Pelagius and John

Somebody asked Antony, “What shall I do in order to please God?” He replied, “Do what I tell you, which is this: wherever you go, keep God in mind; whatever you do, follow the example of holy Scripture; wherever you are, stay there and do not move away in a hurry. If you keep to these guide-lines, you will be saved.”
Pelagius and John
From 'The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks' (Penguin Classics, 2003)

Jesus lives in and through the love of the Father, and it is this love of the Father that he pours into our hearts by the gift of his Spirit. It is this love that transforms us and opens us up and calls us forth as lovers.
This is essentially the experience of prayer. When Jesus says, “I give you my peace, I leave you my peace,” he is giving us the treasure of God, which is the kiss of God. It is the resting of the beloved in the beloved. It is this experience of union with God which touches us in our very depths and which is already the calling forth to the infinite
Jean Vanier
From 'Be Not Afraid' (Paulist Press, 1975)

 
When I sort through the layered texture
Of what clutters and claims my spirit,
I find you, Deepest Good, in residence.
You shine like a piece of gold inside of me.
In that tranquil, secluded district of soul
I discover my true, unblemished nature.
Teach me that there is much more to me
Than just my struggle and my failure.
Absorb me in the jewel of your love
Until I am fully one with your goodness.
Joyce Rupp
From 'Joyce Rupp: Essential Writings', ed. Michael Leach (Orbis Books, 2017)