Monday, April 9, 2012

QUOTATION: Mortification

Let us observe that when the soul begins to mortify itself, everything is painful to it. If it begins to give up comforts, it grieves; if it must give up honor, it feels torment; and if must suffer an offensive word, the hurt becomes intolerable. In sum, there are never lacking sorrows for it until death. But as it succeeds in its determination to die to the world, it will find itself freed of these sufferings, and the contrary, there will be no complaining any longer.

-- St. Teresa of Avila, Meditations on the Song of Songs, Ch.3, no.12