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Jesus,...wills to receive a gift from you. He knows it is much sweeter to give than to receive. We have only the short moment of this life to give to God...and He is already preparing to say: 'Now my turn.' What a joy to suffer for Him who loves us unto folly and to pass as fools in the eyes of the world.

Love suffers neither delay nor repose, being always eager to suffer for the Beloved.

It is so consoling to think that Jesus, the strong God, experienced all our weaknesses, that He trembled at the sight of the bitter chalice - the cup that He had longed for so ardently.

In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.

In all things I shall be content, knowing that the route I travel leads to Calvary. The thornier the path, the heavier the cross, the more consoled I shall be, because I desire to love you with a suffering love, a selfless love, an active love, with a firm, undivided, persevering love...I have promised you many things, but in no wise do I depend upon my own indolent spirit.

Human activities cannot help us, but only the suffering of Christ. It is my desire to share in it.

You must build a little cell within your soul as I do. Remember that God is there and enter it from time to time; when you feel nervous or you're unhappy, quickly seek refuge there and tell the Master all about it....We come quite simply to the One we love, stay close to Him like a little child in the arms of its mother, and we let our heart go....If you only knew how well He understands....You wouldn't suffer any more if you understood that.

For now, his voice reaches us through words spoken by good people, through listening to spiritual talks, and reading sacred literature. God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us. No matter how halfhearted such insights may be, God rejoices whenever we learn what he is trying to teach us.

And when the soul suffers the direct assault of this Divine light, its pain, which results from its impurity, is immense; because, when this pure light assails the soul, in order to expel its impurity, the soul feels itself to be so impure and miserable that it believes God to be against it, and thinks that it has set itself up against God.

To make acts of penance of all my contradictions, temporal or spiritual pains, as well as all the actions that could displease me is what I call the penance of the moment.

If I did not suffer from moment to moment, I would not be able to keep patience, but I see only the present moment; I forget the past and take care not to peer into the future.

One must not think that a person who is suffering is not praying. He is offering up his sufferings to God, and many a time he is praying much more truly than one who goes away by himself and meditates his head off, and, if he has squeezed out a few tears, thinks that is prayer.