Let us run to Mary, and as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.
Occasions do not often present themselves for the exercise of fortitude, magnanimity, and great generosity, but meekness, temperance, integrity, and humility are virtues that must mark all our actions in life. In practicing the virtues, we should prefer the one most conformable to our duties rather than the one more agreeable to our tastes.
Nothing is as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.
We are not drawn to God by iron chains, but by sweet attractions and holy inspirations.
To live according to the spirit is to love according to the spirit.
Through devotion, your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
The best means of doing perfectly whatever we are doing is to do it with the thought of God's presence. Nothing we do will ever offend God if we are constantly attentive to his presence and so long as we are conscious that his eyes are always upon us.
There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love - every man works his oar voluntarily!
By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.
Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.
True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.
Reputation is rarely proportioned to virtue.
So many have come to me that I might serve them, leaving me no time to think of myself. However, I assure you that I do feel deep down within me, God be praised.
Little children are fond of chasing butterflies with great eagerness. No one finds it wrong, since they are only children. But is it not laughable, or rather pitiful, to see grownup persons so eager and have such fondness for worthless trifles (games, dances feasts etc.) these things, besides being useless, put us in danger of becoming undisciplined and unbalanced as we run after them.
Ladies embroider pretty flowers on white satin with multicoloured silks, enriching them here and there with a touch of silver and gold. For this they use a needle to pull the silk or threads of gold or silver, through the material. Once that is done, the needle is no longer needed. So God, when he means to embroider a variety of virtues on our hearts and enrich it with charity, uses the needle of fear to open our heart. As the virtues are drawn behind it, to overlay the heart, fear departs, for love drives out fear, when it is perfect love.
If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord's presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.
If we say a little it is easy to add, but having said too much it is hard to withdraw and never can it be done so quickly as to hinder the harm of our success.
When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.
Always be as gentle as you can, and remember that more flies are caught with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar.
It is not those who commit the least faults who are the most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immediately apprehensive about tripping.
It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.
We must always hold on firmly to our two dear virtues: gentleness towards our neighbour and a loving humility towards God. This great God, who has taken you by the hand in order to draw you closer to him, will not abandon you. You have to uproot from your heart all craving to occupy the first place. You will receive honour only in so far as you despise it.
Salvation is shown to faith, it is prepared for hope, but it is given only to charity. Faith points out the way to the land of promise as a pillar of fire; hope feeds us with its manna of sweetness, but charity actually introduces us into the Promised Land.
Oh what remorse we shall feel at the end of our lives, when we look back upon the great number of instructions and examples afforded by God and the Saints for our perfection, and so carelessly received by us! If this end were to come to you today, how would you be pleased with the life you have led this year?
Hold your heart fully open before God; let us go joyfully into his presence. He loves us, he cares for us, he is all ours, this gentle Jesus. Let us belong entirely to him alone. Let us love him, cherish him.
Man is the perfection of the Universe. The spirit is the perfection of man. Love is the perfection of the spirit, and charity that of love. Therefore, the love of God is the end, the perfection of the Universe.
Children learn to speak by constantly listening to their mothers and chattering to them. So we, remaining close to the Saviour in meditation and observing his words, his actions and his loving desires, shall learn with the help of his grace to speak, act and will like him.
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