Because of our good Lord's tender love to all those who shall be saved, he quickly comforts them saying, "The cause of all this pain is sin. But all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." These words were said so kindly and without a hint of blame.So how unjust it would be for me to blame God for allowing my sin when he does not blame me for falling into it.

-- Blessed Julian of Norwich

Humility is the only thing that no devil can imitate. If pride made demons out of angels, there is no doubt that humility could make angels out of demons.

-- St John Climacus

Love God, serve God: everything is in that.

-- St Clare of Assisi

Whatever you do, think not of yourself, but of God.

-- St Vincent Ferrer

A servant is not pious if she is not industrious.

-- St Zita

"Not the goods of the world, but God.
Not riches, but God.
Not honors, but God.
Not distinction, but God.
Not dignities, but God.
Not advancement, but God.
God always and in everything."

-- St Vincent Pallotti

If we wish to keep peace with our neighbor, we should never remind anyone of his natural defect.

-- St Philip Neri

Nothing is far from God.

-- St Monica

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.

-- Mother Teresa

No my dear children, we need never fear that the Mass hinders us in the fulfillment of our temporal affairs; it is altogether the other way around. We may be sure that all will go better and that even our business will succeed better than if we have the misfortune not to assist at Mass.

-- St. John Vianney

Holy Mother, on the cross Christ entrusted us to you as your children. Today we join with you in praising Him.

-- Second Antiphon: Morning Prayer

Our Lord avoided any offensive personal remarks when He preached. He attacked only the vices of a school, of a caste, also the bad examples and scandals. He did not reveal hidden crimes or secret defects.

-- St Peter Emyard

Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.

-- St Augustine

No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will also be the desire of God.

-- St Anselm

He who walks along a precipice, although he may not fall over, yet he trembles and often falls through that very fear. Even so, he who flies not far from sin, but keeps near to it, lives in continual fear, and often falls.

-- St John Chrysostom

The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God's love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labours strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labours, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

-- St Anthony Mary Claret

Let us adore His power, exhausting itself in this act of love.

-- St. Peter Julian Eymard

We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

O Sacred Heart of Jesus! I fly to Thee, I unite myself with Thee, I enclose myself to Thee! Receive this, my call for help, O my Saviour, as a sign of my horror of all within me contrary to Thy Holy Love. Let me rather die a thousand times than consent! Be Thou my Strength, O God: defend me, protect me. I am thine, and desire forever to be Thine!

-- St Margaret Mary Alocoque

Let me become the food of the beasts, through whom it will be given me to reach God.

-- St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Romanos 4:1

No matter how good food is, if poison is mixed with it, it may cause the death of him who eats it. So it is with conversation. A single bad word, an evil action, an unbecoming joke, is often enough to harm one or more young listeners, and may later cause them to lose God's grace.

-- St John Bosco

Brethren, now you are no more strangers and foreigners: but you are fellow-citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

-- Eph 2: 19-20

Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken: and we are delivered. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

-- Ps. 124: 7,8

All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one... The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord Himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of His Spirit.

-- Lumen Gentium 13

Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm 96:1-3, 11-13
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14


Isaiah 62:11-12
Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:15-20


Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

O blessed penance which has earned for me such great glory!

-- St Peter of Alcantara in a vision to St. Teresa

They sang to Thy holy name, O Lord, and praised Thy Victorious hand.

-- Wisdom 10:20

Turn yourself round like a piece of clay and say to the Lord: I am clay, and you, Lord, the potter. Make of me what you will.

-- Blessed John of Avila

Recall to yourself that our Lord is the beloved Son of the living God; that He is Himself the God of all consolation, the sight of whom forms the beatitude of the angels and elect. And yet, what does He not suffer!

-- St Ignatius Loyola

Mary's viginity and giving birth, and even the Lord's death escaped the notice of the prince of this world; these three mysteries worthy of proclamation were accomplished in God's silence.

-- St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Epesius 19:1

Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.

-- St Therese of Lisieux