Hold firmly that our faith is identical with the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church.

When did God's love for you begin? When He began to be God. When did He begin to be God? Never, for He has always been without beginning and without end, and so He has always loved you from eternity.

-- St. Francis de Sales

By the anxieties and worries of this life Satan tries to dull man's heart and make it a dwelling for himself there. 

-- St Francis of Assisi

When the Devil is called the god of this world, it's not because he made it, but because we serve him with our worldliness.

Let us meditate today on the condition of our soul. Are we making a sincere effort to rectify our intentions, to sanctify our daily responsibilities? There are things we fail to remember, not because we have short memories but because we are short of love. The person in love does not forget!

When you find your heart growing sad, divert yourself without a moments delay. Take a walk, sing, read something, it matters not what, provided you close that door. Sad thoughts aprise the devil that a favorable moment has come for him to attack us.

Souls eager to arrive at union with God must accept, without excusing themselves, every correction or rebuke, even if not wholly deserved, and even if wholly unjust. It takes great humility to find oneself unjustly condemned and be silent, and to do this is to imitate the Lord, who set us free from all our sins.

-- St Teresa of Avila

To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil -- such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.

-- St Maximus the Confessor

To be in charge of an apostolic undertaking means being ready to suffer everything, from everybody, with infinite charity.

-- St Josemaria Escriva

We must be particularly resigned under the pressure of corporal infirmities and we must embrace them willingly and for such a time as God wills. Even if remedies do us no good,  let us unite ourselves to the will of God, and this will do us much more good than health.

-- St. Alphonsus Liguori

Be steadfast in true friendship, because there is nothing so precious in human relations. It is a great consolation in this life to have a friend to whom we can open our heart.

-- St. Ambrose

Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, don't seek to understand so that you may believe, but believe so that you may understand.

-- St Augustine

Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He may prolong my life, He may shorten it, He knows what He is about. He may make my spirits sink, hide the future from me, still He knows what He is about.

-- John Henry Cardinal Newman

We should even go beyond doing what is required in order to avoid scandal.

-- St. Basil the Great

The affairs of God are accomplished little by little and almost imperceptibly. The Spirit of God is neither violent nor hasty. He does all things in His time.

-- St Vincent de Paul

Good virtuous folks feel more pleasure in the sorrow over their sins and the affliction of their penance than wretches feel in the fulfilling of their obsessed pleasure.

-- St Thomas More

Always be doing something worthwhile, then the Devil will always find you busy and more difficult to distract. .

-- St Francis of Assisi

Help yourself during troubled periods by reading holy books for this reading provides excellent food for the soul and conduces to great progress along the path of perfection.

Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than one not fearing danger of falling. It is almost an infallible sign that he will fall, and with great danger to his soul.

If things go well let's rejoice, blessing God, who makes them prosper. And if they go wrong? Let's rejoice, blessing God, who allows us to share in the sweetness of His Cross.

-- St Josemaria Escriva

What then must we think of the sin of those who curse themselves in moments of worry and difficulty? This is an appalling crime which is contrary to nature and to grace, for both nature and grace inspire us with love for ourselves. Those who curse themselves are like insane people who die by their own hands!

-- St John Vianney

In the royal galley of divine Love, there is no galley slave: all rowers are volunteers.

-- St Francis de Sales

We must understand then, that even though God doesn't always give us what we want, He always gives us what we need for our salvation.

-- St Augustine

My soul: let then the Will of God be accomplished in thee. With Thy help I can do all. Serve the Lord, trust in His Mercy: This will soothe thy pains.

-- St Teresa of Avila