Ecstasy of St. Teresa of Avila – Doctor of the Church – Print of a 19th Century Hand-Tinted Engraving – Catholic Art Print – Archival

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a deeply religious experience she had that changed her life forever. It was an intense, deep communion with God. She described the experience in her autobiography as a beautiful angel stabbing her heart with a golden arrow. I want to quote the whole passage because, well, she is a Doctor of the Church, and the passage explains a lot about the spiritual life, but as well it tells a lot about the various ways artists have depicted the event. “In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated to my entrails. When he pulled it out, I felt that he took them with it, and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one's soul then content with anything but God