Teresa of Avila Quotes - Page 5

I am afraid that if we begin to put our trust in human help, some of our Divine help will fail us.

Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for.

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

Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.

In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks.

Blessed be He, Who came into the world for no other purpose than to suffer.

Happy the heart where love has come to birth.

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.

Humility must always be doing its work like a bee making honey in the hive: without humility all will be lost.

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

I thought of the soul as resembling a castle, formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal, and containing many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions.

I had many friends to help me to fall; but as to rising again, I was so much left to myself, that I wonder now I was not always on the ground. I praise God for His mercy; for it was He only Who stretched out His hand to me. May He be blessed for ever! Amen.

Whenever conscience commands anything, there is only one thing to fear, and that is fear.

How is it that we do not die of love in seeing that God Himself could do no more than shed His divine blood for us drop by drop? When as man He was preparing for death, He made Himself our food in order to give us life. God becomes food, bread for his creatures. Is this not enough to make us die of love?

How friendly all men would be one with another, if no regard were paid to honour and money! I believe it would be a remedy for everything.

Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction.

From heaven even the most miserable life will look like one bad night at an inconvenient hotel.

How is it that there are not many who are led by sermons to forsake open sin? Do you know what I think? That is because preachers have too much worldly wisdom.

Love draws forth love.

The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too.

God prefers your health, and your obedience, to your penance.

All things pass... Patience attains all it strives for.

Anyone who truly loves God travels securely.

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.