I saw the Lord Jesus, like a king in great majesty, looking down upon our earth with great severity; but because of His Mother’s intercession He prolonged the time of His mercy… [Jesus said:] Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My Mercy… Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice….   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 1261, 1146)

“If the basis of Christianity were anything else than a God Who came from a tomb, then we would be without hope.  If He were a worldly success, then we would have to imitate Him in worldliness.  If He were a failure, and never rose from defeat, then we would be vindictive, and hate who symbolized the world that crucified Him.  If He were only a man, He would be forgotten as all men are.  If He wrote a book, we would all have to be professors, but since he came into this world to bring victory out of defeat, then the more hopeless the situation, the more certainly does the Divine Power operate.  How long this conflict between good and evil will last we do not know.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Lenten & Easter Inspirations)

"Oh, how quickly does a really contrite heart regain the friendship of God! Ah, would to God, that every time we let our sins pass before our mind’s eye we could say with the repentant St. Augustine: “Ah, woe is me. I have sinned much during my life; have mercy on me, O Lord!” How soon would we alter our mode of living! Yes, my brethren, let us all who are here present, confess with the same fervent repentance and sincerity, that we are great sinners who deserve to experience the full wrath of God. And let us praise God’s infinite mercy, who gives us abundantly of His treasures to solace us in our misery." - St John Vianney.

Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My Hands are crowned with mercy.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA    (Diary, 301)

Never be afraid!  Pope St. John Paul II

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

“Bitterness never serves any purpose than to embitter.”   - St. Vincent de Paul

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

"From this humility stems love of neighbor, for they will esteem them and not judge them as they did Before."   -St. John of the Cross

“ I am absolutely unable to consider, in an indulgent manner, your neglecting Holy Communion, not to mention holy meditation. Remember that the only way to gain salvation is through prayer; you cannot win the battle without prayer. So the choice is up to you.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"It is fitting that the Son of God should preserve Mary from sin since she was to be His mother. No other man could choose his mother. But if such a thing could be granted to anyone, who would wish for a slave if he could choose a queen? Who would wish for a servant if he could choose a noble lady? And if he could choose a friend of God, would he not wish for the Devil's greatest enemy?"   - St. Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri
 

“The ancient goldsmith who refined crude gold ore in his crucible burning away the dross in intense heat to recover the pure gold, like the goldsmith, God keeps us in the smelting furnace until He can see the reflection of the Face of the Lord Jesus in our lives.  He is not so much interested in the work we do, but rather in how much we resemble His son.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Lenten & Easter Inspirations)

“He who does not meditate is like a person who never looks in the mirror and therefore does not bother to be tidy when he goes out, since he can be dirty without knowing it.
The person who meditates and thinks of God, who is the mirror of his soul, tries to discover his defects, attempts to correct them, controls himself and straightens out his conscience.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for My sake."   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 86)

“If we cannot bear this [world's temporal] thirst, how shall we endure the fire of purgatory?”   —St. Lawrence Giustiniani

"Often tell Jesus that you love him very much, and that you wish to die for love of him.,"   - St. Gaspar del Bufalo

"Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been made." St. Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

"To give worthy praise to the Lord's mercy, we unite ourselves with your immaculate mother, for then our hymn will be more pleasing to you, because she is chosen from among men and angels. Through her, as through a pure crystal, your mercy was passed on to us. Through her, man became pleasing to God; Through her, streams of grace flowed down upon us." - Saint Faustina

“Charity never enters a heart without bringing with it all the other virtues, empowering them and marshaling them as needed, just as a captain does his soldiers.”   -  St Francis de Sales

Wherever people are suffering,
make it your task to serve them.   -Pope St. John Paul II

"Jesus Christ, after having given us all he could give, that is to say, the merit of his toils, his sufferings, and bitter death; after having given us his adorable body and blood to be the food of our souls, willed also to give us the most precious thing he had left, which was his holy Mother."   - St. John Vianney

“There is in each of us a shadow-self, and a real-self.  The shadow-self seeks only its own will and pleasure.  The more we keep the sun behind us, the greater the length of the shadow, the less Christ is in our lives.  Every pain patiently borne, every blow to self, shapes the real eternal self.  It was the Crucifixion of Our Lord that prepared the way for His resurrection and Glory.  Our Lord is weaving your heavenly robes for the heavenly nuptials, though you know it not, in moments that seem so loveless.  You cannot see entirely God’s Plan for you.  The uncharted ocean is before you, as you toss in the narrow cabin of your suffering; but the Divine Pilot is bringing you to port.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation (Lenten & Easter Inspirations)

Just as in heaven so in the soul his Majesty must have a room where he dwells alone.. Let a call it another heaven.   St. Theresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle chapter  7 : 1-3 FEB  1:3:9

“ But the true reason why you don't succeed in meditating well is this, and I am not mistaken: you approach meditation with a certain, special alteration, coupled with the great anxiety to find some object which can console and content your spirit. And this is sufficient to see to it that you never find what you seek, and do not rest your mind on the truths you meditate upon, or empty your heart of affections. When one seeks something one has lost with great haste and avidity, one can even touch this object with one's hand, and even see it a hundred times without realizing it.  St. Pio of Pietrelcina

No one will ever be the servant of the Son without serving the Mother   St. Idlephonsus

“Most Catholics seem to be aware of the forty-day period before the feast of Easter.  Lent, which comes from the Anglo-Saxon work lencten, meaning ‘spring,’ is a time marked by particular rituals, such as the reception of ashes on Ash Wednesday or the decision to ‘give up French Fries’ as a Lenten practice.  Is Lent broader than just these practices which seem to be left over from another era?”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Lent and Easter Wisdom from Fulton J. Sheen)

“Suspicions are often deceiving.”   – St. Vincent de Paul.  

“I cannot at all believe and therefore dispense you from meditation for the sole reason that you feel you gain nothing from it. The holy gift of prayer, my good daughter, is in the right hand of the Savior, and to the degree to which you are emptied of yourself, that is, emptied of love of body and your own will, and that you continually become more well-rooted in holy humility, the Lord will communicate this to your heart.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbours always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it".   WORDS OF JESUS TO DT. FAUSTINA   (Diary 742)

"So your strength is failing you? Why don't you tell your mother about it? … Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she—your holy mother Mary—offers you, along with the grace of her son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace… and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle."   - St. Josemaría Escrivá

“The Church fasts; the world diets.  Materially there is no difference, for a person can lose twenty pounds one way as well as the other.  But the difference is in the intention.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Seven Capital Sins)

OH MY GOODNESS SORRY MY DEAR BLOG READERS FOR MY LACK OF POSTS I fell on Saturday 2/22 and I broke my hand (boxer’s fracture) and have been in a lot of pain and only had use of 1 hand with a very restrictive cast up to my elbow...But today I got fitted with a special splint designed just for boxer’s fractures.  So I think I might start posting today but maybe on a limited basis

“ The Christian soul never lets a day go by without meditating on the passion of Jesus Christ.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

November 19. After Communion today, Jesus told me how much He desires to come to human hearts. I desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to unite Myself with souls Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object. I answered Jesus, “O Treasure of my heart, the only object of my love and entire delight of my soul, I want to adore You in my heart as You are adored on the throne of Your eternal glory. My love wants to make up to You at least in part for the coldness of so great a number of souls. Jesus, behold my heart which is for You a dwelling place to which no one else has entry. You alone repose in it as in a beautiful garden.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 1385)

“Most passions give pleasures, except one, and that is envy.  Envy is sadness at another’s good.  Sadness may be caused by wealth in another person, whether it be the house he owns or the mink coat the wife wears or the Rolls Royce they both drive.” Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“The conflict with Hell cannot be maintained by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan.”   - St. Maximilian Kolbe

“Patience is the companion of wisdom” - St. Augustine

"My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it." WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 20)

“When we speak to Jesus with simplicity and with all our heart, He does like a mother who holds her child’s head with her hands and covers it with kisses and caresses.” - St John Vianney.

"Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed because of your imperfection, and always rise up bravely after a fall." St. Francis de Sales (1567.-1622)

"Oh Jesus, how are You doing in the narrow cell of my heart? Are You alright? Expand my chest, because it is no longer enough to contain You....Jesus, allow me to pour out my affections with You."
   - St. Gelma Galgani

“You must not be surprised at being tempted since the Gospel assures us that Our Lord himself was tempted.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

Just as all the streams that flow from a crystal - clear fount are also clear, the works of a soul in grace, because they proceed from this fount of life, in which the soul is planted like a tree, are more pleasing in the eyes of both God and man.   St. Theresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 1:2:2

“ The good we endeavor to do to others will always result in the sanctification of our own souls.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

''My love deceives no one.''   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 29)

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

“If true freedom is to be found within ourselves, the ego must yield itself to the birth of our true personality.  But the seeming self is so familiar a companion to some persons that it cannot be easily dropped.  Like a plaster cast, the false ego has to be cut away, pulled off, and this is a process that involves detachment, pain, and some indignity.” Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Lift Up Your Heart)

“Moreover, ‘legitimate defence can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the family or of the State’ (CCC 2265). Unfortunately it happens that the need to render the aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves taking his life. In this case, the fatal outcome is attributable to the aggressor whose action brought it about, even though he may not be morally responsible because of a lack of the use of reason.” (Pope Saint John Paul II; Evangelium Vitae #55; March 25, 1995)

“The Souls in Purgatory, can pray for those, who address to them their petitions, and obtain from God help, forgiveness, assistance against temptations, and, all favors, both temporal and spiritual, which they may need.”  - St. Robert Bellarmine

“May you always be only of one heart and one mind.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems.   - St. Teresa of Calcutta

“If you put all the love of the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.”    - Saint Louis de Montfort

For I have learnt for a fact that nothing so effectively obtains, retains and regains grace, as that we should always be found not high-minded before God, but filled with holy fear.    –St. Bernard

"The Sacraments which Our Lord instituted would not have saved us without the Holy Spirit. Even the death of Our Lord would have been useless to us without Him. Therefore Our Lord said to His Apostles, “It is good for you that I should go away; for if I did not go, the Consoler would not come.” The descent of the Holy Spirit was required, to render fruitful that harvest of graces. It is like a grain of wheat – you cast it into the ground; yes, but it must have sun and rain to make it grow and come into ear. We should say every morning, “O God, send me Your Spirit to teach me what I am and what You are.”   - St John Vianney.

"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him is the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement."   -St Augustine

Because we have heard and because faith tells us so, we know we have souls. But we seldom consider the precious things that can be found in the soul, or who dwells within it, or it’s high value. Consequently, little effort is made to preserve its beauty   St Theresa of Jesus of Avila   The Interior Castle - chapter 1:1:2

“ Just as the bees sometimes fly great distances without hesitation to reach fields where they have a favorite flower bed and then, tired but satisfied and laden with pollen, return to the honeycomb to complete the fertile and silent work of transforming the nectar of flowers into nectar of life; so must you after having gathered the word of God, meditate on it with attention, examine its elements and search for the hidden meaning. It will then appear to you in all its splendour; it will acquire the power of doing away with your natural materialistic inclinations; it will have the virtue of transforming them into pure and sublime ascensions of the spirit, which will bring together ever more closely your heart with the Divine Heart of your Lord.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.   1075 Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 1075)

“With all my heart I consecrated myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and asked her to watch over me. She seemed to look lovingly on her Little Flower and to smile at her again.”   - St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“An educated man will seek truth.  The purpose of education is to acquaint us with truth.  One basic truth that we have to learn is the truth of our own existence.  We would not have a gadget in our house five minutes without knowing the meaning of that gadget and yet some people will live ten-twenty-fifty-sixty years without knowing why they are here or where they are going.  What is the use of living unless we know the purpose of life.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been made."    – St. Peter of Alcantara

“You will practice charity better by preserving yourself to serve your neighbor for a long time than by wearing yourself out in a short time over the salvation of a few.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and daydreams. Let there be few words and many deeds, and let them be done well." St. Vincent Pallotti (1795 – 1850)

“If I do not become a Saint, I am doing nothing.”   - St Dominic Savio

Offer your temptations  for the conversion of sinners. When the devil sees you doing this,  he is beside himself with rage and makes off, because then the temptation is turned against him.   - St. John Vianney

It’s true we cannot live without faults, but at least there should be some change so that they don’t take root. If they take root they will be harder to erradicate and even many others could arise from them   St. Theresa of Jesus of Avila.  Meditations on the Song of Songs - chapter 2:18

“ Reflect upon and keep before your mental gaze the great humility of the Mother of God, our Mother. The more she was filled with heavenly gifts, the more deeply she humbled herself.  St. Padre Pio

"My Divine Heart is so full of love for men ... that no longer able to contain within itself the flames of its burning charity, it must spread these flames by means of you, and it must manifest itself to men in order to enrich them with its precious treasures. I have chosen you to achieve this grand crusade of Love"    - Sacred Heart revelation to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

“My dear Mother Mary, I think that I am more happy than you. I have you as a Mother and you haven’t the Blessed Virgin to love as I have.”- St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“Modern prophets say that our economics have failed us. No! It is not our economics which have failed; it is man who has failed-man who has forgotten God. Hence no manner of economic or political readjustment can possibly save our civilization; we can be saved only by a renovation of the inner man, only by a purging of our hearts and souls; for only by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Justice will all these other things be added unto us.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Prodigal World)

"Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love."  - St. John of the Cross

“If we do not have humility, we have nothing.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

"During painful times, when you feel a terrible void, think how the capacity of your soul is being enlarged so that it can receive God-- becoming as it were, infinite as God is infinite."    - St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880 - 1906)

Receive Communion often, very often...there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing.    - St. Therese of Lisieux

“Ah! when I reflect that my soul is the temple of God, that God dwells in me, how my heart rejoices! All affliction appears to me sweet and light! What a fruitful source of meditation!”  - St. Paul of the Cross

The soul hungers for God,  and nothing but God can satiate it.   Therefore He came to dwell on earth
and assumed a Body in order that this Body might become the Food of our souls.   - St. John Vianney

"Silence is the beginning of purifying the soul."    - St. Basil the Great

In what better way could we be occupied than to  prepare rooms within our souls for our Spouse....Happy will be the Soul that makes this request and whose lamp will not be out when the Lord comes.  St Theresa of Jesus of Avila   Meditations on the Song of Songs - chapter 2:5

17 February 1937   This morning during Holy Mass, I saw the Suffering Jesus. His Passion was imprinted on my body in an invisible manner, but no less painfully. Jesus looked at me and said, "Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, 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 964-965)

“All prayers are good when they are accompanied by good intentions and good will.  St. Pio of Pietrelcinar

“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

Progress begins with a dream, and progresses through the death of that dream. When finally the dream comes true, there will be no progress in joy unless one is prepared to die the old dream and begin to dream new dreams.”   Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Three to Get Married)

"A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship." St. Francis de Sales (1567.-1622)

“I am asking Our Lord to be Himself, your strength and your life, as He is to all who nourish themselves with his love.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“O daughter of Joachim and Anne, O Lady, receive the word of a sinful servant, who nevertheless burns with love and places in you his only hope of joy; in you he finds the guardian of his life, not only a Mediatrix in your Son's presence, but also a sure pledge of salvation.”   - St. John Damascene

"Our labor here is brief, but the reward is eternal. Do not be disturbed by the clamor of the world, which passes like a shadow. Do not let false delights of a deceptive world deceive you."   - St. Clare of Assisi

“ Prayer must be insistent since insistence denotes faith.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"The Heart of Jesus is an open heart. Spend your time there...It is not an ordinary school or a boarding school or a school for examinations, but it is a school of Jesus where you come to learn and to know the Heart of Jesus - where the teachers are His Mother and He. What have we to learn? To be meek and humble; if we are meek and humble, we will learn to pray. If we learn to pray we will belong to Jesus."   - St. Teresa of Calcutta

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and richest of all prayers to the Mediatrix of all grace; it is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God. Say it each day.”   - Pope Saint Pius X

It is almost impossible for us to understand the sublime dignity and beauty of the soul.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila.  The Interior Castle - chapter 1 : 1 : 1

”There is no one, O Most Holy Mary, who can know God except through thee; no one who can be saved or redeemed but through thee, O Mother of God; no one who can be delivered from dangers but through thee, O Virgin Mother; no one who obtains mercy but through thee, O Filled-With-All-Grace!”   - St. Germanus

“The Church holds that it is impossible to have a religion without dogmas.  To say that one must have a religion without a dogma is to assert a dogma, and a dogma that needs tremendously more justification than any dogma of the Church.  What is a dogma?  A dogma is an idea, and in the sense a man without a dogma may be said to be a man without an idea.  Dogmas there must be, just as long as there is sound thinking.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Moods and Truths)

"Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause." St. John of Kanty (1390 - 1473)

Let us walk together, Lord, Wherever You go, I will go; whatever you suffer, I will suffer.    Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 26 : 6

"If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever."   - Saint Thomas Aquinas

“Do you want your companions to respect you? Always think well of everyone, and be ready to help others. Do this and you will be happy.”   -St. John Bosco

"Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will".
"Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive the grace of My infinite mercy".
"At the hour of their death, I defend every soul that will say this Chaplet as I do My own glory. When this Chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated and His unfathomable mercy envelops the soul"    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 687, 811 & 1731)

"In order to be a devoted servant of the Father, I faithfully desire to be the servant of the mother."     - St. Ildephonsus

We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures,
we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus.   - Pope St. John Paul II

“ I will never tire of praying to Jesus. It is true that my prayers deserve punishment rather than reward, for I have offended Jesus only too often by my innumerable sins; but in the end He will be moved to pity.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“The alarming increase of divorces in our land and the consequent break-up of family life is due principally to the loss of love for the ideal in womanhood.  Marriage has become identified with pleasure, not with love.  Once the pleasure ceases, love ceases.  The woman is loved not for what she is in herself but for what she is to others.  The tragedy of such a state is not only what it does for woman, but also what it does for man.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Seven Virtues)

“My God, in union with Jesus crucified, I offer myself as a victim. I desire the cross as my strength and support, and wish to live with it, that it may be my treasure since Jesus chose it for my sake. . . . My Savior, I desire to return Thee love for love, blood for blood. Thou didst die for me, therefore I will daily endure fresh sufferings for Thee; every day shall bring me some fresh martyrdom because of my deep love for Thee.”- The Praise of Glory   - St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

“Give me a man of prayer, and he will be capable of doing all things.   – St. Vincent de Paul

"Suffering passes; to have suffered willingly remains eternally."   - St. Therese of Lisieux

"There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us."   - Pope St. John Paul II

“O my soul, wilt thou be one of those who look with indifference on thy God torn with scourges? Reflect on his sufferings, but still more on the love with which thy sweet Lord submits to such excruciating torture for thy sake. In his scourging, Jesus certainly thought on thee. O God! had he borne but a single stripe for thy sake, thou shouldst burn with love for him, and say: A God has suffered to be struck for my sake. But for the atonement of thy sins he has, as Isaias foretold, permitted all his flesh to be mangled. ‘He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins’ —Isa. liii. 5.”   —St. Alphonsus de Liguori 

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.   Pope St. John XXIII

It involves a gradual increase of self-control and an end to vain wandeing from the right path; it means conquering, which is a making use of one's senses for the sake of the inner life.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 29 : 7 

"My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it."    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST FAUSTINA   (Diary, 20)

“ It will be a great joy when at the moment of death we will be able to see our Guardian Angel.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted, she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you.”   - Saint John Vianney

“It is one of the greatest of life’s paradoxes that as much as man seeks to be free, he still wishes to be a slave; not a slave in the sense that his liberty is denied him, but in the sense that he yearns for something he can worship, something which will solicit his will, pull at his heartstrings, tempt his energies, and command his affections.  He wants to be free to choose between the various kinds of happiness, but he does not want to be free from happiness.  He wishes to be its slave.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Eternal Galilean)

“Do not say: ‘I have sinned much, and therefore I am not bold enough to fall down before God.’ Do not despair. Simply do not increase your sins in despair and, with the help of the All-merciful One, you will not be put to shame. For He said, ‘he who comes to Me I will not cast out.’ (John. 6:37) And so, be bold and believe that He pure and cleanses those who draw near to Him. If you want to accomplish true repentance, show it with your deeds. If you have fallen into pride, show humility; if into drunkenness, show sobriety; if into defilement, show purity of life. For it is said, ‘Turn away from evil and do good’ (I Pet. 3:11).”    -  St. Gennadius of Constantinople

“Let yourself be led by Our Lord; he will govern all things through you.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“Obedience is the burial place of the will and the resurrection of lowliness.” — St. John Climacus

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.   - St. Augustine of Hippo

Well, let us imagine that within us is an extremely rich palace ...There is no edifice as beautiful as is a soul pure and full of virtues. The greater the virtues the more resplendent the jewels.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 28 : 9

“ Prayer must be insistent since insistence denotes faith.”   - St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Today the Lord said to me, My daughter, My pleasure and delight, nothing will stop Me from granting you graces. Your misery does not hinder My mercy. My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy; [urge] all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all. On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls-no one have I excluded!   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 1182)

"The soul feels a strange delight in the breathing of the Holy Spirit... in which it is sovereignly glorified and taken with love."    - St. John of the Cross

“If a little boy loses his temper and insults his father, he is not told that he is at fault; our progressive educators would not warp his mind by speaking of wrong-they blame it on his naughty ductless glands.  Today nobody is wrong; they are anti-social or have bad tonsils.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Whence Come Wars)

"If you ever feel distressed during your day — call upon Our Lady — just say this simple prayer: 'Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.' I must admit — this prayer has never failed me."   St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

"I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me--I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good."   -St. Josephine Bakhita

“The world calls for and expects from us simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility… Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man. It risks being vain and sterile.” (St. Paul VI)

Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.a   - St. Bonaventure

"Don't say: 'That person gets on my nerves.' Think: 'That person sanctifies me.'" -St. Josemaria Escriva

"He loves, He hopes, He waits. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep us waiting an instant" St. Maria Goretti  (1890 - 1902)

“Make use of God’s gifts quite simply; if you think you have done anything good, attribute the glory to God.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

'' Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. ''   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTNA   (Diary 300)

“ Save souls by continuous prayer.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"Fear nothing; you shall be my true daughter, and I will always be your good mother."   - Our Lady to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

For although interiorly it takes time to become totally detached and mortified, exteriorly it must be do immediately.    St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 13 : 7

“Just as we would have no eyes were there no beauties to see, and as we would have no ears were there no harmonies to hear, so we would have no appetite for the infinite were there no God to love. In Him alone is the reconciliation of the chase and the capture.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Seven Capital Sins)

"No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost." St. Hilary of Poitiers (315. - 367.)

"May God be pleased to give you His spirit and the grace to act in this same spirit and to bear your troubles in the way He bore his."   - St. Vincent de Paul

"Do not disturb yourself with vain curiosity concerning the affairs of others, nor how they conduct themselves, unless your position makes it your duty to do so."   -Louis de Blois

"“Finally, Our Lady of Lourdes has a message for everyone. Be men and women of freedom!"    -Pope St. John Paul II

"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible."   - St. Ignatius of Antioch  "Epistle to the Romans" c. 105 A.D

"Man is God's creation and property.  Give then to God your reason, your heart and your will.  Use them only for God and you will be saved; you will be for all eternity God's property, as children of His grace and charity.  Amen"   - St. John Vianney

Get rid of this pestilence ; cut off the branches as best you can and if this is not enough pull up the roots.    St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 7 : 11

“ The best comfort is that which comes from prayer.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

'' Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. ''   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 300)

"I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy."   - Our Lady to Saint Faustina

The Holy Hour. Is it difficult? Sometimes it seemed to be hard; it might mean having to forgo a social engagement, or rise an hour earlier, but on the whole it has never been a burden, only a joy. I do not mean to say that all the Holy Hours have been edifying, as for example, the one in the church of St. Roch in Paris. I entered the church about three o'clock in the afternoon, knowing that I had to catch a train for Lourdes two hours later. There are only about ten days a year in which I can sleep in the daytime; this was one. I knelt down and said a prayer of adoration, and then sat up to meditate and immediately went to sleep. I woke up exactly at the end of one hour. I said to the Good Lord: "Have I made a Holy Hour?" I thought his angel said: "Well, that's the way the Apostles made their first Holy Hour in the Garden, but don't do it again."  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Treasure in Clay)

“Set to work to destroy in yourself all that is not pleasing to Jesus Christ, to speak willingly to those who have caused you pain, to be pleased to see them, to love them sincerely, to practice the perfect renouncement of yourselves and you will see how your Communion will carry you forward with great strides towards Heaven. The more you do it, the more you will feel yourself detached from sin and carried to God.” - St John Vianney

"May I let Jesus lead me more easily. May I be ready to accept everything, even mortification, powerlessness, living in darkness, being hidden like Jesus in a dark prison. If I let it, this prison or whatever this mortification may be will be the heart of Mary for me." -St. Bernadette Soubirous

Our Lady always comes to my rescue the moment I ask her to.   St. Therese of Lisieux

"Satisfaction consists in the cutting off of the causes of the sin. Thus, fasting is the proper antidote to lust; prayer to pride, to envy, anger and sloth; alms to covetousness."   -St. Richard of Chichester

"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 am not capable of doing big things but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God"   -? St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857)

Everything done with a pure intention is perfect love.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Way of Perfection - chapter 7 : 7

“When you find yourself close to God in prayer, speak to Him if you can, and if you are unable to do so stay this way. Let yourself be seen, and do not disturb yourself further.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessing."   - Blessed Alan de la Roche

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)

“Patience is the companion of wisdom”    - St. Augustine

"If anyone is able to preserve in chastity to the honor of the flesh of the Lord, let him do so in all humility."   ─St. Ignatius of Antioch: "Letter to St. Polycarp," 5. (2nd cent.)

"It is God's will that the Saints should be our protectors and our friends. They are always ready to come to our aid when we call upon them. Those whom we invoke watch over us at all times."    - St John Vianney

“Each time we look upon Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, He raises us up into deeper union with Himself, opens up the floodgates of His merciful love to the whole world, and brings us closer to the day of His final victory ‘where every knee will bend and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord’. ‘The reign of God is already in your midst.’ The coming of Jesus to us in the Eucharist is assurance of His promise of final victory: ‘Behold, I come to make all things new!’”    — St. Teresa of Calcutta

"Follow the Lord’s example, strong and steadfast in faith, loving one another. United in truth, display the Lord’s own gentleness with one another, and look down on no one. If you can do good, do not put it off."   - St. Polycarp

“Be enthroned, Lady, for it is fitting that you should sit in an exalted place since you are a Queen and glorious above all kings. Queen of all of those who dwell on earth.”    -  St. Germanus of Constantinople

“Three can do more than ten when Our Lord puts His hand to things.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

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

“You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.”    -St. Therese of Lisieux

We must all try to be preachers through our deeds.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 15 : 6

“It is now God Himself who acts and operates directly in the depths of my soul, without the ministry of the senses, either interior or exterior. . .All I can say of this present state is that my soul has no concern for anything but God.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart.    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST FAUSTINA    (Diary 367)

“It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favor Christ said to His Mother: ‘Behold thy son,’ provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: ‘Behold thy Mother.’”    St. Robert Bellarmine

“The world is full of those who suffer unjustly and who through no fault of their own bear the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.  What should be our attitude to those who speak untruly of us, who malign our good names, who steal our reputations, and who sneer at our acts of kindness?  The answer is to be found in the first word from the Cross: forgive.  If there was ever anyone who had a right to protest against injustice it was He Who is Divine Justice; if ever there was anyone who was entitled to reproach to those who dug His hands and feet with steel, it was Our Lord on the Cross.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Rainbow of Sorrow)

In fact, there is a holy simplicity that knows little about the affairs and style of the world but a lot about dealing with God.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 14 : 2

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)

“ This manner of staying in the presence of God simply to protest, with one's will, that we ourselves are his servants, is most holy and most excellent, most pure and extremely perfect.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“If devotion to the Blessed Virgin is necessary for all men simply to work out their salvation, it is even more necessary for those who are called to a special perfection. I do not believe that anyone can acquire intimate union with our Lord and perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without a very close union with the most Blessed Virgin and an absolute dependence on her support.”   - St. Louis Marie de Montfort

“Culture today is becoming politicized.  The State is extending dominance over areas outside its province, family, education and the soul.  It is concentrating public opinion in fewer and fewer hands, which becomes the more dangerous because of the mechanical way in which propaganda can be disseminated.  It seeks to achieve its ends by extra parliamentary means.  The idea of a community of workers is replaced by mass cooperation on a non-personal basis, contract has taken the place of responsibility.  The lines are becoming clear cut.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Characters of the Passion)

St. Bernard, against human respect and showing perseverance and constancy: “I did not begin for your sake, neither for your sake shall I cease.”

“No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost."   - St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church

Jesus said, "My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. ...For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the Cross; for you I let My Sacret Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart."    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA.  (Diary,1485)

“Be assiduous in your prayers and meditations. You have already told me that you have started. Oh, my God, what a great consolation this is for a father who loves you as much as his own soul! Continue to always make progress in the holy exercise of the love of God. Spin a little each day, whether it be by the dim light of the lamp and the dryness and desolation of the spirit, or by day in the joyful and dazzling light of the soul.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"So your strength is failing you? Why don't you tell your mother about it? … Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she—your holy mother Mary—offers you, along with the grace of her son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace… and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle."   - St. Josemaría Escrivá

“God is that Life which has throbbed throughout the agelessness of eternity, wherein each moment is eternity and eternity is as a moment; that life whence has come all existing things.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

'When we feel our cross weighing upon us, let us have recourse to Mary, whom the Church calls the "Consoler of the Afflicted."'   -St. Alphonsus de Liguori

“ One searches for God in books. One finds Him in meditation.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

'' My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety ''   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 1488).

“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

“Because God is full of life, I imagine each morning Almighty God says to the sun, “Do it again”; and every evening to the moon and the stars, “Do it again”; and every springtime to the daisies, “Do it again”; and every time a child is born into the world asking for curtain call, that the heart of the God might once more ring out in the heart of the babe.”  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Life is Worth Living

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

"Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and daydreams. Let there be few words and many deeds, and let them be done well."   St. Vincent Pallotti

“Technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy. For joy comes from another source. It is spiritual. Money, comfort, hygiene and material security are often not lacking; and yet boredom, depression and sadness unhappily remain the lot of many.” (Pope St. Paul VI, Gaudete in Domino, Apostolic Exhortation, 1975)

“The conflict with Hell cannot be maintained by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan.”   - St. Maximilian Kolbe

"Can we, of our own strength, avoid sin, and practice virtue? No, my children, we can do nothing without the grace of God: that is an article of faith; Jesus Christ Himself taught it to us. See, the Church thinks, and all the saints have thought with her, that grace is absolutely necessary to us, and that without it we can neither believe, nor hope, nor love, nor do penance for our sins. Saint Paul, whose piety was not counterfeit, assures us, on his part, that we cannot of ourselves even pronounce the name of Jesus in a manner that can gain merit for Heaven. As the earth can produce nothing unless it is fertilised by the sun, so we can do no good without the grace of the good God." - St John Vianney.

He calls us again and again, in order to justify us again and again.   - Blessed John Henry Newman

Believe me...nobody can truly be happy in this world unless he is at peace with God.   - St. John Bosco

“I beg Our Lord to be pleased to renew His Spirit in you so that all your activities be His and the resulting fruits be fruits of everlasting life.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“The rich ought to reach that degree of perfection of possessing the riches of which they are the masters, with out allowing them to possess them.”    St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491.-1556.)

Let each one consider how much humility she has, and she will see what progress has been made.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 12: 6

“Act justly: keep what is your own - namely, your misery and frailty, capable of leading you to the commission of every crime; and leave to God that which belongs to Him, that is, every good.”   St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

"I understood that love comprises all vocations – that love is everything, and because it is eternal, embraces all times and places."    -St. Therese of Lisieux

“You are worried and sad because your Communions are cold and barren. Tell me, when you approach the Sacrament, do you seek yourself or do you seek Jesus? If you seek yourself, there is reason indeed to be sad. But if you seek Christ – as you ought – could you want a surer sign than the cross to know you have found Him?”    - St. Josemaria Escriva

"When I come to a human heart in Holy Communion," He said, "My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. ... They treat Me as a dead object"   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA    (Diary, 1385)

"Without the burden of afflictions,  it is impossible to reach the height of Grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases"   - St. Rose of Lima

“Do all within the Church, act only within the Church! We must beware of putting ourselves against our Mother...Sweet is the hand of the Church, even when it batters us!”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“'Blessed the one who is always full of spiritual joy and has not grown slack in bearing the Lord's good yoke, for he will be crowned with glory.”   St. Ephrem of Syria (306 – 373)

“While you are making progress in the school of Our Lord, He will give you greater knowledge than what can be found in books.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

“In those times the atmosphere will be saturated with the spirit of impurity which, like a filthy sea, will engulf the streets and public places with incredible license.… Innocence will scarcely be found in children, or modesty in women." - Prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success (circa 500 years ago).

“It is the will of God that we shall receive everything through Mary.”    St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.    -St. Therese of Lisieux

"During painful times, when you feel a terrible void, think how the capacity of your soul is being enlarged so that it can receive God-- becoming as it were, infinite as God is infinite."   -St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

Clearly, a humble person will reflect on his life and consider how he has served the Lord in comparison with how the Lord ought to be served.    St Teresa of Jesus of Avila   The Way of Perfection - chapter 12: 6

“You see, I can give you everything in one moment. I am not constrained by any law."    WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary, 1153)

“I want to be only a poor friar who prays.... God sees blemishes even in the angels, can you imagine what He sees in me!”    St. Pio of Pietrelcina

"As in the natural life a child must have a father and a mother, so in the supernatural life of grace a true child of the Church must have God for his Father and Mary for his mother. If he prides himself on having God for his Father but does not give to Mary the tender affection of a true child, he is an impostor and his father is the devil."   - St. Louis Marie de Montfort

“Every child is an arrow shot out of the bow of its mother, but its target is God.  Children have come through mothers, but they do not belong to them.  Mary acknowledges this claim of divinity on her Child by presenting Him back again to God, as she offers the temple of His Body in the temple made by hands.
 Mary here anticipated the joy of every mother who brings her child to the baptismal font, where God may claim His own.  But in the case of Mary the Child was claimed for sacrifice, as the aged Simeon said that He was a sign to be contradicted, and the cross is the contradiction.
 Mary was even told that a sword her own soul would pierce.  That would happen when her Son on the cross would have His heart pierced with a lance.  Through His Body and her soul would go that one stroke of the sword.  She was the only mother who ever brought a life into the world to die.
 It is not so much our presents that God wants from us, as it is our presence, as we offer our life to Him.”  Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary

“Our Lord will perhaps draw more glory from your submission than from all the good you could do.”   – St. Vincent de Paul

Believe me in one thing : if there is any vain esteem of honor or wealth...you will never grow very much or come to enjoy the true fruit of prayer.   St Teresa of Jesus of Avila    The Way of Perfection - chapter 12: 5

"The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward.  The perfect person does good through love.  His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does.   He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward.  The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God."    -,St. Clement of Alexandria

"The words of Jesus Christ, our king and Lord, cannot fail."   -St. Teresa of Avila

“The heavenly bread is Christ, Who came down from heaven and gave life to the world. This is the nourishment of the angels. The man who has found love eats and drinks Christ every day and hour and hereby is made immortal. ‘He that eateth of this bread,’ He says, ‘which I will give him, shall not see death unto eternity.’ Blessed is he who eats the bread of love, which is Jesus! He who eats of love eats Christ, the God over all, as John bears witness, saying, ‘God is love.’”    - St. Isaac of Nineveh

"A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship."   - Saint Francis de Sales

On one occasion, the Lord said to me, "Why are you fearful and why do you tremble when you are united to Me? I am displeased when a soul yields to vain terrors. Who will dare to touch you when you are with Me? Most dear to Me is the soul that strongly believes in My goodness and has complete trust in Me. I heap My confidence upon it and give it all it asks".   WORDS OF JESUS TO ST. FAUSTINA   (Diary 453)

“Learn to better recognize the divine will in all the events of life.”   St. Pio of Pietrelcina     (Letters III, p. 57)

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

“As a priest, one fills himself up with holiness; as a victim, one empties himself to service to mankind and the world.  The increase of Christ in the soul of a priest is in direct relation to the decrease of self-will.  The more I am occupied with Christ, the less I shall be occupied with myself.  Humility is not directly cultivated.  He who starts out resolved to be humble soon becomes proud that he is humble.  Humility is a byproduct of the love of Christ.  Emptiness as regards the self, is balanced by compassion for others.  The less stress on the ego, the more care there is for neighbor.”  Archbishop Fulton sheen (Those Mysterious Priests)