Teresa of Ávila Quotes

Roman Catholic saint (1515-1582)

Saint Teresa of Avila (Teresa de Jesús) (28 March 1515 – 4 October 1582), born Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a Spanish mystic philosopher and Catholic saint.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Native Name: Teresa de Ávila • Teresia Abulensis

Alternative Names: Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada • Teresa de Jesús • Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada • Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada • Teresa • Avil̔skaia Tereza • Saint Teresa of Jesus • Saint Teresa of Ávila • Teresa de, Saint Cepeda y Ahumada • Saint Teresia a Jesu • Saint Teresa di Gesù • Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada • Saint Thérèse de Jésus • Saint Theresa de Jesus • Saint Theresia von Jesus • Theresa, Saint De Cepeda • Saint Teresa • Teresa of Avila • Saint Teresa of Avila • Teresa de Jesus • Saint Teresa di Gesu • Saint Therese de Jesus • Theresa of Avila • Theresa

From Wikidata (CC0)

I cannot understand how humility exists, or can exist, without love, or love without humility,

. . . you must not build upon foundations of prayer and contemplation alone, for, unless you strive after the virtues and practice them, you will never grow to be more than dwarfs.

He has borne with thousands of foul and abominable sins which you have committed against Him, yet even they have not been enough to make Him cease looking upon you. Is it such a great matter, then, for you to avert the eyes of your soul from the outward things and sometimes to look at Him?

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.

many people are good at talking and bad at understanding,

Tear your heart away from everything else; then seek God and you will surely find him.

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

We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.

Any true ecstast is a sign you are going in the right direction...don't let any prude tell you otherwise

I wanted to live, but saw clearly that I was not living - but rather wrestling with the shadow of death. There was no one to give me life, and I was not able to take it.

souls without prayer are like people whose bodies or limbs are paralysed: they possess feet and hands but they cannot control them.

Humility cannot exist without love, and love cannot exist without humility. It is impossible for these virtues to exist except where there is great detachment from all created things.

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

Amor saca amor.

It is a good proof and test of our love if we can bear with such faults and not be shocked by them. Others, in their turn, will bear with your faults, which, if you include those of which you are not aware, must be much more numerous.

Teresa of Ávila Quotes

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