"You are My Mother, the Mother of Mercy, and the consolation of the souls in Purgatory."
- St. Bridget

“If a soul is not clothed with the teachings of the Church he cannot merit to have Jesus seated in him."  St. Jerome

"Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you."  - St. Jerome

“The life of every human being is sacred as the creation of God, and is of infinite value because He created each person including the unborn child. The image of God is on that unborn child…”  St. Teresa of Calcutta

"Don't try excessively, to heal your heart, as your efforts would only make it more infirm. Don't make too great an effort to overcome your temptations, as this violence would only make them stronger. Despise them and don't dwell on them too much."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Pope St. Leo III, inscription on silver tablets in St. Peter’s Basilica containing the Nicene Creed: “I, Leo, put these here for love and protection of orthodox faith.”

“The scars of others should teach us caution.” from Jerome’s Letter to Furia, AD 394

"I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth."  St. Therese of Lisieux

“Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another? The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity.” (St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church)

"When you are getting kicked from the rear it means that you are out in front." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“We belong to God by his grace. What else do we wish, then, but to please him? If we are contradicted, this is not surprising; what merit is there in not being crossed? And who is there that can escape it? For every little contradiction, should one stop doing good? Good which gives glory to God?”  – St. Vincent de Paul

"I desire, My dearly beloved daughter, that you practise the three virtues that are dearest to Me and most pleasing to God. The first is humility, humility, and once again humility; the second virtue, purity; the third virtue, love of God. As My daughter, you must especially radiate with these virtues"  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary 1415)

"When you visit Him, He forgets your sins and speaks only of His Joy, His Tenderness and His Love"   ~St. Peter Julian Eymard~

Pope Leo XIII, Leonine Prayers: “Arise then, O invincible prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and bring them the victory. 　The Church venerates thee as protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of this world and of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. 　Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.”

“The devil will come to tempt the dying Christian; but his angel-guardian will come to strengthen him: his holy advocates will come—St. Michael, whom God has appointed to defend his faithful servants in their last combat with hell, will come;” St. Alphonsus de Liguori (“Preparation for Death” CONSIDERATION IX. Peace of the Just at the Hour Death., First Point, The Just have nothing to fear at the Hour of Death.)

"God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering."  — Saint Augustine

“Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and will save your soul, if—and mark well what I say—if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins.”  - Saint Louis de Montfort 

“And the Archangels—whom we must regard as differing in some degree from those called Angels—experience a delight that is filled with awe as they enter more closely into the counsels of eternal wisdom, and are commissioned to execute them with supreme skill at the proper place and time. Here you have the reason why these in turn love the Lord Christ.” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot, Doctor of the Church)

"Your Guardian Angel prays for you; offers to God all the good works you accomplish; your holy and pure desires."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“The decline of belief in Angels does not prove the world has gotten wiser, but rather that it has become materialistic. The principle reason why angels have lost their following is because angels are created substances of pure intelligence, but devoid of all bodily qualities and characteristics. The modern lives in a closed universe in the sense that man is believed to be just an animal devoid of an immortal soul, and with no other purpose in life than to attain security and enjoy pleasure.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Thinking Life Through)

“I am no longer good for anything but to make up for lost time and prepare myself for the judgment of God. How happy I will be if I can find favor in His sight.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

"Once the Lord said to me, My Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your sins. I see your love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the virgins,. You are the honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to My very throne, because I want it so."
WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary 282)

"What shall you do when tempted by the flesh? Have the Virgin for your advocate. If you are devoted to her, you will feel temptations melting away like wax before the fire."  - St. John of Avila

"I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God;  Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.  San Lorenzo Ruiz 

“Be not afraid to tell Jesus that you love Him; even though it be without feeling, this is the way to oblige Him to help you, and carry you like a little child too feeble to walk.” — St. Therese of Lisieux

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 II~

Pope Stephen III (IV), writing to both Charlemagne and Carloman: “You who are already, by the will of God and the commands of your father, lawfully married to noble wives of your own nation, whom you are bound to cherish. And certainly it is not lawful for you to put away the wives you have and marry others, or ally yourselves in marriage with a foreign people, a thing never done by any of your ancestors.... It is wicked of you even to entertain the thought of marrying again when you are already married. You ought not to act thus, who profess to follow the law of God, and punish others to prevent men acting in this unlawful manner. Such things do the heathen. But they ought not to be done by you who are Christians, a holy people and a kingly priesthood.” (Mann, Horace K., The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. I: The Popes Under the Lombard Rule, Part 2, 657-795 (1903), pg. 380)

St. Tharasius, Orat. in Praesentatione: “[Mary], the Reparatrix of the whole world...” (Quoted by Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical “Adiutricem.”)

"The sign of the cross is adorable and could not do anything but good to those who should use it. I have no intention of giving it up." ~St. Isaac Jogues

"There is one thing I absolutely cannot stand and it is this: if I have to rebuke someone I am always ready; but I cannot bear to see someone else do it. To see someone humiliated or mortified like this is unbearable for me."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“From a psychological point of view, celibacy is not a negation of the sexual instinct, but the transformation of the libido. The transformation does not take place when the libido is solicited or directed to without, but when the object of love is within. When pulled from the outside, the spirit loses its mastery.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Way to Happiness)

“Men are so constituted that even the holiest are disposed to contradict each other.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

Apostle of My mercy, proclaim to the whole world My unfathomable mercy. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties you encounter in proclaiming My mercy. These difficulties that affect you so painfully are needed for your sanctification and as evidence that this work is Mine. My daughter, be diligent in writing down every sentence I tell you concerning My mercy, because this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it. — WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary, 1142)

"The saints did not become saints without many a sacrifice and many a struggle." St. John Viannney (1786-1859)

"'Mary is said to be 'fair as the moon'.' For as the moon enlightens and benefits the lowest creatures on earth, so does Mary enlighten and succor the most unworthy sinners." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church) 

“You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy—the root of all that is evil, and the failure of all that is good. For God resists the proud.” (St. Vincent de Paul)

Pope St. Gregory III, speaking of Archbishop Tatwine: “We find him a man of religious and great probity, under time itself, who stood amongst us.” (Latin: Ap. Malms., De Gest. Pont., i., ed. Migne, p. 1469. “Virum religionis et magnae probitatis, sub ipso tempore, quo apud nos stetit, eum cognovimus.”)

“Let him who seeks true humility, employ two means: mental prayer, meditating on the greatness of God, and his own nothingness; vocal prayer, asking it of God, through the merits of Jesus and Mary.” St. Benedict Joseph Labrè (Quoted by Don Antonio Maria Coltraro, whose work was translated into English “The Life of The Venerable Servant of God, Benedict Joseph Labrè.” Trans. Pub. Cum Approbatione Bp. Nicholas , Feb. 2, 1850., pg. 355)

“Patriotism is a love for everything to do with our native land: its history, its traditions, its language, its natural features. It is a love which extends also to the works of our compatriots and the fruits of their genius. Every danger that threatens the overall good of our native land becomes an occasion to demonstrate that love." ~ Pope Saint John Paul the Great

"Life is nothing but a continual struggle against oneself, and it does not open to beauty without the price of suffering. Always keep Jesus company in Gethsemane and He will know how to comfort you in the hours of anguish that will come."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“Once the Catholic accepts the eternal truths of Christ, he is free to accept all the nonessential beliefs he pleases. He can be a monarchist or a republican; he can live solitary and alone on a pillar like Simon, or he can busy himself on the streets of Paris like a Vincent de Paul; he can accept Einstein or reject him; he can believe in the gold standard or the silver standard; he can play cards and dance, or he can abstain from them; he can drink moderately or he can be prohibitionist. He is like a man living on a great island in the sea on which he may roam and exercise his freedom in a thousand and one games, but only on condition that he obey the only law that is posted there: Do not jump over the walls.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Communism and the Conscience of the West)

“We must humble ourselves in our poverty.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

Write: I am Thrice Holy, and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity toward it. My mercy embraces and justifies it. With My mercy, I pursue sinners along all their paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me. I forget the bitterness with which they fed My Heart and rejoice at their return.
Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart... when will it beat for Me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church. And if they bring all My graces to naught, I begin to be angry with them, leaving them alone and giving them what they want.  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST FAUSTINA  (Diary, 1728)

The great name of Mary, which was given to the divine Mother, did not come to her from her parents, nor was it given to her by the mind or will of man, as is the case with all other names that are imposed in this world; but it came from heaven, and was given her by a divine ordinance. “The Glories of Mary” by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri

"Hail, Holy Lady, Most Notable Queen, Mother of God, and Mary Ever-Virgin! You were chosen by the Heavenly Father, who has been pleased to honor You with the presence of His most holy Son and the Divine Paraclete. You were blessed with the fullness of grace and goodness. Hail, Temple of God, His Dwelling Place, His Masterpiece, His Handmaid!"
- St. Francis of Assisi

Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book. - St. John Bosco

“Yet there has been one infinitely tragic and destructive departure from those American ideals in recent memory. It was this Court’s own decision in Roe v. Wade—1973—to exclude the unborn child from the human family. You ruled that a mother, in consultation with her doctor, has broad discretion, guaranteed against infringement by the United States Constitution, to choose to destroy her unborn child.” (Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Amicus Brief filed before the U.S. Supreme Court, 1994 )

Abbé Lecanu relates the following tradition of a vision of Pope St. Felix I from heaven to Thrasilla, an early Christian religious shortly before her death, telling her: “Come! I will accompany you to the abode of glory.” (Quoted by Abbé Lecanu in his “Pictorial Half Hour with the Saints”, Dublin, 1865., “January 5. Saint Emiliana.”)

“Do penance. Sin is the cause of all the woes that God scatters upon the earth!” St. Severinus (Quoted by Abbé Lecanu in his “Pictorial Half Hour with the Saints”, Dublin, 1865., “January 8.”)

"I belong entirely to everyone. Everyone can say: “Padre Pio is mine.” I deeply love my brothers in exile. I love my spiritual children as much as my own soul and even more. I have regenerated them to Jesus through suffering and love. I can forget myself but not my spiritual children, indeed I can assure you that when the Lord calls me I will say to Him: “Lord, I will remain at the gates of Paradise; I will go in when I have seen the last of my children enter.” I suffer so much because I cannot win all my brothers for God. At times I am on the point of dying of heartache on seeing so many suffering souls without being able to relieve them and so many brothers allied to Satan"  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“Years ago atheism was an individual phenomenon; today atheism is social, the atheist who once was a curiosity, is now a component part of some of the governments of the world. Once men quarreled because they wanted God worshipped in a certain way; now they quarrel because they do not want God worshipped at all. The wars of religion of the seventeenth century have become the wars against religion of the twentieth century.” Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Seven Pillars of Peace)

“My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain.”   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST.  FAUSTINA  (Diary, 1777a)

“…Our vocation is to set the hearts of men on fire, to do what the Son of God did, who came to set the world on fire…”  – St. Vincent de Paul

"Be firm. Be virile. Be a man. And then...be a saint." St. Josemaria Escriva (1902.-1975.)

“As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary."  - St. Thomas Aquinas

“ . . . One and He alone is without sin, the mediator of God and of men, the man Christ Jesus [cf. 1 Tim. 2:5] who was conceived and born free among the dead [Ps. 87:6]. Thus in the dispensation of His sacred flesh, He never had two contrary wills, nor did the will of His flesh resist the will of His mind. . . . Therefore, knowing that there was no sin at all in Him when He was born and lived, we fittingly say and truthfully confess one will in the humanity of His sacred dispensation; and we do not preach two contrary wills, of mind and of flesh, as in a pure man, in the manner certain heretics are known to rave. In accord with this method, then, our predecessor (already mentioned) [HONORIUS] is known to have written to the (aforenamed) Sergius the Patriarch who was asking questions, that in our Savior two contrary wills did not exist internally, that is, in His members, since He derived no blemish from the transgression of the first man. . . . This usually happens, that, naturally where there is a wound, there medicinal aid offers itself. For the blessed Apostle is known to have done this often, preparing himself according to the custom of his hearers; and sometimes indeed when teaching about the supreme nature, he is completely silent about the human nature, but sometimes when treating of the human dispensation, he does not touch on the mystery of His divinity. . . So, my aforementioned predecessor said concerning the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, that there were not in Him, as in us sinners, contrary wills of mind and flesh; and certain ones converting this to their own meaning, suspected that He taught one will of His divinity and humanity which is altogether contrary to the truth.” Pope John IV, (640-642) quoted by Denzinger (253): The Meaning of the Words of HONORIUS about the Two Wills [From the epistle "Dominus qui dixit" to Constantius the Emperor, 641]

“Oh! beloved death, in what a mistaken light are you viewed! Why do you not come to me? I call on you night and day.” St. Catharine of Genoa (Quoted by St. Alphonsus de Liguori in his work “Preparation for Death” CONSIDERATION IX., Second Point.)

It is Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness. -  Pope St. John Paul II

"[1] Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy.
It is more perfect because, in so far as a man gives himself to the pursuit of wisdom, so far does he even now have some share in true beatitude. And so a wise man has said: 'Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom' (Sirach 14:22).
It is more noble because through this pursuit man especially approaches to a likeness to God Who 'made all things in wisdom' (Ps. 103:24). And since likeness is the cause of love, the pursuit of wisdom especially joins man to God in friendship. That is why it is said of wisdom that 'she is an infinite treasure to men! which they that use become the friends of God' (Wis. 7:14).
It is more useful because through wisdom we arrive at the kingdom of immortality. For 'the desire of wisdom leads to the everlasting kingdom' (Wis. 6:21).
It is more full of joy because 'her conversation has no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness' (Wis. 7:16).
[2] And so, in the name of the divine Mercy, I have the confidence to embark upon the work of a wise man, even though this may surpass my powers, and I have set myself the task of making known, as far as my limited powers will allow, the truth that the Catholic faith professes, and of setting aside the errors that are opposed to it. To use the words of Hilary: 'I am aware that I owe this to God as the chief duty of my life, that my every word and sense may speak of Him' [De Trinitate I, 37]."  (St. Thomas Aquinas, Contra Gentiles)

Our Lord appeared to me and spoke thus: "My child, do not fail to write what you hear from my lips today so that you will not forget. I am loyal; no creature will be lost without knowing it. Very different is light from darkness. I always draw to myself the soul with whom I am accustomed to speaking. Instead, the demon's art is to distance the soul from Me. I never raise dread in the soul that has distanced itself from Me; The demon never places a fear in the soul that moves it closer to Me

"When I am the author of fear a soul fears for its eternal health at some moments of life, it is recognizable by the peace and serenity it leaves the soul..."

This vision and locution of our Lord immersed my soul in such peace and contentment that all sweetness of the world seemed dull in comparison with a single drop of this beatitude. (Secrets of a Soul Padre Pio's Letters To His Spiritual Directors)

"The cockroach, which according to one’s measurement has remained unchanged for more than fifty million years, has seen many things evolve under his very eye. He has perhaps even seen bug-dynasties and flea kingdoms rise and fall, but the cockroach in all that fifty million years has never formulated even the simplest explanation of evolution that a man might formulate in an hour. It is that power to contain within his mind the infinitely great cosmos, and the infinitely little atom, and the infinite variety between the two, and to think of them all in the one thought-Order-that makes man the beauty of the world and the paragon of animals.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Old Errors and New Labels)

“Let us give ourselves to God as best we can, expecting only trials and sufferings from our own men, with perfect assurance that they will not be lacking to us if we are faithful to seeing that the Rules and holy customs of our vocation are observed.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

There are souls who despise My graces as well as all the proofs of My love. They do not wish to hear My call, but proceed into the abyss of hell. The loss of these souls plunges Me into deadly sorrow. God though I am, I cannot help such a soul because it scorns Me; having a free will, it can spurn Me or love Me. You, who are the dispenser of My mercy, tell all the world about My goodness, and thus you will comfort My Heart.”  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA (Diary, 580c)

“Let not that man presumes to look for mercy from God who offends His Holy Mother!"
- St. Louis Marie de Montfort

The Rosary is a way of contemplating the face of Christ seeing him – we may say – with the eyes of Mary. -St. John Paul II

Pope Honorius (625-638), [From the epistle (1) “Scripta fraternitatis vestrae” to Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople in the year 634]. . . With God as a leader we shall arrive at the measure of the right faith which the apostles of the truth have extended by means of the slender rope of the Sacred Scriptures. Confessing that the Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator of God and of men [1 Tim. 2:5], has performed divine (works) through the medium of the humanity naturally [gr. hypostatically] united to the Word of God, and that the same one performed human works, because flesh had been assumed ineffably and particularly by the full divinity [gr. in--] distinctly, unconfusedly, and unchangeably . . . so that truly it may be recognized that by a wonderful design [passible flesh] is united [to the Godhead] while the differences of both natures marvelously remain. . .:” (Denz. 251... Denzinger seems to impute an orthodox understanding to Honorius’s teachings that Honorius admitted two wills as He had two natures; Pope John IV went on to defend Honorius as not being a Monothelite [an adherent to the heresy which acknowledged only Christ’s Divine Will but did not acknowledge that His human nature would likewise have a human will] advancing that Honorius only stressed one Will in the sense of a perfect harmony of His Divine and human wills. A portion of the Third Council of Constantinople condemned him as a heretic. Pope Leo II has been cited as taking a middle ground that [without accusing him of Monothelitism] was guilty of grave negligence, failing to stamp out heresy which responsibility was due to his office.)

“Consider the end of life and you will love nothing in this world” St. Laurence Justinian (Lign. Vit. De Hum. c. 4).

We must take great care never to do anything before having said our morning prayers...The devil once declared that if he could have the first moment of the day, he was sure of all the rest. - St. John Vianney

"How much benefit have I received from the beauties of nature, bestowed in such abundance."-St. Therese

"I wholeheartedly bless the work of catechizing children who are the little flowers of Jesus. I also bless the zealous work of missionaries."  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“Why is it that we can find excuses for our anger against our neighbor, yet we refuse to admit the same excuses when our neighbor is angry with us?” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Victory over Vice)

“No matter what others say or do, even if the wicked succeed, do not be troubled: commit everything to God and put your trust in him.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

“My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone. I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before Me.”  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary, 1767a)

“Temptations, discouragement and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise, it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord with the human soul. That which comes from Satan begins with calmness and ends in storm, indifference and apathy.” (St. Pio of Pietrelcina)

"Let us hasten with confidence to Christ’s throne of grace, and with prayers and profound contrition, let us beg Him to repeat for every one of us the words He said to His mother, ‘Behold your Son.’ In the same way, as He looks at Mary, may He repeat to every one of us the wonderful invitation: 'Behold your mother.’”   - St. Robert Bellarmine

“Jesus is with you even when you don’t feel His presence. He is never so close to you as He is during your spiritual battles. He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight your battle courageously. He is there to ward off the enemy’s blows so that you may not be hurt.” (St. Pio of Pietrelcina)

“As there were two natures in Christ [Divine and human], so there were two natural operations. [Divine and human, e.g. a Divine Will and a human will]” Pope Severinus (Quoted by Horace K. Mann in his work: “The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Volume 1: The Popes Under the Lombard Rule, from St Gregory I (the Great) to Leo III, Part 1” (London, 1912) pg. 349)

“If the choice of a state of life,” she frequently said to herself, “depends upon God’s will, how anxious I ought to be to find, and to enter that state which has been allotted to me from all eternity in His inscrutable counsels. God has decreed to lead me to salvation by one only way among the many. Although His merciful will has pre pared many ways for the consummation of His elect, He has pointed out but one, to mistake which would be fatal. Besides, the sacrifice which God requires from me is another proof of His infinite goodness, which leads me to desire to make it. When He speaks to my heart about the fulfilment of His will, He shows that He wishes to save me. I will adore Him for ever and wait in the hope of my Lord, till He has given me the means of executing His inspirations.” St. Agnes of Montepulciano (“The Lives of St. Catherine of Ricci, of the Third Order of St. Dominick: St. Agnes of Montepulciano; B. Benvenuta of Boja; and B. Catherine of Raconigi, of the Order of St. Dominick” edited by [Fr. Faber?], pub. 1852, pg. 181)

"Humility and charity are the main supports of the whole vast building on which the rest depends. Keep firmly to these two virtues, one of which is the lowest and the other the highest. The preservation of the whole building depends on the foundation and the roof. If the heart is always striving to practice these two virtues, it will meet no difficulty in practicing the others. These are the two mothers of virtue, and all other virtues follow them, just as little chicks follow the mother hen."  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"The only grace I ask, O Jesus, is never to offend Thee." -St. Therese 

"May Jesus always continue His assistance and may He make you holy!" St.  Pio of Pietrelcina (Secrets of a Soul, Page 155)

“The way to take care of recalcitrant youth is to give it some responsibility.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Capitalism and Property

'' Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with our lips but with your heart. In fact, on certain occasions you should speak to Him only with your heart.''  St. Pio of  Pietrelcina

“As the early Christians, in obedience to our Lord's words, were ever looking out for His second coming, and for the signs of it, they associated it with every prominent disturbance, external or internal, which interfered with the peace of the Church; with every successive persecution, heretical outbreak, or schism which befell it. In this, too, they were only following the guidance of our Lord and His Apostles, who told them that ‘great tribulation,’ ‘false prophets,’ disunion, and ‘apostasy’ and at length ‘Antichrist,’ should be His forerunners.”  (“Select Treatises of St. Athanasius in Controversy with the Arians”, translated freely by Cardinal Newman, VOL. II., pub. 1890, pg. 13)

As the atmosphere around us grows steadily darker, all the more must we open our hearts for the light from above    ~ Saint Teresa Bendicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Pope Boniface V (+625), Letter to Bishop Justus: “ordain bishops as occasion should require.” (One of the few extant quote we still have form this pontiff.)

"It is a sign of God's love to me," says St. Thomas of Villanova, "a sign of future salvation, when the Lord gives me to drink of the cup of suffering."  - St. Thomas Villa Nova

“The devotions we practice in honor of the glorious Virgin Mary, however trifling they may be, are very pleasing to Her Divine Son, and He rewards them with eternal glory.” 
- St. Teresa of Avila

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” (Saint Teresa of Calcutta)

"The love of our Lord’s Heart was in no way diminished by the treason of Judas, the flight of the apostles, and the persecution of his enemies. Jesus was only grieved at the harm they did themselves; his sufferings helped to assuage his grief because he saw in them a remedy for the sins committed by his enemies. The Sacred Heart was full of most tender love: there was no bitterness in it; no cruelty and injustice that he received moved it to feelings other than those of compassion and affection."  - St. Claude La Colombiere

"You will never complain about offenses, no matter where they come from, remembering that Jesus was saturated with ignominy from the malice of men He Himself had aided.

You will excuse everyone with Christian charity, keeping before your eyes the example of the Divine Master who excused even His crucifiers before the Father."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“O sir, what a faithful image of Our Lord is participation in the meekness and humility of his heart! How it portrays his manner of acting, especially when firmness accompanies it.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

"O love of my soul, most Holy Sacrament; oh that I could always remember Thee, to forget everything else, and that I could love Thee alone without interruption and without reserve! Ah, my Jesus, Thou alone shalt always be the only Lord of my heart and my will."  -St. Alphonsus Liguori

"All the sins of your life seem to be rising up against you. Don't give up hope! On the contrary, call your holy mother, Mary, with the faith and abandonment of a child. She will bring peace to your soul."  - St. Josemaría Escrivá

“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” -St. Josemaria Escriva 

"If we really want to experience the living presence of Jesus, do not bypass occasions of inconveniences, misunderstanding, criticism, insult and pain. Jesus who changed water into wine at Cana has the power to change our momentary sorrow into eternal joy, provided we live in His presence and make Him the most significant person in our life and activity."  
- Culled from St. Alphonsa,

“Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the flesh, even so a man cannot have the spiritual life of grace unless he is born again spiritually. This regeneration is effected by Baptism: ‘Unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’” (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church; cf. John 3:5)

Pope Benedict XIII confirmed the Provincial Synod of Zamoscia, 1720 A.D., which teaches: “to show a sincere union of the members with their head, it has decided and commanded under penalties to be applied at the judgment of the Ordinary that wherever a Roman pontiff is to be commemorated, especially at the Offertory of the Mass, it should be made in clear and definite words which can signify none other than the universal Bishop of Rome.”

“O infinite love! O my Spouse, I have not deserved to love Thee so much, but from Thee, my Jesus, I have received such immense love. Yes, Thou, my God and my Redeemer, hast espoused this soul, inclined to all evil, full of all deformity, buried in every sin. My God, I am confounded at having received so many gifts from you.” St. Catherine de Ricci (“The Lives of St. Catherine of Ricci, of the Third Order of St. Dominick: St. Agnes of Montepulciano; B. Benvenuta of Boja; and B. Catherine of Raconigi, of the Order of St. Dominick” edited by [Fr. Faber?], pub. 1852, pg. 24)

"Remember: the sinner who is ashamed of his bad deeds is closer to God than the just man who is ashamed of acting well."  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“As far as poverty is concerned the Church instructs that, after using what they need for food and clothing, they should give the surplus to the poor.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

“The most honest of those who appear on radio or television, as regards to their material, are the comedians. At the end of every program, regardless of who the comedian is, there will always be found listed the names of his writers. The comedians admit, though they speak the humorous lines, that they actually are indebted to others for putting them in their mouths. One never sees on a television screen at the end of a program given by a politician the names of the one who wrote his speech. Here we pay tribute to the four writers who have given us the greatest inspiration: 1. A Collector of internal revenue 2. A reporter 3. A physician 4. An official in a fishing company. These four writers are perhaps better known as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Though none of them has written the material that is used in our books, they nevertheless have given us the philosophy and theology behind all that we write.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Thinking Life Through)

"Suddenly God‟s presence filled my soul, and I heard these words, My daughter, I desire that your heart be formed after the model of My Merciful Heart. You must be completely imbued with My mercy."  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary 167)

"Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbor. Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner."  - St. Anthony of Padua

Pope Clement XII, IN EMINENTI (ON FREEMASONRY), April 28, 1738: “Therefore, bearing in mind the great harm which is often caused by such Societies or Conventicles not only to the peace of the temporal state but also to the well-being of souls, and realizing that they do not hold by either civil or canonical sanctions; and since We are taught by the divine word that it is the part of faithful servant and of the master of the Lord’s household to watch day and night lest such men as these break into the household like thieves, and like foxes seek to destroy the vineyard; in fact, to prevent the hearts of the simple being perverted, and the innocent secretly wounded by their arrows, and to block that broad road which could be opened to the uncorrected commission of sin and for the other just and reasonable motives known to Us; We therefore, having taken counsel of some of Our Venerable Brothers among the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, and also of Our own accord and with certain knowledge and mature deliberations, with the plenitude of the Apostolic power do hereby determine and have decreed that these same Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings, Congregations, or Conventicles of Liberi Muratori or Francs Massons, or whatever other name they may go by, are to be condemned and prohibited, and by Our present Constitution, valid for ever, We do condemn and prohibit them.”

Fr. Alban Butler relates of Fidelis of Sigmaringen that he met twenty Calvinist soldiers with a minister at their head. They called him a false prophet, and urged him to embrace their sect. He answered: “I am sent to you to confute, not to embrace your heresy. The Catholic religion is the faith of all ages, I fear not death.” One of them beat him down to the ground by a stroke on the head with his backsword. Fidelis rose again on his knees, and stretching forth his arms in the form of a cross, said with a feeble voice “Pardon my enemies, O Lord: blinded by passion they know not what they do. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. Mary, Mother of God, succor me!” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints)

"I practice my religion because it is true; it teaches me to know God, and brings me to eternal happiness: I know of no such thing as apostasy." ~St. Andrew Kim Taegon, to a court mandarin shortly before his martyrdom

"He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands."  St. Benedict (480 – 543)

“Let us work together for the salvation of souls. We have only the one day of this life to save them and thus to give Our Lord some proof of our love. The tomorrow of this day will be eternity, when Jesus will reward you with the hundredfold of those sweet and lawful joys which you are giving up for Him”  ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX TO SEMINARIAN MAURICE BELLIERE

"The human spirit without the flame of divine love tends to reach the level of the beast, while on the other hand, charity, the love of God, raises it up so high that it can reach even to the throne of God. Give thanks without ever growing weary for the liberality of such a good Father and ask Him to increase holy charity more and more in your heart."   St.  Pio of Pietrelcina

“We must receive with respect whatever God presents to us, and then examine the situation with its circumstances in order to do what is most expedient.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

I asked the Lord today that He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me, I was your Teacher, I am and I will be; strive to make your heart like unto My humble and gentle Heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and patience everything that befalls you  WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA 

(Diary, 1701).

"Always be happily at peace with your conscience, reflecting that you are in the service of an infinitely good Father, who comes down to His creatures out of sheer goodness, to raise and transform them in Him, their Creator.'  St.  Pio  of Pietrelcina

Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love, and the future to God's providence. - St. Augustine of Hippo

“Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.”  
- St. Jerome

“Charity is that with which no man is lost, and without which no man is saved.” (St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor)

Bishop Zola of Lece, letter to Fr. Isidore Roubaud, May 24, 1880, relates the following of Pope Leo XIII: “In 1879 our Holy Father Leo XIII deigned to honor Mélanie with a private audience and also charged her with compiling the rules for the new Order recommended and requested by Our Lady of La Salette under the title of the Apostles of the Latter Days. In order to complete a draft of this kind, the ex-shepherdess stayed in Rome for five months at the convent of the Salesian Sisters. During this time she became better known and more highly esteemed, especially by these good nuns, who furnished favorable reports very much to the credit of the blessed shepherdess of La Salette. “I know from my own sources of information that when Mr. Nicolas, a lawyer from Marseille was in Rome on Holy Saturday 1880, he was commissioned by His Holiness Leo XIII to put out a brochure explaining the Secret in its entirety, so that the public might understand it properly. I feel sure these particulars will suffice to strengthen you in your conviction. I could tell you very much more, but, that would require a book, not a letter.”

"If we do not risk everything for God, we will never do anything great for Him." St. Louis de Montfort (1673.-1716.)

"The real test of charity is to love the poor, the wretched and the loveless. It is easy enough to feel drawn to good, healthy people, who have pleasant manners, but that is only natural love and not charity."  St. Robert Bellarmine

“Do you want to honor Christ’s body? Then do not scorn him in his nakedness, nor honor him here in the church with silken garments while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked. For he who said: ‘This is my body,’ and made it so by his words also said: ‘You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.’” (St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, From a homily on Matthew)

Morality implies responsibility and duty, but these can exist only on condition of freedom. Stones have no morals, because they are not free. We do not praise iron because it becomes heated by fire, nor do we condemn ice because it is melted by heat. Praise and blame can be bestowed only on those who are masters of their own will.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Moral Universe)

“It is a maxim of the saints that, when, after much prayer and consultation, action has been taken in an important matter involving the glory of God and the welfare of the Church, it must be believed that it is God’s will that this be done.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

“If my people do not submit, I shall be forced to let go the hand of my Son. It is so strong, so heavy, that I can no longer withhold it. How long a time do I suffer for you! If I would not have my Son abandon you, I am compelled to pray to Him without ceasing. And as to you, you take no heed of it. However much you pray, however much you do, you shall never recompense the pains I have taken for you.”   Our Lady of La Salette

How can I fear a God who is nothing but mercy and love?  – St. Therese of Lisieux

“Go and keep company with Jesus in His Passion, and with His Sorrowful Mother.”
- Padre Pio

Just as a mirror, which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body. In this way, the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul, and the soul contemplates heavenly things through faith.  - Saint Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Feast day September 18

“Does the Friar [Savonarola] think that he alone was excepted when our Lord conferred the power of binding and loosing on our predecessor S. Peter ? . . . Our duty as Pastor of the flock forbids us to tolerate such conduct any longer. We there fore once more command you either to send Savonarola to Rome, or to shut him up in some convent where he can neither preach nor speak to any one until he comes to himself and renders himself worthy to be absolved. If this is not done we shall lay Florence under Interdict; all that we require is that Savonarola shall acknowledge our supreme authority.” Pope Alexander VI, Papal Brief dated March 9th, 1498

“Oration on the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”: “Hail, thou fountain springing forth by God's design, whose rivers flowing over in pure and unsullied waves of orthodoxy put to flight the hosts of error.” St. Germanus of Constantinople (Quoted by Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical “Adiutricem”)

The Blessed Sacrament is the first and supreme object of our worship. We must preserve in the depths of our hearts a constant and uninterrupted, profound adoration of this precious pledge of Divine Love. -St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier  

"Be cheerful. Jesus will take care of everything. Let us pay no attention to people who do not know what they are saying. Let us trust in Jesus and our heavenly Mother, and everything will work out well."   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“It is the possibility of saying ‘no’ which gives so much charm to the heart when it says ‘yes.’ A victory may be celebrated only on those fields in which a battle may be lost. Hence, in the divine order of things, God made a world in which a man and woman would rise to moral heights, not by that blind driving power which makes the sun rise each morning, but rather by the exercise of that freedom in which one may fight the good fight and enjoy the reward of victory – for no one shall be crowned unless he has struggled.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“Today’s efforts will make tomorrow’s easier.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their (93) salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."   WORDS OF  JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA (Diary 186-187) 

"That one woman is both mother and virgin, not in spirit only, but even in body. In spirit she is mother, not of our head, who is our Savior himself—of whom all, even she herself, are rightly called children of the bridegroom—but plainly she is the mother of us who are his members, because by love she has cooperated so that the faithful, who are the members of that head, might be born in the Church. In body, indeed, she is the Mother of that very head."   - St. Augustine

“We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.” (St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

“Since grace enhances our human nature and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace, it is certain that our Lord remains in heaven just as much the Son of Mary as he was on earth. Consequently he has retained the submissiveness and obedience of the most perfect of all children towards the best of all mothers.” (St. Louis Marie de Montfort; True Devotion to Mary, #27)

Ludwig Von Pastor says of Pope Leo X: “He took the name of Leo, and adopted as his motto the words of the first verse of the hundred and nineteenth Psalm: ‘In my trouble I cried to the Lord; and He heard me.’” (“The History of the Popes: From the Close of the Middle Ages.” Vol. VII)

St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo: “How glad I am that the crop is so good. The poor will feast, for their share must be larger. The more God is liberal towards us, the more we must be liberal towards the needy. God gives to us that we may give to them. He is the fountain and we the channels. If our channels are narrow and small, small also will be the supply from the fountain.” (“The Life of the Venerable Joseph Benedict Cottolengo: Founder of the Little House of Providence in Turin — Compiled from the Italian Life of DON P. GASTALDI, by a priest of the Society of Jesus” pub. 1893., Ch. V, pg. 19)

"With tenderness, I have given everything to His divine heart." -St. Therese of Lisieux

Let us always guard our tongue; not that it should always be silent, but that it should speak  at the proper time. St. John Chrysostom

“The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.” (St. John of the Cross, d. 1591)

God love us, and this is shown by the fact that He tolerates us when we offend him. St. Padre Pio

“When others visit violence upon us we too often forget how little we know about their hearts and yet in exactly the same circumstances, Jesus found an excuse: “They know not what they do.” We know nothing of the inside of our neighbors heart, and hence, we refuse to forgive. Jesus knew the heart inside out, and because He did know , He forgave. Take any scene of action, let five people look upon it, and you will get five different stories of what happened. No one of them sees all sides. Our Lord does, and that is why He forgives.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Victory over Vice)

“Now the state most pleasing to God is that of perfection, the one Our Lord embraced on earth and has the Apostles embrace it. It consists, among other means, of living in poverty, chastity, obedience and stability in one’s vocation.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart". WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary 1777)

"Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle."  - St. Josemaría Escrivá

“You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother.... God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into the strong unity of a body.... If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let us be lovers of peace” (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).

Pope St. Linus: “Salve (hello) [Bishop Timothy]!” [Tradition has it that the Linus recorded in 2 Timothy 4:21 is the same Linus who became the second Pontiff, quoted indirectly by St. Paul: “Make haste to come before winter Eubulus and Pudens, and Linus and Claudia, and all the brethren, salute thee.” If this is the case, this is one of only a couple extant quotes we have of Linus’s, the other being the “Communicantes” prayer from the Mass.]

“It seems to me that Our Lord would always rather have us act with trust in Him than with [human] prudence.” St. Louise de Marillac (Quoted by Fr. Bernard Vaughan, S.J., in his Preface for “LIFE OF THE VENERABLE LOUISE DE MARILLAC” by Alice Lady Lovat, pub. by LONGMANS, GREEN & CO., 1917)

To live in love is to sail forever, spreading seeds of joy and peace in hearts. -St. Therese

The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.  

"How is it possible to commit acts of such savage cruelty? The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people. But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail. Christ’s word is the only one that can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it."  —Saint John Paul II, general audience, September 12, 2001

“Jesus entrusts us to Mary as our Mother, and Mary receives us all as her children! This is Christ’s testament on the Cross. On the one hand, he entrusts the Church to the care of his own Mother; on the other, he entrusts his Mother to the care of the Church. The scene on Calvary reveals to us the secret of true Marian piety, which is a filial love of surrender and gratitude to Mary, a love of imitation and of consecration to her person.” (Pope St. John Paul II, Homily, 13 November 1998)

"This heart of mine is Yours... my Jesus, so take this heart, fill it with Your love and then order me to do whatever You wish." St. Pio of  Pietrelcina

"We cannot claim our share in the forgiveness of the first word from the Cross, unless we are ready to make excuses for others, as our Lord made them for us.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“There is no charity without justice, nor does it permit us to do more than we reasonably can.”  – St. Vincent de Paul