm 62 does not deny responsibility; it reorders it. Rest is not what remains after we finish our lists; it is the refuge where we begin again. St. John Chrysostom insisted that the test of prayer is not display but stability—the capacity to bear others’ needs with patience and to share our goods with the poor. To “pour out our hearts” (Ps 62:9) is not weakness; it is worship that unburdens the soul into God’s stronghold.

Hearing and Following (John 10:27)

“My sheep hear my voice… I know them, and they follow me” (Jn 10:27). Following Christ today requires learning to distinguish the Shepherd’s voice from the noise. Teresa describes prayer as “a close sharing between friends.” Friendship requires time, attention, and truth. If we are constantly hurried, constantly scrolling, we should not be surprised if guidance feels vague. The Shepherd speaks—through Scripture, the sacraments, the poor, the checks of conscience, the counsel of the wise. Aquinas would add: grace elevates our reason; it does not bypass it. Listening is active, not passive; it matures into concrete obedience.

The Weightier Things: Love and Justice (Luke 11:42-46)

Jesus’ “woes” are not explosions of anger; they are surgical truth. The Pharisees tithe at the level of spices but neglect justice and love for God (Lk 11:42). They love honor and visibility (Lk 11:43), becoming like hidden graves—outwardly immaculate, inwardly a source of defilement (Lk 11:44). To the scholars of the law, he adds: you bind heavy loads without lifting a finger to help (Lk 11:46).

Ambrose and Chrysostom read these words with a fierce pastoral edge: piety without mercy becomes oppression; reverence for God shows itself in relief for the neighbor. In contemporary terms, it is possible to master policies, metrics, and procedures—and miss people. It is possible to win culture-war points—and lose a soul to bitterness. The Lord does not abolish the “small” acts (the tithes of mint and rue); he situates them under the “greater” law: justice, mercy, and love.

Saint Teresa of Jesus: Reform From the Inside Out

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582) reformed the Carmelite Order not by harsher rules alone, but by a return to first love. She teaches detachment, humility, and what she calls a “determined determination” to pray. In The Interior Castle, she describes the soul as a dwelling with many rooms; prayer leads us from the noisy outer courts into the center where God dwells. There, the Lord’s kindness unmasks our illusions—especially spiritual pride—and rekindles desire for his will.

Her reform was concrete: communities became more focused on simplicity, mutual charity, and faithful prayer. Yet Teresa’s mysticism was never an escape from the world. She wrote letters, managed foundations, made hard decisions, and laughed easily. She would recognize our age’s distraction and fatigue, and she would prescribe the same remedy: begin again with prayer; choose truth in humility; measure holiness by love.

Practicing the Word Today

• Make a brief daily examen in Teresa’s spirit: Where did I judge harshly? Where did God’s kindness invite me to better? End with an act of trust (Rom 2:4, 11; Ps 62:9).
• Prioritize one concrete work of mercy this week that lightens someone’s load—childcare relief, a debt conversation handled with compassion, a meal for a neighbor (Lk 11:46).
• Fast from a small “mint-and-rue” habit of performative religion (subtle boasting, online signaling) and reassign that energy to hidden service (Lk 11:42-44).
• Set aside fifteen minutes of silent prayer daily. Let the Shepherd speak through the Gospel, and follow the one clear nudge given (Jn 10:27; Ps 62:6-7).

God’s judgment is according to truth, and his truth is merciful. His voice calls us not to appearances, but to a life formed by love. With Teresa’s courage and clarity, we can let God’s kindness re-form our interior world until justice and love become the natural language of our lives—quiet, steady, and real.