"Tessas deep intimacy with Teresa of Avila . . . creates an invitational space for readers of any tradition (or none) to enter into their own transformational relationship with the wild woman of Avila."Mirabai Starr. This fresh, upbeat, and deftly profound book joyfully reconnects the fullness of our lives and the depth of our prayer. Much more than yet another book about a great saint who once was, it actually rekindles something of St. Teresas outrageous spiritual impulse for contemporary readers, particularly those who describe themselves as "spiritual, not religious." Tessa Bielecki is the author of several books on St. Teresa of Avila, as well as a former Abbess. "

'A cause for celebration. Captures Teresa's conversational enthusiasm most effectively' - "Library Journal" (starred review). This autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) combines ecstatic experiences with a dose of common sense. One of the great classics of spiritual memoir, this is the first new English translation in forty years, and the first by a woman. With this fresh translation of "The Book Of My Life", Mirabai Starr brings the inimitable Spanish mystic to life for a new generation, with contemporary English that mirrors Teresa's own earthy, vernacular Spanish, and that presents us with - four centuries after Teresa's death - someone we feel we know: a woman intoxicated with God yet filled with an overflowing love for the world.

Imagine a quiet Advent sitting beside a crackling fire preparing for a festive and sacred Twelve Days of Christmas. The authors take you there and beyond. There's something for everyone: young or old, whether you go to church or not. The tone is mystical and down-to-earth. Poetry, illustrations and essays, rituals and blessings, prayers and practical advice, even book, music and movie reviews help you celebrate a soulful season of glad songs, from the dark stillness of Advent through Christmas, the New Year and Epiphany, on to the welcome light of a candle on a cold February night.

Those who have studied St. Teresa's mystical classics, such as Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, find it difficult to understand and follow her path. Mother Tessa Bielecki, a lifelong student and teacher of Carmelite spirituality, shows how the timeless insights of St. Teresa provide important guidance for Christians seeking a deeper spiritual life.

The words of Saint Teresa of vila speak to the heart so directly that even four hundred years after her death she seems like our contemporary. Few people have ever written of the spiritual path with such immediacy, down-to-earth wisdom, and humor. Mother Tessa Bielecki has brought together here short selections from Teresa's collected works-including The Way of Perfection, The Interior Castle, her autobiography, poetry, meditations, and letters-to create a living portrait of Teresa and her exuberant spirituality. Teresa's striving for divine union was inseparable from her passionate involvement in the hardships and joys of the everyday-which makes her an eminently worthy model for modern people who seek to integrate spirituality and the rest of life.