Maria Lucia Tcherassi, OCDS

@carmelitequotes @ocdslondon Beautiful 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤎🤎🤎

🌌 A “secret ladder”… a hidden path where God teaches the soul beyond words. Saint Edith Stein describes a knowledge born not of reasoning—but of love. 🔗 twp.ai/4iwgVv #Prayer #Catholic #SpiritualLife

“O my Lord, when I think of the many ways you suffered and how you deserved none of these sufferings, I don't know what to say about myself, nor do I know where my common sense was when I didn't want to suffer, nor where I am when I excuse myself.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The Way of Perfection. Chap. 15)

“As we receive the blessed palm, let us renew our pledge to conquer with Jesus, but let us not forget that it was on the cross that He conquered” (Divine Intimacy, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. )

@ProfEmilioMart1 🙏🏻Damos gracias al Señor por la vida de Santa Teresa que enriqueció el tesoro de la Iglesia. 🙏🏻🤎

Buenos días nos dé Dios. “En miércoles, veintiocho días del mes de marzo de quinientos quince años, nació Teresa, mi hija, a las cinco horas de la mañana, media hora más o menos, que fue el dicho miércoles casi amanecido” (111 años del nacimiento de Teresa de Jesús).

“Yours I am, for You I was born: What do you want of me ?” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Poems)

“O my God and my infinite Wisdom, measureless and boundless and beyond all the human and the angelic intellects! O love that loves me more than I can love myself or understand! Why, Lord, do I want to desire more than what You want to give me? Why do I want to tire myself in asking You for something decreed by my desire? For with regard to everything my intellect can devise and my desire can want You've already understood my soul's limits, and I don't understand how my desire will help me. In this that my soul thinks it will gain, it will perhaps lose. For if I ask You to free me from a trial, and the purpose of that trial is my mortification, what is it that I'm asking for, my God? If I beg You to give the trial, it perhaps is not a suitable one for my patience, which is still weak and cannot suffer such a forceful blow. And if I suffer it with patience and am not strong in humility, it may be that I will think I've done something, whereas You do it all, my God. If I want to suffer, but not in matters in which it might seem unfitting for Your service that I lose my reputation-since as for myself I don't know of any concern in me about honor—it may be that for the very reason I think my reputation might be lost, more will be gained on account of what I'm seeking, which is to serve You.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Soliloquies, 17)

“I once read in a book that the reward for trials is the love of God: who would not love them for so precious a prize? And so I beseech your Ladyship to love them, and to reflect that everything (in this life) will soon be over, and gradually to detach yourself from all that will not last for ever.” ( St. Teresa of Jesus. Letters. Letter 31 To Doña Luisa de la Cerda)

“.. what a marvelous thing, that he who would fill a thousand worlds and many more with his grandeur would enclose himself in something so small! And so he wanted to enclose himself in the womb of his most Blessed Mother. In fact, since he is Lord he is free to do what he wants, and since he loves us he adapts himself to our size.” (Saint Teresa of Jesus. The Way of Perfection. Chap. 28.11)

“How miserable is the wisdom of mortals and uncertain their providence!' May You through Your providence, Lord, provide the necessary means by which my soul may serve You at Your pleasure rather than at its own. Don't punish me by giving me what I want or desire if Your love, which lives in me always, doesn't desire it.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Soliloquies, 17)

O God of my soul, how we hasten to offend You and how You hasten even more to pardon us! What reason is there, Lord, for such deranged boldness? Could it be that we have already understood Your great mercy and have forgotten that Your justice is just? (St. Teresa of Jesus. Soliloquies. 10)

“O true Christians, help your God weep, for those compassionate tears are not only for Lazarus but for those who were not going to want to rise, even though His Majesty call them… …Raise up these dead; may Your cries be so powerful that even though they do not beg life of You, You give it to them so that afterward, my God, they might come forth from the depth of their own delights.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Soliloquies. 10)

“I was living an extremely burdensome life, because in prayer I understood more clearly my faults. On the one hand God was calling me; on the other hand I was following the world. All the things of God made me happy; those of the world held me bound. It seems I desired to harmonize these two contraries-so inimical to one another-such as are the spiritual life and sensory joys, pleasures, and pastimes.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The Book of Her Life. Chap 7. 17)

“It's true that we cannot live without faults, but at least there should be some change so that they don't take root. If they take root, they will be harder to eradicate and even many others could arise from them.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Meditations on the Song of Songs. Chap. 2)

“… the Lord wants us to understand that just as He was subject to St. Joseph on earth—for since bearing the title of father, being the Lord’s tutor, Joseph could give the Child command—so in heaven God does whatever he commands.” (Saint Teresa of Jesus. The Book of Her Life. Chap. 6)

“It seems to me that for some years now I have asked him (St. Joseph) for something on his feast day, and my petition is always granted. If the request is somewhat out of line, he rectifies it for my greater good.” ( St. Teresa of Jesus. The Book of Her Life. Chap. 6)

“I took for my advocate and lord the glorious St. Joseph and earnestly recommended myself to him. I saw clearly that as in this need so in other greater ones concerning honor and loss of soul this father and lord of mine came to my rescue in better ways than I knew how to ask for.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The book of her Life. Chap. 6)

“I only ask for the love of God those who do not belleve me to try, and they will see through experience the great good that comes from recommending oneself to this glorious patriarch (St. Joseph) and being devoted to him. Especially persons of prayer should always be attached to him.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The Book of Her Life. Chap. 6)

“I have not known anyone truly devoted to him (St. Joseph) and rendering him special services who has not advanced more in virtue. For in a powerful way he benefits souls who recommend themselves to him.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The Book of Her Life. Chap. 6)

“It is an amazing thing the great many favors God has granted me through the mediation of this blessed saint (St. Joseph) the dangers I was freed from both of body and soul.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. The book of her Life. Chapter 6)

“I understood that I had a great obligation to serve our Lady and St. Joseph; for often when I went off the path completely, God gave me salvation again through their prayers.” (St. Teresa of Jesus. Spiritual Testimonies. 26)