Quotes To Pray With

[Deus te Amat]

Inspired by the current St. Teresa of Avila quotes in the status updates. What are some of your favorite religious quotes?

 

 

 

My God, the present moment
and the light by which I am aware of it,
comes from You. My mind, which appreciates it;
the upward leaping of my heart, which responds
to that recognition and thanks You for it;
the living bond created by this moment — all is from You.
Everything comes from You.
All that is within me, all that is not You;
all created beings and their movements;
my whole being and its activities — all is from You.
Without You nothing exists; apart from You is just nothingness;
apart from Your being there is merely nonexistence.

— Dom Augustin Guillerand

[Spem in alium]

My God, the present moment
and the light by which I am aware of it,
comes from You. My mind, which appreciates it;
the upward leaping of my heart, which responds
to that recognition and thanks You for it;
the living bond created by this moment — all is from You.
Everything comes from You.
All that is within me, all that is not You;
all created beings and their movements;
my whole being and its activities — all is from You.
Without You nothing exists; apart from You is just nothingness;
apart from Your being there is merely nonexistence.

— Dom Augustin Guillerand

 

Thank you for starting this thread, and for sharing that beautiful quote! It really resonated with me.

 

I particularly like St Augustine's "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

 

Also, just "Your Will, O Lord. Nothing more, nothing less."

[Deus te Amat]

Oh, Spem those are classics. Thank you for posting! Here's another I found the other day...

 

"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally.... My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it as often as I draw breath."

 

-- St. John Vianney

[Spem in alium]

Oh, Spem those are classics. Thank you for posting! Here's another I found the other day...

 

"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally.... My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it as often as I draw breath."

 

-- St. John Vianney

 

...

Oh my. I actually teared up, reading that.  :love:  :cry: 
 

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us”- St Augustine

 

"He loves, He hopes, He waits. If He came down on our altars on certain days only, some sinner, on being moved to repentance, might have to look for Him, and not finding Him, might have to wait. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep him waiting one instant." - St. Julian Peter Eymard.

 

"Believe that He loves you. He wants to help you Himself in the struggles which you must undergo. Believe in His Love, His exceeding Love." - Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity.

 

"Jesus, source of my life, sanctify me. O my strength, fortify me. My commander, fight for me." - St Faustina.

 

"Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear.” - Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati.

 

And a long one, though I like it a lot:
“Across that threshold I had been afraid to cross, things suddenly seemed so very simple. There was but a single vision, God, who was all in all; there was but one will that directed all things, God's will. I had only to see it, to discern it in every circumstance in which I found myself, and let myself be ruled by it. God is in all things, sustains all things, directs all things. To discern this in every situation and circumstance, to see His will in all things, was to accept each circumstance and situation and let oneself be borne along in perfect confidence and trust. Nothing could separate me from Him, because He was in all things. No danger could threaten me, no fear could shake me, except the fear of losing sight of Him. The future, hidden as it was, was hidden in His will and therefore acceptable to me no matter what it might bring. The past, with all its failures, was not forgotten; it remained to remind me of the weakness of human nature and the folly of putting any faith in self. But it no longer depressed me. I looked no longer to self to guide me, relied on it no longer in any way, so it could not again fail me. By renouncing, finally and completely, all control of my life and future destiny, I was relieved as a consequence of all responsibility. I was freed thereby from anxiety and worry, from every tension, and could float serenely upon the tide of God's sustaining providence in perfect peace of soul.”  - Walter Ciszek, S.J.

[chrysostom]

"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally.... My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it as often as I draw breath."

 

-- St. John Vianney

 

YAY! I pray this prayer every time before I finish my time before the Blessed Sacrament! It's actually because I was given a holy card that had been touched to St. Vianney's tomb, and it has this prayer on the back.  St. John Vianney is one of my friends.  :)  The prayer you quote is actually a little incomplete...here it is on my holy card:

 

"I love you, oh my God, and my only desire is to love you until my last breath.

I love you, oh infinitely loveable God, and I prefer to die loving you than to live a single moment without loving you.

I love you, oh my God, and I long for heaven only in order to know the bliss of loving you perfectly.

I love you, oh my God, and I only fear going to hell because there I will never experience the sweet consolation of loving you.

Oh my God, if my tongue is not able to say at every opportunity that I love you, I want at least my heart to repeat it to you as many times as I take a breath.

My God, give me the grace of suffering out of love for you, of loving you while I suffer. Give me the grace of one day breathing my last out of love for you and at the same time feeling how much I love you.

The closer I come to my final end the more I beseech you to intensify and perfect my love you.

Amen."

 

(here's a photo I took of the holy card:)

[spoiler][/spoiler]

 

"He loves, He hopes, He waits. If He came down on our altars on certain days only, some sinner, on being moved to repentance, might have to look for Him, and not finding Him, might have to wait. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep him waiting one instant." - St. Julian Peter Eymard.

 

I get the feeling from what little I know of St. Julian Peter Eymard that he will be a favourite saint of mine and hopefully a constant source of inspiration and holy friendship.

Edited July 13, 2014 by chrysostom

[Spem in alium]

I get the feeling from what little I know of St. Julian Peter Eymard that he will be a favourite saint of mine and hopefully a constant source of inspiration and holy friendship.

 

He sounds really interesting (though I did get his name wrong - St Peter Julian Eymard). He described himself as "a little like Jacob, always on a journey". I like that. :)

 

I found some great quotes of his on the website for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

“The essential thing is to strengthen our trust in God, feed upon his truth, dedicate ourselves to his glory as our sovereign love, love him in everything, everywhere, and above everything” (To Countess D’Andigne, January 20, 1865)

 

“The inner gift of self is the real gift, becasue then our Lord becomes our Saviour . . . by giving us his own form of life.” (To Mme. Lepage, February 4, 1865).

“Belong entirely to God through love, entirely to your neighbor through a gracious charity, entirely to the divine Eucharist by the offering and sacrifice of your whole self. Bear with yourself in the patience of our Lord.” (To Mrs. Stephanie Gourde, October 23, 1859)

"Now please pray so that I may respond to such a beautiful vocation; that, like the bread of the sacrifice, I may lose my life, my substance, my personality, to be changed into the spirit and life of Jesus, retaining only a human appearance, humiliation and poverty, so that the virtue of Jesus may dwell in the midst of my infirmities.” (In the request St. Eymard makes of MMe. Tholin-Bost for prayer; the beautiful vocation he speaks of is his own as a Religious of the Blessed Sacrament. May 18, 1856)
 

“When we work hard, we must eat well. What a joy, that you can receive Holy Communion often! It’s our life and support in this life — Receive Communion often, and Jesus will change you into himself.” (To Mme. Grisaud, January 13, 1855)
 

“Have a great love for Jesus in his divine Sacrament of Love; that is the divine oasis of the desert. It is the heavenly manna of the traveller. It is the Holy Ark. It is the life and Paradise of love on earth.” (To the Children of Mary, November 21, 1851)
 

“Live on the divine Eucharist, like the Hebrews did on the Manna. Your soul can be entirely dedicated to the divine Eucharist and very holy in the midst of your work and contacts with the world.” (To Mme. Isabelle Spazzier, Nov. 5, 1859)

 

“Keep your soul at peace, in order to be able to be attentive and very faithful to the inner movement of the Holy Spirit.” (To Mme. Stephanie Gourde, November 25, 1850)

 

“People are afraid to be powerless and so are off their path. We are neither natural nor supernatural. What can we do? Follow grace. Let the mind become accustomed to the truth which God’s grace is offering. It takes a week or two for a truth to become natural and habitual, but we must make it the center of our piety and let everything converge toward it.” (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)

 

“In order to succeed in it (prayer), it should be done when we first awaken, when our whole being is calm and recollected. We need to make our meditation before anything else.

 

“As far as possible, you should pray in quiet and silent devotion. Try to have a favorite topic of prayer, such as a devotion to the passion of Jesus, the Blessed Sacrament, awareness of the divine presence; go directly to Jesus without too much fuss.

 

“Before prayer begins, leave aside any duties which would distract you.”(Excerpt from an 1837 letter to his sister [as well as godmother], Marianne)

 

“Have confidence in prayer. It is the unfailing power which God has given us. By means of it you will obtain the salvation of the dear souls whom God has given you and all your loved ones.” Ask and you shall receive,” Our Lord said. Be yourself with the good Lord.” (From a letter written on January 4, 1864 to: Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)

 

“We must know where mediocrity of spirit comes from. The first is the worst: it’s a scattered mind, a life which is too active. Nothing can cling to it. It’s like the seed of the Gospel falling on the open road. The remedy is to bring the mind back to natural reflection by some reading or serious meditations which strike it and help it to be focused. In general, it’s better to choose a great truth than a pious feeling. The work of truth is to refocus our attention, reflection, and finally, devotion.

“The second source of mediocrity of spirit is mental boredom toward what is serious and positive. This illness can only be healed by openness to divine love, since it is based on discouragement.

“The third source is laziness of the mind which fears to consider the truth. The fourth source is when we counteract the grace, the attraction of the moment. The mind becomes closed and foolish. We must follow the need and light of the moment.” (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)

 

“Go to the good Lord very simply, with the surrender of a small child. Tell the good Lord what you are thinking, what you want, what is upsetting you. Oh! How happy we become when we discover this interior conversation with our Lord. We carry our treasure [with us] everywhere. He becomes the center of our heart and life.” (In a letter dated January 29, 1848, St. Eymard wrote to Miss Stephanie Gourd at a time when she was in the thick of caring for her sick and aging parents, telling her how to converse with Jesus whom we carry as a treasure within)

 

“Be serious about the presence of God, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, a definite thought of some virtue, and you will have a center of strength and consolation.” (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)

 

“Be the apostle of the divine Eucharist, like a flame which enlightens and warms, like the Angel of his heart who will go to proclaim him to those who don’t know him and will encourage those who love him and are suffering.” (To Mme Antoinette de Grandville, July 4, 1859)

Edited July 13, 2014 by Spem in alium

[Deus te Amat]

YAY! I pray this prayer every time before I finish my time before the Blessed Sacrament! It's actually because I was given a holy card that had been touched to St. Vianney's tomb, and it has this prayer on the back. St. John Vianney is one of my friends. :) The prayer you quote is actually a little incomplete...here it is on my holy card:

"I love you, oh my God, and my only desire is to love you until my last breath.
I love you, oh infinitely loveable God, and I prefer to die loving you than to live a single moment without loving you.
I love you, oh my God, and I long for heaven only in order to know the bliss of loving you perfectly.
I love you, oh my God, and I only fear going to hell because there I will never experience the sweet consolation of loving you.
Oh my God, if my tongue is not able to say at every opportunity that I love you, I want at least my heart to repeat it to you as many times as I take a breath.
My God, give me the grace of suffering out of love for you, of loving you while I suffer. Give me the grace of one day breathing my last out of love for you and at the same time feeling how much I love you.
The closer I come to my final end the more I beseech you to intensify and perfect my love you.

Thank you, chrysostom! I discovered the quote in a book, but I like the full version even more! I think he may be a good saint friend that I should get to know better....

[Deus te Amat]

O my God, Trinity whom I adore, let me entirely forget myself that I may abide in You, still and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity; let nothing disturb my peace nor separate me from You, O my unchanging God, but that each moment may take me further into the depths of Your mystery ! Pacify my soul! Make it Your heaven, Your beloved home and place of Your repose; let me never leave You there alone, but may I be ever attentive, ever alert in my faith, ever adoring and all given up to Your creative action.

O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, would that I might be for You a spouse of Your heart! I would anoint You with glory, I would love You – even unto death! Yet I sense my frailty and ask You to adorn me with Yourself; identify my soul with all the movements of Your soul, submerge me, overwhelm me, substitute Yourself in me that my life may become but a reflection of Your life. Come into me as Adorer, Redeemer and Saviour.

 

O Eternal Word, Word of my God, would that I might spend my life listening to You, would that I might be fully receptive to learn all from You; in all darkness, all loneliness, all weakness, may I ever keep my eyes fixed on You and abide under Your great light; O my Beloved Star, fascinate me so that I may never be able to leave Your radiance.

 

O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, descend into my soul and make all in me as an incarnation of the Word, that I may be to Him a super-added humanity wherein He renews His mystery; and You O Father, bestow Yourself and bend down to Your little creature, seeing in her only Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased.

 

O my `Three’, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in whom I lose myself, I give myself to You as a prey to be consumed; enclose Yourself in me that I may be absorbed in You so as to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your Splendour !

 

-- Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity

Edited July 21, 2014 by Deus_te_Amat