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I cannot understand how humility exists, or can exist, without love, or love without humility, and it is impossible for these two virtues to exist save where there is great detachment from all created things.

The waters of interior delights do not spring from the earth; the mouth of desire must be turned towards heaven, and be empty of everything else.

Do you think it possible that anyone who really and truly loves God can love vanities, riches, worldly pleasures or honours? Can he engage in strife or feel envy? No; for his only desire is to please the Beloved.

If a man puts anything in his line of vision, however small, it is enough to obstruct his sight and prevent him from seeing other things in front of him; just so any small desire or idle act in the soul is sufficient to obstruct its vision of great and Divine things.

The soul suffers many trials, for the Lord wants the poor gardener to think that all the trouble he has taken in watering the garden and keeping it alive is lost. Then is the proper time for weeding and rooting out the smaller plants, and this must be done, however small they may be, if they are useless; for we know that no efforts of ours are availing if God withholds from us the water of grace, and we must despise ourselves as nothing and as less than nothing. By doing this we can gain great humility and then the flowers will begin to grow afresh.

Life, Chapter XIV

He who desires nothing but God does not walk in darkness, however blind and poor he may think himself to be.

Humility and detachment are two inseparable sisters.

This is a test to discern the true lover of God.  Is he satisfied with anything less than God?  For the satisfaction of the heart is not found in possessions but in detachment from all things and poverty of spirit.

The more God gives the more He makes us desire, until we are empty and He is able to fill us with good things.

Be therefore earnest in prayer, and hope in detachment and emptiness. Your good will not be long in coming.

In what does true poverty consist? It is to not even possess our own will, in being detached from our own judgement.

The fly that clings to honey hinders its flight, and the soul that allows itself attachment to spiritual sweetness hinders its own liberty and contemplation.