St Teresa of Ávila and the flow of grace

Father Billy Swan of The Irish Catholic reflects on the Gospel of John and the mystical experiences of Saint Teresa of Ávila.

Drawing on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, Swan notes that Jesus describes the life of God in a believer as a spring of fresh water that leads to eternal life. This imagery connects to the spiritual life depicted in Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, located in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.