“A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent sweetly communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” – St. Padre Pio
Closeness to God in Adoration
“You dwell, my Lord Jesus, in the Holy Eucharist. You are here, within a few feet of me, in the tabernacle… How close you are, my God, my Savior, my Jesus… Saint Mary Magdalene was no nearer to you when she sat at your feet in Bethany than I am at the foot of the […]
St. John Chrysostom on Prayer
Prayer and converse with God is a supreme good: it is a partnership and union with God. As the eyes of the body are enlightened when they see light, so our spirit, when it is intent on God, is illumined by his infinite light. I do not mean the prayer of outward observance but prayer […]
Elizabeth Leseur: Her Lenten resolution
In asking God this Lent for a spirit of retreat, I resolved to pray, suffer, and act in union with God’s will, for God’s glory alone. May his will be done in me, for me, in my whole life, and by me in regard to my neighbor and many others. To live spiritually hidden; to […]
St. Faustina: Desire to love God perfectly
I want to love You as no human soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable and small, I have, nevertheless, cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the abyss of Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear nothing, but hope […]
St. Thomas on Humility
“If you seek an example of humility, look on the Crucified. Although He was God, He chose to be judged by Pontius Pilate and to suffer death…. The Master chose to die for His servant; the Life of the Angels suffered death for man.” St. Teresa of Avila famously said that the three most important […]
Sanctity, the Only Real Power
From Abbot Anscar Vonier, O.S.B. (died 1906): It is a certain truth that if God in his providence exterminated every evil deed at once, killed every evil-doer, the final sum of goodness would be less. We have our Lord’s own words for it; there would be diminution. Goodness itself, sanctity itself, is fostered by the […]
St. Bernard: In the Wounds of Our Savior
Where can the weak find a place of firm security and peace, except in the wounds of the Savior? Indeed, the more secure is my place there the more he can do to help me. The world rages, the flesh is heavy, and the devil lays his snares, but I do not fall, for my […]
Power of Humility and Love
This parable is from the German Dominican priest, Fr. John Tauler (died in 1361 A.D.): “Going to the church door, the Master met a beggar there. He was in a miserable plight, his feet covered with mud and all his tattered clothes not worth three pennies. The Master said: ‘Good day, my friend.‘ The beggar: […]
Communion of Saints and the Call to Holiness
“Christians believe that a mysterious, spiritual solidarity exists among themselves and all other children of the same God. We call this solidarity the communion of saints; the efforts, merits, and sufferings of each individual benefit the rest. A similar law exists in the natural order, and if we think about it a little, we shall […]