Monthly Archives: September 2026

Carmelite Saints, Doctor of the Church, Faith, Quotes of the Saints

Twenty Five Quotes from St. Therese of Lisieux

Marie Thérèse Martin was born at Alencon, France on Jan. 2, 1873. St Thérèse of Lisieux is the patron saint of florists, missionaries, pilots and against tuberculosis.

St. Thérèse felt called into the religious life at the age of 15.  She asked permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux a Carmelite convent.  She took the name of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

St. Thérèse came down with tuberculosis and died after several years of suffering at the age of 24 on Sept. 30, 1897.  She was canonized in 1925. Her Feast Day is celebrated on October 1.

Popularly known as the Little Flower, Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized in 1925. On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II bestowed on her the title of Doctor of the Church.

The following quotes can inspire us to follow her “Little Way”.

1. Use the gifts you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

St. Thérèseof Lisieux

2. When you are angry with someone, the way to find peace is to pray for that person and ask God to reward him or her for making you suffer.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

3. Let us not grow tired of prayer: Confidence works miarcles.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

4. Jesus help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be and becoming that person.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

5. He guides and inspires me every moment of the day. Just when I need it, a new light shines on my problem.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

6. Hoiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

7. I will spend my Heaven ding good upon earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

8. What pleases the good God in my little soul is to see me love my littleness and my poverty, it is seeing the blind trust that I have in His Mercy.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

9. I beseech Thee, my Jesus, to send me some humiliation every time that I shall attempt to put myself above others.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

10. Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

11. Sufferings gladly borne for others convert more people than sermons.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

12. I understand that without LOVE even the most brilliant deeds count as nothing. These gifts, which Our Lord lavished upon me, far from doing me any harm, drew me towards Him; I saw that He alone is unchangeable. He alone can fill the vast abyss of my desires.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

13. Only God can see what is in the bottom of our hearts; we are half-blind.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

14. God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so, in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.

15. I say an ‘Our Father’ or a ‘Halil Mary’ when I feel so spiritually barren that I cannot summon up a single worthwhie thought.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

16. Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father’s arms.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

17. Do not climb the difficult stairs of fear to God. Take the comfortable elevator of love.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

18. Everything is grace; everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love. Everything is grace because everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events-to the heart that loves, all is well.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

19. You returned to Your realm of light and still remain hidden here to nourish us, in our vale of tears, with Holy Communion.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

20. It isn’t enough to love: We must prove it.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

21. The Rosary is a long chain that links heaven and earth. One end of it is in our hand and the other end is in the hands of the Holy Virgin. The Rosary prayer rises like incense to the feet of the Almighty.

St. Therese of Lisieux

22. My little way is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

23. For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look toward heaven; it is a cry of recognition and love; embracing both trial and joy.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

24. Kneeling before the tabernacle, I can think of only one thing to say to Our Lord: My God, You know that I love You! And I feel that my prayer does not weary Jesus; knowing my weakness He is satisfied with my Good Will.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

25. You cannot be Half a Saint; You must be a whole saint or no saint at all.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Franciscan Saints, Quotes of the Saints

Twenty Five Quotes from St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis is the patron saint of the environment, peace, poverty and animals. The Feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi is celebrated on October 4 because that day marks the anniversary of his passing in 1226. 

On September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Francis experienced a vision of a seraph with six fiery wings, which bore the image of the crucified Christ. After the vision he received the stigmata, which is the five wounds of Christ. The Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis is celebrated on September 17.

The following 25 quotes of St. Francis enlighten us to his spirituality.

1. Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

St. Francis of Assisi

2. I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, He can work through anyone

3. All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.

St. Francis of Assisi

12. When I think of the happiness that is in store for me, my sorrow, every pain becomes dear to me.

St. Francis of Assisi

4. Remember, when you leave this earth, you can take nothing with you which you have received, only that which you have been given; a heart full, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

St. Francis Assisi

5. I am as I am in the eyes of God. Nothing more, nothing less.

St. Francis of Assisi

6. Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.

St. Francis of Assisi

7. Where there is Charity and Wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.

St. Francis of Assisi

8. Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.

St. Francis of Assisi

9. A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.

St. Francis of Assisi

10. We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.

St. Francis of Assisi

11. The deeds you do may be the only sermon some person will hear today.

St. Francis of Assisi

12. I beg you, Lord, let the fiery gentle power of your love take possession of my soul, and snatch it away from everything under heaven, that I may die for love of your love as you saw fit to die for love of mine.

St. Francis of Assisi

13. Jesus is happy to come with us, as Faith is happy to be spoken, as life to be lived, as light to be lit, as love is to be loved, as joy to be given, as Peace to be spread.

St. Francis of Assisi

14. While you are proclaiming peace with your lips be careful to have it even more fully in your hearts.

St. Francis of Assisi

15. Let your way of life among the people be such that whoever sees or hears you will glorify and praise our Heavenly Father.

St. Francis of Assisi

16. Nor did demons crucify Him; it is you who have crucified Him and crucify Him still, when you delight in your vices and sins.

St. Francis of Assisi

17. Lord, make me a channel of Your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, Faith. Where there is despair, hop. Where there is darkness light, and where there is sadness, joy.

St. Francis of Assisi

18. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning, that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi

19. Lord, help me to live this day, quietly easily, to lean upon thy great strength, trustfully, restfully, to wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow confidently, courageously

St. Francis of Assisi

20. It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge, they instructed me to embrace God in all things.

St. Francis of Assisi

21. Most high glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, sure hope and perfect charity. Fill me with understanding and knowledge that I may fulfill Your command.

St. Francis of Assisi

22. The only thing ever achieved in life without effort is failure.

St. Francis of
Assisi

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

St. Francis of Assisi

24. Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your nearest neighbor, in every man.

St. Francis of Assisi

25. Be praise, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of You; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy are those who endure in peace, for by You, Most High they will be crowned.

St. Francis of Assisi

Faith, patron saints, Quotes of the Saints, Spirituality, Virtues

Twenty Five Quotes from Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Soon, Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be given the title of Blessed. On September 24, 2026. he will be beatified at 2 pm Central time at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. This means there is only one more step until he is officially a Saint.

Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio.

He became known as a trailblazer for television evangelization with his Emmy-winning show “Life Is Worth Living.” The show aired on television from 1952 until 1957, discussing morality and Catholicism.

Patron of missions and Media

As we celebrate the event of his beatification, let’s reflect on his many quotes which made him loved by many.

1. You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

2. Before the sin, Satan assures us that it is of no consequence; after the sin, he persuades us that it is unforgiveable.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

3. It is not man who is on the quest for God. It is God who is on the quest for man.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

4. God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

5. It’s impossible to lose your footing when you’re on your knees.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

6. When you are getting kicked from the rear it means you are in front.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

7. Very few people believe in the devil these days, which suits the devil very well. He is always helping to circulate the news of his own death. The essence of God is existence, and He defines Himself as ‘I am Who am’. The essence of the devil is the lie, and he defines himself as: ‘I am who am not.’ Satan has very little trouble with those who do not believe in him; they are already on his side.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

8. Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

9. A Catholic may sin, and sin as badly as anyone else, but no genuine Catholic ever denies he is a sinner. A Catholic wants his sins forgiven – not excused or sublimated.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

10. Ever since the days of Adam, man has been hiding from God and saying, ‘God is hard to find’.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

11. Satan always tempts the pure – the others are already his.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

12. There are two ways of waking up in the morning. One is to say, ‘Good morning, God!’ and the other is to say, ‘Good God, morning!’

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

13. Humility is dependence on God as pride is independence of Him. The humble soul is always the thankful soul.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

14. When we die to something…something comes alive within us. If we die to self, charity come alive; if we die to pride, service comes alive; if we die to lust, reverence for personality comes alive; if we die to anger, love comes alive.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

15. Most of us do not like to look inside ourselves for the same reason we don’t like to open a letter that has bad news.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

16. Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

17. Skeptics always want miracles such as stepping down from the Cross, but never the greater miracle of forgiveness.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

18. Souls generally do not fall away from Christ because of the Creed; they first have difficulty with the commandments.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

19. In vocal prayer we go to God on foot. In meditation we go to God on horseback. In contemplation we go to God in a jet.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

20. Grace does not work like a penny in a slot machine. Grace will move you only when you want it to move you, and only when you let it move you. The supernatural order supposes the freedom of the natural order, but it does not destroy it.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

21. God, who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun. So Mary reflects her Divine Son; without Him she is nothing. With Him, she is the mother of men.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

22. The only difference between a sinner and a saint is found in their attitude toward their sins-the one persisting in them; the other weeping bitterly.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

23. Heaven is a city on a hill; hence, we cannot coast into it, we have to climb.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

24. Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

25. If I were not a Catholic…and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hated.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Fulton Sheen
Faith, Gratitude, Prayer, Quotes of the Saints, Thanksgiving

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches, we reflect on our blessings and give thanks to God for all He has done for us. Even during times of tribulation, sorrow and stress, if we look for the silver lining…we will find it!

The Saints were always grateful to God. Even during suffering they gave God glory and praise.

The following quotes help us on our journey of faith to always turn to God in gratitude and trust…asking God to lead us.

1. Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul the Great

2. Jesus does not demand great action from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

3. A single “Blessed be God” in adversity is worth more than a thousand acts of thanksgiving in prosperity.

St. John of Avila

St. John of Avila

4. Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to heaven. It is a way of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

5. I ought to die of shame to think I have not already died of gratitude to my good God.

St. Julia Billiart

St. Julia Billiart

6. If the only prayer, you said in your life was “thank you”, that would suffice.

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

7. “Make it a habit to raise your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives you this and that… Because someone has despised you… Because you don’t have what you need, or because you do have it. And because He made His Mother, who is also your Mother, so beautiful. Because He created the sun and the moon and this animal or that plant. Because He made that man eloquent and you He left slow of speech… Thank Him for everything, because everything is good.”

St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria Escriva

8. Joy is prayer; joy is strength, joy is love. God loves a cheerful giver. The best way we can show gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta

9. Obedience shows whether you are grateful.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena

10. When you lie down on your bed to sleep, remember with thanksgiving the blessings and the providence of God.

St. Anthony the Great

St. Anthony the Great

11. I thank God for this illness and these physical discomforts, because I have the time to converse with the Lord Jesus.

St. Faustina

St. Faustina

12, Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.

St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom

13. I give thanks to God, who has granted me unshaken faith and fervent courage in times of adversity.

St. Patrick

St. Patrick of Ireland

14. Gratitude for suffering is a precious jewel for our heavenly crown. Man, should always firmly believe, that God sends just that trial which is most beneficial for him.

St. Gertrude the Great

St. Gertrude the Great

15. For me, prayer means launching out of the heart toward God; a cry of grateful love from the crest of joy or the trough of despair; it is a vast supernatural force that opens out my heart, and binds me close to Jesus.

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

16. My prayers are just an outpouring of gratitude for the assurance of that most completely desired Will of God, which will seem all the more desireable in all that is ahead.

St. Rose Duchesne

St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne

17. To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch heaven.

St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco

18. Let your whole life be spent in self-surrender, in prayer, in work, in humility, in giving thanks to our good God.

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

19. Believe and adore. Believe that Jesus Christ is in this sacrament as truly as He was nine months in the womb of Mary, as real as He was nailed to the Cross. Adore in humility and gratitude.

St. john Vianney

St. John Vianney

20. Gratitude is the memory of the Heart.

St. Mary Euphrosa Pelletier

St. Mary Euphrosa Pelletie

21. Everything fades away, but not our gratitude.

St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco

22. Would that I exhaust myself in acts of thanksgiving and gratitude toward this Divine Heart, for the great favor He shows us, in deining to accept our help to make Him known, loved and honored. He reserves innfinite blessings for all those who devote themselves to this work.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

23. Ingratitude is the soul’s enemy… Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bernard Clairvaux

24. O my God, let me remember with gratitude and confess to thee thy mercies toward me.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo

25. Embracing gratitude in the face of adversity requires a heart open to grace.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola
BibleLens
Franciscan Saints, Poetry, Spirituality

Three Prayers by St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

Canticle of the Sun

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings. To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures;
especially Brother Sun, who is the day, and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor, and bears a likeness to You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night;
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give Him thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.
Amen.

PEACE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen

PRAYER INSPIRED BY THE OUR FATHER

Our Creator Redeemer, Comforter, and Savior

In The Angels and the Saints, enlightening them So that they may know YOU, for You, Lord, are Light;

Setting them Aflame so that they may Love YOU,

for YOU, Lord, are Love.

Dwelling in Them and Filling Them with Happiness,

For YOU, Lord are the Supreme Good. the Eternal Good, from whom all Good Comes and Without Whom no Good Exists.

May Knowledge of You Shine Within Us,

So that We may know the Greatness of Your blessings, the Breadth of Your Promises, the Height of Your Majesty, and the Depth of Your Judgments.

So that You may reign in us through grace and lead us to Your Kingdom, where we will see Your face without shadows, Love You perfectly, Live in Your Joyful Company, and Rejoice With You Forever,

So That We May Love You With All Our Heart, Always Thinking Of You;

With All Our Soul, Always Desiring You;

With All Our Mind, Directing Our Intentions Toward You and Seeking Your Honor in all Things;

And with All Our Strength,

Placing the Energies and Affections Of Body and Soul

At the Service of Your Love, and Nothing Else.

May We Love Our Neighbor as Ourselves, Drawing everyone, as far as we can, to Your Love;

Rejoicing in the Goodof Others as in Our Own,

Suffering With Them in Their Difficulties, and Offending No One.

Your Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, So that we may Remember, Understand and Revere, the Love He Had For Us and All that He Said, Did, and Suffered for Us.

Through Your Immeasurable Mercy, Through the Power of Your Beloved Son’s Passion, and Through the Merits and Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and All Your Elect.

And What We Have Not: Yet Forgiven Completely, Grant, Lord, That We May Forgive Entirely, So That We May Truly Love Our Enemies For Your Sake, Pray for Them Sincerely Before You, Return Evil for Evil to No One, and Seek to Do Good To Everyone in You.

Hidden or Visible,

Sudden or persistent,

Past, Present, and Future,

Amen

St. Francis of Assisi