Pope Benedict XVI presents Teresa of Avila as a preeminent figure in Christian spirituality and a Doctor of the Church. Born in 1515 to a devout Spanish family, she showed an early desire for religious dedication, even attempting as a child to seek martyrdom. Reflecting on the transience of worldly things and the eternity of God, she deepened her spiritual vocation after her mother’s death at age twelve by turning to the Virgin Mary as her spiritual mother.