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Teresa de Jesús y el riesgo de una vida contemplativa.

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Title: Teresa de Jesús y el riesgo de una vida contemplativa.
Alternate Title: Teresa of Jesus and the Risk of a Contemplative Life.
Authors: WILLIAMS, ROWAN1
Source: Revista de Espiritualidad. may-ago2025, Vol. 84 Issue 334, p199-215. 17p.
Subject Terms: *CONTEMPLATION, *DEVOTIONS, *AUTONOMY (Philosophy), *TRUST in God, *SPIRITUAL life, *RELIGIOUS communities, *SAINTS
People: TERESA, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582, MARY Magdalene, Saint, fl. 1st century, JESUS Christ
Abstract (English): Saint Teresa of Jesus took as her model Mary Magdalene, a woman who walks alone, defying judgments and prejudices, toward contemplative intimacy with Christ. This leads her to a profound independence that arises from complete dependence on God. Over time, this model is projected onto the contemplative communities she founded, which implies a transcendence of the behavioral patterns of the ordinary life of her time. Contemplative prayer is placed at the center and thus expresses the radical dependence on God, which generates freedom, as the authentic axis of the Teresian communities, above any status or privilege. With her attitude as a contemplative journeyer, Teresa reveals to us that we are always accompanied, but also called to «awaken» within us the God who dwells within us. By detaching ourselves from the securities of the world--Teresa would say, in harmony with John of the Cross--we will «liberate» Christ who already moves and acts in the center of each person. This Teresian intuition must illuminate the action of the Church, which is called to enable every man and woman to encounter the presence of Jesus, rather than to design programs of social service or evangelization in the poorest and most classic sense of the term. Like Mary Magdalene, Saint Teresa lives, and invites us to live, a contemplative exercise that consists of being free to be with Christ, acting in and for Him, and at the same time, «liberating» Christ to act in us, thereby calling us to experience and manifest the good news of the resurrection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Abstract (Spanish): Santa Teresa de Jesús ha tomado como modelo a la Magdalena, mujer que camina sola, desafiando juicios y prejuicios, hacia la intimidad contemplativa con Cristo. Ello la conduce a una profunda independencia que surge de la completa dependencia de Dios. Con el tiempo, ese modelo se proyecta sobre las comunidades contemplativas que funda, lo que supone una superación de los esquemas de comportamiento de la vida ordinaria de su tiempo. La oración contemplativa se sitúa en el centro y expresa así la dependencia radical de Dios, que es generadora de libertad, como auténtico eje de las comunidades teresianas, por encima de cualquier estatuto o privilegio. Con su actitud de caminante contemplativa, Teresa nos descubre que estamos siempre acompañados, pero también llamados a «despertar» en nuestro interior al Dios que nos habita. Desprendiéndonos de las seguridades del mundo -- dirá Teresa en sintonía con Juan de la Cruz -- «liberaremos» a Cristo que ya se mueve y actúa en el centro de cada persona. Esta intuición teresiana ha de iluminar la acción de la Iglesia, llamada a permitir que cada hombre y mujer se encuentren con la presencia de Jesús y no tanto a diseñar programas de servicio social o evangelización en el sentido más pobre y clásico del término. Como la Magdalena, santa Teresa vive e invita a vivir un ejercicio contemplativo que consiste en ser libres para estar con Cristo, actuando en y para Él y al tiempo, «liberar» a Cristo para que actúe en nosotros, llamándonos a experimentar y manifestar la buena noticia de la resurrección. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Academic Search Index
Description
Abstract:Saint Teresa of Jesus took as her model Mary Magdalene, a woman who walks alone, defying judgments and prejudices, toward contemplative intimacy with Christ. This leads her to a profound independence that arises from complete dependence on God. Over time, this model is projected onto the contemplative communities she founded, which implies a transcendence of the behavioral patterns of the ordinary life of her time. Contemplative prayer is placed at the center and thus expresses the radical dependence on God, which generates freedom, as the authentic axis of the Teresian communities, above any status or privilege. With her attitude as a contemplative journeyer, Teresa reveals to us that we are always accompanied, but also called to «awaken» within us the God who dwells within us. By detaching ourselves from the securities of the world--Teresa would say, in harmony with John of the Cross--we will «liberate» Christ who already moves and acts in the center of each person. This Teresian intuition must illuminate the action of the Church, which is called to enable every man and woman to encounter the presence of Jesus, rather than to design programs of social service or evangelization in the poorest and most classic sense of the term. Like Mary Magdalene, Saint Teresa lives, and invites us to live, a contemplative exercise that consists of being free to be with Christ, acting in and for Him, and at the same time, «liberating» Christ to act in us, thereby calling us to experience and manifest the good news of the resurrection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00348147