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To live happily, we must surrender ourselves to God’s will in everything and everywhere, submit to reason, and follow the will of others rather than our own. Provided our hearts are united to God, we should pay no heed to whether others speak well or ill of us, do what we ought, and let others do as they wish.

How they came to disturb me after Communion! They stared me in the face... but in order not to be provoked, I thought of Our Lord, who retreated into solitude and was unable to prevent the people from following Him there. And He didn’t want to send them away. I wanted to imitate Him by receiving the Sisters kindly.

If God is in us, and if God is love, it is inevitable that we be brothers; because love of our neighbor is the measure of our love for God.

I know, too, that our bodies are not the chief factors in the work we have before us; they are accessory: extreme humility is the principal point. It is the want of this, I believe, that stops people's progress. It may seem that we have made but little way: we should believe that is the case, and that our sisters are advancing much more rapidly than we are.

They dislike praising others and love to be praised themselves; sometimes they seek out such praise. Herein they are like the foolish virgins, who, when their lamps could not be lit, sought oil from others.

Beg our Lord to grant you perfect love of neighbor and leave the rest to Him.

Some people -- and it is sad to see them -- work and tire themselves greatly, and yet go backward; they look for progress in what brings no progress but instead hinders them. Others, in peace and tranquility, continue to advance well. Some others let themselves be encumbered by the very consolations and favors God bestows on them for the sake of their advancing, and they advance not at all.

...it is not enough for me to give to the one who asks, I ought to anticipate the wish; I should show myself honored by the request for service, and if anything set apart for my use be taken away I should appear glad to be rid of it.

When we proceed with all this caution, we find stumbling-blocks everywhere; for we are afraid of everything, and so dare not go farther, as if we could arrive at these Mansions by letting others make the journey for us!

It must always be understood that one has to strive to go forward in the service of our Lord and in self- knowledge.

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

Charity enlightens where selfishness makes one blind; it widens where selfishness narrows; it is joyful where selfishness is miserable.