With work, chapter, and section references
The following collection draws on the original writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila, including The Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection, The Book of Her Life, The Foundations, and her letters.
A. Trust in God and Divine Providence
1. “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”
Source: Poem 9, “Let Nothing Disturb You” (traditional English translation).
2. “The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fourth Mansions, Chapter 1.
3. “May He be blessed for ever, who has waited for me so long!”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 4.
4. “God deliver us from gloomy saints!”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 40.
5. “It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Seventh Mansions, Chapter 4.
6. “He desires that we should desire Him, and that we should seek Him.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 28.
7. “Our Lord asks only two things of us: love of His Majesty and love of our neighbour.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fifth Mansions, Chapter 3.
8. “The Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Seventh Mansions, Chapter 4.
9. “God never forces anyone to accept His gifts; He gives them freely.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 32.
10. “Let us remember that within us there is a palace of immense richness, built entirely of gold and precious stones.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2.
B. Prayer and Intimacy with God
11. “Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 8.
12. “It is not necessary to think much, but to love much.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fourth Mansions, Chapter 1.
13. “Prayer is the gate to spiritual blessings.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 1.
14. “The soul that is determined to love God will not fail to reach Him.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 21.
15. “The soul must seek God within itself.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 1.
16. “We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present within us.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 28.
17. “The best prayer is that which most impels us to act rightly.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Seventh Mansions, Chapter 4.
18. “Prayer and comfortable living are incompatible.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 4.
19. “The whole foundation of prayer must be laid in humility.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 4.
20. “I only beg you to consider what you are asking for.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 34.
C. Humility, Self-Knowledge and Conversion
21. “Humility, however deep, neither disquiets nor disturbs the soul; it comes with peace and delight.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fourth Mansions, Chapter 3.
22. “We shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2.
23. “The truth is that we are not the authors of our own good works.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Sixth Mansions, Chapter 10.
24. “We must not build our foundations upon ourselves.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 5.
25. “It is very important that we should realize that God does not lead us all by the same road.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 13.
26. “The more we advance in the knowledge of God, the deeper becomes our knowledge of ourselves.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2.
27. “There is no other remedy for a soul which has begun to pray than to persevere in prayer.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 8.
28. “The soul must not think that it has made progress until it has learned to forgive.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 36.
29. “We must have a great and very resolute determination to persevere.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 21.
30. “Never cease to believe that God can do all things.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 25.
D. Love of Neighbour and Christian Charity
31. “The Lord asks of us only two things: love of His Majesty and love of our neighbour.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fifth Mansions, Chapter 3.
32. “The most certain sign that we are keeping these two commandments is that we should be truly loving our neighbour.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fifth Mansions, Chapter 3.
33. “If we love God, we cannot know whether or not we love Him, although there may be strong reasons for thinking so; but we can know quite well whether we love our neighbour.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Fifth Mansions, Chapter 3.
34. “Let us strive always to look at the virtues and good things that we see in others, and to cover their defects with the consideration of our own great sins.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 40.
35. “All must be friends, all must be loved, all must be held dear, all must be helped.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 4.
E. Perseverance, Courage and Spiritual Growth
36. “I would rather have a little devotion than a great deal of contemplation.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 16.
37. “We must not lose heart, nor give up prayer.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 8.
38. “The important thing is to have a great and very resolute determination to persevere.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 21.
39. “Let us not be discouraged, for even if we do not make progress in a year, we can do so in many years.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 17.
40. “God gives us the grace to conquer ourselves.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 13.
41. “We must be detached from everything, for if we are attached to anything, we shall not be free.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapters 8–10.
42. “The devil knows that a soul which perseveres in prayer is lost to him.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 19.
43. “The Lord gives us the grace to overcome our weaknesses.”
Source: The Book of Her Life, Chapter 23.
44. “We must walk with freedom of spirit, placing ourselves in the hands of God.”
Source: The Way of Perfection, Chapter 41.
45. “Let us always be striving to go forward, and if we do not advance, let us walk with greater humility.”
Source: The Interior Castle, Third Mansions, Chapter 2.
F. Union with God and the Interior Life
46. “The soul is capable of much more than we can imagine.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2.
47. “God is in the very centre of the soul.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 1.
48. “The soul is like a castle made entirely of a diamond or of very clear crystal.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 1.
49. “The gate through which we enter this castle is prayer and meditation.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 1.
50. “The farther we advance in this knowledge of ourselves, the nearer we come to God.”
Source: The Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2.
Consolidated Reference List
The following original works are the principal sources for studying and verifying Teresa’s writings. The chapter references above should be checked against the specific translation used for publication.
- Teresa of Ávila. The Book of Her Life (Libro de la Vida).
- Teresa of Ávila. The Way of Perfection (Camino de Perfección).
- Teresa of Ávila. The Interior Castle (Castillo Interior or Las Moradas).
- Teresa of Ávila. The Foundations (Libro de las Fundaciones).
- Teresa of Ávila. The Letters of Saint Teresa of Ávila.
- Teresa of Ávila. Poems and Other Minor Works.
For textual comparison, the public-domain English translations of The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle are available in the Christian Classics Ethereal Library editions translated by E. Allison Peers. These editions discuss differences between the original manuscripts and their English renderings.
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