It is vanity, too, to covet honours, and to lift up ourselves on high...It is vanity, to love that which quickly passeth away and not to hasten where eternal joy abideth

Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable unto thee, save God Himself or the things of God. Reckon as altogether vain whatsoever consolation comes to thee from a creature. The soul that loveth God looketh not to anything that is beneath God. God alone is eternal and incomprehensible, filling all things, the solace of the soul, and the true joy of the heart.

The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty.

The pleasures of heaven are with me, and the pains of hell are with me.

Only when we are thus ''dead to the world and all its toys, its idle pomp and fading joys'' can we feel the freedom that Paul knew.

Love rewards you more in a moment than pleasure could in a lifetime.

I will have more joy in heaven and in the contemplation of God, if you are also there to share it with me; and the more of us there will be to share it the greater will be the joy of all.

Heaven is light to me, light-hearted, and full of holy laughter.

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

If you look for God in your relationships, you will always find things to be thankful for. When God reigns in our hearts, peace reigns in our relationships. This work will only be complete in heaven but there is much we can enjoy now.

Joy, joy forever, my task is done. The gates are passed, and heaven is won.

Rejoice, that the immortal God is born, so that mortal men may live in eternity.