Born in Barcelona in 1783, she married Theodore de Mas in 1799 and bore nine children before his death in 1816. As a widow, Saint Joachina founded the Congregation of Carmelite Sisters of Charity for the care of the sick and education of children. She died in 1854, and was canonized by Pope John XXIII. The following excerpts are from her letters.
"If only we were all on fire with love for God! If we were, we would preach love, proclaim love, and yet more love, until we had set the whole world on fire." "We must be careful to free our hearts from everything that might get in the way of the pure love of our beloved Jesus. He is love itself, and wants to give Himself to us through love. Jesus is calling us all the time -- how long are we going to remain deaf to His voice? No, let us keep our hearts ready, our wills completely for Jesus, our faculties and our senses for the Lord." "There must be no undue attachment in our hearts for created things; they must burn for love alone, love ever more fervent; for love never says 'enough,' never rests until it is completely on fire. When our hearts are completely on fire with pure love for Jesus, everything that might hinder love from taking complete possession will be cast out." "We must not give in to weariness. We must spend every minute in loving God. God alone, the maker of heaven and earth, must be our rest and our consolation. The love of God is the only thing we can possess forever: everything else will pass away." "Love, love and yet more love -- love that is never satisfied! The more we love God, the more we shall long to love Him. And when we have Jesus in our hearts, we shall have everything else in Him and with Him." Comments are closed.
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