Q&A: "Is it okay to go for confession at a Ukrainian Catholic Church?" with Follow up Q&A concerning important information on avoiding the occasion of sin and doing penance for sin -- which most people refuse to do -- which is why they are damned in the end

Valid confession question please help me

Question: “im just curious is it okay to go for confession at a [Vatican II] Ukranian Catholic Church that uses Byzantine Rites as long as the priest [is validly ordained] rejects the antipope... and dont use for Mass or communion?

thank you God bless”

Answer: If you adhere to MHFM's (or other Traditionalists') guidelines on "Where to receive Sacraments" and their teaching is according to your conscience*, then it is possible you could do so without committing sin. But if you follow the position as explained in the article (and I assume you have read it) "About receiving the sacraments from heretics and prayer in communion with heretics" and you find it to be more in line with Catholic teaching according to your conscience* -- then no, you can not confess to them and need to stay home, confessing your sins to some friend perhaps (or to me through email), or, at least to God for now.

*Remember to always follow your conscience concerning these and similar matters, since, according to Saint Alphonsus: “...an error, in which something is believed to be mortal that is not, binds to mortal sin by conscience.” This is why St. Antoninus says: “Unless one were to have express authority of Sacred Scripture, or a canon, or a determination of the Church, or at least evident reason, something will be determined to be a mortal sin only with very great danger. ... For if something were determined to be mortal, and it were not mortal [i.e., you think it is mortal even though it is not], acting against it he will sin because everything that is against conscience paves the road to hell.” (https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/08/st-alphonsus-moral-theology-book-2-requirements-for-mortal-sin.html)

Remember that avoiding the occasions of sin and having a determination never to offend God again is the essential requirement in order to put a person into a state of Grace again and God's friendship -- for many confess but end up in Hell anyway -- since they have no real intention of entirely ceasing with offending God.

Please consult these relevant and important articles for more information:

About the sacrament of penance and contrition and about receiving forgiveness without an absolution
(http://www.catholic-saints.net/contrition-and-the-sacrament-of-penance/)

A “venial sin is made mortal if a human being delights in it with the intention of persevering” according to Our Lord Jesus Christ
(https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/04/a-venial-sin-is-made-mortal-if-a-human-being-delights-in-it.html)

Bad confessions are the road to hell for many; and of persons who have made sacrilegious confessions
(https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/04/bad-confessions-are-road-to-hell-for-many.html)

WHAT IS ONE OBLIGED TO CONFESS IN THE MATTER OF IMPURITY? WHAT DISTINCTION IS TO BE MADE IN REGARD TO BAD THOUGHTS?
(https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/what-is-one-obliged-to-confess-in-regards-to-impurity.html)

Understand that this position, if you adhere to it, also permit you to confess your sins to any priest (such as to a Vatican II priest) provided you do so as to a layman; but you need to make known to him in that case that you do not confess in order to receive an "absolution", but rather in order to make known your sins to someone (by confession) and by making penance for them. (Confessing is of course shameful and hence a form of penance in itself.)

Also the Ukrainian "Catholic" Church you referred to is part of the Vatican II sect and hence their "priests" may be invalidly ordained. One may never receive a sacrament from such a "priest", of course.

According to the position which to me seems more probably at present, it is only permitted to receive the sacraments from a validly ordained non-heretical, Catholic priests. Hence if you agree with this position, then you may not receive a sacrament from any priest that is not fully Catholic. This should answer your question.

According to some pre-Vatican II teachings, however, such as Holy Office replies and theologians, one could receive confession in danger of death from a heretic or schismatic (and one may argue, with a situation like ours today, that one is constantly living in "a danger of death" and of dying without the sacraments), but I am not sure if this teaching is correct since it contradicts tradition, as the articles explain.

Follow up questions and answers

The same person replied a little later, indicating that he was determined to avoid offending God for the future. He also wanted to confess his sins to me and did so, and for personal and private reasons, I will not include his email to me. But I will give you my response:

1. Even though you are not required to confess your sins to me, a confession would be a little meaningless unless you confessed all your mortal sins, even the most shameful sexual sins. But it is always good to confess. [Note: I was not accusing him of withholding anything.]

There is really no sin that would surprise me, since I know how evil and sinful I am - and have been my self.

2. You should make some penance for your sins so that you understand that it is serious, and that you will have to suffer something if you fall into such sins.

I can recommend you some easy penances, and some little harder:

-If you don't pray 15 decades of the Rosary each day [see How to Pray the Rosary], pray all 15 decades (all 3 mysteries of the Rosary) for at least a week as a penance. (You may have to remove time from other things in order to achieve this). [Preferably one should always pray the 15 decades and pray a lot every day, but for people who do not do this, it is good to make them increase prayer first by penance, and then once they have grown accustomed, they may (hopefully) retain this custom. If a person values the things of God more than the world (and if he loves God more than himself and more than his own pleasures and ease), he will of course succeed in giving himself more time for prayer. I can easily see how a person that is addicted to media and video games will pray very little and priority the things of the world and hence almost certainly be lost in the end.]

-Fast only on bread and water for a week. If this seems too hard to you, eat normally but deprive yourself of everything you would like to eat for one week, and only eat the least desirable things and avoid making the food tastier than it already is.

-Punish yourself for a week by denying yourself your own will, by giving yourself pain in some ways, such as cold showers, and denying yourself things you like. Sleep on the floor etc.

It is of course preferable to always live like this, not only for one week, but often. No one is forced to live like this every day, but many people do the mistake to only live like this as a penance for a short time, and then never thinking about it again. I my self tries to live one week of penance, followed by a more "normal" week, every day of the year! [And my intention is to become even more severe as time progresses, and I have made vows to this effect since I am fully aware of that unless one forces oneself under pain of mortal sin (such as by binding oneself under solemn vows of always progressing more and more by word of mouth to God or the Virgin) one may never get anywhere, since self-love and the love of ease and pleasure is too strong to fight against, unless one had something that forced you to move forward against your will.]

3. If you start to pray the Rosary and Hail Mary frequently your oppression problems should go away; also, if you start to live a better life by avoiding the occasions of sin, your problems should go away. However, the problem is that most people don't want to better their lives, or avoid the occasion of sins like media. We shall see what is the case with you (see point nr. 4).

4. In order to avoid falling into porn and similar things, it is important that you start surfing the internet with ad blocks, image blocks etc, and that you stop watching media and only listen to the audios. If you don't surf the internet with ad blocks and image blocks, and if you watch media such as television causally despite being told not to do so, you commit mortal sin; since it is impossible not to see countless of immodesties every day.

http://www.catholic-saints.net/best-adblockers-imageblockers-and-flashblockers/

As a penance* for your sins that in my opinion you must do for your sins (the penances above was only recommendations), is to read this section below -- and if I was a priest, I would tell you that you must do this:

http://www.catholic-saints.net/spiritual/#How-to-control-your-eyes

*I only call it penance since it is long reading [i.e, the entire long section dealing with occasions of sin concerning the media and the need to surf the internet with ad blockers and image blockers], but even without reading it as a penance, it would be important and necessary for your salvation to read it anyway. [But most people sadly don't care about information like this and many, even if they read it, refuse to implement it or, if they do implement it, walk away from it after a while due to their evil and depraved and damnable attachment to seeing images and watching media.]

Follow up questions and answers 2

Question: “oh you mean i have to confess every single sin, not just the category, i honestly dont know if i can remember all of the times

literally thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands i dont know

ill try to make a list

...i do that already [some penance] I don't eat meat or dairy or eggs even though I want to, except occasionally never meat though

thank you for the advice”

Answer: You don't have to mention every case of similar masturbation for example, and you can say I have committed the sin of masturbation hundreds or thousands of times in my life. That would be valid and enough.

But perhaps you have done other forms of shameful masturbation that needs to be mentioned separately that is not similar to normal masturbation, and that are/or may be more sinful -- or at least, more shameful.

When things are added, the sin get a little different and hence, should be confessed separately.

It is good to make a list.

Many go to Hell because they are ashamed to confess their most shameful sins. If you have such sins on your conscience, please, you can speak to me about it and I can try to help you. It is easy to confess to a priest if one has already made up in one's mind to confess them, even to a layman, if necessary.

Follow up questions and answers 3

Question: “do you have Rosary to give away

I need one to help pray

i do the prayers i just don't know where to get one without supporting a an apostate church

...i feel like ive been opressed for a very long time my old house was very spooky, my sister and i both saw shadows run across rooms and stuff, i would sleepwalk once in a while, i just always felt scared im sure the sins let a demon into my life

that compelled me to do a lot of this”

Answer: 1. I have rosaries and devotionals to give away, also dvds and books -- provided you give me your address! [anyone can ask me for free items]

But it is not wrong to buy a Rosary, and you don't have to worry about buying necessary items from heretics, since this would not be considered as donating or supporting them; and that is true even if you would have to buy the rosary by clicking on a "donate" button.

2. If you start to get a good prayer life all negative spirits should be removed from your life; also your temptations will be diminished and you will be strengthened a lot in your spiritual life. The Hail Mary is a powerful prayer most pleasing to Jesus and Mary.

See these related articles on this topic:

https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/heaven-opened-by-the-practice-of-the-three-hail-marys.html

https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/07/devotion-to-seven-sorrows-of-mary-prayer-card.html

Also see:

https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-become-saint-how-to-love-god-etc.html

3. I mentioned ad blocks and image blockers earlier and about not watching media like television and youtube. Since this is so important for salvation and in order to avoid the occasion of sin (since watching media is an occasion of sin and surfing the internet with images on also is an occasion of sin) I would like that you answer me if you surf the internet with ad blockers and image blockers, and whether you avoid looking at media, as we teach is necessary for obtaining forgiveness and salvation.

Have you read this article's section, or will you read it? Yes or no?

http://www.catholic-saints.net/spiritual/#How-to-control-your-eyes

If you have not read it yet, I would simply ask you to do so as fast as possible and implement the changes, since it is absolutely necessary for salvation not to put oneself in the occasion of sinning like the media.

From personal experience: Most people sadly don't care about information like this and many, even if they read it, refuse to implement it or, if they do implement it, walk away from it after a while due to their evil and depraved and damnable attachment to seeing images and watching media.

Follow up questions and answers 4

Question: “thank you I read a lot of it last night

and I'm implementing changes now”

Answer: I am happy that you are determined to go against your own will and start to surf the internet with ad blocks and image blocks. Most people at most may agree with an ad block, but skip the image blockers! But I hope and trust you will not be a fool and let the worst enemies, images, remain -- hurting your soul.

Also, as the information already have detailed, if you want to save yourself and be more certain of your salvation: you need to stop watching movable media. It does not matter how attached you are to it; you need to cut it off. If you don't you risk to be lost be lost, since it might lead you into committing other sins in the end -- or at least, you will be guilty of putting yourself in an occasion of sinning, which is also a mortal sin to do, if you do not stop doing it. You know in your conscience this is true also, since you are not unfamiliar with that bad scenes, immodest scenes, and women that are badly dressed and hence tempts us -- are not infrequently shown in the media.

Most people -- even traditional Catholics! -- are so attached and obsessed with images and media, that they will never move away from it or stop exposing themselves to it, and they will come with every kind of argument for why they need to surf with images on or watch media. I look upon such people as lost.

Follow up questions and answers 5

Question: “yes I'm very interested

God has been giving me so many signs that this is the correct path dreams, discoveries of ancestors who played a role in Catholicism etc

i agree but at the same time without youtube and media i would still be living in ignorance but i understand what you say and I'm going to try the HTML text only

I'll put youtube on kids mode maybe or do something to block thumbnails i would be living in complete ignorance without youtube and would not be talking to you now if it wasn't for the medium...”

Answer: Even though good can come out of evil, that does not mean one should continue doing evil when one has learned it is bad for one's soul.

Besides, one can still use youtube even with the information presented, the only difference will be that you will not be able to see the screen, and only hear the audio.

You don't have to put up kid mode (even though you can), all you have to do is read the article and install the add ons (extensions) for google chrome or opera that are mentioned, that automatically hides all images and the video screen (do you understand what you need to do?). These extensions hides all images and videos on all websites, and images should only be allowed on necessary websites, when they are needed, and it is deemed relatively safe to put them on.

http://www.catholic-saints.net/best-adblockers-imageblockers-and-flashblockers/

You will have to use discernment when putting on images or videos* and only do it when deemed safe; initially you may feel tempted to put on the video screen often, thinking it is safe, but if you do this, you will evidently be exposed to seeing women. It is better not to even look at women at all and avoiding looking at people. And the more you expose yourself, the more dangerous it will be. The more you grow in your spiritual life, the more will you be glad to hide yourself from the world and people, and hence will be glad, and prefer, to not see the video screen or images! That is also why the saints preferred solitude with God, and hiding themselves from people, since they desired God and to keep their inner peace and virtue unharmed. They did not desire to see worldly people and indulge in the world, bur rather fled from it!

*Generally, you must always have them blocked and it is not lawful to surf the internet in a general way with images or videos unblocked. This is the problem with most people today, even traditional Catholics -- they reject the advice we give and willingly put themselves in the occasion of sinning by surfing the whole internet, even known bad sites such as youtube and daily mail, with images and videos enabled etc. and hence damn themselves.

Follow up questions and answers 6

Question: "thank you for all of the info also

it's very nice to not deal with lewd content"

Answer: Yes, and the more spiritual you become, the more you will even want to hide images and video screens and avoid people, since you will see them as distractions -- and as plain and simply harmful and dangerous, or at least, distracting.

Yet, despite this, many fools that call themselves Traditional Catholics, surf the whole internet, no matter what sites -- even daily mail -- with images enabled. They don't fear God, sin or Hell, which is why they will be damned in the end.

When people don't worry about immodesty or exposing themselves to it, this is an indication that they may already be living in mortal sin, and that they are living a lustful and/or gluttonous lifestyle, since, as St. Thomas teaches, lust and gluttony actually gives rise to "blindness of mind" concerning spiritual realities:

https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/venereal-pleasures-above-all-debauch-a-mans-mind.html

Follow up questions and answers 7

Question: "what do you do personally for confession? is there a priest near you that can use?"

Answer: I have confessed, and use to confess/talk to my spiritual brothers about such matters, as advice by St. Thomas Aquinas one can do in the absence of a confessor.

So you surf the internet now with images and videos blocked so they can't show themselves unless you allow them? Youtube also needs to be surfed with images blocked, and facebook also, etc.

I ask because even after people have told me they have done the changes, implemented the programs etc., they yet did not avoid putting themselves in the occasion of sinning by exposing themselves to images. Indeed, some people even hardly seems to care anymore about blocking images after "realizing" have much in love they were with having images, and how attached they were on seeing them, such as on news sites, or how more convenient (in the worldly sense) it were to have them on, such as on youtube.

Response: "yes i do although tonight i was not using the browser and did see some lewd content i prayed for forgiveness and will be more diligent

once in images when I was looking at the image results for purgatory on google I was looking at paintings and the abstract model and an image from a degenerate theatre play was in it

once on Wikipedia when I was reading about Japan's history in nanjing

and once from a link on YouTube about Japan nanjing and nuclear weapon (this link was explicitly lewd, i closed and prayed after)

i wasn't thinking about occasion of sin I'll definitely remind myself now how serious it is, I'm still getting used to the concept

but yes no images is the only way to be innocent as an angel or saint would be

it does make education harder i find im a visual learner so i have to get used to it"

Answer: 1. Yes it is good to be more thoughtful, that is why I asked you to read this article, which I hope you did, since it deals in depth with the need to avoid the occasion of sinning - and how important this is for one's salvation:

http://www.catholic-saints.net/spiritual/#How-to-control-your-eyes

Have you read all of it yet?

2. The saints became innocent and angels since they generally avoided looking at any people at all, men or women (but especially at the opposite sex, they avoided). St. Bridget, for example, made a confession for every face that she happened to see. This indicates that she tried avoid looking, but that she made mistakes.

3. When images are necessary or needed, they may be put on. But it is not lawful to surf with them on in a general sense in the ways you explained. Please install the image, ad and flash blockers as fast as possible.

Many educational images are without people and hence lawful to look at and enable if they are needed (otherwise, one could skip looking at them), provided one is fairly certain the image will be safe. In the beginning one will be tempted to put on images all the time, but as time progresses, the curiosity will diminish and one will find happiness in the peace of conscience in not exposing oneself to damnation or spiritual harm.

Enabling an image from curiosity -- such as religious images --, and provided the image is deemed safe, is also more excusable, although, it can be dangerous.

I have images blocked on wikipedia as well, although, I may occasionally enable on some image if it is deemed safe, especially on religious articles. Secular articles can always be dangerous, of course.

Some sites will show the image place-holder so you can manually enable the image(s) with wizmage provided the fast image blocker is disabled for this site. I tell you this in order to make you know if perhaps you needed to active an image in order to do some necessary thing put can’t see any image place-holders.

P.S.

This information is somewhat relevant to what you wrote, and it deals also with the problem that happened with you in google images and about how one should act before enabling an image:

I read in their "Updates" section a while ago: “We ourselves do not watch any videos anymore except exclusively when for the sake of making videos [for our website]. We also try to avoid reading any secular news or other worldly websites. Now we only listen to audio, having all the movable images blocked. [See the Chrome/Opera/Vivaldi and Firefox/IceDragon sections on how to watch youtube while the video screen remains hidden (the video screen can still be activated easily with one click).] On youtube, when we watch something on youtube, we do not watch the videos but only listen to them by downloading them as audio (or video) and listened to them only in audio [as described in the links], or at least, by avoiding watching at the screen if we were watching it on youtube by scrolling down so that the player is not seen, or on other video sites [this was our approach before we learned that the video screen could be hidden with extensions]. Anyone who cares about virtue and about their eternal salvation and for those who fear not to offend God by viewing or seeing bad scenes or images, will of course do the same thing, since it’s almost impossible to watch anything today that does not contain immodesty or that will harm one’s virtue. Even purely Christian films, whether on tv or youtube, have many bad and unacceptable scenes, statues or images in them. What then could be said about more secular media, documentaries, or series?

“The same can be said about images.

“Before when we were more stupid we did search for images in Google Images for our articles (even more secular articles) or automatically included the images contained in other peoples articles and did not always surf the internet in a general sense with images blocked, which is a highly stupid thing to do and an occasion of sinning since the internet is completely filled with immodesties and occasions of sinnings. But we don't do this any longer and we usually don't even care about having any images at all anymore for our articles.

“Perhaps if we think some image have some necessity and is safe to look at we can include it or look at it, such as, for example, an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that can be viewed in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Wikipedia entry, which should be a more safe approach than searching for it in Google Images. Also some Windows 10 images have recently been used in the How to disable Windows 10 advertisements section and been searched for in Google Images in a safe way or been borrowed from other articles, but only because such images generally ought to be safe, and hence they would be more “excusable” to look for when one have a necessity. One generally can assume what topics and images ought to be safe and not include any people or women in them, and if one don't have this assurance, one must be absolutely careful or even avoid it completely since this could be an occasion of sinning.

“But even when an image or images are thought to be more safe or necessary, still, one should not look at such an image directly when searching for it or when opening it or enabling it with Wizmage in order that one may not get exposed to anything immodest directly to one's face. It also helps me personally that I have poor near sight, since this means I can look outside my glasses in order to try to discern beforehand (with bad sight) whether the image or images are deemed safe or not and whether it is just a normal Windows image without any people or women in it etc. When one don't know that a webpage and image is safe, one must be very careful before enabling it and looking at it.

“Yes, one needs to be careful if one wants to be saved, and those who are not careful about themselves and just expose themselves to all kinds of dangers (as almost all people do today, whether they be self-professed Traditional Catholics or not as detailed in this post) will not be saved, since they will be abandoned by God and fall into sin, as explained in another article.”


Related articles:
Q&A: On Keeping Custody of the Eyes, Avoiding the Occasion of Sin, Sexual Ethics and Mortification etc.
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/09/on-custody-of-the-eyes-and-mortification.html

God is Pleased with Penance and Mortification, and not Sensual Gratification
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/04/god-is-pleased-with-penance-and-mortification.html

Without solitude and silence it is impossible to preserve recollection and union with God

From "The Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation"; or,

"The School of Christian Perfection"

By St. Alphonsus Liguori,

Doctor of the Church

"Having dismissed the multitude, 

He went into a mountain alone to pray."

---Matthew 14:23 

To preserve recollection of spirit or the constant union of the soul with God, three things are necessary: solitude, silence and the recollection of the presence of God. It was these three things which the Angel of God referred to when, addressing St. Arsenius, he said: "Flee, be silent and rest." In other words: seek solitude, practice silence, and rest in God by keeping the thought of His presence ever before you. 

Souls that love God feel a strong attraction for solitude, for they know that God converses familiarly with those who shun the noise and distractions of the world. "O blessed solitude," exclaims St. Jerome, "in which God with loving condescension deals familiarly with chosen souls!" God does not speak in those places where time is squandered in loud laughter and idle talk. "The Lord is not in the earthquake" (3 Kgs. 19: 11), but He says, on the contrary, in the words of the prophet Osee: "I will lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart." (Osee 2:14). God speaks to the soul in solitude, and by His words the heart is inflamed with Divine love. "My soul melted when my beloved spoke," said the spouse in the Canticle (5:6).

St. Eucherius relates that a person who desired to be perfect once asked a spiritual director what he had to do, and this was the answer he received: "Solitude is the place where man finds God. In solitude, virtue is easily preserved; in intercourse with the world it is easily lost." St. Bernard tells us that he learned more about God and Divine things in solitude under the oaks and beeches than from the books and schools of the learned. For this reason the Saints felt an irresistible yearning to leave the noise and bustle of the world and retire into solitude; for this reason the mountains and forests and caves were inexpressibly dear to them. In the prophecy of Isaias we read: "The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily. It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it; the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God." (Is. 35:1). In other words, for interior souls, solitude is the source of abundant delights, for it is there they look upon and contemplate the majesty and beauty of God.

THE THOUGHT OF GOD 

In order to remain united to God, we must endeavor to keep alive within us a vivid recollection of Him and of the immeasurable goods He bestows on them that love Him. By constant intercourse with the world, these spiritual truths are apt to become obscured in the maze of earthly thoughts and considerations, and piety vanishes from the heart. Worldly-minded people shun solitude, and it is quite natural for them to do so; for it is in retirement that they are troubled with qualms of conscience. They seek the society and excitement of the world so that the voice of conscience may be drowned in the noise that reigns there. Those, on the contrary, whose conscience is at rest, love solitude and retirement; and when at times they are obliged by circumstances to appear in the noisy world, they are ill at ease and feel altogether out of their element.

It is true, man naturally loves the society of his fellow man; but what can be found more beautiful than the society of God? "His conversation hath no bitterness," says Holy Scripture, "and his company no tediousness, but joy and gladness." (Wis. 8:16). A life of solitude is not a life of sadness; it is rather a foretaste of Heaven; it is the beginning of the life of the blessed whose sole happiness is found in the love and praise of God. This is what St. Jerome said when he fled from the society of Rome and hid himself in the grotto of Bethlehem: "Solitude is my Heaven," he wrote. In solitude the Saints seem to be entirely alone, but this is not so. St. Bernard said: "Never am I less alone than when alone"; for when I am alone I am with God, Who gives me greater joy than the society of all creatures could afford. If the Saints seem to be sad, in reality they are not so. Because the world sees them deprived of all earthly joys and pleasures, it regards them as most unhappy; and yet the very opposite is the case.

According to the words of the Apostle, they enjoy a constant and immeasurable peace. (2 Thess. 3:16). Now, in order to find this delightful solitude it is not necessary to withdraw into a desert and live in a cave; you can find it in your home and in the midst of your family. Busy yourself with the outside world only in as far as the duties of your state, obedience, or charity require, and you will be living in that solitude that best accords with your circumstances and that God requires of you. In the midst of the weightiest affairs of state, King David knew how to find a solitude: "Behold I fled away and dwelt in solitude." (Ps. 54:8). 

St. Philip Neri for some time entertained the desire to retire into a desert, but the Lord commanded him not to leave the city of Rome, and to live there as if he were in a hermitage. 

SOLITUDE OF THE SPIRIT

Hitherto we have spoken of the solitude and retirement of the body; there is also a solitude of the soul, and the latter is more necessary than the former, for St. Gregory says: "Of what use is the solitude of the body without the solitude of the spirit?" Of what benefit is it, the Saint wishes to say, to live in a desert if the soul clings to the things of this earth? "A soul that is free from earthly attachments," says St. Peter Chrysologus, "finds solitude even on the streets and in public places." Of what advantage is it to remain quiet at home or in church if our heart is centered on the things of earth, and the noise of these earthly things prevents us from hearing the voice of God? One day the Lord said to St. Teresa: "Oh, how gladly would I speak to many souls! But the world makes so much noise in their hearts that they cannot hear My voice. Would that they might retire a little from the world!" In what does solitude of the heart consist? It consists in banishing from the heart all desires and inclinations that are not for God, and in performing our actions simply with God's good pleasure in view. The Psalmist expresses this truth in the following words: "What have I in Heaven, and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever." (Ps. 72:25-26). In one word, the solitude of the heart consists in being able to say: "My God, Thee alone do I desire and nothing else." 

HOW TO FIND GOD

Many complain that they are unable to find God, but to such St. Teresa replies: "Tear your heart away from everything else; then seek God and you will surely find Him." If a crystal vase is filled with earth, the rays of the sun cannot penetrate it. The light of God cannot illumine a heart that is full of attachments for the joys, the pleasures and the honors of this world. "When thou shalt pray," says Our Lord, "enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret." (Matt. 6:6). In other words, to be united to God in prayer, man must enter into his own heart --- which St. Augustine says is the chamber mentioned by Our Lord --- and shut out all earthly attachments and inclinations. It is not to be supposed that solitude and retirement are synonymous with idleness. Many live in retirement, but it is an inactive and useless retirement of which they shall have to render an account. Devout souls, on the contrary, are like bees that are never tired preparing honey for their cells. No time must be lost, but every moment employed in praying, in reading or in performing the duties of your state of life.

"Idleness is the mother of vice," says the proverb, and the foundation of this proverb is the words of Holy Scripture: "Idleness hath taught much evil." (Ecclus. 33:29). According to St. Bonaventure, the idle man is tortured by a thousand temptations, while the man that is busily occupied has comparatively few. We cannot pray all the time; therefore, we must devote ourselves to work. In the life of St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi it is said that she did more work than four lay sisters together. 

It would be an error to suppose that work is injurious to health; on the contrary, it is very conducive to our bodily welfare. Work is moreover an effective remedy against temptations. One day St. Anthony the hermit was assailed by numerous temptations and with a sudden aversion for his solitude; he scarcely knew which way to turn. An Angel appeared and led him into the garden; thereupon he picked up a hoe and began to cultivate the ground. Afterwards he prayed for a while, and then returned to work. From this the Saint learned how he was to act, and the subsequent interchange of prayer and labor made his solitude very agreeable, while at the same time it protected him from many temptations. 

But even labor need not prevent us from prayer. One day St. Bernard saw a monk praying while doing his work. "Continue in this way, my brother," said he, "and after death you will have no Purgatory." While our hands are occupied with external occupations, our heart can be fixed on God. The good intention we make in performing our labors sanctifies them in the sight of God and even makes of labor a prayer, for prayer has been called "the raising of the mind and heart to God." 

SILENCE

Silence is one of the principal means to attain the spirit of prayer and to fit oneself for uninterrupted intercourse with God. It is hard to find a truly pious person who talks much. But they who have the spirit of prayer love silence, which has deservedly been called a protectress of innocence, a shield against temptations and a fruitful source of prayer. Silence promotes recollection and awakens good thoughts in the heart. According to St. Bernard, it forces the soul, as it were, to think of God and heavenly things. For this reason the Saints of God were great lovers of Silence. In the prophecy of Isaias we read: "The work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security forever." (Is. 32:17). On the one hand, silence preserves us from many sins by removing the occasion of uncharitable talk, rancor and curiosity; on the other it aids us in the attainment of many virtues. For example: What an excellent opportunity we have for the practice of humility by modestly keeping silence while others speak! How well we may practice mortification by refraining from relating something we very much desire to tell! What a splendid chance to exercise meekness by not replying to unjust accusations and insults! 

Unrestrained and immoderate talking, on the other hand, has many disastrous consequences. If devotion is preserved by silence, it is certainly lost by much talking. A person may be ever so recollected at meditation; if afterwards he does not restrain his tongue, he will be as distracted as if he had made no meditation at all. 

If you open the doors of a furnace, the heat will escape. "Guard against much talking," says St. Dorotheus, "for it puts to flight devout thoughts and recollection in God." It is certain that a person who talks much with creatures, will converse little with God, and on His part God will speak little to such a one, for He says: "I will lead her into the wilderness and will speak to her heart." (Osee 2:14). "In the multitude of words," says the Holy Ghost, "there shall not want sin, but he that refraineth his lips is most wise." (Prov. 10:19). St. James says that "the tongue is a world of iniquity" (James 3:6), for as a learned author remarks, very many sins are occasioned by talking or listening to the talk of others. 

Ah, how many souls will be lost on judgment day because they have not watched over their tongue! "The man full of tongue," says the Psalmist, "shall wander about without a guide" (Ps. 139), and go into a thousand and one byways with no hope of returning. "He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul," says the Wise Man, "but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils." (Prov. 13:3). And St. James writes: "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." (James 3:2). For he who for the love of God keeps silence will likewise be given to meditation, spiritual reading and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. It is impossible, says St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, for one who does not love silence to take pleasure in Divine things; before long he will throw himself into the very midst of the pleasures of the world. 

THE VALUE OF SILENCE 

The virtue of silence does not consist in never speaking, but in keeping silent when there is no good reason to speak. Solomon says: "There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak." (Eccles. 3:7). In reference to these words, St. Gregory of Nyssa remarks: "The time to keep silence is mentioned first, because by silence we learn the art of speaking well." When therefore should a Christian, who desires to become holy, be silent, and when should he speak? He should be silent when it is not necessary to speak and he should speak when necessity or charity requires it. St. Chrysostom gives the following rule: "Speak only when it is more useful to speak than to be silent."

St. Arsenius acknowledges that he often regretted having spoken, but never, having kept silence. St. Ephrem says: "Speak much with God but little with men." If in your presence unbecoming and sinful language is used, leave the company if it is possible to do so. At least cast down your eyes and remain silent, or lead the conversation to some other topic, thus making a silent protest against such unsavory talk. Be not over eager to hear the news; curiosity leads to many faults. The Abbot John used to say: "He who would hold his tongue in check, must close his ears by suppressing the desire to hear the news." And when you do speak, weigh well what you intend to say. "Put your words in the balance," says the Holy Ghost. (Ecclus. 28:29). St. Francis de Sales quaintly remarked: "To avoid faults in speech we must have the lips buttoned together, so that while unbuttoning them we may think of what we are going to say."

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

A powerful aid in preserving recollection is the remembrance of the presence of God. Not only does it conduce to recollection of spirit, but it is also one of the most effective means of advancing in the spiritual life; it helps us to avoid sin; it spurs us on in the practice of virtue, and it brings about an intimate union of the soul with God. 

There is no more excellent means of quieting the passions and of resisting the temptation to sin than the thought of the presence of God. St. Thomas says: "If we thought of the presence of God at all times we would never, or very seldom, do anything to displease Him." According to St. Jerome, the recollection of God's presence closes the door on all sins. For, if in the presence of our rulers, our parents or superiors, we do not care to transgress their commands, how could we violate the commandments of God if we remembered that His eyes were upon us? St. Ambrose tells us that during a sacrifice which Alexander the Great was offering in the temple, a certain page who held a lighted torch allowed it to burn his hand rather than be guilty of irreverence by letting it fall. And the holy doctor adds: If respect for the presence of the king could overcome the impulse of nature itself in this boy, how much more ought not the thought of the presence of God to prevail with a faithful soul in overcoming temptations and in suffering every imaginable torture rather than offend God before His very eyes. 
Men fall into sin because they lose sight of the presence of God. "The cause of all evil," says St. Teresa," lies in the fact that we do not think of the presence of God, but imagine Him far away from us." A man who loses sight of the presence of God will easily become a prey to sinful and sensual desires and have no strength to resist them. 

On the other hand, by the thought of God's ever vigilant eye upon them, the Saints have had strength to resist and overcome all the attacks of the evil one. It was this thought that gave the chaste Susanna courage to spurn the wicked advances of the men who tried to seduce her and even threatened her with death. "It is better for me," she said, "to fall into your hands without doing evil, than to sin in the sight of the Lord." (Dan. 13:23). The same thought converted a wicked woman who dared to tempt St. Ephrem to sin. The Saint replied that if she wished to sin, she would have to go with him into the public square. "But," she inquired, "how is it possible to commit sin in the presence of so many people?" "And how is it possible," rejoined the Saint, "to commit sin in the presence of God, Who sees us everywhere?" At these words the poor sinner broke out into tears, threw herself at his feet and begged the Saint's pardon, beseeching him to lead her into the way of salvation. The Saint secured her admission into a convent, where she led an edifying life and bewailed her sins to her dying day.

Something similar is narrated in the life of the Abbot Paphnutius. A certain sinful woman named Thais thought she might induce him to do wrong by saying that no one but God would be a witness to the deed. The Saint replied in a very earnest tone: "You believe, then, that God really sees you, and nevertheless you wish to sin?" These words made such an impression on her that she began to conceive a horror of her wicked life. She brought all the jewels and clothing she had secured by a life of sin, heaped them together in the public marketplace, and set them on fire. Then she entered a convent and fasted for three years on bread and water, constantly repeating the following words: "Thou Who hast created me, have mercy on me." At the end of three years she died a holy death. It was shortly after revealed to a disciple of the Abbot Anthony that the happy penitent had merited a crown of glory among the Saints. Therefore St. Chrysostom says: "If we keep ourselves in the presence of God we shall neither think nor say nor do what is wrong, convinced as we are that God is the witness of all our thoughts and words and actions." 

A GREAT INCENTIVE 

As far as the practice of the Christian virtues is concerned, the recollection of God's presence affords us a powerful stimulus. How bravely will not soldiers fight in the presence of their general! The thought that his eyes are upon them, and that he will either reward or punish them, animates their courage and strength in a high degree. If we, too, would bear in mind that in all us to admire the wisdom and beauty and sanctity of God and return Him thanks for permitting His creatures to share in His holy attributes. 

The most perfect method, however, of keeping alive the thought of God's presence consists in beholding God within our very selves. It is not necessary to ascend to Heaven to find the Lord God; we need only to recollect ourselves, and we shall find Him within us. He who, at prayer, pictures the Lord at a great distance from him is preparing for himself a source of abundant distractions. St. Teresa says: "I never really knew what it meant to pray well until the Lord Himself taught me the proper way to converse with Him. I entered within my very self and found this practice exceedingly profitable for my soul." 

God is within us in a different manner from what He is in other creatures; in us He dwells as the Lord in His temple and in His house. "Know you not," says St. Paul, "that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16). And our Divine Saviour Himself has said: "If anyone love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." (John 14:23). Endeavor, therefore, to reanimate your faith in this consoling truth. Humble yourself profoundly before so exalted a Majesty Who deigns to dwell within you. Excite yourself to frequent acts of confidence, of oblation and of love towards the boundless goodness of God. St. Catherine of Siena tells us that she built a little cell in the innermost part of her soul; there she entertained herself in loving converse with her God. Once, when speaking of this presence of God in our heart, St. Teresa said: "Those who withdraw into the little heaven of their soul, where He Who created them is enthroned, can be certain that in a brief space of time they will have advanced far on the road to perfection."

The happiness of the elect in Heaven consists in seeing and loving God. Our happiness here on earth must likewise consist in loving and seeing Our Lord, not indeed face to face as the Saints and Angels do, but by means of the light of faith. Thus we begin in this valley of tears, this earthly exile, the life of the blessed in Heaven, a life of endless joy in the fruition of the vision of God.

Read the full book:

The School of Christian Perfection, By Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

https://archive.org/details/TheSchoolOfChristianPerfectionBySaintAlphonsusDeLiguori

Conformity to the Will of God – Quotes by the Saints

“Lord what wilt Thou have me do? Behold the true sign of a totally perfect soul: when one has reached the point of giving up his will so completely that he no longer seeks, expects or desires to do ought but that which God wills.”
--St. Bernard

“You well know that I preferred his company to all the delights of the world. But since it has pleased You to take him from me, I accept Your will completely.”
--St. Elizabeth (On the death of her husband)

“A soul who is really resigned to God’s will does not become attached to any created thing because he sees clearly that all things are nothing except God.”
--Blessed Henry Suso

“All that the beginner in prayer has to do -- and you must not forget this, for it is very important -- is to labour and be resolute and prepare himself with all possible diligence to bring his will into conformity with the will of God. As I shall say later, you may be quite sure that this comprises the very greatest perfection which can be attained on the spiritual road.”
--St. Teresa of Jesus

“More determination is required to subdue the interior man than to mortify the body; and to break one’s will than to break one’s bones.”
--St. Ignatius of Loyola

“I desire to suffer always and not to die. I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination. It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will.”
--Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified (“The Little Arab”)

“The goal of all our undertakings should be not so much a task perfectly completed as the accomplishment of the will of God.”
--St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

“Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: ‘Charity is the bond of perfection;’ and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s.”
--St. Alphonsus de Liguori

“I will attempt day by day to break my will into pieces. I want to do God’s Holy Will, not my own!”
--Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother

“God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul: “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.” “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory. Even chastisements come to us, not to crush us, but to make us mend our ways and save our souls.”
--St. Alphonsus de Liguori

“Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.”
--Saint Gerard Majella

“If, devout soul, it is your will to please God and live a life of serenity in this world, unite yourself always and in all things to the divine will. Reflect that all the sins of your past wicked life happened because you wandered from the path of God’s will.”
--St. Alphonsus de Liguori

“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will.”
--Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

“During our sojourn in this world, we should learn from the saints now in heaven, how to love God. The pure and perfect love of God they enjoy there, consists in uniting themselves perfectly to his will. It would be the greatest delight of the seraphs to pile up sand on the seashore or to pull weeds in a garden for all eternity, if they found out such was God’s will. Our Lord himself teaches us to ask to do the will of God on earth as the saints do it in heaven: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
--St. Alphonsus de Liguori

“We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can -- namely, surrender our will and fulfill God’s will in us."
--Saint Teresa of Avila

“Every creature, whether it will or not, is subject to the one God and Lord; but a warning is given to us, to serve the Lord with our whole will, because the just man serves Him willingly, but the unjust serves Him as a slave.”
--Saint Augustine

“A man makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and most mortifies his will.”
--St. Francis de Sales

Related booklet [must read]:
Uniformity With God’s Will, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
https://www.ccel.org/ccel/alphonsus/uniformity.html

Quotes on the Will of God from St. Bridget’s Revelations

Fifth question [by a Monk speaking through his conscience to Our Lord]. “Why should I obey others, if I have control over my own will?” Answer to the fifth question [by Our Lord]. “Whosoever holds his free choice in his hands should be fearful and should realize in truth that nothing so easily leads to eternal punishment as self-will without a leader. Accordingly, anyone who relinquishes his or her own will to me, his God, in obedience to me, shall have heaven without punishment.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 5, Interrogation 4

“Always prefer my will before your own, because my Mother, your Lady, has, from the beginning to the end, never wanted anything but what I wanted.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 1

“But what is my will, except that you should want to love me above all things and not desire anything but me? I created all things for the sake of mankind, and placed all things under his authority, but he loves all things except me, and hates nothing but me. I bought back the inheritance for him which he had lost because of his sin. But he is so foolish and without reason that he prefers this passing glory – which is like the foam of the sea that rises up for a moment like a mountain, and then quickly falls down to nothing – instead of eternal glory in which there is everlasting good.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 2

“What are these two treasuries [mentioned earlier] if not my love and the love of the world? There are two ways into these two treasuries: privation and a complete denial of one’s own will lead to my love, while the fleshly lust and a man’s own will lead to the love of the world.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 15

“But what the first man said [that tries to serve God] means that some people say: ‘Let us listen and test if what he says is true!’ They stand a while in my service, not for the sake of love or charity but as an experiment and to imitate others; and they do not give up their own will but exercise it along with my will. They are in a dangerous position, for they want to serve two masters, even though they can serve neither one well. When they are called, they shall be rewarded by the master that they have loved the most.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 15

Commentary: That is why Jesus also says in the Gospel, "where your heart is, there will your treasure be also" (cf. Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34). Better to give up watching the media and playing more worldly video games (not only because they are occasions of sins, but also because they make the spirit cold towards God) before it's too late and death is at hand, for at that moment will you only have regretted that you did not live a more spiritual life free from worldly distractions. It is morally and spiritually impossible to indulge in worldly vanities and have a good prayer life! To watch or read news daily etc. is hardly necessary and St. Alphonsus clearly rebukes people for this in his most excellent work, The True Spouse of Christ:

“St. Dorotheus says: "Beware of too much speaking, for it banishes from the soul holy thoughts and recollection with God." Speaking of religious that cannot abstain from inquiring after worldly news, St. Joseph Calasanctius said: "The curious religious shows that he has forgotten himself." It is certain that he who speaks too much with men converses but little with God, for the Lord says: I will lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart. If, then, the soul wishes that God speak to its heart, it must seek after solitude; but this solitude will never be found by religious who do not love silence." If," said the Venerable Margaret of the Cross, "we remain silent, we shall find solitude." And how will the Lord ever condescend to speak to the religious, who, by seeking after the conversation of creatures, shows that the conversation of God is not sufficient to make her happy? Hence, for a nun that delights in receiving visits and letters, in reading the newspapers, and in speaking frequently of the things of the world, it is impossible to be a good religious. Every time that she unnecessarily holds intercourse with seculars, she will suffer a diminution of fervor.”

The Blessed Virgin speaks: “I also promised in my heart to keep my virginity, if this was acceptable to him, and to have no possessions in the world. However, if God wanted otherwise, my will was that his will, not mine, be done; for I believed that he could do all things and wanted nothing but what was beneficial and best for me. Therefore, I entrusted all my will to him.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 10

“The Son answered: “It is an ancient proverb that says that what a youth learns in his youth, he preserves in his old age. So have also you, my dear Mother, from your youth learned to follow my will and to surrender all your will for my sake. Therefore you did well to say: ‘May your will be done.’ You are like precious gold that is laid on a hard anvil and hammered, for you were hammered with every kind of tribulation, and through my suffering you endured more pain than anyone before. For when my heart burst from the violent pain and bitterness on the cross, your heart was also wounded as if by the sharpest steel, and you would have willingly let it be cut into pieces, had that been my will. But even if you had been able to stop my suffering and wished for my life, still you did not want to if it was not my will. Therefore you did well to say: ‘Your will be done.’”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 15

“You are all mine by right and should therefore follow my will. The one who wants to follow the will of another should have three things: First, he should have the same will and opinion as the other; second, have similar deeds; third, he should move away from his enemies. But who are my enemies if not pride and every sin? You should therefore move away from them, if you desire to follow my will.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 38

“When you pray any prayer to me, always end your prayer with the intention that my will always shall be done and not yours.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 14

“The third [group of people who pray to me] are those who believe me to be the Creator of all things and true God and who believe me to be just and merciful. These do not serve me because of any fear of punishment but because of divine love and charity. Rather, they would prefer and endure every punishment, if they could bear it, than to even once provoke me to wrath. These truly deserve to be heard in their prayers, for their will is according to my will.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 14

“You would have pleased me more had you obeyed your teacher against your own will than doing your own will against his will. Many of my chosen ones neither had access to corporeal medicine or other easinesses for the body and yet have pleased me, whereas others, according to the times, the places and the sickness’ necessity, used medicines and yet did not displease me, since they did it all to please me. I therefore better like the obedience that knows nothing of its own will, then I do over a great offering.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 9, Chapter 60 (my own translation)

God likes obedience better than sacrifice:

1 Kings 15:22-23: “And Samuel said: Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams. Because it is like the sin of witchcraft to rebel: and like the crime of idolatry, to refuse to obey. Forasmuch as thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Hence, “Let your door stand open to receive Him, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light…”
--St. Ambrose

On Adam and Eve: “I gave them permission to have relations, because before my permission [after the fall] and the enunciation of my will they were stricken with fear and were afraid to unite and have relations. Likewise, when Abel was killed and they were in mourning for a long time and observing abstinence, I was moved with compassion and comforted them. And when they understood my will, they began again to have relations and to procreate children, from which family I, their Creator, promised to be born.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 26

Commentary: This revelation indicates that one should have sexual relations preferably when one thinks this is God's will, and for the primary purpose of procreation to the honor, love and glory of God. It also shows that one should fear God also during the sex act, and that there can come evils from the sex act, such as evil children (even though the act is not evil provided no sin, excess or abuse is committed). That is why one should pray to God fervently before the marital act to be blessed with good and holy children that will do His Holy Will.

“They come to the doors of my church with one mind and consent, but all their desires and inner thoughts are completely against me. They prefer their own will, which aims at pleasing the world, instead of my will. If all their thoughts and wishes were directed toward me, and if they entrusted their will into my hands and entered into wedlock in fear of me, then I would give them my consent and be as the third with them. But now is my consent, which should be their most precious thing, gone from them, because they have lust in their heart and not my love. Thereafter, they go up to my altar where they hear that they should be one heart and one soul, but then my heart flees from them because they have not the warmth of my heart and know not the taste of my body.
    “They seek the warmth and sexual lust that will perish and love the flesh that will be eaten by worms. Therefore do such people join in marriage without the bond and union of God the Father and without the Son’s love and without the Holy Spirit’s consolation. When the couple comes to the bed, my Spirit leaves them immediately and the spirit of impurity approaches instead because they only come together for the sake of lust and do not discuss or think about anything else with each other. But my mercy is still with them if they will be converted to me. Because of my great love, I place a living soul created by my power into their seed. Sometimes I let evil parents give birth to good children, but more often, evil children are born of evil parents, since these children imitate the evil and unrighteous deeds of their parents as much as they are able and would imitate it even more if my patience allowed them. Such a married couple will never see my face unless they repent. For there is no sin so heavy or grave that penitence and repentance does not wash it away.
    “For that reason, I wish to turn to the spiritual marriage, the kind that is appropriate for God to have with a chaste soul and chaste body. There are seven good things in it opposed to the evils mentioned above: First, there is no desire for beauty of form or bodily beauty or lustful sights, but only for the sight and love of God. Second, there is no desire to possess anything else than what is needed to survive, and just the necessities with nothing in excess. Third, they avoid vain and frivolous talk. Fourth, they do not care about seeing friends or relatives, but I am their love and desire. Fifth, they desire to keep the humility inwardly in their conscience and outwardly in the way they dress. Sixth, they never have any will of leading lustful lives. Seventh, they beget sons and daughters for their God through their good behavior and good example and through the preaching of spiritual words.
    “They preserve their faith undefiled when they stand outside the doors of my church where they give me their consent and I give them mine. They go up to my altar when they enjoy the spiritual delight of my Body and Blood in which delight they wish to be of one heart and one body and one will with me, and I, true God and man, mighty in heaven and on earth, shall be as the third with them and will fill their heart. The worldly spouses begin their marriage in lustful desires like brute beasts, and even worse than brute beasts! But these spiritual spouses begin in love and fear of God and do not bother to please anyone but me. The evil spirit fills and incites those in the worldly marriage to carnal lust where there is nothing but unclean stench, but those in the spiritual marriage are filled with my Spirit and inflamed with the fire of my love that will never fail them.
    “I am one God in three Persons, and one in Divinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Just as it is impossible for the Father to be separated from the Son and the Holy Spirit to be separated from them both, and as it is impossible for warmth to be separated from fire, so it is impossible for these spiritual spouses to be separated from me; I am always as the third with them. Once my body was ravaged and died in torments, but it will never more be hurt or die. Likewise, those who are incorporated into me with a true faith and a perfect will shall never die away from me; for wherever they stand or sit or walk, I am always as the third with them.”
--The Revelations of St. Bridget, Book 1, Chapter 26

Prayer to do God’s Will
Each day do I ask of Thee, O Lord, that Thy Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Hearken to my prayer, I beseech Thee, and grant that I may perform all my actions in compliance with Thy Holy Will, and ever make it the sole rule of my conduct. Deliver my soul from the slavery of its passions. Grant that they may all yield to Thine empire, and that to please and love Thee may ever be the predominant desire of my soul. Amen.

Related book [must read]:
St. Bridget's Prophecies & Revelations
http://www.trusaint.com/saints/st-bridget/book-1/

Holy and Sweet Name of Mary, Light of the Despairing, Star of the Sea! – Selected Writings and Prayers

The Holy Name of Mary, by St. Bernard

         
         "And the virgin's name, wrote Luke, was Mary. Let us speak of this name for a few moments. It is said to mean "star of the sea," a name applied most appropriately to the Virgin Mary. She is compared most aptly to a star. As a star emits its rays without loss of its essential nature, so the Virgin Mary without loss of her virginity, brings forth her Son. Neither do the rays lessen the brightness of the star, nor the Son the inviolateness of the Virgin. She is the glorious star which rose out of Jacob, whose rays light up the whole world, whose brilliance gleams in heaven, penetrates to hell. She floods the whole earth with her light, warms minds rather than bodies, fosters virtues, melts away sins. She, I say, is that brilliant shining star lifted in nature above this vast and boundless sea, gleaming with merits, enlightening by her example.

         "Whoever you are, when you find yourself tossed by storms and tempests upon this world's raging water's, rather than walking upon firm dry land, never take your eyes from the brightness of this star lest you be overwhelmed by the storm. When the winds of temptation blow, when you run upon the rocks of disaster, look to the star. Cry out to Mary! If you are cast away upon the waves of pride or ambition of detraction or jealousy, look to the star. Cry out to Mary! When anger, avarice, or the lusts of the flesh assail the ship of your mind, look up to Mary. When you are worried by the enormity of your sins, troubled by a confused conscience, or terrified by the horrors of the judgment to come, when you begin to drown in the bottomless pit of sorrow or sink in the abyss of despair, think of Mary.

         "In danger, in difficulties, in doubts, think of Mary. Call upon Mary! Never let her name be absent from your lips or absent from your heart. If you would obtain the help of her prayers, do not neglect to follow the example of her conduct. If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you need not despair. If you think of her, you will not err; sustained by her, you need not fear; guided by her, you will walk without weariness. If she smiles upon you, you will succeed. You will experience in your own heart with what justice it is said: and the Virgin's name was Mary.

         "Take not your eyes from the light of this star if you would not be overwhelmed by the waves; if the storms of temptation arise, if you are thrown upon the rocks of affliction, look to the star, invoke Mary. Are you confounded at the enormity of your sins, are you ashamed at the defilement of your conscience, are you terrified on account of the dreadful judgment, so that you begin to be overpowered by sadness, or even to sink into the abyss of despair, then turn your thoughts to Mary. In dangers, in distress, in doubt, call on Mary. She will not be far from your mouth, or your heart; and that you may obtain her intercession omit not to imitate her conduct. When you follow her, you will not go astray; when you invoke her, you will no longer be in doubt; when she supports you, you will not fall; when she leads you, you will surely come to eternal life, and will find by your own experience that she is justly called Maria--that is, Star of the Sea."

         The Roman Pontiff, Innocent XI, ordered the feast of this most venerable name, which special devotion in certain parts of Christendom, be celebrated annually by the universal Church. This feast was to be a perpetual memorial to that great deliverance of the Christian people, won through the intercession of Mary help of Christians, from the inhuman tyranny of the Turks who trampled upon their necks--that remarkable victory won at Vienna in Austria.

Ave Maris Stella (Latin, "Hail Star of the Sea/Ocean")

Ave Maris Stella is a popular liturgical hymn of unknown origin. It can be dated back to at least the 9th century for it is preserved in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th century manuscript now in the Swiss Monastery of St. Gallen. Its appearance in the Codex points to a composition possibly in the 8th century. The hymn is frequently attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) and sometimes has been attributed to King Robert (1031), both of whom are too late to have authored it. It has also been attributed to Venantius Fortunatus (d 609) and Paul the Deacon (d 787). It is found in ancient codices of the Divine Office for Vespers on Marian feasts. Today it is still in use in the Divine Office and in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.

HAIL, O Star of the ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
ever sinless Virgin,
gate of heavenly rest.

Taking that sweet Ave,
which from Gabriel came,
peace confirm within us,
changing Eve's name.

Break the sinners' fetters,
make our blindness day,
Chase all evils from us,
for all blessings pray.

Show thyself a Mother,
may the Word divine
born for us thine Infant
hear our prayers through thine.

Virgin all excelling,
mildest of the mild,
free from guilt preserve us
meek and undefiled.

Keep our life all spotless,
make our way secure
till we find in Jesus,
joy for evermore.

Praise to God the Father,
honor to the Son,
in the Holy Spirit,
be the glory one. Amen.

A Prayer to Mary, Queen of Heaven and our Advocate

"Mary is that woman by whom hell is overcome, the devil trodden upon, man saved."--St. Anselm.

Hail, Queen of Heaven, the ocean star,
Guide of the wanderer here below!
Thrown on life's surge we claim thy care,
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the Sea,
Pray for the wanderer, pray for me.

O gentle, chaste, and spotless Maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee;
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.
Virgin most pure, Star of the Sea,
Pray for the sinner, pray for me.

Sojourners in this vale of tears,
To thee, blest advocate, we cry;
Pity our sorrows, calm our fears,
And soothe with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, Star of the Sea,
Pray for the mourner, pray for me.

And while to Him who reigns above,
In Godhead One, in Persons Three,
The source of life, of grace, of love,
Homage we pay on bended knee;
Do thou, bright Queen, Star of the Sea,
Pray for thy children, pray for me.

Titles of Our Lady from the Litany of Loreto

Morning Star (Latin: Stella Matutina)

There is no title in all the Litany more descriptive of Mary's loving office to men than "Morning Star." Every star, indeed, is an image of Her. Her most popular figure is "Star of the Sea," due no doubt to the loveliest of Her hymns—the Ave Maris Stella, which goes back at least to the ninth century, and to the Alma Redemptoris Mater, of the eleventh century.

Mary had much to do with stars. The Star of Bethlehem was the only lamp for the cave. "We have seen His star in the East," said the Magi, and they found it again reflected in the eyes of Mary.

There is a lovely legend about an old well in the Holy Land, called "Mary's well." The story is that once when the Holy Family was going from Bethlehem to Jerusalem they rested by that well and drank of its waters. When the Wise Men were on their way to Bethlehem, they lost the star for a while, but they found it again shining in the waters of Mary's well.

The "Morning Star" has always had a special application to Mary. The Church interprets the verse in the Canticle of Canticles (vi, 9) as descriptive of Her. "Who is She that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun?" Every church today, as in ages past, has its altar of the Blessed Virgin. In the old Cathedrals, the Lady Chapel was situated behind the choir and the high altar, and to the extreme east, as the symbol of Her as the Morning Star. We read in an old book of the 16th century: "Like as the morning cometh before the sun rising, and divideth the night from the day, so the Virgin Mary rose as the morning before the Sun of Justice, and divided the state of grace from the state of sin, the children of God from the children of darkness. Whereupon the Church singeth to Her praise that Her glorious life gave light to the world and illumined all the Church and congregations of faithful people." So a Solemn Mass was sung every day at early dawn in Her honor, and the bell for rising was called "Saint Mary's bell." St. Bridget of Sweden calls Her "the star preceding the sun."

The Hymn for the Feast of Our Lady's Apparition at Lourdes, has this stanza: "O dawn that goeth before the sun, joyous herald of our salvation, thy people, O Virgin, suppliantly invoke Thee amid the shades of night." Dante must have been thinking of Her when he wrote, as coming out of the Inferno: "Thence issuing we again beheld the stars;" and surely of Her when he wrote: "Of tremulous luster like the Matin star," and "Pure and made apt for mounting to the stars." To him the Inferno was "the air pierced by no star." St. John in the Apocalypse tells of the Woman Clothed with the Sun: "On Her head was a crown of twelve stars." So in art Our Lady is often picture as the Madonna of the Star. Stars are embroidered on Her veil or on the right shoulder of Her blue mantle. Art glorifies Her as the Morning Star, the Star of the Sea, the Star of Jacob, the Fixed Star.

The very thought of Light brings up the vision of Mary, so much had She to do with the Light of the world. Her arms were the candlestick for that Light. Candlemas, the Feast of Lights, is Her Feast, as She holds up to a darkened world the true Light. So, St. Epiphanius († 403) called Her "Mother of Eternal Light." In the Hymn for the Feast of the Guardian Angels She is also called "Mother of Light," and in the Hymn for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary: "Twelve stars now crown the brow of the glorious Mother; near the throne of Her Son She reigns over all created things."

An old woman who saw the Little Flower when she was dead, said that her feet looked "as if they had walked on light." A convert in India who had a vision of Our Lady was asked what She looked like. He answered, "She was composed of light, She was all light." Even when little Bernadette had her visions of Our Lady and went into ecstasy at the sight, the onlookers said they could never forget the child's face, it was so full of beauty and light, as if it were the reflection from the light of the Mother of God. Our Lady of Hope appeared to some children at Pontmain, France. They described Her as surrounded by stars. "Oh, there are so many stars the Blessed Virgin will soon be gilt all over."

Yes, as the Hymn Quem terra sings—She is the "refulgent hall of Light." She is also called "Light of the Despairing," "Daughter of the Light Unapproachable," "Our Light," "Bright Moon of Purity," "Brilliant Star of Purity," "Rising Moon of Purity," "Sun without a Stain," "Living Light of Holiness."

"Our Lady of Light" was an old title of Hers in the Middle Ages. It is said that She Herself suggested that title to St. Thomas of Canterbury. There was a Confraternity of Our Lady of Light, and St. Francis Xavier and his companions were enrolled in it before they set out for the Indies. The Confraternity of Our Lady of Light, Spouse of the Holy Ghost was founded in England, in 1824. Pope Leo XIII indulgenced this prayer: "Our Lady of Light, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, I give Thee my whole self, soul and body, all I have or may have, to keep for Jesus that I may be His forever more. Our Lady of Light, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for me."

But the most common "Star" figure, which all the spiritual writers have used, is "Star of the Sea," the guide to man who is sailing on the sea of life. St. Bernard, as many others, interpreted Miriam (Hebrew for "Mary") as meaning Star of the Sea, and thus explains it: "Because without loss of its own integrity, a star sends forth its rays—and so Mary brought forth Jesus. She is, therefore, that noble star risen out of Jacob, whose ray illuminates the whole earth, whose splendor both shines above and pierces the nether darkness, enlightening the earth and giving heat rather to souls than to bodies, nourishing virtues, expelling vices. Mary is the excellent, bright and wonderful Star lifted up necessarily above this great and wide ocean, shining with merits, illuminating with example. Behold the Star!"

It is a strange thing, but almost all the figures of speech in Scripture about the sea refer to its power and its dangers. All dreaded the unknown sea. Having no compass in those days, many ships were lost in the great traffic on the Mediterranean. The sea has always had its dangers. The sailors knew that better than anyone else. A strange name the Eastern sailors gave Her—Mother of Tears, evidently because the sea made so many mothers weep for their lost sailor boys. But the Catholic sailor was devoted to the Star of the Sea. He needed Her protection in his dangerous calling, so he called his boat after one of Her titles, paid his homage to Her shrines along the coast, made vows of pilgrimage and of offering to Her. One of the most famous shrines of France is that of Our Lady of Mariners, at Marseilles. At the end of the 12th century a fisherman of Marseilles was overtaken in his boat by a violent storm. He raised his eyes to the rock of the Garde. He beheld a figure there. He sang the Ave Maris Stella. Somehow he got to land. Many sailors saw that same apparition on the rock. A chapel was erected and a statue was placed there, called "Our Lady of Help" or "Help of Mariners." Since then She is honored as the Protectress of Marseilles. Many stories are told of sailors in distress seeing Our Lady at the wheel guiding their boat through the storm. She was, indeed, "the Star above the storms."

From our childhood many of us have been familiar with the idea of the Star of the Sea protecting us in our voyage of life. We sang Fr. Faber’s hymn—"Sweet Star of the Sea."

"Deep night hath come down on us, Mother, deep night, And we need more than ever the guide of Thy light; For the darker the night is, the brighter should be Thy beautiful shining, sweet Star of the Sea."

St. Bonaventure compares life to a tempestuous sea into which sinners have fallen from the ship of Divine Grace. "O poor lost sinners," he makes Our Lady say, "despair not; raise up your eyes and cast them on this beautiful star; breathe again with confidence, for it will save you from this tempest and will guide you into the port of salvation."

And St. Ephraim calls Her "the safe harbor of all sailing on the sea of the world," the same expression being used by Pope Leo XIII—"Safe Harbor of travelers." St. Thomas draw his lesson from it—"She is blessed among women because She alone has removed the curse of Adam, brought blessings to mankind, and opened the gates of Paradise. Hence She is called Mary, which name signifies Star of the Sea, for as sailors steer their ship to port by watching the stars, so Christians are brought to glory by the intercession of Mary." The Irish of old had a beautiful expression—"O Mary, meet me at the port." St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi had a vision in which She saw a vessel in which were all the clients of Mary, and Mary Herself steering the ship into port. This is Dante's thought: "If thou follow but thy star, thou canst not miss at last a glorious haven."

Mary is compared to the merchant's ship, "She bringeth Her bread from afar" (Prov. 31: 14). So do we look up to Her—we who "have walked in the waves of the sea" (Eccli. 24: 8). Thus St. Gertrude the Great prayed, "O Jesus, my only hope, my Savior and my God, send to me, at my last hour Thy tender Mother Mary, that soft-shining Star of the Sea, that She may stand by me as my sure defense. Her face, fair as the bright dawn of morning will make me feel and know that Thou, too, O Divine Sun of Justice, art drawing near to my soul in all Thy splendor."

How can we ever meditate on the Star of the Sea without reading St. Bernard's classic: "O Thou who feelest thyself tossed by the tempests in the midst of the shoals of this world, turn not away thine eyes from the Star of the Sea, if thou wouldst avoid shipwreck. If the winds of temptation blow, if tribulations rise up like rocks before thee—look at the Star, send a sigh towards Mary! If the waves of pride, ambition, calumny, or jealousy seek to swallow up thy soul—look at the Star, send a prayer to Mary! If anger, avarice, or love of pleasure toss thy fragile bark—seek the eyes of Mary. If horror of thy sins, trouble of conscience, or dread of the judgments of God begin to plunge thee into the gulf of sadness, the abyss of despair—attach thy heart to Mary. In dangers, in sufferings, in doubt—think of Mary and invoke Her aid. Let Mary be always in your heart and often upon your lips. To obtain Her help in death, follow Her example in life. In following Her, you will not go astray; by praying to Her, you will not despair; if you cling to Her, you will not go wrong. With Her support, you fall not; under Her protection you have no fear; under Her guidance you do not grow weary; if She is gracious to you, you will reach the port. Thus you will experience how rightly it is said: 'And the Virgin's name was Mary'."