There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to endure, when we consider the torments and sufferings which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured for us.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects humility and a commitment to follow the teachings of the Church, acknowledging personal limitations.
In this quote, Teresa of Avila expresses her deep respect and adherence to the Holy Roman Catholic Church. She emphasizes that any potential errors in her statements arise from ignorance rather than intentional wrongdoing, highlighting her sincere commitment to the faith and her understanding of her place within it. This illustrates a profound sense of humility and submission to the divine authority of the Church, framed within the context of her spirituality.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon about humility in faith, this quote can illustrate the importance of recognizing our limitations.
More from Teresa Of Avila
All quotes →How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.
What friends or kindred can be so close and intimate as the powers of our soul, which, whether we will or no, must ever bear us company?
To converse with You, O King of glory, no third person is needed, You are always ready in the Sacrament of the Altar to give audience to all. All who desire You always find You there, and converse with You face to face
If we do not use great care to mortify our will, there are many things which can deprives us of the holy freedom of spirit that we are seeking in order to fly more freely to our Creator, without always being bogged down with the clay of this earth. Moreover, there can never be solid virtue in a soul that is attached to its own will.
I say the same of humility and of all the virtues; the wiles of the devil are terrible, he will run a thousand times round hell if by so doing he can make us believe that we have a single virtue which we have not. And he is right, for such ideas are very harmful, and such imaginary virtues, when they come from this source, are never unaccompanied by vainglory; just as those which God gives are free both from this and from pride.
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