Film explores spiritual life and sexuality of 'sassy' Saint Teresa

Timos Online (UK) ^ | August 25, 2006 | Dalya Alberge

[ladyinred]

The quote you highlighted in your post is so offensive that I am nearly speechless. These reprobates have many loose women to do movies about in their own neighborhood, why insult the beliefs of others to indulge in their raunchy lifestyles and fantasies? (okay, I did say nearly speechless!) :-)

[DesignerChick]

"Loriga said: “I’m convinced she’ll be the sexiest Saint Teresa ever seen on screen. Teresa was also a very pretty woman. In my opinion, her pleasing aspect helped to save her from the stake. Very likely, plainer and less sassy women were burnt alive for less.”

He said he had taken care not to portray the Church as the “bad guy”, but added: “I think that the conflict between the Catholic Church and women hasn’t been resolved. "

He is an ignorant, anti-Catholic, sex obsessed, ignorant, completely clueless ....did I mention ignorant?
He apparently gets his in depth History of the Catholic Church from what ever gossip is passed around liberal cocktail parties and how ever many 'raised Catholic' people he's slept with.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You must be quite a fan of our Teresita! I enjoyed your post.

I have a favorite icon of her with her castanets. Not your typical Carmelite!

Her enemies wanted to do her in because she opposed the laxity, luxury and scandal of 16th century monastic life; which opened her up to the suspicion, not that she was secretly Jewish, but that she was secretly Protestant. (No good deed goes unpunished, as we know.)

Nade te turbe!

[Mrs. Don-o]

That's "Nada" te turbe (this brain needs more caffeine...)

And BTW, I just read an article that said Teresa's early malady was caused, not by "sexual tension," but good ol' boring malaria, plus the nearly-fatal "cure" given her by a quack medico.

http://www.helpfellowship.org/Articles%20of%20Interest/teresa_of_avila_by_raymond_helmick_SJ.htm

[Running On Empty]

You are correct. :-)

It does make a difference to know that.

Here are some gems from her writings:

"Let your desire be the vision of God
Your fear the loss of Him
Your joy in that which may take you to Him
And your life shall be in great peace."

"Never is His hand weary of giving...and the source of His mercies can never be exhausted."

"This is not a time for believing in everyone. Believe only those whom you see modeling their lives on Christ."

"You know, I no longer govern (here she means her convent) in the way I used to. Love does everything. And I am not sure if that is because no one gives me cause to reprove, or because I have discovered that things go better that way."

"Even with these desires that God gives us to help others, we may make many mistakes, and thus it is better to do what our Rule tells us...to try to live ever in silence and hope, and the Lord will take care of his own."

And, of course, this one you which posted partially in Spanish:

"Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things are passing
God only is changeless
Patience gains all things
Who has God wants nothing
God alone suffices"

[Running On Empty]

you which = which you

[pray4liberty]

If the Church still had that supposed attitude, St. Gianna Molla wouldn't be a saint today!!!

St. Jane Frances de Chantal or St. Elizabeth Seton wouldn't be either.

[LadyDoc]

Actually, since I have seen cerebral malaria, I agree with you.

However, the "psychiatric" discussions of Teresa's illness says it's hysterical conversion reaction, and I was quoting these experts, who had probably never seen a case...

And I agree with the expert on Teresa who says their stress on sexuality is not consistent with the culture back then.

But I still say that Teresa was not a wilting virgin, but a woman who sublimated her sexuality into friendship and reform of the church. In well balanced people, that's what celibacy is about: sublimating, not suppressing or ignoring one's innate sexuality.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Wilting" virgin?! Ha ha!

No, our Teresa was a passionate person. She had her seasons of struggle.

The early theologian Origen, in a moment of extremely bad judgment, castrated himself. This is one (big) reason he is not a canonized saint: the Church considers castration --- in fact, any sort of deliberate self-mutilaion --- a sin. And I'd say that would include emotional as well as physical castration.

"Celibate" doesn't mean "a frozen meat-locker dedicated unto the Lord." It means that the heat of your temperament (like Teresa's) is cultivated for a specialized and surprisingly beautiful use.

Hasve you read "The Interior Castle"?

[Aquinasfan]

Every year EWTN airs a Granada-TV, Spanish language mini-series from the early '80s about the life of Theresa of Avila. It's absolutely wonderful. It's the best treatment of religious life that I've ever seen on film. I consider it to be as good a mini-series as "Brideshead Revisited." These are the two mini-series that I would take to a desert island.

[Aquinasfan]

The Lord knows that this cradle Catholic sinned in my 25 years wandering in the desert of atheism before coming back home.

Welcome home!

[Aquinasfan]

Even her "visions" might have been imagination or perhaps real visions with a lot of egotism...

And what about her levitating? Was that a "dissociative reaction" too?

[Nihil Obstat]

this looks very bad, it's going to put a lot of souls in jeopardy. It will be spanish language so maybe the impact here won't be so bad, but a lot of latinos will believe anything they see on tv or in movies. It stars Paz Vega - the beautiful woman from "Spanglish" (movie with Adam Sandler), and the director usually makes sexually explicit movies. Very, very sad.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458500/

>>>Oh my Lord! How true it is that whoever works for you is paid in troubles! And what a precious price to those who love you if we understand its value.

(Saint Teresa de Jesus)