When Heaven Lifted the Host: St. Teresa of Ávila’s Eucharistic Encounter

A Heart Tested by Suffering

St. Teresa of Ávila was no stranger to suffering. Throughout her life, she endured physical ailments, spiritual darkness, and relentless opposition as she sought to reform the Carmelite order. But despite these trials, her heart remained aflame with love for Christ, especially in the Eucharist. It was this love that sustained her through some of her darkest moments.

By the late 1560s, Teresa had already founded several convents as part of her reform of the Carmelite order, but these accomplishments came at a cost. She faced fierce criticism from within the Church and struggled with her own poor health. One evening, as she knelt in prayer before the tabernacle in the small chapel of her convent, her body felt heavy with exhaustion. The trials of leadership and illness had taken their toll, and she often found it difficult to concentrate on her prayers. Worse still, her soul felt dry—desolate even, as if God had withdrawn His comforting presence from her.

An Empty Prayer, A Heartfelt Cry

She sighed deeply, her eyes fixed on the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament was kept. “My Lord, where are You?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Though she knew, with her mind, that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist, her heart felt abandoned. The silence in the chapel was overwhelming, and she wondered if her prayers were even being heard.

The Miracle Unfolds

But then, in the stillness of that moment, something extraordinary happened.

As Teresa continued her prayer, sometime around the year 1570, she suddenly became aware of a subtle movement in the chapel. At first, she thought it was a trick of the candlelight, but as she looked more closely, her breath caught in her throat. The Eucharist, enclosed in the tabernacle, began to glow with a radiant light. Slowly, as if lifted by unseen hands, the consecrated host began to rise, hovering in the air before her eyes.

Teresa’s heart leapt. The same Jesus who had seemed so distant now revealed Himself in a most miraculous way. The host remained suspended in the air for several moments, glowing with an otherworldly brilliance, a powerful reminder of Christ’s real and living presence in the Eucharist.

A Divine Encounter

Tears welled up in Teresa’s eyes as she gazed upon the miracle unfolding before her. In that instant, all her doubts, her fears, and the spiritual dryness that had plagued her melted away. She was no longer alone; Christ was with her—tangibly, gloriously, undeniably.

The host slowly descended, returning to its place in the tabernacle, and the light faded. But the peace that filled Teresa’s soul remained. She had been given a gift—a moment of divine intimacy with her beloved Lord. This encounter would strengthen her through the many trials yet to come, a constant reminder that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist, always with her, even in the darkest hours.

A Strengthened Devotion

From that day forward, Teresa's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament grew even deeper. She often recounted this mystical encounter to her fellow sisters, urging them to trust in Christ's abiding presence in the Eucharist, no matter how distant He might seem. This miracle, believed to have taken place in the early 1570s, sustained her through the rest of her life, fueling her with the grace and courage needed to carry out the great work of reform she had been called to.