Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe

For the cup we drink is a participation in the blood of Christ, and the bread we break is a participation in the body of Christ. Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, since we all share the same bread. And so we pray that, by the same grace which made the Church Christ's body, all its members may remain firm in the unity of that body through the enduring bond of love. 

-- Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe

Saint John Climacus

A man who has embraced poverty offers up prayer that is pure, while a man who loves possessions prays to material images. 

--Saint John Climacus

Saint Bernardine of Siena

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand. This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord, and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.” Remember us, Saint Joseph, and plead for us to your foster child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the mother of him who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns eternally. Amen.

-- Saint Bernardine of Siena from a sermon

Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen

It is not particularly difficult to find thousands who will spend two or three hours a day in exercising, but if you ask them to bend their knees to God in five minutes of prayer, they protest that it is too long.

-- Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen

Saint Quodvultdeus On The Holy Innocents

A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king, Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and for ever in the life to come.

Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage. To destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.

You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers and fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong you own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.

The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The Christ child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.

To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.

-- Saint Quodvultdeus from a sermon about the Holy Innocents

Saint John the Apostle

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

-- Saint John the Apostle from The Gospel of John 3:16

Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe On Saint Stephen the Martyr

Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King. Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of his soldier. Yesterday our king, clothed in his robe of flesh, left his place in the virgin’s womb and graciously visited the world. Today his soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly to heaven.

Our king, despite his exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake; yet he did not come empty-handed. He gave of his bounty, yet without any loss to himself. In a marvelous way he changed into wealth the poverty of his faithful followers while remaining in full possession of his own inexhaustible riches. And so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth to heaven; shown first in the king, it later shone forth in his soldier. His love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him. Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.

Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid: love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey’s end.

My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven. Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your progress in it, make your ascent together.

-- Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe from a sermon

Saint Romanos the Melodist

The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal 
And the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible.
The angels and shepherds praise him 
And the magi advance with the star, 
For you are born for us, Little Child, God eternal! 

-- Kontakion of Saint Romanos the Melodist

Saint Peter Chrysologus

Now that we are reborn, as I have said, in the likeness of our Lord, and have indeed been adopted by God as his children, let us put on the complete image of our Creator so as to be wholly like him, not in the glory that he alone possesses, but in innocence, simplicity, gentleness, patience, humility, mercy, harmony, those qualities in which he chose to become, and to be, one with us.

-- Saint Peter Chrysologus

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil.

-- Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

Saint Poemen

To instruct your neighbor is the same thing as reproving him. 

-- Saint Poemen

Pope Blessed John Paul II

While every word of Elizabeth’s greeting is filled with meaning, her final words would seem to have fundamental importance: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Lk 1:45). These words can be linked with the title “full of grace” of the angel’s greeting. Both of these texts reveal an essential Mariological content, namely the truth about Mary who has become present in the mystery of Christ precisely because she “has believed.” The fullness of grace announced by the angel means the gift of God himself. Mary’s faith, proclaimed by Elizabeth at the Visitation, indicates how the Virgin of Nazareth responded to this gift.

-- Pope Blessed John Paul II

Saint Jerome

That which nature possesses not, which custom uses not, which eclipses reason, which the mind of man is unable to compass, which makes the heavens tremble, and strikes dumb the earth, which amazes every inhabitant of Heaven, all this was divinely announced by Gabriel to Mary, and was fulfilled in Christ.

-- Saint Jerome

Saint Jeanne de Chantal

We should go to prayer with deep humility and an awareness of our nothingness. We must invoke the help of the Holy Spirit and that of our good angel, and then remain still in God's presence, full of faith that He is more in us than we are in ourselves. 

-- Saint Jeanne de Chantal

Saint Madeline Sophie Barat

God does not ask of us the perfection of tomorrow, nor even of tonight, but only of the present moment. 

-- Saint Madeline Sophie Barat

Saint Charles of Sezze

God does not command us to live in hair shirts and chains, or to chastise our flesh with scourges, but to love Him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. 

-- Saint Charles of Sezze

Saint Augustine of Hippo

God had only One Son without sin, but never one without suffering.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Blessed Mary Frances Schervier

"You are my friends if you do what I command you.... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another." (John 15:14,17) If we do this faithfully and zealously, we will experience the truth of the words of our father Saint Francis who says that love lightens all difficulties and sweetens all bitterness. We will likewise partake of the blessing which Saint Francis promised to all his children, both present and future, after having admonished them to love one another even as he had loved them and continues to love them. 

-- Blessed Mary Frances Schervier

Saint John of the Cross

It is a matter of real sorrow when God has given those strength to break stronger fetters, those of vanity and sin, that they neglect their own progress and the attainment of such great blessings because they will not detach themselves from trifles. Not only do they not advance, they fall back. For it is well known that on the spiritual road not to go on overcoming self is to go backwards, and not to increase our gain is to lose.As wood can never be transformed into fire if one necessary degree of heat is missing, so the soul that has even one imperfection can never be perfectly transformed in God.

-- Saint John of the Cross

Saint Lucy of Syracuse

No one's body is polluted so as to endanger the soul if it has not pleased the mind. If you were to lift my hand to your idol and so make me offer against my will, I would still be guiltless in the sight of the true God, who judges according to the will and knows all things.

-- Saint Lucy of Syracuse

Saint Francis de Sales

God takes pleasure to see you take your little steps; and like a good father who holds his child by the hand, He will accommodate His steps to yours and will be content to go no faster than you.

-- Saint Francis de Sales

Just A Few Shopping Days Left Until Christmas

Well then, rest your tired feet and get Christmas gifts that people will love... and at the same time help support the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming and their monastery located right here in the U.S.A.!

Everyone who loves flavored coffee will especially love the Jingle Bell Java, which the monks describe as:

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New for this year, in a festive gold bag is their Christmas Blend 2012, which the monks say is:

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A selection of beans from all over the world, masterfully roasted and blended, with the end result being a coffee that is complex, fruity, and very smooth.

This special coffee will only be available this Christmas season - don't miss out!"

They also have a great assortment of Gift Packs available including chocolates (like chocolate covered coffee beans), teas, mugs, gift cards, and more as well as their great coffees.

Don't wait too long for the Jingle Bell Java and the Christmas Blend, they are time limited offers, and will be gone before you know it!

Saint John Chrysostom

God assents more when called on by ourselves than by others; and he often delays the giving, not from the wish that we should be utterly perplexed, nor to send us out with empty hands, but in order that he may become the author of greater good things to us.

-- Saint John Chrysostom

Saint John Chrysostom

It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but He who was crucified for us, Christ Himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their Power and Grace are God's. This is my body, He says. This word transforms the things offered. 

-- Saint John Chrysostom

Saint Thomas More

Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be.

-- Saint Thomas More

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all. Mary was a rose, white for maidenhood, red for love; white in body, red in soul; white in her seeking after virtue, red in treading down vice; white in cleansing her affections, red in mortifying her flesh; white in her love of God, red in compassion for her neighbor,

-- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Saint Ambrose of Milan

He who reads much and understands much, receives his fill. He who is full, refreshes others. So Scripture says: “If the clouds are full, they will pour rain upon the earth.”

-- Saint Ambrose of Milan

Saint Francis de Sales

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.

-- Saint Francis de Sales

Saint Philip Neri

Bear the cross and do not make the cross bear you.

-- Saint Philip Neri

Saint John Vianney

When our hands have touched spices, they give fragrance to all they handle. Let us make our prayers pass through the hands of the Blessed Virgin. She will make them fragrant.

-- Saint John Vianney

Saint Francis Xavier

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. 

-- Saint Francis Xavier

Saint Chromatius of Aquileia

We have been made light out of darkness as the Apostle says: For once you, were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. He says another time: For you are not sons of the light and of darkness, but you are all sons of light and of the day. Saint John also rightly asserts in his letter: God is light, and whoever abides in God is in the light just as God himself is in the light. Therefore, because we rejoice in having been freed from the darkness of error, we should always walk in the light as children of light. This is why the Apostle says: Among them you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.

--  Saint Chromatius of Aquileia from a discourse on the Gospel of Saint Matthew

Saint Edmund Campion

As to the treasons which have been laid to my charge, and for which I come here to suffer, I desire you all to bear witness with me that I am thereto altogether innocent. I am a Catholic man and a priest; in that Faith I have lived, and in that Faith do I intend to die. If you esteem my Religion treason, then I am guilty; as for the other treason, I never committed any, God is my judge. 

-- Saint Edmund Campion 

Saint John Chrysostom On Saint Andrew the Apostle

After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother Peter. Notice what Andrew said to him: “We have found the Messiah, that is to say, the Christ.” Notice how his words reveal what he has learned in so short a time. They show the power of the master who has convinced them of this truth. Andrew’s words reveal a soul waiting with the utmost longing for the coming of the Messiah, looking forward to his appearing from heaven, rejoicing when he does appear, and hastening to announce to great an event to others. To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, loving kinship and sincere affection.

-- Saint John Chrysostom from a homily on the Gospel of John

Saint John Chrysostom

If we have obtained the grace of God, none shall prevail against us, but we shall be stronger than all who oppose us.

-- Saint John Chrysostom

Saint John Gabriel Perboyre

I pray You to destroy in me all that is not of You. Grant that I may live but in You, by You and for You, so that I may truly say, with Saint Paul, "I live - now not I - But Christ lives in me.

-- Saint John Gabriel Perboyre

Saint Josemaría Escriva de Balaguer

A man who fails to love the Mass fails to love Christ. We must make an effort to "live" the Mass with calm and serenity, with devotion and affection. And this is why I have always suspected that those who want the Mass to be over with quickly show, with this insensitive attitude, that they have not yet realized what the sacrifice of the altar means.

-- Saint Josemaría Escriva de Balaguer

Posts From Our Other Blogs

Some of you may not be aware that I have several other blogs about our Catholic faith other than this one. All of my 20 plus blogs are under the "banner" of "Faith of the Fathers"

We have the mass readings posted every day on our blog, "Daily Mass Readings". They are posted each night, and are actually 1-2 days ahead of time for the U.S.A. They are posted that way so that they will be timely for those nations in Asia, the Pacific, and other nations who are actually a day ahead of us here.

So that you might get an idea of what some of our other blogs are about, I am going to list below a few of our other blogs, and one of the more popular postings from each.

First, we have "Apologetics", and one of the top posts there is: "Why Don't Catholics Read The Bible".

Then we have "Favorite Prayers And Scripture", where one of the more popular posts is: "Novema to Our Lady of Vailankanni".

On the blog "Saints of the Faith" we have a post about the Filipino martyr: "Blessed Pedro Calungsod".

Finally, on "Church Under Attack", there is my post about the National Geographic Special from a few years ago: "Gospel of Judas".

As I said, these are just a few of the several blogs under the "Faith of the Fathers" banner. You can always go to any of our blogs by going to the left-hand sidebar and looking for : FAITH OF THE FATHERS BLOGS (LISTED BY MOST RECENT POSTS), and use the scroll bar there to see our different blogs. The picture below shows what that section looks like.

As it says, the most recently updated blogs will be listed first. I hope you will visit my other blogs, and find them all useful and helpful.

Clicking this and making a donation helps me and enables me to keep these blogs going!

Saint Leonard of Port Maurice

First let us take these two undeniable truths as a basis: "God wants all men to be saved," "All are in need of the grace of God." Now, if I show you that God wants to save all men, and that for this purpose He gives all of them His grace and all the other necessary means of obtaining that sublime end, you will be obliged to agree that whoever is damned must impute it to his own malice, and that if the greater number of Christians are damned, it is because they want to be. "Thy damnation comes from thee; thy help is only in Me."

-- Saint Leonard of Port Maurice

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Saint John Baptist de la Salle

We should have frequent recourse to prayer, and persevere a long time in it. God wishes to be solicited. He is not weary of hearing us. The treasure of His graces is infinite. We can do nothing more pleasing to him than to beg incessantly that He bestow them upon us.

-- Saint John Baptist de la Salle

Want To Share A Post? Here's How

Some are not aware that they can share Saint Quote of the Day posts that they like and may feel that would be helpful for someone else.

No problem! I have given you a couple of ways to do so.

The first, is by using the "Share Bar" that is directly below the name of the saint to whom the quote is attributed. Look at the photo here to see what the "Share Bar" looks like:

With this tool, you can share a post in one or in all of several ways. You can click on the icons to share on (from left to right) Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Email, or click the orange + to choose to share on tumblr, StumbleUpon, Google, or over 300 different services and apps.

If you are reading this blog with a news or feed reader, subscribe by email, or come to the page, look at the bottom of each post and you will see this:

Click email this, and follow the instructions to email the post to a friend.

I hope this helps, and please do not be shy about sharing these quotes and this blog!