I understand very well why St. Peter fell. Poor Peter, he was relying upon himself instead of relying only upon God’s strength…Before Peter fell, Our Lord said to him: ‘And once you are converted, strengthen your brethren.’ This means: Convince them of the weakness of human strength through your own…
The most potent and acceptable prayer is the prayer that leaves the best effects. I don’t mean it must immediately fill the soul with desire . . . The best effects are those that are followed up by actions…when the soul not only desires the honor of God, but really…
I find I am doing nothing to correspond to love…I feel within me a continual reproach of the Sovereign Good, and on the other hand everything seems to hinder me from simply rushing forward to God…I find no other remedy but to live by faith. I cannot imagine what painful…
God repays trials very well with divine goods for soul and body – there is not a trial which does not have a corresponding and considerable reward. -St. John of the Cross
If the greatest sinner on earth should repent at the moment of death, and draw his last breath in an act of love, neither the many graces he had abused, nor the many sins he had committed, would stand in his way. Our Lord would see nothing, count nothing, but…
And it is clear that since God wants to lead those whom He greatly loves by the path of tribulation there is no reason to think that He despises contemplatives, for with His own mouth He praises them and considers them His friends. – St. Teresa of Avila
Since man’s life on earth is a time of trial and all who would live devotedly in Christ must undergo persecution and the devil your foe is on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for prey to devour, you must use every care to clothe yourselves in God’s armor…
Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity. – St. Therese
Courage my sister, the yoke of a Carmelite if necessarily very light or very heavy in proportion as one’s courage bear it or one’s cowardice drags it. – Teresa of St. Augustine, OCD
Midnight is not the time to greet a guest. Caution the doors against both foes and friends, and try to make the windows understand their unimportance when the daylight ends. Persuade the stairs to patience, and deny the passages their aimless to and fro. Virtue it is that puts a…