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The soul has made known the manner of preparing oneself to begin this journey: to pursue delights and satisfactions no longer, and to overcome temptations and difficulties through fortitude. This is the practice of self-knowledge, the first requirement of advancing to the knowledge of God.

Many of these beginners make numerous plans and great resolutions, but since they are not humble and have no distrust of themselves, the more resolves they make the more they break, and the greater becomes their anger. They do not have the patience to wait until God gives them what they need, when he so desires.

It is certain that the love of God does not consist in experiencing sweetness or tenderness of heart but in truly serving God in Justice, strength and humility.

Thus out of this night springs first the knowledge of oneself, and on that, as a foundation, is built up the knowledge of God.

If God tells me through the prophets He is a faithful God, like a father and mother for me, that He is absolutely Love itself, then I ought to admit that my confidence in the arm that upholds me is reasonable, and that on the contrary, fear of falling into nothingness is foolish, unless I myself am the one who draws away from the arm that supports me.

God created the child who knows only how to make his feeble cries heard; He has created the poor savage who has nothing but the natural law to guide him. It is to their hearts that God deigns to lower Himself. These are the wild flowers whose simplicity attracts Him. When coming down in this way, God manifests His infinite grandeur.

We are miserable and fall at every step.  We are children who don't even know how to talk.  Why doesn't Jesus become angry with our falls that are caused by our ignorance and our weakness?  Never allow discouragement to enter your heart.

When aglow with love, the soul ponders within itself God’s immensity, His faithfulness, the proofs of love He has shown us, His benefits to us ... the humble soul will never put God high enough nor itself low enough. But this is the wonderful thing: its powerlessness will be turned into wisdom, and the defeat of its humility — for never will it be sufficiently humble in its own eyes — will become the greatest source of sweetness in its life.

In my opinion we shall never completely know ourselves if we don't strive to know God. By gazing at His grandeur, we get in touch with our own lowliness; by looking at His purity, we shall see our own filth; by pondering His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.

Humility does not disturb or disquiet or agitate, however great it may be; it comes with peace, delight, and calm. . . . The pain of genuine humility doesn't agitate or afflict the soul; rather, this humility expands it and enables it to serve God more.

Since, O my God, You inspire me to make myself like You in everything, as much as I can, I want particularly to imitate You in those virtues that are so pleasing to Your most loving Heart, namely: humility, meekness, and obedience.

They condemn others in their heart when they see that they have not the kind of devotion which they themselves desire; and sometimes they even say this in words, herein resembling the Pharisee, who boasted of himself, praising God for his own good works and despising the publican.