Perhaps you will argue that you cannot gather souls for God because you do not have sufficient means, that you would gladly do it, but you do not know how, since you cannot teach or preach as the apostles did. As I have told you in other places, the devil sometimes inspires us with great desires, so that we become lulled into desiring unattainable things and neglecting in our service to God what we can achieve. Even if your prayer benefits the entire world, still be content that it benefits those who live with you. Indeed, it is not little; if through your humility and mortification, your service to your sisters and love for them, and your love for God, you become a fire that ignites them all. In short, sisters – and I conclude with this – let us not build towers without foundations. The Lord looks more at the love with which we perform our works than at their grandeur. From what you truly accomplish, the Lord will understand that you are willing to do much more, and He will give you a reward as if you had gathered many souls for Him.
(Teresa of Jesus, The Interior Castle VII.IV,14;
translation J. Koláček with reference to the working translation V. Kohut)
