Do you need strength to care for others, start a project, or persevere in some good endeavor? Find it in these great sayings of St. María Soledad Torres Acosta, foundress of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary.
In 19th-century Spain, she had the strength to organize a network of women who went to the homes of the sick to provide health care or to help them to die accompanied. Where did she get that energy and resilience? Let’s listen to her own words and take her practical and spiritual advice.
Trust and prudence
If we want to bear fruit, we need to have a healthy dose of realism while also trusting in God.
“Take good care of yourselves, so that you may have strength and take good care of the sick poor.”
“Even in good things, prudence is necessary.”
“God’s Providence is greater than all the foresight of his creatures.”
Seek to serve God and he will give you strength
We need to remember that God gives meaning to all we do. It is through him and for him that we do good works.
“God, Our Lord, […] is the one who gives courage and strength in holy service.”
“The sick are the image of the suffering Christ, and it is he whom we serve.”
“Put all your longing into pleasing Jesus, Our Divine Spouse, very much. May we do everything in Him and for Him.”
“Only religion is capable of giving strength and courage to the weakest to overcome so many things that arise in life.”
“We can consider that everything is put to good use when we achieve the good desires and goals of God our Lord.”
“Jesus, who is loving and who moves hearts, is the one who does everything.”
Love the cross
Caregivers often find themselves faced with the mystery of pain, human limitations, and death. At such moments it helps to keep in mind the enormous value of the cross in order to persevere in spite of difficulties:
“The path to Heaven is actually somewhat bitter and costly, for this reason we must keep in mind: What is worth much costs a bit of work.”
“All the hours of the day you must have recourse to Our Lord with this short prayer: My God, may I know how to suffer.”
“Have faith that God will not allow more than we can bear.”
“It is necessary to die, and to die many times.”
“Let us go forward with the cross.”
“Let us work by doing and suffering, with much patience and acceptance, what God commands, and we shall have a home in the eternal abodes of glory forever.”
And today we celebrate...