Quotes

Words of Wisdom & Encouragement

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Being a disciple…

Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.
–Pope Francis (1936-

Perfection consists in…

Perfection consists in renouncing ourselves, in carrying our cross, and in following Jesus Christ. Now, he who renounces himself most perfectly carries his cross the best and follows nearest to Jesus Christ is he who never does his own will, but always that of God.
–Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Only one soul, life, and death…

Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life… If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

The truths of sacred scripture…

All the troubles of the Church, all the evils in the world, flow from this source: that men do not by clear and sound knowledge and serious consideration penetrate into the truths of Sacred Scripture.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

God wills only our good…

God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul… God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory.
–Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

What is meditation…

What is meditation? It means to “remember” what God is done and not to forget all his gifts to us… a way in which our mind makes contact with the heart of God.
–Pope Benedict XVI (1927-

Be moderate and temperate

Weakness of the body also breaks the powers of the soul and makes the talent of the mind to grow feeble; nor can it accomplish anything good by its weakness. Enough of this excess! For whatever is done without moderation is salutary, but whatever is done immoderately is dangerous and turns to the opposite. It is proper, therefore, to be moderate and temperate in every work. For whatever is excessive is dangerous; just as water, if it bestows too much rain, not only has no use, but also brings danger.
–Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560-636)

Cure yourself of…

Cure yourself of the affliction of caring how you appear to others. Concern yourself only with how you appear before God, concern yourself only with the idea that God may have of you.
–Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)

Lord told us to pray…

The Lord told us to pray in secret – that means in your heart – and he instructed us to “shut the door.” What is this door he says we must shut, if not the mouth? For we are the temple in which Christ dwells, for as the Apostle said: “You are the temple of the Lord.” And the Lord enters into your inner self into this house, to cleanse it from everything that is unclean, but only while the door — that is, your mouth – is closed shut.
–Saint Aphrahat the Persian 270-345)

Prayer is…

Prayer, according to its quality, is communion and union of man with God, by its action it upholds the world. It is reconciliation with God. It is the mother, but also the daughter, of tears. It is the atonement of sins, a bridge over temptations, a wall against affliction, a crushing of conflicts, a work of Angels, the food of the Incoporeal, future gladness, boundless work, source of virtues, cause of grace, invisible progress, food of the soul, illumination of the mind, an axe against despair. a proof of hope, a cure for sorrow, the wealth of monks, the treasure of hesychasts, the reduction of anger, the mirror of progress, the demonstration of stature, an indication of one’s condition, a revelation of future things, a sign of glory. For one who truly prayers, prayer is the court, the judgment hall and the tribunal of the Lord before the judgement to come.
–Saint John Climacus (c. 525-606)

The Church needs…

The Church needs a perennial Pentecost. She needs fire in her heart, words on her lips, prophecy in her outlook.
–Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)

The Church of…

The Church of Christ is always, so to speak, in a situation of Pentecost: she is always gathered in the Upper Room in prayer, and at the same time, driven by the powerful wind of the Spirit, she is always on the streets preaching.
–Saint John Paul (1920-2005)

Do and pray…

Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

If God seems slow…

If God seems slow in responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift. He will not deny us. God withholds what you are not yet ready for. He wants you to have a lively desire for His greatest gifts. All of which is to say, pray always and do not lose heart.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

Taught to pray…

So that we might obtain this life of happiness, he who is true life itself taught us to pray, not in many words as though speaking longer could gain us a hearing. After all, we pray to one who, as the Lord himself tells us, knows what we need before we ask for it.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

The death of the Lord our God…

The death of the Lord our God should not be a cause of shame for us; rather, it should be our greatest hope, our greatest glory. In taking upon himself the death that he found in us, he has most faithfully promised to give us life in him, such as we cannot have of ourselves. He loved us so much that, sinless himself, he suffered for us sinners the punishment we deserved for our sins. How then can he fail to give us the reward we deserve for our righteousness, for he is the source of righteousness? How can he, whose promises are true, fail to reward the saints when he bore the punishment of sinners, though without sin himself? Brethren, let us then fearlessly acknowledge, and even openly proclaim, that Christ was crucified for us; let us confess it, not in fear but in joy, not in shame but in glory.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

If we celebrate Christmas…

If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the frail simplicity of a tiny newborn child, the meekness with which he is placed in a manger, the tender affection with which he is wrapped in his swaddling clothes. That is where God is. With this sign, the Gospel reveals a paradox. It speaks of the emperor, the governor, the high and mighty of those times, yet God does not make himself present there. He appears not in the splendor of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in simplicity of life; not in power, but in astonishing smallness. In order to meet him, we need to go where he is. We need to bow down, to humble ourselves, to make ourselves small. The newborn Child challenges us. He calls us to leave behind fleeting illusions and to turn to what is essential, to renounce our insatiable cravings, to abandon our endless yearning for things we will never have. We do well to leave such things behind, in order to discover, in the simplicity of the divine Child, peace, joy and the luminous meaning of life.
–Pope Francis (1936-

Frolic with the devil…

Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.
–Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597)          (attributed)

Happiness is not…

Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.
–David Steindl-Rast (1926-

Great virtues are given us…

Restraint, meekness, chastity, steadfastness, patience, and similar great virtues are given us by God for weapons to resist and oppose the tribulations we meet with, and to help us when they occur. So if we train ourselves in the use of these powers and keep them always ready, then nothing that may befall us will ever be hard, grievous, destructive, or unbearable, for all would be overcome by the virtues we possess.
–Saint Anthony of Egypt (c. 251-356)

Let us love…

Let us love one another, and we shall be loved by God. Let us be long-­suffering toward one another, and he will be long-suffering toward our sins. Let us not render evil for evil, and he will not render to us according to our sins. We shall find remission of our transgressions in forgiving our brethren; for God”s mercy toward us is concealed in our mercifulness toward our neighbor. This is also why the Lord said: “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. And if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” After this, our salvation is already in our power.
–Saint Maximos the Confessor (580-662)

Receive the sacred Body…

After you have reverently sanctified your eyes by gazing upon the sacred Body, receive It; but be careful lest any particle be lost. For if you lose a portion, it will be as if you lost a part of yourself; for, tell me, if someone gave you grains of gold, would you not save them with the greatest care and watch so that none would be lost and you suffer damage? Should you not, therefore, be far more careful that not even a crumb go lost of that which is more valuable than gold or precious gems?
–Saint Cyril of Alexandria (378-444)

The devil is afraid…

The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.
–Saint Anthony of Egypt (c. 251-356)

Adore the divine mystery…

On this day we are bound with hearts up-lifted to adore the divine mystery: so that what is the effect of God’s great gift may be celebrated by the Church’s great rejoicings. God is the almighty and merciful. His nature as goodness, his will is power, his work is mercy.
–Saint Leo the Great (c. 400-461)

Live well, die well…

But the general rule, “that he who lives well, will die well,” must be mentioned before all others: for … a good death depends upon a good life.
–Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)

Humility is not…

Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.
–CS Lewis (1863-1929)

If you read history…

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.
–CS Lewis (1863-1929)

Repentance is not…

Repentance is not something that God demands of you before he takes you back, it’s simply a description of what going back to God is like.
–CS Lewis (1863-1929)

The safest road to hell…

The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.
–CS Lewis (1863-1929)

If there is prayer…

If the body has breath, it lives; if breathing stops, life comes to an end. So it is with the spirit. If there is prayer, the soul lives; without prayer, there is no spiritual life.
–Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894)

On and through the Cross Jesus…

The Lord accomplished our salvation by His death on the Cross: on the Cross He tore up the handwriting of our sins; through the Cross He reconciled us with our God and Father; and through the Cross He brought down upon us grace-filled gifts and all heavenly blessings.
— Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894)

Follow what you are reading…

Before reading you should empty your soul of everything. Arouse the desire to know about what is being read. Turn prayerfully to God. Follow what you are reading with attention and place everything in your open heart. If something did not reach the heart, stay with it until it reaches. You should of course read quite slowly. Stop reading when the soul no longer wants to nourish itself with reading. That means it is full. If the soul finds one passage utterly stunning, stop there and read no more.
— Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894)

Pregnant silence…

You know how it is in the symphony when you are listening to the symphony, the last notes die away, and there’s often a beat of silence in the auditorium before the applause begins. It’s a very full and pregnant silence. Now theology should bring us to live into that silence, into that pregnant pause.
–Karen Armstrong (1944-

Words alone are not enough…

It is obvious that words alone are not going to help someone who is naked and hungry. Someone whose faith does not go beyond words is useless. Such faith is dead without works of Christian love that alone can bring it back to life.
–Venerable Bede (c. 673-735)

Surrender and gratitude…

Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.
–Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897)

From Mary, full of grace, we…

True freedom is found in our loving embrace of the Father’s will. From Mary, full of grace, we learn that Christian freedom is more than liberation from sin. It is freedom for a new, spiritual way of seeing earthly realities. It is the freedom to love God and our brothers and sisters with a pure heart, and to live a life of joyful hope for the coming of Christ’s Kingdom.
–Pope Francis (1936-

Christ was dependent on Mary…

By his own will Christ was dependent on Mary during Advent: he was absolutely helpless; he could go nowhere but where she chose to take him; he could not speak; her breathing was his breath; his heart beat in the beating of her heart. In the seasons of our Advent — waking, working, eating, sleeping, being — each breath is a breathing of Christ into the world.
–Caryll Houselander (1901-1954)

Like Mary, let us give Jesus…

Like Mary, let us be full of zeal to go in haste to give Jesus to others. She was full of grace when, at the annunciation, she received Jesus. Like her, we too become full of grace every time we receive Holy Communion. It is the same Jesus whom she received and whom we receive at Mass. As soon as she received Him she went with haste to give Him to John. For us also, as soon as we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, let us go in haste to give Him to our sisters, to our poor, to the sick, to the dying, to the lepers, to the unwanted, and the unloved. By this we make Jesus present in the world today.
–Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

By his mother…

Why should we be astonished if the God who could work marvels in the scripture and through His saints should choose to reveal Himself even more marvelous by means of His Mother?
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Ready for death…

A man must always be ready for death,for death comes when and where God wills it.
–Saint John Nepocumene Neumann (1811-1860)

The present moment holds infinite riches beyond your wildest dreams but you will only enjoy them to the extent of your faith and love. The more a soul loves, the more it longs, the more it hopes, the more it finds.
–Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)

Those who have abandoned…

Those who have abandoned themselves to God always lead mysterious lives and receive from God exceptional and miraculous gifts by means of the most ordinary, natural and chance experiences in which there appears to be nothing unusual. The simplest sermon, the most banal conversations, the least erudite books become the source of knowledge and wisdom to these souls by virtue of God’s purpose. This is why they carefully pick up the crumbs which clever minds tread underfoot, for to them everything is precious and a source of enrichment.
–Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)

The desire for God…

The desire for God is written in the human heart because we are created by God for God.
–Catechism of the Catholic Church #27

Love Him and…

Love Him simply and humbly, without any demand, and He Himself will free you.
–Saint Porphyrios (1906-1991)

To cure your cure soul…

If you want to cure your soul, you need four things. The first is to forgive your enemies. The second is to confess thoroughly. The third is to blame yourself. The fourth is to resolve to sin no more. If we wish to be saved, we must always blame ourselves and not attribute our wrong acts to others. And God, who is most compassionate, will forgive us.
–Saint Kosmas Aitolos (c. 1714 – 1779)

My duty to forgive…

If a man insults me, kills my father, my mother, my brother, and then gouges out my eye, as a Christian it is my duty to forgive him. We who are pious Christians ought to love our enemies and forgive them. We ought to offer them food and drink, and entreat God for their souls. And then we should say: “My God, I beseech thee to forgive me, as I have forgiven my enemies.”
–Saint Kosmas Aitolos (c. 1714 – 1779)

As we treat our neighbors…

Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in his mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how terrible it is.
–Saint Philotheos of Sinai (1300-1379)

Why were saints, saints..

Why were the saints, saints? Because they were cheerful when it was difficult to be cheerful, patient when it was difficult to be patient; and because they pushed on when they wanted to stand still, and kept silent when they wanted to talk, and were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable. That was all. It was quite simple and always will be.
–Author Unknown

Christ came to enlighten…

Christ came to enlighten those who lived in darkness, overshadowed by death, and to guide their feet into the way of peace. Do you ask what darkness? Whatever is present in our intellect, in our will, or in our memory that is not God, or which has not its source in God; that is to say, whatever in us is not for God’s sake, is a barrier between God and the soul— it is darkness.
–John Justus Landsburg (1489-1539)

Steer safely through every storm…

We shall steer safely through every storm so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God. If at times we are somewhat stunned by the tempest, never fear. Let us take breath, and go afresh.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

To be a saint…

Seize the little things of everyday life, ordinary life. To be a saint it is not necessary to do great things, but only to do little things greatly.
–Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)

If God is not in the soul…

If at times God is not in the soul it is because we do not want him there. We have such an accumulation of things to do, of distractions, of interests, vain desires, conceit, we have so much world within us, that God distances himself…but all we have to do is want him.
–Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)

A detached heart…

God is in the detached heart, in the silence of prayer, in the voluntary sacrifice to pain, in the emptiness of the world and its creatures. God is in the Cross, and as long as we do not love the Cross, we will not see him, or feel him… With Jesus at my side nothing seems difficult to me, and I see more that the road to sanctity is simple. Better still, it seems to me that it consists in continuing to get rid of things instead of collecting them, in slowly boiling down to simplicity instead of becoming complicated with new things. In the measure that we detach ourselves from so much disordered love for creatures and for ourselves, it seems to me that we are getting closer and closer to the only love, the sole desire, the one longing of this life…to true sanctity, which is God.
–Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)

Regulate the heart before prayer…

It is as necessary to regulate the heart before prayer and meditation as to tune the guitar before playing it.
–Saint Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Prayer is a bath…

[P]rayer is a bath, an open place, a bed of pleasure wherein the soul rests and finds refreshment in God.
–Saint Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

The most excellent virtues…

THE MOST EXCELLENT VIRTUES

  1. Faith is the prime root and foundation of a Christian.
  2. Hope is a staff to defend us from all tribulations of this present life.
  3. Charity is the end of all perfection.
  4. Fear of God is the beginning of true wisdom.
  5. Humility is the basis and ground work of all virtues.
  6. Patience is the strongest armour against the fury of our enemies.
  7. Obedience is the most grateful oblation to God, wherein man offers himself for a sacrifice.
  8. Discretion is the eye of the soul.
  9. Fortitude the hand thereof, wherewith it brings all works unto perfection.
  10. Purity of intention directs all her actions unto God.
    –Saint Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Those close to Christ…

But how are we to know if we have found Christ and are close to Him? Those close to Christ often turn to Him in prayer with faith and love; they often pronounce from their heart His sweetest name, often call upon Him for help; they often read or listen to His word with childlike simplicity and love; they seek frequent union with Him in His life-giving Mysteries; they are satisfied with whatever they have and accepting of what happens to them; they strive according to their strength to fulfill Christ’s commandments.
–Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

The married should…

The married should be advised that they endure with mutual patience those things that occasionally bring displeasure and that they exhort one another to salvation … They should be advised that they not worry themselves so much about what they must endure from their spouse, but consider what their spouse must endure on account of them. For if one really considers what must be endured on his account, it is all the easier to bear the things of others
–Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540-604)

Those joined in marriage should…

Those who are joined in marriage should be advised that, as they mutually consider what is good for their spouse, they should be careful that when they please their spouse, they do not displease their maker. In other words, they should conduct their affairs in this world without relinquishing their desire for God … They should remain aware that their current situation is transitory and what they desire is permanent.
–Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540-604)

Progress from small things to…

It is better to begin from one’s feeble state and end up strong, to progress from small things to larger, than to set your heart from the very first on the perfect way of life, then only to abandon it later-or keep to it solely out of habit, because of what others will think-in which case all this labor will be in vain.
–Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

Embark on the virtuous life…

[If] people who travel… tire themselves out on the very first day by rushing along, they will end up wasting many days as a result of sickness. But if they start out walking at a gentle pace until they have got accustomed to walking, in the end they will not get tired, even though they walk great distances. Likewise anyone who wishes to embark on the labors of the virtuous life should train himself gently, until he gradually reaches the full extent of his abilities. Do not be perplexed by the many paths walked by our fathers of old, each different from the other. Do not overzealously try to imitate them all-this this would only upset your way of life. Rather, choose a way of life that suits your feeble state; travel on that, and you will live, for your Lord is merciful and he will receive you, not because of your achievements, but because of your intention.
–Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

The Church has a divine origin, but…

As a Catholic, my faith tells me that the Church has a divine origin, but my own experience tells me that it must be divine because no human institution run with an equal mixture of ineptitude and wickedness would have lasted a fortnight.
–Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

To remain at a standstill is…

And to remain at a standstill is impossible; he that gains not, loses in this traffic; he that ascends not, descends upon this ladder; he that vanquishes not in this battle, is vanquished.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Those who give scandal are guilty…

While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal — who allow scandals to destroy faith —are guilty of spiritual suicide.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Beware of despairing…

Beware of despairing about yourself: you are commanded to put your trust in God, and not in yourself.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

Grace is given…

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

Saintliness depends on…

Do not think that saintliness comes from occupation; it depends rather on what one is. The kind of work we do does not make us holy, but we may make it holy.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

The door of your heart…

You need not seek him here or there, he is no further that the door of your heart; there he stands patiently awaiting whoever is ready to open up and let him in. No need to call him from afar: he can hardly wait for you to open up. He longs for you a thousand times more that you long for him.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

It is the heart that prays…

According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.
–Catechism of the Catholic Church #2562

Prayer is the life…

Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart.
–Catechism of the Catholic Church #2697

The wonder of prayer…

The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.
–Catechism of the Catholic Church #256

To remember God…

It is more important to remember God than it is to remember to breathe.
–Saint Gregory Nazianzen (329-c. 391)

Buried with Christ…

Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with Him; let us go down with Him to be raised with Him; and let us rise with Him to be glorified with Him.
–Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (329-c. 391)

Be a lover of silence…

Every man who delights in uttering a multitude of words, even though he says admirable things, is empty within. If you love truth, be a lover of silence. In the beginning we have to force ourselves to be quiet. But then there is born something that draws us to it.
–Isaac of Ninevah

There is no sin…

There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance, and there is no gift which is not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgement.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

Why we are tried…

The diligent are tried, that they might add to their riches, the lax are tried, that they might guard themselves from what is harmful; the sleepy are tried, that they might be armed with wakefulness, those afar off are tried, that they might draw nearer to God; those who are God’s own are tried, that with boldness they might enter into His house.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

A lukewarm soul…

Let us conclude, dear brethren, by saying that there is no state so much to be feared for a person as that of lukewarmness, because a great sinner is more easily converted then a lukewarm soul.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Habitual drunkenness…

Habitual drunkenness is not one of those sins which time and grace will correct. To cure this sin, not an ordinary grace but a miracle of grace is required. You ask me why drunken people are so rarely converted. This is the reason: it is that they have neither faith, nor religion, nor pity, nor respect for holy things. Nothing is able to touch them or to open their eyes to their unhappy state.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Show reverence and honor…

Show all possible reverence and honor to the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in Whom that which is in the heavens and on the earth is brought to peace and is reconciled to the all-powerful God. (cf. Col 1:20)

–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Pray.Love.Adore…

What does the poor man do at the rich man’s door, the sick man in the presence of his physician, the thirsty man at a limpid stream? What they do, I do before the Eucharistic God. I pray. I adore. I love.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

If God does not grant all…

If, sometimes, He does not grant all you desire, it will be to give you something that is better for you; this is how the heavenly Physician treats the sick who go to Him wishing to be cured, rather than to taste pleasant medicines. Do not withdraw yourself from His hands, however painful His remedies may be.
–Saint John of Avila (1500 – 1569)

You must detach yourself from…

Your life consists in drawing nearer to God. To do this you must endeavor to detach yourself from visible things and remember that in a short time they will be taken from you.
–Saint John of Avila (1500-1569)

The Holy Spirit strengthens our…

The awe-inspiring kindness and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, our ever-present Lord, strengthens us daily and prepares us to receive our divine reward for every hardship we’ve lived through, and these rewards will surely surpass anything we’ve ever dreamt or imagined.
–Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)

Through grace, God’s Spirit brings…

Our good Lord, the Holy Spirit — endless life dwelling in our souls — always protects us and gives us peace. Through grace, God’s Spirit brings each soul to tranquility and makes it obedient and reconciles it to God. Our good Lord constantly leads us on this path of mercy while we’re in this unpredictable life.
–Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)

Avarice breeds envy…

Avarice breeds envy, a worm that is always gnawing, letting the avaricious enjoy neither their own nor anyone else’s good.
–Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Lose yourself on the Cross…

He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely.
–Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Grace will move…

Grace will move you only when you want it to move you, and only when you let it move you. The supernatural order supposes the freedom of the natural order, but it does not destroy it.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Envy is sadness…

Envy is sadness at another’s good, and joy at another’s evil. What rust is to iron, what moths are to wool, what termites are to wood, that is what envy is to the soul: the assassination of brotherly love. Envy manifests itself in discord, hatred, malicious joy, backbiting, detraction, imputing evil motives, jealousy, and calumny.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

How God is to be loved…

You have asked me to tell you why and how God is to be loved. God himself is the reason why. Without limit is how.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

To be humble when you are…

It is no great thing to be humble when you are brought low; but to be humble when you are praised is a great and rare attainment.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Humility is a…

Let us define “humility”. Humility is a virtue by which a person has a proper opinion of himself because he knows himself well. This is the virtue that belongs to those who have set their hearts to the climb and have gone from virtue to virtue, from step to step, until they reach the highest peak of humility and gaze upon the Truth from the watch-tower of Zion.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

A child must die…

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

In the silence of the heart…

In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Seek the Cross of Christ…

Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn’t seek the glory of Christ.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)

To make progress…

What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language He best hears is silent love.
— Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)

To reach satisfaction in all…

To reach satisfaction in all, desire its possession in nothing. To come to possess all, desire the possession of nothing. To arrive at being all, desire to be nothing. To come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of nothing.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)

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