Teresa of Avila

God gave us faculties for our use; each of them will receive its proper reward. Then do not let us try to charm them to sleep, but permit them to do their work until divinely called to something higher.

Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.

The whole company of heaven rejoices in a soul that has reached this state, for then God fills it with glory; He will do this if we prepare the interior mansion and if He finds us detached from earthly things.

O God, help us truly to grasp this truth and to desire to enter into these dwelling places. May the Lord help us, both you and me, to understand what they are like!

Love and self-denial for the love of God is the outstanding virtue of the members of this third dwelling place in The Interior Castle.

The loving soul already has one foot on earth and one in heaven.

It is not fitting, when one is in the king's presence, to look at the surroundings and the ornaments of his palaces, but rather to fix one's eyes on the king himself.

Profit is made by practicing the virtues, not by discussing them.

In solitude important virtues are acquired which no one can teach us.

Do not build towers without a foundation; otherwise, they would fall down easily.

Those who practice prayer should have a special affection for this dwelling place, for although in all of them there is great blessing, in none is it so continuous as here.

The humility of the heart consists in self-abasement and in thinking little of ourselves.