For those of you who don't know my mother, let me tell you that I grew up in a house full of books, and that Mom shared her love of books with me. One book which we often took out to read excerpts from, was a beautiful green one with gold decorations published in the late 19th century. It was called Immortelles of Catholic Columbian Literature compiled from the works of American Catholic Women Writers by the Ursulines of New York. We just called it colloquially, "Immortelles." :) I now have my own copy of "Immortelles", and I was moved to open it today.

I found a lovely excerpt from the writings of one Martha Murray, an Irish-American, that I'd like to share with you this evening:

"How honestly St. Francis de Sales says, 'I love these three little virtues: gentleness of heart, firmness of mind, and simplicity of life.' And the more we meditate upon these three virtues, the more we too love them and grow to realize that they represent the germ of sanctification in every child of earth. In cultivating them we are simply living a pure, upright life, whose end will be eternal happiness, for, 'How can a child perish who remains in the Arms of a Father who is Almighty?'"