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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Saint Quote by St. Charles Borromeo


Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.






Saturday, October 28, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint John of Damascus


The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics, and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death so that we may also share their crowns of glory.

--Saint John of Damascus

Friday, October 27, 2006

Saint Quote: St. Claude de la Colombiere


To prefer man to God: A strange and unhappy slavery is that of a man who seeks to please other men. I vow never to do anything nor to leave anything undone because of what people think. This will set up in me a great interior peace.


-- St. Claude de la Colombiere

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Augustine of Hippo



I will not live an instant that I do not live in love. Whoever loves does all things without suffering, or, suffering, loves his suffering.

-- St. Augustine

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Bridget of Sweden


The world would have peace if only men of politics would follow the Gospels.

-- St. Bridget of Sweden

Monday, October 23, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Angela Merici


Remember the devil never sleeps, but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways.

-- St. Angela Merici

Friday, October 20, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Paul of the Cross


It is very good and holy to consider the passion of our Lord, and to meditate on it, for by this sacred path we reach union with God. In this most holy school we learn true wisdom, for it was there that all the saints learned it. Therefore, be constant in practicing every virtue, and especially in imitating the patience of our dear Jesus, for this is the summit of pure love. Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy. For if a man is united inwardly with the Son of the living God, he also bears his likeness outwardly by his continual practice of heroic goodness, and especially through a patience reinforced by courage, which does not complain either secretly or in public. Conceal yourselves in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to his will.

- from a letter by Saint Paul of the Cross

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Luke the Evangelist


Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.

--Saint Luke the Evangelist in The Gospel According to Saint Luke 1:1-3

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Ignatius of Antioch


The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God's side. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in my for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: "Come to the Father." I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world I want only God's bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed from the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.

--Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Romans

Monday, October 16, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Gerard Majella


The Most Blessed Sacrament is Christ made visible. The poor sick person is Christ again made visible.

--Saint Gerard Majella

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Teresa of Avila


Oh, my Lord! How true it is that whoever works for you is paid in troubles! And what a precious price to those who love you if we understand its value.

--Saint Teresa of Avila

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Saint Quote: Pope Saint Callistus I


In this, then, we ought to be all of one mind, so that, according to apostolic teaching, we may all say the same thing, and that there be no divisions among us. Let us then be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment; in ready zeal for which work we congratulate ourselves on having your affection as our partner. For it is not meet for the members to be at variance with the head; but, according to the testimony of sacred Scripture, all the members should follow the head. It is matter of doubt, moreover, to no one, that the church of the apostles is the mother of all the churches, from whose ordinances it is not right that you should deviate to any extent. And as the Son of God came to do the Father's will, so shall ye fulfil the will of your mother, which is the Church, the head of which, as has been stated already, is the church of Rome. Wherefore, whatsoever may be done against the discipline of this church, without the decision of justice, cannot on any account be permitted to be held valid.


--Pope Saint Callistus I in his “First Epistle”

Friday, October 13, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Vincent de Paul


The most powerful weapon to conquer the Devil is humility. For as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.

-- St Vincent de Paul

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Ephrem of Syria


When the Lord commanded us to be vigilant, he meant vigilance in both parts of man: in the body, against the tendency to sleep; in the soul, against lethargy and timidity. As Scripture says: Wake up, you just, and I have risen, and am still with you; and again, Do not lose heart.

-- Saint Ephrem of Syria

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Ignatius of Loyola


Receive Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me. Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.

--St. Ignatius Loyola

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Daniel Comboni


The missionaries will have to understand that they are stones hid under the earth, which will perhaps never come to light, but which will become part of the foundations of a vast, new building.

--Saint Daniel Comboni

Monday, October 9, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Paulinus of York


This is how the present life of man on Earth, King, appears to me in comparison with that time which is unknown to us. You are sitting feasting with your ealdormen and thegns in winter time. The fire is burning on the hearth in the middle of the hall and all inside is warm, while outside the wintry storms of rain and snow are raging - and a sparrow flies swiftly through the hall. It enters in at one door and quickly flies out through the other. For the few moments it is inside, the storm and wintry tempest cannot touch it, but after the briefest moment of calm, it flits from your sight, out of the wintry storm and into it again. So this life of man appears but for a moment. What follows or, indeed, what went before, we know not at all.

--Saint Paulinus of York, speaking in Northumbria








Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Francis of Assisi


It was through his archangel, Saint Gabriel, that the Father above made known to the the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that the worthy, holy and glorious Word of the Father would come from heaven and take from her womb the real flesh of our human frailty. Though he was wealthy beyond reckoning, he still willingly chose to be poor with his blessed mother. And shortly before his passion he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. Then he prayed to his Father saying: "Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me."

Nevertheless, he reposed his will in the will of his Father. The Father willed that his blessed and glorious Son, whom he gave to us and who was born for us, should through his own blood offer himself as a sacrificial victim on the altar of the cross. This was to be done not for himself through whom all things were made, but for our sins. It was intended to leave us an example of how to follow in his footsteps. And he desires all of us to be saved through him, and to receive him with pure heart and chaste body.

Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work.

--from a letter written to all the faithful by Saint Francis of Assisi

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Clare of Assisi


He who feeds the birds of the air and gives raiment and nourishment to the lilies of the field will not leave you in want of clothing or of food until He come Himself to minister to you for eternity.

--Saint Clare of Assisi

Monday, October 2, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Therese of Lisieux


Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him - the heaven of our souls, created in His Image, the living temples of the Adorable Trinity.

--Saint Therese of Lisieux

Sunday, October 1, 2006

Saint Quote: Saint Jerome


I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: "Search the Scriptures," and "Seek and you shall find." For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.

No one should think that I mean to explain the entire subject matter of this great book of the prophet Isaiah in one brief sermon, since it contains all the mysteries of the lord. It prophesies that Emmanuel is to be born of a virgin and accomplish marvelous works and signs. It predicts his death, burial and resurrection from the dead as the Savior of all men. Whatever is proper to holy Scripture, whatever can be expressed in human language and understood by the human mind, is contained in the book of Isaiah.

--Saint Jerome: from a commentary on Isaiah