It is not that we keep His commandments first, and that then He
loves; but that He loves us, and then we keep His commandments. This is that grace, which is revealed to the humble, but hidden from the proud.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)
Do all you can with the means at your disposal and calmly leave the rest to God.
–Saint Mary MacKillop (1842-1909)
When we find that — through God’s grace and forgiveness — we are living spiritually harmonious lives, then we’ll understand that disobedience is without a doubt more horrible than hell, and more painful. Why? Because it goes against the essential grain of our good, God-given nature.
–Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)
This blessed friend is Jesus; it is his will and plan that we hang on to him, and hold tight always, in whatever circumstances; for whether we are filthy or clean is all the same to his love.
— Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)
No one of us desires anything so eagerly as God desires to bring us to the knowledge of Himself. God is always ready, but we are very unready. God is near us, but we are far from Him. God is within, and we are without. God is friendly — we are estranged.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)
Without being discouraged on account of our sins, we should pray for God’s grace with a perfect confidence relying upon the infinite merits of our Lord. God never fails offering us His grace at each action, as I have distinctly perceived it myself… unless my thoughts had wandered from a sense of God’s Presence, or unless I had forgot to ask His assistance.
–Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)
