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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.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
My good works, however wretched and imperfect, have been made better and perfected by Him Who is my Lord: He has rendered them meritorious. As to my evil deeds and my sins, He hid them at once. The eyes of those who saw them, He made even blind; and He has blotted them out of their memory.
Saint Teresa of Avila
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I am more afraid of those who are terrified of the devil than I am of the devil himself.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Don't let your sins turn into bad habits.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.
Saint Teresa of Avila
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If God should desire to raise us to the position of one who is an intimate and shares his secrets, we ought to accept this gladly.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
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.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Pain is never permanent.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
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.
Saint Teresa of Avila
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To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
May God protect me from gloomy saints.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
It is no small misfortune and disgrace that, through our own fault, we neither understand our nature nor our origin.
Saint Teresa of Avila
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Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as his friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He is a true friend.
Saint Teresa of Avila -
Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds.
Saint Teresa of Avila