Teresa of Avila presents herself to us as a woman originally caught between her passion for the things of the world and an equal passion for God. Born to a marginalised family in sixteenth-century Spain, at the age of 20 she entered a Carmelite convent, surrendering totally to God and pursuing a life of contemplative prayer and intimate union with God.

Teresa understood prayer as a living relationship with God, and wrote several books describing her discoveries and revelations about the Christ-centred life, including her Life and The Way of Perfection, from which the readings in this collection are drawn. She was canonized in 1622 and made a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

Living Water offers short extracts from St Teresa’s writings, arranged for daily devotional reading. First published in 1985, this wonderful collection has brought comfort and spiritual direction to tens of thousands of people around the world. This new edition curated by Fr Luke Penkett, archivist and librarian of the Julian Centre, presents her words anew for a modern generation. The original edition was edited by Sister Mary of the Carmelite order.