Quote for the Night

[Shin]

'All created things are liberal, and show the goodness of the Creator: the sun scatters its light, the fire its heat; the tree throws out its arms, which are its branches, and reaches to us the fruit it bears: water, and air, and all nature express the liberality of the Creator, and we, who are his lively image, do not represent him, but through our degenerate manners deny Him in deeds while we are confessing Him with our mouths.'

St. Philip Neri

[odhiambo]

"If you have the courage to imitate Mary Magdalene in her sins, have the courage to imitate her penance!"
Padre Pio

[Shin]

A very memorable one!

[Shin]

'It is the manner of life which shows up those who know the commandments; for as a man's word is, so is his life.

The tree is known by its fruit, not by its blossom and leaves. Knowledge, then, comes from the fruit and from behaviour, not from talk and from blossom.'

St. Clement of Alexandria

[odhiambo]

'I also recommend to you holy modesty at all times and in all places, because we are always in the presence of God, Who is everywhere.'

St. Paul of the Cross

'Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.'

Philippians 4:5

[Shin]

Modesty everywhere! Alone and abroad!

After all truly we never are all alone!

[Shin]

'Our teacher Jesus Christ, out of pity for mankind and knowing the utter mercilessness of the demons, severely commands us: 'Be ready at every hour, for you do not know when the thief will come; do not let him come and find you asleep' (cf. Matt. 24:42-43). He also says: 'Take heed, lest your hearts be overwhelmed with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and the hour come upon you unawares' (cf. Luke 21:34). Stand guard, then, over your heart and keep a watch on your senses; and if the remembrance of God dwells peaceably within you, you will catch the thieves when they try to deprive you of it. When a man has an exact knowledge about the nature of thoughts, he recognizes those which are about to enter and defile him, troubling the intellect with distractions and making it lazy. Those who recognize these evil thoughts for what they are remain undisturbed and continue in prayer to God.'

St. Isaiah the Solitary

[Shin]

'Look upon the lowly path as the real one our Lord has traced out for us, and the surest to reach Him. Walk steadily therein in peace and thanksgiving.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[odhiambo]

“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.”
St. Francis of Assisi

[Shin]

I am loving these quotes lately.

[Shin]

'The sorrow of Mary is like the Mediterranean Sea, for it is written, "Your sorrow is great as the sea." From that sea we pass to a second sea, which has no limits; it is the Passion of Our Lord, of which the Royal Prophet said, "I am entered on the high sea." There the soul enriches herself in fishing for the priceless pearls of virtue.'

St. Paul of the Cross

[Shin]

'Blessed the one who keeps vigil in prayers and reading and good work, such a one will become enlightened so that he does not sleep in death.'

St. Ephrem of Syria

[Shin]

'So, then, whoever seeks to be received into the discipline of the cenobium is never admitted until, by lying outside for ten days or more, he has given an indication of his perseverance and desire, as well as of his humility and patience. And when he has embraced the knees of all the brothers passing by and has been purposely rebuked and disdained by everyone, as if he wished to enter the monastery not out of devotion but out of necessity, and has been visited with numerous insults and reproaches and has given proof of his constancy, and by putting up with taunts has shown what he will be like in time of trial, and when the ardor of his intention has been proven and he has thus been received, he is asked with the utmost earnestness if, from his former possessions, the contamination of even a single copper coin clings to him.'

St. John Cassian

[Shin]

'Let him who desires to be loosed from the chains of cursing and to attain to the full blessing of new grace love the Cross, from which all the fullness of blessing flows. Let him bind himself to God's commandments by the Cross. Let him restrain the unbridled lusts of the flesh by means of the Cross. For if by yielding to the flesh we incur the sentence of damnation, by restraining it we shall deserve the grace of blessedness. From the wine-press of the Cross a great flood of blessing has flowed, which washed away all the poison of the ancient curse. From it fall drops of heavenly grace, which bring life-giving moisture to the dryness of men's spirits, and cause them to abound in the happy fruit of all the virtues. This is that cloud shaped like a man's foot-mark which appeared to Elijah in the time of drought, and which soon let fall a great rain. The Scriptures tell us of this: 'Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's foot-mark.' [3 I Kings 18, 44] Now it is said to have arisen like a man's footprint and not like a man because it symbolizes the Cross which was fitted to the limbs of Christ. And the Cross is rightly likened to a man's footprint because by it the God-man made His departure when He returned to the Father, as John tells us: 'Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father.' [4 John 13, 1] Now Pasch means 'a passing over'. And this passing over was brought about by the Cross, as the Apostle says: 'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.' As He came down to us through a Virgin, so He returned to His own through the Cross.'

St. Peter Damian

[odhiambo]

"Tribulation is a gift from God - one that he especially gives His special friends."
St. Thomas More

[odhiambo]

"’Eat my flesh,’ [Jesus] says, ‘and drink my blood.’ The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutrients, he delivers over his flesh and pours out his blood, and nothing is lacking for the growth of his children"
St. Clement of Alexandria