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
How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of relying on prayer for strength in fulfilling one's responsibilities to God.
Teresa of Avila reflects on her past shortcomings in performing her duties to God, attributing these failures to a lack of reliance on prayer. She highlights that prayer is a foundational support, akin to a strong pillar, which can provide the guidance and strength needed to fulfill spiritual responsibilities. This serves as a reminder of the necessity of incorporating prayer into daily life to maintain spiritual discipline and connection.
In practice
During a spiritual retreat, sharing this quote can inspire others to prioritize prayer in their lives.
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.
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?
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
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.
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.
Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices.
Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. We must always remember this. The actual words matter less.
To pray is to dream in league with God, to envision His holy visions.
As humans, we have the tendency to call on God only when we think that we're in dire straits as opposed to cultivating a real relationship with Him every day. And that's what my music tries to convey to all the listeners - try to cultivate it every day.
If our gospel does not free the individual up for a unique life of spiritual adventure in living with God daily, we simply have not entered fully into the good news that Jesus brought.
Knowing God is your single greatest privilege as a Christian
If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want him to talk to you, read your scriptures.
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