Toledo, Spain

St. Teresa of Avila wrote:

"Very fervent souls...wish to prove to God that they do not serve Him for pay; so as I said, such people do not urge themselves to work harder for Him by the thought of the glory they will gain, but rather labor to satisfy their love, of which the nature is to toil for the Beloved in a thousand ways."

Toiling for the Beloved...do we look on our days as "toiling for the Beloved" or do we look at them as toiling to make a living, or take care of our kids, or to keep up with the "rat race" of modern life? I know I sometimes feel like one of those squirrels running around and around in a tumbling cage.

I love this idea that we're not being good and trying to fulfill God's Will for our lives merely to get a reward from Him, but because we labor to satisfy our love. When we truly love someone, we want to do what will please him/her, because it will please him/her, and not because he/she will give us gifts...or rewards...or eternal life.

Let us not serve God for pay; let us toil to satisfy our love for our Beloved - Jesus Christ - in a thousand ways....