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With what peace, what serenity and recollection Mary rendered and gave herself to all things! How the most commonplace events were divinized by her, for she remained ever in adoration of the Gift of God. Nothing kept her from giving of herself outwardly when it was a question of performing charity; the gospel tells us that Mary went with haste into the hill country of Judah in order to be of help to her cousin, Elizabeth. The ineffable visions which she contemplated within her will never diminish her exterior charity.

Forget your self-interests for theirs, however much they rebel: when opportunity occurs take some burden upon yourself to ease your neighbor of it.

Never mind whether you are all aglow or whether you are downcast; it is the law of our exile to pass thus from one state to the other; believe that He never changes and that in His loving kindness He is ever bending down to you to carry you away and establish you in Himself.

Finally, misguided joy in their own works "makes them incapable of taking counsel and of receiving reasonable instructions" about what they ought to do. "Such souls become very slack in charity toward God and neighbor for the self-love contained in their works makes them grow cold in charity."

quoting St. John of the Cross

Oh, what a good friend You make, my Lord! How You proceed by favoring and enduring. You wait for others to adapt to Your nature, and in the meanwhile You put up with theirs!

It is not because I am good that our Lord granted me these favors, but that His goodness might be made manifest.
Although I was so unworthy of grace, this Adorable Master sought me out that even when I was least occupied with the thought of Him, in order that I might not be lost, and that His kindness might cause admiration.

It is a great favor from God when he darkens [the faculties of the soul] and impoverishes the soul in such a way that it cannot err with them. And if one does not err in this, what need is there in order to be right other than to walk along the level road of the law of God and of the Church and live only in dark and true faith and certain hope and complete charity, expecting all our blessings in heaven, living here below like pilgrims, the poor, the exiled, orphans, the thirsty, without a road and without anything, hoping for everything in heaven?

In heaven, there will be no looks of indifference, because all the saints owe so much to one another. No envious glances will be cast, because the happiness of each is the happiness of all.

It is also an evident truth that sympathy with the neighbor grows the more the soul is united with God through love.

O my God, how fervent and strong is the charity of a soul who is united with You by love! Those whom You have taken to Yourself in this way, cannot confine themselves to their personal advantage, and be satisfied with it. Nor would it suffice for them to go to heaven alone, but with solicitude and affection wholly celestial, and with utmost diligence, they endeavor to lead many others with them. Grant, O Lord, that my love for You may have the same effect on me.

As Our Lord dwells within us, His prayer is ours, and I want to share in it unceasingly, remaining like a little vessel at the spring, at the fountain of life, and so be able to communicate it to others by letting its floods of charity overflow.

We must serve our Lord; sow what is good around us without worrying about its growth. For us the labors; for Jesus, success!