Words of Wisdom & Encouragement

Seek for God…

Theirs is an endless road, a hopeless maze, who seek for goods before they seek for God.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

The grace of contemplation…

The grace of contemplation is granted only in response to a longing insistent desire.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

The rivers of grace…

The rivers of Grace cannot flow uphill, up the steep cliff of the proud man’s heart.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Speak in thanksgiving…

Speak to God in thanksgiving and you will get graces more and more abundantly.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

The Eucharist is…

The Eucharist is that love which surpasses all loves in Heaven and on earth.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Trees will teach…

The trees and stones will teach you what you never learn from the masters.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Humility recognized?…

It is a fault, not a virtue, to wish your humility recognized and applauded.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

God will give…

God will either give us what we ask, or what He knows to be better for us.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Jesus to me…

Jesus to me is honey in the mouth, music in the ear, a song in the heart.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Most important virtues…

The three most important virtues are humility, humility, and humility.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153).

Loving God…

The true measure of loving God is to love him without measure.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

In spiritual life…

In spiritual life, when you cease to climb, you begin to descend.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

When God cannot be found…

God is never sought in vain, even when God cannot be found.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Jesus won me over…

He won me over entirely by giving Himself entirely to me.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Hear and listen…

You wish to see; listen. Hearing is a step toward Vision.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Rightly reads scripture…

He rightly reads scripture who turns words into deeds.

Prayer prevails against…

Prayer is a virtue that prevails against all temptations.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Expect much…

Expect much of God, and he will do much for you.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Prayer makes glad

Prayer is a wine that makes glad the heart.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Things are possible…

All things are possible to one who believes.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

No greater misery…

There is no greater misery than false joys.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Hell is full…

Hell is full of good wishes or desires.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Death – gate of life…

Death is the gate of life.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Speak and act with simplicity…

We ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity, speak to Him frankly and plainly, and implore His assistance in our affairs.
—  Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)

Prayers acceptable to God…

A little lifting of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless acceptable to God.
—  Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)

It is because of faith…

It is because of faith that we exchange the present for the future.
— Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622)

But faith alone …

God has many ways of drawing us to Himself. He sometimes hides Himself from us: but faith alone, which will not fail us in time of need, ought to be our support, and the foundation of our confidence, which must be all in God.
— Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)

With Christians, a…

With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty. We are bid to color all things with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in every event.
— Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

God as we…

God as we ought to worship Him. God is Spirit, so we must worship Him in spirit and truth, that is, by a humble and true adoration of spirit in the depth and center of our souls.
—  Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)

Receive Holy Communion

Above all, we are made members of the Body of Christ by virtue of the sacrament in which Christ himself is present. When we partake of the sacrifice and receive Holy Communion and are nourished by the flesh and blood of Jesus, we ourselves become his flesh and blood.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Unity of life in God…

For those blessed souls who have entered into the unity of life in God, everything is one: rest and activity, looking and acting, silence and speaking, listening and communicating, surrender in loving acceptance and an outpouring of love in grateful songs of praise.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

The love of Christ knows no limits…

Whoever is near us and needing us must be our ”neighbor”; it does not matter whether he is related to us or not, whether he is morally worthy of our help or not. The love of Christ knows no limits.  It never ends; it does not shrink from ugliness and filth.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

The way of the cross…

The way of the cross is this expiation. The triple collapse under the burden of the cross corresponds to the triple fall of humanity: the first sin, the rejection of the Savior by his chosen people, and the falling away of those who bear the name of Christian.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Resting in God…

There is a state of resting in God, an absolute break from all intellectual activity, when one forms no plans, makes no decisions and for the first time really ceases to act, when one simply hands over the future to God’s will and ‘surrenders himself to fate.’
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

The Bread we need…

The Bread that we need each day to grow in eternal life, makes of our will a docile instrument of the Divine Will; sets the Kingdom of God within us; gives us pure lips, and a pure heart with which to glorify his holy name.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

To erect a structure of holiness…

To erect a structure of holiness… one must dig deep and build high, must descend into the depth of the dark night of one’s own nothingness in order to be raised up high into the sunlight of divine love and compassion.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

All who seek truth…

It has always been far from me to think that God’s mercy allows itself to be circumscribed by the visible Church’s boundaries. God is truth. All who seek truth seek God, whether this is clear to them or not.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Spiritual need transcends…

On the question of relating to our fellowman – our neighbor’s spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Being one with Christ…

Because being one with Christ is our sanctity, and progressively becoming one with him our happiness on earth, the love of the cross no way contradicts being a joyful child of God.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross  (1891-1942)

Every Christian needs…

Every Christian needs a half-hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Prayer is a remedy…

Prayer is a sovereign remedy, it lifts the mind to God, Who is our only Joy and Consolation.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Don’t attach your heart…

Don’t desire well if you do not have. Don’t attach your heart too closely to what you already have.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

How to fast…

We must fast with our whole heart, that is to say, willing, wholeheartedly, universally and entirely.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Run to Mary…

Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

The chief exercise of prayer…

The chief exercise of prayer is to speak to God and to hear God speak in the bottom of our heart.
— Saint Francis de Sales, (1567-1622)

One single act…

One single act done with aridity of spirit is worth more than many done with feelings of devotion.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Though perseverance…

Though perseverance does not come from our power, yet it comes from within our power.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

By giving yourself…

By giving yourself to God, you not only receive Himself in exchange, but eternal life as well.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Stretch forth your…

Stretch forth your hand towards God as an infant towards its father to be conducted by Him.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

What a church needs…

What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Attain to perfection

We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Live humbly, amiably, and sweetly…

Live humbly before God, amiably with your neighbor, and sweetly with yourself.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

So absorbed with God…

He prays well who is so absorbed with God that he does not know he is praying.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Friendships begun…

Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

One Holy Communion…

One Holy Communion well made is quite enough to make us perfect saints.

–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Nothing is so strong…

Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Be what you are…

Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Don’t sow weeds…

Don’t sow weeds in the soil of your heart. Your garden space is limited.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

Listening in prayer…

In prayer, more is accomplished by listening than by talking.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

We must love God…

We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.
–Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

We are humble

We are humble only in so far as we are obedient.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

The measure of love…

The measure of love is love without measure.
— Saint Francis de Sales  (1567-1622)

In the service of God…

There is nothing small in the service of God.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

God is good…

God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one.  Since God is good, and especially to those who are faithful to him, let us hold fast to him with all our soul, our heart, our strength, and so enjoy his light and see his glory and possess the grace of supernatural joy.
— Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397)

You have asked amiss…

The reason why sometimes you have asked and not received, is because you have asked amiss, either inconsistently, or lightly, or because you have asked for what was not good for you, or because you have ceased asking.
— Saint Basil the Great (330-379)

Talk with God…

You write, “To pray is to talk with God. But about what?” About what? About Him, about yourself—joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions—and Love and reparation.  In a word, to get to know him and to get to know yourself—”to get acquainted!”
— Saint Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975)

How to pray…

You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!” you can be sure you have already begun.
— Saint  Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

Key to God’s heart…

Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should only speak to Him with your heart.
— Saint Pio (1887-1968)

The only way to pray…

The only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much. If one has no time for this, then one must at least pray
regularly. But the less one prays, the worse it goes.
–John Chapman (1865-1933)

Pray as you can…

Pray as you can, not at you can’t.
–John Chapman (1865-1933)

Give thanks to…

Give thanks to Jesus Christ as soon as you get up in the morning for the blessings and graces he gives us continually, having created you to his own image and likeness, and having given us the grace of being Christian.
— Saint John of God (1495-1550)

Find some suitable time…

Every one should find some suitable time, day or night, to sink into his depths, each according to his own fashion. Not every one is able to engage in contemplative prayer.
— Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

Kneeling is helpful…

At the time of darkness, more than anything else kneeling is helpful.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

In times of affliction…

In times of affliction, unceasingly call out to the merciful God in prayer. The unceasing invocation of the name of God in prayer is a treatment for the soul which kills not only the passions, but even their very operation. As a doctor finds the necessary medicine, and it works in such a way that the sick person does not understand, in just the same way the name of God, when you call upon it, kills all the passions, although we don’t know how this happens.
— Saint Barsanuphius the Great (Sixth Century)

Make you a saint…

Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to Communion as often as you can.
— Saint  Dominic Savio (1842-I857)

To become saints…

God’s invitation to become saints is for all, not just a few. Sanctity therefore must be accessible to all. In what does it consist? In a lot of activity? No. In doing extraordinary things? No, this could not be for everybody and at all times. Therefore, sanctity consists in doing good, and in doing this good in whatever condition and place God has placed us. Nothing more, nothing outside of this.
— Blessed Louis Tezza (1841-1923)

Become a saint…

Make up your mind to become a saint.
— Saint Mary Mazzarello (1837-1881)

If something has become…

If something has become deeply united with your soul, you should not only regard it as your possession in this life, but believe that it will accompany you into the life to come. If it is something good, rejoice and give thanks to God in your mind; if it is something bad,  grieve and sigh, and strive to free yourself from it while you are still in the body.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

A small but persistent…

A small but persistent discipline is a great force; for a soft drop tailing persistently, hollows out hard rock.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

Cleanse your mind…

Cleanse your mind from anger, remembrance of evil, and shameful thoughts, and then you will find out how Christ dwells in you.
— Saint Maximos the Confessor (580-662)

The more the soul…

The more the soul loves, the more it desires to love, and the greater its suffering, the greater its healing.
— Saint Columbanus (543-615)

God wishes us…

God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything, hope anything, or desire anything but from Him, and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone.
— Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Make progress in…

If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor.
— Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Go forward or…

Unless we go forward we slip backward.
— John Jewell (1522-1571)

Stay with God…

For now, stay with God, and go with God.
— Saint John of God (1495-1550)

The cross must be borne…

The cross must be borne by everyone who wishes to be saved, in accord with the good pleasure of God the grace He gives them, though all are aiming at the goal, yet each one goes by their own road, as God guides them.
— Saint John of God (1495-1550)

Gradually becomes transformed…

As one sees a river pass into the ocean, lose itself in it, its water for a time distinguished from that of the sea, till it gradually becomes transformed into the same sea, and possesses all its qualities; so was my soul lost in God, who communicated to it His qualities, having drawn it out of all that it had of its own. Its life is an inconceivable innocence, not known or comprehended of those who are still shut up in themselves or only live for themselves.
–Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717)

Unanswered questions and enigmas…

If knowing answers to life’s questions is absolutely necessary to you, then forget the journey. You will never make it, for this is a journey of unknowables—of unanswered questions, enigmas, incomprehensibles, and most of all, things unfair.
–Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717)

Have to be willing…

You don’t have to be worthy; you only have to be willing.
— Saint Pio (1887-1968)

Does not advance…

Ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life the one who does not advance goes backward. It happens with a boat, which must go ahead. If it stands still the wind will blow it back.
— Saint Pio (1887-1968)

Satisfaction consists…

Satisfaction consists in the cutting off of the causes of the sin. Thus, fasting is the proper antidote to lust; prayer to pride, to envy, anger and sloth; alms to covetousness.
— Saint Richard of Chichester (c. 1197-1253)

When I fall…

And when I fall, the first time especially, what a light I have on myself! I thought I was strong, that gross temptation would not move me, that I would be faithful in all sorts of environment. I am down–in the dirt–I know myself now! But I know God, too, as I did not before, now I know the radiance of the shadowless light, I know now what sin is.
— Caryll Houselander  (1901-1954)

Compromise is a word…

Compromise is a word found only in the vocabulary of those who have no will to fight.
— Saint Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975)

The real conflict…

The real conflict is inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the catacombs of concentration camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are victories on the battle-field if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?
— Saint Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941)

Perfect love of God…

Perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s.
— Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

In offering ourselves…

If we look carefully within ourselves, we shall find that there are certain limits beyond which we refuse to go in offering ourselves to [God]. We hover around these reservations, making believe not to see them, for fear of self-reproach… The more we shrink from giving up any such reserved point, the more certain it is that it needs to be given up. If we were not fast bound by it, we should not make so many efforts to persuade ourselves that we are free.
— François Fénelon (1651-1715)

Absolute abandonment…

If there be anything that is capable of setting the soul in a large place it is absolute abandonment to God. It diffuses in the soul a peace that flows like a river and the righteousness which is as the waves of the sea.
— François Fénèlon  (1651-1715)

Give yourself…

God gave Himself to you: give yourself to God.
— Blessed Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

When we transcend…

But when we transcend ourselves, and become in our ascent towards God, so simple that the naked love in the height can lay hold of us, where love enfolds love, above every exercise of virtue that is, in our Origin, of Which we are spiritually born, then we cease, and we and all our selfhood die in God. And in this death we become hidden [children] of God, and find a new life within us: and that is eternal life.
–Blessed John Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)

Forsake our selves and works…

In our approach to God, we must carry with us ourselves and all our works, as a perpetual sacrifice to God; and in the Presence of God, we must forsake ourselves and all our works, and, dying in love, go forth from all creatureliness into the superessential richness of God: there we shall possess God in an eternal death to ourselves.
— Blessed John Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)