Saint Macarius of Egypt Quote

Lord, be merciful now that my life is approaching its end, and the evening awaits me. There is not enough time for me to cleanse myself of my sins, for they are so many. Heal me while I am still on earth, and I shall be truly healthy. In your mercy, move me to repent so that I shall not be ashamed when I meet you in heaven.

-- Saint Macarius of Egypt

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Saint Aelred of Rievaulx Quote

How I savor it when I see the Lord of all majesty showing himself as far as bodily exertion and human emotion are concerned not like the strong but the weak. What a comfort it is to me in my weakness! Truly this weakness of my Lord without doubt brings me strength and stability in my weakness. I am entrusted with the care of my brother's body and soul (for I do not love the whole man if I neglect anything belonging to either -- for it is very difficult for the mind not to be tempted when the flesh has too much to suffer). If I see him in distress, whether it be on account of the austerity of the food or because of work or the vigils -- if, I say, I see that he is tormented in body and tempted in spirit, if I see him in such affliction and...do not on occasion accommodate myself to the infirmities of the weak I am not running in the fragrance of Christ's ointments but with the harshness of the pharisees.

-- Saint Aelred of Rievaulx

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Saint John of Damascus Quote

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

Saint John Climacus Quote

Do not condemn, even with your eyes, for they are often deceived.

-- Saint John Climacus

Saint Raphael Kalinowski Quote

I keep my eyes fixed on Eternity, and from this source I draw constancy in the midst of the confusion of daily life. God empties my heart of all natural attachments, probably to fill it with things more pure, of which nothing surpasses the desire to do good to my neighbor. I like to find at least a few moments each day spent in doing good for others out of love for God. These few moments, almost unnoticeably used, bring something like rays of peace and comfort behind them. They unite us with people and God with purity and sweetness.

-- Saint Raphael Kalinowski

Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc Quote

Lord, grant me the grace to shed my blood for the unity of the church and in behalf of obedience to the Holy See.

-- Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc

Saint Martin of Tours Quote

I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight.

-- Saint Martin of Tours when refusing his commanders orders to participate in a battle

Saint Dorotheus of Gaza Quote

It is impossible for anyone to get angry with his neighbor without initially raising himself above him, belittling him and then regarding himself higher than the neighbor.

-- Saint Dorotheus of Gaza

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Quote On The Importance of the Saints

Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints. But our dispositions change. The Church of all the first followers of Christ awaits us, but we do nothing about it. The saints want us to be with them, and we are indifferent. The souls of the just await us, and we ignore them.

Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory. Do not imagine that there is anything harmful in such an ambition as this; there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.

-- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux from a sermon

Saint Bruno Quote

Rejoice, my dearest brothers, because you are blessed and because of the bountiful hand of God’s grace upon you. Rejoice, because you have escaped the various dangers and shipwrecks of the stormy world. Rejoice because you have reached the quiet and safe anchorage of a secret harbor. Many wish to come into this port, and many make great efforts to do so, yet do not achieve it. Indeed many, after reaching it, have been thrust out, since it was not granted them from above. By your work you show what you love and what you know. When you observe true obedience with prudence and enthusiasm, it is clear that you wisely pick the most delightful and nourishing fruit of divine Scripture.

-- Saint Bruno from a letter

Saint Amadeus of Lausanne Quote

She is a bride, so gentle and affectionate, and the mother of the only true bridegroom. In her abundant goodness she has channelled the spring of reason’s garden, the well of living and life-giving waters that pour forth in a rushing stream from divine Lebanon and flow down from Mount Zion until they surround the shores of every far-flung nation. With divine assistance she has redirected these waters and made them into streams of peace and pools of grace. Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting angels and rejoicing archangels, with the heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir (Psalm 45).

-- Saint Amadeus of Lausanne

Saint Anastasius Sinaita Quote

Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: Lord, it is good for us to be here.

-- Saint Anastasius Sinaita

Saint Dorotheus of Gaza Quote

When God created man, He planted something divine into him — a certain conception — a spark that has both light and warmth. The conception that enlightens the mind and indicates what is right and what is wrong is called conscience. Conscience is a natural law. Living in times before any written law, patriarchs and saints pleased God by following the voice of their conscience.

-- Saint Dorotheus of Gaza

Saint Benedict of Nursia Quote

We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words.

-- Saint Benedict of Nursia from Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 20

Saint Mark the Ascetic Quote

Even though knowledge is true, it is still not firmly established if unaccompanied by works. For everything is established by being put into practice.

-- Saint Mark the Ascetic

Blessed Pierre-Joseph Cassant

For such a long time we hoped against hope to be able to have the whole family together after my ordination so as to share the joy of being present and receiving Communion together at my first Mass. The good Lord heard our deepest wishes. It now remains to us to thank Him and to enter more and more deeply into the greatness of the priesthood. Let us never dare to equate the Sacrifice of the Mass with earthly things.

-- Blessed Pierre-Joseph Cassant from a letter to his family

Saint Joseph the Hymnographer Quote

And wilt Thou pardon, Lord,

A sinner such as I,

Although Thy book his crimes record,

Of such a crimson dye?

So deep are they engraved,

So terrible their fear,

The righteous scarcely shall be saved,

And where shall I appear?

O Thou Physician blest,

Make clean my guilty soul

And me, by many a sin oppressed,

Restore and keep me whole.

I know not how to praise

Thy mercy and Thy love;

But deign my soul from earth to raise

And learn from Thee above.

-- Saint Joseph the Hymnographer

Saint Anthony of Padua Quote

Solicitude for material things rends the soul; thus distracted, it divides it. The devil seizes the divided soul and thereby kills it.

-- Saint Anthony of Padua from a sermon

Saint Vincent of Lérins Quote

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

-- Saint Vincent of Lérins

Saint Quote: Saint Joseph the Hymnographer

Let us now our voices raise,

Wake the day with gladness;

God Himself to joy and praise

Turns our human sadness;

Joy that martyrs won their crown,

Opened heav’ns bright portal,

When they laid the mortal down

For the life immortal.

Never flinched they from the flame,

From the torment never;

Vain the tyrant’s sharpest aim,

Vain each fierce endeavor:

For by faith they saw the land

Decked in all its glory,

Where triumphant now they stand

With the victor’s story.

Up and follow, Christian men!

Press through toil and sorrow;

Spurn the night of fear, and then,

O the glorious morrow!

Who will venture on the strife;

Who will first begin it?

Who will grasp the land of life?

Warriors, up and win it!

-- Saint Joseph the Hymnographer from his hymn “Let Us Now Our Voices Raise”