Teresa of Ávila Quotes

Believe me, friends, it is a great thing to realize the truth of this so that we may see how deceptive are earthly things and favours when they deflect the soul in any way from its course and hinder it from entering within itself.

For though we know quite well that God is present in all that we do, our nature is such that it makes us lose sight of the fact; but when this favour is granted it can no longer do so, for the Lord, who is near at hand, awakens it. And even the favours aforementioned occur much more commonly, as the soul experiences a vivid and almost constant love for Him whom it sees or knows to be at its side.

God's will is that no bounds should be set to His works.

For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.

Prayer and comfortable living are incompatible.

You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.

Well, I cannot find, and have never found, any way of comforting such people, except to express great sorrow at their trouble, which, when I see them so miserable, I really do feel. It is useless to argue with them, for they brood over their woes and make up their minds that they are suffering for God’s sake, and thus never really understand that it is all due to their own imperfection.

Reflect carefully on this, for it is so important that I can hardly lay too much stress on it. Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you.

It is certain, my Lord, that in these days withdrawal from the world means no sacrifice at all.

our faculties seem to be making war upon us, as if they were resentful of the war made upon them by our vices.

Love turns work into rest.

If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so many enemies.

will tell you, for I am not sure if you properly understand as yet how much we owe to the Lord for bringing us to a place where we are so free from business matters, occasions of sin and the society of worldly people.

I believe, unless I had a new book, I was never happy.

there is no reason why we should expect everyone else to travel by our own road, and