In a world that urges us to “find ourselves,” St. Teresa of Avila offers a strikingly different path: we come to know ourselves not by gazing inward alone, but by lifting our eyes to God.
She writes that in beholding His greatness, we are awakened to our own smallness; in contemplating His purity, we see our own stains; and in meditating on His humility, we recognize how far we are from true meekness.
This divine contrast—like placing white beside black—reveals the truth with piercing clarity. But it’s not meant to shame us. Rather, it transforms us. As we turn our gaze from the mire of our faults to the radiance of God, our understanding deepens, our will strengthens, and we become more capable of goodness.
St. Teresa’s wisdom invites us into a paradox: that self-knowledge begins not in self-focus, but in reverent awe. And in that holy gaze, we are not diminished—we are refined.
In the mirror of God’s mercy we don’t see who we are, we glimpse who we are called to become.
Smitten With Goodness 