The purpose of our trials is not only to test our worthiness but also to increase it, just as the mighty oak is tested by the stormed as well as strengthened by them. ~ Streams in the Desert, 8/2

I do not expect high place in heaven; I shall be thankful for a little corner where I may love God for all eternity. ~ Blessed Marianne Cope

I do not regret leaving this world; my soul thirsts for the waters of eternal life. My exile is over. I touch the soil of my real country; earth vanished, heaven opens, I go to God. ~ St. Theophane Venard

Those who share in the sufferings Jesus endured for our sake win more treasure for their family than do others who become millionaires. ~ Blessed John XXIII

The only one who has a right to shape our lives is Jesus Christ. We must determine to allow nothing and no one to shape us, not even our own personal experiences, unless they are consistent with the promises of God. In truth, who is ruling out lives, God or our experiences? ~ Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlefields