To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in

“To have courage for whatever comes in life – everything lies in that.” These words of Saint Teresa of Avila, mystic, reformer, and saint, resound across centuries like the steady heartbeat of the soul. In this single sentence, she reveals the essence of spiritual endurance — that courage is not merely one virtue among many, but the root from which all others grow. To have courage, she tells us, is to trust the unseen, to accept both joy and suffering as part of the divine design, and to meet the unknown not with fear, but with faith. For Teresa, courage was not born of strength, but of surrender — a calm, radiant defiance that says: “Let come what may, my spirit will not break.”

Saint Teresa spoke these words in a time of turmoil. She lived in sixteenth-century Spain, an age of religious conflict, political upheaval, and suspicion. Yet within her cloistered walls, she carried out a reformation of the Carmelite Order, facing fierce opposition from within the Church and beyond it. Her life was a constant trial — illness, persecution, misunderstanding — yet she never faltered. The courage she speaks of is not the thunderous courage of warriors, but the quiet, enduring courage of the soul. She walked through storms of doubt and pain, but always with grace, knowing that each hardship was a test of the divine flame within her. Her words remind us that life does not ask for perfection; it asks for perseverance.

To have courage for whatever comes is to accept that we cannot control the winds of fate — only the steadiness of our hearts. The ancients taught this too. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Saint Teresa, though guided by faith rather than philosophy, spoke in the same spirit. Both knew that suffering is not the enemy; fear is. The soul that fears pain becomes enslaved to it, but the soul that meets pain with courage transforms it into wisdom. Thus, courage is not only a shield — it is a forge, where the human spirit is tempered and made divine.

Consider the example of Nelson Mandela, a man imprisoned for twenty-seven years for the sake of justice. Each day in his cell was a lesson in patience, each hardship a test of endurance. Yet he did not emerge bitter or broken, but serene, with a vision of reconciliation that changed the course of his nation. His life embodied Teresa’s truth — that to have courage for whatever comes is to trust that no trial can extinguish the light within. When the heart stands firm, even chains cannot bind it. Courage is the soul’s rebellion against despair.

Saint Teresa’s words also teach us that courage is not a momentary act, but a way of living. Life brings not one storm, but many — and each demands its own kind of bravery. The courage to begin, the courage to endure, the courage to forgive, and sometimes, the courage to let go. To live with courage is to say “yes” to life in all its forms — not only the moments of triumph, but also the moments of sorrow, loss, and uncertainty. For it is in the acceptance of “whatever comes” that the soul learns peace. Fear resists; courage embraces.

There is a divine simplicity in Saint Teresa’s wisdom. She does not promise safety, only meaning. To those who tremble before the unknown, she offers not comfort, but strength. To those weary of the world’s injustices, she offers not escape, but endurance. “Everything lies in that,” she says — for in courage, all virtues find their voice: faith, patience, love, and hope. It is courage that allows faith to act, love to endure, and hope to survive when reason fails. Without courage, the heart closes; with it, the heart expands to meet life in its fullness.

Therefore, my children, learn this sacred truth: courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. When trials come — as they must — do not curse them, but face them with steady breath. When loss wounds you, do not flee; let it teach you the depth of your own strength. When joy visits you, accept it humbly, knowing it too will pass. Live with open hands, open eyes, and an unshaken heart. For in courage, life ceases to be a series of battles and becomes a pilgrimage — a journey through shadow and light, guided by trust in something greater than yourself.

Saint Teresa’s words, born from faith but meant for all humanity, remind us that courage is not only the foundation of holiness, but of wholeness. It is the bridge between the human and the divine. When all else is lost — health, fortune, peace — courage remains, lighting the path like a lantern in the dark. So, hold fast. Let courage be your companion, your prayer, your fire. For truly, as the saint said, everything lies in that.