SAINTS TERESA OF AVILA, THERESE OF LISIEUX, JOHN OF THE CROSS:
- Throughout the day, I enjoyed renewing the feelings and emotions that the Lord discloses to me in prayer. “This is a great good”, Saint Teresa tells us. (p. 22)
- Leonor is already in her beloved and tranquil town of Guernica. I’m very happy about this. The books that she sent me are extremely gratifying. I’m not surprised that she likes Thérèse of Lisieux so much. Her writings are very pertinent to our God-giving desires for a simple, trusting, and loving life. (p. 22)
- I copied my May 3 offering to Jesus for her, warning her that if anything appeared outlandish not to think too much about it because they were simple mere ideas of mine. Besides, isn’t this in the spirit of Thérèse of Lisieux? (p. 24)
- I believe we love one another in a similar way that Thérèse (of Lisieux) and Céline loved each other. (p. 25)
- My path is very similar to that of Thérèse of Lisieux – unexciting, thanks to God. (p. 28)
- I live totally surrendered to the love of Jesus, at a depth that few people discover, and that I want to make the most of it with audacity, as Thérèse of Lisieux used to say. (p. 32)
- Reading the words of Saint Teresa has done a lot of good for me no matter how despondent I may feel. They rekindle my faith and allow me to rediscover the greatness of God. They also give me a love for humility. She is the saint that I like best who can speak about Him. She’s the one who best teaches me how to live in truth. (p.39)
- I agree with Saint Teresa when she says, and rightly so, that those of us who try to serve God should always be fearless and speak plainly. (p. 57)
- With a determined will, I continue to attempt total surrender unto the Lord, in the style of Saint Teresa. (p. 58)
- First thing this morning I was reading Saint John of the Cross and I stopped and began reflecting on this question “Where have you hidden yourself? (p. 59)
- I continue reading Saint John of the Cross. It is so uplifting, I understand it all, but I feel so far away from what he’s describing, but not so far away and my desires. (p. 60)
- I am reading The Living Flame of Love (of St. John of the Cross). It leaves me hungry for the good that I am pursuing and desirous of relinquishing everything in order to unite more with God. (p. 60)
- I believe that I will have the works of Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa for the rest of my life. In those books, I always discover something new. They are veritable gold mine. (p. 65)
- I want to catch up with Leonor! I don’t know why we want the amount of energy and enthusiasm that God gives us if we don’t use it to follow Christ. There is no doubt that we will accomplish it. It’s question of determined determination, as Saint Teresa (p. 66)
- I continue to saturate myself in the literature of Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross. I can’t count the times I’ve read their complete works. Each time I discover sublime mysteries and incentives for me to delve into the pure love of God. Reading Saint John of the Cross, I have learned to what point there needs to be death of the “self” in order to unite with God, something that I wish for so much. (p. 70)
- This morning they gave me two letters from Leonor. This first one came veiled in fog and darkness, as Saint John of the Cross would say. (p. 78)
- I gain strength by reading Saint John of the Cross: “In search of my love/ I will go over mountains and strands;/ I will gather no flowers/ I will fear no wild beasts;/ And pass by the mighty and frontiers”. (p. 79)
- I have a great desire to love Jesus Christ in a totally new way. I want to love Him in the name of all those who do not love Him. I want to continually think about Him. I want to sacrifice myself for love and to use my entire life to glorify Him, just like He glorified the Father. Good Jesus! If you want to fulfill my wishes, give a new, ardent heart, one that knows how to love and that my job is to grow that love until I can say with Saint John of the Cross, “My soul has been employed/ And all of my abundance in His service. / I no longer keep cattle/ Nor have any other office, / My only exercise now is to love. (p. 80)
- I remember that the only book we looked at then was The Quarter Hour of Prayer of Saint Teresa. (p. 227)
- I’m happy when someone says they enjoy reading Saint Teresa. She is my saint. She has taught me much and I also owe her a lot. Her writings allow me to discover the delight of her spirit. I like the love of God that they leave me with and how well it fits with reality. (p. 273)