Teaching · Poems
Soul, you must seek yourself in Me
Where to truly find yourself — and where to find God.
“Soul, you must seek yourself in Me,
and in yourself you must seek Me.”
Saint Teresa of Jesus — Poems
To understand
The double search
These verses were born from words the Saint understood in prayer: “Seek yourself in Me.” Her friends and sisters debated their meaning, and she answered with this poem: you find yourself in God, and you find God within yourself.
It is her answer to the two mistaken searches: seeking oneself in things, and seeking God only outside. The truth is a two-way encounter: my true face is in Him, and His dwelling is in me.
The source
Poems — “Seek yourself in Me”
Around 1577, several of the Saint's friends — Saint John of the Cross among them — wrote their opinions on these words, and she replied with humor in the Vejamen. The poem keeps her own answer.
Another word of hers
“For I know that you will find yourself
portrayed within my breast,
drawn so true to life
that, seeing yourself, you will rejoice
to see yourself so well painted.”
Saint Teresa of Jesus — Poems, from the same poem
To pray and to teach
How to bring this teaching into prayer
This is how we use it in the prayer group; it works just as well for praying alone or as a family.
1
Read slowly
Read the text twice, aloud, without hurry. The second time, slower than the first.
2
Keep silence
A moment of silence. Let one word or phrase stay with each person.
3
Talk through the questions
Share unhurriedly and without debate: nothing is argued here — we share what God is showing us.
4
End with a resolution
Each person names one concrete step for the week, and you close with a prayer.
Questions to talk about
- Where do I look for myself when I want to know who I am: achievements, opinions, God?
- Do I seek God only “outside” — temples, events, signs — or also within me?
- What would change if I truly believed that God dwells within me?
For daily life
Three ways to practice it this week
1
Seek yourself in God: ask Him who He says you are, before asking the opinions.
2
Seek God within: one minute of inner silence a day, asking for nothing.
3
When you feel lost, remember the verse: you are portrayed within His breast.