Turn to God and be converted…
Turn to God quickly and completely. Be converted to him. Do not keep procrastinating… It is a common mistake to think that the mercy of God is so great that there will be no punishment.
–Richard Rolle (c. 1300-1349)
Occupied with what is holy…
If you put something fragrant on to burning coals, you motivate those who approach to come back again and to stay near, but if instead you put on something with an unpleasant, oppressive smell, you repel them and drive them away. It is the same with the mind. If your attention is occupied with what is holy, you make yourself worthy of being visited by God, since this is the sweet savour which God catches scent of. On the other hand, if you nurture evil, foul and earthly thoughts within you, you remove yourself from God’s supervision and unfortunately make yourself worthy of His aversion.
–Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359)
No standing still…
In the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does not daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is impossible; he that gains not, loses; he that ascends not, descends. If one does not ascend the ladder, one must descend; if one does not conquer, one will be conquered.
–Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Go from all things to God…
A fish in water does not drown. A bird in the air does not plummet. Gold in fire does not perish. Rather, it gets its purity and its radiant color there. God has created all creatures to live according to their nature. How, then, am I to resist my nature? I must go from all things to God, Who is my Father by nature, My brother by His humanity, My bridegroom by love, And I His bride from all eternity.
–Mechthild of Magdeburg (1208-1282)
The love of God…
The love of God is born in us by grace, fed with the milk of reading, nourished with the food of meditation, strengthened and enlightened by prayer.
–William of Saint-Thierry (1085-1148)
All receive equally…
We all receive God’s blessings equally. But some of us, receiving God’s fire, that is, His word, become soft like beeswax, while the others like clay become hard as stone. And if we do not want Him, He does not force any of us, but like the sun He sends His rays and illuminates the whole world, and he who wants to see Him, sees Him, whereas the one who does not want to see Him, is not forced by Him. And no one is responsible for this privation of light except the one who does not want to have it.
–Saint Peter of Damascus (d. 750)
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