Gospel Commentary for wednesday, October 15, 2025

Today we celebrate the memorial, feast, or solemnity (depending on the country, region, or diocese) of Saint Teresa of Jesus—a saint, a reformer, a woman who didn’t stay home quietly doing her chores, as was expected of most women in her time. It’s true that she entered a cloistered monastery, but that didn’t mean she kept silent or still. Her reform of the Carmelite nuns had such an impact that it eventually extended even to the men’s branch of the Order: the Discalced Carmelites.

And these weren’t easy times—not for men and even less for women—since the Holy Inquisition was always on the lookout for heretics and “deviants” to judge and, if possible, condemn. But none of that stopped this tireless nun, always on the move, founding her “little dovecotes”—small communities where women could live out their vocation simply and faithfully, true to the spirit of the Order’s origins. She wanted her foundations to be very different from those monasteries that had become comfortable retreats for noble ladies seeking a quiet life.

Today, the Church still needs men and women like Teresa of Ávila—bold, courageous, determined people who aren’t intimidated by those who seem to be in charge, whether in the Church or in the world, but who are often too cautious and, even more often, not faithful enough to the Gospel.

The Church still needs people who take the Gospel seriously, who know how to go beyond customs and routines to return to what is truly essential: the Kingdom, fraternity, justice, and care for our brothers and sisters. Maybe we ourselves aren’t those kinds of people—but at least, let’s not stand in the way of those who, near or far, give their lives so that the Good News becomes real and visible in our world.