Contemplation is a…
Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Appetites are like…
Darkness and coarseness will always be with a soul until its appetites are extinguished. The appetites are like a cataract on the eye or specks of dust in it; until removed they obstruct vision…The affections and appetites deprive them of a treasure of divine light. Any appetite, even one that is but slightly imperfect, stains and defiles the soul.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)
The work of love…
For as heat makes things expand, so it is the work of love to expand the heart, for its power is to heat and make fervent.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)
Fasting is wonderful…
Fasting is wonderful, because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flower.
— Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)
Repentance raises up the fallen…
Repentance, therefore, raises up the fallen soul, which has been estranged from God, and again becomes His friend. Repentance protects the soul’s essence from the darkness, and drives away death. Repentance raises again the fallen soul, lifts up the destitute, heals the broken, and gives health to the traumatized. Let us hasten towards repentance, the promise of the Kingdom, the laver of sins, the mother of salvation.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)
The Church is…
The Church is an enclosure. If you are within, the wolf does not enter; but if you leave, the beasts will seize you. Do not distance yourself from the Church; there is nothing mightier than the Church. The Church is your hope. The Church is your salvation. The Church is higher than the heavens. The Church is harder than stone. The Church is wider than the world. The Church never grows old but always renews itself.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)
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