Quotes

Words of Wisdom & Encouragement

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What prayer can do…

In prayer the soul is purified from sin, charity is nurtured, faith takes root, hope is strengthened, the spirit gladdened. In prayer the soul melts into tenderness, the heart is purified, the truth reveals itself, temptation is overcome, sadness is put to flight. In prayer, the senses are renewed, lukewarmness vanishes, failing virtue is reinvigorated, the rust of vices is scoured away; and in this exchange, there come forth living sparks, blazing desires of heaven, in which the flame of divine life burns.
–Saint Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

Gratitude and graces…

Let us now consider the acknowledgment God demands of us, for He is no less rigid in requiring our gratitude than He is magnificent in bestowing His benefits; and this is an additional proof of His love, for our gratitude results in no advantage to Him, but enables us to profit by the favors we have received, and thus merit other graces from His infinite goodness.
— Blessed Louis of Granada (1505-1588)

God, the most powerful and tender of fathers…

Like a child who fears no danger in his father’s protecting arms, we must cast ourselves into the arms of our Heavenly Father, confident that those Hands which sustain the heavens are all powerful to supply our necessities, to uphold us in temptation, and to turn all things to our profit. And why should we not have confidence in God? Is He not the most powerful as well as the most tender of fathers?
–Blessed Louis de Granada (1505-1588

Gratitude excites us to praise God…

Gratitude, which should be in our hearts and on our lips, is a virtue which excites us to praise God unceasingly for all His benefits… Since God not only gives us life, but continues to preserve it, protecting us, lavishing blessings on us, and causing all creatures to serve our necessities and desires, is it not just that we should continually praise Him?
–Blessed Louis de Granada (1505-1588)

Daily Decalogue of Saint John XXIII

Daily Decalogue of Saint John XXIII

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the long day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
5. Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my
feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.
8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.
–Saint John XXIII (1881-1963)

Contemplation is for everyone…

Contemplation is not a technique of specialists, a privilege exclusive to a few. It is rather the natural consequence of a soul that loves God and, full of admiration, adores in silence.
–Tomás Morales Pérez (1908–1994)

If you want faith, pray and read…

If you want faith, pray. If you want hope, pray. If you want kindness, pray. If you want poverty, pray. If you want obedience, pray. If you want integrity, pray. If you want humility, pray. If you want gentleness, pray. If you want strength, pray. If you want any virtue, pray. Like this: Always read the Book of Life, which is the life of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who lived in poverty, pain, scorn, and true obedience. Don’t skim this book. Let it penetrate you while you read it. It’ll teach you everything you need to know, no matter your present circumstances. It will fill you with a burning fire that will be your greatest consolation. And the more you pray, the more you’ll be enlightened. As you pray, you’ll see God’s goodness more deeply. And the deeper and more excellent your spiritual eyesight, the more you’ll love. The more you love, the more joy you’ll take in all you see, and the greater your joy, the greater your understanding. Then you’ll reach the completeness of Light because you’ll understand you can’t understand anything at all.
—Saint Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

History gives lessons rather than rules…

History is not a creed or a catechism, it gives lessons rather than rules; still no one can mistake its general teaching in this matter, whether he accept it or stumble at it. Bold outlines and broad masses of color rise out of the records of the past. They may be dim, they may be incomplete; but they are definite. And this one thing at least is certain; whatever history teaches, whatever it omits, whatever it exaggerates or extenuates, whatever it says and unsays, at least the Christianity of history is not Protestantism. If ever there were a safe truth, it is this.
–Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Don’t worry…

Don’t worry about me no matter what happens in this world. Nothing can happen to me that God doesn’t want. And all that He wants, no matter how bad it may appear to us, is really for the best.
–Saint Thomas More (1478-1535)

Why we pray…

All the angels pray. Every creature prays. Cattle and wild beasts pray and bend the knee. As they come from their barns and caves they look out to heaven and call out, lifting up their spirit in their own fashion. The birds too rise and lift themselves up to heaven: they open out their wings, instead of hands, in the form of a cross, and give voice to what seems to be a prayer. What more need be said on the duty of prayer? Even the Lord himself prayed. To him be honor and power for ever and ever. Amen.
–Tertullian (c.160 – 225)

How we are to pray…

The Lord has given us many counsels and commandments to help us toward salvation. He has even given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has given us life, and with his accustomed generosity, he has also taught us how to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard as we pray to the Father in the words taught us by the Son… What prayer could be more a prayer in the spirit than the one given us by Christ, by whom the Holy Spirit was sent upon us? What prayer could be more a prayer in the truth than the one spoken by the lips of the Son, who is truth himself?
–Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258)

Love is a fire, but…

Love is a fire; but three things can extinguish it: the wind of pride, the water of gluttony and luxury, and the thick smoke of avarice.
–Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

God loves to come into…

God loves to come into humble and compassionate souls, into souls that are full of discretion, that are penitent and devout; but He abandons cold and callous hearts, hearts that seek their own ease, that shrink from the smallest sacrifice, that show no love for prayer or meditation.
–Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

God is in the midst of you…

He is coming who is everywhere present and pervades all things; he is coming to achieve in you his work of universal salvation. He is coming who came to call to repentance not the righteous but sinners, coming to recall those who have strayed into sin. Do not be afraid, then: God is in the midst of you, and you shall not be shaken. Receive him with open, outstretched hands, for it was on his own hands that he sketched you. Receive him who laid your foundations on the palms of his hands. Receive him, for he took upon himself all that belongs to us except sin, to consume what is ours in what is his.
–Saint Andrew of Crete (Seventh and Eighth Century)

Do God’s will…

Our obligation is to do God’s will, and not our own. We must remember this if the prayer that our Lord commanded us to say daily is to have any meaning on our lips. How unreasonable it is to pray that God’s will be done, and then not promptly obey it when he calls us from this world! Instead we struggle and resist like self-willed slaves and are brought into the Lord’s presence with sorrow and lamentation, not freely consenting to our departure, but constrained by necessity. And yet we expect to be rewarded with heavenly honors by him to whom we come against our will! Why then do we pray for the kingdom of heaven to come if this earthly bondage pleases us? What is the point of praying so often for its early arrival if we would rather serve the devil here than reign with Christ.
–Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258)

One can embrace love….

No one can fully comprehend the uncreated God with his knowledge; but each one, in a different way, can grasp him fully through love. Truly this is the unending miracle of love: that one loving person, through his love, can embrace God, whose being fills and transcends the entire creation.
–The Cloud of Unknowing (14th century)

The highest state prayer…

By our prayer we share the life of God. True prayer demands that we be more passive than active; it requires more silence than words, more adoration than study, more concentration than rushing about, more faith than reason. The highest state of prayer is to be children in the arms of Love: silent, loving, rejoicing.
–Carlo Coretto (1910-1988)

We are what we pray…

Prayer is the sum of our relationship with God. We are what we pray. The degree of our faith is the degree of our prayer. The strength of our hope is the strength of our prayer. The warmth of our charity is the warmth of our prayer. No more nor less.

Our prayer has had a beginning because we have had a beginning. But it will have no end. It will accompany us into eternity and will be completed in our contemplation of God, when we join in the harmony of heaven and are ‘filled with the flood of God’s delights.’ The story of our earthly-heavenly life will be the story of our prayer.
–Carlo Coretto (1910-1988)

God is the current…

It is true that Jesus said, “Go, and make disciples of all nations.” But he also added, “Without me you can do nothing.” It is true that Saint Ignatius said, “Act as though everything depended upon you.” But he added, “But pray as though everything depended upon God.” God is the creator of the physical cosmos as well as of the human cosmos. He rules the stars as he rules the church. And if, in his love, he has wished to make us his collaborators in the work of salvation, the limit of our power is very small and clearly defined. It is the limit of the wire compared with the electric current. We are the wire, God is the current. Our only power is to let the current pass though us. Of course, we have the power to interrupt it and say “no.” But nothing more.…
–Carlo Coretto (1910-1988)

Immersed in God…

I feel immersed in God like a drop in the ocean, like a star in the immensity of night; like a lark in the summer sun or a fish in the sea.
–Carlo Coretto (1910-1988)

The Church of the Lord…

The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church’s foundation is unshakeable and firm against the assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress.
–Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397)

You are not abandoned…..

Be thankful to God. You are not abandoned. God holds you like an infant against his breast. It may seem the fire of first fervor is gone, but God has hidden it under the ashes so that you may ground yourself in true humility and know your nothingness. A time will come when the Holy Spirit will blow upon the ashes, and a fire more lively and bright that before will be lit because you have been faithful to God.
–Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

When you have committed a fault…

Beginners in the service of God sometimes lose confidence when they fall into any fault. When you feel so unworthy a sentiment rising within you, you must lift your heart to God and consider that all your faults, compared with divine goodness, are less than a bit of tattered thread thrown into a sea of fire. Suppose that the whole horizon, as far as you can see from this mountain, were a sea of fire; if we cast into it a bit of tattered thread, it will disappear in an instant. So, when you have committed a fault, humble yourself before God, and cast your fault into the infinite ocean of [love] and at once it will be effaced from your soul; at the same time all distrust will disappear.
–Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

Whoever seeks Christ…

This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing… Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will not let him go before I bring him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this “house,” this “room,” but the deep and secret places of your heart? Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it. Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world.
–Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397)

The great Season of Advent…

Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.
–Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Getting closer to Hell each day…

So then, I am speaking to you who live in the habit of mortal sin, in hatred, in the mire of the vice of impurity, and who are getting closer to hell each day. Stop, and turn around; it is Jesus who calls you and who, with His wounds, as with so many eloquent voices, cries to you, “My son, if you are damned, you have only yourself to blame: ‘Thy damnation comes from thee.’ Lift up your eyes and see all the graces with which I have enriched you to insure your eternal salvation.’
–Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

What Mass is…

Do you know what Mass is? In the Church it is what the sun is in our world, it is the soul of our faith, the center of our religion, the end and center of all the ceremonies, rites and sacraments. In a word it is the summary of all that is beautiful and good in the Church of God.
— Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

Grace is a gift of God…

Grace is a gift of God; but as a general rule it is given only to him who asks for it by fervent and constant prayer, who makes a good use of it, and who corresponds with it promptly and faithfully.
–Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

The resurrection that is to come…

Consider, beloved, how the Lord keeps reminding us of the resurrection that is to come, of which he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruits by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the resurrection that occurs at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Let us think about the harvest; how does the sowing take place, and in what manner? The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. Then the greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
–Saint Clement  (First Century)

You must pray…

No one can be saved without divine light. Divine light causes us to begin and to make progress, and it leads us to the summit of perfection. Therefore if you want to begin and to receive this divine light, pray. If you have begun to make progress and want this light to be intensified within you, pray. And if you have reached the summit of perfection, and want to be super-illumined so as to remain in that state, pray.
–Saint Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

A detached man…

A detached man should not be always looking to see what he needs, but he should be always looking to see what he can do without.
–Blessed Henry Suso (c. 1295–1366)

In everything give thanks…

We should give thanks to Him, as it is said: ‘In everything give thanks.’ (I Th.. 5:18) Closely linked to this phrase is another of St. Paul’s injunctions: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (I Th. 5:17), that is, be mindful of God at all times, in all places, and in every circumstance. For no matter what you do, you should keep in mind the Creator of all things. When you see the light, do not forget Him who gave it to you; when you see the sky, the earth, the sea and all that is in them, marvel at these things and glorify their Creator; when you put on clothing, acknowledge whose gift it is and praise Him who in His providence has given you life. In short, if everything you do becomes for you an occasion for glorifying God, you will be praying unceasingly. And in this way your soul will always rejoice, as St. Paul commends (cf. I Thess. 5:16).
–Saint Peter of Damascus (d. 750)

Love without suffering…

I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining. I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than his heart. Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do his will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below, Love without suffering does not exist.
–Saint Bernadette (1844-1879)

If one dream should fall…

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces… never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. That’s the beauty of being alive… We can always start all over again. Enjoy God’s amazing opportunities bestowed on us. Have faith in Him always.
— Saint Bernadette (1844-1879)

Four truths…

Put faith into practice by thinking on these four truths: God is always present. Nothing happens without His permission or outside of His will. Anything we do to others we do to Him. All kindness and goodness are in Him.
— Saint Bernadette (1844-1879)

Your silence may serve…

Your silence may serve others better than the sound of your own words.
–Madeleine Delbrel (1904-1964)

For the sake of the soul…

The birds of the air and the beasts of the earth and the fishes of the sea are satisfied when they have enough food for themselves. But since man is not satisfied with the things of this world and always longs for others, it is clear that he was not made primarily for them but for others. For the body was made for the sake of the soul, and this world for the sake of the other world.
— Blessed Giles of Assisi (1190-1262)

Holy contrition, holy humility…

Holy contrition, holy humility, holy charity, holy devotion, and holy joy makes the soul holy and good.
–Blessed Giles of Assisi (1190-1262)

We should repent of our sins…

We should repent of our sins while we are still on earth. When a potter is making a vessel and it becomes misshapen or breaks in his hands, he shapes it again; but once placed in the oven, it is beyond repair. Now the clay in the craftsman’s hands is an image of ourselves, and it teaches us that, while still in this world, we must wholeheartedly repent of sins committed in the body and make it possible for the Lord to save us while there is time. When we have left this world, we shall no longer be able to repent and confess our sins. We must do the will of the Father, keep our bodies pure, and observe the commandments of the Lord, for this is the way to obtain eternal life… While we can still be healed, let us surrender ourselves into the hands of our divine physician and give him his recompense, the recompense of true sorrow for our sins. Since he who knows all things sees what is in our hearts, let us praise him with our hearts as well as our lips. He will then receive us.
— Second Century Sermon

The divine goodness…

The divine goodness … is a fathomless and shoreless ocean, and I confess that when I plunge my mind into thought of this it is carried away by the immensity and feels quite lost and bewildered there.
–Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591)

The most perfect prayer…

The most perfect prayer breathes in a heart that remains silent before God and knows how to listen to God.
–Augustine Ichiro Okumura (1923-2014)

Keep safe the gift of prayer…

Sometimes it happens that when you start to pray, you find you can pray well. At other times, even when you have expended great effort, you may find your efforts frustrated. This experience is to make you learn that you must exert yourself constantly, for having once gained the gift of prayer, you must be careful to keep it safe.
—Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

Never pray as a matter of routine…

Whether you pray alone or in the company of others, try never to pray simply as a matter of routine but always with conscious awareness of what you are doing.
—Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

Guard against your anger…

Always be on your guard against your anger, and then you will not be carried away by other violent desires. Anger gives fuel to all sorts of other passions and always clouds the spiritual eye, disrupting the state of pure prayer.
—Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

If you store up grievances…

If you store up grievances and nurse old animosities inside yourself, and then try to pray, you will be like someone going to the well for water with a bucket that is full of holes.
—Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

Jesus sustains us…

Who sustains us? Christ Jesus, the Word and Wisdom of God. Moreover, he sustains us not merely for a day or two, but forever.
— Origen (c. 184- c. 254)

God never asks…

God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnished to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward‘ (Mark 9:41).
— Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

The perfection of the Christian life…

The perfection of the Christian life — and I mean that life which is the only one the name of Christ is used to designate — is that in which we participate not only by our mind and soul but in all the actions of our lives, so that our holiness may be complete, in accordance with the blessing pronounced by Paul, in our ‘whole body and soul and spirit‘ (I Thess. 5:23), constantly guarded from all admixture with evil.
— Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

Devote ourselves to prayer…

But we must above all devote ourselves to prayer; for prayer is like a choir-leader in the choir of virtues, by means of which we ask God for the virtues we still lack. Devotion to prayer unites the Christian to God in the communion of a mystic sanctity, in a spiritual possession and a disposition of the soul that no words can describe. With the Spirit then to guide and help him, his love for the Lord like a bright flame, he prays unceasingly in ardent desire, always burning with love for the divine good and refreshing his soul with renewed zeal.
–Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

For the quality of holiness is shown…

When we consider that Christ is the true light, we learn that our own life also must shine with the rays of that true light. Now these rays of the Sun of Justice are the virtues which pour out to enlighten us. If we truly think of Christ as our source of holiness, we shall refrain from anything wicked or impure in thought or act and thus show ourselves to be worthy bearers of his name. For the quality of holiness is shown not by what we say but by what we do in life.
— Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

On human nature….

Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?
— Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

When the mystery sanctifies…

The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the Body of Christ. So too the mystical oil, so too the wine; if they are things of little worth before the blessing, after their sanctification by the Spirit each of them has its own superior operation. The same power of the word also makes the priest venerable and honorable, separated from the generality of men by the blessing bestowed upon him. Yesterday he was but one of the multitude, one of the people; suddenly he is made a guide, a president, a teacher of piety, an instructor in hidden mysteries.
–Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

Life has begun…

The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended. A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed! This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh, but by God. If you wonder how, I will explain in clear language. Faith is the womb that conceives this new life, baptism the rebirth by which it is brought forth into the light of day. The Church is its nurse; her teachings are its milk, the bread from heaven is its food. It is brought to maturity by the practice of virtue; it is wedded to wisdom; it gives birth to hope. Its home is the kingdom; its rich inheritance the joys of paradise; its end, not death, but the blessed and everlasting life prepared for those who are worthy.
— Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

The significance of Christ’s name…

Paul’s words show us the significance of Christ’s name, when he said that Christ is the power and wisdom of God. But he also called Christ: peace; the inaccessible light where God dwells; our sanctification and redemption; the great high priest; our Passover and our sacrifice of expiation; the brightness of glory; the very image of God’s substance; the creator of the ages; our spiritual food and drink; the rock and the water; the foundation of faith; the chief cornerstone; the image of the great and invisible God; the head of his body, the Church; the first-born of the new creation and the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep; the first-born from the dead, the first-born among many brothers; the mediator between God and man; the only-begotten Son crowned with honor and glory; the Lord of glory; the beginning of all things; the King of justice, but not only of justice but also the King of peace and the King of all things, the King whose kingdom is boundless.

–Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395)

The will of God is…

Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.
— Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Who except God…

Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?
— Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

The Blessed Sacrament…

The Most Blessed Sacrament is Christ made invisible. The poor sick person is Christ again made visible.
–Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

To do all for God…

To love God much. Always united to God. To do all for God. To love all for God. To conform myself entirely to his holy will. To suffer much for God.
— Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

We wish to do the will of God…

We wish to do on earth what the angels do in heaven. The will of God in heaven, the will of God on earth; and consequently, paradise in heaven, paradise on earth.
–Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Consider the length of eternity…

Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?
— Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

I wish to love God…

I wish to love God. I wish always to be with God, and to do everything for the love of God. The center of all love for God consists in giving ourselves entirely to God by being in all things conformable to the divine will, and remaining in this conformity for all eternity.
— Saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Rid yourselves of self-will…

Rid yourselves then of all self-will for it is the one fuel for eternal destruction.
–Saint Colette of Corbie (1381-1447)

Through holy penance…

In order to be able to attain to this by his grace and his aid, we must loyally keep the vows that which we have promised him, and if we commit some fault through human frailty, we must make haste every time pick ourselves up, to make ourselves clean and to make up our losses through holy penance.
–Saint Colette of Corbie (1381-1447)

 

By means of a holy penance…

We must faithfully keep what we have promised. If through human weakness we fail, we must always without delay arise again by means of holy penance, and give our attention to leading a good life and to dying a holy death. May the Father of all mercy, the Son by his holy passion, and the Holy Spirit, source of peace, sweetness and love, fill us with their consolation. Amen.
–Saint Colette of Corbie (1381-1447)

Humility consists in…

Humility consists in considering oneself to be nothing in all circumstances, cutting off one’s will in all things, accusing oneself of everything, and bearing without confusion that which befalls him from without. Such is true humility, in which vainglory finds no place. A humble man doesn’t need to try to show his humility in words, nor does he need to make himself do humble deeds, for both of these lead to vainglory, hinder progress, and cause more harm than good. But when they command anything, it is necessary not to contradict, but to fulfill it with obedience. This is what leads to success.
— Saint John the Prophet (Sixth Century)

By your work…

By your work you show what you love and what you know.
–Saint Bruno (1030-1101)

Solitude and silence…

Only those who have experienced the solitude and the silence of the wilderness can know the benefit and divine joy they bring to those who love them.
–Saint Bruno (1030-1101)

Above all, you must pray…

Above all, you must pray for the whole people: that is, for the whole body, for every part of your mother the Church, whose distinguishing feature is mutual love. If you ask for something for yourself then you will be praying for yourself only – and you must remember that more grace comes to one who prays for others than to any ordinary sinner. If each person prays for all people, then all people are effectively praying for each.
— Saint Bruno (1030-1101)

Prayer is the raising of the mind…

Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us. If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such great love, it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him. And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer.
–Saint Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444)

…special graces granted…

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand.
— Saint Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444)

Thank God for…

Thank God for the things that I do not own.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Who finds God…

He who has God finds he is lacking nothing.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Life is short…

Life is short; our trials last but a moment.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Be gentle to all…

Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Be thankful to God…

Be thankful to God. You are not abandoned. God holds you like an infant against his breast. It may seem the fire of first fervor is gone, but God has hidden it under the ashes so that you may ground yourself in true humility and know your nothingness. A time will come when the Holy Spirit will blow upon the ashes, and a fire more lively and bright that before will be lit because you have been faithful to God.
— Saint Paul of the Cross

Be not angry…

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.
–Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)

Prayer is a surge of the heart…

For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.
–Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

God is a spring of…

God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.
–Saint Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

Have patience…

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Christ has no body now but yours…

Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world; Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good; Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Few souls understand…

Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

Divine love flows on and on…

The great flood of divine love never ceases. Instead, it flows on and on without stopping. It flows on and on effortlessly and sweetly and without failing until, finally, our tiny vessel becomes full and spills over.
–Mechthild of Magdeburg (1208-1282)

The longing of souls…

Like billowing clouds, like the incessant gurgle of the brook, the longing of the soul can never be stilled.
–Saint Hildegarde of Bingen (1098-1179)

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