Venerable Bruno Lanteri (1759-1830) was determined to spread the word of God’s boundless love and forgiveness, especially at a time when the world was was hostile toward the Church. By reassuring people that they could confidently turn to God despite sins, fears or spiritual failings, Ven. Lanteri shared the power of hope, the importance of prayer and the promise of God’s mercy. His writings and letters on spiritual direction continue to offer us that same hope today.
Download a brochure of selected counsels of hope from Ven. Lanteri’s writings in English or read them on the page below.
“Be firmly resolved never to let yourself be troubled by anything in the world. Present yourself humbly and with complete confidence to the Lord in prayer, and he will not fail to have compassion on you.”
“The one who hopes for everything, obtains everything.”
“Think often of the Lord, and thank him for the goods that we possess and hope to possess. Thus, for the great good of God’s grace that we possess and for the Paradise for which we hope. Take often from the Angels and the Blessed a spirit of joy, reflecting that we are citizens of heaven, and so growing in Christian hope.”
“I beg you with all the energy of my heart not to be afraid of your past failings, but rather to let the memory of them lead you to a great self-knowledge and humility before the Lord and, at the same time, encourage you to trust all the more in our heavenly Father, who is always so ready to welcome, forgive, and help us.”
“If he sensed that anyone weakened in hope, he corrected him with ardor and encouraged him to renew his practice of this virtue, in which, because it is a theological virtue, there can be no excess. He would say with energy that just as we cannot believe too much in God nor love God too much, so also we cannot hope too much in God. And in saying this, we saw him deeply moved by the great warmth and liveliness of his zeal.”(Witness of a priest close to Venerable Bruno for twenty years)
“Your affliction in regard to the past has no basis; it is simply a temptation of the enemy. I assure you of this in the name of God. Instead of giving in to this, give Glory to God and thank him from your heart for the infinite goodness with which he has forgiven everything.”
“Do not be concerned if prayer does not go as you wish; it is enough that it be as God wishes. And this is not difficult; you need only avoid voluntary negligence.”
“Do you not yet see that the enemy seeks in this way to strip you of your peace and confidence in God, two dispositions we so much need in order to pray well? Follow, therefore, the counsel of Saint Teresa, ‘Let nothing disturb you.’ not even your own spiritual failings, because these are the object and the foundation of the infinite mercy of God, which infinitely surpasses the malignity of all the sins of the world.”
“I desire to have a tender love for the Virgin Mary, and a confidence in her as a son toward his Mother, in such manner that it appear impossible to me that she could permit me to be overcome, and that I be list in the battle. I will turn to her with the confidence of a child toward its mother, who asks her for what it needs with great assurance.”
“Do not be surprised to find yourself dry. This is a human condition to which we are subject, and you will profit spiritually by this when you bear it with patience and perseverance, striving to avoid voluntary negligence. And if you fall into voluntary negligences, profit from these by humbling yourself before God, and renew your resolve always to begin again.”
“I recommend that you renew more than ever, and very often, the holy presumption of desiring from the Lord the grace to reach the holiness you would have attained had you always been faithful to his graces.”
“If I should fall, were it even a thousand times, I will not lose courage, I will not be troubled, but I will always say immediately, with peace, Nunc coepi [“Now I Begin.”]”
“Be aware that after a fall the evil spirit makes it seem difficult to return to ask God for forgiveness and almost impossible to correct the fault; on the contrary, the good spirit reduces the difficulty, makes it easy to obtain forgiveness, gives us energy, and encourages us, persuading us at the same time that we cannot be without faults, but that because of these we must humble ourselves the more, and seek forgiveness from God.”
“Call to mind from time to time these words of Sacred Scripture: ‘Behold the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29); ‘It is not those who are well that have need of the physician, but those who are ill’ (Mt 9:12); ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’ (Mt 9:13); ‘The Lord waits to show us his mercy and in forgiving you, he will be exalted’ (Is 30:18)”
“Do all with great will, and even little things will have great value.”
“Remember that we do not acquire holiness in twenty-four hours nor without continual defects and failings. The awareness that we will commit many failings, even very many, greatly helps us toward holiness because it roots us in self-knowledge and in humility, and this is one of the foundations of our sanctification, the other being an invincible hope in divine mercy.”
“Remember that a single act of love of God wipes away our daily failings more easily and more quickly than rope catches fire.”