St. Teresa of Ávila: Her Words on Humility and Friendship with St. John of the Cross

Message from Saint Philomena to the Little Apostle . Received on September 24th, 2025

ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA:

Dear Follower of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

At certain times in your journey, a soul will appear—quietly, humbly—and will bless your path more profoundly than many others ever could.

Thus I counsel you, dear followers of Christ:

Embrace the least of hearts—those who may step into your life with gentleness, simplicity, or silent strength. Through their very being, their example, or even a word of counsel, they may confirm God’s call in your life with greater clarity than thunder or fire.

Such souls may not be adorned with titles or grandeur, but they are often Heaven’s chosen instruments, sent to speak truths that only your heart can receive.

Then St. Teresa seemed to exclaim with joy, saying in Spanish:

*“Oh, qué cierto fue esto para mí en el caso de mi fiel compañero en el Señor, Juan de la Cruz!” (which means: “Oh, how true this was for me in the case of my faithful companion in the Lord, John of the Cross!”)

Though he appeared as a quiet and humble friar, God placed him in my life like a lantern beside a traveler on a dark road. Through him, my understanding of simplicity and of the Cross deepened. It was as if Christ Himself were walking beside me—helping me recognize the things I could not see, and revealing how my own fears or thoughts sometimes became barriers to the mission entrusted to me.

I was but a poor disciple before his holy sainthood, carrying many desires and questions in my heart. Yet God sent St. John to gently guide me through the great holy virtues in his soul.

Therefore, I tell you:

• Do not ignore the one who appears unexpectedly in your path.

For you may be encountering a holy companion hidden beneath a veil of simplicity.

Let your hearts remain open to the unexpected blessings of such souls.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon all who read the messages in this apostolate, Heaven’s Ark.

LITTLE APOSTLE:

Note:

* {In that moment, when St. Teresa seemed to speak in Spanish, I felt so grateful to God, for it was as if I were hearing her in the very voice and language she once spoke. I discerned that she was speaking about St. John of the Cross, whom we know to have been a Carmelite friar and a priest while both were living on earth. Then I heard her again in English, and I realized how sweet are the marvels of God and the favors He bestows upon souls. At times He reveals His gentle sense of humor, almost like a holy smile breaking through eternity. God had suspended the translation happening in English to my heart, allowing me instead to hear her words in her native tongue—the language she spoke while living on earth—as a sweet delight from Him. Such graces have also occurred with other saints I have encountered. Praise be to Him, for in the eternity of His Heart we are all but sparks and glimpses of His majesty and wonders!}