Quotes

Only the hand…

Only the hand that erases can write the true thing.
— Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Dwell in God…

People who dwell in God dwell in the eternal now.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Be a beginner…

Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Nothing in creation…

Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

God is delighted…

God is delighted to watch your soul enlarge.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Find the light…

It is in the darkness that one finds the light.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

The more we have…

The more we have the less we own.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

You will have peace to the extent that you have God, and the further you are away from God the less you will be at peace…Thus you may measure your progress with God by measuring your peace or the lack of it.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

Aflame by God’s love…

The soul must long for God in order to be set aflame by God’s love; but if the soul cannot yet feel the longing, then it must long for the longing. To long for the longing is also from God.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

The more you abandon yourself…

Love God the same way in everything. Love God as quickly in poverty as in wealth. Seek God in sickness as well as in health. Look for God when you are tempted, and look for him when you’re not tempted. Discover God in suffering and in pleasantness. It is like carrying two buckets. If one is heavy, the other feels lighter. The more you abandon yourself, the easier it will be to abandon. If you love God, you will be able to renounce the whole earth as though it were an egg. The more you give, the easier it is to give. The followers of Christ discovered that the heavier their suffering, the easier they could endure it.
— Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

By means of the Liturgy…

God himself teaches us to go forward with our hand in His by means of the Church’s liturgy.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Chosen for the cross…

One cannot desire freedom from the cross but one is especially chosen for the cross.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

What women are…

The world doesn’t need what women have, it needs what women are.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Our vocation…

To stand before the face of the living God – that is our vocation.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Silent and responsible…

Those who remain silent are responsible.
— Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

To suffer and be happy…

To suffer and to be happy although suffering, to have one’s feet on the earth, to walk on the dirty and rough paths of this earth and yet to be enthroned with Christ at the Father’s right hand, to laugh and cry with the children of this world and ceaselessly to sing the praises of God with the choirs of angels this is the life of the Christian until the morning of eternity breaks forth.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Hours for listening…

We need hours for listening silently and allowing the Word of God to act on us until it moves us to bear fruit in an offering of praise and an offering of action. We need to have traditional forms and to participate in public and prescribed worship services so that our interior life will remain vital and on the right track, and so that it will find appropriate expression.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Through passion and Cross…

In the Passion and death of Christ our sins were consumed by fire. If we accept that in faith, and if we accept the whole Christ in faith-filled surrender, which means, however, that we choose and walk the path of the imitation of Christ, then he will lead us “through his Passion and cross to the glory of his Resurrection.” This is exactly what is experienced in contemplation: passing through the expiatory flames to the bliss of the union of love. This explains its twofold character. It is death and resurrection.
–Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

Attach ourselves to God…

Let us attach ourselves to God alone, and turn our eyes and our hopes to Him.
— Saint Madeline Sophie Barat (1779-1865)

To be Christian…

In order to be Christian, our lives must be a continual renunciation and sacrifice. However, we know that the difficulties of this world are nothing compared to the eternal happiness that awaits us, where there will be no limit to our joy, no end to our happiness, and we shall enjoy unimaginable peace. And so, young people, learn from our Lord Jesus Christ the meaning of sacrifice.
— Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

The Savior makes…

The Savior makes Himself heard only in hours of deep recollection, peace, and silence. His voice is soft, so soft that in the soul all must be hushed; it is a melodious voice, while that of the devil is noisy, abrupt, and discordant, and his words are uttered in the midst of agitation and tumult.
–Blessed Dina Bélanger (1897–1929)

This world’s pleasures…

Short and fleeting are the joys of this world’s pleasures which endeavors to turn aside from the path of life those who are called to eternity. The faithful and religious spirit, therefore, must desire the things which are heavenly, and being eager for the Divine promises, lift itself to the love of the incorruptible Good and the hope of the true Light.
— Saint Leo the Great (c. 400-461)

To love God…

To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake.
— Saint Peter Claver (1581-1654)

Death can be…

Death can be very beautiful – like a wedding – if we make it so.
— Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957)

The presence of God…

Granting that we are always in the presence of God, yet it seems to me that those who pray are in His presence in a very different sense; for they, as it were, see that He is looking upon them, while others may go for days on end without even once recollecting that God sees them.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Stand patiently and…

Stand patiently and pray steadfastly, brushing off the impacts of worldly cares and all thoughts; for they distract and worry you in order to disturb the impetus of your prayer.
— Saint Nilus of Sinai (d. 430)

Earth’s crammed with…

Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees takes off his shoes, The rest sit around and pluck blackberries.
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1851)

Glory in creation…

God’s glory is at work in all things. Everything that exists, exists because it is held, sustained, enlivened by God’s wisdom and God’s power. The Word of God who is God, God expressing himself towards his creation, wills at all times to work the mystery of his embodiment.
— Arthur Macdonald Allchin (1930-2010)

God is there…

Prayer unites the soul to God. Although the soul is like God in nature, it is often different from Him in condition because of a person’s sin. Prayer then acts as a witness that the soul wills as God wills. It eases the conscience and prepares us for grace.
–Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)

No other sacrament…

No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all.
–Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Characteristics of love…

Here are two characteristics of love: it is to be for one another, that is, mutual, and it must be constant.
–Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

Without friends…

Without friends there is no living, and to take friendship away is nothing else than to take the sun out of the sky.
–Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597)

To be upset is useless…

We will recognize that, whether we like it or not, what happens happens; to be upset about it is useless, and moreover deprives us of the crown of patience and shows us to be in revolt against the will of God.
–Saint Peter of Damascus (12th Century)

Know and be humble…

They that know God will be humble; they that know themselves cannot be proud.
— John Flavel (c.1627–1691)

Grow more humble…

When the corn is nearly ripe it bows the head and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying… Paul had one foot in heaven when he called himself the chiefest of sinners and least of saints.
–John Flavel (c.1627–1691)

I wish for You alone…

When we hear people talk of riches, honors and amusements of the world, let us remember that all things have an end, and let us then say: ‘My God, I wish for You alone and nothing more.’
–Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

In prayer God gives…

Some people think that in prayer, you are the one giving to God. You give him words, you give him time, you give him emotions. But in reality, prayer in its true depth is a process of taking from God. He is the Giver, not the taker. The person who prays and feels that he has taken from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and feels that he has received power from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives blessings from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives repentance from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives holiness in their life from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives a spiritual connection between themselves and God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer.

— Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012) [Coptic Orthodox Church]

Grace and the divine…

Grace and the divine indwelling go together and advance together; the degree of one corresponds to the degree of the other. The more a soul buries itself in the depths of God, the more God buries himself in the depths of the soul.
–Charles Journet (1891–1975

God does not…

God does not have parts but is present totally everywhere, and consequently, since he is wholly in whatever belongs to him, he does not want only a part of you…Do you want to have everything? Give all of yourself and he will give you all of himself, and thus, not having anything of yourself, you will totally possess God and yourself in him.
–Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

Return thanks to God

Return thanks to God for all your spiritual graces, natural gifts and every other good that you possess, attributing nothing to yourself except your sins, faults and imperfections.
— Saint John of Avila (1500 – 1569)

Listen rather than speak…

When you place yourself in God’s presence, endeavor rather to listen to Him than to speak to Him, and strive more to love Him than to learn from Him.
–Saint John of Avila (1500-1569)

Give thanks to…

Frequently during the day, but especially when you make your examination of conscience, remember to render thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for having redeemed you and made you a friend of God, and for having gained so many benefits for you by His Passion and sufferings. Bless God for having given Him to you; you should also glorify God for His own Perfections.
— Saint John of Avila (1500 – 1569)

Courage in trials…

Let not your faith and love be weakened by your pain and trouble. A large fire is increased, rather than quenched by the wind; so, though a weak love of God is, like a candle, easily extinguished by the first puff of air, yet true charity gains force and courage by its trials. This is the fire which comes down from heaven which no water of tribulation can extinguish.
–Saint John of Avila (1500 – 1569)

Continue in their sins…

Some people understand the charity of our Lord and are saved by it; others, relying on this mercy and kindness, continue in their sins, thinking that it may be theirs whenever they wish. But this is not so, for then they are too late and are taken in their sins before they expect it, and so damn themselves.
–Walter Hilton (1340-1396)

Every Christian must…

Every Christian must be a living book wherein one can read the teaching of the gospel. This is what Saint Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘Clearly you are a letter of Christ which I have delivered, a letter written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh in the heart’ (2 Cor. 3:3).
— Saint Joseph of Leonessa (1556-1622)

Saints always help sinners…

As a mother who has an unruly son does not hate him or turn away from him but adorns him with love, and everything she does, she does for his consolation; so do the saints always cover, adorn and help the sinner, so that with time he will correct himself, and not harm anyone else, and in doing so they themselves greatly advance towards the love of Christ.
–Saint Dorotheus of Gaza (Sixth Century)

Denying oneself…

Those who reach the goal without falling do so through hating themselves and all worldly desires, distractions, pleasures and preoccupations, for this is what ‘denying oneself’ amounts to. Hence everyone expels himself from the kingdom by his own choice, through not embracing suffering and denying himself for the sake of the truth, but wanting to enjoy something of this world in addition to that divine longing, and not surrendering the whole inclination of his will to God.
— Saint Symeon Metaphrastis (Tenth Century)

Tear apart the Body of Christ…

Why are there strife and passion, schisms and even war among you? Do we not possess the same Spirit of grace which was given to us and the same calling in Christ? Why do we tear apart and divide the body of Christ? Why do we revolt against our own body? Why do we reach such a degree of insanity that we forget that we are members of one another?
–Saint Clement (First Century)

Life is a journey…

Life is a journey, along different roads, different paths, which leave their mark on us. We know in faith that Jesus seeks us out. He wants to heal our wounds, to soothe our feet which hurt from traveling alone, to wash each of us clean of the dust from our journey.
–Pope Francis (1936-

The life of prayer…

The life of prayer is just love to God, and the custom of being ever with Him.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Be a saint…

Jacob did not cease to be a saint because he had to attend to his flocks.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Begin again to pray…

There is no other remedy for this evil of giving up prayer than to begin again.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

To serve God…

Practice spiritual reading and prayer; go to confession and Holy Communion; and let the one object of your life be to serve God and to bear with things contrary to your will. Be most tender in your love for God and your neighbor; act in as charitable away as possible to others, and be firm as a rock in bearing the trials sent you by Divine Providence.
— Saint John of Avila (1500 – 1569)

The Holy Scriptures…

A pure mind is to be gained by exercise in the Holy Scriptures.
–Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

To obey God…

What matters most is a good and ready will to obey God.
–Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

Rid yourself of…

Rid yourself of anything that is not directed toward God.
–Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

The Lord leads…

The Lord leads a person out of himself into himself.
— Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

Hinders you from perfection…

Dear children, my whole teaching is very simple: whatsoever hinders you from the shortest road to perfection, get rid of it– whether it be in your soul or in your outward life, and no matter what name it may go by.
–Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

Renounce all creatures…

Verily, if you desire to have the Creator of all creatures, you must renounce all creatures; for it cannot be otherwise, but only insomuch as your soul is emptied and bared; the less of the creature, the more of God.
–Johannes Tauler (1300–1361)

Through suffering God…

Just as the artist foresees in his mind how he will make each stroke of the brush on the canvas—how short or long or wide (and there is no other way if the painting is to become a masterpiece!) where he should use red or blue—so God does the same, and a thousand times more, in our lives through much suffering and many strokes of color. He does so in order to achieve in us the masterpiece that pleases him the most, so long as we truly embrace these gifts—these bitter circumstances—from him.
— Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)

Every humble man…

Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

What humility is…

What salt is for any food, humility is for every virtue.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

A heart hard…

A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

Prayer is the…

Prayer is the port of help, the fountain of salvation, the treasure of confidence, the sheet-anchor amidst the storms, the light in the darkness, the stick of the weak, the shelter at the time of temptations, the medicine at the time of illness, the shield of protection in the battle, the sharp arrow against the enemies.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

In love God did…

In love did God bring the world into existence; in love is God going to bring it to that wondrous transformed state, and in love will the world be swallowed up in the great mystery of the one who has preformed all these things; in love will the whole course of the governance of creation be finally comprised.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

The confession of sin…

Whoever hates his sins will stop sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission. A man can not abandon the habit of sin if he does not first gain enmity toward sin, nor can he receive remission of sin without confession of sin. For the confession of sin is the cause of true humility.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

Ever let mercy…

Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to the Divine nature and Divine essence. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure.
— Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)

Where the cross is…

It is not possible to represent and to think of the cross without love. Where the cross is, there is love. In church you see crosses everywhere and on everything, in order that everything should remind you that you are in the temple of the God of love, the temple of love crucified for us.
— Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

A passion for judging…

Do not be irritated either with those who sin or those who offend; do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbor, and for judging him, as we are in the habit of doing. Everyone shall give an answer to God for himself… Correct your own sins, amend your own life.
— Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

In the saints…

In the saints we see the dominance of the spirit over the flesh, because they live by the spirit and see the spirit throughout the whole world, the Wisdom, the Omnipotence, and Goodness of God; they see in every phenomenon, in every work, the impress of the spirit.
— Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

Life-giving Liturgy…

There is nothing upon earth holier, higher, grander, more solemn, more life-giving than the Liturgy. The church, at this particular time, becomes an earthly heaven; those who officiate represent Christ Himself, the angels, the cherubim, seraphim and apostles.
— Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

Only through thanksgiving…

If I do not feel a sense of joy in God’s creation, if I forget to offer the world back to God with thankfulness, I have advanced very little upon the Way. I have not yet learned to be truly human. For it is only through thanksgiving that I can become myself.
— Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

Remember your end…

Remember always your end, and that lost time does not return.
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Choose to want less…

Constantly choose rather to want less, than to have more.
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Of two evils…

Of two evils we must always choose the least.
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Wherever you go…

Wherever you go, there you are.
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Free of inordinate love…

Anyone, therefore, who shall with simplicity of heart direct his intention to God and free himself from all inordinate love or dislike for any creature will be most fit to receive grace and will be worthy of the gift of devotion. For where the Lord finds the vessel empty He pours down His blessing.
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Your spiritual journey…

Friend, don’t give up your spiritual journey. You still have time. Why do you keep putting off your decision day after day? You can start immediately. You can say, “This is the moment to start moving. Now is the time to begin the fight and the change my ways.”
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

When we are tempted…

We must not despair when we are tempted but, instead, seek God more fervently, asking for his help in this time of tribulation. Remember St. Paul’s words of assurance, ‘God will make a way of escape from every temptation so that we may be able to bear it.’
— Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Walking is our preaching…

It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

A single candle…

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

The only sermon…

The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Spiritual joy arises…

Spiritual joy arises from purity of the heart and perseverance in prayer.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

True progress…

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Be patient, watchful, and working…

Be patient in trials, watchful in prayer, and never cease working.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Heaven open…

Heaven open, Hell open,—between the two is the Christian.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

To become prayer…

We should seek not so much to pray but to become prayer.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Preach the gospel…

Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.
— attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

The One who is looking…

The one you are looking for is the One who is looking.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

Sanctify yourself…

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.
— Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

The journey is…

The journey is essential to the dream.
–Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)

To be a saint…

Our greatest fault is that we wish to serve God in our way, not in His way — according to our will, not according to His will…. To be truly a saint, it is necessary to be one according to the will of God.
— Saint Frances de Sales (1567-1622)

Mold your life…

Examine from time to time what are the dominant passions of your soul, and having ascertained this, mold your life, so that in thought, word and deed you may as far as possible counteract them.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Progress in perfection…

Keep yourself faithfully in the presence of God; avoid hurry and anxiety, for there are no greater obstacles to our progress in perfection. Have an unlimited confidence in his mercy and goodness.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Salvation through the Cross…

All those who are willing to be saved through the cross will find salvation there. But those who desire to be saved without it will perish miserably. There is no salvation except in this cross.
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

God takes pleasure…

God takes pleasure to see you take your little steps; and like a good father who holds his child by the hand, He will accommodate His steps to yours and will be content to go no faster than you.
— Saint Francis de Sales, (1567-1622)

Make sickness a prayer…

The prayer of the sick person is his patience and his acceptance of his sickness for the love of Jesus Christ. Make sickness itself a prayer, for there is none more powerful, save martyrdom!
— Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Times are troublesome…

You say the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable, Live right, and you will change the times. The times have never [harmed] anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings; those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings, and the times will be changed.
— Saint Augustine (354-430)

Tribulations and distress…

Whenever we suffer some distress or tribulation, there we find warning and correction for ourselves. Our holy scriptures themselves do not promise us peace, security and repose, but tribulations and distress… The past times that you think were good, are good because they are not yours here and now.
–Saint Augustine (354-430)

The deeper our faith…

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)

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