"O strong love of God! I really do believe that to one who loves, nothing seems impossible. Happy the soul on whom God has bestowed this peace. It has thereby become sovereign over all the trials and dangers that the world can offer."
~ St. Teresa of Jesus
Teresa was born at Avila (Spain) in 1515. She is better known in the English-speaking world as Teresa of Avila. As a member of the Carmelite Order she made great progress in perfection and received mystical revelations. As reformer of her Order she underwent many trials which she intrepidly overcame. She also wrote books of the greatest spiritual value which reflect her own experiences. She died at Alba in 1582.
'Think of this Lord as at your side, teaching you so lovingly and humbly. Believe me, you should stay with a Friend like this for as long as you possibly can. If you form the habit of remembering that He is always at your side, and He sees that you love His companionship and are always intent on pleasing Him, it will become impossible for you ever to send Him away and He will never let you down.'
~ St. Teresa of Jesus
Friendship with Christ
From the autobiography (Life) of St. Teresa of Avila Ch. 22: 6-7, 12, 14
We should always be mindful of Christ’s love
Whoever lives in the presence of so good a friend and excellent a leader, as is Jesus Christ, can endure all things. Christ helps us and strengthens us and never fails; he is a true friend. And I see clearly that God desires that if we are going to please him and receive his great favours, this must come out through the most sacred humanity of Christ, in whom he takes his delight.
Many, many times have I perceived this through experience. The Lord has told it to me. I have definitely seen that we must enter by this gate if we desire His sovereign Majesty to show us great secrets. A person should desire no other path, even if he be at the summit of contemplation; on this road he walks safely. This Lord of ours is the one through whom all blessings come to us. He will teach us these things. In beholding his life we find that he is the best example.
What more do we desire from such a good friend at our side, who will not abandon us in our labours and tribulations, as friends in the world do? Blessed is the one who truly loves him and always keeps him near. Let us consider the glorious St. Paul: it doesn’t seem that any other name fell from his lips than that of Jesus, as coming from one who kept the Lord close to his heart. Once I had come to understand this truth, I carefully considered the lives of some of the saints, the great contemplatives, and found that they hadn’t taken any other path: Francis, Anthony of Padua, Bernard, Catherine of Siena. A person must walk along this path in freedom, placing himself in God’s hands. If His Majesty should desire to raise us to the position of one who is an intimate and shares his secrets, we ought to accept gladly.
As often as we think of Christ we should recall the love with which he bestowed on us so many favours and the great things God showed in giving us a pledge like this of his love: for love begets love. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to waken ourselves to love. For if at some time the Lord should grant us the favour of impressing this love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall carry out our tasks quickly and without much effort.
St. Teresa’s Bookmark
Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God,
Lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
'The highest perfection obviously does not consist in interior consolations or great raptures, nor in visions or the spirit of prophecy, but in the conforming of our will to the will of God, so that there shall be nothing we know He wills that we do not wholeheartedly will ourselves, accepting the bitter as joyfully as the sweet since we know that His Majesty desires it.'
~ St. Teresa of Jesus
Prayer:
Father,
by your Spirit you raised up
our Mother, Saint Teresa of Jesus,
to show your Church the way to perfection.
May her inspired teaching
awaken in us a longing for true holiness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
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