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The most holy, the most general and most necessary practice in the spiritual life is the practice of the presence of God, whereby the soul finds her joy and contentment in His companionship, talking humbly and lovingly to Him always and at all times, without rule or system, but particularly in moments of temptation, of trouble, or spiritual dryness, or revulsion, and especially when we fall into unfaithfulness and sin.

Love is stronger than hatred. In the end there will be only the fullness of love... If we accept the whole Christ in faithful self-giving, by choosing and walking in the way of the imitation of Christ, then he will lead us through his Passion and Cross to the glory of the Resurrection.

Look at him at the tomb of Lazarus. And listen to what he says of the Magdalene: "Much has been forgiven her, because she has loved much." What do you discover in these flashes from the Gospel except a heart that is good, gentle, tender, compassionate; in other words, the heart of a God?

But can we still say 'Thy will be done' when we are no longer certain what God's will would have of us? Do we still have the means to hold to His ways when the inner light dies out?  There are such means, indeed such strong means... He knows our nature; He takes it into consideration and therefore He has given us everything which can help us to reach our goal.

During these painful times when you feel a terrible void, think how He is enlarging the capacity of your soul so that it can receive Him, making it, as it were, infinite just as He is infinite. So, as far as your will is concerned, try to remain perfectly joyous beneath the hand that is crucifying you ... look upon each pain as a token of love coming to you directly from God, in order that He may unite you to Him.

Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it; reflect that all must come to an end.

Oh, how much we gain if we have no desire to gain what seems to us best and so have no fear of losing, since God never permits a truly mortified person to lose anything except when such loss will bring him greater gain!

By love and not by fear, does a soul avoid committing the least voluntary fault.

Since this edifice is built entirely on humility, the closer one comes to God, the more progress there must be in this virtue; and if there is no progress in humility, everything is going to be ruined.

Our Lord to Teresa: "In this way you will see the reward that comes from suffering, for since you did not have the health to speak with Me, I have spoken with you and favored you."

The very pure spirit does not meddle with exterior attachments or human respect, but it communes inwardly with God, alone and in solitude as to all forms, and with delightful tranquility, for the knowledge of God is received in divine silence.

The devil gains much and is extremely pleased to see a soul afflicted and disquieted, for he knows that disturbance impedes it from being totally occupied in loving and praising God.