Quote for the Night

[Shin]

'Detachment from the things perceived by the senses means the vision of things spiritual.'

St. John Climacus

[Shin]

'We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.'

1 Corinthians 4:9

[Shin]

'Instead of seeking to be the friends of God, sinners wish to be the slaves of Satan, who is a cruel and merciless tyrant to all who submit to his yoke. And if he promises delights, he does it, as St. Cyprian says, not for our welfare, but that we may be the companions of his torments in hell.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'There is nothing more unreasonable than to estimate our worth by the opinion of others. Today they laud us to the skies, tomorrow they will cover us with ignominy.'

Ven. Louis de Granada

[Shin]

'When in a pure state, the intellect, on receiving the conceptual images of things, is moved to contemplate these things spiritually. But when it is sullied through indolence, while its conceptual images may in general be free from passion, those concerned with people produce in it thoughts that are shameful or wicked.'

St. Maximos the Confessor

[Shin]

'Even whilst sleeping, says Bellarmine, the sight of the cross was present to the heart of Jesus: "Christ had his cross always before his eyes. When he slept, his heart watched; nor was it ever free from the sight of the cross."'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'Now answer me candidly, when you are going to the church to hear Mass, do you bear in mind that you are going to Calvary to be present at the Redeemer's death? If this thought was deep in your soul, would you venture into the holy place with unbecoming gait, or in apparel that is immodest? Had Magdalene come to the foot of the cross on Calvary, bedizened, perfumed, and with a display of finery such as she wore in the time of her sinfulness, what would have been said of her? Now what are we to say of you who go to the holy place dressed out as for some merry-making? What should be said of you if you were to profane that most august sacrifice by unbeseeming conduct, such as nods, salutations, laughter, whisperings, or worse than all, lascivious and sacrilegious glancings? Iniquity is abominable on all occasions and in all places, but the sins that are committed during Mass, and under the shadow of the altar, are sins which call down God's signal maledictions, "Cursed be he who doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully." (Jer. xlviii. 10.)'

St. Leonard of Port Maurice

[Shin]

'I, Claude de la Colombiere, do from this hour bind myself by vow to fully and perfectly observe the rules of my order; to reject with horror all that men of the world love and thirst after; and to accept and yearn for the things that Christ our Lord loved and chose.'

St. Claude de la Colombiere

[Shin]

'You must be very careful to profit by the occasions of mortification and humiliation that come in your way, not avoiding or shunning them, for they are the principal means of uniting yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[Shin]

'The glory of one who knows how to suffer is so great that Heaven, angels and men, and even God Himself, gaze on him with joy as a most glorious sight. And if the saints in Heaven desired anything, it would be to return to earth so as to bear some crosses.'

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

[Shin]

'If a priest is determined not to lose his soul, so soon as any disorder arises in the parish he must trample under foot all human considerations as well as the fear of the contempt and hatred of his people. He must not allow anything to bar his way in the discharge of duty, even where he is certain of being murdered on coming down from the pulpit. A pastor who wants to do his duty must keep his sword in hand at all times.'

St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

[Shin]

'The intellect will go on looking for sensual pleasure until you subjugate the flesh and devote yourself to contemplation.'

St. Thalassios the Libyan

[Shin]

'As the reading of bad books fills the mind with worldly and poisonous sentiments; so, on the other hand, the reading of pious works fills the soul with holy thoughts and good desires.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'If you follow neither rule nor measure, you turn the good into evil, virtue into vice.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

[Shin]

'Ecclesiasticus says, that the fear of the Lord brings not pain, but joy and gladness: The fear of the Lord shall delight the heart, and shall give joy and gladness. Thus this very fear leads to the acquisition of a firm hope in God, which makes the soul happy: He that fears the Lord shall tremble at nothing, and shall not be afraid, for He is his hope. The soul of him that fears the Lord is blessed. Yes, blessed, because fear draws man away from sin. The fear of the Lord drives out sin and at the same time infuses into him a great desire of observing the commandments: Blessed is the man that fears the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'Oh that Thou wouldst deign, my God (thus cried out the prophet before the arrival of the Divine Word upon earth), to leave the heavens, and descend here to become man amongst us! Ah, then, on beholding Thee like one of themselves, the mountains would melt away; men would surmount all obstacles, remove all difficulties, in observing Thy laws and Thy counsels; the waters would burn with fire! Oh, surely Thou wouldst enkindle such a furnace in the human heart that even the most frozen souls must catch the flame of Thy blessed love! And, in fact, after the Incarnation of the Son of God, how brilliantly has the fire of divine love shone to many loving souls!'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori