Emily's Reflections on Prayer

“Each Sister should keep steadily before her the truth that the law of life is to be found first in her devotion to Him who has called her ... and secondly in her devotion to those works of charity and mercy for God and His Church ....”

from Instructions on the Rule

“She who would fain be a guide to others, on the Heavenward path, needs first to bend her own steps in the right direction. Our work is very much what we are ourselves.”

from Instructions on the Rule

“And if our ordinary devotions cannot be extended, let them be deepened.”

Letter to her Sisters 1892

“... failures never come suddenly. There is the leak in the dike before the waters burst forth; there is a bulging in the wall before it totters in ruin. And in our spiritual warfare it is neglect of prayer that leads to disaster.”

Letter to her Sisters 1894

“The Sisters shall regard intercession as the most powerful means which God places in their hands for benefiting their neighbour.”

from Instructions on the Rule

“The Sisters shall not feel it necessary to burden themselves with long prayers. If they live united to Jesus, one uplifted glance towards Him, one raising of the heart in trustful love, will be sufficient to draw down His favour upon those for whom they supplicate.”

from Instructions on the Rule

“Always remember that it is you, your faithfulness and loyalty, your personal holiness the Community values and not the work you do – although that is valued according as it is the expression of your Religious Life and not just work done...”

from Mother Emily’s Message 5th June 1900

“It is not what we do, but how we do it that matters. It is not different work, but a different way of doing our work that God asks of us. The habit of doing common things with uncommon care is what will make us saints...”

from Mother Emily’s Message 5th June 1900