A Life of Prayer: Faith and Passion for God Alone

In one of the church's darkest hours, Teresa of Avila (1515-1582 allowed neither illness nor threat of death to stop her from calling men and women to walk in the peace and light of Christ. Known for her devotion to unceasing prayer, her fervor for God, and her desire to be like Christ, Teresa wrote that the Christian life is both meaningless and powerless apart from prayer. "Souls without prayer," she said, "are like people whose bodies or limbs are paralyzed: they posses feet and hands bu...