And so it is with the soul; unless it is first snowed on by afflictions, troubles and difficulties, it will not flower, it will not fruit; but by enduring, it bears fruit and partakes in a blessing from God.
–Saint Theodore the Studite (c. 759-826)
Let us trust in Him who has placed this burden upon us. What we ourselves cannot bear let us bear with the help of Christ. For He is all-powerful, and He tells us: “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
–Saint Boniface (c. 675-754)
The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future.
–Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560-636)
Just as wax that has not been warmed or softened cannot take the [imprint of the] seal set upon it, neither can the person acquire the strength of Christ unless he has been tried by bouts of toil and sickness.
–The Desert Fathers (and Mothers)
The night becomes darker in fact before the morning begins, before the light begins. God intervenes in the darkest moment and resuscitates.
–Pope Francis (1936-
Look upon yourself as a tree planted beside the water, which bears its fruit in due season; the more it is shaken by the wind, the deeper it strikes its roots into the ground.
–Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647- 1690)
