What a weakness it is to love Jesus Christ only when He caresses us, and to be cold immediately once He afflicts us. This is not true love. Those who love thus, love themselves too much to love God with all their heart.
–Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647- 1690)
No one who lies is linked to God. God is the truth. He says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn. 14:6). See how we sort ourselves out and what position we take up through lying: clearly on the side of the evil one. If, therefore, we want to be saved, we must with all our hearts love the Truth and guard ourselves from every kind of falsehood so that we may not be separated from truth and from life.
–Saint Dorotheus of Gaza (Sixth Century)
Love is sufficient of itself; it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in the practice.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
It is not possible to love your neighbor unless you love God. If you love God first, then you can love your neighbor in God… If we really love God, we will love what belongs to God. We will love in the same manner as we have been loved. We care about others even as Christ cared. We love the Lord not because he is good to us, but because the Lord is good.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Don’t be deceived regarding the knowledge of what will be after your death: what you sow here, you will reap there. After leaving here, no one can make progress. Here is the work, there the reward; here the struggle, there the crowns.
–Saint Barsanuphius the Great (Sixth Century)
