QUOTATION: Who Crucified Our Lord?

Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins.

-- St. Francis of Assisi

QUOTATION: Mary's Heart

Mary, totally united with God, has a heart that is so big that all creation can find a place there.

--Pope Benedict XVI

QUOTATION: Prayer

Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.

--St. Ephraim of Syria

QUOTATION: Evil Spirits

The present war with evil spirits would seem to be very different from what it was in former ages. They attack a civilized age in a more subtle way than they attack a rude age. We read in lives of saints and others of the evil spirit showing himself and fighting with them face to face, but now those subtle and experienced spirits find it is more to their purpose not to show themselves, or at least not so much. They find it their interest to let the idea of them die away from the minds of men, that being unrecognized, they may do the more mischief. And they assault men in a more subtle way—not grossly, in some broad temptation, which everyone can understand, but in some refined way they address themselves to our pride or self-importance, or love of money, or love of ease, or love of show, or our depraved reason, and thus have really the dominion over persons who seem at first sight to be quite superior to temptation.

--Blessed John Henry Newman, Sermon 5, “Surrender to God” in Faith and Prejudices and Other Sermons, 1848

QUOTATION: Satan Hates Mercy

Satan has admitted to me that I am the object of his hatred. He said that "a thousand souls do me less harm than you do when you speak of the great mercy of the Almighty One. The greatest sinners regain confidence and return to God , and I lose everything. But what is more, you persecute me personally with that unfathomable mercy of the Almighty One." I took note of the great hatred Satan has for the mercy of God. He does not want to acknowledge that God is good. (1167)

As I write these words, I hear the cry of Satan: "She's writing everything, she's writing everything, and because of this we are losing so much! Do not write about the goodness of God; He is just!" And howling with fury, he vanished. (1338)

--St. Faustina Kowalska

QUOTATION: The Christian Paradox

The Christian experiences and lives a paradox. He possesses joy in sorrow, fulfillment in exile, light in darkness, peace in turmoil, consolation in dryness, contentment in pain and hope in desolation.

    —Mother Angelica, His Pain Like Mine

QUOTATION: Mother Teresa's Humility List

1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.

2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.

3. Avoid curiosity.

4. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.

5. Accept small irritations with good humor.

6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.

7. Accept censures even if unmerited.

8. Give in to the will of others.

9. Accept insults and injuries.

10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.

11. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.

12. Do not seek to be admired and loved.

13. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.

14. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.

15. Choose always the more difficult task.

--Mother Teresa of Calcutta

QUOTATION: The Decline of Manhood

‎We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful.

--C.S. Lewis

QUOTATION: Evil

Remember, never to fear the power of evil more than your trust in the power and love of God.

--St. Hermas

QUOTATION: Complaining

Complain as little as possible about the wrongs you suffer. ... Above all, do not complain to irascible or fault-finding persons. If you feel the need to correct an offense or restore your peace of mind by complaining to someone, do so to those who are even-tempered and really love God.

--St. Francis de Sales

QUOTATION: Hell

Those who will be thrust down into that place full of horror will suffer not only the most terrible pain in the eternal fire, but also the absolute privation of all things, as well as shame and disgrace full of acute embarrassment and confusion. Indeed, in a flash they will lose their palaces, fields, vineyards, flocks, oxen, clothing, as well as their gold, silver and precious gems, and will be reduced to such destitution that the rich banqueter will desire and beg for a drop of cold water, but will not be heard (Lk 16:24-26). …

If what we have said about the loss of all goods, both heavenly and earthly, and about the bitter pains, ignominy and shame, were to have an end or at least were mixed with some sort of consolation or relief, as it happens with all the miseries of this life, then they might be considered tolerable in some way. However, it is absolutely certain and beyond any doubt that, just as the happiness of the blessed will be perpetual and without any afflictions, so the unhappiness of the damned will last forever without any relief.

Those who do not make every effort to attain to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal happiness, regardless of any trials and dangers and shame and death, which the Apostle calls light and passing (2 Cor 4”17), must indeed be blind men and fools.

--St. Robert Bellarmine

QUOTATION: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

God never blinds any sinner, but he often refuses to grant to some, in punishment for their ingratitude, the light that he would have given them had they remained faithful and grateful. Hence when it is said that God makes any one blind, it is meant that he withholds the light of his grace. This, therefore is the sense of the prayer, and lead us not into temptation; we ask God not to permit us to have the misfortune of being in those occasions of sin in which we might fall.

--St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Holy Eucharist

QUOTATION: Vain Curiosity

What a deal of time is lost, to say nothing else, in this day by curiosity, about things which in no ways concern us. I am not speaking against interest in the news of the day altogether, for the course of the world must ever be interesting to a Christian from its bearing upon the fortunes of the Church, but I speak of vain curiosity, love of scandal, love of idle tales, curious prying into the private history of people, curiosity about trials and offences, and personal matters, nay often what is much worse than this, curiosity into sin. What strange diseased curiosity is sometimes felt about the history of murders, and of the malefactors themselves! Worse still, it is shocking to say, but there is so much evil curiosity to know about deeds of darkness, of which the Apostle says that it is shameful to speak. Many a person, who has no intention of doing the like, from an evil curiosity reads what he ought not to read. This is in one shape or other very much the sin of boys, and they suffer for it. The knowledge of what is evil is the first step in their case to the commission of it. Hence this is the way in which we are called upon, with this Lent we now begin, to mortify ourselves. Let us mortify our curiosity.

--Blessed John Henry Newman, Sermon 5, “Surrender to God” in Faith and Prejudices and Other Sermons, 1848

QUOTATION: Evangelization

We are called to be fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium.

--Cardinal Sean O’Malley

QUOTATION: Love and Hate

Sometimes hatred is charming, while love must show itself severe.

--St. Augustine

QUOTATION: Suffering

You have to be careful with suffering. One has to be careful not to enjoy it, or focus on it, or expand it too much. Then suffering becomes the goal. The goal is not suffering; the goal is loving patience, offered to God as best one can. And the humility to admit that we don’t do this very well. One of the things I learned from my illness is that over and over again we have to tell God that we really trust Him. Trusting in God is not one action; it’s an ongoing way of life.

--Fr. Benedict Groeschel

QUOTATION: Vanity

The less beauty the soul has, the more it needs to decorate the body. Excessive luxury of dress and vain display of external beauty are signs of the nakedness of the soul.

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: Sanctity

To acquire courage it is very useful to read the lives of the saints, especially of those who, after living in sin, attained great sanctity.

--St. Alphonsus Liguori

QUOTATION: Religion in the Public Square

At the heart of the noble American project is a recognition that religion is essential for a virtuous democracy and the promotion of the common good.

--Cardinal Timothy Dolan

QUOTATION: The Church is Hated Like Christ

If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must… still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world. Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth. Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself. … the Catholic Church is the only Church existing today which goes back to the time of Christ. History is so very clear on this point, it is curious how many miss its obviousness…

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: Religion in the Public Square

‎

Asking a Christian to keep his religion out of the public square is like asking a married man to act single in public.

--Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

QUOTATION: St. Faustina's Sufferings for the Unborn

September 16, 1937. I wanted very much to make a Holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament today. But God’s will was otherwise. At eight o’clock I was seized with such violent pains that I had to go to bed at once. I was convulsed with pain for three hours; that is, until eleven o’clock at night. No medicine had any effect on me, and whatever I swallowed I threw up. At times, the pains caused me to lose consciousness. Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His agony in the garden, and that He himself allowed these sufferings in order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of their mothers. I have gone through these sufferings three times now. They always start at eight o’clock in the evening and last until eleven. No medicine can lessen these sufferings. When eleven o’clock comes, they cease by themselves, and I fall asleep at that moment. The following day, I feel very weak.

--St. Faustina Kowalska

QUOTATION: Evangelization

We are called to be fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium.

--Cardinal Sean O’Malley

QUOTATION: Suffering

Ultimately, in the battle against lies and violence, truth and love have no other weapon than the witness of suffering.

--Pope Benedict XVI

QUOTATION: Love and Hate

Sometimes hatred is charming, while love must show itself severe.

--St. Augustine

QUOTATION: Suffering

You have to be careful with suffering. One has to be careful not to enjoy it, or focus on it, or expand it too much. Then suffering becomes the goal. The goal is not suffering; the goal is loving patience, offered to God as best one can. And the humility to admit that we don’t do this very well. One of the things I learned from my illness is that over and over again we have to tell God that we really trust Him. Trusting in God is not one action; it’s an ongoing way of life.

--Fr. Benedict Groeschel

QUOTATION: Vanity

The less beauty the soul has, the more it needs to decorate the body. Excessive luxury of dress and vain display of external beauty are signs of the nakedness of the soul.

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: Spiritual Courage

To acquire courage it is very useful to read the lives of the saints, especially of those who, after living in sin, attained great sanctity.

--St. Alphonsus Liguori