There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to endure, when we consider the torments and sufferings which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured for us.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
May I not come before You with empty hands, since we are rewarded according to our deeds.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the importance of meaningful actions and contributions in our lives.
Teresa of Avila emphasizes the idea that when seeking to connect with a higher power or purpose, one should come prepared with the fruits of their labor and good deeds. This reflects a broader understanding that life is not just about passive existence but involves actively engaging in actions that contribute positively to ourselves and others.
Themes
DeedsActionsRewardMeaningPurpose
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on community service, one might say, 'As Teresa of Avila reminds us, may we not come before others with empty hands but with the fruits of our efforts.'
More from Teresa Of Avila
All quotes →How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
What friends or kindred can be so close and intimate as the powers of our soul, which, whether we will or no, must ever bear us company?
Teresa Of AvilaRead
To converse with You, O King of glory, no third person is needed, You are always ready in the Sacrament of the Altar to give audience to all. All who desire You always find You there, and converse with You face to face
Teresa Of AvilaRead
If we do not use great care to mortify our will, there are many things which can deprives us of the holy freedom of spirit that we are seeking in order to fly more freely to our Creator, without always being bogged down with the clay of this earth. Moreover, there can never be solid virtue in a soul that is attached to its own will.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
I say the same of humility and of all the virtues; the wiles of the devil are terrible, he will run a thousand times round hell if by so doing he can make us believe that we have a single virtue which we have not. And he is right, for such ideas are very harmful, and such imaginary virtues, when they come from this source, are never unaccompanied by vainglory; just as those which God gives are free both from this and from pride.
Teresa Of AvilaRead
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