Teresa was born in Spain, near Avila. Even in her childhood, she took much pleasure in the study of saints’ lives, and she used to delight in spending times of contemplation, repeating over and over, “For ever, for ever, for ever, for ever, they shall see God.”

In her autobiography, Teresa tells that following her mother’s death, she became quite worldly. To offset this, her father placed her in an Augustinian convent to be educated, but seriou…