Blessed Teresa of Jesus "Of Los Andes"

Virgin

July 13: An Optional Memorial from the Common of Virgins.

Juanita Fernández Solar was born in Santiago, Chile, on July 13, 1900. From her adolescence she was devoted to Christ. She entered the monastery of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns at Los Andes on May 7, 1919, where she was given the name of Teresa of Jesus. She died on April 12 of the following year after having made her religious profession. She was beatified by John Paul II on April 3, 1987, at Santiago and proposed as a model for young people. She is the first Chilean and the first member of the Teresian Carmel in Latin America to be beatified.

Prayer

God of mercy, joy of the saints,

you set the young heart of Blessed Teresa ablaze

with the fire of virginal love for Christ and for his Church;

and even in suffering you made her a cheerful witness to charity.

Through her intercession,

fill us with the delights of your Spirit,

so that we may proclaim by word and deed

the joyful message of your love to the world.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Scripture Readings

Philippians 4:4-9; Gospel John 15:5, 8-17.

Texts taken from the “Carmelite Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours,”

Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome: 1993.

Image courtesy of the Carmelnet webmaster, USA.