To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.

O my God, what must a soul be like when it is in this state! It longs to be all one tongue with which to praise the Lord. It utters a thousand pious follies, in a continuous endeavor to please Him who thus possesses it.

Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.

To have courage for whatever comes in life -- everything lies in that.

We know only that we are living in these bodies and have a vague idea, because we have heard it, and because our faith tells us so, that we possess souls. As to what good qualities there may be in our souls, or who dwells within them, or how precious they are, those are things which seldom consider and so we trouble little about carefully preserving the soul's beauty.

We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can -- namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.