Quote of the day, 25 April: St. Teresa of Avila

If our nature or health doesn’t allow us to think always about the Passion, since to do so would be arduous, who will prevent us from being with Him in His risen state?

We have Him so near in the Blessed Sacrament, where He is already glorified and where we don’t have to gaze upon Him as being so tired and worn out, bleeding, wearied by His journeys, persecuted by those for whom He did so much good, and not believed in by the Apostles. Certainly, there is no one who can endure thinking all the time about the many trials He suffered.

Behold Him here without suffering, full of glory, before ascending into heaven, strengthening some, encouraging others, our companion in the most Blessed Sacrament; it doesn’t seem it was in His power to leave us for even a moment.

“We have Him so near in the Blessed Sacrament, where He is already glorified.” #StTeresaofAvila #Jesus

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And what a pity it was for me to have left You, my Lord, under the pretext of serving You more! When I was offending You I didn’t know You; but how, once knowing You, did I think I could gain more by this path! Oh, what a bad road I was following, Lord! Now it seems to me I was walking on no path until You brought me back, for in seeing You at my side I saw all blessings.

There is no trial that it wasn’t good for me to suffer once I looked at You as You were, standing before the judges. 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.” #StTeresaofAvila #Jesus

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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.

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 if we desire His Sovereign Majesty to show us great secrets.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, chap. 22, no. 6

Featured image: A Discalced Carmelite nun receives Holy Communion in the Carmel of Valladolid. Image credit: Ángel Cantero, Iglesia en Valladolid / Flickr (Some rights reserved)