Prayer is mortar…
Prayer is the mortar that holds our house together.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)
By vehement desire…
The grace of contemplation is granted only in response to a longing an importunate (burning) desire: Nevertheless, God will not present Himself, even in passing, to every soul; but only to that soul which is shown, by great devotion, vehement desire, and tender affection, to be His bride, and to be worthy that the Word in all His beauty should visit her as a Bridegroom.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
God alone can satisfy…
God alone can satisfy our desires… It is not very intelligent to desire what can never satisfy. While enjoying wealth, you keep searching for something you still lack. You run back-and-forth from one pleasure to another, becoming tired, but never satisfied… Eventually we will come to say to God, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Anything else is doomed to failure.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
See the light…
If you do not reach the point of despair, you will never see the Light.
–Gabriela Papayannis (1897-1992)
The dark night…
Every contemplative (and not only the gifted mystic), if his contemplation is an expression of a living discipleship, must be prepared to experience the dark night to some degree. It is a sign that he is on the path of Christ, i.e., it is a sign of consolation, even though it is bound to take the form of a withdrawal of consolation.
–Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988)
To saints…
To saints, their very slumber is a prayer.
— Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)
About
