Teach me the joy of living in your presence

"Lord, I remember all the dirty pranks I did in the past, I remember what damnable situations I got myself into, and into which I thrust others. When I look at myself, I am ashamed. But You, You tore me away from all that... You pardoned me everything and brought me back to life."

-o-

"Fear? Fear of You? No my God, too often have You saved me, too often have You made me know your pity. Lord, it is true, I abandoned You... I wanted to be rid of You. I dropped You coldly, I did not want to listen to You any longer. And as You did to Peter, You held out your hand to me, and said to me: 'Come back, you can't live without Me.' I knew it was true that I could not live without You. You were there again; deep down You had never left me; without reproaching me You reminded me that You loved me."

-o-

"My God, do not permit me to use the thousand and one little things of our life to seek myself or satisfy my thirst for compliments. Teach me purity of heart, the true joy of living in your presence, in your Love. Lead me toward the essential. Let your goodness explode in me and leap beyond the limits placed by my egoism. Let the happiness of living and loving overflow so powerfully from my heart, that it will propel me toward others." -- Sr Frances of the Redemption, ocd

-- Fascinated by God: The Spiritual Adventure of a Hippie translated by Sr Miriam of Jesus, ocd