Ordinarily this contemplation, which is secret and hidden from the very one who receives it, imparts to the soul, together with the dryness and emptiness it produces in the senses, an inclination to remain alone and in quietude. -St. John of the Cross
To obtain the granting of requests that we have at heart, there is no better means than that of directing the energy of our prayer to asking for what is most pleasing to God. – St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)
O my God, the more gently you touch, the more you are hidden in the purified souls of those who have made themselves aliens on earth, and whom you hide in the secret of your face. -St. John of the Cross
They dislike praising others and love to be praised themselves; sometimes they seek out such praise. Herein they are like the foolish virgins, who, when their lamps could not be lit, sought oil from others. – St. John of the Cross
The remembrance of my faults humbles me, and helps me never to rely upon my own strength, which is mere weakness. More than all, it speaks to me of mercy and of love. When a soul with childlike trust casts her faults into Love’s all-devouring furnace, how can they escape…
In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction. – St. John of the Cross
O illustrious people! Open your eyes for the love of God; behold that the true knights of Jesus Christ and the princes of His Church, a St. Peter and a St. Paul, did not follow the road you follow. Do you think perhaps there will be a new road for…
Mary, who kept all God’s words in her heart, in the fullness of grace granted her, understood the great value of suffering. While the apostles fled,she went out to meet the Saviour on the way to Calvary and stood beneath the cross, in order to share His grief and shame…
Do not let your weakness make you unhappy. When, in the morning, we feel no courage or strength for the practice of virtue, it is really a grace: it is the time to ‘lay the ax to the root of the trees,’ (Matt. 3:10) relying upon Jesus alone. If we…
God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform. – St. John of the Cross