Quote for the Night

[Shin]

'Every thought has its weight and measure in God's sight. For it is possible to think about the same thing either passionately or objectively.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

[Shin]

'How are they of the Catholic Church, who have shaken off the Apostolical faith, and become authors of fresh evils?'

St. Athanasius

[Shin]

'The intellect is made blind by these three passions: avarice, self-esteem and sensual pleasure. Scripture calls these three the daughters of the horseleech, dearly loved by their mother folly (cf. Prov. 30:15. LXX). These three passions on their own dull spiritual knowledge and faith, the foster-brothers of our nature. It is because of them that wrath, anger, war, murder and all other evils have such power over mankind.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

[Shin]

'As I was about to receive Holy Communion, our Lord told me that He would come Himself to imprint on my heart the mystical life which He leads in the Holy Eucharist, a life entirely hidden and annihilated in the eyes of men, a life of sacrifice and seeming inactivity. He added that He would Himself give me the strength to do what He required of me.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[Shin]

'One soul! my daughters, one eternity!'

St. Teresa of Jesus

[Shin]

'There were two saints in the desert, who had sewed thorns into all their clothes; and we seek for nothing but comfort!'

St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

[Shin]

'St. Bernard says that poverty was not to be found in heaven, it existed only on earth; but that man, not knowing its value, did not seek after it. Therefore the Son of God came down from heaven to this earth, and chose it for his companion throughout his whole life, that by his example he might also render it precious and desirable to us: "Poverty was not found in heaven, but she was well known on earth, and men knew not her excellence. So the Son of God loved her, and came down from heaven to take her to himself, that we might learn to value her when we see how he regards her."'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'"The soldier going to war", it is said, "does not entangle himself in the affairs of this world" (2 Tim. 2:4). For he who entangles himself with the passions while trying to overcome them is like a man who tries to put out a fire with straw.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

[Shin]

'Do not let any occasion of gaining merit pass without taking care to draw some spiritual profit from it; as, for example, from a sharp word which someone may say to you; from an act of obedience imposed against your will; from an opportunity which may occur to humble yourself, or to practice charity, sweetness, and patience. All of these occasions are gain for you, and you should seek to procure them; and at the close of that day, when the greatest number of them have come to you, you should go to rest most cheerful and pleased, as the merchant does on the day when he had had most chance for making money; for on that day business has prospered with him.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

[Shin]

'Look at bad Christians; they do everything with trouble and disgust; and why, my children? because they do not love the good God, because their soul is not pure, and their hopes are no longer in Heaven, but on earth. Their heart is an impure source which poisons all their actions, and prevents them from rising to God; so they come to die without having thought of death, destitute of good works for Heaven, and loaded with crimes for Hell: this is the way they are lost forever, my children. People say it is too much trouble to save one's soul; but, my children, is it not trouble to acquire glory or fortune? Do you stay in bed when you have to go and plough, or mow, or reap? No. Well, then, why should you be more idle when you have to lay up an immense fortune which will never perish -- when you have to strive for eternal glory?'

St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

[Shin]

'Like a faithful servant, you must forget yourself so as to work wholeheartedly in the service of your divine Master, Who will reward your actions in proportion to your love alone.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[Shin]

'When the demons see that someone has the zeal and diligence to pray as he ought, then they suggest to him thoughts about something, supposedly important, and then draw away; but a little later they again call up the memory of this thing, urging his mind to examine it, if it is a problem - to solve it; if it is a thing - to acquire it; and he, not finding what he seeks, feels vexed and grieved. Then, when he stands up to pray, the demons remind him of what he had thought of and sought for, so that his mind should once more be moved to inquiry and his prayer become barren.'

St. Nilus of Sinai

[Shin]

'Men always seek to advance in, the knowledge of their secular profession, but are satiated with the mere rudiments of the science of the saints. In all their worldly pursuits, men are never satiated; but in virtue it is sufficient for them to have made a beginning.'

St. Jerome

[Shin]

'St. Catherine of Bologna, when she wished to obtain any grace, had recourse to the souls in Purgatory, and her prayers were heard immediately. She declared that, by praying to those holy souls she obtained many favors which she had sought through the intercession of the saints without obtaining them. The graces which devout persons are said to have received through the holy souls are innumerable.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

'He who wishes to purify his faults purifies them with tears and he who wishes to acquire virtues, acquires them with tears.'

St. Poemen

[Shin]

'Let all involuntary suffering teach you to remember God, and you will not lack occasion for repentance.'

St. Mark the Ascetic