Lenten Wisdom

The saints, friends of God and our friends, traveled this earthly journey before us and are ever ready to help us on our path to heaven.

MORTIFICATION​

• Upon interior mortification depends the right adjustment of our whole exterior, its arrangement with most perfection, with most sweetness and peace. - St. Teresa
• The mortifications which come to us from God, or from men by His permission, are always worth more than those which are the children of our own will; for it must be considered a general rule, that the less our taste and choice intervene in our actions, the more they will have of goodness, solidity, devotion, the pleasure of God, and our own profit. - St. Francis de Sales

PRAYER

• There is certainly nothing more useful than prayer. Therefore, we ought to entertain great esteem and love for it, and employ every effort to make it well. - St. Vincent de Paul
• As one friend often visits another, going to bid him good morning and good night, and looking in upon him at times during the day; so should you often visit Jesus in His Sacrament, and offer His Precious Blood many times in each visit to the Eternal Father, and you will see that your love will increase marvellously by these visits. - St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi

• When the soul finds herself oppressed by aridity and sterility, she ought to make the prayer of reverence, confidence, and conformity to the Divine Will, standing in the presence of God like a poor man before his prince, making use of such words as express a loving submission to the Divine pleasure. - St. Jane Frances de Chantal

CHARITY

• It should be observed that perfect love of God consists not in those delights, tears, and sentiments of devotion that we generally seek, but in a strong determination and keen desire to please God in all things, and to take care, as far as possible, not to offend Him, and to promote His glory. - St. Teresa
• Some torment themselves in seeking means to discover the art of loving God, and do not know - poor creatures - that there is no art or means of loving Him but to love Him - that is, to begin to practice those things which are pleasing to Him. - St. Francis de Sales​