Many people can become envious of the 12 apostles, as they saw Jesus with their eyes and walked with him on a daily basis.
However, St. Teresa of Avila had no reason to envy the 12 apostles, as she gazed upon the Eucharist, seeing Jesus' presence in the consecrated host.
Fr. Benedict Zimmerman, in a commentary on the Minor Works of St. Teresa, explained why she did not envy those who saw Jesus in the flesh.
This type of faith is shared by many other saints, who had a deep faith in Jesus' Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Teresa and other saints knew with their heart, mind and soul that Jesus was there in the consecrated host and that his presence in the Eucharist is equal to his presence 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem.
While it may be more difficult for us to hear Jesus' voice in our hearts while before the Eucharist, it does not mean that Jesus is not present.
St. Teresa's faith reminds us that while we may think that we have no access to Jesus, we in fact can visit Jesus in a unique way each day before the Blessed Sacrament.
