QUOTATION: Purgatory

The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting.

--St. Jean Vianney, Sermons

QUOTATION: Charity for All

All of our religion is but a false religion and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God if we have not that universal charity for everyone, for the good and for the bad, for the poor people as well as for the rich, for all those who do us harm as much as for those who do us good.

--St. Jean Vianney, Sermons.

QUOTATION: Virtue

If a person has true virtue, nothing whatever can change him; he is like a rock in the midst of a tempestuous sea. If anyone scorns you, or calumniates you, if someone mocks at you or calls you a hypocrite or a sanctimonious fraud, none of this will have the least effect upon your peace of soul. You will love him just as much as you loved him when he was saying good things about you. You will not fail to do him a good turn and to help him, even if he speaks badly of your assistance. You will say your prayers, go to Confession, to Holy Communion, you will go to Mass, all according to your general custom.

--St. Jean Vianney, Sermons.

QUOTATION: Worldly Approval

Do you know the first temptation the devil presents to someone who has begun to serve God better? It is human respect.

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: Holiness

Not all saints have the same sort of holiness. There are those who could never have lived with other saints. Not all have the same path. But all arrive at God.

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: Sins and Merits

The devil writes down our sins--our guardian angel all our merits. Labor that the guardian angel's book may be full and the Devil's empty.

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: Offering it Up

When we must do something we dislike, let us say to God, “My God, I offer You this in honor of the moment when You died for me.”

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: Eyes On Your Own Soul!

No, my dear brethren, while anyone passes his time in watching the conduct of other people, he will neither know nor belong to God. If only, my dear children, we were able to arrive at the stage of eradicating this first of the capital sins from our hearts, our neighbour would never do any wrong according to us. We should never amuse ourselves by examining his conduct. We should be content to do nothing else save weep for our own sins and work as hard as we could to correct them.

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: The Person of Virtue

If a person has true virtue, nothing whatever can change him; he is like a rock in the midst of a tempestuous sea. If anyone scorns you, or calumniates you, if someone mocks at you or calls you a hypocrite or a sanctimonious fraud, none of this will have the least effect upon your peace of soul. You will love him just as much as you loved him when he was saying good things about you.

--St. Jean Vianney

QUOTATION: Rule for Everyday Life

Here is a rule for everyday life: Do not do anything which you cannot offer to God.

--St. Jean Vianney, the Cure of Ars.

QUOTATION: God's Forgiveness

The good God is as prompt to grant us pardon when we ask it of Him, as a mother is to snatch her children out of the fire.

--St. Jean Vianney