Present sorrow and suffering is the way to glory, the way to the kingdom.

-- St Bernard

[God] does not want each person to keep all the counsels, but only those appropriate to the diversity of persons, times, opportunities, and strengths, as charity requires; for it is charity, as queen of all virtues, all commandments, all counsels, and, in short, of all laws and all Christian actions that gives to all of them their rank, order, time, and value.

-- St Francis de Sales

"On receiving the blow of death, I shall accept it from your hands with the fullest delight and joy of spirit. For this reason, my beloved Jesus, and because of the surging joy which moves me, here and now I offer my blood and body and life. May I die only for you, if you will grant me this grace, since you willingly died for me. Let me so live that you may grant me the gift of such a happy death. In this way, my God and Saviour, I will take from your hand the cup of your sufferings and call on your name: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!"

-- St John de Brébeuf

We ought to be persuaded that what God refuses to our prayer, He grants to our salvation.

-- St. Augustine

The mortifications which come to us from God, or from men by His permission, are always worth more than those which are the children of our own will; for it must be considered a general rule, that the less our taste and choice intervene in our actions, the more they will have of goodness, solidity, devotion, the pleasure of God and our own profit.

-- St. Francis de Sales

In 1992, Pope John Paul II designated February 11 as World Day of the Sick. This is a time for "prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding us to see in our sick brother and sister the face of Christ who, by suffering, dying and rising, achieved the salvation of humankind." (Quote from Letter Instituting the World Day of the Sick, 13 May 1992)

-- Pope John Paul II

We should have frequent recourse to prayer, and persevere a long time in it. God wishes to be solicited. He is not weary of hearing us. The treasure of His graces is infinite. We can do nothing more pleasing to him than to beg incessantly that He bestow them upon us.

-- St. John Baptist de la Salle

Faithfulness in little things is a big thing.

-- St. John Chrysostom

I pray You to destroy in me all that is not of You. Grant that I may live but in You, by You and for You, so that I may truly say, with St. Paul, "I live - now not I - But Christ lives in me.

-- St. John Gabriel

Do not be suspicious of your brother, for you will lose purity of heart!!

-- St. John of the Cross

No, my dear brethren, this gracious virtue of purity is not known to those young men whose eyes and hands are defiled by glances and...Oh God, how many souls does this sin drag down to Hell...This beautiful virtue is not known to those worldly and corrupt girls who make so many preparations and take so many cares to draw the eyes of the world towards themselves, who by their affected and indecent dress announce publicly that they are evil instruments which hell makes use of to ruin souls--those souls which cost so much in labors and tears and torments to Jesus Christ. Look at them, these misfortunates, and you will see that a thousand devils surround their heads and their breasts. An even more astounding thing to understand is how their mothers endure them in a state unworthy of a Christian. I would tell these mothers they are worth no more than their daughters.

-- St. John Vianney

A father thinks that it is quite enough to maintain good order in his house; he will not have anyone swearing or using obscene words. That is very good. But he has no scruple about allowing his boys to go to amusements, to fairs, and all sorts of pleasures. This same father permits work to be done on Sundays on the slightest pretext. However, you see him in church adoring God. Carry on my poor friend, you are blind. Do you not see that you are doing the work of Pontius Pilate, who recognized Jesus Christ and then condemned Him. Go and learn your duties, then you may come to offer your prayers to God.

-- St. John Vianney

As long as a single passion reigns in our hearts, though all the others should have been overcome, the soul will never enjoy peace.

-- St. Joseph Calasanctius

Love shows us what we have to do. It takes us out of ourselves, makes us emulate the virtues of our Lord, and withdraws us from this world into Him. The reason why so many Christians get no farther than the threshold of virtue is that they will not break the chains that hold them back and will not give themselves up confidently to our Lord's guidance. They feel that if they go to Communion they will be unable to resist the love of Jesus and will be forced to give themselves in return. So they content themselves with books, with words, and do not dare turn to the Master Himself. Oh, my brothers, I pray you to take Jesus Christ Himself for your Teacher! Receive Him within you and let Him direct all your actions.

-- St. Peter Eymard

Perfect love leads a man on to perfect fear. Such a man fears and keeps to God's will, not from fear of punishment, not to avoid condemnation, but because he has tasted the sweetness of being with God; he fears he may fall away from it.

-- St. Dorotheos of Gaza

The Servant of Charity must go to bed each night so tired from work that he will think he has been beaten!

-- St. Louis Guanella

Don't be anxious about what you have, but about what you are!

-- Pope St. Gregory the Great

The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessings.

-- Blessed Alan de la Roche

The Infinite Mass causes the whole heavenly court to rejoice. It alleviates the pain of the souls in purgatory. It draws down all types of blessings upon earth, and gives more glory to God than all the sufferings of all the martyrs together, more glory than the penances of all the saints, than all the tears shed by them since the beginning of the world and all that they may do till the end of time.

-- St. John Vianney

We ought to respect the image of God in everyone.

-- Blessed Raphaela Mary

Suppose an evil person would offend you, or one whom you judge to be evil or even imagine so. Would you abandon so many others who are good?

-- St. Augustine

Depression comes from not having faults but from refusal to face them. There are tens of thousands of persons today suffering from fears which in reality are nothing but the effects of hidden sin. The examination of conscience will cure us of self- deception. It will also cure us of depression!

-- Bishop Fulton Sheen

He does much in the sight of God who does his best, be it ever so little.

-- St. Peter of Alcantara

Do you ask how to resist anger? As soon as you feel the slightest resentment, gather together your powers, not hastily or impetuously, but gently and seriously. For as in some law courts, the criers make more noise in their efforts to preserve quiet than those they seek to still, so, if we are impestuous in our attempts to restrain our anger, we cause greater discomposure in our hearts than before; and once thrown off its balance, the heart is no longer its own master.

-- St. Francis de Sales

All the wealth in the world cannot be compared with the happiness of living together happily united.

-- Blessed Margaret d'Youville

Before you receive Jesus Christ, you should remove from your heart all worldly attachments which you know to be displeasing to Him.

-- St. Augustine

A truly humble person never believes that he can be wronged in anything. Truly, we ought to be shamed to resent whatever is said or done against us; for it is the greatest shame in the world to see that our Creator bears so many insults from His creatures, and that we resent even a little word that is contradictory.

-- St. Teresa

The poor stretch out the hand, but God receives what is offered.

-- St. Peter Chrysologus

Our actions have a tongue of their own; they have an eloquence of their own, even when the tongue is silent. For deeds prove the lover more than words.

-- St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The way to Heaven is strait and narrow: they who wish to arrive at that place of bliss by walking in the paths of pleasure shall be disappointed; and therefore few reach it, because few are willing to use violence to themselves in resisting temptations.

-- St Alphonsus de Liguori