Thursday, January 2 : Saint Teresa of Avila

Lay aside a certain reticence which some people maintain towards Him under the impression that it is humility. Humility would not lead you to refuse a favour from the king, but would make you accept and take pleasure in it although you recognised how little it was your due. What humility! I receive in my house the Lord of heaven and earth Who comes to show me kindness and to talk to me, and, because of my humility, neither answer nor remain with Him, nor accept His gifts, but go away and leave Him alone! And though He allows me and even bids me to ask Him for wealth, yet through humility I remain in my poverty, and even permit Him to depart because He sees that I want resolution to speak to Him. Practise no such humility, my daughters, but address Him sometimes as a Father or as a Brother,or again as a Master or as your Bridegroom: sometimes in one way and sometimes in another, for He will teach you what He wishes you to do. Do not be foolish: remind Him that He has promised to be your Bridegroom, and treat Him as if He were. How wonderful it is that He Who by His immensity could fill a thousand worlds should enclose Himself within so narrow a compass!; Thus was He pleased to be contained within the bosom of His most holy Mother. He is Lord, therefore He is free to act, and loving us as He does He accommodates Himself to our measure. At first, lest the soul should feel dismayed at seeing that a thing so petty as itself can contain One Who is infinite, He does not manifest Himself; until, by degrees, He has dilated it as far as is requisite for it to contain all that He intends to infuse into it. I say that He is free to act , because He is able to enlarge this palace.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team