Pope Saint John XXIII Quote

We also wish to ask you, Venerable Brethren, to recite Mary's rosary through the month of October with particular devotion, and to entreat the Virgin Mother of God in suppliant prayer, for another intention which is dear to Our heart: that the Roman Synod may bring many blessings and benefits upon this city; that the forthcoming Ecumenical Council, in which you will participate by your presence and your advice, will add wondrous growth to the universal Church; and that the renewed vigor of all the Christian virtues which We hope this Council will produce will also serve as an invitation and incentive to reunion for Our Brethren and children who are separated from this Apostolic See.

-- Pope Saint John XXIII from his Encyclical “GRATA RECORDATIO”

Saint Francis Borgia Quote

I have great doubts about the salvation of those who do not have special devotion to Mary.

-- Saint Francis Borgia

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman Quote

We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe.

-- Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman

Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Quote

You will be consoled according to the greatness of your sorrow and affliction; the greater the suffering, the greater will be the reward.

-- Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Quote (On the Rosary)

Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.

-- Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

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 Faustina Kowalska Quote

Oh, how great is the goodness of God, greater than we can understand. There are moments and there are mysteries of the divine mercy over which the heavens are astounded. Let our judgment of souls cease, for God’s mercy upon them is extraordinary.

-- Saint Faustina Kowalska from her diary

Saint Francis of Assisi Quote

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.

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

Saint Francis de Sales Quote

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 Basil the Great Quote

With regard to doing the will of the Lord, even if someone should be scandalized by what we do, we must not let that hamper our freedom of action.

-- Saint Basil the Great

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Quote

Jesus set the book of nature before me and I saw that all the flowers he has created are lovely. The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realized that if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be no wildflowers to make the meadows gay.

It is just the same in the world of souls - which is the garden of Jesus. He has created the great saints who are like the lilies and the roses, but he has also created much lesser saints and they must be content to be the daisies or the violets which rejoice his eyes whenever he glances down. Perfection consists in doing his will, in being that which he wants us to be.

Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be - and becoming that person.

-- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux from "Story of a Soul"

Saint Jerome Quote

You say in your book that while we live we are able to pray for each other, but afterwards when we have died, the prayer of no person for another can be heard.... But if the apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, at a time when they ought still be solicitous about themselves, how much more will they do so after their crowns, victories, and triumphs?

-- Saint Jerome from “Against Vigilantius”

Pope Saint Gregory the Great Quote

He causes his prayers to be of more avail to himself, who offers them also for others.

-- Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Saint Vincent de Paul Quote

As it is most certain that the teaching of Christ cannot deceive, if we would walk securely, we ought to attach ourselves to it with greatest confidence and to profess openly that we live according to it, and not to the maxims of the world, which are all deceitful. This is the fundamental maxim of all Christian perfection.

-- Saint Vincent de Paul

Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc Quote

All places are alike to me, because everywhere I expect to find God, who is the only object of all my desires.

-- Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc

Saint Teresa of Avila Quote

All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding his life we find that he is the best example.

-- Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint Amma Syncletice Quote

In the same way a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. And there is much profit of soul in bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God.

-- Saint Amma Syncletice

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Quote

Remember, that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are secret or hidden doors. Temptations, discouragement, and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise, it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord within the human soul.

-- Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

Saint Augustine of Hippo Quote

Accordingly, we should pray for pardon if we have sinned, as we do when we say, "Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors." But we should also pray that God should guide us away from sin, and this we do when we say, "Lead us not into temptation"--and we should make our petitions to Him of whom it is said in the psalm, "The Lord is my light and my salvation"(Psalms 27:1.); that, as Light, he may take away our ignorance, as Salvation, our weakness.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo from “Enchiridion On Faith, Hope, and Love”

Saint Isidore of Seville Quote

Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. But when God's Grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, His word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart.

-- Saint Isidore of Seville from his writing "The Book of Maxims"

Saint Paul Chong Hasang Quote

I have told you that I am a Christian, and will be one until my death.

-- Saint Paul Chong Hasang to the judge at his trial after being told the king forbade his religion

Saint Therese of Lisieux Quote

Really, I am far from being a saint, and what I have just said is proof of this; instead of rejoicing, for example, at my aridity, I should attribute it to my little fervor and lack of fidelity; I should be desolate for having slept (for seven years) during my hours of prayer and my thanksgivings after Holy Communion; well, I am not desolate. I remember that little children are as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as well as when they are wide awake; I remember, too, that when they perform operations, doctors put their patients to sleep. Finally, I remember that: “The Lord knows our weakness, that he is mindful that we are but dust and ashes.”

-- Saint Therese of Lisieux from Story of a Soul

Saint Joseph of Cupertino Quote

Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession.

--Saint Joseph of Cupertino, from the reading for his feast in the Franciscan breviary

Saint Robert Bellarmine Quote

Is it not true that you promise those who keep your commandments a reward more desirable than great wealth and sweeter than honey? You promise a most abundant reward, for as your apostle James says: “The Lord has prepared a crown of life for those who love him.” What is this crown of life? It is surely a greater good than we can conceive of or desire, as Saint Paul says, quoting Isaiah: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.

-- Saint Robert Bellarmine

Saint Cyprian of Carthage Quote

Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides of death always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy.

-- Saint Cyprian of Carthage

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Quote (From a sermon on Mary's Sorrows)

Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus - who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours - gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.

Or were those words, Woman, behold your Son, not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of iron and stone though they are!

Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.

-- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux from a sermon

Saint Andrew of Crete Quote

The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: “Father, glorify your name”. Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again”. Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.

-- Saint Andrew of Crete

Saint John Chrysostom Quote

It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop...while buying or selling...or even while cooking.

-- Saint John Chrysostom

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Quote

Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what Eve bound through her disbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.

-- Saint Irenaeus of Lyons

Saint John of Avila Quote

It is written that "God is love"-- and if He is love, He must needs be infinite love and infinite goodness, and it is no wonder that such love and goodness should at times bestow on certain souls an affection which confounds those who do not understand it. Although many know this by faith, yet, unless they have experienced it themselves, they cannot understand the affectionate, and more than affectionate way, in which God elects to treat some of His creatures. Those who themselves are far from having received favors of this kind, cannot believe God would deal with others in so different a manner. Yet it would be only reasonable to think that such love, a love which fills us with wonder, must come from God, Who is marvelous in all His works, but still more marvelous in His mercies.

-- Saint John of Avila from a letter to Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Quote

Say nothing of this, give thanks to God, not to me. I am only a vessel of clay, a poor sinner.

-- Saint Nicholas of Tolentino said to those whom he helped

*Trivia note: Saint Nicholas of Tolentino was the first Augustinian to be canonized

Saint Peter Claver Quote

To do the will of God, man must despise his own; the more he dies to himself, the more he will live to God.

-- Saint Peter Claver

Saint Andrew of Crete Quote

This is the revelation of the mystery, this is the emptying out of the divine nature, the union of God and man, and the deification of the manhood that was assumed. This radiant and manifest coming of God to men most certainly needed a joyful prelude to introduce the great gift of salvation to us. The present festival, the birth of the Mother of God, is the prelude, while the final act is the fore-ordained union of the Word with flesh. Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed and prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of the ages.

-- Saint Andrew of Crete

Saint Athanasius the Great Quote

Even on the Cross He did not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of its Maker.

-- Saint Athanasius the Great

Saint John Cantius Quote

Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.

-- Saint John Cantius

Venerable Fulton Sheen Quote

Right is right if nobody is right, and wrong is wrong if everybody is wrong.

-- Venerable Fulton Sheen

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman Quote

May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest and peace at the last.

-- Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman a daily prayer by him

Pope Saint Gregory the Great Quote

Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot.

-- Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Blessed Brother Solomon le Clerq Quote

As for us, we hold to what we believed ten and twenty years ago; to what our forefathers believed one hundred years ago, and one thousand years ago, and to that which the whole Catholic world has always believed.

-- Blessed Brother Solomon le Clerq

Saint Catherine of Siena Quote

Consider God's charity. Where else have we ever seen someone who has been offended voluntarily paying out his life for those who have offended him?

-- Saint Catherine of Siena

Saint Cyprian of Carthage Quote

You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother…. God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into the strong unity of a body…. If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let us be lovers of peace.

-- Saint Cyprian of Carthage

Saint Augustine of Hippo Quote

People hate the truth for the sake of whatever it is that they love more than the truth. They love truth when it shines warmly on them, and hate it when it rebukes them.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Saint Bede the Venerable Quote (On John the Baptist)

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: “I am the truth”? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ. Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer. Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men. He was locked away in the darkness of prison, through he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was ever at hand, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: “You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake.” He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”

-- Saint Bede the Venerable from a homily on the death of John the Baptist

Saint Augustine of Hippo Quote

This is the business of our life. By labor and prayer to advance in the grace of God, till we come to that height of perfection in which, with clean hearts, we may behold God.

-- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Saint Monica Quote

Son, as far as I am concerned, nothing in this life now gives me any pleasure. I do not know why I am still here, since I have no further hopes in this world. I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see you become a Catholic Christian before I died. God has lavished his gifts on me in that respect, for I know that you have even renounced earthly happiness to be his servant. So what am I doing here?

-- Saint Monica

Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Quote

Holy Spirit, inspire me. Love of God consume me. Along the true road, lead me. Mary, my good mother, look down upon me. With Jesus, bless me. From all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.

-- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

Saint Joseph Calasanz Quote

As Scripture says, “Those who instruct many in justice will shine as stars for all eternity.” They will attain this more easily if they make a covenant of perpetual obedience and strive to cling to Christ and please him alone, because, in his words, “What you did to one of the least of my brethren, you did to me.”

-- Saint Joseph Calasanz

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Saint Nathanael bar Tolomai (Bartholomew) Quote

Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.

-- Saint Nathanael bar Tolomai (Bartholomew) from The Gospel According To John 1:49

Saint Rose of Lima Quote

When we serve the poor and the sick we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus.

-- Saint Rose of Lima