The teaching of st. Teresa on the love of God and our neighbour

I. We must love God perfectly; that is,

We must love Him above all things, so as to be willing to die rather than commit the least wilful sin. St. Teresa says: "May God deliver you from deliberately committing even the most trivial sin!" "For," she adds, "the devil, by means of the smallest things, opens a way through which greater things may enter." Again, she has this admonition: "True devotion consists in not offending God and in being resolved to do nothing but what is good and holy."

We must love God with our whole heart, ever desiring to arrive at a higher degree of perfection in order to please Him. St. Teresa observes: "God will not suffer any good desire to go unrewarded even in this life." And she also says that our Lord, ordinarily, does not confer many signal favours, "except upon those who have greatly desired to love Him." But to desires we must add actions, by overcoming with fortitude human respect, our own repugnances, and all worldly interests.

We must love God continually, and on all occasions; and for this end we must direct and offer all to Him, even our indifferent actions, such as our eating, diversions, walking, working, every breath we breathe, uniting all with the actions of Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin when on earth. Moreover we must cheerfully suffer all adverse and painful things, conforming ourselves and uniting ourselves to the will of God in whatever He is pleased to do in us and for us. Upon this St. Teresa has left the following excellent sentiments: "And what more can we wish to gain than the testimony of doing what is pleasing to God?" And she explains what this testimony is: "Whilst we live, our gain does not consist in endeavouring to enjoy God, but in doing His will. Great is the fruit of this giving of our will to God, for it induces God to unite Himself to our lowliness. True union is the union of our will with the will of God."

To promote this and keep alive the flame of Divine love, we must make frequent acts of love during the course of the day, but particularly when we approach holy Communion and during the time of Meditation, saying to God: My most beloved and only Treasure, my God, my All, I love Thee with my whole heart. I give my whole self to Thee without reserve, and I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts, desires, and affections. I desire, I sigh, I seek for nothing but Thee alone, my only life. To please Thee is my only delight. Do in me and with me whatever Thou pleasest. My God and only good, grant me but to love Thee, and I ask for nothing more.

II. In order to maintain the union of the soul with God, we must exercise charity towards our neighbour.

As regards the interior, it consists in wishing the neighbour the same good that we wish ourselves; in not wishing him the evil we do not wish ourselves; in rejoicing in his good, and regretting the evil which befalls him, although we may naturally experience some repugnance in so doing.

As regards the exterior:

1. We must not murmur against the neighbour, deride or laugh at him, but speak always well of him, and defend, or at least excuse his intention.

2. We must console him under afflictions.

3. We must succour him in his necessities of soul and body, particularly in sickness.

4. We must condescend to the neighbour, as Saint Teresa expresses it, in all that is not sin.

5. We must not give our neighbour bad counsel or bad example.

6. We must occasionally reprove him, but mildly and seasonably, but not when we are agitated with passion.

We must above all endeavour to render good for evil, at least to speak well of those who injure us, treat them with meekness, and recommend them to God, turning away our thoughts from the annoyances, harshness, and provocations which we consider we have received from them.

As a conclusion to this short practice we must note, amongst others, the following maxims on perfection which St. Teresa has left us in various parts of her works:

"All our efforts produce little result, if we we do not get rid of self-confidence, so as to place our confidence wholly in God.

"Because we do not interiorly give all our affection to God, so neither does God give us all the treasures of His love.

"May God deliver us from ostentatious devotion.

"I have often found that there is nothing more efficacious than holy water for driving away the devils.

"All that we can do is but nothing compared with a single drop of the Blood which the Saviour shed for us.

"If we do not put an obstacle, God will not hesitate to grant us the assistance necessary in order to become saints.

"God does not leave without reward a single glance towards Heaven accompanied by the remembrance of Him.

"The Lord wishes for nothing from us but a resolute will, in order to go on to accomplish all that remains to be done on His part.

"God never sends a pain which He does not afterwards repay by some favour.

"If the soul does not keep itself apart from the pleasures of the world, it will soon become careless in the way of the Lord.

"Do not mention your temptations to imperfect souls, for you will do an injury both to them and to yourself. Communicate them only to the perfect.

"Let your desire be to see God; your fear be to lose God; your joy be whatever can conduct you to God."

Live Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Teresa, now and forever. Amen.