St. Teresa of Avila: Detachment

Detachment, if practiced perfectly, includes the other two necessary virtues, love of others and true humility.

~St. Teresa of Avila

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: Little Things

We can do little things for God.

~Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

St. Teresa of the Andes: Infinite Horizons of Love

When a soul gives herself wholly to God, He manifests Himself by letting the soul discover infinite horizons of love that will unite her most closely to Him.

~St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

St. John of the Cross: An Altar

The soul in which God alone dwells has no other function than that of an altar on which God is adored in praise and love.

~St. John of the Cross

St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi: In Prayer

... in prayer God teaches the soul, and through prayer the soul detaches itself from created things and unites itself to God.

~St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi

St. John of the Cross: God Ordains All

Think nothing else but that God ordains all, and where there is no love, put love, and you will draw out love.

~St. John of the Cross

St. Teresa Margaret Redi: Render Me A True Copy

...I try to keep up my effort in the practice of those virtues that can render me a true copy of my dear God.

~St. Teresa Margaret Redi

 

St. Teresa Margaret Redi: No Other Desire

I have no other desire than to unite myself to the Heart of Jesus.

~St. Teresa Margaret Redi

 

St. Francis of Assisi: Our Father

OUR FATHER,

Most Holy, our Creator and Redeemer, our Savior and our Comforter.

WHO ART IN HEAVEN:

Together with the angels and saints, giving them light so that they may have knowledge of you, because you, Lord, are Light; inflaming them so that they may love, because you, Lord, are Love: living continually in them and filling them so that they may be happy, because you, Lord, are the supreme good, the eternal good, and it is from you that all good comes, and without you there is no good.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME.

May our knowledge of you become ever clearer, so that we may realize the width and breadth of your blessings, the steadfastness of your promises, the sublimity of your majesty and the depth of your judgments.

THY KINGDOM COME,

So that you may reign in us by your grace and bring us to your Kingdom, where we will see you clearly, love you perfectly, be blessed in your presence, and enjoy you forever.

THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN:

So that we may love you with our whole heart by always thinking of you; directing our whole intention with our whole mind towards you and seeking your glory in everything; spending all our powers and affections of soul and body with all our strength in the service of your love alone. May we also love our neighbors as ourselves, encouraging them to love you as best we can, rejoicing at the good fortune of others, just as if it were our own, and sympathizing with their misfortunes, giving offense to no one.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,

Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, so to remind us of the love he showed for us and to help us to understand and appreciate it and everything he did or said or suffered.

AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES,

In your infinite mercy, and by the power of the Passion of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, together with the merits and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US,

And if we do not forgive perfectly, Lord, make us do so, so that we may indeed love our enemies out of love for you, and pray fervently to you for them, never returning evil for evil, anxious only to serve everybody in you.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

Neither hidden or obvious, sudden or unforeseen.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL --

Present, past or to come.

Amen. 

~St. Francis of Assisi

Pope St. John Paul Quotes: July 27, 2017

What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ, and that we love him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And without the love of Jesus, everything else is useless.

*** 

There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us.

***

Christ himself carried a burden, and his burden - the cross - was made heavier by the sins of us all. But Christ did not avoid the cross; he accepted it and carried it willingly. Moreover, he now stands beside those weighed down by trials and persecutions, remaining beside them to the end. It is for all people and with all people that he carries the cross to Calvary, and it is there that for all of us he is nailed to his cross. He dies the death of a criminal, the most humiliating death known to the world at that time. That is why to those in our own century who carry terrible burdens he is able to say: "Come tome! I am your Brother in suffering. There is no humiliation or bitterness which I do not know!"

***

Jesus Christ has taken the lead on the way of the cross. He has suffered first. He does not drive us toward suffering but shares it with us, wanting us to have life and to have it in abundance. 

~Pope St. John Paul the Great

St. Francis de Sales: Sign of the Cross

When making the Sign of the Cross, therefore, we confess three great mysteries: the Trinity, the Passion, and the remission of sins, by which we are moved from the left, the hand of the curse, to the right, the hand of blessing.

~ St. Francis de Sales

St. Therese of Lisieux: Suffering with Love

Suffering borne with love is happiness most pure.

~ St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Francis de Sales: You Would Be Courageous!

If you were able to stir your heart a little more deeply to the practice of meekness and true humility, you would be courageous. But you must frequently think of it. Prepare yourself to do so first thing each morning, and God will send you a thousand consolations.

~ St. Francis de Sales

St. John Paul the Great: What Really Matters

What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ, and that we love him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And without the love of Jesus, everything else is useless.

~ St. John Paul the Great

St. Teresa of Calcutta: Mothers, Heart of the Home

Mothers are the heart of the home; they build family life by wanting, loving and taking care of their children. . . . 

Recently, in L——, a young woman of twenty-one years, who had been scolded in the morning, attempted suicide later in the day by swallowing kerosene. Taken to the hospital, she said to the priest: “My mother chased me out of the house and I did not know where to go; so I thought the best thing would be to kill myself.” 

Much suffering of young people is attributable to the family and particularly to mothers. Mothers make the home a center of love. Their role is sometimes hard, but there is the example of the Blessed Virgin, who teaches us to be good with our children. We Missionaries of Charity also have to be mothers and make our communities happy homes (LC, 24).

~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

St. Augustine: Set Us on Fire

Come, Lord, work upon us, set us on fire and clasp us close, be fragrant to us, draw us to your loveliness, let us love, let us run to you. 

~ St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Therese of Lisieux: Not Always Faithful

It is true I am not always faithful, but I never lose courage. I leave myself in the Arms of Our Lord. 

– St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux: Love, Not Fear!

Your soul is called to raise itself to God by the elevator of love and not to climb the rough stairway of fear. 

- St. Therese of Lisieux