PODCAST | The Necessity of Prayer: A Reflection on the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila
In this meditation, Fr. Javier del Castillo shares insight into the life of St. Teresa of Avila and reflects on an important lesson we can learn from her: the necessity of prayer.
St. Teresa understood that people are not born saints but can achieve sainthood through cooperation in God’s divine plan. Her time of prayer was most frequently spent in quiet contemplation upon the suffering of Christ, which allowed her to become more aware of her own sinfulness and to rely more fully on God.
St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast day is celebrated October 15, is a Doctor of the Church known for her renewal of the spiritual and monastic life of Spain during the Counter-Reformation. Her written works are highly regarded among mystical literature in the Catholic Church and continue to inspire readers today.
Rev. Javier del Castillo
Fr. Javier del Castillo is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and currently serves as President of the St. Josemaria Institute. He earned a degree in electronic engineering and moved to Rome to complete his ecclesiastical studies, where he was ordained a priest in 2005 and earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 2007. He worked as a chaplain in high schools in the Washington, D.C. and Chicago areas for several years, offering spiritual accompaniment to students, parents, and teachers. From 2015 on, he served as the vicar of Opus Dei in the midwest; he was appointed regional vicar of the United States in 2022. He became vicar of the United States and Canada in 2024, following the restructuring of the regions, until his appointment as Vicar General in April 2025.
