Archive

...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.

O my Jesus! You never ask what is impossible; You know better than I how frail and imperfect I am; You know that I shall never love my Sisters as You have loved them, unless You love them Yourself within me, my dearest Master.

Don’t fear purgatory because of the suffering endured there, but desire to avoid it in order to please the good God, who imposes this purification with such reluctance. Since you seek to please him in everything, if you trust unshakably that he purifies you at every moment in his love and leaves no trace of sin in you, you can be quite sure that you won’t go to purgatory.

I would never want any prayer that would not make the virtues grow within me.

O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God is suffering, and how much it helps in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but you would rather look upon it as a great happiness to bear the Cross of the Lord.