The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of CarmelTeresa, of Avila, Saint
Religion
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
Teresa, of Avila, Saint
Avila (Spain) -- Biography; Christian saints -- Spain -- Avila -- Biography; Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582
18. I have no other intention here, and I wish to have no other,
than to express my preference for the prayer that in a short time
results in these great effects, which show themselves at once;
for it is impossible they should enable us to leave all things
only to please God, if they were not accompanied with a vehement
love. I would rather have that prayer than that which lasted
many years, but which at the end of the time, as well as at the
beginning, never issued in a resolution to do anything for God,
with the exception of some trifling services, like a grain of
salt, without weight or bulk, and which a bird might carry away
in its mouth. Is it not a serious and mortifying thought that we
are making much of certain services which we render our Lord, but
which are too pitiable to be considered, even if they were many
in number? This is my case, and I am forgetting every moment the
mercies of our Lord. I do not mean that His Majesty will not
make much of them Himself, for He is good; but I wish I made no
account of them myself, or even perceived that I did them, for
they are nothing worth.
19. But, O my Lord, do Thou forgive me, and blame me not, if I
try to console myself a little with the little I do, seeing that
I do not serve Thee at all; for if I rendered Thee any great
services, I should not think of these trifles. Blessed are they
who serve Thee in great deeds; if envying these, and desiring to
do what they do, were of any help to me, I should not be so far
behind them as I am in pleasing Thee; but I am nothing worth, O
my Lord; do Thou make me of some worth, Thou who lovest me
so much.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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