A family spirit is not always synonymous with family life. Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh makes for brothers, sisters and relatives, who may be as distant as strangers in a foreign land. – Mother Angelica
Every Christian who strives for holiness of life experiences dryness of soul. It is to most people a heart-rending experience. It is a paradox, for the soul becomes confused when it realizes the harder it strives the further away Jesus seems to be. – Mother Angelica
Mary’s life was a perfect imitation of Jesus. She was humble, hidden, sorrowful and afflicted, but she also knew joys that never entered the heart of man. She is all things to all men that she might understand their failings, though she failed not. – Mother Angelica
Religious life is an encounter with the living God. Sometimes that encounter is preceded by a kind of soul-searching agony that tries desperately not to hear, runs in the opposite direction, and frantically tries to reason itself out of answering the invitation. – Mother Angelica
Every time I say ‘no’ to a small temptation, I strengthen my will to say ‘no’ to a greater one. – Mother Angelica
I do not ask for the riches that perish or the fame that fades away like a morning mist. – Mother Angelica
For thirty years, Jesus never allowed his divinity to manifest itself. He was infinitely superior to everyone but never showed it. – Mother Angelica
I must not permit the evil capabilities of human nature to sour my faith in the tremendous good that is possible despite the frailty of that nature. – Mother Angelica
Saints are ordinary people who love Jesus, try to be like him, are faithful to the duties of their state in life, sacrifice themselves for their neighbor, and keep their hearts and minds free of this world. – Mother Angelica
The sinner who suddenly realizes God’s love for him and then looks at his rejection of that love feels a loss similar to the death of a loved one. A deep void is created in the soul and a loneliness akin to the agony of death. – Mother Angelica
Each one of us has a particular virtue and faults that make the process of becoming like Jesus different. – Mother Angelica
My failures may be my greatest successes. It is in failure that I have often drawn closer to God, learn to depend more on Him than myself, gained self-knowledge, and seen things in their right perspective. – Mother Angelica
When our neighbor’s personality possesses harsh qualities, we show our love by not voluntarily provoking those qualities in any way. Past experience shows us what upsets a person, so in their presence we are careful not to do or say those things that cause anger. We are self-effacing. – Mother Angelica
When anyone arouses my anger, I will immediately pray for them and regain my peace of soul. – Mother Angelica
Neighbors are competitors instead of partners, suspicious instead of trustful, indifferent instead of helpful, cold instead of loving, greedy instead of generous. We no longer consider ourselves living in neighborhoods, but only as living next to ‘hoods.’ – Mother Angelica
We live in an age that stresses personal goals, careers, happiness, work and religion. The emphasis is on the individual and how best that individual can satisfy himself. – Mother Angelica
Salvation brings the soul a deep awareness of God’s love. Life takes on more meaning, for it now has a purpose. – Mother Angelica
Even if my fellow man has proven faithless time after time, I can at least retain a hope that he will improve, pray for him, and think kindly without frustration and disappointment. – Mother Angelica
No creature, not even the most exalted angel, can understand God or have perfect knowledge of Him. – Mother Angelica
Jesus made Himself available to everyone. Unlike former prophets and the religious men of His day, who often kept themselves aloof, Jesus was easy to approach and always ready to give his help. – Mother Angelica
The heart of Jesus is compassionate and understanding. It has felt the sting of ingratitude, and when my heart suffers from that same offense, I can turn to him, and he understands my feelings. – Mother Angelica
My life is such a contradiction. My soul yearns for holiness and then runs from the mortification necessary to attain it. – Mother Angelica
Love has been defined, analyzed, explained and excused. It has been the cause of wars, feuds, heroism, martyrdom, inordinate passion, and beautiful friendships. It pulls two people of opposite temperaments together into a married state and permits them to live happily. It makes friends understand each other without the necessity of words. – Mother Angelica
Love fills and empties simultaneously. It makes us reach out to God, ready to be pruned, recklessly desiring whatever the cost. It soothes the aching heart and then makes it thirst for more. – Mother Angelica
There are many who are not guilty of doing anything wrong but very guilty of sins of omission – the things they neglect to do – the good things – the kind, thoughtful words, compassionate thoughts and hopeful attitudes they might have had towards their neighbor. – Mother Angelica
Every individual we meet is different than we are. Members of the same family differ one from the other. Friend differs from friend, husband from wife, sister from brother, nation from nation. All these differences make ‘feeling’ love difficult and isolated to specific individuals according to our tastes and their personalities. – Mother Angelica
We often forget that everything we see, animate or inanimate, is a visual manifestation of the work of our invisible God. We have become so accustomed to trees, mountains, sky, air, water, flowers, animals, vegetables and people that we no longer see them for what they are – God’s work. – Mother Angelica
We live in an age of technology and science that demands proof, and yet we desire mystery. But when God gives us mystery, we seek to destroy it by gross indifference or childish reasoning. – Mother Angelica
