The Diamond Castle

Theresa also goes by Terri. She grew up in Independence, Missouri with two brothers and a sister. They did not attend Catholic schools but the Catholic faith formed her as a woman who loved the Mass, and all things traditionally Catholic; the prayers, the Sacraments, the beauty and presence of Christ in the tabernacle and through reception of Holy Communion.

She learned more about the faith and how to live it fully as an adult through attendance at a weekend Cursillo Movement retreat. There she encountered the Lord's Divine Mercy and the devotional Divine Mercy Chaplet. It is there she found out about Adoration. It was life changing. Then when Pope John Paul II died, shows like Meet the Press which featured Fr. Fessio, then the Provost at Ave Maria University, discussing how now Saint John Paul II, inspired her to apply to study for a Master's degree in Pastoral Theology with the Institute for Pastoral Theology.

Theresa graduated with a Master's of Theological Studies from the Institute in 2009. Through the program, she encountered Saint Teresa of Avila's great work, Interior Castle, and after graduation subsequent study of the text led to an opportune time while teaching 4th grade religious education to use Saint Teresa's metaphor for the soul, the diamond castle, as a teaching tool to help students gasp the idea that they have a soul and the King of Glory dwells with in, and all that this entails in living an authentic spiritual life in Christ Jesus.

The lesson was put on paper while carefully selecting themes of doctrine from Interior Castle that could be grasped by the young. Adults, too, should benefit from the text. Antique Holy card images assist on many pages for a visual capture of certain thoughts.

Theresa is single and works from home and Advertising and Marketing Director for the Catholic news website, CruxNow.com. She blogs at EucharistMatters.blogspot.com.