To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to the infinite mercy of God, the future to His good Providence, give the present wholly to His love by being faithful to His grace.
–Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)
Souls who can recognize God in the most trivial, the most grievous and the most mortifying things that happen to them in their lives, honor everything equally with delight and rejoicing, and welcome with open arms what others dread and avoid.
–Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)
There is a kind of holiness in which all the messages from God are bright and clear, but there is also that state of utterly quiescent faith in which all that God tells us is wrapped in the impenetrable darkness which veils his throne, and all we feel is confused and shadowy. In this condition, we are often afraid of running smack into a rock as we advance through his darkness. We should have no fear. We are on the right path and led by God… God truly helps us however much we feel we have lost his support. Our trust and faith will deepen the darker it grows. We are incapable of becoming holy by our own efforts; God would not have taken away our ability to walk unless he was to carry us in his arms.
–Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)
We must accept our own death and that of our relations when God shall send it to us, and not desire it at any other time; for it is sometimes necessary that it should happen at that particular moment for the good of our own and their souls.
–Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)
He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works, and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing.
— Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)
For God loves saving, not condemning, and therefore He is patient with bad people, in order to make good people out of bad people.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)
