I had given up practising my Jewish religion when I was a 14-year-old girl and did not begin to feel Jewish again until I had returned to God.
We can do nothing ourselves; God must do it. To speak to Him thus is easier by nature for woman than for man because a natural desire lives in her to give herself completely to someone.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the reliance on divine assistance and the inherent nature of women to seek connection and surrender to a higher power.
Edith Stein's quote reflects a deep spiritual sentiment, asserting that human effort alone is insufficient and that one must rely on God for true fulfillment and achievement. She points out that women, by their nature, often find it easier to communicate with God because of their innate desire to fully dedicate themselves to a relationship, which may not be as instinctive for men.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of faith and devotion, this quote can be used to illustrate how surrendering to God can lead to deeper relationships.
More from Edith Stein
All quotes →There is no profession which cannot be practiced by a woman.
Because human development is the most specific and exalted mission of woman, studies in anthropology and theory of pedagogy are essential in girls' education.
Each woman who lives in the light of eternity can fulfill her vocation, no matter if it is in marriage, in a religious order, or in a worldly profession.
On the question of relating to our fellowman - our neighbor's spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love.
The world doesn't need what women have, it needs what women are.
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No woman will ever satisfy me. I know that now, and I would never try to deny it. But this is actually okay, because I will never satisfy a woman, either. Should I be writing such thoughts? Perhaps not. Perhaps it’s a bad idea. I can definitely foresee a scenario where that first paragraph could come back to haunt me, especially if I somehow became marginally famous.
I would never be part of anything. I would never really belong anywhere, and I knew it, and all my life would be the same, trying to belong, and failing. Always something would go wrong. I am a stranger and I always will be, and after all I didn’t really care.
In any case, community is not about perfect people. It is about people who are bonded to each other, each of whom is a mixture of good and bad, darkness and light, love and hate.