Saint Justin Martyr

To obey the commandments of our Saviour Jesus Christ is worthy neither of blame nor of condemnation.

-- Saint Justin Martyr at his trial

Saint Ambrose of Milan

Filled with God, where would she hasten but to the heights? The Holy Spirit does not proceed by slow, laborious efforts. Quickly, too, the blessings of her coming and the Lord’s presence are made clear: as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the child leapt in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Notice the contrast and the choice of words. Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary’s voice, but John is the first to be aware of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the meaning of the mystery. She is aware of Mary’s presence, but he is aware of the Lord’s: a woman aware of a woman’s presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of their mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons.

-- Saint Ambrose of Milan from his commentary on Luke

Saint Peter Chrysologus

Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ. 

-- Saint Peter Chrysologus

Saint Josemaria Escriva

Their pure and noble love is a sacred thing. As a priest, I bless it with all my heart. Christian tradition has often seen in Christ's presence at the wedding feast at Cana a proof of the value God places on marriage. "Our Saviour went to the wedding feast," writes St Cyril of Alexandria, "to make holy the origins of human life."

-- Saint Josemaria Escriva

A New Subscription Option

I am going to give something a try, and I hope it is something that subscribers to the various blogs under the  "Faith of the Fathers" banner will like and use.

Some of our blogs subscribers subscribe to more than one feed. It can make a feed reader "crowded" so to speak, if there are 3, 4 or more subscriptions, and some people don't like to have too many separate feeds to keep up with. So, I have come up with an option.

Read more.

Saint Maximus the Confessor

The extremities of the earth, and all in every part of it who purely and rightly confess the Lord look directly towards the most holy Roman Church and its confession and faith, as it were to a sun of unfailing light, awaiting from it the bright radiance of the sacred dogmas of our Fathers according to what the six inspired and holy councils have purely and piously decreed, declaring most expressly the symbol of faith. For from the coming down of the incarnate Word amongst us, all the Churches in every part of the world have held that greatest Church alone as their base and foundation, seeing that according to the promise of Christ our Saviour, the gates of hell do never prevail against it, that it has the keys of a right confession and faith in Him, that it opens the true and only religion to such as approach with piety, and shuts up and locks every heretical mouth that speaks injustice against the Most High. 

-- Saint Maximus the Confessor

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons

When the Lord told his disciples to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, he conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God.

He had promised through the prophets that in these last days he would pour out his Spirit on his servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy. So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation. The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin, and gave them new life in Christ.

-- Saint Irenaeus of Lyons from his book "Against Heresies"

Saint Philip Neri

It is an old custom with the servants of God always to have some little prayers ready and to be darting them up to heaven frequently during the day, lifting their minds to God out of the filth of this world. He who adopts this plan will get great fruit with little pains.

-- Saint Philip Neri

Pope Saint Gregory VII

Now, my dearest brothers, listen carefully to what I tell you. All those throughout the world who are numbered as Christian and who truly acknowledge the Christian faith know and believe that the blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, is the father of all Christians and, after Christ, the first shepherd, and that the holy Roman Church is the mother and teacher of all the churches. Therefore, if you believe this and hold to it without hesitation, I ask you and enjoin upon you by Almighty God – I your brother and unworthy teacher as I am – to support and assist your father and your mother if you wish to have, through them, the remission of all your sins, along with blessings and grace in this world and in the life to come. May almighty God, from whom all good things come, continually enlighten your minds and fill them with love for him and for your neighbor, so that by your devotion you may deserve to make this father and mother of whom I have spoken your debtors and enter without shame into their company. Amen.

-- Pope Saint Gregory VII from a letter

Saint John Bosco

Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you. 

-- Saint John Bosco 

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where the true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God himself.

-- Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Saint Therese of Lisieux

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. 

-- Saint Therese of Lisieux 

Saint Eugene de Mazenod

To love the Church is to love Jesus Christ, and vice versa. 

-- Saint Eugene de Mazenod

Pope Saint Leo the Great

Since then Christ’s Ascension is our uplifting, and the hope of the Body is raised, whither the glory of the Head has gone before, let us exult, dearly-beloved, with worthy joy and delight in the loyal paying of thanks. For today not only are we confirmed as possessors of paradise, but have also in Christ penetrated the heights of heaven, and have gained still greater things through Christ’s unspeakable grace than we had lost through the devil’s malice. For us, whom our virulent enemy had driven out from the bliss of our first abode, the Son of God has made members of Himself and placed at the right hand of the Father, with Whom He lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

-- Pope Saint Leo the Great from a sermon on The Ascension

Saint Gerard Majella

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

-- Saint Gerard Majella

Saint Augustine of Hippo

The measure of charity may be taken from the want of desires. As desires diminish in the soul, charity increases in it; and when it no longer feels any desire, then it possesses perfect charity.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Saint Josemaria Escriva

The feast of our Lord’s ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who encourages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven as well. In other words, our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. “We do not have a permanent dwelling place here, but we seek that which is to come,” (Heb 13:14) a changeless home, where we may live forever. 

-- Saint Josemaria Escriva

An Embarrassing Request

As many regular readers know, due to my employment changes, the last several months have been a financial burden on me, as well as many of you.

I have gone from 40 hours a week to about 28 a week (on a good week) and, as is the case for many of us, I end up with far too much month left at the end of the money. In fact, the day after my computer went down, I also had the experience of having my electric power shut off for the first time in my life. I had gotten paid that day, but it took all the money that I had to get the power turned back on later that night. The power company is requiring that I pay an additional amount as a “deposit” by my next pay day on May 24 (which is kind of funny as that is two days after my birthday).

So, I have added a “Tip Jar” over on the top right hand sidebar of each blog if anyone would like to give me a hand. The “Donate” button utilizes PayPal, which is familiar to most internet users. I appreciate what you can do, and I would especially appreciate your prayers more than anything!

Once again, I would like to thank all of you who have clicked the various ads that appear on these blogs, and for using my links to purchase Mystic Monk Coffee, and the products I have from Zazzle. If it hadn't been for the purchases of Mystic Monk Coffee that literally poured in after Christmas through March, I would not have been able to have made it through the winter.

Let me say, that I am embarrassed to post this, but I am to the point of not knowing what else I can do, except rely on God, who has seen me through many storms. God has been good to me, and has helped me out with so many trials that I can not begin to recount them all.

So, please keep me in your prayers. I appreciate that more than you could ever know!

May God Bless you and Our Lady keep you in her care!

Saint Francis of Assisi

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.

-- Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind that sets bounds to the passions.

-- Saint Thomas Aquinas

Saint Peter Chrysologus

He (Christ) really made his body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, he continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom, but the victim remains alive. Death itself suffers the punishment. This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth, and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life, and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven. 

--Saint Peter Chrysologus

Saint Andrew Avellino

One cannot separate the most Holy Eucharist from the Passion of Jesus.

 -- Saint Andrew Avellino

Will Be Back -- I Hope!

I just wanted to let everyone that follows these blogs know, that I may not be online for awhile. How long awhile, is hard to say.

My 7 year old computer bit the dust last night, and with my financial situation as it is, I am not sure how long it will be before I get another computer. More than likely, it will be several months.

My gracious land lady was kind enough to allow me to use her computer so that I could post this.

I appreciate all the readers and followers of all 24 of these blogs. I especially would like to thank those that have been kind enough to click my links to the various ads that appear here, and have made purchases of the Zazzle products I have and the Mystic Monk coffee. You have helped me far more than you'll ever know.

Please keep me in your prayers, as I will keep you in mine.

May God Bless you all and Our Lady keep you in her care!

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

True charity consists in doing good to those who do us evil, and in thus winning them over.

-- Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Saint Teresa of Avila

Whenever we think of Christ we should recall the love that led him to bestow on us so many graces and favors, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of his love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love him. For if at some time the Lord should grant us the grace of impressing his love on our hearts, all will become easy for  us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort. 

-- Saint Teresa of Avila

Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. 

-- Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Saint Josemaria Escriva

You go to pray; to become a bonfire, a living flame, giving light and heat.

-- Saint Josemaria Escriva

Don't Forget Mom On May 13!

Yes Mother's Day will be here sooner than you think.

Mom's do so much for us, that there is just no way we could ever do for them what they have done for us throughout our lives.

They carried us for nine months, nursed us through all kinds of sickness, helped us with our homework and helped us in our lives.

Mom has worked hard for us, so this year let's help mom relax with a nice soothing cup of coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee, the only coffee that is carefully blended and roasted by the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming.

No matter whether mom likes a dark roast, a medium roast or decaffeinated, you can be sure that mom will enjoy a great cup of coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your purchase helps to support the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming.

Also, for those warmer days let's help mom cool off with a nice glass of iced tea brewed from the great tea blends from Mystic Monk Coffee. Bold or brisk, delicate or sweet, and decaffeinated, you can find a tea that mom will love.

Does your mom already have a favorite Mystic Monk Coffee or Tea? Then let mom know you how much you appreciate her the whole year with a subscription to her favorite coffee or tea! Just choose the coffee or tea mom likes, and the good monk's will send it to her each month.

Saint Dominic Savio

Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him. 

-- Saint Dominic Savio

Saint John Vianney

Prayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains.

-- Saint John Vianney

Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church. 

-- Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Saint James the Lesser the Apostle

For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. 

-- Saint James the Lesser the Apostle

Saint Athanasius the Great

Out of his loving-kindness for us he came to us, and we see this in the way he revealed himself openly to us. Taking pity on mankind's weakness, and moved by our corruption, he could not stand aside and see death have the mastery over us. He did not want creation to perish and his Father's work in fashioning man to be in vain. He therefore took to himself a body, no different from our own, for he did not wish simply to be in a body or only to be seen. 

-- Saint Athanasius the Great