One of only four women to be named a Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Ávila is beloved for her profound spiritual insights and leadership. Not only did she found over a dozen monasteries during her lifetime, but she also had a devoted interior life which led her to write the classic mystical work The Interior Castle.
As we celebrate the Memorial of St. Teresa of Ávila on October 15, we invite you to reflect on 10 of her most insightful quotes.
On Knowing and Serving God
“We never completely know ourselves if we don’t strive to know God. By gazing at His grandeur, we encounter our own lowliness; by looking at His purity, we see our own filth; by thinking on His humility, we see how far we are from being humble.”
“In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks.”
“We have to serve God in His way, not ours.”
On Christian Living
“However much we do to avoid them, we shall never lack crosses in this life if we are in the ranks of the Crucified.”
“We ought to act as if we were at war — indeed we are— and never relax until we have won the victory.”
“Untilled ground, however rich, will bring forth thistles and thorns; so also the mind of man.”
“Life is to live in such a way that we are not afraid to die.”
On Prayer
“Let him never cease from prayer who has once begun it, be his life ever so wicked; for prayer is the way to amend it, and without prayer such amendment will be much more difficult.”
“How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.”
The Prayer of Teresa of Ávila
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
Sources:
A Dictionary of Quotes from the Saints, Dr. Paul Thigpen.
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bingley.
“Prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila,” accessed on EWTN.
The Way of Saints, Dr. Tom Cowan.
