Get to know some of our favorite mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and even a few little sons and daughters.
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Come and Meet the family |
The Holy Family
In order to live as the Holy Family lived in the House of Nazareth, we must do what the Holy Family did. In every thought, word, and act...in every breath and heartbeat...in every prayer and reparation...in the little and in the big...Jesus, Mary, and Joseph sought to do one thing - glorify the Eternal Father. Following in their humble footsteps, we hope to do the same and we urge all to join us!
Looking for a more intimate relationship with your Father in Heaven? Let Him speak to you and show you how:
“With regards to the means of honoring me as I desire, all I ask of you is great CONFIDENCE. Do not think I want austerities or motifications; I do not want you to walk barefoot or to lay your face in the dust, or to cover yourselves with ashes. No, no! My dearest wish is that you behave as My children, simply and trusting Me." ~ The Eternal Father to Mother Eugenia, 1932
CLICK HERE (or the image of the Holy Family) for the Eternal Father's complete message to His children along with a brief biography on Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio and a testimony of the Right Reverend A. Caillot regarding the Church's approval of these revelations.
CLICK HERE for a document entitled NAZARETH which includes a variety of passages from the diary of the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta (Book of Heaven) that focus on the Holy Family in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.
Looking for a more intimate relationship with your Father in Heaven? Let Him speak to you and show you how:
“With regards to the means of honoring me as I desire, all I ask of you is great CONFIDENCE. Do not think I want austerities or motifications; I do not want you to walk barefoot or to lay your face in the dust, or to cover yourselves with ashes. No, no! My dearest wish is that you behave as My children, simply and trusting Me." ~ The Eternal Father to Mother Eugenia, 1932
CLICK HERE (or the image of the Holy Family) for the Eternal Father's complete message to His children along with a brief biography on Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio and a testimony of the Right Reverend A. Caillot regarding the Church's approval of these revelations.
CLICK HERE for a document entitled NAZARETH which includes a variety of passages from the diary of the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta (Book of Heaven) that focus on the Holy Family in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.
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Holy Father Benedict
OUR PATRON, OUR FATHER
His “little rule for beginners," as Benedict likes to call it, provides us with a simple and effective means to live a monastic life of work and prayer according to God's Most Holy Will in obedience, humility, and of course...CHARITY!
“The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This is the virtue of those who hold nothing dearer to them than Christ...those who are moved with the desire of attaining life everlasting. That desire is their motive for choosing the narrow way, of which the Lord says, ‘Narrow is the way that leads to life,' so that, not living according to their own choice nor obeying their own desires and pleasures...they are living up to the maxim of the Lord in which He says, ‘I came not to do my own will, but that of him who sent Me.' " ~from St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, Ch. 5
Interested in learning more about St. Benedict's life and his "little" Rule? Click on the image to the left for a complete PDF version of The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict of Nursia by St. Gregory the Great AND St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries.
His “little rule for beginners," as Benedict likes to call it, provides us with a simple and effective means to live a monastic life of work and prayer according to God's Most Holy Will in obedience, humility, and of course...CHARITY!
“The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This is the virtue of those who hold nothing dearer to them than Christ...those who are moved with the desire of attaining life everlasting. That desire is their motive for choosing the narrow way, of which the Lord says, ‘Narrow is the way that leads to life,' so that, not living according to their own choice nor obeying their own desires and pleasures...they are living up to the maxim of the Lord in which He says, ‘I came not to do my own will, but that of him who sent Me.' " ~from St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, Ch. 5
Interested in learning more about St. Benedict's life and his "little" Rule? Click on the image to the left for a complete PDF version of The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict of Nursia by St. Gregory the Great AND St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries.
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Holy Mother Scholastica
Twin sister of St. Benedict and first Benedictine Abbess
We love our mother's childlike trust and simplicity...never afraid to climb onto the lap of her Eternal Father and ask of Him whatever she desired. Look how the Lord rewards such loving souls...
“Who is there, Peter, in this world, that is in greater favor with God than St. Paul? Three times he petitioned our Lord to be delivered from the thorn of the flesh, and yet he did not obtain his petition. Speaking of that, I must tell you how there was one thing which the venerable father Benedict would have liked to do, but he could not.
His sister, named Scholastica, was dedicated from her infancy to our Lord. Once a year she came to visit her brother. The man of God went to her not far from the gate of his monastery, at a place that belonged to the Abbey. It was there he would entertain her. Once upon a time she came to visit according to her custom, and her venerable brother with his monks went there to meet her. They spent the whole day in the praises of God and spiritual talk, and when it was almost night, they dined together. As they were yet sitting at the table, talking of devout matters, it began to get dark. The holy Nun, his sister, entreated him to stay there all night that they might spend it in discoursing of the joys of heaven. By no persuasion, however, would he agree to that, saying that he might not by any means stay all night outside of his Abbey.
At that time, the sky was so clear that no cloud was to be seen. The Nun, hearing this denial of her brother, joined her hands together, laid them on the table, bowed her head on her hands, and prayed to almighty God. Lifting her head from the table, there fell suddenly such a tempest of lightning and thundering, and such abundance of rain, that neither venerable Benedict, nor his monks that were with him, could put their heads out of doors. The holy Nun, having rested her head on her hands, poured forth such a flood of tears on the table, that she transformed the clear air to a watery sky. After the end of her devotions, that storm of rain followed; her prayer and the rain so met together, that as she lifted up her head from the table, the thunder began. So it was that in one and the very same instant that she lifted up her head, she brought down the rain.
The man of God, seeing that he could not, in the midst of such thunder and lightning and great abundance of rain return to his Abbey, began to be heavy and to complain to his sister, saying: ‘God forgive you, what have you done?' She answered him, ‘I desired you to stay, and you would not hear me; I have desired it of our good Lord, and he has granted my petition. Therefore if you can now depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and leave me here alone.' But the good father, not being able to leave, tarried there against his will where before he would not have stayed willingly. By that means, they watched all night and with spiritual and heavenly talk mutually comforted one another.
Therefore, by this we see, as I said before, that he would have had one thing, but he could not effect it. For if we know the venerable man's mind, there is no question but that he would have had the same fair weather to have continued as it was when he left his monastery. He found, however, that a miracle prevented his desire. A miracle that, by the power of almighty God, a woman's prayers had wrought. Is it not a thing to be marveled at, that a woman, who for a long time had not seen her brother, might do more in that instance than he could? She realized, according to the saying of St. John, ‘God is charity' [1 John 4:8]. Therefore, as is right, she who loved more, did more. "
~from The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict of Nursia by St. Gregory the Great, Ch. 33
We love our mother's childlike trust and simplicity...never afraid to climb onto the lap of her Eternal Father and ask of Him whatever she desired. Look how the Lord rewards such loving souls...
“Who is there, Peter, in this world, that is in greater favor with God than St. Paul? Three times he petitioned our Lord to be delivered from the thorn of the flesh, and yet he did not obtain his petition. Speaking of that, I must tell you how there was one thing which the venerable father Benedict would have liked to do, but he could not.
His sister, named Scholastica, was dedicated from her infancy to our Lord. Once a year she came to visit her brother. The man of God went to her not far from the gate of his monastery, at a place that belonged to the Abbey. It was there he would entertain her. Once upon a time she came to visit according to her custom, and her venerable brother with his monks went there to meet her. They spent the whole day in the praises of God and spiritual talk, and when it was almost night, they dined together. As they were yet sitting at the table, talking of devout matters, it began to get dark. The holy Nun, his sister, entreated him to stay there all night that they might spend it in discoursing of the joys of heaven. By no persuasion, however, would he agree to that, saying that he might not by any means stay all night outside of his Abbey.
At that time, the sky was so clear that no cloud was to be seen. The Nun, hearing this denial of her brother, joined her hands together, laid them on the table, bowed her head on her hands, and prayed to almighty God. Lifting her head from the table, there fell suddenly such a tempest of lightning and thundering, and such abundance of rain, that neither venerable Benedict, nor his monks that were with him, could put their heads out of doors. The holy Nun, having rested her head on her hands, poured forth such a flood of tears on the table, that she transformed the clear air to a watery sky. After the end of her devotions, that storm of rain followed; her prayer and the rain so met together, that as she lifted up her head from the table, the thunder began. So it was that in one and the very same instant that she lifted up her head, she brought down the rain.
The man of God, seeing that he could not, in the midst of such thunder and lightning and great abundance of rain return to his Abbey, began to be heavy and to complain to his sister, saying: ‘God forgive you, what have you done?' She answered him, ‘I desired you to stay, and you would not hear me; I have desired it of our good Lord, and he has granted my petition. Therefore if you can now depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and leave me here alone.' But the good father, not being able to leave, tarried there against his will where before he would not have stayed willingly. By that means, they watched all night and with spiritual and heavenly talk mutually comforted one another.
Therefore, by this we see, as I said before, that he would have had one thing, but he could not effect it. For if we know the venerable man's mind, there is no question but that he would have had the same fair weather to have continued as it was when he left his monastery. He found, however, that a miracle prevented his desire. A miracle that, by the power of almighty God, a woman's prayers had wrought. Is it not a thing to be marveled at, that a woman, who for a long time had not seen her brother, might do more in that instance than he could? She realized, according to the saying of St. John, ‘God is charity' [1 John 4:8]. Therefore, as is right, she who loved more, did more. "
~from The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict of Nursia by St. Gregory the Great, Ch. 33
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Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta (click image for a brief bio.)
Little Daughter of the Divine Will
In the words of St. Annibale Di Francia...
“This solitary soul is a most pure virgin, wholly of God, who appears to be the object of singular predilection of Jesus, Divine Redeemer. It seems that Our Lord, who century after century increases the wonders of His Love more and more, wanted to make of the virgin with no education, whom He calls the littlest one that He found on earth, the instrument of a mission so sublime that no other can be compared to it - that is, the triumph of the Divine Will upon the whole earth, in conformity with what is said in the Our Father: Fiat Voluntas Tua sicut in Coelo et in terra."
~ from the Preface of The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Interested in what Our Lord and Our Lady taught Luisa about living in God's Most Holy and Divine Will? Why not start reading some of the Servant of God's writings? They weren't just for Luisa, but for us all!
In the words of St. Annibale Di Francia...
“This solitary soul is a most pure virgin, wholly of God, who appears to be the object of singular predilection of Jesus, Divine Redeemer. It seems that Our Lord, who century after century increases the wonders of His Love more and more, wanted to make of the virgin with no education, whom He calls the littlest one that He found on earth, the instrument of a mission so sublime that no other can be compared to it - that is, the triumph of the Divine Will upon the whole earth, in conformity with what is said in the Our Father: Fiat Voluntas Tua sicut in Coelo et in terra."
~ from the Preface of The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Interested in what Our Lord and Our Lady taught Luisa about living in God's Most Holy and Divine Will? Why not start reading some of the Servant of God's writings? They weren't just for Luisa, but for us all!
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All 36 Volumes of the Book of Heaven, the mystical diary of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta:
luisa.lev.hu (PDFs in English only) fiatvoluntastua.info (PDFs available in multiple languages) Order form for Blanc Printing (to purchase hardcopies in English) The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ: PDF version www.passioiesus.org/en/index.php (8 languages!) The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will: PDF version The Letters of Luisa: PDF version NOVENA in preparation for HOLY CHRISTMAS (starts 12/16) : The Nine EXCESSES OF LOVE in the Incarnation of the Word (PDF) Reflections on the CROSS and SUFFERING (a compilation of passages from Luisa's writings: PDF version |
Divine Will DROPBOOK...for kids both big and small:
Written by a mother of seven who wanted to explain the Divine Will to her children, but it's excellent for adults, too...especially those who are new to Luisa's writings. It gives you a nice snapshot of what the Divine Will is all about with clear explanations, lots of references straight from the volumes, and really adorable pictures drawn by her children to compliment each teaching. PDF version (English) www.dwdropbooks.com (PDFs available in multiple languages) LUISA PICCARRETA: A collection of memories of the Servant of God, by Fr. Bernardino Giuseppe Bucci, O.F.M PDF version Yearnings for Sanctity (a beautiful prayer written by Luisa): PDF version Fr. Tim Sokol's talk: "How to pray in the Divine Will" Is the Divine Will Approved by the Church?: We've put together a list of facts and helpful information regarding the status of Luisa's Cause and her writings for those who may still have some questions and doubts: PDF version |
Other Divine Will WEBSITES and RESOURCES:
School of Mary, A Kindergarten of the Divine Will:
Radio Maria program hosted by Peter DePalma and the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will as his regular guests
Listen LIVE every Thursday at 11 am (ET) - radiomaria.us/live-radio-maria
Listen to ARCHIVED programs - radiomaria.us/category/podcast/school-of-mary
www.littlechildreninthedivinewill.com (pretty much a one-stop shop of ALL things Divine Will!)
queenofthedivinewill.org (Mary's Hill website, with tons of Divine Will resources)
Radio Maria program hosted by Peter DePalma and the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will as his regular guests
Listen LIVE every Thursday at 11 am (ET) - radiomaria.us/live-radio-maria
Listen to ARCHIVED programs - radiomaria.us/category/podcast/school-of-mary
www.littlechildreninthedivinewill.com (pretty much a one-stop shop of ALL things Divine Will!)
queenofthedivinewill.org (Mary's Hill website, with tons of Divine Will resources)
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St. Annibale Di Francia
Priest, Founder, Shepherd to the orphaned, and Confessor of Luisa Piccarreta
Luisa writes about St. Annibale following his death...
“I was feeling very afflicted, not only because of the privations of my sweet Jesus, but also because I had received the unexpected news of the death of Reverend Father Di Francia. He was the only one left to me, to whom I could open my poor soul. How well he could understand me - it was to a saint that I would entrust myself, who had very much comprehended all the value of what Jesus had told me about the Divine Will. He had so much interest in it that, with insistence, he had taken all the writings with himself in order to publish them...
...I poured out in tears, commending to Jesus that blessed soul, who had so much suffered and worked for Him; and while I was doing this, my sweet Jesus moved in my interior and told me: ‘My daughter, courage, you must know that everything which that soul, so dear to Me, has done, all the knowledges he has known about My Will, have caused him to enclose as much light within his soul. So, each additional knowledge is a greater light that he possesses, and each knowledge places a distinct light in the soul, one more beautiful than the other, together with the seed of the distinct happiness that each light contains...
...How transformed he is! My Will is light and has transformed that soul into light; [My Will] is beautiful and has given him all the tints of perfect beauty; It is holy and he has been sanctified...There is nothing that My Will has not given to him. Oh! If all understood what Divine Will means, they would put everything aside, they would care about doing nothing else, and their whole commitment would be to do My Will alone.'"
~ from Book of Heaven, Volume 22, June 1, 1927
To read more about the 17-year spiritual relationship between Luisa and St. Annibale:
CLICK HERE to download the PDF of “17 Years", a compilation of letters, Divine Will excerpts, and biographical info. all about the two saints
CLICK HERE for Ch. 4 of Fr. Bernardino Bucci's book, Luisa Piccarreta: A collection of memories of the Servant of God
Luisa writes about St. Annibale following his death...
“I was feeling very afflicted, not only because of the privations of my sweet Jesus, but also because I had received the unexpected news of the death of Reverend Father Di Francia. He was the only one left to me, to whom I could open my poor soul. How well he could understand me - it was to a saint that I would entrust myself, who had very much comprehended all the value of what Jesus had told me about the Divine Will. He had so much interest in it that, with insistence, he had taken all the writings with himself in order to publish them...
...I poured out in tears, commending to Jesus that blessed soul, who had so much suffered and worked for Him; and while I was doing this, my sweet Jesus moved in my interior and told me: ‘My daughter, courage, you must know that everything which that soul, so dear to Me, has done, all the knowledges he has known about My Will, have caused him to enclose as much light within his soul. So, each additional knowledge is a greater light that he possesses, and each knowledge places a distinct light in the soul, one more beautiful than the other, together with the seed of the distinct happiness that each light contains...
...How transformed he is! My Will is light and has transformed that soul into light; [My Will] is beautiful and has given him all the tints of perfect beauty; It is holy and he has been sanctified...There is nothing that My Will has not given to him. Oh! If all understood what Divine Will means, they would put everything aside, they would care about doing nothing else, and their whole commitment would be to do My Will alone.'"
~ from Book of Heaven, Volume 22, June 1, 1927
To read more about the 17-year spiritual relationship between Luisa and St. Annibale:
CLICK HERE to download the PDF of “17 Years", a compilation of letters, Divine Will excerpts, and biographical info. all about the two saints
CLICK HERE for Ch. 4 of Fr. Bernardino Bucci's book, Luisa Piccarreta: A collection of memories of the Servant of God
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St. Padre Pio
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“Pray, hope, and don't worry."
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“Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will.”
“Place your heart gently in Our Lord's wounds. Have great confidence in His mercy for He will never abandon you."
“Place your heart gently in Our Lord's wounds. Have great confidence in His mercy for He will never abandon you."
Luisa Piccarreta and Padre Pio...old friends? Click on Padre Pio's image for Fr. Bernardino Bucci's book Luisa Piccarreta: A collection of memories of the Servant of God (Chapter 3) to learn more about their spiritual connection.
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St. Francis of Assisi
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POVERTY, SIMPLICITY, HUMILITY, and of course...LOVE
He just knew what it was all about!
“If we endure all things patiently and with gladness, thinking on the sufferings of Our Blessed Lord, and bearing all for the love of Him: herein is Perfect Joy.”
“The greatest gift one can receive from God in this world is wisdom, power and will to conquer himself, by denying self-will."
For more of St. Francis' pearls of wisdom, CLICK HERE for a collection of his writings. Prefer flowers to jewels? Click the image of Francis for a PDF version of The Little Flowers of St. Francis.
He just knew what it was all about!
“If we endure all things patiently and with gladness, thinking on the sufferings of Our Blessed Lord, and bearing all for the love of Him: herein is Perfect Joy.”
“The greatest gift one can receive from God in this world is wisdom, power and will to conquer himself, by denying self-will."
For more of St. Francis' pearls of wisdom, CLICK HERE for a collection of his writings. Prefer flowers to jewels? Click the image of Francis for a PDF version of The Little Flowers of St. Francis.
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St. Clare of Assisi
A model witness of
fearless trust in Our Eucharistic Lord...
The power of her prayers, the depth of her trust in Christ and the effiacacy of both are illustrated by a story told by Thomas of Celano, a contemporary. In 1244, Emperor Frederick II, then at war with the Pope, was ravaging the valley of Spoleto, which was part of the patrimony of the Holy See. He had many Saracens in his army, and a troop of these infidels came to attack and plunder Assisi. Saint Damien’s church and the convent, standing outside the city walls, were their first targets. While the marauders were laying ladders against the convent walls, and beginning to climb them, Clare, who was ill and bed- ridden, had herself carried out to the gate and there set a monstrance containing the Most Blessed Sacrament in sight of the enemy.
Prostrating herself before it, she prayed aloud: “Does it please Thee, O God, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children whom I have nourished with Thy love? I beseech Thee, good Lord, protect these whom now I am not able to protect.” Whereupon she heard a voice like the voice of a little child saying, “I will have them always in My care.” She prayed again, for the city, and again the voice came, reassuring her. She then turned to the trembling nuns and said, “Have no fear, little daughters; trust in Jesus.” At this, a sudden terror seized their assailants and they ran away.
~ from Saint Clare of Assisi,
Catherine Fournier, Domestic-Church.com
fearless trust in Our Eucharistic Lord...
The power of her prayers, the depth of her trust in Christ and the effiacacy of both are illustrated by a story told by Thomas of Celano, a contemporary. In 1244, Emperor Frederick II, then at war with the Pope, was ravaging the valley of Spoleto, which was part of the patrimony of the Holy See. He had many Saracens in his army, and a troop of these infidels came to attack and plunder Assisi. Saint Damien’s church and the convent, standing outside the city walls, were their first targets. While the marauders were laying ladders against the convent walls, and beginning to climb them, Clare, who was ill and bed- ridden, had herself carried out to the gate and there set a monstrance containing the Most Blessed Sacrament in sight of the enemy.
Prostrating herself before it, she prayed aloud: “Does it please Thee, O God, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children whom I have nourished with Thy love? I beseech Thee, good Lord, protect these whom now I am not able to protect.” Whereupon she heard a voice like the voice of a little child saying, “I will have them always in My care.” She prayed again, for the city, and again the voice came, reassuring her. She then turned to the trembling nuns and said, “Have no fear, little daughters; trust in Jesus.” At this, a sudden terror seized their assailants and they ran away.
~ from Saint Clare of Assisi,
Catherine Fournier, Domestic-Church.com
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St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Little Flower and Doctor of the Church?
She must have been on to something!
“The 'Little Way' is the way of spiritual childhood: the way of trust and of entire self-surrender...To be little means recognizing one’s nothingness, expecting everything from the good God, as a little child expects everything from its Father.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Want to learn more about the freedom of spiritual childhood? CLICK the image of the little girl on the left who St. Pius X described as "the greatest saint of modern times" for the complete PDF version of St. Thérèse's autobiography -
The Story of a Soul.
She must have been on to something!
“The 'Little Way' is the way of spiritual childhood: the way of trust and of entire self-surrender...To be little means recognizing one’s nothingness, expecting everything from the good God, as a little child expects everything from its Father.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Want to learn more about the freedom of spiritual childhood? CLICK the image of the little girl on the left who St. Pius X described as "the greatest saint of modern times" for the complete PDF version of St. Thérèse's autobiography -
The Story of a Soul.
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St. Faustina Kowalska
The Apostle of Divine Mercy
"God made known to me what true love consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's Will. To show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of God. And the Lord said to me, 'My child, you please Me most by your suffering. In your physical as well as your mental sufferings, My daughter, do not seek sympathy from creatures. I want the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and unadulterated. I want you to detach yourself, not only from creatures, but also from yourself. My daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure love...unblemished, untarnished. The more you will come to love suffering, My daughter, the purer your love for Me will be.'"
~from St. Faustina's Diary, #279
Click the image of Faustina for her complete diary. Yup, it's all there!
"God made known to me what true love consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's Will. To show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of God. And the Lord said to me, 'My child, you please Me most by your suffering. In your physical as well as your mental sufferings, My daughter, do not seek sympathy from creatures. I want the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and unadulterated. I want you to detach yourself, not only from creatures, but also from yourself. My daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure love...unblemished, untarnished. The more you will come to love suffering, My daughter, the purer your love for Me will be.'"
~from St. Faustina's Diary, #279
Click the image of Faustina for her complete diary. Yup, it's all there!
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St. John of the Cross
Click for his drawing of the Ascent of Mt. Carmel
Knowing St. John, he wouldn't want us to say anything about him. So we'll let his writings do the talking...
"To reach satisfaction in all, desire satisfaction in NOTHING.
To come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of NOTHING.
To come to possess all, desire the possession of NOTHING.
To arrive at being all, desire to be NOTHING.
Only the honor and glory of God dwells on this Mount."
~ from Ascent of Mount Carmel
Interested in reading more? Click on the titles below for complete PDFs of St. John's most famous works.
Ascent of Mt. Carmel
Dark Night of the Soul
"To reach satisfaction in all, desire satisfaction in NOTHING.
To come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of NOTHING.
To come to possess all, desire the possession of NOTHING.
To arrive at being all, desire to be NOTHING.
Only the honor and glory of God dwells on this Mount."
~ from Ascent of Mount Carmel
Interested in reading more? Click on the titles below for complete PDFs of St. John's most famous works.
Ascent of Mt. Carmel
Dark Night of the Soul
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St. Teresa of Avila
Her wisdom and teachings, especially those on prayer, are extremely important for all who have a sincere desire to be contemplatives. Plus, we just love the spunky way she tells us what we need to know!
"...Do you think it matters little for a soul with a wandering mind to understand this truth and see that there is no need to go to Heaven to speak with one's Eternal Father or find delight in Him? Nor is there any need to shout. However softly we speak, He is near enough to hear us. Neither is there any need for wings to go to find Him. All one need do is go into solitude and look at Him within oneself, and not turn away from so good a Guest but with great humility speak to Him as to a father. Beseech Him as you would a father; tell Him about your trials; ask Him for a remedy against them, realizing that you are not worthy to be His daughter.
Leave aside any of that faintheartedness that some persons have and think is humility. You see, humility doesn't consist in refusing a favor the King offers you but in accepting such a favor and understanding how bountifully it comes to you and being delighted with it. What a nice kind of humility! I have the Emperor of Heaven and earth in my house (for He comes to it in order to favor me and be happy with me), and out of humility I do not want to answer Him or stay with Him or take what He gives me, but I leave Him alone...Have nothing to do with this kind of humility, daughters, but speak with Him as with a father, or a brother...or as with a spouse...Consider that it is well worthwhile for you to have understood this truth: that the Lord is within us, and that there we must be with Him."
~from The Way of Perfection, Ch.28
Click on the following titles for free PDF versions of St. Teresa of Avila's writings. They are not just excerpts, but the complete books!
The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself
The Way of Perfection
Interior Castles
"...Do you think it matters little for a soul with a wandering mind to understand this truth and see that there is no need to go to Heaven to speak with one's Eternal Father or find delight in Him? Nor is there any need to shout. However softly we speak, He is near enough to hear us. Neither is there any need for wings to go to find Him. All one need do is go into solitude and look at Him within oneself, and not turn away from so good a Guest but with great humility speak to Him as to a father. Beseech Him as you would a father; tell Him about your trials; ask Him for a remedy against them, realizing that you are not worthy to be His daughter.
Leave aside any of that faintheartedness that some persons have and think is humility. You see, humility doesn't consist in refusing a favor the King offers you but in accepting such a favor and understanding how bountifully it comes to you and being delighted with it. What a nice kind of humility! I have the Emperor of Heaven and earth in my house (for He comes to it in order to favor me and be happy with me), and out of humility I do not want to answer Him or stay with Him or take what He gives me, but I leave Him alone...Have nothing to do with this kind of humility, daughters, but speak with Him as with a father, or a brother...or as with a spouse...Consider that it is well worthwhile for you to have understood this truth: that the Lord is within us, and that there we must be with Him."
~from The Way of Perfection, Ch.28
Click on the following titles for free PDF versions of St. Teresa of Avila's writings. They are not just excerpts, but the complete books!
The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself
The Way of Perfection
Interior Castles
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Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more
hurt, only more love.”
“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we
die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good
things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you
put into what you did?”
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
LOVE...
the answer to all questions, the solution to all problems.
hurt, only more love.”
“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we
die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good
things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you
put into what you did?”
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
LOVE...
the answer to all questions, the solution to all problems.