Whoever lives in the presence of so good a friend and excellent a leader, who went ahead of us to be the first to suffer, can endure all things. The Lord helps us, strengthens us, and never fails; He is a true friend.
And I see clearly, and I saw afterward, that God desires that if we are going to please Him and receive His great favors, we must do so through the most sacred humanity of Christ, in whom He takes His delight (Mt 3:17).
Many, many times have I perceived this truth through experience. The Lord has told it to me. I have definitely seen that we must enter by this gate (Jn 10:9) if we desire His sovereign Majesty to show us great secrets.
Saint Teresa of Avila
The Book of Her Life, 22.6
Printmaker: Antonio Baratti (Italian, 1724–87)
Engraver: Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Italian, 1682–1754)
Etching and engraving on paper, 1750–1780
© The Trustees of the British Museum (Some rights reserved)
Con tan buen amigo presente, con tan buen capitán que se puso en lo primero en el padecer, todo se puede sufrir: es ayuda y da esfuerzo; nunca falta; es amigo verdadero. Y veo yo claro, y he visto después, que para contentar a Dios y que nos haga grandes mercedes, quiere sea por manos de esta Humanidad sacratísima, en quien dijo Su Majestad se deleita. Muy muy muchas veces lo he visto por experiencia. Hámelo dicho el Señor. He visto claro que por esta puerta hemos de entrar, si queremos nos muestre la soberana Majestad grandes secretos.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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