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
Vocal prayer . . . must be accompanied by reflection. A prayer in which a person is not aware of Whom he is speaking to, what he is asking, who it is who is asking and of Whom, I don't call prayer-however much the lips may move.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True prayer requires awareness and reflection, not just the act of speaking words.
This quote emphasizes that vocal prayer should not be a mere repetition of words but should come from a place of genuine awareness and understanding of the relationship between the person praying and the divine. Teresa of Avila highlights the importance of intention and mindfulness in prayer, implying that without reflection on the nature of the prayer and the asker, the act loses its significance and depth.
Themes
PrayerReflectionAwarenessMindfulnessSpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
In a spiritual retreat, one could use this quote to inspire participants to reflect on their prayer practices.
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.
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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
Similar quotes
Prayer does not mean that I am to bring God down to my thoughts and my purposes, and bend his government according to my foolish, silly, and sometimes sinful notions. Prayer means that I am to be raised up into feeling, into union and design with him; that I am to enter into his counsel and carry out his purpose fully.
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Prayer is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in him...who loves us, who is near to us.
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The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.
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To talk with God, no breath is lost. Talk on! To walk with God, no strength is lost. Walk on! To wait on God, no time is lost. Wait on!
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Dear young friends, learn to pray every day: this is the way to know Jesus and invite him into your lives.
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The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.
Pope Pius XiRead