The soul united to God and transformed in him draws from within God a divine breath, much like the most high God himself. And God, abiding in the soul, breathes forth the life of the soul as its exemplar. This I take to be what Paul meant when he said: because you are children of God, God has sent to the Spirit of his Son into your heart's crying, Abba, Father; this is what takes place in those who have achieved perfection.

-- St. John of the Cross

The love of worldly possessions is a sort of bird line, which entangles the soul, and prevents it flying to God.

-- St. Augustine

Moreover the strongest support is provided not only to protect the young from evil, but also to rouse them and attract them more easily and gently to the performance of good works. Like the twigs of plants, the young are easily influenced, as long as someone works to change their souls. But if they are allowed to grow hard, we know well that the possibility of one day bending them diminishes a great deal and is sometimes utterly lost.

-- Saint Joseph Calasanz

Christ does not force our will, He only takes what we give Him. But He does not give Himself entirely until He sees that we yield ourselves entirely to Him.

-- St Teresa of Avila

-- St. Augustine

It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.

-- St. Francis de Sales

-- St. John of God

But a soul that does not live by the love of God suffers in a different way. It is not happy because it does not correspond generously enough to divine love; it hears a call and feels an attraction to which it does not respond. God punishes it by preventing it from being at peace in the quiet of laziness which it creates for itself. How many times is God sent away in this manner!

-- St. Peter Emyard

It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. It is good to teach, if he who speaks also acts. There is then one Teacher, who spake and it was done; while even those things which He did in silence are worthy of the Father. He who possesses the word of Jesus, is truly able to hear even His very silence, that he may be perfect, and may both act as he speaks, and be recognised by his silence.

-- St. Ignatius

Before prayer, endeavor to realize whose Presence you are approaching, and to whom you are about to speak. We can never fully understand how we ought to behave towards God, before whom the angles tremble.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

Separate me from myself and from all that is not you, in order to unite and incorporate me with you. Empty me of myself and of all things, destroy me utterly, in order to fill me with yourself and to form and establish yourself in me. Cause me henceforth to be a perfect image of yourself; just as you are a most perfect image of your Father.

-- St. John Eudes

-- St. Francis de Sales

Sorrow is given us on purpose to cure us of sin.

-- St. John Chrysostom

-- St. Francis de Sales

-- St. Alphonsus Liguori

O Truth, you are present to those who seek your help, and at one and the same time you answer all, though they seek your counsel on different matters. You respond clearly. but not everyone hears clearly. All ask what they wish, but do not always hear the answer they wish. Your best servant is he who is intent not so much on hearing his petition answered, as rather on willing whatever he hears from you.

-- St. Augustine

We read in the gospel that when the Lord was teaching his disciples and urged them to share in his passion by the ministry of eating his body, some said: This is a hard saying; and from that time they no longer followed him. When he asked the disciples whether they also wish to go away, they replied: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. I assure you my brothers that even to this day it is clear to some that the words which Jesus speaks are spirit and life, and for this reason they follow him. To others these words seem hard, and so they look elsewhere for some pathetic consolation. Yet wisdom cries out in the streets, in a broad and spacious way that leads to death, to call back those who take this path.

-- St Bernard

You go to pray; to become a bonfire, a living flame, giving light and heat.

-- St Josemaria Escriva

-- St. Ignatius of Loyola

-- St. Theresa of Avila

-- St. John Vianney

He who does not meditate acts as one who never looks into the mirror and so does not bother to put himself in order, since he can be dirty without knowing it. The person who meditates and turns his thoughts to God who is the mirror of the soul, seeks to know his defects and tries to correct them, moderates himself in his impulses and puts his conscience in order.

-- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina