Illuminated By Joy

 J.M.J.  Hello, my friends!  Do you ever keep track of quote-worthy lines in books you read? I've had a notebook since I was 12 where I've recorded "Important Things to Remember from ...". It's an easy way to sort of reread books from my past spiritual reading (and see how my handwriting has changed!). One of my favorite books is Story of a Soul: Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux , so I thought I'd share some of my favorite quotes from her writing. I also highly recommend it to everyone, no matter your stage in life!  (credit) *Emphasis is my addition* "He wants me to love Him because He has forgiven me, not much, but everything. He did not wait for me to love Him with a great love, like Magdalene's, but made me see that He had loved me first, with an infinite providence, so that now I may love Him in return even unto folly" (57-58).  " 'The world is but a ship, and not thy home' " (61).  "...Our Lord does not come fr...

 Hey everyone! I've been listening to the Bible in a Year podcast a lot lately. In the process, I listened to so many books that gave profound advice, but that hardly anyone knows about. It just made me want to spread this wisdom to everyone.  So, I thought I would share a few quotes from one of these books, called Sirach (Ecclesiasticus if you read the Dhouay-Rheims Version) with you all to reflect on. It is a deuterocannonical book, or one of the books that Catholic Bibles have, but non-Catholic Bibles don't. The format is basically a father giving advice to his son. So many of the teachings are rules we should all live by, including some really good social precepts. I pray that as you read these, you will hunger for more great Wisdom from our Heavenly Father.  I used the Dhouay Rheims Version because it is in the public domain, but included the citation for the New American Bible as well. "Advise not with fools, for they cannot love but such things please them. "Be...