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.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
From silly devotions and from sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote calls for liberation from piety that lacks joy and sincerity.
Teresa of Avila's quote criticizes the superficial aspects of devotion and the pretense of holiness that can often be found in religious practice. She implores for liberation from both frivolous and overly strict expressions of faith, advocating for a genuine spirituality that is joyful and sincere rather than one that is grim or forced.
Themes
DevotionPietyJoySinceritySpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about authenticity in faith, this quote can emphasize the need for sincerity.
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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.
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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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