“We are poor people more liable to turn aside His blessings than to draw them down.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

Thus understanding and love, that is, the knowledge of and delight in the truth, are, as it were, the two arms of the soul, with which it embraces and comprehends with all the saints the length and breath, the height and depth, that is the eternity, the love, the goodness, and the wisdom of God. –St. Bernard

“I will stand at the gates of Heaven and I will not enter until all of my spiritual children are with me.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"All that the Son asks of the Father is granted Him. All that the Mother asks of the Son is in like manner granted to her. When we have handled something fragrant, our hands perfume whatever they touch: let our prayers pass through the hands of the Holy Virgin; she will perfume them. I think that at the end of the world the Blessed Virgin will be very tranquil; but while the world lasts, we drag her in all directions…. The Holy Virgin is like a mother who has a great many children – she is continually occupied in going from one to the other." - St John Vianney.

'We must never pray for a favour for anyone, except conditionally, saying, "If it please God," or the like.' St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

"There are still many souls who are being led astray, who are being deceived and seduced, who are unhappy and enslaved by the devil. It is a beautiful mission to live, suffer, work, and even die (if God wills it) for these souls. Living in this way we sanctify ourselves. Love for the good God, for the Immaculata, and for each and every soul, reaches God Himself. So let us embrace this mission in the name of the Immaculata and we can be certain we will rejoice together in Paradise."   - St. Maximilian Kolbe

“When you got what you wanted, were you happy?  Do you remember when you were a child, how ardently you looked forward to Christmas?  How happy you thought you would be, with your fill of cakes, your hands glutted with toys, and your eyes dancing with the lights on the tree!  Christmas came, and after you had eaten your fill, blown out the last Christmas candle, and played till your toys no longer amused, you climbed into your bed and said, in your own little heart of hearts, that somehow or other it did not quite come up to your expectations.  And have you not lived that experience over a thousand times since?"  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (You)

“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.”   - Saint Jerome

All of us who wear this holy habit of Carmel are called to prayer and contemplation.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 5 : 1 : 2

"The New Year is coming, also, for you. Do not begin it in the same way...God's forbearance offer you another year. Will you again be indifferent to this boundless love?"
 St. John Vianney sermon for New Year's Eve

'If poor judgment is harmful to everyone, it is particularly so to those who live with great strictness.' St. Mark the Ascetic (5th c.)

“…at that moment I saw myself in some kind of a palace; and Jesus gave me His hand, sat me at His side, and said with kindness, ‘My bride, you always please Me by your humility. The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting Myself to a soul, but where there is pride, I am not there.’”   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA  (Diary, 1563)

“It is difficult to become saints. Difficult but not impossible. The road to perfection is long, just as long as a lifetime. Consolation is rest along the way, but as soon as your strength is restored, you must get up diligently and continue the race.” St. Pio of  Pietrelcina    ( Padre Pio Archives)

"The world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair." - Blessed Pope Paul VI.

“For very just reasons, God sometimes conceals from his servants the fruits of their labors, even though he blesses them with very great results.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

“It takes three to make love in Heaven, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It takes three for Heaven to make love to earth, God, man, and Mary, through whom God became man.  It takes three to make love in the holy family, Mary, Joseph, and the consummation of their love, Jesus. It takes three to make love in hearts, the lover, the beloved, and love.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Three to Get Married)

“Even though a man may be unable to attain such a height of sanctity, he ought to desire it, so as to do at least in desire what he cannot carry out in effect.”   St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Fix your eyes on the Crucified Christ and everything will become small for you.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 8

"The coming of Jesus at Bethlehem brought joy to the world and to every human heart. May His coming this Christmas bring to each  of us the peace and joy that He desires ."   -Saint Teresa of Calcutta

"There are many Christians who do not even know why they are in the world. "Oh my God, why hast Thou sent me into the world?" "To save your soul. " "And why dost Thou wish me to be saved?" "Because I love you. " The good God has created us and sent us into the world because He loves us; He wishes to save us because He loves us. . . . To be saved, we must know, love and serve God. Oh, what a beautiful life! How good, how great a thing it is to know, to love and serve God! We have nothing else to do in this world. All that we do besides is lost time. We must act only for God, and put our works into His hands. . . . We should say, on awaking, "I desire to do everything today for Thee, O my God! I will submit to all that Thou shalt send me, as coming from Thee. I offer myself as a sacrifice to Thee But, O God, I can do nothing without Thee. Do Thou help me!" - St John Vianney.

God gives each one of us sufficient grace ever to know His holy will, and to do it fully. -St. Ignatius of Loyola

“Walk cheerfully and with a sincere and open heart as much as you can, and when you cannot always maintain this holy joy, at least do  not lose heart or your trust in God.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina.  ( Letters IV, p. 490)

“Foresight is a good thing as long as it is subjected to God and His plans– but it becomes excessive when we put ourselves out to avoid something we apprehend. We expect more from our own endeavors than from God’s Providence, and we imagine we are doing much when we anticipate His orders by our disorders, showing that we rely more upon human prudence than upon His word.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"Hope in God. If you have good hope and faith in Him, you shall be delivered from your enemies"    St. Joan of Arc

“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).

“Jesus Christ is God in the form of man. The eternal appears in time. The Eternal Word, by Whom all things in the world were made, is now rejected by the world He made: “There was no room in the inn.” The Bird Who built the nest of the universe is hatched therein: He Who made His mother, is born of His Mother. All the nations of the earth are made of one blood, and now the Son of God partakes and assumes that blood as the new Head of Humanity.
At Bethlehem, heaven and earth meet: God and Man look each other in the face. A Mother for the first time in the universe, as she holds the babe in her arms, now looks “down” to heaven.
Because nothing greater than this will ever happen in the world, the peace of the world is conditioned upon that great act being repeated, in a reduced measure, in each of us. As God took upon Himself a human nature through the free consent of a woman, so too He asks us, through our free consent to give Him our nature, as Mary gave Him one. Then Christ begins to rule our mind: then we put on the mind of Christ, the love of Christ, the Spirit of Christ. Not many are willing to do this.
“He came unto His own and His own received Him not.” That is why there are Christmas cards with sleighs and fat men. But there will always be some who will see and understand the meaning, and to all who received Him “He gave them the power to become the sons of God.” We cannot have the word Christmas without Christ: so neither can we be Merry on the inside without Him."
Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“Hereafter, I want you to tell me, candidly and in secret, what people are saying about me. And if you see anything in me that you regard as a fault, feel free to tell me in private. For from now on, people will talk about me, but not to me. It is dangerous for men in power if no one dares to tell them when they go wrong.” (St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr; to a friend on his way to ordination)

"Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.”   – Our Lady of Fatima

It is necessary that your foundation consist of more than prayer and contemplation. If you do not strive for the virtues and practice them,  you will always be dwarfs.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 9

“Now Christmas day was the restoration of humor, and those who displayed it most were the shepherds and the wise men.  They came to this little Babe and “saw through Him” – God Himself.  His Flesh was the Sacrament of His Divinity.  Christmas then is a romance and a joy only to those who have a sense of humor, whose vision is not opaque when they look at a Babe, but can see through Him all the problems of life answered in the vision of God Who appeared as a Man.  They who pass through this life with that sense of humor, which is faith, will one day be rewarded by the one thing that will make heaven Heaven – His Smile.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Understanding is the sure and clear knowledge of some invisible thing. –St. Bernard

"The Child, laid by Mary in the crib, is the man-God we shall see nailed to the Cross. In the stable at Bethlehem He allowed Himself to be worshiped under the humble outward appearance of a newborn baby by Mary and Joseph and by the Shepherds. This same Redeemer is present in the sacrament of the Eucharist. In the consecrated Host we adore Him sacramentally under the humble appearance of bread and wine which becomes His Body and Blood ... and for us the food of eternal life."   - St. John Paul II

“The darkness that sometimes surrounds the heaven of your soul is light. Because of this you think you are in the dark, and you have the impression of being in the centre of a burning bush. In fact when the bush burns, the air around it is filled with smoke clouds and the bewildered soul is afraid of not seeing, of no longer understanding anything. But it is then that God speaks and is present to the soul: who hears, understands, loves and trembles. Therefore, do not wait for Tabor to see God when you already contemplate Him on Sinai!”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina ( G. Festa, Tra imisteri della scienza e le luci della fede, 174)

"Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is-trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST.  FAUSTINA.  (Diary, 1578)

'Oh! happy is he who can say, "I have despised the kingdom of the world, and all the glory of the time, for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ."' St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

There is no sin, however great and grievous it may be, which cannot be pardoned in this life, if one confesses it. This is an article of faith. - St. Francis de Sales

““Bitter thoughts come from the evil spirit; those from Our Lord are gentle and mild.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“These then, whom Herod’s cruelty tore as sucklings from their mothers’ bosom, are justly hailed as ‘infant martyr flowers’; they were the Church’s first blossoms, matured by the frost of persecution during the cold winter of unbelief.” (St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of Grace)

You need not be desiring to benefit the whole world, but must concentrate on those  who are in your company, and thus your deed will be greater since you are more obliged toward them.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 14

“You belong to Our Lord and His holy Mother, cling to them and to the state in which they have placed you.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand. –St. Augustine

"Thus we find in our days a great part of mankind filled with hatred towards God, Christ and the Church; and the consequences of this hatred are rebellion against lawful authority; they are lawlessness and disorder.  All that is right is despised and stamped under foot, while might gains the upper hand over right.  And not satisfied with their own estrangement from God, they in their devilish wickedness try to ruin many others and destroy their happiness for time and eternity."   Saint John Vianney.  

"The coming of Jesus at Bethlehem brought joy to the world and to every human heart. May His coming this Christmas bring to each  of us the peace and joy that He desires ."  -Saint Teresa of Calcutta

'Take care that your prayer becomes more and more interior, in pure faith; humble yourself, and seek no consolations but the great God Who gives them.' St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

"When the Spirit dwells in a person, from the moment in which that person has become prayer, he never leaves him. For the Spirit himself never ceases to pray in him. Whether the person is asleep or awake, prayer never from then on departs from his soul. Whether he is eating or drinking or sleeping or whatever else he is doing, even in deepest sleep, the fragrance of prayer rises without effort in hid heart. Prayer never again deserts him ."   - St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

"I am Love and Mercy Itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My Mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted – it increases. The soul that trusts in My Mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA
(Diary,1273)

“Jesus calls the poor and simple shepherds by means of angels to manifest Himself to them. he calls the learned men by means of their science. And all of them moved interiorly by grace hasten to adore Him. He calls all of us with divine inspirations and He communicates Himself to us with his grace. How many times has He not lovingly invited us also ? And with what promptitude have we replied ? My God I blush and am filled with confusion at having to reply to such a question.”    St. Pio of Pietrelcina.   (Letters IV, pp. 977 – 978 )

"It is sweet music to the ear to say, 'I honor you, O Mother!' It is a sweet song to repeat, 'I honor you, O Holy Mother!'You are my delight, dear hope, and chaste love, my strength in all adversities. If you see your child overwhelmed by misfortune, O gracious Virgin Mary, let me find rest in your motherly embrace.'"    - Pope Leo XIII

“The Holy Hour is not a devotion; it is a sharing in the work of redemption. Our Blessed Lord used the words "hour" and "day" in two totally different connotations in the Gospel of John. "Day" belongs to God; the "hour" belongs to evil. Seven times in the Gospel of John, the word "hour" is used, and in each instance it refers to the demonic, and to the moments when Christ is no longer in the Father's Hands, but in the hands of men. In the Garden, our Lord contrasted two "hours" - one was the evil hour "this is your hour" - with which Judas could turn out the lights of the world. In contrast, our Lord asked: "Could you not watch one hour with Me?". In other words, he asked for an hour of reparation to combat the hour of evil; an hour of victimal union with the Cross to overcome the anti-love of sin. The only time Our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night he went into his agony. Then he did not ask all of them ... perhaps because he knew he could not count on their fidelity. But at least he expected three to be faithful to him: Peter, James and John. As often in the history of the Church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep. That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart the sigh: "Could you not watch one hour with me?" Not for an hour of activity did He plead, but for an hour of companionship. ” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Treasure in Clay)

Let us desire and be occupied in prayer not for the sake of our enjoyment but so as to have this strength to serve.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 12

"I am King of Mercy."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 88)

"Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth, and hell – willingly or unwillingly – must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs."   - Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

"Charity may be compared to gold, the most precious of all metals, which adorns and beautifies everything that is richest upon earth.  Charity is the ornament and adornment of all other virtues.  The least little action accompanied with meekness and humility and charity of heart, is of more value and far surpasses anything that we can imagine."
"If I should ask, what is Charity?  the answer is , it is a virtue that comes to us from heaven, by which we love God with our whole heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, for the love of God."  -St. John Vianney

"I do not tremble when I see my weakness, for the treasures of a mother belong also to her child, and I am thy child, O dear Mother Mary."   St Terese de Lisieux

“From the time of his birth Jesus points out our mission, which is to despise what the world loves and seeks.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina  ( Letters IV, p. 973 )

'Let every one stay at home, that is, within himself, and sit in judgment on his own actions, without going abroad to investigate and criticise those of others.' St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“When God takes from us the power to labor, we should receive the trial courageously, letting it serve to elevate us above the things of earth and remembering that Our Lord, having permitted us to work for our neighbor, now wishes us to prepare for heaven.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“The Christmas message is not that peace will come automatically, because Christ is born in Bethlehem; that birth in Bethlehem was the prelude to His birth in our hearts by grace and faith and love.  Peace belongs only to those who will to have it.  If there is no peace in the world today, it is not because Christ did not come; it is because we did not let Him in.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Simple Truths)

“Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious.” (Saint Teresa of Calcutta)

“Go and do what you can for your part, and God will do the rest.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

Love doesn't consist in great delight But in desiring with strong determination, to please God in everything.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 4 : 1 : 7

"Wake up, O human being! For it was for you that God was made man. Rise up and realize it was all for you. Eternal death would have awaited you had He not been born in time. Never would you be freed from your sinful flesh had He not taken to Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. ". -St Augustine

“The coming of Jesus at Bethlehem brought joy to the world and to every human heart. May His coming this Christmas bring to each one of us that peace and joy that He desires to give.” — St. Teresa of Calcutta

"He comes as an infant, without the pomp of this world, to vanquish the world."  St. John Vianney

“Live joyfully and courageously, at least in the upper part of the soul, amidst the trials in which the Lord places you. Live joyfully and courageously, I repeat, because the Angel who foretells the birth of our little Saviour and Lord, announces singing, and sings announcing that he brings tidings of joy, peace and happiness to men of good – will. So that there is nobody who does not know that in order to receive this Child it is sufficient to be of goodwill.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina.   ( Letters III, p. 470 )

"The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance, which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary. The eyes of her heart already turned to Him at the Annunciation when she conceived Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the months that followed she began to sense His presence and to picture His features. When at last she gave birth to Him, her eyes were able to gaze tenderly on His face as she ‘wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.’”   - Pope St. John Paul II

If you want to see miracles, have devotion to Mary, help of Christians.   -St. John Bosco

Mankind is a great, an immense family... This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas. -Pope St. John XXIII

“We ought to direct all our efforts to reach the end which we pursue, and once having entered on the way of perfection, strive to gain its highest point.”    St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491.-1556.)

“One night there went out over the stillness of the evening breeze, out over those chalky hills of Bethlehem, the cry of a new born babe.  The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.  Earth did not hear the cry, for the earth slept; men did not hear the cry, for they did not know that a Child could be greater than a man; kings did not hear the cry, for they did not know that a King could be born in a stable; empires did not hear the cry, for empires did not know that an Infant could hold the reins that steer suns and worlds in their courses.  But shepherds and philosophers heard the cry, for only the very simple and the very learned know that the heart of a God can cry out in the cry of a Child.  And they came with gifts – and adored, and so great was the majesty seated on the brow of the Child, so great was the dignity of the babe, so powerful was the light of these eyes that shone like celestial suns, that they could not help but cry out: Emmanuel, God is with us.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Life of All Living)

"How beautiful our vocation is! We are together with our Savior, redeemers of souls. We are hosts in which Jesus dwells, living, praying, and suffering for a sinful world. Was not this the life of the Most Holy Virgin, the most perfect of all created beings? She carried the Word in silence."   -Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

Love, where present, cannot possibly be content remaining always the same.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila  The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 9

“Faith also guides us and we follow securely in its light the way which leads to God, His homeland, just as the holy Magi, guided by the star, symbol of faith, reached the desired place.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina  ( Letters IV, p. 980 )

　Venerable Brother, — We received your Christmas congratulations with very great affection, but we should have received it with still greater pleasure had you come out of your slightly courtier-like fashion, and mentioned the failings you have noticed in us during this year, and reminded us, and taught us too how we might, next year, remedy them, make amends for them, and serve the Divine Majesty better than we have so far. We congratulate you on being at peace with the King's ministers. As they have a good head,* [ft-note: The Viceroy, Don Ferdinand de Castro.] with whom we are very satisfied, it gives us grounds to hope that you will not find it difficult to maintain this harmony.
　We envy you, if we may use such an expression in this matter, the sincere desire which increases in you every day, to serve the souls committed to your charge. The thought of that charge is a constant torture to us and alarms us more and more, and if our Blessed God, Who knows of what we are made and how great is our weakness, did not make us sometimes think of His goodness, and what we ought to hope for from His great mercy, we should certainly lose heart.
　May your Lordship continue well, and be mindful of me in your prayers and sacrifices.
　Given in our Apostolic Palace, Holy Innocents’ Day, 1603.   Pope Clement VIII’s Christmas Missive of 1603

“A Child is born.  To some He comes on this Christmas Day, even in the remorse that follows ‘there is no room’; to some He comes when their hearts are saddened by a life that has been taken away, and can be gladdened only by a Life that is given; to some He comes when their hearts like conscious mangers cry out ‘Lord, I am not worthy’; to others He comes as their study of science reminds them that the only star worth studying is the Star that leads to the Maker of the Stars; to others He comes when their hearts are broken, that He might enter in to heal with wings wider than the world; to others He comes in joy amidst the Venite Adoremus of the angels; to others He comes because they are so young they can never remember another Christmas – but to each and everyone He comes as if He had never come before in His own sweet way, He the Child who is born, He, Jesus the Savior, He Emmanuel, He, Christ at Christ’s Mass on Christmas – Merry Christmas!!”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Fullness of Christ)E

'The bitterest sorrow is but sweetness in this adorable Heart, where everything is changed into love.' St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

"Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children."  - Saint Bonaventure

“Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta)

“…to be faithful is to persevere in the service of God right to the end, for without perseverance, all is lost.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

We shouldn't build castle in the air. The Lord doesn't look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 7 : 4 : 15

“May the radiance of your charity be a beaming light, and may there never appear amongst you, either in the community, or with outsiders, or in speaking about them, any rivalry, jealousy or that spirit of the world which inclines us to criticize, blame or contradict what others do, thinking that only to be right and good which we do ourselves as the outcome of our initiative.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“My daughter, look into the abyss of My Mercy and give praise and glory to this Mercy of Mine. Do it this way: Gather all sinners from the entire world and immerse them into the abyss of My Mercy. I want to give Myself to souls; I yearn for souls, My daughter. On the Day of My Feast, the FEAST OF MERCY, you will go through the whole world and bring fainting souls to the spring of My Mercy. I shall heal and strengthen them.” WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA    (DIARY, 206)

“Tears are no sign that a man is in the grace of God, neither must we infer that one who weeps when he speaks of holy and devout things necessarily leads a holy life.”   St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“We believe that the Divine presence is everywhere, and that the eyes of the LORD behold the good and the evil in every place. Especially should we believe this, without any doubt, when we are assisting at the Work of God.”   —St. Benedict, Founder of the Benedictines

“May the Child Jesus be your guiding star in the desert of this present life.”   St. Pio of Pietrecina.  (Padre Pio  Archives )

“Those who do nothing run the risk of losing the little that they have.  In other words, it is possible to lose our souls by doing nothing.  We lose our souls not only by the evil we do, but also by the good we leave undone.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Seven Capital Sins)

O Emmanuel “O Emmanuel (God with us), our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God!” (Vespers for December 23rd; antiphon recited with the Magnificat)

"If through feebleness, I sometimes fall, may your divine glance purify my soul, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself."   -St. Therese of Lisieux

"Joseph took Mary as his wife in humble acceptance of the mystery of her maternity. He accepted her along with her Son who would come to the world by the action of the Holy Spirit. St. Joseph can therefore be compared to Our Lady in his great docility to the will of God as revealed to him by an angel."   - Pope St. John Paul II

Since our nature is bad, we will not reach perfection in the love of neighbour if that love doesn't rise from love of God as its root.  St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 5 : 3 : 9

The Word, which became flesh two thousand years ago is present today in the Eucharist. -Pope St. John Paul II

We desire to be able to welcome Jesus at Christmas-time, not in a cold manger of our heart, but in a heart full of love and humility, a heart so pure, so immaculate, so warm with love for one another.” — St. Teresa of Calcutta

The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA. (Diary, 1521)

"You are My Mother, the Mother of Mercy, and the consolation of the souls in Purgatory."  - Saint Bridget to our Lady

"Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love." St. Gianna Molla (1922 – 1962)

“Let us endeavor to grow more and more in the confidence that in whatever state we are placed by God we shall be secure, although we may think that we would be better off somewhere else.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"As the rays of the sun are so rich that we cannot see their many splendors unless they are shot through a prism, which causes them to break into the seven rays of the spectrum, so too, the Life of Christ which the saints reflect, is so infinitely Good, that it takes an infinite variety of saints shot through the prism of love and penance to reflect the holiness of the Son of God.  Sinners are always alike, saints are always different." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

O Rex Gentium: “O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and save man, whom you formed out of the clay!” (Vespers for December 22nd; antiphon recited with the Magnificat)

"Your heart, which preserves my innocence, cannot disappoint my confidence. In you O Lord I place my hope that after this exile I shall see you in heaven."    St. Therese of Lisieux

Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. -Mother Teresa

"Things were in God’s plan which I had not planned at all. I am coming to the living faith and conviction that – from God’s point of view – there is no chance and that the whole of my life, down to every detail, has been mapped out in God’s divine providence and makes complete and perfect sense in God’s all-seeing eyes."  -St. Edith Stein

"O my God, You have surpassed all my expectations."   -St. Therese of Lisieux

"Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession"    -St. Joseph Cupertino

Do now what you wish to have done when your moment comes to die.   - St. Angela Merici

“Stay very close to the crib of this most beautiful Child, especially during these days of this birth. If you love riches, here you will find the gold the Kings left Him. If you love the smoke of honours, here you will find that of incense. And if you love the delicacy of the senses, you will smell the perfumed myrrh which perfumes the entire holy stable.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina.   ( Letters III, p. 889 )

“The more perfect we practice virtue, the more pleasing we are to God.”    – St. Vincent de Paul

In order to ascend to the dwelling places we desire, the important thing is not to think much but to love much.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 4 : 1 : 7

“Outer truths are truths we master, such as the distance of the earth from the sun.  Inner truths are those that master us, disturb us and never leave us as we are.  Discussion is a most excellent means to avoid decision.  The disciples on the way to Emmaus were talking, debating, discussing about happenings, but they missed Christ (Luke 24: 13-25).  Discussions never obliged religious or priests to open their wounds to Christ, but only to reveal their points of view to one another.  Whenever our Lord spoke about His Cross, the apostles discussed and dialogued.  Interest revolved around renewal-centered novelties in liturgy, the size of the host, communion in the hand, and the dress of nuns, but not in Christification of the Spirit.  Dare we expose our wounds to Him even though He is the Physician?  We shrink from His demands of sacrifice we want healing without pain, knowledge without study, love without sacrifice.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Those Mysterious Priests)

"I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who live in this land and of all mankind. I will hear the weeping and sorrows of those who love me, cry to me, and have confidence in me, and I will give them consolation and relief."  -Our Lady of Guadalupe

"At the beginning of the day, I endeavor to unite myself closely with Jesus Christ, and then I do the next thing, with the thought of this union in mind." confessed the Cure d'Ars to Abbe Dufour. "From which I infer, adds the Abbe, "that his life was one long prayer."

O Mother of Jesus, and my Mother,
let me dwell with you, cling to you
and love you with ever-increasing love.
I promise the honor, love, and trust of a child.
Give me a mother's protection,
for I need your watchful care.
You know better than any other
the thoughts and desires of the Sacred Heart.
Keep constantly before my mind
the same thoughts, the same desires,
that my heart may be filled with zeal
for the interests of the Sacred Heart of your Divine Son.
Instill in me a love of all that is noble,
that I may no longer be easily turned to selfishness.
Help me, dearest Mother,
to acquire the virtues that God wants of me:
to forget myself always, to work solely for Him,
without fear of sacrifice.
I shall always rely on your help
to be what Jesus wants me to be.
I am His; I am yours, my Good Mother!
Give me each day your holy and maternal blessing
until my last evening on earth,
when your Immaculate Heart
will present me to the heart of Jesus in heaven,
there to love and bless you
and your Divine Son for all eternity.
Amen    - Marian Prayer of Cardinal John Henry Newman

If like the young man in the Gospel, we turn our backs and go away sad when the Lord tells us what we must do to be perfect, what do you want His Magesyy to do ?   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 3 : 1 : 7

“One need not say much to pray well”, he explained to them, “we know that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle.   Let us open our hearts to Him, let us rejoice in His sacred presence.   That is the best prayer”.   And He would urge them:  “Come to communion, my brothers and sisters, come to Jesus.   Come to live from Him in order to live with Him… Of course you are not worthy of Him but you need Him!” - St John Vianney.

“The husband and wife should be similar to the hand and the eye. When the hand hurts, the eyes should be crying. And when the eyes cry, the hand should wipe away the tears.”   -/St John Chrysostom    

“Poverty, humility, degradation, contempt surround the Word made flesh. But from the darkness in which this Word made flesh is enveloped, we understand one thing, we hear a voice, we catch a glimpse of a sublime truth. All this He has done out of love, and He does nothing but invite us to love; He speaks of nothing else but love; He gives nothing but proof of love.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina.   ( Letters IV, pp. 972 – 973 )

My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath.   - St. John Vianney

"Do not be ashamed to enter again into the Church. Be ashamed when you sin. Do not be ashamed when you repent. Pay attention to what the devil did to you. These are two things: sin and repentance. Sin is a wound; repentance is a medicine. Just as there are for the body wounds and medicines, so for the soul are sins and repentance. However, sin has the shame and repentance possesses the courage."
- St. John Chrysostom

"It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey." Saint Ignatius (1491.-1556.)

“Charity is the cement that unites communities to God and individuals to each other, so that he who contributes to the union of hearts in a community binds it indissolubly to God.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“There is seemingly much repetition in the Rosary; but actually this is no more wearying or monotonous than a man’s telling a woman ‘I love you’ for the 20th time.  Since there is a new moment in time to be redeemed by love, his words may be the same, but the meaning of each avowal is slightly different.  So, in the Rosary, we say over and over to God, ‘I love You.  I love You.  And I love You.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Fifteen Mysteries)

O Radix Jesse: “O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to save us, and do not delay!” (Vespers for December 19th; antiphon recited with the Magnificat)

This great God has not ceased to love us even though we have offened Him very much. Thus the Lord is right in wanting all to pardon the wrongs done to them.      St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 6 : 10 : 4

 The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.  (Diary, 1521)

“All the feasts of the Church are beautiful. Easter, yes, is glorification but Christmas has a tenderness, a child – like sweetness that completely captivates my heart.”  St Pio of Pietrelcina.  ( G. De Rossi – Padre Pio da Pietrelcina, 75 )

"Mary full of grace – mother of Jesus! We love and honor our Jesus when we love and honor her… Our best honor to Mary is the imitation of her virtues – her life is a model for all conditions of life."   - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

'We must watch over ourselves. We must have the most filial confidence in Our Saviour, in our blessed Mother, in the angels and saints; but as for men, we must avoid them: this is the advice of the angel to St. Arsenius. Have courage; be assured that God will never abandon you, but will always assist you and give you what is needful.' St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

"O Mother, it’s very easy to write beautiful things about suffering, but writing is nothing, nothing! One must suffer in order to know! I really feel now that what I’ve said and written is true about everything….It’s true that I wanted to suffer much for God’s sake, and it’s true that I still desire this.”   St Terese de Lisieux

“True religion is found among the poor. God enriches them with a lively faith: they believe, they touch, they taste the words of life.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“How do we meet this challenge of a mood which makes society evil and the person guiltless? The answer must be: the courage of the few.  “If the trumpets give an uncertain sound who will prepare for battle?”  Courage is to some extent the foundation of all virtue for without it there is no security for preserving any other virtue.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"In this communication and manifestation of himself to the soul, which in my opinion is the greatest possible in this life, he is to it innumerable lamps giving forth knowledge and love of himself."   -St. John of the Cross

Let us not think we are doing anything by suffering injuries, but we should very eagerly endure everything, and let us love the one who offends us.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 6 : 10 : 4

“Trials bear the special mark of God’s goodness.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“As regards your reading there is very little to be admired and hardly anything by which to be edified. It is absolutely necessary for you to add to such reading that of the holy books ( Sacred Scripture) so highly recommended by all the holy Fathers of the Church. I cannot dispense you from such spiritual reading, for I have your perfection too much at heart. If you want to gain the quite unhoped – for fruit from such reading, it will be well to rid yourself of the prejudice you have with regard to the style and form in which these holy books are set forth. Get to work then. Make an effort in this respect and don’t neglect to ask the divine assistance with all humility.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina  ( Letters II, p. 153 )

The Formula of Union, approved by Pope St. Sixtus III: “But how we know and speak regarding the Virgin Mother of God, and about the manner of the incarnation of the only-begotten Son of God, necessary not because of increase but for satisfaction, we have taken and possess from above, from the divine Scriptures as well as from the tradition of the holy fathers, and we speak briefly, adding nothing at all to the faith of the holy Fathers, which was set forth at Nicea. For, as we have already said, this suffices for all understanding of piety and for all renunciation of heretical perfidy. But we speak not presuming the unlawful, but by confession of special weakness excluding those who wish to rise up against what we regard as beyond man.”

"Giving God your inability and nothingness takes some humility. It takes the ability to admit that­ it’s all you have at the moment. Yet whenever I’ve been able to do this, it’s been a consolation."  -St. Teresa of Calcutta.

'Outward mortifications are a great help towards the acquisition of interior mortification and the other virtues.' St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“What a joy to remember that Mary is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?”   - Saint Therese of Lisieux

“If love craves a cross – even God’s true love is sacrificial.  That is why courtship is characterized by gift-giving – a surrender of what one has.  In marriage this sacrificial love should deepen by a surrender of what one has.  Because too many measure their love for one another by the pleasure which the other gives, they are in reality not in love, but in the swamps of selfishness.  Our poor, frail human souls at best are like jangled strings, made toneless by self-love; and not until we tighten them with self-discipline can we attune them to those harmonies that come from God, wherein each, having given to the other hostage of its heart, finds himself free in the glorious liberty of the children of God.  Peace first came to the world when the Wise Men discovered a family.  And the dawn of peace will come again when other wise men return to homes where they see the human family of father, mother, and children, as the reverse order of the Holy Family: a Child, a Mother, and a Father.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Seven Pillars of Peace)

“O Adonai and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.” (Vespers for December 18th; antiphon recited with the Magnificat)

"Each of God's attributes is a lamp that enlightens the soul and transmits the warmth of love."   -St. John of the Cross
   

The soul wants to flee people, and it has great envy of those who have lived in the drserts. On the other hand, it would want to enter into the midst of the world to try to play a part in getting even one soul to praise God more.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 6 : 6 : 3

“Our works are worthless if they are not vibrant and animated by the intention of doing them for God.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

"When we love some one, we are happy to possess his or her picture.  It is the same if we love the Blessed Virgin, my  dear friends.  We consider it an honor and a duty to have her picture in our house, to remind us frequently of this good Mother.  Furthermore, those parents who are truly Christians should never omit to inspire their children with a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin.  This is the best means to call down the blessings of heaven, and the protection of Mary upon your families."  —Saint John Vianney

"Preach the Truth as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world."   -St Catherine of Siena

“So if we have any hope, any grace, any salvation, we should realize that it all comes to us through Mary.” — St. Bernard of Clairvaux

“You must cultivate this well-formed heart, carefully, and spare nothing which could be useful to its happiness. Even though in every season – that is, at every age – you can and must do this, your present age is the most suitable.”  St. Pio of Pietrecina.  ( Letters III, pp. 421- 422 )

"I have my weaknesses also, but I rejoice in them... It's so good to feel that one is weak and little." St. Therese of Lisieux (1873.-1897)

“The creature most filled with the love of God Himself was the Immaculata. We know she never contracted the slightest stain of sin; she never departed in the least from God's will. United to the Holy Spirit as his spouse, she is one with God in an incomparably more perfect way than any other creature. In fact, we can say that the Holy Spirit does not act except through the Immaculata, his spouse. That is why she is the Mediatrix of all graces of the Holy Spirit. And why we can be holy by staying close to her throughout our life."   - St. Maximilian Kolbe

“God loves everybody, not because everybody is lovable-but because He puts some of His own love into each person.  That, in essence, is what we have to do: put some of our love in others.  Then, even an enemy becomes lovable.  If one loves, everything is easy, if one does not-everything is hard.  As the smallest light beam is but a reflection of light and heat that are the sun, so all truth and all love have their origin in God.  Love, indeed, makes the world go round-and takes it back to its ultimate source, which is God.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Power of Love)

“O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily: come, and teach us the way of prudence!” (Vespers for December 17th; antiphon recited with the Magnificat)

“Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward Him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously.” — Pope St. John Paul II

“And yet, will we ever come to an end of discussion and talk if we think we must always reply to replies? For replies come from those who either cannot understand what is said to them, or are so stubborn and contentious that they refuse to give in even if they do understand.”   St Augustine
City of God

“If you really love God, you will not be content with avoiding big sins. You will regard as hateful anything which could be even a little displeasing to him.” - St John Vianney.

“[Christ] has all the riches of heaven and earth, his power can protect me and provide abundantly for my every necessity.”   —St. Catherine of Siena

"Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession." - Saint Isidore of Seville

“O Holy Mary! My Mother; into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, I this day, and every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To thee I commit all my anxieties and sorrows, my life and the end of my life, that by thy most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my actions may be directed and governed by thy will and that of thy Son.”   - St. Aloysius Gonzaga

“You must cultivate this well-formed heart, carefully, and spare nothing which could be useful to its happiness. Even though in every season – that is, at every age – you can and must do this, your present age is the most suitable.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina.  (Letters III, pp. 421- 422)

'He who remembers having invoked the name of Mary in an impure temptation, may be sure that he did not yield to it.' St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

“May God remain forever in your heart and give you the strength necessary for every trial.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"Love is the key to the mystery. Love by its very nature is not selfish, but generous. It seeks not its own, but the good of others. The measure of love is not the pleasure it gives -- that is the way the world judges it -- but the joy and peace it can purchase for others. It counts not the wine it drinks, but the wine it serves. Love is not a circle circumscribed by self: it is a cross with arms embracing all humanity. It thinks not of having but of being had, not of possessing but of being possessed, not of owning but of being owned."   Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.”   St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)

The love His Majesty has for us is so great that to repay us for our love of neighbor He will in a thousand ways increase the love we have for Him. I cannot doubt this.  St. Theresa of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 5 : 3 : 8

“We have to strive to raise our hearts to Him in our principal actions in order to consecrate them entirely to Him and do them in conformity to His will.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“To fear losing yourself in the arms of divine Goodness, is stranger than the fear of an infant held tightly in its mother’s arms.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina ( Letters III, p. 642 )

"There are two births of Christ, one unto the world in Bethlehem; the other in the soul. We think of the former much more than the later, and celebrate it every year; but the personal relationship of the individual heart to Christ is equally momentous."    -Fulton Sheen

“At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.” (St. John of the Cross, Dichos 64)

“Remember that true religion is not a matter of words; there must be deeds. Hence, if you find something related worthy of admiration, do not be satisfied with saying: I like that, or that is very good; but rather say: I want to put into practice what I see is praiseworthy in others.”  -  St. John Bosco 

"Hope in God. If you have good hope and faith in Him, you shall be delivered from your enemies" -St. Joan of Arc

"If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection."  ~St. John of the Cross

Pope [St.] Celestine I, in  an epistle to John of Antioch, which is contained in Volume One of the  Council of Ephesus, ch. 19, says: “If anyone who was either  excommunicated or exiled by Bishop Nestorius, or any that followed him,  from such a time as he began to preach such things, whether they be from  the dignity of a bishop or clergy, it is manifest that he has endured  and endures in our communion, nor do we judge him outside, because he  could not remove anyone by a sentence, who himself had already shown  that he must be removed.” And in a letter to the clergy of  Constantinople: “The Authority of our See has sanctioned, that the  bishop, cleric or Christian by simple profession who had been deposed or  excommunicated by Nestorius or his followers, after the latter began to  preach heresy, shall not be considered deposed or excommunicated. For  he who had defected from the faith with such preaching, cannot depose or  remove anyone whatsoever.” (As quoted by St. Robert Bellarmine, De Romano Pontifice: On the Roman Pontiff, trans. by Ryan Grant [Mediatrix Press, 2015], p. 308)

"It is not to be thought that life is a snare or an illusion because the bubbles cease in a champagne glass. No true unhappiness comes to man, unless he places his heart in a false infinite. He who sees that all human love is nothing but Divine Love on pilgrimage will use it as a kind of Jacob's ladder to climb back through virtue to the source of all Love which is God Himself." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"All the trials and disturbances come from our not understanding ourselves."   -St. Teresa of Avila

"I recollect one saying among others of my confessor, a Jesuit father, one of the holiest, most prudent men I ever knew. He said that we could not love the Blessed Mother too much if we loved Our Lord a great deal more."   - Blessed John Henry Newman

And be certain that the more advanced you see you are in love for your neighbor the more advanced you will be in love of God.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 5 : 3 : 8

“Nobody is a Christian for oneself alone. The gift of faith is given to us so that by word and example we may become witnesses before others.” St. John Paul II (1920-2005)

"Then I heard the words: As you are united with Me in life, so will you be united at the moment of death. After these words, such great trust in God's great mercy was awakened in my soul that, even if I had had the sins of the whole world, as well as the sins of all the condemned souls weighing on my conscience, I would not have doubted God's goodness but, without hesitation, would have thrown myself into the abyss of the divine mercy, which is always open to us; and, with a heart crushed to dust, I would have cast myself at His feet, abandoning myself totally to His holy will, which is mercy itself."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.  (Diary 1552)

“The mark of man is initiative, but the mark of woman is cooperation. Man talks about freedom; woman about sympathy, love, sacrifice. Man cooperates with nature; woman cooperates with God. Man was called to till the earth, to rule over the earth; woman to be the bearer of a life that comes from God.” (Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, The World’s First Love)

"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. " St. Teresaof Calcutta  (1910 – 1997)

“Our Blessed Lord’s work is finished. But is ours?  When He said, ‘it is finished,’ He did not mean that the opportunities of His life had ended; He meant that His work was done so perfectly that nothing could be added to it to make it more perfect – but with us, how seldom that is true.  Too many of us end our lives, but few of us see them finished.  A sinful life may end but a sinful life is never a finished life.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Praying in the Presence of Our Lord)

“He who attaches himself to the earth remains attached to it. It is better to detach oneself little by little instead of all at once. Let us always think of Heaven.”   St. Pioof Pietrelcina. ( Consigli- Esortazioni di Padre Pio, 64 )

“At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.”  -Saint Teresa of Calcutta

“The honor of Mary is so intimately connected with the honor and glory of Jesus that to deny the one is at the same time a denial of the other.”  - Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Let us look at our own faults and leave aside those of others, for it is very characteristic of persons with such well-ordered lives to be shocked by everything.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 3 : 2 : 13

My dear friends!  If we are to have peace and gladness in our hearts, in our families, yea, in the whole human society, there is only one sure way, since "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," which leads to peace, and, finally to the Father.     Saint John Vianney

“Love is the most necessary of all virtues. Love in the person who preaches the word of God is like fire in a musket. If a person were to throw a bullet with his hands, he would hardly make a dent in anything; but if the person takes the same bullet and ignites some gunpowder behind it, it can kill. It is much the same with the word of God. If it is spoken by someone who is filled with the fire of charity- the fire of love of God and neighbor- it will work wonders.” -St. Anthony Mary Claret

"I am a  nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf ."   -St Juan Diego to Our Lady

You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them. St. Therese of Lisieux

Briefly, in all things we have to let God be the judge.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 3 : 1 : 6

“Humanity cannot lift itself by its own bootstraps; there is no such thing as spontaneous generation; life does not come from crystals; poetry does not come from donkeys; international peace does not come from wars; social justice does not come from selfishness.  With all our knowledge of chemistry we cannot make a human life in our laboratories because we lack the unifying, vivifying principal of a soul which comes only from God. Life is not a push from below; it is a gift from above.  It is not the result of the necessary ascent of man but the loving descent of God.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Prodigal World)

“If anyone does not believe that Holy Mary is the Mother of God, such a one is a stranger to the Godhead.”   - St. Gregory Nazianzen

“In your hands, carry the cross of Christ. On your lips, the words of life. In your hearts, the Lord’s. saving grace.” — Pope St. John Paul II

“I praise God for He is so good as to raise up in this century so many good and holy souls for the assistance of the poor common people.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

 Jesus says; '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... And great will be your power for whomever you intercede. Outwardly, your sacrifice must look like this: silent, hidden, permeated with love, imbued with prayer.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 1767)

“It is by means of trials that God binds to Him the souls He loves.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina  (A. Serritelli – Notizie su Padre Pio, 44)

“A Federal judge in Washington assailed what he considered to be an unfortunate trend of judicial decisions which strain and stretch to give the guilty, not the same, but vastly more protection, than the law-abiding citizen.  Bleeding hearts, some of whom are supposed to administer justice, are so concerned for criminals and terrorists that today the good citizens are considered off the reservation, as the new compassion exalts the guilty and condemns the innocent.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Guide to Contentment)

“What we leave to the poor after our death is not so agreeable to God, nor so useful to us as what we give them during our lifetime; just as a torch which is carried after us is not of the same service as one which is carried before.”   —St. Lucy,   Early Christian Martyr

And don't think He needs our works ; He needs the determination of our wills.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 3 : 1 : 7

“Allow the light and the healing presence of Christ to shine brightly through your lives.” — Pope St. John Paul II

If you would rise, shun luxury, for luxury lowers and degrades. -St John Chrysostom

“As iron is fashioned by fire and on the anvil, so in the fire of suffering and under the weight of trials, our souls receive that form which our Lord desires them to have.”   -St. Madeline Sophie Barat

“Without the Holy Eucharist there would be no happiness in this world; life would be insupportable. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive our joy and our happiness. The good God, wishing to give Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Love, gave us a vast and great desire, which He alone can satisfy.” St John Vianney.

"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 path, 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)

“Thank God and gently kiss his hand which strikes you; it is always the hand of a Father who strikes because He loves you.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina  (Consigli- Esortazioni di Padre Pio, 25 )

“Liberal Christianity has too long assumed that it is the sole business of the Church to beat the drums for social reform and to dance to the tunes piped for it by the latest moods and passing mental fashions.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Divine Verdict)

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

Out of dryness you may draw humility and not disquite.    St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 3 : 1 : 9F

“Trust our Lord to be your efficiency.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“Jesus Christ, Lord of all things, you see my heart, you know my desire: possess alone all that I am. I am your sheep, make me worthy to overcome the devil.” St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr)

I wish to entrust and offer the future of the continent to Blessed Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church. -St. John Paul II

“No one will ever be the servant of the Son without serving the Mother.”   - Saint Ildephonsus

"Let your understanding strengthen your patience. In serenity look forward to the joy that follows sadness." St. Peter Damian (1007 – 1072)

“In short, don’t philosophize on your defects; don’t reply but carry on firmly. No, God could not lose you when, in order to avoid losing Him you persist in your resolutions. Let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke, in confusion, but God is with us, what can we fear therefore? If God lives in the darkness and on Mount Sinai amidst the thunder and lightning, shouldn’t we be happy, knowing we are close to Him?”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina ( Letters III, p. 584)

“I wonder if our Lord doesn’t suffer more from our indifference than from the Crucifixion?” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

We must work in order to enjoy His glory. And we need to pray for this understanding so that we aren't always entering into temptation.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 11

From St John Vianney's sermon on the Second Week of Advent:

"....Behold, my brethren, how much Jesus Christ wishes to save us; at one time he appears to us as a poor child in the crib, lying on a handful of straw, which He moistens with His tears; again treated like a criminal, bound, pinioned, crowned with thorns, scourged, falling under the weight of the cross, and dying in martyrdom out of love for us. If this is not capable of moving us, drawing us towards Him, then He announces to us that He will one day come, clothed in the radiance of His glory and the Majesty of His Father, to judge us without clemency and without mercy; where before the whole world He will reveal the good and the bad which we have committed in the course of our lives. Tell me, dear brethren, if we rightly considered all this, should we require anything further to make us live and die like Saints?...."Q

HAPPY SUNDAY!

“Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies. May your body and blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you and profitable to my health in body and soul, and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.”   -St Ambrose.  Prayer before communion.

Even if Jesus lays on us some part of the Cross, He is there to help us bear it with self-sacrifice and love.  - St. John XXII

"Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy..... Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near."    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.   (Diary , 965)

“Naturally everyone wants the best for himself, whereas Our Lord wishes us to prefer the worst.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“God is served only when He is served as He wishes to be”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Your name, O Mary, is a precious ointment, which breathes forth the odor of divine grace. Let this ointment of salvation enter the inmost recesses of our souls."   - St. Ambrose

“Listen, put it into your heart, most little of my sons:
let nothing frighten or grieve you,
let not your heart be disturbed,
do not fear any sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who am your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within the folds of my mantle, held safely in my arms?
Do you need anything more?
Let nothing else worry you or disturb you”.
- Words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego

“The learned gentry of our modern world are unlearned because they never have a doubt.  They try to make everything clear, and hence make everything mysterious.  They forget that even nature has a mystery; that there is something in this great cosmos of ours which is just so terribly mysterious that we cannot ‘see’ it, and that is the sun.  It makes us wink whether we like it or not, and yet, in the lightg of that great natural mystery everything else in the world becomes clear.  So too in higher realms, it is in the light of such a great supernatural mystery as the Incarnation that all things become clear, even the problem of evil.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Old Errors and New Labels)

“How pleasing to Him it will be if you sometimes forget yourself and speak to Him of His own glory, of the miseries of others, especially those who mourn in sorrow; of the souls in purgatory, His spouses, who long to behold Him in Heaven; and of poor sinners who live deprived of His grace.” (St. Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, C.Ss.R., Bishop and Doctor of the Church; How to Pray at All Times)

It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering  into ourselves, coming to know ourselves, reflecting on our misery and what we owe God, and begging Him often for mercy.  St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 11

The Blessed Virgin loves us, watches over us, protects us, and intercedes for us.  - St. John XXIII

“Be hopeful that in proportion as difficulties increase, God will increase His grace for you.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“Time spent for the glory of God and the health of the soul is never wasted.” St. Pio of Pietrelcina.  ( Consigli – Esortazioni di Padre Pio, 9)

"All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death. My mercy will shield them in that final battle."
WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.  (Diary)

"Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence." - Saint Francis de Sales

Pope Pius XII, Fulgens Corona, Sept. 8, 1953: “3. Moreover, it seems that the Blessed Virgin Mary herself wished to confirm by some special sign the definition [of the Immaculate Conception], which the Vicar of her Divine Son on earth [Pius IX] had pronounced amidst the applause of the whole Church. For indeed four years had not yet elapsed when, in a French town at the foot of the Pyrenees, the Virgin Mother, youthful and benign in appearance, clothed in a shining white garment, covered with a white mantle and girded with a hanging blue cord, showed herself to a simple and innocent girl at the grotto of Massabielle. And to this same girl, earnestly inquiring the name of her with whose vision she was favored, with eyes raised to heaven and sweetly smiling, she replied: ‘I am the Immaculate Conception.’”

"If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children" St. Louis De Montfort (1673.-1716.)

“Because Mary is what God wanted us all to be, she speaks of herself as the eternal blueprint in the mind of God, the one whom God loved before she was a creature.  She is even pictured as being with Him not only at creation, but before creation.  She existed in the Divine Mind as an Eternal Thought before there were any mothers.  She is the Mother of mothers.  The closer one is to God, the greater the purity.  But since no one was ever closer to God than the woman whose human portals he threw open to walk this earth, then no one could have been more pure than she.  This special purity of hers we call the Immaculate Conception.  The word ‘immaculate’ is taken from two Latin words meaning ‘not stained.’  Conception means that at the first moment of her conception, the Blessed Mother in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, and in virtue of the anticipated merits of the Redemption of her Son was preserved free from the stains of original sin.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The World’s First Love)

“The creature most filled with the love of God Himself was the Immaculata. We know she never contracted the slightest stain of sin; she never departed in the least from God's will. United to the Holy Spirit as His spouse, she is one with God in an incomparably more perfect way than any other creature. In fact, we can say that the Holy Spirit does not act except through the Immaculata, His spouse. That is why she is the Mediatrix of all graces of the Holy Spirit. And why we can be holy by staying close to her throughout our life."   - St. Maximilian Kolbe

The greatest perfection attainable along the spiritual path lies in this conformity. It is the person who lives in more perfect conformity who will receive more from the Lord and be more advanced on this road.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 8

Acquire the habit of saying vocal prayers in the morning, while you are dressing. like little children.    - St. Josemaria Escriva

“ She was a virgin not only in body but also in mind…humble in heart, grave in speech, prudent in mind, sparing of words, studious in reading, resting her hope not on uncertain riches, but on the prayer of the poor, intent on work, modest in discourse; wont to seek not man but God as the judge of her thoughts, to injure no one, to have goodwill towards all, to rise up before her elders, not to envy her equals, to avoid boastfulness, to follow reason, to love virtue”.  ST AMBROSE ON MARY

“Endeavor to walk in the presence of God, in the ways I taught you and which you know. Guard yourselves against anxiety and worries, because there is nothing worse in the way of perfection than agitations, worries and anxieties of soul.”  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“The new compassion that has crept into our courts and into our literature and drama is the compassion for the breakers of the law, for the thieves, the dope fiends, the murderers, the rapists.  This false compassion for the criminal and the readiness to blame the law and the police, has passed from the ‘sob-sisters’ to black –robed justices who, fearful of restraining a liberty turned into license, pardon the mugger and ignore the mugged.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Guide to Contentment)

Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds. –St. Teresa of Avila

"Let us then avoid sin, and pray to Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, for a pure heart. "Ave Maria, gratia plena!"  Holy Mary, as you were full of grace on earth, so you are in heaven full of glory, as Queen of Heaven.  But you are still full of grace for us poor pilgrims of earth.  For thou art, as the Holy Father tells us, the treasurer of heavenly grace.  Through thy hand graces are dispensed, which they divine Son has merited.  They hands are filled, as thou didst once appear to a Saint with shining jewels, the heavenly treasure of grace.  Oh, stretch forth thy merciful hand, enrich and bless us, Mary!  and keep us in the state of grace.  Pray for us, Mary!  Amen."
St. John Vianney

Embrance the cross your Spouse has carried and understand that this must be St Teresa of Jesus of Avila your task.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 7

“Children, I beseech you to correct your hearts and thoughts, so that you may be pleasing to God. Consider that although we may reckon ourselves to be righteous and frequently succeed in deceiving men, we can conceal nothing from God. Let us therefore strive to preserve the holiness of our souls and to guard the purity of our bodies with all fervor. ‘Ye are the temple of God’, says the Divine Apostle Paul; ‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.’” — St. Nicholas of Myra

“Remember that you have God with you, that He fights along with you, and that you will certainly overcome.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”   (St. John Damascene, priest and Doctor of the Church)

“Those souls who throw themselves into the whirlpool of worldly preoccupations are poor as well as unfortunate. . .they are affected by the shock that breaks their heart.”    St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"Today the Lord said to me, I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in My mercy will be filled with My divine peace at the hour of death."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.  (Diary 1520)

"We are not called upon to do all the good possible, but only that which we can do." St. Theodora Guerin (1798-1856)

Counseling is touching where there is disease or misfortune; it is not the simple giving of advise.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Priest is not His own)

"The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious Guardian of the dogmas deposited with it, never changes any phase of them. It does not diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary nor grafts things superfluous . . . but it devotes all its diligence to one aim: To treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to consolidate and to strengthen what already was clear; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined."    – St. Vincent de Lerins: Commonitoria (5th Century)

"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."   - Blessed Pope Pius IX

Be determined to fight with all the devils and realize that there are no better weapons than those of the cross.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 6

When learning, the gift of leadership, and sound judgment are found in the same person, what a treasure!”    – St. Vincent de Paul

The whole world is filled with falshood, and that so too these joys the devil gives it are filled with trials, cares, and contradictions.  

Intellect tells the soul of its certainty that outside this castle neither security nor peace be found.  St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.    The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 4

“The King of Heaven deigned to be born in a stable, because He came to destroy pride, the cause of man’s ruin.” — St. Alphonsus Liguori

"The way to overcome the devil when he excites feelings of hatred for those who injure us is immediately to pray for their conversion."   --- St. John Vianney.

"If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient, but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future."  --St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

"Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.    (Diary 1148)

“Let us do good while we still have time, and we will render glory to our heavenly Father, sanctify ourselves, and give good example to others.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina.  (Letters III, p.401)

"Anyone who wants to be an example to others, must first examine himself." St. Ephrem the Syrian (306 – 373)

“It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards one’s progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken.”  -St. Francis Xavier, Priest

“How do we meet this challenge of a mood which makes society evil and the person guiltless? The answer must be: the courage of the few.  “If the trumpets give an uncertain sound who will prepare for battle?”  Courage is to some extent the foundation of all virtue for without it there is no security for preserving any other virtue.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"Mary in the mystery of her annunciation and visitation is the very model of the way you should live, because first she received Jesus in her life, then she went in haste to give to her cousin Elizabeth; what she had received, she had to give. You must be like her, giving in haste the word you have received in meditation."   —  St. Teresa of Calcutta

Before I come as the Just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Saviour were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day. WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.   (Diary 83)

“May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, obtain for us from her Son the grace to live a life according to the heart of God, a life that is entirely interior and hidden in Him.”  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

“Prayer needs no teacher. It requires diligence, effort and personal ardor, and then God will be its teacher.” — St. Meletius the Confessor

“It is from your hands that Our Lord in the person of the sick seeks relief.”  – St. Vincent de Paul

“The superstition of progress asserts itself in some such fashion as this in our class rooms, best-sellers and high-class journals: Man is naturally good and indefinitely perfectible, and thanks to great cosmic floods of evolution will be swept forward and forward until he becomes a kind of a god.  Goodness increases with time, while evil and error decline.  History represents the gradual but steady advance of man up the hill of the more abundant and happy life.  No special institutions, no moral discipline, no Divine grace are necessary for the progress of man; for progress is automatic, due to the free play of natural forces and the operation of freedom in a world released from the superstition of religion.  Because evil and sin are only vestigial remnants from the bestial past, evolution and science and education will finally eradicate them.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Philosophies at war)

The type of soul that enters the second dwelling place pertains to those who have already begun to practice prayer and have understaood how important it is not to stay in the first dwelling place.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   -The Interior Castle - chapter 2 : 1 : 2

In the evening when you go to sleep, hold your beads, doze off reciting them, do like those babies who go to sleep mumbling, “Mamma! Mamma!”   -St. Bernadette

“Prayer needs no teacher. It requires diligence, effort and personal ardor, and then God will be its teacher.” — St. Meletius the Confessor

True perfection consists in love of God and neighbor ; the more perfectly we keep these two commandments the more perfect we will be. All that is in our rule and constitutions serves for nothing else than to be a means toward keeping these commandments with greatest perfection.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 1 : 2 : 17