Showing posts with label Self-Sufficiency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self-Sufficiency. Show all posts

Friday, January 6, 2017

QUOTATION: Self-Sufficiency



But when men take it for granted that they are natural objects of God's favour,—when they view their privileges and powers as natural things,—when they look upon their Baptism as an ordinary work, bringing about its results as a matter of course,—when they come to Church without feeling that they are highly favoured in being allowed to come,—when they do not understand the necessity of prayer for God's grace,—when they refer everything to system, and subject the provisions of God's free bounty to the laws of cause and effect,—when they think that education will do everything, and that education is in their own power,—when, in short, they think little of the Church of God, which is the great channel of God's mercies, and look upon the Gospel as a sort of literature or philosophy, contained in certain documents, which they may use as they use the instruction of other books; then, not to mention other instances of the same error, are they practically Pelagians, for they make themselves their own centre, instead of depending on Almighty God and His ordinances.

--Blessed John Henry Newman, “Righteousness not of us, but in us”, Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. 5

Monday, December 7, 2015

QUOTATION: Charity is Not Enough

Pope Francis
It is not enough to offer someone a sandwich unless it is accompanied by the possibility of learning how to stand on one’s own two feet.

--Pope Francis, Address at the Astalli Centre, September 10, 2013

Friday, August 29, 2014

QUOTATION: Man's Foolish Self-Reliance

St. Peter Julian Eymard
But in practice, man is naturally a Pelagian. He believes himself all-sufficient. He first has recourse to his own resources, he makes use of his own means, he forms his own plans before asking God's help, so little is he impressed by his own absolute insufficiency and his necessary dependence on God! He will soon consent to be helped, and he will pray to be delivered from embarrassment, but he will not begin by turning to God before putting his hand to the task.

--St. Peter Julian Eymard

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

QUOTATION: Self-Sufficiency

St. Peter Julian Eymard
Know for certain and for all time that of yourself you can never accomplish anything, neither here nor there, neither today nor tomorrow, neither for this one nor for that one, and go ask God's help before beginning anything whatsoever. This is true humility; to omit it, is stupidity.

--St. Peter Julian Eymard