The liturgical year: Saint Teresa

[Roman]

Saint Teresa  of Avila died in the last hours of the last day of the Julian Calendar:  October 4, 1582; the following day was October 15, first day of the  Gregorian Calendar and her feastday.
 
 One  of the greatest events witnessed by this pride of Castille was the  "Transverberación": the vision of an angel piercing her heart with the  sword of the Love of God:"The  pain was so intense that it made me tremble, but, at the same time, the  sweetness of that excessive burden was so extraordinary that I did not  want to get rid of it." (El  dolor era tan intenso, que me hacía gemir, pero al mismo tiempo, la  dulcedumbre de aquella pena excesiva era tan extraordinaria, que no  hubiese yo querido verme libre de ella.)
 
 Bernini  immortalized this wondrous vision on his famous "The Ecstasy of Saint  Teresa", which I consider the greatest achievement in the History of  sculpture:
 
 
 
   

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (Il Estasi di Santa Teresa), detail (1647-1652)
 Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria
 Rome