Catholic Saints Podcast — St. Teresa of Avila
Host: Dr. Ben Akers (B), Executive Director of Formed | Guest: Annette Bergen (A), Executive Director of Endow
Episode Date: October 15, 2025

Overview:

This episode centers on the life and legacy of St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, Doctor of the Church, and a remarkable teacher of prayer. Dr. Ben Akers and guest Annette Bergen discuss Teresa’s profound humanity, her struggles with prayer and the world, her impact on Church life and devotion, her role in the Carmelite reform, and how her relatable journey and spiritual insights remain vital for Catholics today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mission of Endow and the Dignity of Women

• About Endow: Annette Bergen introduces Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women), a women’s apostolate rooted in small group studies of the Church’s teachings, particularly John Paul II's “Letter to Women”.
  • "What I found was through this group...we also connected and bonded very deeply. And my ENDOW group has become a very big part of my life." (01:55)
• Study Approach: Their studies make challenging theological teachings accessible, fostering intellectual growth and personal transformation in a community setting.
  • "To have a reason, like studying the writings of the popes or...the intellectual tradition of the Church...lead to formation and ultimately transformation.” (03:21)

2. St. Teresa’s Relatability and Humanity

• Her Early Vanity and Worldly Concerns: Both hosts emphasize Teresa’s down-to-earth struggles—her desire to be liked, attraction to material things, and tension between spiritual and worldly pursuits.
  • "She was captivated by things like clothes and makeup...She wanted to be popular. Who can't relate to that?" (07:46, A)
• Teresa’s Self-Understanding: Quoting Teresa herself:
  • "All the things of God gave me great pleasure, and I was a prisoner to the things of the world…” (09:28, A)
• Balancing Martha and Mary: Teresa’s insights mirror the Martha/Mary Gospel story—living an active life while remaining rooted in prayer.
  • "Find God among the pots and the pans." (11:20, B)

3. Perseverance in Prayer

• On Spiritual Dryness: Teresa experienced periods when prayer felt fruitless, yet insisted on perseverance despite dryness, distractions, and discouragement.
  • "Don’t give up your prayer practice...stick with it, don’t give up." (10:33, A)
• Teaching Prayer: Her humility and realness make her teachings on prayer approachable.
  • “She’s teaching you by praying with you...she’s sitting right next to me, in a sense, as a good mother, as a good sister, teaching me how to pray.” (17:09, B)
  • Her work The Way of Perfection is a meditation on the Our Father in response to her sisters' request, "Teach us to pray like you pray." (17:09–18:18, B)

4. Conversion and Mystical Life

• Delayed Deep Conversion: Teresa was already a nun before a deeper conversion at age 40, demonstrating conversion is an ongoing process even for the devout.
  • “She really doesn’t have a deeper conversion...even though she’s praying every day...she has a conversion at 40 years old, where this is where she really becomes fully converted to Christ.” (15:07, B)
• Human Analogies for Mystical Experience: She draws on everyday images—watering a garden, an interior castle—to make mystical experience accessible.
  • “She uses the analogy of watering a garden...of the interior castle with the many rooms...” (15:34, A)

5. The Influence of Saints on Saints

• Inspired by St. Augustine: Teresa’s deeper conversion was spurred by reading St. Augustine’s Confessions and by contemplating Christ’s suffering.
  • “She sees Augustine’s conversion a chance for God to work in her life as well.” (18:36, B)
• Her Influence on Others: Teresa in turn inspired St. Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), whose conversion began after reading Teresa’s works.
  • “One of those few [moments] was reading Teresa Avila’s Book of My Life... ‘this is truth, this is true.’” (19:53, A)
• A Chain of Inspiration: Reference to St. Thérèse of Lisieux being named after Teresa, underscoring the generational legacy of saints (20:35, B).

6. Reform, Challenges, and Devotion

• Carmelite Reform: Teresa, dissatisfied with laxity in her convent, led the Discalced Carmelite reform—establishing new, stricter convents and monasteries for both women and men (with St. John of the Cross).
  • Story: When thrown off her horse into a river, she joked to God:
  • “Dear Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, it is no wonder that you have so few.” (21:08, A)
• Her Prayer Definition:
  • “Prayer is a conversation among friends. Conversation with someone whom we know loves us.” (22:57, B)

7. Humility and Suffering

• Struggles and Limitations: Teresa faced illness, spiritual struggle, and feelings of inadequacy but trusted God beyond her capabilities.
  • “She had struggles with, you know, making time for all of the various duties that she had. And she also felt...God called her to things that she didn’t feel equipped for.” (24:03–24:59, A)
• Devotion to St. Joseph: She attributed her healing to St. Joseph, promoted devotion to him, and became known for humorous tales (e.g., “St. Joseph the Tattletale” statue stories).
  • “There’s nothing ever in her life that she didn’t ask of St. Joseph and he didn’t give her...That wasn’t common. It’s really St. Teresa of Avila...” (25:00–26:21, B)

8. Making Teresa’s Teachings Accessible

• Studying Teresa Today: Annette recommends Endow’s “Teresa of Avila, Teacher of Prayer” study as a guide to Teresa’s major works and their modern application.
  • “Through those discussion questions and conversations...that leads to the transformation where you make different choices about how you spend your time, how you spend your money, how you raise your children.” (26:36, A)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Worldly Attachments:
  “I wished to reconcile two contradictions ... the life of the Spirit and the joys and pleasure and amusements of sense.” — St. Teresa of Avila, quoted by Annette (09:28)

• On Finding God in the Everyday:
  “Find God among the pots and the pans.” — Ben Akers, summarizing Teresa (11:20)

• On Encouragement in Prayer:
  “Don’t give up your prayer practice...keep doing it, stick with it, don’t give up.” — Annette Bergen (10:33)

• On Prayer:
  “Prayer is a conversation among friends. Conversation with someone whom we know loves us.” — Ben Akers, quoting Teresa (22:57)

• On Friendship with God:
  “Dear Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, it is no wonder that you have so few.” — St. Teresa of Avila (21:08)

Important Timestamps

• 00:20–05:59 — Introduction to the Endow apostolate and its approach to women’s formation
• 06:50–09:24 — Teresa’s relatability, early struggles with the world vs. prayer
• 09:28–13:05 — Discussion on prayer, spiritual perseverance, Martha/Mary analogy
• 14:06–15:34 — Teresa’s journey: difficulties, illness, deeper conversion at age 40
• 15:34–17:09 — Mystical experiences and teaching through relatable analogies
• 17:09–18:18 — Teresa as an accessible teacher of prayer, The Way of Perfection
• 18:36–20:35 — The saintly “chain reaction” (inspired by Augustine, inspiring Edith Stein and Thérèse)
• 21:08–22:57 — Founding new convents, “if this is how you treat your friends...” story, humility in prayer
• 24:03–25:00 — Teresa’s humility, suffering, sense of inadequacy
• 25:00–26:21 — Devotion to St. Joseph, St. Joseph “tattletale” stories
• 26:36–28:36 — Endow’s St. Teresa study: how to engage today
• 29:21–30:32 — Pilgrimage to Avila, Teresa’s “secrets” for the spiritual life

Takeaway Lessons

• Struggles are universal—even saints battled distractions and worldliness.
• Prayer is a lifelong process; perseverance counts more than feeling.
• We find God in ordinary life, through small duties and acts of love.
• Reading about the saints can initiate our own deeper conversion.
• True prayer is friendship with God—honest, intimate, and trusting.
• Saints inspire saints; when we say ‘yes’ to God, we become part of a living tradition.

This episode offers not just rich insights into St. Teresa of Avila, but actionable advice for any believer seeking deeper friendship with God in the midst of everyday life.