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I know, though not as well as I should, that I am not in any way a vessel suitable to receive You. But considering that You are He Who makes suitable every heart that desires this grace, I yearn for You in my inmost heart; and with the offering of the Blood of the Word,...which offering I pray the saints to make for me to the Most Holy Trinity,...I take courage and beg for this Holy Spirit.

Let us be one with Jesus...let us make our life a continual sacrifice, a martyrdom of love to console Jesus.

Whoever has not begun the practice of prayer, I beg for the love of the Lord not to go without so great a good. … And if one perseveres, I trust then in the mercy of God, who never fails to repay anyone who has taken Him for a friend.

I cannot fear a God who made Himself small for me.

...the preparation of the soul for this union, as we said, is not that it should understand or perceive or feel or imagine anything, concerning either God or aught else, but that it should have purity and love -- that is, perfect resignation and detachment from everything for God's sake alone...

Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.

The title of Mary as our mother is not merely symbolic. Mary is our mother in the most real and lofty sense, a sense which surpasses that of earthly maternity. She begot our life of grace for us because she offered up her entire being, body and soul, as the Mother of God. That is why an intimate bond exists between Mary and ourselves.

What a great favor God does to those He places in the company of good people!

Mary was born after the life of grace, having given all her heart and soul, to be the Mother of God. From this comes a close union between her and us, she loves us, guides us, and is ever willing to give us what we should be.

To live happily, we must surrender ourselves to God’s will in everything and everywhere, submit to reason, and follow the will of others rather than our own. Provided our hearts are united to God, we should pay no heed to whether others speak well or ill of us, do what we ought, and let others do as they wish.

I cannot say this without tears and great joy of soul! How You desire, Lord, thus to be with us and to be present in the [Blessed] Sacrament ... You would be glad to be with us since You say that Your delight is to be with children of the earth.

Until slumber comes to the appetites through the mortification of sensuality, and until this very sensuality is stilled in such a way that the appetites do not war against the spirit, the soul will not walk out to genuine freedom, to the enjoyment of union with its Beloved.