Doctor of the Church, Featured, Pope, Quotes of the Saints, Spirituality, St. Leo the Great

Twenty Five Quotes from St. Leo the Great

October 21, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Pope St Leo I was the 45th pope of the Catholic Church and the first to use the name Leo, which was also his birth name. He has earned the titles of Doctor and Father of the Church.

Pope Leo I was known for convincing Attila the Hun to not invade Italy. Historians know much about his life and papacy, which lasted for more than two decades.

St Leo the Great or Pope Leo I was born in 400 AD in Tuscany, Italy. He served as Bishop of Rome from 440 to 461, when he died on November 19, 461. His feast day is celebrated on November 10. He is the patron saint of Church Unity, Popes, Confessors and Theologians.

The following quotes reflect the spirituality of St. Leo the Great.

1. No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ.

St. Leo the Great

2. Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.

St. Leo the Great

3. Peter has spoken by the Mouth of Leo!

St. Leo the Great

4. Let no one be ashamed of the cross by which Christ has redeemed the world. None of us must be afraid to suffer for the sake of justice or doubt the fulfillment of the promises, for it is through toil that we come to rest and through death that we pass to life.

St. Leo the Great

5. Let the Saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the Gentile take courage in that he is called to life.

St. Leo the Great

6. Beyond our grasp, He chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, He began to exist at a moment in time.

St. Leo the Great

7. Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace is the mother of unity. Peace is the rest of the blessed souls. Peace is the dwelling place of eternity.

St. Leo the Great

8. Those who are not good to others are bad to themselves.

St. Leo the Great

9. The religion established by the sacrament of the Cross of Christ cannot be destroyed by any kind of cruelty.

St. Leo the Great

10. Our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ has no other purpose than to transform us into that which we receive.

St. Leo the Great

11. The Cross of Christ is the True Ground and Chief Cause of Christian Hope.

St. Leo the Great

12. The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given to you, what you love will be yours forever.

St. Leo the Great

13. Invisible in His own nature (God) became visible in ours. Beyond our Grasp. He chose to come within our grasp.

St. Leo the Great

14. The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of Peace.

St. Leo the Great

15. Without God there is no virtue, nor does a man obtain what is proper to divinity unless he be enlivened by the Spirit of his Author. Since the Lord said to His disciples, “Without Me you are able to do nothing”, there is no doubt that when a man does good works he has from God both the carrying out of the work and the beginning of his will to do so.

St. Leo the Great

16. Out of the world one man, Peter, is chosen.

St. Leo the Great

17. The faith by which we live shall never vary in any age…for one is the faith which sanctifies the Just of all ages.

St. Leo the Great

18. The devil is always discovering something novel against the truth.

St. Leo the Great

19. Let the Saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the
Gentile take courage in that he is called to life.

St. Leo the Great

20. Grant to us, O Lord, not to mind earthly thins but rather to love heavenly things that while, all things around us pass away, we my even now, hold fast to those things which last forever. Amen

St. Leo the Great

21. Teach nothing new but instill into all men’s breasts those things which the Fathers of revered memory have with harmony of statement taught. Preach nothing else than what we received from our forefathers…Accordingly, both in the rule of faith and in the observance of discipline, let the standard of antiquity be maintained throughout.

St. Leo the Great

22. I have neither permitted, nor shall I permit, the things which have been settled by the holy fathers to be violated by any innovation.

St. Leo the Great

23. The works of mercy are innumerable. Their very variety, brings this advantage to those who are true Christians, that in the matter of almsgiving not only the rich and affluent but also those of average means and the poor, are able to play their part. Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal, in the love within their hearts.

St. Leo the Great

24. Lowliness was taken in majesty, weakness by strength, mortality be eternity.

St. Leo the Great

25. The life of believers contains in itself the mystery of Easter.

St. Leo the Great

Mercy, Quotes of the Saints, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes from St. John Paul II

October 17, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Karol Wojtyla was ordained a priest in Poland on All Saints Day 1946. On Divine Mercy Sunday 2014 the Church gave him the title of Saint John Paul the Great.

St. John Paul the Great was known as the patron of the youth. He began the tradition of having World Youth Days. The following quotes remind us of the powerful teachings of St. John Paul the Great.

1. The cross means there is no shipwreck without hope; there is no dark without down, nor storm without haven.

St. John Paul the Great

2. The most beautiful and stirring adventure that can happen to you is the personal meeting with Jesus, who is the only one who gives real meaning to our lives.

St. John Paul the Great

3. Do not be afraid of getting lost. The more we give of ourselves, the more we will find ourselves.

St. John Paul the Great

4. The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being.

St. John Paul the Great

5. How to pray? This is a simple matter. I would say: Pray any way you like, so long as you do pray.

St. John Paul the Great

6. Future begins today, not tomorrow.

St. John Paul the Great

7. Darkness can only be scattered by light. Hatred can only be conquered by love.

St. John Paul the Great

8. Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.

St. John Paul the Great

9. Faith leads us beyond ourselves. It leads us directly to God.

St. John Paul the Great

10. Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

St. John Paul the Great

11. As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.

St. John Paul the Great

12. Remember that you are never alone. Christ is with you on your journey every day of your lives.

St. John Paul the Great

13. In God’s plan, nothing happens by chance.

St. John Paul the Great

14. Confession is an act of honesty and courage–an act of entrusting ourselves beyond sin, to a loving and forgiving God.

St. John Paul the Great

15. We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of the Father’s love for us.

St. John Paul the Great

16. From Mary we learn to trust when all hope seems gone.

St. John Paul the Great

17. It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you.

St. John Paul the Great

18. There is no evil to be to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us and does not now bear with us.

St. John Paul the Great

19. If He asks much of you, it is because He knows you can give much.

St. John Paul the Great

20. Let us remember the Past with Gratitude, Live the Present with Enthusiasm, and look forward to the Future with Confidence.

St. John Paul the Great

21. An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded.

St. John Paul the Great

St. John Paul the Great

23. Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and halleluiah is our song.

St. John Paul the Great

24. The worst prison would be a closed heart.

St. John Paul the Great

25. Freedom consist not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.

St. John Paul the Great

Mystic, Quotes of the Saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality, Visionary

Twenty Five Quotes from St. Teresa of Avila

October 9, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

St. Teresa of Avila was a Spanish Carmelite nun and mystic. She was born in Avila Spain on March 28, 1515, one of ten children. Her mother died when Teresa was 15.

Invoked against bodily ills, headaches, and sickness, St. Teresa was canonized a Saint by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622. The Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila is celebrated on October 15.

Saint Teresa of Ávila was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI on 27 September 1970.

St. Teresa has written many books. These include: The Interior Castle, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and The Way of Perfection. Her spirituality has led many to a much deeper prayer life.

Reflecting on the life of this Carmelite nun, let’s ponder her many quotes which reveal her spirituality.

1. Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. He who has God, finds he lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

St. Teresa of Avila

2. Leave it all to God and leave your interests in His hands. He knows what is fitting for us.

St. Teresa of Avila

3. Often, the Lord allows a fall so that the soul will be more humble, and when it returns to the right way of acting and grows in self-knowledge, it advances further in the service of our Lord, as we see among many saints.

St. Teresa of Avila

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

St. Teresa of Avila

5. True humility consists in our being satisfied with what is given us.

St. Teresa of Avila

6. Tear your heart away from everything else, then seek God and you will surely find him.

St. Teresa of Avila

7. There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.

St. Teresa of Avila

8. Hope, O my soul, Hope! You know neither the day, nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience turns a very short time into a long one.

St. Teresa of Avila

9. The chief object of the devil’s work on earth is to fill us with pride.

St. Teresa of Avila

10. You pay God a great complement by asking great things of Him.

St. Teresa of Avila

11. Prayer is an act of Love, words are not needed.

St. Teresa of Avila

12. Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.

St. Teresa of Avila

13. To have courage for whatever comes in life…everything lies in that.

St. Teresa of Avila

14. The measure in which you desire God, is the measure in which you will find Him!

St. Teresa of Avila

15. Remember, that you have only one soul: that you have only one death to die: that you have only one life…if you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.

St. Teresa of Avila

16. Truth suffers, but never dies.

17. It is love alone that gives worth to all things.

St. Teresa of Avila

18. When we accept what happens to us and make the best of it, we are praising God.

St. Teresa of Avila

19. In this life our lot is not to enjoy God, but to do His Holy Will.

St. Teresa of Avila

20. Look for Christ Our Lord in everyone and you will then have respect and reverence for all.

St. Teresa of Avila

21. The smallest thing when done for the love of God is priceless.

St. Teresa of Avila

22. Life is to live in such a way that we are not afraid to die.

St. Teresa of Avila

23. The feeling remains that God is on the journey too.

St. Teresa of Avila

24. Learn to suffer for Jesus Christ without letting others perceive it.

St. Teresa of Avila

25. Christ has no body on earth but yours. no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out to the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless others.

St. Teresa of Avila

patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Henry Newman, Feast Day Oct. 9

October 8, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

St. John Henry Newman was born in London in 1801. He was raised in the Anglican faith. He first studied law and then decided to become a priest. He was ordained in the Anglican Church after studying at Trinity College in Oxford. As an Anglican priest, John Henry was influential in the Oxford Movement. Eventually, he converted to the Roman Catholic faith and was ordained a priest in Rome in 1848. Pope Leo XIII named him a cardinal.

St. John Henry Newman is the patron saint of catholic education and poets and writers.

St. John Henry Newman was known for writing 40 books and poetry including the poem Lead kindly light.

When Saint John Henry Newman was named a cardinal, he took as his motto “Cor ad cor loquitur”—“Heart speaks to heart.”

He pondered and preached about many theological questions which included the Significance of Our Lady, the Authority in the church and Spirituality during difficult times.

St. John Henry Newman died in Birmingham in 1890. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He was canonized by Pope Francis on October 13, 2019.

Lead Kindly Light

Poem by St. John Henry Newman

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’ encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path, but now
Lead Thou me on;
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.

So long Thy pow’r has blest me, sure it still
Wilt lead me on,
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile

Learn to do thy part and leave the rest to Heaven.
Quote of St. John Henry Newman

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

Our Lady, Prayer, Quotes of the Saints

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about the Rosary

October 3, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

The Feast Day of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7th. The Rosary was a devotion begun by St. Dominic after experiencing a vision. The following quotes reveal the power the rosary had on the lives of the saints.

1. The Rosary is a fortress against evil. It is a sign to satan that you belong to Our Lady.

St. Dominic

2. If you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirt of faith and love, Our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son’s path.

St. Josemaria Esriva

3. Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my Blood.

St. Louis de Montfort

4. The Rosary is a school for learning true Christion perfection.

St. John XXIII

5. The Rosary is the weapon for these times.

St. Padre Pio

6. The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.

St. John Paul II

7. Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the World.

Our Lady of Fatima

8. The Rosary is a long chain that links heaven and earth. One end of it is in our hands 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

9. Where the Rosary is recited, there will be days of peace and tranquility.

St. John Bosco

10. The Holy Rosary is the best artillary against Demons and their followers.

St. Dominic

11. To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.

St. John Paul II

12. The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known.

Bl. Fulton Sheen

13. If there were one million families praying the Rosary every day, the entire world would be saved.

Pope St. Pius X

14. There is no surer path to Heaven than aiding the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

15. The Rosary is the prayer which sustains and increases our faith.

St. Lucia of Fatima+

16. There is no problem I tell you, no matter how difficult it is that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.

St. Lucia of Fatima

17. In times of darkness, holding the Rosary beads is like holding your Blessed Mother’s hand. Pray the rosary everday, abandon yourself in the hands of Mary. She will take care of you.

St. Padre Pio

18. When people love and recite the Rosary the find it makes them better.

St. Anthony Mary Claret

19. Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.

Blessed Pius IX

20. Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.

Blessed Pius IX

21. When we say the Rosary, we are saying to the Holy Trinity, to the Incarnate Savior, to the Blessed Mothers. I love you, …I love you, I love you.

Blessed Fulton J. Sheen