Tag Archives: prayer

Prayer, Quotes of Saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Courage

July 4, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

During our journey of faith, all of us at some time in our life need an extra dose of courage. To face our fears can be very daunting, requiring a decision from deep within ourselves not to run from adversity. Reflecting on the wisdom of the saints can help during those times. The following quotes are on the virtue of courage…another name for fortitude.

1. Grace and truth will in turn give rise to courage. Following Christ has always demanded courage.

St. John Paul II

2. Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.

St. Augustine of Hippo

3. He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it.

Bl. Titus Brandsma

4. Confession is an act of courage – an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.

St. John Paul II

5. We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage is steadfast and our trust is fixed on God.

St. Francis de Sales

6. To have courage for whatever comes in life, everything lies in that.

St. Teresa of Avila

7. Whoever does not fear death and has boundless love for Christ is not called prideful but brave and most courageous.

St. Cecelia

8. Go courageously to God, along the way He has traced out for you, steadfastly embracing the means He offer you.

St. Margaret Mary Alocoque

9. Our Lord likes courage. Get it from Him. You con’t find it in yourself.

St. Katherine Drexel

10. True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

11. Many people say “I don’t have the courage to make the sacrifice.” Let them do what I did: exert a great effort. God never refuses that first grace which gives one the courage to act. Afterward the heart is strenghthened.

St. Therese of Lisieux

12. Though the path is plain and smooth for men of good will, he who walks it will not travel far, and he will do so only with difficulty, if he does not have good feet; that is courage and a persevering spirit.

St. John of the Cross

13. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them.

St. Francis de Sales

14. If one is to do good, he must have a little courage, be ready for sacrifice, deal affably with all and never slight anybody. By following this method, I have always had significant success, in fact, marvelous success!

St. John Bosco

15. The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly.

St. Thomas Aquinas

16. Remember, that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing with you, nothing that you have received – only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

St. Francis of Assisi

17. Courage! I too must learn to force myself, even if I am tired, even if I am exhausted, at the end I can rest on the heart of Jesus.

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

18. Even if I must suffer greatly, thanks be to God’s mercy, I will not lack courage.

St. Genoveva Torres Morales

19. Courage, courage, my daughters. Remember that God does not give anyone more trials than can be suffered and that His Majesty is with the afflicted… for this is certain, there is no reason to fear God, but to hope in His mercy.

St. Teresa of Avila

20. Help me! Give me the courage to overcome all the obstacles that might make me less dear to you.

St. Frances Cabrini

21. O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve you. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived, when the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me and I shall meet with peace.

St. Edith Stein

22. Let us never lose courage or despair of God’s mercy. We may not understand His will for us in time, but in eternity the veil will be drawn, and we shall see that He acted only for our happiness. Let us bear our cross and leave it to God to determine the length and the weight.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

23. I repeat and ask that you always have courageous thoughts. As a result of them the Lord will give you grace for courageous deeds.

St. Teresa of Avila

24. When I am weak, Help me find courage. When I am afraid of what the future holds, Help me find trust. When I cannot see God anymore in my life, Hel me find faith.

St. Anthony of Padua

25. God of our life. There are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.

Flood the path with light, turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; turn our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so, quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory. Amen

St. Augustine of Hippo

Faith, Prayer, Quote, Quotes of Saints, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Prayer

June 30, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayer is important in our faith journey. There are many prayer styles. Spending time with God is important whether it be alone, with nature, or with a group of many. We pray in our actions and in silence. We also make a joyful noise in praise and thanksgiving.

The following quotes help us to discover the prayer styles of the saints.

1. Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.

St. John Vianney

2. I pray like little children who do not know how to read. I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences and He always understands me.

St. Terese of Lisieux

3. Pray, Love, and don’t worry.

St. Padre Pio

4. Prayer is the place of refugefor ev for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.

St. John Chrysostom

5. Prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition ofand of love, embracing both trial and joy.

St. Therese of Lisieux

6. Joy is prayer! Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

St. Theresa of Calcutta

10. Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying, but about the God to whom they pray.

St. Francis de Sales

11. Without prayer, it is impossible to resist temptations and to keep the commandment.

St. Alphonsas Liguori

12. Be Good. Love the Lord. Pray for those who do not know Him. What agreat grace it is to know God!

St. Josephine Bakhita

13. He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands.

St. Benedict

14. Prayer is the wing, wherewith the soul flies to heaven, and meditation the eye wherewith we see God.

St. Ambrose

15. Prayer is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings.

St. John Chrysostom

16. The test of sincerity of one’s prayer is the willingness to labor on its behalf.

St. John Chrysostom

17. For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.

St. Teresa of Avila

18. Prayer is an act of love. Words are not needed.

St. Teresa of Avila

19. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn, I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.

St. Patrick

20. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

21. Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions, you should only speak to Him with your heart.

St. Padre Pio

22. To sing is to pray twice.

St. Augustine

23. Prayer is to the spiritual life, what the beating of the pulse and the drawing of the breath are to the life of the body.

St. John Henry Newman

24. Prayer begins by talking to God but it ends by listening to Him. In the face of Absolute Truth, silence is the soul’s language.

Ven. Fulton Sheen

25. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

St. Rita

Immaculate Heart, Prayer, Quote, Sacred Heart

Consecration Prayer to Immaculate Heart of Mary

June 13, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the Saturday after The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which falls on the second Friday in June.

The following prayer is a prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart. We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts, and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee and may share in the benefits of thy motherly blessing.
And that this act of consecration may be truly fruitful and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our First Holy Communion. We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics, who are submissive to all directions of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the Commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s Day. We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an important part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able to do.
Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the spreading of devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, in order to hasten and assure, through the queenly rule of thy Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thy adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country, and in all the world, as in Heaven, so on earth. Amen

“Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” Our Lady of Fatima

Faith, Fear, Prayer, Quotes of Saints

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Fear

June 9, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

The opposite of fear is trust. All of us have fears…the fear of the unkniwn, death,, the future, failure and even success! To deal with our fears, we need to be aware of them. Only then can we pray for the courage and wisdom to overcome them.

The following quotes and prayers from the saints may help you to turn your fears into trust.

1. A soul in a state of grace has nothing to fear of demons who are cowards.

St. Thérése of Lisieux

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

St. Francis of Assisi

3. The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He us also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the sign of the cross.

St. Anthony of Padua

4. Di not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness.

St. John Paul II

5. I am not afraid; I was born to do this.

St. Joan of Arc

6. 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 mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.

St. Clare of Assisi

7. Satan fears and trembles before humble souls.

St. Padre Pio

8. Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but what is possible for you to do.

St. John XXIII

9. Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.

St. Francis de Sales

10. The devil fears hearts on fire with love if God.

St. Catherine of Siena

11. Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much…You can never love her more than Jesus did.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

12. I fear nothing for God is with me

St. Joan of Arc

13. What do you have to fear? Nothing. Whom do you have to fear? No one. Why? Because whoever has joined forces with God obtains three great privileges: omnipotence without power, intoxication without wine and life without death.

St. Francis of Assisi

14. It is a fearful mistake to believe that because our wishes are not accomplished they can do no harm.

St. Gertrude the Great

15. Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.

St. Bonaventure

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

St. John Paul II

17. If one fears men much, hevwill never do anything great for God. All that one does fir God causes persecution.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

18. We fight our battle between fear and hope; in the knowledge that hope is always the stronger because He who comes to our help is almighty.

St. Francis de Sales

19. Be not afraid. I plead with you…never, ever, give up on hope. Never doubt , never tire, and never be discouraged.

St. John Paul II

20. I do not fear at all what men can do to me for speaking the truth. I only fear what God would do if I were to lie.

St. John Bosco

21. When you are assailed by fears from the past…think of it as lost in the ocean of heavenly goodness.

St. Padre Pio

22. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.

St. Leo the Great

23. Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

St. Teresa of Avila

24. O my Lord and Savior, in your arms I am safe. Keep me and I have nothing to fear. I know nothing about the future, but I rely upon You. I pray that You would give me what is good for me. Help me to know You, to believe in You, to love You, to serve You, to always aim at bringing You glory to Your precious name. Amen

St. John Henry Newman

25. Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied by mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets fir a catch.

St. John Paul II

Faith, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Prayer, Quotes of Saints

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints on the Holy Spirit

May 19, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday…fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended on the confused and frightened apostles. They were filled with courage and conviction.

Today, we receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation. We are sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit who guides us and fills us with joy.

The 7 gifts of the Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God.

The 12 fruits of the spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, Self-control, and chastity.

The following quotes from the saints inspire us with the joy and faith they received.

1. Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit.

St. Lucy

2. He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength. As the soul is to the life of the body, so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.

St. Peter Damien

3. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector … to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

4. Just as two rushing rivers intermingle in such a way that the smaller loses its name and is absorbed into the larger, so the Divine Spirit acts upon the soul and absorbes it.

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

5. Happy the man whose words come from the Holy Spirit and not from himself.

St. Anthony of Padua

6. O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there thy cheerful beams.

St. Augustine

7. The Holy Spirit is like a gardener cultivating our souls.

St. John Vianney

8. Pentecost offers us the chance to live in a new way; with the Holy Spirit as our guide.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

9. Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.

St. Augustine

10. The Holy Spirit leads us as a mother leads by the hand her child of two years old; as a person who can see leads one who is blind.

St. John Vianney

11. Rise, you who were lying fast asleep. Rise and hurry to the Church. Here is the Father. Here is the Son. Here is the Holy Spirit.

St. Ambrose

12. Acquire the Spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.

St. Seraphim of Sarov

13. I love you my Lord and my God, the eternal Paraclete, co-equal with the Father and the Son…It is by You that sinners are turned into saints.

St. John Henry Newman

14. Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you. May Your Spirit, which once breathed over the chaos of the earth, give life to all the powers of my soul.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

15. Every divine action begins with the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed by the Holy Spirit.

St. Basil the Great

16. The life of the spirit is not our life, but the life of God within us.

St. Teresa of Avila

17. Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son like a river, and the Holy Ghost like a sea, for the spring and the river and the sea are all one nature. Think of the Father as a root, and the Son as a branch. and the Spirit as a fruit, for substance in these three is one. The Father is a sun with the Son as rays and the Holy Ghost as heat.

St. John Damascene

18. Every truth without exception- and whoever may utter it- is from the Holy Spirit.

St. Thomas Aquinas

19. Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God. The Father is your table. The Son is your food, and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes Hos dwelling in you.

St. Catherine of Siena

20. In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds.

St. John of the Cross

21. Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear. Keep safe what you have received. God the Father sealed you. Christ the Lord strengthened you and sent the Spirit into your hearts as the pledge of what is to come.

St. Ambrose

22. The Spirit is the source of holiness, a spiritual light, and he offers his own light to every mind to help it in its search for truth.

St. Basil

23. The Spirit is the source of holiness…He is the love that draws them on, the sweetness that attracts them, the way in which a man approaches God.

St. Irenaeus

24. Spirit of truth. You are the reward of the saints, the comforter of souls, light in the darkness, riches to the poor, treasure to lovers, food for the hungry, comfort to those who are wandering; to sum up, you are the one in whom all treasures are contained.

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

25. Jesus to the Apostles on Pentecost: Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins their sins are forgiven, if you don’t forgive them they are not forgiven. ” JOHN 20: 21-23

Love, Prayer, Quotes of Saints, Sacred Heart, Spirituality, Virtues

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Love

May 5, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

How does our love of God grow? If we spend time with God, we come to know Him better. We learn from our experiences. Our faith becomes stronger as we let Him lead us.

One of the fruits if the spirit us love. The Holy Spirit inflames our heart with love. Our doubts disappear and we are led by the Spirit of Love.

The Saints were on fire with the love of God. The following quotes enlighten us about their journey.

1. All things are possible for him who Believes, more to him who hopes, even more to him who loves.

St. Lawrence Brindisi

2. Refuse God nothing…We must do all through love.

St. Jeanne Jugan

3. The proof of love is in the works. Where live exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.

St. Gregory the Great

4. I have come to know only love is if any value; love is greatness. Nothing, no works can compare with a single act of pure love of God.

Diary of St. Faustina, 1092

5. Martyrdom is the heroic act of love.

St. Just Bretenie’res Korean Martyr

5. God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.

St. Augustine

6. It is only by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If then, we possess charity, we possess God, for God is charity.

St. Albert the Great

7. I love You, not because You have the power to give heaven or hell, but simply because You are You…my kin and my God.

St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier

8. Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.

St. John of the Cross

9. Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side; Hope supports it on the other; Experience says it must be and Love says…Let it be.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

10. Remember, that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing of what you have received, but only what you have given; a heart full, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.

St. Francis of Assisi

11. Desire more and more to grow in the love of God. Holy desires are like wings which transport the soul to heaven.

Bl. Angel Trustzkowska

12. Faith and Love are like the blind man’s guides. They will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden.

St. John of the Cross

13. Beneath the cross one learns to love.

St. Padre Pio

14. Heaven is full of love but Hell is full of loneliness.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

15. Darkness can only be scattered by light. Hatred can only be conquered by Love.

St. John Paul II

16. May my life be a continual prayer, a long act of love.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

17. Kindness is my only guiding star. In its light, I sail a straight route. I have my motto written on my soul: ” To Live in Love.”

St Thérése of Lisieux

18. Only one thing is needed to please God: to do even the smallest things out of great love. Love and always love.

St. Faustina

19. Truly it us a blessed thing to Love on earth as we hope to live in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure forever there.

St. Francis de Sales

20. Prayer is an act of Love; words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts us from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to Love.

St. Teresa of Avila

21. Faith gives Love it’s strength; Love gives Faith it’s beauty.

St. Valentine

22. Ponder the fact that you were loved before you ever loved. For God looked within Himself and fell in love with the beauty of His creature and so created us.

St. Catherine of Siena

23. As I adore You, I ask for a love that knows no limits, a love like a flame that consumes me. O Christ, O Lord, one gift I ask if you: Love for You ever increasing, ever growing, ever active on Your behalf.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

24. It is not enough to love the young. They mustknow they are loved.

St. John Bosco

25. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your Love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.

St. Gertrude the Great

Faith, Prayer, Spirituality

Acts of Faith, Hope and Love

Quote April 27, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Faith, Hope and Love are three virtues which St. Paul in Corinthians tells us we must live by. We have three traditional prayers which we call Acts to help us. Whenever we need guidance and direction, praying one of these short Acts will help us.

We are also encouraged to pray without ceasing. Beginning your day with an Act oh faith, hope and love is one way to grow spiritually.

Mercy, Prayer, Quote, Quotes of Saints, Virtues

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints on Mercy

April 10, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. It was decreed a Feastday on May 5th, 2000 by Pope John Paul Ii.

St. Faustina received a series of Revelations beginning in 1931. These revelations were recorded in her personal diary. Jesus asked her to promote a devotion for this feastday. It included the Divine Mercy Image, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and 14 promises to those who participated in the devotion.

St. Faustina was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul Ii in the year 2000.

As we meditate on the meaning of Divine Mercy let,s also reflect on the words of the following saints.

1. When I went for adoration, I heard these words; Tell all people, my daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches me with trust, I will fill it such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls. , (Diary 1074) St. Faustina

2. O my Jesus, each of your saints reflects one of Your virtues. I desire to reflect Your compassionate heart, full of mercy. O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and my future life. Glorifying Your mercy is the exclusive task of my life. (Diary 1242.) St. Faustina

3. Those who sincerely say .”Jesus, I trust in You.” will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears. There is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy…that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights of the holiness of God.

St. John Paul II

4. I approach Your banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth, but only on Your goodness and mercy.

St. Ambrose

5. Be assured that leaving the past ti the mercy of God and the future to God’s providence, you will derive from your offery very great peace and great consolation.

St. Theodore Guerin

6. Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His mercy from us?

St. Vincent de Paul

7. Sit down alone and in silence, lower your head, shut your eyes, breathe gently, and imagine yourself looking into your own heart. As you breathe in say,..”Lord Jesus Christ…” and as you breathe out say “have mercy on me.”

St. Symeon

St. Symeon the Theologian

8. I commend myself to the prayers of yourself and your friends, so that Christ, the source of all pity., may design to wash me clean in the water if His mercy.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bernard Clairvaux
Public Domain Image

9. Most merciful heart, pity my heart, loving heart of my Father and my Savior, refuse not your help to my needy heart.

St. Margaret Mary

10. If God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him. St. Juniper Serra

11. What does it cost us to say, “My God help me! Have mercy on me!” Is there anything easier than this? And this will suffice to save us if we be diligent doing it.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

12. The Lord is more anxious to forgive our sins than a woman is to carry her baby out of a burning building.

St. John Vianney

13. Behold Jesus Christ crucified, who is the only foundation of our hope. He us our Mediator and Advocate.; the victim and sacrifice for our sins. He is goodness and patience itself. His mercy is moved by the tears of sinners, and He never refuses pardon and grace to those who ask with a truly contrite and humble heart

St. Carlo Borromeo

14. It is better to err by excess of mercy than by excess of severity. Wilt thou become a saint? Be severe to thyself abut kind to others.

St. John Chrysostom

15. I have many friends help me to fall; but as to rising again, I was so much left to myself, that I wonder now, I I was not always on the ground. I praise God for His mercy, for it was He only who stretched out His hand to me. May He be blessed forever!

St. Teresa of Avila

16. Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither Fear nor Ignorance. Where there is Patience and Humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance. Where there is Poverty and Joy, there is neither Cupidity or Avarice. Where there is Peace and contemplation, there is neither Care nor Restlessness. Where there is the Fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter. Where there is Mercy and Prudence, there is neither Excess nor Harshness.

St. Francis of Assisi

17. Prayer is powerful! It fills the Earth with mercy. It makes the Divine Clemency pass from generation to generation; right along the course of the centuries wonderful works have been achieved through prayer.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

18. Confession heals. Confession justifies. Confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in Confession. In Confession there is a chance for mercy.

St. Isidore of Seville

19. Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution. Justice without mercy is cruelty.

St. Thomas Aquinas

20. I am where God wills me to be and so I have found rest and security. His wisdom governs me; His His power defends me. His grace sanctified me. His mercy encompasses me. His joy sustains me, and all will go well with me.

St. Rose Duchesne

21. The ground of mercy is love and the working of mercy is staying in love.

St. Julian of Norwich

Bl. Julian of Norwich
Public Domain Image

22. Thanks be to Thee my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O, most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.

St. Richard of Chichester

23. This was the method that Jesus used with the Apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked., others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God’s mercy. And so, He bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.

St. John Bosco

24. The greater my unworthiness. the more abundant His mercy.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

25. O Jesus, make the fountain of Your mercy gush forth more abundantly for mankind is seriously ill and thus has more need than ever of Your compassion.

St. Faustina

Jesus,I trust in You!

Faith, Spirituality

Advent: The Season of Waiting

November 30, 2025 Vicki Scheenstra

Advent Wreath

The period of four weeks before Christmas is called Advent. It is a period of anticipation and hope. In today’s culture it is a busy time, filled with shopping and socializing. However, in ages past, it was a quiet and sacred time of prayer and waiting… anticipating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the birth of Jesus, we look with hope to our salvation. Jesus was born of Mary. He became man to redeem us. By the cross, we are saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life. What a tremendous mystery! How can a little baby be both human and divine?

The omnipotence of God is shown by his humbling himself and becoming a man. His humble beginnings, being born in a manger, tells us of his connection to the poor and lowly. He was not the type of king the Jewish people were expecting. The kingdom of God is an important thing to reflect on during the Christmas Season. Are we trying to follow the teachings of Jesus…to love not only our neighbor but our enemies? Are we helping the poor and downtrodden?

God is love. When we look at a little baby it is easy to define love. However, we need to be loving our neighbor at all times. Celebrating the incarnation (God becoming Man) this year, let’s try not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of Christmas. Waiting helps us to slow down. Hopefully, we will be spending time in prayer… sharing with God our hopes, difficulties, fears and love.

A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.

Quote of St. John of the Cross

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Faith, Prayer, Quote, Quotes of Saints, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about Truth

November 10, 2025 Vicki Scheenstra

Many in the world today are discovering that not everything we believe is actually true. The following quotes are attributed to the Saints. Hopefully they will help us to understand the meaning of Truth.

1. Anyone who seeks Truth seeks God, whether or not he realizes it.

St. Edith Stein

2. Truth is not private property.

St. Augustine

3. Truth suffers but never dies.

St. Teresa of Avila

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

St. Catherine of Siena

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

St. Catherine of Siena

5. Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.

St. Vincent de Paul

6. He is an all-powerful God, who is Truth

St. Faustina

7. Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit, which it sours to the Truth.

St. John Paul II

8. There is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice and solidarity.

St. John Paul II

9. I can nourish myself on nothing but Truth.

St. Therese of Lisieux

10. Jesus said, ” I am the Truth” and it is your duty and mine to speak the truth, then it is up to the person who hears it whether to accept or reject it.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

11. When lies have been accepted for some time, Truth always stands with an air of novelty.

St. Clement of Alexandria…Church Father

12. True happiness is to rejoice in the Truth, for to rejoice in theTruth is to rejoice in you, O God, who are the Truth, you my God, my true Light, to whom I look for salvation.

St. Augustine

13. To lovers of the Truth, nothing can be put before God and Home in Him.

St. Basil

14. Do not accept anything as Love which lacks Truth.

St Edith Stein

15. If I do not speak the truth, I become a slave of the father of lies and beome a member of the Father of lies.

St. Jerome Emiliani

16. Speak the Truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.

St. Catherine of Siena

17. Sin makes a man a coward, a life in the Truth of Christ makes him bold.

St. John Chrysostom

18. For He who is true God is also True man; and there is no deception in this union, where the loftiness of God and the lowliness of man are brought together.

St. Leo the Great

19. No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek Truth and to serve it when we have found it.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

20. Serve the Lord in fear and Truth.

St. Polycarp…Church Father

21. God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in Truth.

St. Teresa of Avila.

22. Charity and kindness unwedded to Truth are not charity and kindness but deceit and vanity.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

23. My longing for truth was a single prayer.

St Edith Stein

24. Seek the Truth, Do the Good, Love the Beautiful!

St. John Henry Newman

25. What prayer could be more true before God the Father than that which the Son, who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?

St. John Chrysostom

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Discernment, Pope Leo XIV, Prayer, Prayer Intention

July Prayer Intention and Prayer For Discernment by Pope Leo XIV

July 7, 2025 Vicki Scheenstra

Pope Leo invites us to pray with him for his monthly prayer intention.

The prayer intention for July is for Discernment in Formation.

“Let us pray that we might again learn how to discern, to know how to choose paths of life and reject everything that leads us away from Christ and the Gospel.”

Prayer for Discernment by Pope Leo XIV

Holy Spirit, you, light of our understanding,
gentle breath that guides our decisions,
grant me the grace to listen attentively to your voice
and to discern the hidden paths of my heart,
so that I may grasp what truly matters to you,
and free my heart from its troubles.

I ask you for the grace to learn how to pause,
to become aware of the way I act,
of the feelings that dwell within me,
and of the thoughts that overwhelm me
which, so often, I fail to notice.

I long for my choices
to lead me to the joy of the Gospel.
Even if I must go through moments of doubt and fatigue,
even if I must struggle, reflect, search, and begin again…
Because, at the end of the journey,
your consolation is the fruit of the right decision.

Grant me a deeper understanding of what moves me,
so that I may reject what draws me away from Christ,
and love him and serve him more fully.

Amen.

Faith, Heaven, Prayer, Psalm, Quotes of Saints

Twenty-five Quotes about Heaven from the Saints

July 3, 2025 Vicki Scheenstra

Have you pondered what heaven might be like. We will only know for sure when we enter into the Kindom of Heaven. The saints share their insights with us in the quotes below.

1. How insignificant earth seems to me, when I consider heaven.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

2. The gate of heaven is very low, only the humble can enter it.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

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

Ven. Fulton Sheen

4. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

St. Thomas More

5. Those who carry God in their hearts bear Heaven with them wherever they go.

St. Ignatius Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyla
Public Domain Image

6. What does it matter to you whether Jesus wishes to guide you to heaven by way of the desert or by the meadow, so long as He is always with you and you arrive at the possession of the blessed eternity.

St. Padre Pio

7. Walk with your feet on earth, but in your heart, be in heaven.

St. John Bosco

8. As mariners are guided into port by the shing of a star, so Christians are guided to Heaven by Mary.

St. Thomas Aquinas

9. Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we still live in anxiety, so that we may sing it one day in heaven in full security.

St. Augustine

10. Heaven and hell are inevitable, but the choice between them is up to us.

St. Teresa of Avila

11. Heaven is full of love, but hell is full of loneliness.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

12. Heaven is for all of us, but we must remember that we must earn it.

St. Francis Assisi

13. We are not made for this world but for heaven, where we will live forever.

St. John Paul II

14. Can you expect to go to heaven for nothing? Did not our dear Savior track the whole way to it with His blood and tears?

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

15. No one reaches the Kingdom of Heaven except by humility.

St. Augustine

16. Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.

St. Rose of Lima

17. All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, ” I am the way.”

St. Catherine of Siena

18. When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens. I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.

St. Therese of Lisieux

19. The pains of hell are not the greatest part of hell, the loss of heaven is the weightiest woe of Hell.

St. John Chrysostom

20. An angel fell from heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone, without any other of the virtues.

St. John Climacus

21. In the moment of temptation, think of the Love that awaits you in heaven, foster the virtue of hope.

St. Josemaria Escriva

22. Heaven is where all tears are wiped away.

St. Augustine

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

St. Jerome

24. As in heaven Your will is punctually performed, so may it be done on earth by all creatures, particularly in me and by me.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

25. O Saving Victim, opening wide, the gate of heaven to us below. Our foes press on from every side, Your aid supply, Your strength bestow.

St. Thomas Aquinas

1. Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.

2. I pray like little children who do not know how to read. I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences and He always understands me.

3. Pray, Love, and don’t worry.

4. Prayer is the place of refugefor ev for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.

5. Prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition ofand of love, embracing both trial and joy.

6. Joy is prayer! Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

7. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.

8. We should seek not so much to pray but to become prayer.

9. He prays best who does not know that he is praying.

10. Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying, but about the God to whom they pray.

11. Without prayer, it is impossible to resist temptations and to keep the commandment.

12. Be Good. Love the Lord. Pray for those who do not know Him. What agreat grace it is to know God!

13. He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands.

14. Prayer is the wing, wherewith the soul flies to heaven, and meditation the eye wherewith we see God.

15. Prayer is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings.

16. The test of sincerity of one’s prayer is the willingness to labor on its behalf.

17. For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.

18. Prayer is an act of love. Words are not needed.

19. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn, I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.

20. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.

21. Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions, you should only speak to Him with your heart.

22. To sing is to pray twice.

23. Prayer is to the spiritual life, what the beating of the pulse and the drawing of the breath are to the life of the body.

24. Prayer begins by talking to God but it ends by listening to Him. In the face of Absolute Truth, silence is the soul’s language.

25. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

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A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.

Quote of St. John of the Cross

1. Anyone who seeks Truth seeks God, whether or not he realizes it.

2. Truth is not private property.

3. Truth suffers but never dies.

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

5. Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.

6. He is an all-powerful God, who is Truth

7. Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit, which it sours to the Truth.

8. There is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice and solidarity.

9. I can nourish myself on nothing but Truth.

10. Jesus said, ” I am the Truth” and it is your duty and mine to speak the truth, then it is up to the person who hears it whether to accept or reject it.

11. When lies have been accepted for some time, Truth always stands with an air of novelty.

12. True happiness is to rejoice in the Truth, for to rejoice in theTruth is to rejoice in you, O God, who are the Truth, you my God, my true Light, to whom I look for salvation.

13. To lovers of the Truth, nothing can be put before God and Home in Him.

14. Do not accept anything as Love which lacks Truth.

15. If I do not speak the truth, I become a slave of the father of lies and beome a member of the Father of lies.

16. Speak the Truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.

17. Sin makes a man a coward, a life in the Truth of Christ makes him bold.

18. For He who is true God is also True man; and there is no deception in this union, where the loftiness of God and the lowliness of man are brought together.

19. No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek Truth and to serve it when we have found it.

20. Serve the Lord in fear and Truth.

21. God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in Truth.

22. Charity and kindness unwedded to Truth are not charity and kindness but deceit and vanity.

23. My longing for truth was a single prayer.

24. Seek the Truth, Do the Good, Love the Beautiful!

25. What prayer could be more true before God the Father than that which the Son, who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?

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Prayer for Discernment by Pope Leo XIV

1. How insignificant earth seems to me, when I consider heaven.

2. The gate of heaven is very low, only the humble can enter it.

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

4. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

5. Those who carry God in their hearts bear Heaven with them wherever they go.

6. What does it matter to you whether Jesus wishes to guide you to heaven by way of the desert or by the meadow, so long as He is always with you and you arrive at the possession of the blessed eternity.

7. Walk with your feet on earth, but in your heart, be in heaven.

8. As mariners are guided into port by the shing of a star, so Christians are guided to Heaven by Mary.

9. Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we still live in anxiety, so that we may sing it one day in heaven in full security.

10. Heaven and hell are inevitable, but the choice between them is up to us.

11. Heaven is full of love, but hell is full of loneliness.

12. Heaven is for all of us, but we must remember that we must earn it.

13. We are not made for this world but for heaven, where we will live forever.

14. Can you expect to go to heaven for nothing? Did not our dear Savior track the whole way to it with His blood and tears?

15. No one reaches the Kingdom of Heaven except by humility.

16. Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.

17. All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, ” I am the way.”

18. When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens. I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.

19. The pains of hell are not the greatest part of hell, the loss of heaven is the weightiest woe of Hell.

20. An angel fell from heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone, without any other of the virtues.

21. In the moment of temptation, think of the Love that awaits you in heaven, foster the virtue of hope.

22. Heaven is where all tears are wiped away.