QUOTATION: Self-Love

Speak as little as possible about yourself, whether in praise or in criticism. Self-love generally blinds us even when we speak badly of ourselves.

--St. Francis de Sales

QUOTATION: The Heart

The heart never takes the place of the head: but it can, and should, obey it.

--C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man

QUOTATION: Contraception -- The Ends Do Not Justify the Means

Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it — in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.

--Pope Paul VI

QUOTATION: Humilty

The better we become, the less conscious we are of our goodness. If anyone admits to being a saint, he is close to being a devil.

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: Love

Love that does not know of suffering is not worthy of the name.

--St. Clare of Assisi

QUOTATION: Religion is Difficult

But let us take it as a clear point from the first, and not to be disputed, that religion must ever be difficult to those who neglect it. All things that we have to learn are difficult at first; and our duties to God, and to man for His sake, are peculiarly difficult, because they call upon us to take up a new life, and quit the love of this world for the next. It cannot be avoided; we must fear and be in sorrow, before we can rejoice. The Gospel must be a burden before it comforts and brings us peace. No one can have his heart cut away from the natural objects of its love, without pain during the process and throbbings afterwards. This is plain from the nature of the case; and, however true it be, that this or that teacher may be harsh and repulsive, yet he cannot materially alter things. Religion is in itself at first a weariness to the worldly mind, and it requires an effort and a self-denial in every one who honestly determines to be religious.

--Blessed John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 1, “Immortality”.

QUOTATION: John the Baptist

The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we celebrate the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit. John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he speaks of “the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist.” Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother’s womb. For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother’s womb at the arrival of blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ’s precursor, before they ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits of our human frailty. When John was preaching the Lord’s coming he was asked, “Who are you?” And he replied: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” The voice is John, but the Lord “in the beginning was the Word.” John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.

-- St. Augustine, from a sermon on the birth of John the Baptist

QUOTATION: Confirmation

They, therefore, who have the care of children should be very careful to see that they be confirmed, because great grace is conferred in Confirmation. He who is confirmed will, when he dies, enjoy greater glory than one not confirmed, because greater grace will be his.

--St. Thomas Aquinas, The Catechetical Instruction of St. Thomas Aquinas

QUOTATION: Truth and Freedom

Truth and freedom either go together hand in hand or together they perish in misery.

-- Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio

QUOTATION: The Names of the Nine Orders of Angels

But these are not the only significations of the names of the angels(…) they are also images or representations of the greatness of God: thus the seraphim, by their burning love, represent as it were in a glass, the infinite love of God which alone induced Him to create the angels, man, and all other creatures, whom He still preserves. The cherubim in like manner represent the infinite wisdom of God, which hath regulated all things by number, weight, and measure. The thrones also, by a perfect image as it were, show us that profound " rest" which God enjoys on His throne; who, whilst all things are in motion, remains unalterable, tranquilly ruling and directing events. The dominations too tell us, that it is God who alone truly rules all things, because He alone can either preserve them, or annihilate them. The virtues convince us, that it is God "who alone doth wonderful things” and who hath reserved to himself alone to renew signs, and to multiply wonders. The powers signify by their name, that God alone is absolutely and truly powerful, to whom nothing is impossible, because in Him alone true power resides.The principalities signify, that God is the Prince over the kings of the earth, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. The archangels signify, that God is the true High Priest of all the churches. The angels, that God is the true Father of orphans; and that although He hath given His angels to be our guardians, He himself is present with each one, to guard and protect him. 

--St. Robert Bellarmine, The Eternal Happiness of the Saints

QUOTATION: Heaven and Hell

In the world, people hide Heaven and Hell: Heaven, because if we knew its beauty, we should wish to go there at all costs - we should, indeed, leave the world alone; Hell, because if we knew the torments that are endured there, we should do all we could to avoid going there.

--St. Jean Vianney, the Cure of Ars

QUOTATION: Thoughts

Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be.

-- St. Thomas More

QUOTATION: Guardian Angel

Every soul at the moment it is infused into the body, is entrusted into the keeping of an Angel.

--St. Ambrose

QUOTATION: The Blessed Mother

Mary is not only mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but she is also our mother, and this is not by a title of courtesy, not by legal fiction, not by a mere figure of speech, but by the right of bringing us forth in sorrow at the foot of the cross…Mary, by sacrifice and obedience, regained for us the title, Mother of the living. What a destiny to have the Mother of God as my Mother and Jesus as my brother.

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: The True Meaning of Equality

From the Gospel records, equality among men consists in this, that one and all, possessing the same nature, are called to the sublime dignity of being sons of God; and, moreover, that one and the same end being set before all, each and every one has to be judged according to the same laws.

--Pope Leo XIII, Quod Apostolici Muneris

QUOTATION: Religious Insincerity

Here is the test between earnestness and insincerity. You say you wish to be a different man; Christ takes you at your word, so to speak; He offers to make you different. He says, "I will take away from you the heart of stone, the love of this world and its pleasures, if you will submit to My discipline." Here a man draws back. No; he cannot bear to lose the love of the world, to part with his present desires and tastes; he cannot consent to be changed. After all he is well satisfied at the bottom of his heart to remain as he is, only he wants his conscience taken out of the way. Did Christ offer to do this for him, if He would but make bitter sweet and sweet bitter, darkness light and light darkness, then he would hail the glad tidings of peace;—till then he needs Him not.

--Blessed John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 1, “Knowledge of God's Will without Obedience”

QUOTATION: He Descended Into Hell

To make this triumph complete, Christ wished to deprive the devil of the seat of his kingdom and to imprison him in his own house--which is hell. Christ, therefore, descended there, and despoiled the devil of everything and bound him, taking away his prey: "And despoiling the principalities and powers, He hath exposed them confidently in open show, triumphing over them in Himself."

--St. Thomas Aquinas, The Catechetical Instruction of St. Thomas Aquinas

QUOTATION: Self-Acceptance

Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.

--Flannery O'Connor

QUOTATION: Angels

Since God often sends us inspirations by means of Angels, we should frequently return our aspirations to God by means of the same messengers.

-- St. Francis de Sales.

QUOTATION: Prayer

If you find it impossible to pray, charge your Good Angel to pray in your stead.

--St. Jean Vianney, the Curé of Ars

QUOTATION: Angels

It must be realized that "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. For the holy spirits of the heavenly homeland are always spirits, but they cannot always be called Angels; they are Angels only when they are announcing something. And so the Psalmist says, "He who makes spirits His Angels," as if he said plainly that, when He wills, He uses as Messengers those spirits who are always His. Those who announce less important things are called Angels, and those who announce the highest things are called Archangels.

--Pope St. Gregory the Great

QUOTATION: The Qualities of the Nine Orders of Angels

But although all the angels are doubtless most happy, and wonderfully resplendent with the glory of every divine gift, yet those are called " Seraphim" who burn with the flames of love: the others " Cherubim" who shine with the splendour of knowledge: those are named " Thrones" who enjoy an inexpressible tranquillity in the divine contemplation: those "Dominations" who rule this lower world, as the ministers of a mighty commander: others "Powers," because they do signs and wonders by the command of their Almighty Lord: others " Principalities," because they have power over the kings and princes of the world: some again are named "Archangels," because they assist the prelates of the Church: and many, in fine, are called " Angels," since they are the guardians and protectors of all that live upon the earth.

--St. Robert Bellarmine, The Eternal Happiness of the Saints

QUOTATION: Baby Steps

When you are unable to take big steps on the path that leads to God, be content with little steps, patiently waiting until you have the legs to run; or better still, wings to fly. Be content with being, for now, a little bee in a hive, which will soon become a big bee, capable of producing honey.

--St. Padre Pio

QUOTATION: Speaking of Christ

When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ.

--St. Ambrose

QUOTATION: Tolerance and Intolerance

America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance-it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.

--Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

QUOTATION: The Importance of a Christian Name

So let the name of the saints enter our homes through the naming of our children, to train not only the child but the father, when he reflects that he is the father of John or Elijah or James; for, if the name be given with forethought to pay honor to those that have departed, and we grasp at our kinship with the righteous rather than with our forebears, this too will greatly help us and our children. Do not because it is a small thing regard it as small; its purpose is to succour us.

— St. John Chrysostom, An Address on Vainglory and the Right Way for Parents to Bring Up Their Children, 50.

QUOTATION: The Strength of the Wicked

In our time more than ever before, the chief strength of the wicked lies in the cowardice and weakness of good men.

--Pope St. Pius X

QUOTATION: Hell

The first gate of Hell is hatred. As Paradise is the kingdom of love, so Hell is the kingdom of hatred. Father, says such a person, I am grateful to and love my friends, but I cannot endure him who does me an injury. Now, brother, you must know that the barbarians, the Turks and Indians say and do all this: Do not also the heathens this? says the Lord. To wish well to him who serves you is a natural thing; it is done not only by the infidel, but even by the brutes and wild beasts. But I say to you. Hear what I say to you says Jesus Christ; hear My law, which is a law of love: Love your enemies.

--St. Alphonsus Liguori. Six Discourses on Natural Calamities, Divine Threats, and the Four Gates of Hell

QUOTATION: Dissent

It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the Magisterium is totally compatible with being a ‘good Catholic’ and poses no obstacle to the reception of the sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching office of the bishops of the United States and elsewhere.

--Bl. John Paul II, Meeting with US Bishops at Our Lady Queen of Angels Minor Seminary, Los Angeles, Sept 16, 1987.

QUOTATION: Hell

Priests and bishops who don’t teach about Hell will probably wind up there.

--Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

QUOTATION: Jesus' Poverty

When He came into this world, he was born in a stable, and died on a cross. Truly, no one, when born, could have found a more lowly place; nor, dying, a more disgraceful one. And whilst He lived, He was poorer, not only than men, but even than the beasts of the field: for the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air their nests, “but the Son of man had nowhere to lay His head."

--St. Robert Bellarmine, The Eternal Happiness of the Saints