Cleanse your heart of every earthly passion, humble yourself in the dust and pray. Like this you will certainly find God, who will give you peace and serenity in this life and eternal beatitude in the next.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)
Let us keep before our minds that which makes up real holiness. Holiness means getting above ourselves; it means perfect mastery of all our passions. It means having real and continual contempt for ourselves and for the things of the world to the point of preferring poverty rather than wealth, humiliation rather than glory, suffering rather than pleasure. Holiness means loving our neighbor as ourself for love of God. In this connection holiness means loving those who curse us, who hate and persecute us and even doing good to them. Holiness means living humbly, being disinterested, prudent, just, patient, kind, chaste, meek, diligent, carrying out one’s duties for no other reason than that of pleasing God and receiving from Him alone the reward one deserves.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)
Certainly the greatest defect we have in our prayers – and in all that happens to us, particularly in that which concerns tribulations – is our lack of confidence.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Let us persevere in prayer at all times. For if our Lord seems not to hear us, it is not because He wants to refuse us. Rather, His purpose is to compel us to cry out louder or and to make us more conscious of the greatness of His mercy.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
God did not put you in the world because he needed you. He made you for the purpose of working his goodness in you. God has given you a mind to know him, a memory to recall his favors, a will to love him, eyes to see what he does, and a tongue to sing his praise.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.
–Saint Francis de Sales, (1567-1622)
