“Pains of love be sweeter far
Than all other pleasures are.”

“Here I saw a part of the compassion of our Lady, Saint Mary: for Christ and she were so oned in love that the greatness of her loving was cause of the greatness of her pain. For in this I saw a Substance of Nature’s Love, continued by Grace, that creatures have to Him: which Kind Love was most fully shewed in His sweet Mother, and overpassing; for so much as she loved Him more than all other, her pains passed all other. For ever the higher, the mightier, the sweeter that the love be, the more sorrow it is to the lover to see that body in pain that is loved.
And all His disciples and all His true lovers suffered pains more than their own bodily dying. For I am sure by mine own feeling that the least of them loved Him so far above himself that it passeth all that I can say.”

“There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.”

“Of all the uses of adversity which are sweet, none are sweeter than those which grow out of disappointed love…”

“Pleasure of love lasts but a moment, Pain of love lasts a lifetime.”

“Pains and sufferings are pleasurable if hearts are mingled with love and compassion.”

“Sometimes it is harder to deprive oneself of a pain than of a pleasure.”

“Nothing satisfies God but the voluntary sacrifice of love. The pain of Christ gave God no pleasure — only the love that was tested by pain — the love of perfect obedience.”

“Sweet and lovely, sweeter than the roses in May,
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say.”

“The love that made Him to suffer passeth as far all His pains as Heaven is above Earth.”