St. Teresa of Avila was a Carmelite nun, Spanish mystic, and reformer in the sixteenth century. She claims to have received visions from God, which are the subject of her written work. In this text, she emphasizes the importance of living a contemplative life in order to achieve complete union with God. Though she believed this union was achieved through private prayer, St. Teresa also used her wisdom to serve others and continually sought to make positive changes in the church, which has made her a religious inspiration to this day.