Quote for the Night

[Shin]

'Self-love precedes all the passions, while last of all comes pride.'

St. Thalassios the Libyan

[Benedict]

"Certain people also reproach heretics on behalf of the faith, but through their arrogance, they have disdain for those who are within the Church. They even put down adversaries for their unfaithfulness, but they oppress the faithful by the weight of their pride."
Saint Isidore of Seville Sententiae Book 2 Chapter 2 verse 15

[Shin]

'We ought not to publish or manifest to every one the inspirations which God sends us, or the favours He grants us. Secretum meum mihi! Secretum meum mihi!'

St. Philip Neri

[Shin]

'Be careful that you do not lose anything of the Body of the Lord. If you let fall anything, you must think of it as though you cut off one of the members of your own body. Tell me, I beg you, if someone gave you kernels of gold, would you not guard them with the greatest care and diligence, intent on not losing anything? Should you not exercise even greater care and vigilance, so that not even a crumb of the Lord's Body could fall to the ground, for It is far more precious than gold or jewels?'

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

[Shin]

'A crooked and rough trunk of a tree, if it could think, would never believe that it could become a statue, a master-piece of sculpture: it would not wish to place itself under the chisel of any one who, by his art, sees well what he could make of it. Thus many people, hardly living as Christians, are far from imagining that they could become great Saints, if they allowed the grace of God to act in them and not resist its influence.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

[Benedict]

Romans 8:28-30 Douay Rheims
28And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to His purpose, are called to be saints.
29For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His Son; that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren.
30And whom He predestinated, them He also called. And whom He called, them He also justified. And whom He justified, them He also glorified.

[Shin]

'He who seeks the energies of the Spirit, before he has actively observed the commandments, is like someone who sells himself into slavery and who, as soon as he is bought, asks to be given his freedom while still keeping his purchase money.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

[Shin]

'Besides, the Holy Ghost tells us that in speaking too much we shall not fail to commit some fault. "In multitude of words they shall not want sin." While they speak and prolong conversation without necessity, certain persons think that they are not guilty of any defect; but if they carefully examine themselves they will find some fault against modesty, of detraction, of curiosity, or at least of superfluous words.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'By virtuous actions break with your sins, break with your crimes by showing mercy to the poor, and so perhaps live long and peacefully.'

Daniel 4:24

[Shin]

'Speak a great deal with God, and little with men.'

St. Ephrem

[Shin]

'Do not wish what concerns you to be as seems (best) to you, but as God wishes; and you will be free from cares and thankful in your prayer.'

St. Nilus of Sinai

[Shin]

'The devil tries to soil and defile every good thing a man would do by intermingling with it his own seeds in the form of self-esteem, presumption, complaint, and other things of this kind, so that what we do is not done for God alone, or with a glad heart. Abel offered a sacrifice to God of the fat and firstlings of his flock, while Cain offered gifts of the fruits of the earth, but not of the firstfruits; and that is why God looked with favor on Abel's sacrifices, but paid no attention to Cain's gifts (cf. Gen. 4:3-5). This shows us that it is possible to do something good in the wrong way - that is to say, to do it negligently, or scornfully, or else not for God's sake but for some other purpose; and for this reason it is unacceptable to God.'

St. Symeon Metaphrastis

[Shin]

'Be gentle and kind with every one, and severe with yourself.'

St. Teresa of Jesus

[Shin]

'The gifts of God leave in the humble soul a deep knowledge of her own insufficiency, a love of contempt, a fervor in the practice of virtue; they move her to keep her secret from all creatures except the spiritual father whom God gives her as her director.'

St. Paul of the Cross

[Shin]

'If you wish to regain the good graces of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you must no longer commit any voluntary fault, otherwise, you will seek for them in vain.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[Shin]

'In the lives of the Fathers we read that there was a certain poor monk who owned a mat. At night he put half of it under him and the other half he used as a coverlet. Once when it was very cold, the superior of the monastery heard the poor monk praying: "I give thanks, O my God," he prayed, "because there are very many rich men in prison, many in irons, many in the stocks, but I like an emperor and lord may stretch my legs and go whither I wish."'

St. Bonaventure