FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (1651 – 1715)
When you do not have the luxury of long periods of leisure, make the best use of the short ones. Ten minutes in God's presence while you are in the middle of your occupations, will be as valuable to you as whole hours devoted to God in times of leisure…. Love, silence, suffering, yielding self-interest to God’s will and to the love of our neighbour, happily bearing the burden that God’s Providence lays upon us! – such is our lot. The crosses of our own devising are not nearly as effective in eradicating self-love as those which come in God's daily Providence. These latter do not feed our self-will, and since they proceed directly from God's merciful Providence they are accompanied by grace sufficient for our needs. We have nothing to do, then, but to surrender ourselves to God each day, without looking farther; God will carry is in his arms as a tender mother bears her child.
HENRY SUSO (c. 1300 - 1366)
[Eternal Wisdom spoke to him:] Until now you have been punishing yourself with your own hand, and if you felt pity for yourself you stopped whenever you wanted. Now I will take you away from yourself and hand you over defenceless to be dealt with at the hands of others....
JALALUDDIN RUMI (1207 - 1273)
Mad with thirst, he can't drink from the stream
running so close by his face.
He's like a pearl on the deep bottom,
wondering, inside his shell, Where's the ocean?
His mental questionings form the barrier....
Self-consciousness plugs his ears.
Stay bewildered in God, and only that.
Those of you who are scattered,
simplify your worrying lives.
