January 23
“I began to live as if only God and I existed in the world. Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a miserable criminal at his judge’s feet, and at other times I regarded him in my heart as my Father, as my God.”
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
January 22
“The practice of the presence of God is an application of our mind to God, or a remembrance of God present, that can be brought about either by the imagination or the understanding.”
-Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
January 21
“Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God.”
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
January 20
“Prayer is the basic prerequisite to service of the Church and the world. Every believer should always think of prayer as an essential and indispensable component of one’s vocation.”
-St. Pope John Paul the Great
January 19
“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…Since He does not force our will, He takes what we give Him; but He does not give Himself completely unless we give ourselves completely.”
-St. Teresa of Avila
January 18
“Pray with your whole being even though you think it has no savor for you. For such prayer is very profitable even though you feel nothing, though you see nothing, even though it seems impossible to you. It is in dryness and barrenness, in sickness and feebleness that your prayer is most pleasing to me, even though you think that it has little savor for you.”
Julian of Norwich
Revelations of Divine Love
January 17
“Pray simply. Do not expect to find in your heart any remarkable gift of prayer. Consider yourself unworthy of it. Then you will find peace. Use the empty cold dryness of your prayer as food for your humility. Repeat constantly: I am not worthy; Lord, I am not worthy! But say it calmly, without agitation.”
-St. Macarius of Optina
January 16
“You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t even know how to pray!’ you can be sure you have already begun.”
-St. Josemaria Escriva
January 15
“Do not distress yourself about your prayers. It is not always necessary to employ words, even inwardly, it is enough to raise your heart and let it rest on our Lord, to look lovingly up toward this divine Lover of our souls for between lovers the eyes speak more eloquently than the tongue.”
-St. Francis De Sales
January 14
“To pray well you must think of Jesus on the cross. Surely you can see how impossible it is to be distracted when you see your Brother crucified?”
-St. Andre of Montreal
