Lord, shed upon our darkened souls the brilliant light of your wisdom so that we may be enlightened and serve you with renewed purity. . .May your resurrection, Jesus, bring true greatness to our spiritual self and may your Sacraments be the mirror wherein we may know that self. Savior, your Divine plan for the world is a mirror for the spiritual world; teach us to walk in that world as spiritual men.

– St. Ephrem

Let us not lament if we suffer from some natural defect of body or mind; from poor memory, slowness of understanding, little ability . . . or general bad health. What claim have we, or what obligation is God under, to give us a more brilliant mind or a more robust body? Who is ever offered a gift and then lays down the conditions upon which he will accept it? Who knows? Perhaps if God had given us greater talent, better health, a more personable appearance, we might have lost our souls. Great talent and knowledge have caused many to be puffed up with the idea of their own importance . . . How many, on the contrary, who, by reason of poverty, infirmity or physical deformity, have become saints and have saved their souls . . . But one thing is necessary and it is not beauty, not health, not talent. It is the salvation of our immortal souls.

– St. Alphonsus Liguori

Filling our minds with the memory of God and what he has done is one of the most important ways that we can experience his power to heal the hurts that reside in us, the ones we can’t shake. Keeping God in our memory can help us to forgive what seems unforgivable. It helps us bring an end to the sins that nag at us, the ones we can’t seem to control. It helps us when our burdens seem insurmountable. In all of these situations, God can use our memories to take us deeper into his heart, especially when we feel frustrated in our spiritual walk and distant from him. It’s one of the major ways he renews our minds, and that is why it is so important that we remember him. Put the memory of God and his mighty deeds in the forefront of your minds – along with the place your loved ones hold. Better yet, put the memory of God above everyone and everything else.

– Anonymous

Let us imagine that we are a brush in the hand of an infinitely perfect artist. What must a brush do to make the painting turn out most beautiful? It must allow itself to be guided as perfectly as possible . . . When Eternal Wisdom, God, uses us as an instrument, then we shall act most fruitfully . . . when we permit ourselves to be directed most perfectly and entirely.

– St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Blessed is the soul who hears the Lord speaking within, who receives the word of consolation from his lips. Blessed are the ears that receive the echoes of the soft whisper of God, and pay no heed to the murmurings of this world. . . Blessed are they who search inward things, who try daily to prepare themselves more and more to understand heavenly mysteries. Blessed are they who long to give their time to God, and who cut themselves off from the hindrances of the world. Consider these things, my soul, and close the door of your senses, so that you can hear what the Lord your God speaks within you. “I am your salvation,” says your Beloved. “I am your peace and your life. Remain with me and you will find peace.’

– Thomas à Kempis

What does poverty of spirit mean? It is my awareness that I cannot save myself, that I am basically defenseless, that neither money nor power will spare me from suffering and death. . .Poverty of spirit is my awareness that I need God’s help and mercy more than I need anything else. Poverty of spirit is getting free of the rule of fear, fear being the great force that restrains us from acts of love. Being poor in spirit means letting go of the myth that the more I possess, the happier I’ll be. . .Poverty of spirit is letting go of self and of all that keeps you locked in yourself.

-Jim Forest

Oh God, infinite holiness, goodness and perfection, lead me to sanctity. Increase and refine my love. Turn it into a burning flame, a fiery furnace of love. Raise me above my mundane self. Do for me what I am unable to do for myself. Drown my pride, my selfishness and attachments in the abyss of the love and humility of thy Sacred Heart.

– Louis Kaczmarek

The best preparation I can make for death is to live the reality of the Paschal mystery as fully and as deeply as possible in union with Christ, because Christ will re-live that mystery in me at the hour of my death. If I am following the spirituality of the Paschal mystery, I expect to die and rise again many times in the course of my monastic life, in my daily tasks and duties, in unexpected events and circumstances, and in my life of interior prayer. . .I expect to have to let go and give up again and again, discovering a new richness of life each time. . .I will learn to trust more and more this Father into whose hands I shall one day, freely and gladly, hand over my life. On that day my final act of dying will be inserted irrevocably into the saving death and resurrection of Christ my Lord.”

– Father Charles Cummings O.C.S.O.

In all his dealings with us, the Lord teaches us how to live on this earth. There is not a person in this world who is not a voyager, even if not all are anxious to return to the Homeland. In the course of this voyage, the waves and the storms make us seasick. At least we are in the ship. Outside the ship, death would be inevitable. When one is swimming among the breakers, however energetic one’s arms are, sooner or later one is defeated by the size of the ocean and allows oneself to drown. To complete the crossing, therefore, it is essential to remain in the ship, to be supported by its planks. The plank that supports our weakness is the cross of Our Lord. He keeps us safe from the world that threatens to drown us. We suffer because we are tossed about by the waves, but the Lord himself supports us.

– St. Augustine

Trials are not only good for us, but necessary for our spiritual growth, especially if endured with the right disposition. During hard times, God helps us see that control is really an illusion. We’re not in charge. Our lives don’t even belong to us. We would cease to exist if the Holy Spirit stopped actively sustaining our existence, even for one second . . . God is more responsible for our lives than we are. Our job is to listen, humble ourselves, work hard and not get in his way.

– Anonymous