We are warmed by fire, not by the smoke of the fire. We are carried over the sea by a ship, not by the wake of a ship. So too, what we are is to be sought in the invisible depths of our own being, not in our outward reflection in our acts.
–Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
Whether we know it or not, the actions of our daily life are fixing our character for good or for evil. The things you do, the thoughts you think, the words you say are turning you either into a saint or a devil, to be placed at either the right or the left side of the Divine Judge.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
The Holy Hour becomes like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
The title of Mary as our mother is not merely symbolic. Mary is our mother in the most real and lofty sense, a sense which surpasses that of earthly maternity. She begot our life of grace for us because she offered up her entire being, body and soul, as the Mother of God. That is why an intimate bond exists between Mary & ourselves. She loves us, she knows us, she exerts herself to bring each one of us into the closest possible relationship with the Lord – that which we are above all supposed to be.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)
‘And the Word became flesh‘. That truth became a reality in the manger at Bethlehem. But it was to be fulfilled in yet another form: ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life.’ The Savior, who knows that we are human beings and will remain human beings who have to struggle daily with weaknesses, comes to our assistance in a truly divine manner. Just as the human body is in need of daily bread, so also does the divine life in us require constant nourishment.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)
Detachment is designated as a night through which the soul must pass. It is this in a threefold sense: in regard to the point of departure, the path, and the goal.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)
