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
Let us consider what the glorious Virgin endured, and what the holy apostles suffered, and we shall find that they who were nearest to Jesus Christ were the most afflicted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the idea that those closest to holiness and truth often endure the greatest hardships.
Teresa of Avila emphasizes the profound connection between suffering and spiritual closeness to Jesus Christ. By reflecting on the trials faced by the Virgin Mary and the apostles, she suggests that pain and affliction are fundamental aspects of a profound faith, indicating that spiritual depth is often accompanied by struggle and suffering.
Themes
SufferingFaithAfflictionSpiritualitySacrifice
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of faith in difficult times, this quote emphasizes the value of enduring hardships.
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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?
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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
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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.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
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.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
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