Answer: 🌿 Comparative Reflection: Teresa of Ávila & Mariam Baouardy
400th Anniversary of the Death of Saint Teresa of Avila
Scott 710-710 (1982)
One of the three stamps is a drawing based on the stunning sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Saint Teresa in Ecstasy, located in the Cornaro Chapel of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome
Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), born in Spain, was a towering figure of the Catholic Reformation. A mystic, writer, and reformer, she revitalized the Carmelite Order by founding the Discalced Carmelites, emphasizing poverty, contemplative prayer, and spiritual discipline. Her works, such as The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, remain foundational texts in Christian mysticism. Despite opposition—including scrutiny from the Spanish Inquisition—Teresa’s intellectual brilliance and spiritual depth earned her the title of Doctor of the Church, the first woman to receive this honor.
Saint Mariam Baouardy (1846–1878), also known as Mary of Jesus Crucified, was a Palestinian Melkite Catholic who entered the Discalced Carmelites in France. Her life was marked by extraordinary mystical phenomena: ecstasies, stigmata, visions, and even levitation. Orphaned young and nearly killed for refusing to renounce her faith, she later helped found Carmelite monasteries in India and Bethlehem. Unlike Teresa, Mariam was illiterate and came from a background of poverty and persecution, yet her spiritual insight and humility made her a beacon of hope and resilience.
While Teresa was a reformer and theologian, Mariam was a mystic and witness to suffering transformed by grace. Both women, though separated by centuries and cultures, embodied the Carmelite spirit of radical trust in God and deep interior prayer. Their lives continue to inspire seekers of truth, courage, and contemplative depth.
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