Teresa of Ávila Quotes

she might even be so zealous about religious observances as to be unable to see her own faults;

Christ has no body now but mine. He prays in me, works in me, looks through my eyes, speaks through my words, works through my hands, walks with my feet and loves with my heart.

Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all things are passing, God is unchanging. Patience gains all; nothing is lacking to those who have God: God alone is sufficient.

Love makes labour light. Love alone gives value to all things.

. . . it is presumptuous in me to wish to choose my path, because I cannot tell which path is best for me. I must leave it to the Lord, Who knows me, to lead me by the path which is best for me, so that in all things His will may be done.

The happy result of detachment is inner freedom, freedom from worry about bodily comfort, honor, and wealth.

A pobreza é um bem que encerra todos os bens do mundo. É uma grande soberania; confirmo que se assenhoreia de todos os bens quem nenhum caso faz de os deixar.

God withholds Himself from no one who perseveres.

What will He not give Who so much loves giving and can give all that He will?

It is no small pity, and should cause us no little shame, that, through our own fault, we do not understand ourselves, or know who we are.

MY DAY IS ENDING Let nothing, O Lord, disturb the silence of this night. Let nothing make me afraid. For you are with me, and I am with you. Let me not be shy in your presence. Rather let me speak with you in confidence, trust, and love. For you are my father and mother, my brother and sister, my lord, my spouse. In whatever way pleases you, teach me what I must do to please you. However undeserving I am, I humbly ask you to fill this night with the gifts of your love, with the gift of yourself. For if I have you, God, I will want for nothing. You alone suffice.

This good companionship began to root out the habits which bad companionship had formed, and to bring my thoughts back to the desire of eternal things.

We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God; for, beholding His greatness we realize our own littleness; His purity shows us our foulness; and by meditating upon His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.

Fixed your eyes on the Crucified One and all will seem easy.

That name — my conception of Him — extended to me
a hand that led to a place
where even His divine name could not exist.
Why?