26/08/2026
The two Teresa's we celebrate on August 26
Mga bok at ter, August 26 is a beautiful date in the Catholic calendar because we remember two extraordinary women named Teresa—one whose heart was pierced by divine love, and another whose heart was poured out for the poorest of the poor.
ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA — THE HEART PIERCED BY LOVE
Every August 26, Carmelites commemorate the Transverberation of the Heart of St. Teresa of Ávila—her mystical experience of being pierced by a “dart of love” from an angel, an experience she herself described in her writings.
Her deep union with God was not merely an emotion; it became a life of prayer, sacrifice, reform, and total surrender to Christ. Tradition also holds that when her body was examined after exhumation, her heart bore a physical wound corresponding to her mystical experience. Her heart is preserved at Alba de Tormes, Spain.
ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA — THE HEART THAT SERVED THE POOR
On August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born—the woman the world would eventually know as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
She would spend her life serving Christ in the poorest of the poor, reminding the world that holiness is not always found in extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things with extraordinary love.
Two Teresas.
Two different vocations.
One burning love for Jesus.
One experienced her heart pierced by divine love; the other allowed her heart to be broken open for the suffering.
And perhaps that is the message of August 26:
When the heart truly belongs to Christ, love can never remain contained—it must be given. ❤️🔥
St. Teresa of Ávila, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us. 🙏
