The spiritual life…
The spiritual life consists in two things—mortification and the love of God.
–Blessed Matt Talbot (1856-1925)
The human soul…
The human soul is a barren soil in in which useless and noxious herbs constantly spring up. We must practice being holy and do penance always.
–Blessed Matt Talbot (1856-1925)
Need for action…
There is no need of words only, for there are many words in people nowadays, but there is need for action.
–The Desert Fathers (and Mothers)
Go elsewhere…
If a monk sets himself to do good but lacks the strength to do it in the place where he is, let him not think that if he were to go elsewhere, he would have the strength to accomplish it.
–The Desert Fathers (and Mothers)
Stretches of darkness…
If anyone tells you that the life of prayer is one uninterrupted experience of being happy with Jesus, do not follow him. He is not a safe guide. Those who follow the Lamb know that there are stretches of darkness and loneliness and perplexity along the way, and they know that Jesus himself went that way.
–Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998)
Possess what God…
Many have indiscriminately afflicted their flesh and have come away empty, with nothing accomplished. Our mouth stinks from fasting; we have learned the Scriptures by heart; we have perfected [our knowledge of the Psalms of] David, and yet we do not possess what God is looking for, that is, fear, love, and humility.
–The Desert Fathers (and Mothers)
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