Those who really love God love all good, seek all good, help forward all good, praise all good, and invariably join forces with good people and help and defend them. They love only truth and things worthy of love.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate anyone; do not be absent from the divine services; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness, and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way, you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven.
–Saint John Climacus (c. 525-606)
You see plainly that I do not mean to advise you to perform great austerities, but rather generously to mortify your passions and inclinations, detaching your heart and emptying it of all that is earthly, and exercising charity towards your neighbor and liberality towards the poor.
–Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Complain as little as possible of your wrongs, for, as a general rule you may be sure that complaining is sin: self-love always magnifies our injuries.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Complain as little as possible about the wrongs you suffer. Undoubtedly a person who complains commits a sin by doing so, since self-love always feels that injuries are worse than they really are.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
We lose nothing by living generously, nobly, courteously and with a royal, just and reasonable heart. Resolve to examine your heart often to see if it such toward your neighbor as you would like your neighbor’s to be toward you were you in your neighbor’s place.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
