Teresa of Ávila Quotes

134 Sourced Quotes

But the fact is, things always seem to come slowly when you are longing for them.

Teresa of Ávila
Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life.... If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.

Teresa of Ávila
It is encouraging to see that trials which seemed to us impossible to submit to are possible to others, and that they bear them sweetly. Their flight makes us try to soar, like nestlings taught by the elder birds, who, though they cannot fly far at first, little by little imitate their parents.

Teresa of Ávila
There seem to me a great many blessings which come from true poverty and I should be sorry to be deprived of them.

Teresa of Ávila
If I should say anything that is not in conformity with what is held by the Holy Roman Catholic Church, it will be through ignorance and not through malice. This may be taken as certain, and also that, through God's goodness, I am, and shall always be, as I always have been, subject to her.

Teresa of Ávila
This body of ours has one fault: the more you indulge it, the more things it discovers to be essential to it. It is extraordinary how it likes being indulged.

Teresa of Ávila
In a state of grace, the soul is like a well of limpid water, from which flow only streams of clearest crystal. Its works are pleasing both to God and man, rising from the River of Life, beside which it is rooted like a tree.

Teresa of Ávila
Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends.

Teresa of Ávila
Christ does not force our will, He only takes what we give Him. But He does not give Himself entirely until He sees that we yield ourselves entirely to Him.

Teresa of Ávila
From foolish devotions and sour-faced saints may God deliver us!

Teresa of Ávila
However, when all is said, truth suffers, but never dies.

Teresa of Ávila
I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible.

Teresa of Ávila
Humility, however deep it be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy and tranquillity.

Teresa of Ávila
Discontent with this world gives such a painful longing to quit it that, if the heart finds comfort, it is solely from the thought that God wishes it to remain here in banishment.

Teresa of Ávila
A slight failing in one virtue is enough to put all the others to sleep.

Teresa of Ávila
The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave - caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition - cannot be called prayer: God grant that no Christian may address Him in this manner.

Teresa of Ávila
The devil put before me that I could not endure the trials of the religious life, because of my delicate nurture. I defended myself against him by alleging the trials which Christ endured, and that it was not much for me to suffer something for His sake; besides, He would help me to bear it.

Teresa of Ávila
Never exaggerate, but express your feelings with moderation.

Teresa of Ávila
Seeing, then, that our Lord is so powerful, — as I see and know He is, — and that the evil spirits are His slaves, of which there can be no doubt, because it is of faith, — and I a servant of this our Lord and King, — what harm can Satan do unto me? Why have I not strength enough to fight against all hell? I took up the cross in my hand, — I was changed in a moment into another person, and it seemed as if God had really given me courage enough not to be afraid of encountering all the evil spirits.

Teresa of Ávila
Always think of yourself as everyone's servant; look for Christ Our Lord in everyone and you will then have respect and reverence for them all.

Teresa of Ávila
A beginner must look on himself as one setting out to make a garden for his Lord's pleasure, on most unfruitful soil which abounds in weeds. His Majesty roots up the weeds and will put in good plants instead. Let us reckon that this is already done when the soul decides to practice prayer and has begun to do so.

Teresa of Ávila
It is true that we cannot be free from sin, but at least let our sins not always be the same.

Teresa of Ávila
Just as we cannot stop the movement of the heavens, revolving as they do with such speed, so we cannot restrain our thought. And then we send all the faculties of the soul after it, thinking we are lost, and have misused the time that we are spending in the presence of God. Yet the soul may perhaps be wholly united with Him in the Mansions very near His presence, while thought remains in the outskirts of the castle, suffering the assaults of a thousand wild and venomous creatures and from this suffering winning merit. So this must not upset us, and we must not abandon the struggle, as the devil tries to make us do. Most of these trials and times of unrest come from the fact that we do not understand ourselves.

Teresa of Ávila
It is of great importance, when we begin to practise prayer, not to let ourselves be frightened by our own thoughts.

Teresa of Ávila
The tree that is beside the running water is fresher and gives more fruit.

Teresa of Ávila
How is it, Lord, that we are cowards in everything save in opposing thee?

Teresa of Ávila
The saints rejoiced at injuries and persecutions, because in forgiving them they had something to present to God when they prayed to Him.

Teresa of Ávila
Do you know when people really become spiritual? It is when they become the slaves of God and are branded with His sign, which is the sign of the Cross, in token that they have given Him their freedom.

Teresa of Ávila
If we plant a flower or a shrub and water it daily it will grow so tall that in time we shall need a spade and a hoe to uproot it. It is just so, I think, when we commit a fault, however small, each day, and do not cure ourselves of it.

Teresa of Ávila
Souls who do not practice prayer are like people whose limbs are paralyzed.

Teresa of Ávila