As earth brings forth its plants,

and a garden makes its growth spring up

so will the Lord God make justice and praise

spring up before all nations.

-Little Office

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I will tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times.”

- Matthew 18:15

When we have faith, we are willing to put energy and effort into our practice.

Our effort to be present leads to a deepening of mindfulness.

Mindfulness leads to concentration.

And when the mind is focused and clear, wisdom arises.

-James Baraz

Don't save so much money that you don't use any of it.

You'll die after all, and it might not go to people you like.

The world ain't aiming to please you.

-Cowboy Hãvamãl

Who accepts you accepts me,

and who accepts me,

accepts who has sent me.

- Jesus

It is our most sacred duty, out of loyalty to God himself,

to refuse to accept anything less than an all-round happiness and success.

We are to pray and meditate,

and reorganize our lives in accordance with his teaching,

continuously and tirelessly until our goal is attained.

-Emmet Fox

If you look at your life, you will find many excuses to suffer,

but a good reason to suffer you will not find.

-Unknown

My soul pines for you,

my soul clings to you.

And your right hand bears me up.

It is no longer I who live,

but Christ, who lives in me.

- St Ambrose

If our spiritual nature were not on fire with other and nobler passions,

we should never cast off the yoke of the senses.

- St. John of the Cross

The wisdom, the strength, the confidence, the awakened heart and mind are always accessible, here and now.

We are just uncovering them.

We are rediscovering them.

We're not inventing them or importing them from somewhere else.

They're here.

-Pema Chödrön

My soul is my friend who consoles me in misery and distress of life.

He who does not befriend his soul is an enemy of humanity,

and he who does not find human guidance within himself will perish desperately.

Life emerges from within, and derives not from environs.

-Kahlil Gibran

February 23

The moon white

drum-tight

like the belly of the drowned

Marolis used to say:

everything’s going to be fine.

His heart said so.

Marolis

down in the deep water

with the blind seaweed.

-Yannis Ritsos

The soul is a newly skinned hide, bloody and gross.

Work on it with manual discipline

and the bitter tanning acid of grief

and you'll become lovely

and very strong.

-Rumi

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