O Jesus, I know well that You do not look so much at the greatness of my actions, as to the love with which I do them. It is true I am not always faithful, but I shall not lose courage. I desire to make use of every opportunity to please You.
O my God! I ask You for myself and for those whom I hold dear the grace to fulfill perfectly Your holy will, to accept for love of You the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all eternity.
O my God, You see how easily I lose heart at the thought of my imperfections. Nevertheless, I shall continue to strive after virtue. Gladly will I forego all consolation in order to offer to You the “fruit” of all my efforts. I wish to make profit out of the smallest actions and do them all for love.
Eternal Father, since You have given me for my inheritance the Adorable Face of Your Divine Son, I offer it to You and I ask You, in exchange for this infinitely precious Coin, to forget the ingratitude of souls who are consecrated to You and to pardon poor sinners.
O Jesus, my whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice; these are my invincible weapons, and experience has taught me that the heart is won by them rather than by words.
Yes, O my God, I am happy to feel little and weak in Your Presence, and my heart remains in peace…I am so glad to feel so imperfect and to need Your mercy so much! When we calmly accept the humiliation of being imperfect, Your grace, O Lord, returns at once.
O Jesus, You offer me a cup so bitter that my feeble nature cannot bear it. But I do not want to draw back my lips from the cup Your hand has prepared. …You teach me the secret of suffering in peace. The word peace does not mean joy, at least felt joy; to suffer in peace, it is enough to will whatever You will. To be Your spouse, Jesus, one must be like You, and You are all bloody, crowned with thorns!
How consoling it is to remember that You, the God of might, knew our weaknesses, that You shuddered at the sight of the bitter cup, the cup the earlier You had so ardently desired to drink.
O Lord, to me You have granted Your infinite mercy; and through it, I contemplate and adore Your other divine perfections! All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love, even Your justice–and perhaps this even more so than the others–seems to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy to think of You, O God, are just, that is, that You take into account our weakness, that You are perfectly aware of our fragile nature. What should I fear then? Must not You, the infinitely just God who deigned to pardon the faults of the prodigal son with so much kindness, be just also to me who am with You always?
I know one must be most pure to appear before You, God of all holiness, but I know too that You are infinitely just; and it is this justice, which frightens many souls, that is the basis of my joy and trust. To be just means not only to exercise severity in punishing the guilty but also to recognize right intentions and to reward virtue. I hope as much from Your justice, O God, as from Your mercy, because You are compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. For You know our weakness and You remember we are but dust.
“Draw me, Lord, we shall run.” …O Jesus, I ask You to draw me into the flames of Your love, to unite me so closely to You that You live and act in me. I feel that the more the fire of love burns within my heart, the more I shall say: “Draw me,” the more the souls who will approach me…will run swiftly in the odor of Your ointments.
O Jesus, what it costs to give You what You ask! Far from complaining to You of the crosses You send me, I cannot fathom the infinite love which has moved Yo to treat me so. O Lord, do not let me waste the trial You send me, it is a gold mine I must exploit. I, a little grain of sand, want to set myself to the task, without joy, without courage, without strength, and all these conditions will make the enterprise easier; I want to work for love. …and even if by an impossibility, You should not be aware of my affliction, I should still be happy to bear it, in the hope that by my tears I might prevent or atone for one sin against the faith.
O Lord,…When I find no occasions, at least I want to keep telling You That I love You; it is not difficult and it keeps the fire of love going; even if that fire were to seem wholly out, I should throw little bits of straw on the ashes, little acts of virtue and of charity; and I am sure that, with Your help, the fire would be enkindled again.