Desire to be empty and poor for Christ’s sake. This state must be embraced with a perfect heart and you must really want it. If your heart is truly engaged in these efforts you shall speedily attain to great joy and consolation. -St. John of the Cross
The more you feel your weakness, your difficulty in being recollected, the more the Master seems to hide Himself, the more you should rejoice, for then you are giving Him something, and is it not better to give than to receive, when one loves? -St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
You returned to your realm of light, and still remain hidden here to nourish us, in our vale of tears, with Holy Communion. -St. Therese
You, my God, have declared yourself my captain; you have raised the standard of the Cross, saying: ‘Take up the cross and follow in my footsteps.’ To correspond with this invitation, I promise to resist your love no longer; rather, I will follow you to Calvary without hesitation. – St.…
The journey of the ascent to God must be a perpetual struggle to make our desires cease, and the more earnest we are in this the sooner we shall reach the summit. -St. John of the Cross
Full of love you sink your gaze into mine, And bend your ear to my quiet words, And deeply fill my heart with peace. – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Courage then, O soul most beautiful! You now know that your Beloved dwells hidden within your own breast. Endeavor therefore to be truly hidden with Him. -St. John of the Cross
For often it is God’s will that His elect should be conscious of their misery and so He withdraws His help from them a little — and no more than that is needed to make us recognize our limitations very quickly. They then realize that this is a way of…
If we are determined to submit ourselves and to carry the cross, we shall find in it great refreshment. -St. John of the Cross
I realize that we aren’t all made alike. For me, God’s infinite mercy is the quality that stands out in my life, and when I contemplate and adore God’s other perfections, it’s against this background of mercy all the time. -St. Therese