Thursday, October 15, 2009

St. Teresa of Avila - favorite quotes


I derived great comfort from those saints who have sinned and yet whom the Lord has drawn to Himself. I thought that I could obtain help from them, and that as the Lord had pardoned them he might pardon me. (The Life of St. Teresa of Avila 69)


Remember: if you want to make progress on the path and ascend to the places you have longed for, the important thing is not to think much but to love much, and so to do whatever best awakens you to love. (The Interior Castle 91)


I delighted in being well thoughtof, and was particular about all that I did; and all this seemed to me a virtue, though that will not serve me for an excuse, for I knew how to get my own pleasure out of everything, and so my wrongdoing cannot be excused by ignorance . . . (The Life of St. Teresa 39)


Let us set our eyes on Christ, our good, and on his saints. This is where we will learn true humility. (The Interior Castle 48)


[Our Lord] understands our weaknesses; the soul knows by a strong inward surmise whether it truly loves Him. (The Life of St. Teresa 184)


I think too that His Majesty goes about trying to prove who loves Him . . . O Lord of my soul, if only one had the words to explain what You give to those who trust in You . . . (The Life of St. Teresa 160-162)


The soul sees clearly that if there is anything good in her, it is on loan from God . . . (The Interior Castle 158)


It is a wonderful thing for the soul to connect with others who walk [the holy] way she is walking. (The Interior Castle 59)


If parents were to ask me for advice, I would tell them to take great care what people their children consort with at [impressionable ages]. (The Life of St. Teresa 27)


Let the crux of the matter be this: strive to move forward on the spiritual path. . . it simply is not possible that a soul who has come this far would stop growing. Love is never idle. . . (The Interior Life 149-150)


She becomes brutally aware of her insignificance and realizes how little we would be able to do to help ourselves if the Beloved ever decided to abandon us. (The Interior Castle163)
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