Quotes

The mercy of God…

The mercy of God is so great that he abandons no one.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)

Only one thing…

Don’t spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary: Lift up your spirit and love God.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)

Keep your eyes…

Do not focus so much on the path; keep your eyes fixed on the one who guides you and on the heavenly home to which he is guiding you.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)

To souls loved by God, tribulations are more precious than gold or rest. These souls will be very happy if they constantly persevere: ‘For a day in your courts is better than a thousand years in the tents of sinners,” sang the royal Prophet.
–Saint Pio (1887-1968)

Raise up your heart…

Raise up your heart after a fall, sweetly and gently, humbling yourself before God in the knowledge of your misery, and do not be astonished at your weakness, since it is not surprising that weakness should be weak, infirmity infirm, and frailty frail.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Love is a…

Love is a movement, effusion and advancement of the heart toward the good. The soul cannot live without love. All depends on providing it with a worthy object. We can never love our neighbor too much. There is nothing small in the service of God.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Those who support us…

It is necessary to find those who will support us and need our support in promoting the devout life. This is holy partiality that separates good from evil, the sheep from the goats, the bees from the hornets. It is a distinction that has to be made.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Those who are most holy…

It is not those who commit the least faults who are most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immoderately apprehensive of tripping.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

If you have sin…

Give God the greatest possible glory and honor Him with your whole soul. If you have a sin on your conscience, remove it as soon as possible by means of a good Confession.
–Saint John Bosco (1815-1888)

Joy is the net…

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Love to pray…

Love to pray. Feel often during the day the need for prayer and take trouble to pray. God is always speaking to us. Listen to Him. He wants from us deep love, compassion and forgiveness.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Blessed be God…

We must always say blessed be God.
–Saint Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879)

We become saints…

We become saints not by thinking about it, and not (certainly) by writing about it, but simply by doing it. There comes a time when the “how?” question stops and we just do it. If the one we love were at our door knocking to come in, would we wonder how the door lock works, and how we could move our muscles to open it?”
–Peter Kreeft (1937-

Certain God is faithful…

Day by day, we do what is asked of us, without anxiety, without fear, certain that God is faithful and will give us what we need from moment to moment; never failing prey to the illusion that one day we will be able to manage without God.
–Jacques Philippe (1947

Mental prayer should be daily…

Life is shaped by rhythms: the rhythm of heartbeat and breathing, the rhythm of day and night, of meals, of weeks, and so on. Mental prayer should become a daily event as vital to us as the basic rhythms of existence. It should become the breathing of our souls.
–Jacques Philippe (1947-

The more our soul is peaceful…

Consider the surface of a lake, above which the sun is shining. If the surface of the lake is peaceful and tranquil, the sun will be reflected in this lake; and the more peaceful the lake, the more perfectly it will be reflected. If on the contrary, the surface of the lake is agitated, undulating, then the image of the sun can not be reflected in it. [Hence,]…The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us…God is a God of peace…[thus] it is of greatest importance that we strive to remain an interior peace, the peace of our hearts.
–Jacques Philippe (1947-

Love of neighbor…

Love of our neighbor consists of three things: to desire the greater good everyone; to do what good we can when we can; to bear, excuse, and hide other’s faults.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Behold your mother!

Jesus on the Cross said to the disciple whom He loved: “Behold your Mother!” How sweet are those words to the Christian who is able to understand what depths of love they contain!
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

The Blessed Virgin is like…

The Blessed Virgin is like a good mother who, not content with looking after all her children in general, watches over each one separately.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Live as the Blessed Virgin lived….

Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Humility is like…

Humility is like a pair of scales: the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other. Let us humble ourselves like the Blessed Virgin and we shall be exalted.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

Greater your sins…

The greater your sins, the greater still the triumph of the goodness, charity, and clemency of this God Who is infinitely rich in mercy.
–Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

God embraces the repentant sinner…

God hates sin infinitely, but He loves His creatures infinitely. As soon as the soul repents of its sin, it recovers the love of God. If all sinners wished to return to God with contrite and humble hearts, all would be saved. This infinite kindness desires that all men reach Heaven… A mother would be less eager to rescue her child who fell into a fire than God would be to embrace the repentant sinner.
–Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

Mary adopts as…

Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children.
–Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Mary opens the…

We believe that Mary opens the abyss of God’s mercy to whomsoever she wills, when she wills, and as she wills; so that there is no sinner however great who is lost if Mary protects him.
–Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Pray with concentration…

If you seek after prayer with concentration, then you will surely find prayer. Nothing is more essential to prayer than concentration. Do all that you can to acquire it.
–Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

Spiritual life…

The first stage of the spiritual life, the beginning of it all, is to gain some control over the passions. The second stage is to devote oneself to the vocal recitation of the psalms, for when the passions have been calmed and prayer has brought some order in our quest for pleasure, then the psalms can bring us great delight, and they are pleasing in God’s sight. The third stage is to pray with our mind. The fourth is when we ascend to contemplation.
–Saint Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

Pray with fear and trembling…

Pray with fear and trembling, and with a watchful and vigilant mind, that your prayer might be acceptable to the Lord;
–Saint Theodorus the Ascetic (Seventh Century)

A life of discipleship…

If you want a life of discipleship, do not allow the desire for material possessions to get a grip on you. A disciple with many possessions is like a ship that has been too heavily laden. It is lashed by the storms of cares and sinks in the deep waters of distress. The love of money gives birth to many evil obsessions and has rightly been called the “root of all evil.” [1 TIM. 6:10]
–Saint Theodorus the Ascetic (Seventh Century)

Our salvation lies in mercy…

With a modest mind and a humble heart, let us repeat over and again the prayer that the great saint Arsenios used to offer to the Lord:

“My God, do not abandon me, though I have done nothing good in your sight, but because you are compassionate, grant me the power to make a start.”

And how true it is that all our salvation lies in the mercy, and in the deep love, that God has for us. To him be glory, dominion, and worship.
–Saint Theodorus the Ascetic (Seventh Century)

Receive that gift…

The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger will be our capacity to receive that gift, which is very great indeed. No eye has seen it; it has no color. No ear has heard it; it has no sound. It has not entered man’s heart; man’s heart must enter into it.
— Saint Augustine (354-430)

Bad company is…

Bad company is like a nail driven into a post, which, after the first and second blow, may be drawn out with little difficulty; but being once driven up to the head, the pincers cannot take hold to draw it out, but which can only be done by the destruction of the wood.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

Let God be your hope…

Let the Lord your God be your hope – seek for nothing else from him, but let him himself be your hope. There are people who hope from him riches or perishable and transitory honors, in short they hope to get from God things which are not God himself.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

The contemplative life…

The contemplative life is an intimate affair; it is a loving conversation of man with God. But in order that God may speak to the soul and the soul speak with God, it is necessary that there be silence.
–Luis M. Martinez (1881-1956)

Silence is the indispensable condition…

Silence is not only the indispensable condition for the development of the interior life, but it is also a sign of the maturity of virtue. When the interior life reaches a certain degree of development, it is marked by silence. In the beginning, we have some difficulty in speaking with God, but as our intimacy with God increases, our conversation with Him becomes easier, because His love provokes an inexhaustible source of loving words in our innermost soul. If this love continues growing until it reaches a certain degree, if our friendship with Jesus becomes more intimate and perfect, then words begin to fail us, because they seem impotent to express the sentiments of our heart. Little by little, words disappear, and our communication with God becomes the divine communication of silence.
–Luis M. Martinez (1881-1956)

Distinguish right from wrong…

The light that true knowledge gives out is the ability to distinguish unerringly what is right from what is wrong. This being so, the path of uprightness – which leads the mind towards God, the radiant sun of righteousness – takes that same mind into an unbounded light of knowledge and then leads it on to seek trustingly for love.
–Saint Diadochus of Photike (c. 400 – c. 486)

Gratitude is the…

Gratitude is the mother of all virtues; ingratitude is the sin most offensive to Heaven.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

Grace to suffer…

Ask God for grace to suffer much. To whom God gives this he gives a great gift: all his other benefits are included in this single one.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

God’s goodness…

God’s supreme goodness, mighty love, and fatherly care are more ready freely to bestow perfection on us than we are to seek it out.
— Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

An assembly and congregation…

We are a body knit together as such by a common religious profession, by unity of discipline, and by the bond of a common hope. We meet together as an assembly and congregation.
–Tertullian (c.160 – 225)

Follow the way of the cross…

You must follow him along the way of the cross, choosing to be crucified in his way, not yours.
–Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

The soul is in God and…

The soul is in God and God in the soul, just as the fish is in the sea and the sea in the fish.
–Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Be a living gospel…

We should be a living Gospel. The people who live distant from Christ, especially unbelievers, should know the Gospel not through books or words, but in view of our lives.
–Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Before our baptism…

Indeed, before our baptism we were sanctuaries of the devil; but after our baptism we merited the privilege of being temples of Christ. And if we think more carefully about the meaning of our salvation, we shall realise that we are indeed living and true temples of God. God does not dwell only in things made by human hands, nor in homes of wood and stone, but rather he dwells principally in the soul made according to his own image and fashioned by his own hand. Therefore, the apostle Paul says: ‘The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.’
–Saint Caesarius of Arles (460-542)

What makes us human…

What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.
–Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)

If you love Christ…

If you love Christ, it is fitting that anyone for whom he shed his blood should be important to you.
–Saint John of Ávila (1500-1569)

The humility that…

The humility that does not produce generosity is undoubtedly false, for true humility, after it has said, ‘I can do nothing; I am only absolute nothingness,’ suddenly gives place to generosity of spirit, which says, ‘There is nothing and there can be nothing that I am unable to do, so long as I put all my confidence in God, who can do all things.’ And so, buoyed up by this confidence, it courageously undertakes to do all that is commanded.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

We are fastened…

We are fastened and bound (religati) to God by this bond of piety. It is from this that religion takes its name.
–Lucius Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325)

God can work through anyone…

I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Friend or foe…

Whoever comes to you, friend or foe, thief or robber, let them be received with kindness.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Venerate the Holy Mother of God…

I therefore command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress, to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)

Turn to Mary…

If you are in danger, if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary; she is our comfort, our help; turn towards her and you will be saved.
–Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)

On your knees…

It’s impossible to lose your footing when you’re on your knees. –Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The hypocrite does….

The saint never has to appear pious – but the hypocrite does.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

We go backward…

By the mere fact that we do not go forward, we go backward.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Blessed Mother…

As the mother knows the needs better than the babe, so the Blessed Mother understands our cries and worries and knows them better than we know ourselves.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The bigness of God…

The humble, simple souls, who are little enough to see the bigness of God in the littleness of a Babe, are therefore the only ones who will ever understand the reason of His visitation. He came to this poor earth of ours to carry on an exchange; to say to us, as only the Good God could say: ‘you give me your humanity, and I will give you my Divinity; you give me your time, and I will give you My eternity; you give me your broken heart, and I will give you Love; you give me your nothingness, and I will give you My all.
–Blessed Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Most pure Virgin…

Come, let us wonder at the virgin most pure, wondrous in herself, unique in creation, she gave birth, yet knew no man; her pure soul with wonder was filled, daily her mind gave praise in joy at the twofold wonder: her virginity preserved, her child most dear. Blessed is He who shone forth from her!
–Saint Ephrem of Syria (c. 306 – 373)

Seven precious gems…

In between these resplendent lilies her Son placed seven precious gems.

The first gem is her outstanding virtuousness, for there exists no virtue in any other spirit or in any other body, which she does not possess more excellently.
The second gem is her perfect purity, for the Queen of Heaven was so pure that not a single stain of sin was ever to be found in her from the beginning when she first entered the world up to the final day of her death.
The third gem was her beauty, for God is praised constantly by his saints for the beauty of his Mother. Her beauty completes the joy of the holy angels and of all holy souls.
The fourth precious gem in the crown is the Virgin Mothers’ wisdom, for she was filled with all divine wisdom in God and through her all wisdom is completed and perfected.
The fifth gem is power, for she is so powerful before God that she can crush anything that has been created or made.
The sixth gem is her shining clarity, for she shines so clear that she even sheds light on the angels, whose eyes shine more clearly than light, and the demons do not dare to look upon her shining clarity.
The seventh gem is the fullness of every delight and spiritual sweetness, since her fullness is such that there is no joy that she does not add to, no delight that is not made fuller and more perfect through her and through the blessed vision of her, for she is filled and replete with grace beyond all the saints….

Her Son placed these seven gems in between the seven lilies in her crown. Wherefore… honor and praise her with all your heart, for she is truly worthy of all praise and honor!’

–Saint Brigid of Sweden (1303-1373)

From Mary we learn…

From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!
–Saint John Paul (1920-2005)

Remember Christ crucified…

Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you remember Christ crucified and be silent.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)

The Virgin comes…

The Virgin weighed with the Word of God, comes down the road; if only you’ll shelter her.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)

Mother of grace…

No one who shall invoke this Mother of Grace with devotion and perseverance can possibly perish forever.
–Saint John Eudes (1601-1689)

Our wandering minds…

Though our bodies may be in an attitude of prayer and our mouths babbling some pious formula, can we really claim to be praying in the presence of God when our minds are wandering hither and thither in home and market-place?
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)

Prayer is a harbor…

Prayer is a harbor in the storms of life, an anchor for those who are storm-tossed, the treasure of the poor, the security of the rich, the healing of the sick, the preservation of health. Prayer banishes evil things, and preserve the good.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)

Mary was made…

Mary was made Mother of God to obtain salvation for many who, on account of their wicked lives, could not be saved according to the rigor of Divine justice, but might be saved with the help of her sweet mercy and powerful intercession.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)

Guided by the Spirit…

Those who have been found worthy to become children of God and also to be born again through the Holy Spirit, those who carry Christ within them, shining within them and renewing them – these people are guided by the Spirit in various ways and led forward by grace working invisibly in the inner peace of their hearts… and by different paths it leads the soul, renewing it according to God’s will. It guides it by various paths until it is made whole, sinless and stainless before the heavenly Father. Therefore let us pray to God, pray with great love and hope, that he may give us the heavenly grace of the Spirit. Let us pray that the Spirit may guide us and lead us, following God’s will in every way, and may re-make us in stillness and in quiet.
–Author Unknown (Fourth Century)

When you assemble frequently…

Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks to God, and show forth His praise. For when you assemble frequently in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and the destruction at which he aims is prevented by the unity of your faith.
–Ignatius of Antioch (First Century)

About this journey…

That is the wonderful thing about this journey: one is given more than one ever asks or even dreams of desiring. This is absolutely certain; I know it to be true.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

In times of difficulty

In times of difficulty or sadness, in times of suffering, if you frequently call to mind that God is in you to give you his love, you will not be alone, you will find the Guest within you, and he will answer you.
–Charles Journet (1891–1975)

Conquer the devil…

Humility always has a good cry and then forgets petty insults. Remember this. If you want to conquer the devil, arm yourself with humility.
–Saint Hildegarde of Bingen (1098-1179)

God didn’t attach…

[God] didn’t attach salvation to knowledge or intelligence or wealth, nor to long experience or rare gifts that are not given to all. He attached it to something within the reach of everyone, absolutely everyone. Jesus attaches salvation to humility, to the act of making yourself little. That is all it takes to win heaven.
–Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858–1916)

Be very little…

Little, be very little, be very little before God.
–Saint Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879)

Extend mercy towards…

Extend mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw his mercy from us?
–Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Today God invited…

Today God invited you to do good; do it therefore today. Tomorrow you may not have time, or God may no longer call you to do it.
–Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

A contrite heart…

If it happens that someone cannot weep, a single word from a contrite heart is enough for God. And if someone would lose the use of his tongue, God would be well pleased with the moaning of his heart.
–Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Better to confess…

For it is better for a man to confess his sins than to harden his heart.
–Saint Clement (First Century)

It is in solitude…

It is in solitude that we discover that being is more important than having and that we are worth more than the results of our efforts. In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended but a gift to be shared.
–Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)

Patience is necessary…

We must endure and persevere if we are to attain the truth and freedom we have been allowed to hope for; faith and hope are the very meaning of our being Christians, but if faith and hope are to bear their fruit, patience is necessary.
–Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258)

Now I wonder…

Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not ‘How am I to find God?’ but ‘How am I to let myself be found by him?’ The question is not ‘How am I to love God?’ but ‘How am I to let myself be loved by God?’
–Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)

The only ones…

The only ones who make no mistakes are those who do nothing.
–Saint Maria of Paris (1891-1945)

Christ has spoken….

Christ has not only spoken to us by his life but has also spoken for us by his death.
–Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Jesus slept in my rocking boat…

Jesus slept in my boat, as was His wont. But how rarely will souls allow Him to sleep in peace. Wearied with making continual advances, our good Master readily avails Himself of the repose I offer Him, and in all probability will sleep on till my great and everlasting retreat; this, however, rather rejoices than grieves me.
–Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

Fear is such…

Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts.
–Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

What difference…

What difference does it make to you what someone else becomes, or says, or does? You do not need to answer for others, only for yourself.
–Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Grace is the…

Grace is the mastery of truth, the teacher of discipline, the light of the heart, the comforter of affliction, the banisher of sorrow, the nurse of devotion.
–Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In the Cross…

In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue; in the Cross is perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.
–Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Grace of God…

When the grace of God comes to us we can do all things, but when it leaves us, we become poor and weak, abandoned, as it were, to affliction. Yet, in this condition we should not become dejected or despair. On the contrary, we should calmly await the will of God and bear whatever befalls us in praise of Jesus Christ; for after winter comes the summer, after night comes the day, and after the storm, a great calm.
–Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Mother of Jesus…

A man is no true Christian if he has no devotion to the Mother of Jesus Christ.
–Saint John Eudes (1601-1689)

Have recourse to Mary…

O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all you necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity.
–Saint Basil the Great (330-379)

Call upon Mary…

In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Mother of God…

The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him.
–Saint Sophronius (c. 560 – March 11, 638)

In and through Mary…

The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.
–Saint Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

The most Blessed Virgin…

The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them.
–Saint Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

Mary is everywhere…

From day to day, from moment to moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an immense and inconceivable degree of grace. So much so, that the Almighty made her the sole custodian of his treasures and the sole dispenser of his graces. She can now ennoble, exalt and enrich all she chooses. She can lead them along the narrow path to heaven and guide them through the narrow gate to life. She can give a royal throne, scepter and crown to whom she wishes. Jesus is always and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary and Mary is everywhere the genuine tree that bears that Fruit of life, the true Mother who bears that Son.
–Saint Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

Words of Wisdom & Encouragement

Browse or Search:

All Quotes

Don't Be Shy