All posts by Vicki Scheenstra

Vicki Scheenstra is a former Catholic Bookstore owner and has been active in Catholic Education.

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about Creation

How do you communicate with God? Many people first experience God by pondering the beauty of creation. God is the creator of all things, including each one of us.

As we climb the mountain called faith let’s ponder what the saints have said about the mystery of creation while on their own personal journey.

1. If created things are so utterly lovely, how gloriously beautiful must be He who made them. The wisdom of the worker is revealed in His handiwork.

St. Anthony of Padua


2. Nothing created has ever been able to fill the heart of man. God alone can fill it infinitely.

St. Thomas Aquinas


3. The Lord has turned all our sunsets into sunrise.

St. Clement


4. The whole earth is a living icon of the Face of God.

St. John Damascene


5. If God created shadows, it was to better emphasize the light.

St. John XXIII


6. Ponder the fact that God has made you a gardener, to root out vice and plant virtue.

St. Catherine of Siena


7. The creator of the heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer disdain from listening to the common laborer; the wise, to the simple; the educated, to the illiterate; a child of a prince, to a peasant.

St. Anthony of Padua


8. All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely and serve him more faithfully.

St. Ignatius of Loyola


9. God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good. I shall do His work.

St. John Henry Newman


10. I see nothing in the theory of evolution inconsistent with an Almighty Creator and Protector.

St. John Henry Newman


11. Go forth my soul, go forth without fear; for thou hast a good guide for the journey. Go forth, for He who created thee hath sanctified thee, and protects thee always, and loveth thee with a love tender as that of a mother for her son. Blessed be Thou, Lord, for creating me!

St. Clare of Assisi


12. Dear mother earth, who day by day enfolds rich blessing on our way, O praise God! Alleluia! The fruits and flowers that verdant grow, Let them His praise abundant show. O praise God, O praise God, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

St. Francis of Assisi


13. I, the fiery life of divine wisdom, I ignite the beauty of the plains. I sparkle the water, I burn in the sun and the moon, and the stars.

St. Hildegard of Bingen


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

St. Francis of Assisi


15. Creation contains the footprints of God, that which is created mirrors its Maker and because of that is precious.

St. Bonaventure


16. It is better to be a child of God than to be King of the whole World.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga


17. God has created us to Love and to be Loved, and this is the beginning of prayer-to know that He loves me, that I have been created for greater things.

Mother Teresa


18. We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature-trees, flowers, grass-grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…We need silence to be able to touch souls.

Mother Teresa


19. God could not keep, as it were, the secret of His love, and the telling of it was creation.

Bl. Fulton Sheen


20. God passes through the thicket of the world and wherever His glance falls He turns all things to beauty.

St. John of the Cross


21. God is an artist, and the universe is His work of art.

St. Thomas Aquinas


22. All of creation is a symphony of the Holy Spirit which is joy and jublilation.

St. Hildegard of Bingen


23. The world’s thy ship and not thy home.

St. Therese of Lisieux


24. Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?

St. Gerard Majella


25. Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.

St. Catherine of Siena


Twenty Five Quotes from St. Leo the Great

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

Twenty Five Quotes from St. John Paul II

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

Twenty Five Quotes from St. Teresa of Avila

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

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

St. John Henry Newman

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

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about the Rosary

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


22. So many rosaries means so many souls saved.

St. Maximillian Kolbe


23. The Rosary is my favorite prayer.

St. John Paul II


24. Blessed is the Rosary which gives us the knowledge of Our Blessed Lord by meditating on His life, death, passion, and glory.

St. Louis de Montfort


25. One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.

St. Dominic


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 doing 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.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux


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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


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

St. Francis of Assisi


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

St. Francis of Assisi


5. 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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


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

St. Francis of Assisi


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

St. Francis of Assisi


9. Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.

St. Francis of Assisi


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

St. Francis of Assisi


11. 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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


13. 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


14. 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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


16. 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


17. 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


18. 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


19. 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


20. 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


21. 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


22. 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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


24. 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


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

St. Francis of Assisi


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

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

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 Etern
al 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

Praying for Peace: Quotes from the Saints

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let not your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.” John 14:27.

Quote of Jesus

Peace and serenity of heart are difficult to acquire.  The world is a chaotic place to live. Our emotions can make us feel quite helpless.  How do we find peace?  How do we live in peace?  Faith is a gift.  With faith, we can pray for peace

The following 25 quotes of the saints are ‘pearls of wisdom’ to help us on our journey


1. Lord, Make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

 St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

2.  Keep your soul at peace, in order to be able to be attentive and very faithful to the inner movement of the Holy Spirit.


St. Peter Julian Eymard

St. Peter Eymard


3.  Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?”

St. Gerard Majella

St. Gerard Majella

4.  Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales

5.   From humility of heart proceed serenity of mind, gentleness of conduct, interior peace, and every good.”

 St. Paul of the Cross

St. Paul of the Cross
Public Domain Image

6.   While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it more fully in your heart.

Saint Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

7. If you want peace, work for justice. If you want justice, defend life. If you want life, embrace truth.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II

8.  Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio
Public Domain Image

9.  Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.

St Faustina

St. Faustina

10.  Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal

St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Public Domain Image

11.  Let us not be justices of the peace, but angels of peace.

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

12.  But above all preserve peace of heart.  This is more valuable than any treasure.

St. Mary Margaret Alacoque

St. Mary Margaret Alacoque

13.  Peace in the society depends on peace in family.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine

14.  Be at Peace.  What God has started He will finish.
 

St Faustina

St. Faustina
Public Domain Image

15.  Let peace be your quest and aim.

St. Benedict

St. Benedict
Public Domain Image

16.  Be peace loving.Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal.  Live your life that you may receive the blessings of the Lord.  Then the peace of God the Father will be with you always.

St. Francis of Paola

St. Francis of Paola

17.  Maintain a spirit of peace and you will save a thousand souls.

St. Seraphim of Sarov

St. Seraphim of Sarov

18.  Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.

St. Jerome

St. Jerome

19.  The only way to peace is forgiveness.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

20.  What can you do to promote world peace?  Go home and love your family.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa
Public Domain Image

21.  Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to His good pleasure and rest in Him.

St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross

22.  If you remain constant in faith in the face of trial, the Lord will give you peace and rest for a time in this world and forever in the next.

St. Jerome

St. Jerome

23. Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ, just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey. They must have the Passion of Christ deeply embedded in their minds and hearts, because only from it, can they derive peace, grace, and truth.

St. Dominic

St. Dominic
Public Domain Image

24.  Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of the world disturb it.

St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross

25.  Peace demands four essential conditions:  Truth, Justice, Love, and Freedom.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II