In the month of October, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorials of Two Theresas: St. Therese of Lisieux (France) on October 1st and St. Teresa of Avila (Spain) on October 15th. The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux chose named their ninth child Therese because of their deep devotion to the great Spanish Carmelite reformer, St. Teresa of Ávila. Both women were cloistered Carmelite nuns and were later named Doctors of the Church. Their spiritual writings offer distinct paths to the same goal: a complete union of love with God.
St. Teresa of Avila’s primary literary work was the Interior Castle, while St. Therese of Lisieux’s primary literary work was her autobiography entitled The Story of a Soul. St. Teresa of Avila’s prayer life focused on mystical contemplation, deep interior examination and ecstasies, while St. Therese of Lisieux’s prayer life focused on simple, childlike trust and total abandonment to God’s mercy. St. Teresa of Avila provided strong leadership and reform, founded new convents and practiced intense asceticism. St. Therese of Lisieux provided the monotony of obscure sacrifice by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love.