Friendship with Jesus : parallel insights in the life and writings of Teresa of Avila and Teresa Nuzzo

Abstract

When one decides to embark on a serious spiritual journey, friendship with Jesus appears as a very fundamental aspect along the way which contributes not only to personal growth but also to a communitarian and social commitment, as one can witness in the lives of Teresa of Avila, the great reformer of the Carmelite Order, and Maria Teresa Nuzzo, foundress of the congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart. Both women, in different centuries, heard this friendship calling by Jesus and opted to follow him as religious nuns in their respective orders. The great Spanish mystic and the Maltese sister nurtured a deep friendship with the Lord, one that they tried to convey in their writings and practical legacies in order to encourage others to comprehend how the total love of God is not a treasure to be possessed selfishly but a precious richness in which others are invited to partake. By exploring friendship in the writings of Teresa of Avila and Maria Teresa Nuzzo, this study will portray the influence of this aspect on their life of prayer, their contribution to their respective communities and to society at large, while keeping in mind the crucial difference between both women. One was openly a contemplative and mystic whereas the twentieth century Maltese foundress was deeply immersed in an active life despite being also a silent contemplative and a mystic. In spite of this contrast within their religious calling, Teresa of Avila and Maria Teresa Nuzzo fully understood the signs of times in their respective countries and strove to translate their unique friendship with Jesus into a means of living an outstanding virtuous life which they shared wilfully with those around them so that like them, they might come to know the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.