Tag Archives: Quotes of Saints

Faith, Prayer, Quotes of Saints

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Fear

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

St. Thérèse of Lisiuex

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

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

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

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

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

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc
Burning at Stake
Public Domain Image

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

St. Clare of Assisi
Public Domain Image

7. Satan fears and trembles before humble souls.

St. Padre Pio

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

St. John XXIII
Public Domain Image

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

St. Francis de Sales

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

St. Catherine of Siena

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

St. Maximilian Kolbe

12. I fear nothing for God is with me

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc
Burning at Stake
Public Domain Image

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

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

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

St. Bonaventure
Public Domain Image

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

St. John Paul II

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

St. Ignatius Loyola
Public Domain Image

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. John Paul II
Faith, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Prayer, Quotes of Saints

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints on the Holy Spirit

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

St. Lucy
by Domenico di Pace Beccafumi

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

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

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

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

St. Anthony of Padua

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

St. Augustine of Hippo
by Sandro Botticelli

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

St. John Vianney

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image

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

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

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

St. Augustine of Hippo

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

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

St. Ambrose

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

St. Seraphim of Sarov

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

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

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

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

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

St. John Damascus

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

St. Thomas Aquinas

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

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

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

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

St. Basil the Great

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

St. Irenaeus of Lyons
Public Domain Image

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

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

Baptism, Quotes of Saints, Sacrament, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Baptism

When we are baptized, we begin our faith journey. For some, it begins as when we are infants. For others, the journey is preceded by a spiritual experience during which we feel called to follow Jesus.

If you are exploring the teachings of the Church, you need to know about the Sacrament of Baptism.

The following quotes will help you ponder the mystery of the Sacrament of Baptism.

1. Our Lord made a covenant with us through baptism in order to give us eternal life.

St. Basil the Great

2. We receive the sacrament of baptism only once because there was only one death and one resurrection for the salvation of the world, and baptism is its symbol.

St. Basil the Great

St. Basil the Great

3. Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

St. Leo the Great, Pope

St. Leo the Great

4. He who is reborn in baptism is a new man.

St. Peter Damien, Bishop and Doctor

5. Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift. It is a called a gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo
Public Domain Image

6. The soul is regenerated in the Sacred waters of baptism and this becomes God’s child.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe
Public Domain Image

7. I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

St. John the Baptist

Rome – The painting of Baptism of Christ by Daniele da Volterra in church San Pietro in Montorio from 16. cent.

8. We baptize our infants, though they are not defiled by sin, so that they too may be given holiness, righteousness; adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ and membership in Him.

St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

9. Let your baptism be your armor; your faith , your helmet; your love, your spear; your patient endurance, your analogy (spiritual armor).

St. Ignatius of Antioch

St. Ignatius of Antioch

10. Baptism is the door of the spiritual life and the gateway to the sacraments.

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas

11. I received the Sacrament of Baptism with such joy that only angels could describe!

St. Josephine Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita

12. Baptism is a beautiful mystery, revealing God’s love for us.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

13. Through baptism we are introduced to the life of grace.

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila
Public Domain Image

14. Baptism signifies both a new birth and a new beginning.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo
Public Domain Image

15. Baptism is the foundation of Christian life.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

16. Baptism plants the seeds of faith in our hearts.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta
U.S. Stamp
Public Domain Image

17. In baptism we are made a new creation in Christ.

St. Paul the Apostle

St. Paul the Apostle
Public Domain Image

18. Baptism welcomes us into a family of faith.

St. John XXIII, Pope

St. John XXIII

19. In baptism we are transported into God’s heart.

St. John Paul II

20. Bsptism is a moment where heaven pours out it’s grace.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo

21. The Sacrament of Baptism, like Marriage, is both a beginning and an end. It’s the end of a former way of life; the beginning of a new life in God’s grace.

St. John Henry Newman

St. John Henry Newman

22. We who have been reborn through the sacrament of baptism experience intense joy when we feel within us the first stirrings of the Hily Spirit.

St. Hilary, Bishop

23. As a man must be born before he can begin to lead his physical life, so he must be born to lead a divine life. That birth occurs in the sacrament of baptism.

Venerable Fulton Sheen

Venerable Bishop Vulton Sheen

24. If you are eagerly looking for salvation, and you believe in God, you may become acquainted with the Christ of God, and after being initiated (by Baptism) live a happy life.

St. Justin Martyr

St. Justin Marty
by Theophanes the Cretan

25. Baptism cleanses the soul from the pollution of worldly thoughts and inclinations: You will wash me, says the psalmist, and I shall be whiter than snow.

St. Basil the Great

St. Basil the Great
Featured, Love, Prayer, Quotes of Saints, Sacred Heart, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes From the Saints about Love

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

St. Lawrence Brindisi

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

St. Jeanne Jugan

St. Jeanne Jugan
Public Domain Image

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

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

St. Faustina
Public Domain Image

5. Martyrdom is the heroic act of love.

St. Just Bretenie’res Korean Martyr

St. Just Bretenie’res

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

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo

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

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

St. Francis Xavier

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

St. John of the Cross

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

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

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

Bl. Angel Trustkowska

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

St. John of the Cross

13. Beneath the cross one learns to love.

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

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

St. Teresa of Calcutta

St.. Teresa of Calcutta
U.S. Stamp

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

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II

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

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

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

St. Thérèse of Lisiuex

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

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

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

St. Teresa of Avila

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

St. Valentine

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

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

St. Kateri

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

St. John Bosco

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

St. Gertrude the Great
Featured, Prayer, Quotes of Saints, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes From The Saints About Grace

Grace is a wonderful gift from God. It is not earned but given to us in love. When we become aware that God is with us, guiding us…everything changes. Grace is the present of God’ presence! God is not a distant God. He created us and loves us.

Let’s turn to the saints to find out how they felt about grace.

1. Let us not be afraid to suffer for the truth; for if we suffer for the truth, we shall find grace.

St. Hyacinth

St. Hyacinth

2. Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.

St. Rose of Lima

St. Rose of Lima
Public Domain Image

3. How great it is to possess Divine Grace, How beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights!

St. Rose of Lima

4. The Grace of God does not find men fit for salvation, but makes them so.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo
Public Domain Image

5. If only we would learn how great it is to possess Divine Grace and how many riches it has within itself, how many joys and delights. We would devote all our concern to winning for ourselves pains and aflictions in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace.

St. Rose of Lima

6. I am where God wills me to be. I have found rest and security. His wisdom governs me. His grace sanctifies me. His mercy encompasses me. His joy sustains me and all will be well with me.

St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne

St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne

7. The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith and this is not of ourselves.

St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas

8. Be attentive to the voice of grace.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Public Domain Image

9. Grace is like the sun. It shines on all, but only those who open their eyes and look up receive the light. The soul must be willing and awake, or the light passes by unnoticed.

St. Macarius of Egypt

St. Macarius of Egypt

10. In trial, God grants His grace to those who trust in Him.

St. Rita Cascia

St. Rita
Public Domain Image

11. Let every journey be a prayer, and every road a path of grace.

St. Bona of Pisa

St. Bona of Pisa

12. Lord, give me the grace to work for the things I pray for.

St. Thomas More

St. Thomas More
Public Domain Image

13. The greatest grace God can give someone is to send him a trial he cannot bear with his own powers…and then sustain him with His grace so he may endure to the end and be saved.

St. Justin Martyr

St. Justin Marty
by Theophanes the Cretan
Public Domain Image

14. Without grace there is no hope, but with it there is no shortage.

St. Barnabas

St. Barnabas
Public Domain Image

15. Rich is the mercy of our God, and abundantly does He bestow grace upon grace on those who love Him.

St. Elizabeth Schoenna

St. Elizabeth of Schoenna

16. What is true in the order of nature is true in the order of super-nature or grace. Only those who use the graces they are given are given more.

Venerable Fulton Sheen

Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen

17. If I am in God’s good grace, may He.keep me there. If I am not, may He put me there.

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc
Burning at Stake
Public Domain Image

18. To receive the grace of God you must go to the desert and stay awhile.

St. Charles de Foucauld

Bl. Charles de Foucauld

19. Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a grace it is to know God!

St. Josephina Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita

20. He who knows how to forgive, prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.

St. Faustina

St. Faustina
Public Domain Image

21. Let us ask three graces of Jesus, to avoid Purgatory, to learn from Purgatory, to empty Purgatory.

22. What grace is meant to do, is to help good people, not to escape their sufferings, but to bear them with a stout heart, with a fortitude that finds it’s strength in faith.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine

I also understood that God’s love shows itself just as well in the simplest soul which puts up no resistance to His grace, as it does in the loftiest soul.

St. Therese of Lisieux

24. The more I reflect on the graces I have received,the more they astonish me and make me tremble.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne

25. Take, O Lord and receive my liberty, my memory, my whole understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed acording to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Featured, Mercy, Quote, Quotes of Saints

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints on Mercy

Divine Mercy

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

St. Faustina
Public Domain Image

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

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

St. Theodore Guerin
Public Domain Image

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

St. Vincent de Paul
Public Domain Image

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

St. Margaret Maryin

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

St. Alphonsus Liguori
Public Domain Image

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

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image

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

St. Charles 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

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

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

St. Teresa of Avila
Public Domain Image

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

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

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

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

St. Rose Phillippine 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

St. Faustina

Jesus,I trust in You!

Eucharist, Faith, Featured

Twenty-Five Quotes about the Eucharist from the Saints

The Sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted during Holy Week on Holy Thursday.

The Catholic Church has always believed in the Real Presence of the Jesus in the Eucharist.

As we contemplate the many things that happened during the last week of Jesus life, let’s take time to reflect on the quotes of the saints over the years on the meaning of the Eucharist.

1. There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.

St. John Vianncy

2. When we have been to Holy Communion, the balm of love envelopes the soul as the flower envelopes the bee.

St. John Vianney

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image

3. The Eucharist bathes the tormented soul in light and love, then the soul appreciates these words, ‘Come all you who are sick, I will restore your health.

St. Bernedette Soubirouse

St. Bernedette Soubirouse

4. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II

5. It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

6. Receive Communion often, very often…there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus did not put this attraction in your heart for nothing.

S. Therese of Lisieux

7. The Eucharist is a fire that inflames us.

St. John Damascene

St. John Damascene

8. The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white host.

St. Fulton Sheen

St. Bishop Fulton Sheen

9. When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you NOW.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta
U.S. Stamp
Public Domain Image

10. O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and Son of God, should humble Himself like this and hide under the form of a little bread for our salvation.

St. Francis Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

Public Domain Image

11. The saints all their lives long were like men rejoicing at a feast.

St. Athanatius

St. Athanasius of Alexandra

12. The Lord comes into us Sacramentally in order to live there Spiritually.

St. Peter Julian Eymard

St. Peter Julian Eymard
Public Domain Image

13. If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.

St. Lydia

9St. Lydia of Thyatira
Public Domain Image

14. In the Blessed Sacrament a heavenly school is open to me, with the best teacher one can possibly imagine…Jesus Christ himself!

St. John XXIII

St. John XXIII
Public Domain Image

15. If angels could be jealous of me, they would be so for this reason; Holy Communion.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe
Public Domain Image

16. The Eucharist is the food of eternal life.

St.Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

17. We do not go to communion because we are good. We go to communion to become good.

St. John Bosco

18. The Eucharist is a never ending sacrifice. It is the Sacrament of love, the Supreme love, the act of love.

St. Katherine Drexel

St. Katherin Drexel

19. Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to communion as often as you can.

St. Dominic Savio

20. At Communion we ought to ask for the remedy of the vice to which we feel ourselves inclined.

St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri
Public Domain

21. I understand that each time we contemplate with desire and devotion the Host in which is hidden Christ’s Eucharistic Body, we increase our merits in heaven and secure special joys to be ours later on the beatific vision of God.

St. Gertrude the Great

St. Gertrude the Great

22. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of love. It signifies love,it produces love.

St. Thomas Aquinas

23. From the Eucharist comes the strength to live the christian life and to share that life with others

St. John paul II

24. Father, I am hungry. For the love of God give this soul her food in the Eucharist!

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena

25. Jesus is my great friend and the Eucharist is my highway to heaven!

St. Carlos Acutis

Faith, Prayer, Quote, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about Truth

 

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

St. Edith Stein
Public Domain Image

2.  Truth is not private property.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo
Public Domain Image

3.  Truth suffers but never dies.

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila
Public Domain Image

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

St. Catherine of Siena

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

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul
Public Domain Image

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

St. Faustina

St. Faustina
Public Domain Image

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

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

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

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta
U.S. Stamp
Public Domain Image

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

St. Basil the Great

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

St. Jerome Emiliani        Patron Saint of Orphans

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

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

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

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

St. Maximilian Kolbe
Public Domain Image

20.  Serve the Lord in fear and Truth.

St. Polycarp…Church Father

St. Polycarp

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

St. Ignatius Loyola
Public Domain Image

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

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

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

.

 

Devil, Evil, Psalm, Quotes of Saints, Sin

Twenty-five Quotes about Evil, Sin and the Devil from the Saints

During times of stress and turmoil, turning to God is comforting.  When surrounded by evil, meditating on the words of the saints can help us connect with God.  When evil surrounds us, let our faith strengthen us and give us courage. The following quotes may guide us.

  1.  He that is kind is free, though he is a slave, he that is evil is a slave, though he is a king.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine

2.  The devil does not bring sinners to hell with their eyes open; he first blinds them with the malice of their own sins.  Before we fall into sin, the enemy labors to blind us, that we may not see the evil we do and the ruin we bring upon ourselves by offending God.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

St. Alphonsus Liguori
Public Domain Image

3.  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

St. Francis de Sales

4.  Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.

St. Peter Canisius

St. Peter Canisius

5.  We have only one evil to fear and that is sin.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

St. Alphonsus Liguori
Public Domain Image

6. To sin is human, but to persist in sin is devilish.

St. Cathirine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena

7.  Sin is loving what God hates and hating what God loves.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena
Public Domain Image

8.  Never let us fall asleep in a state of sin, lest the prince of wickedness gain power over us and snatch us away from the Kingdom of the Lord.

St. Barnabas, Apostle

9.  You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy…the root of all that is evil and the failure of all that is evil and the failure of all that is good.  For God resists the proud.

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul
Public Domain Image

10.  The greatest sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.

St. John Paul II, Bishop of Rome

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

11.  The root of all evil is “I”, “ME”. “Mine”!

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

12.  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

St. Francis with Crucifix

13.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you.  Be sober minded, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone t devour.

St. Peter, Apostle

St. Peter by Rubens
Apostle and Martyr
Public Domain Image

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

St. Leo I, Bishop of Rome

St. Leo the Great

15.  Just as every little fresh water is blown away by a storm of wind and dust, in like manner the good deeds that we think we do in this life are overwhelmed by the multitude of evils.

St. Basil

St. Basil the Great

16.  Be ashamed when you sin, don’t be ashamed when you repent.  To repent means to have a change of heart and mind.  It is not simply a feeling of sorrow, but a psycho/spiritual growth away from evil/death and a turning to God/life.  Sin is the wound; repentance is the medicine.  Sin is followed by showing repentance, repentance is followed by boldness.  (Boldness means to beg God for undeserved mercy!  Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.

St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

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

St John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

18.  The devil tempts that he may ruin, God tests that he may crown.

St. Ambrose

St. Ambrose

19.  It is no fault of Christianity that a Hypocrite falls into sin.
St. Jerome

St. Jerome and the Angel
by Simon Vouet
Public Domain Image

20.  An evil discovered, is half healed.

St. Jane Frances de Chantel

St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Public Domain Image

21.  The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good.

St. John Bosco

22.    Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say.

St. John Paul II

23.  The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices.  He is 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

St. Anthony of Padua

24.There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder so much as prayer.

St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri

25.  Arise, soldiers of Christ, throw away the works of darkness

and put on the amor of light!

St. Cecelia

St. Cecelia

Devil, Evil, Psalm, Quotes of Saints, Sin

Twenty Five Quotes about Evil, Sin and the Devil from the Saints

During times of stress and turmoil, turning to God is comforting.  When surrounded by evil, meditating on the words of the saints can help us connect with God.  When evil surrounds us, let our faith strengthen us and give us courage. The following quotes may guide us.

  1.  He that is kind is free, though he is a slave, he that is evil is a slave, though he is a king.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine

2.  The devil does not bring sinners to hell with their eyes open; he first blinds them with the malice of their own sins.  Before we fall into sin, the enemy labors to blind us, that we may not see the evil we do and the ruin we bring upon ourselves by offending God.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

St. Alphonsus Liguori
Public Domain Image

3.  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

St. Francis de Sales

4.  Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.                                                                                                                                                                                                                St. Peter Chrysologus

St. Peter Canisius

5.  We have only one evil to fear and that is sin.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

St. Alphonsus Liguori
Public Domain Image

6. To sin is human, but to persist in sin is devilish.

St. Cathirine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena

7.  Sin is loving what God hates and hating what God loves.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena
Public Domain Image

8.  Never let us fall asleep in a state of sin, lest the prince of wickedness gain power over us and snatch us away from the Kingdom of the Lord.

St. Barnabas, Apostle

9.  You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy…the root of all that is evil and the failure of all that is evil and the failure of all that is good.  For God resists the proud.

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul
Public Domain Image

10.  The greatest sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.

St. John Paul II, Bishop of Rome

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image

11.  The root of all evil is “I”, “ME”. “Mine”!

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

12.  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

St. Francis with Crucifix

13.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you.  Be sober minded, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone t devour.

St. Peter, Apostle

St. Peter by Rubens
Apostle and Martyr
Public Domain Image

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

St. Leo I, Bishop of Rome

St. Leo the Great

15.  Just as every little fresh water is blown away by a storm of wind and dust, in like manner the good deeds that we think we do in this life are overwhelmed by the multitude of evils.

St. Basil

St. Basil the Great

16.  Be ashamed when you sin, don’t be ashamed when you repent.  To repent means to have a change of heart and mind.  It is not simply a feeling of sorrow, but a psycho/spiritual growth away from evil/death and a turning to God/life.  Sin is the wound; repentance is the medicine.  Sin is followed by showing repentance, repentance is followed by boldness.  (Boldness means to beg God for undeserved mercy!  Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.

St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

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

St John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom Icon
Public Domain Image

18.  The devil tempts that he may ruin, God tests that he may crown.

St. Ambrose

St. Ambrose

19.  It is no fault of Christianity that a Hypocrite falls into sin.
St. Jerome

St. Jerome and the Angel
by Simon Vouet
Public Domain Image

20.  An evil discovered, is half healed.

St. Jane Frances de Chantel

St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Public Domain Image

21.  The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good.

St. John Bosco

22.    Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say.

St. John Paul II

23.  The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices.  He is 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

St. Anthony of Padua

24.There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder so much as prayer.

St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri

25.  Arise, soldiers of Christ,

throw away the works of darkness

and put on the amor of light!

St. Cecelia

St. Cecelia

Angels, Quotes of Saints, Spirituality

Twenty-Five Quotes about Angels from the Saints

 

September 29th we will be celebrating the Feast of the Archangels.  October 2nd is the Feast of the Guardian Angels.

The following quotes help us to understand the beliefs of the believers long ago.  Faith is a mystery.   We can’t see the angels, but we can read about them in the bible and learn about them from the Saints.

 1.  Our Guardian Angels are our most faithful friends, because they are with us day and night, always and everywhere.  We ought to invoke therm.

St.  John Vianney

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image
3.  Pride and nothing else caused an angel to fall from heaven.  And so, one may reasonably ask whether one may reach heaven by humility alone without the help of any other virtue.

St. John Climacus

St. John Climacus
4.  Is there any greater happiness than to imitate on earth the Choir of Angels?

St. Basil the Great

St. Basil the Great
5.  How great is the dignity of souls, that each person has from birth received an angel to protect it.

St. Jerome

St. Jerome and the Angel
by Simon Vouet
Public Domain Image
6.  To pretend angels do not exist because they are invisible is to believe we never sleep because we don’t see ourselves sleeping.

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas
7.  I saw them with my bodily eyes as clearly as I see you.  And when they departed, I used to weep and wish they would take me with them.

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc
Public Domain Image
8.  The devil writes down our sins…our Guardian Angel all or merits.  Labor that the Guardian Angel’s book may be full, and the Devil’s empty.

St. John Vianney

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image
9.  Ask your angel to console and assist you in your last moments.

St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco
10.  The battle against the Devil, which is the principal task of St. Michael the Archangel, is still being fought today, because the Devil is still alive and active in the world.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image
11.  Somehow, I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an archangel in his.

St. John Henry Newman

St. John Henry Newman
12.  The rosary is my favorite prayer.  A marvelous prayer!  Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.  In the prayer, we repeat many times the words that the Virgin Mary heard from the Archangel and from her kinswoman Elizabeth.

St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II
Public Domain Image
13.  How happy is that guardian angel who accompanies a soul to Holy Mass.

St. John Vianney

St. John Vianney
Public Domain Image
14.  Remember that the good angels do what they can to preserve men from sin and obtain God’s honor, but they do not lose courage when men fail.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola
15.  Angels are intelligent reflections of light. that original light, which has no beginning.  They can illuminate.  they do not need tongues or ears for they can communicate without speech…in thought.

St.  John Damascene

St. John Damascene
16.  Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.  Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ, rest your weary ones, bless your dying ones, sooth your suffering ones, pity your afflicted one, shield your joyous ones and all for your love’s sake.  Amen

St. Augustine

St. Augustine
17.  Let us affectionately love His angels as counselors and defenders appointed by the Father and placed over us.  They are faithful; they are prudent; they are powerful; Let us only follow them, and in the protection of the God of heaven, let us abide.

St. Bernard Clairvaux

St. Bernard Clairvaux
Public Domain Image
18.  Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor your patience.

St. John Climacus

St. John Climacus
19.  We are like children, who stand in need of masters to enlighten and direct us.  God has provided for this, by appointing his angels to be our teachers and guides.

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas
20.  Angels are spirits, but it is not because they are spirits that they are angels.  They become angels when they are sent.  For the word angel refers to their office, not their nature.  You ask the name of this nature, it is spirit; you ask its office, it is that of an Angel, which is a messenger.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo
Public Domain Image
21.  This is the highest point of philosophy, to be simple and wise.  This is the angelic life.

St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom
22.  Among the Angels in Heaven, none surpass St. Michael the Archangel in Glory.

St. Vincent Ferrer

St. Vincent Ferrer
23.  Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael the Archangel is sent, so that his action and his name bake it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power.

St. Gregory the Great

24. Oh, my Holy Guardian Angel, care for my soul and my body.  Enlighten my mind that I may better know the Lord my God and love Him with all my heart.  Watch over me when I pray, so I won’t give in to life’s distractions.  Sustain me with your counsel to live as a righteous Christian and help me to do good works with a generous heart.  Protect me from the cunning of the advisary and lift me up when I am being tempted so I may win the fight against evil.  Stay with me at all times, never stop watching over me until I am called back to the Father’s house, where we will praise our great God together for all eternity. Amen

St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio
25.  How consoling it is to know that we have a spirit who, from the womb to the tomb, never leaves us even for an instant not even when we dare to sin.  And this heavenly spirit guides and protects us like a friend or a brother.

St. Padre Pio\

St. Padre Pio

Doctor of the Church, Faith, Featured, Quote

Who are the ‘Doctors of the Church’

Who are the Doctors of the Church?  The title of Doctor was given to a person known for their holiness and knowledge of the faith.  They were teachers of the faith through their writing.  The title was bestowed on them after death by the Pope at en ecumenical council.

Three requirements were needed to earn the title.
  1. Holiness that was outstanding
  2. Knowledge of doctrine
  3. Extensive writings which express Catholic Tradition

 

There are currently 37 Doctors of the Church.  The original eight doctors included four from the Eastern Church and four from the Western Church.

The Doctors from the Eastern Church are St. Athanasius, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory Nazimek.

The Doctors from the Western Church were:  St. Ambrose, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Gregory the Great and St. Jerome.  They were proclaimed Doctors by Pope Boniface VIII in the 13th century.

Four women were added in the 20th century.  They were St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Hildegard of Bingen.

The following is a list of all the doctors of the church in the order of when they were designated.

Saint Ambrose (c. 340-397), bishop of Milan, Italy, a major opponent of Arianism,  [named a Doctor of the church, 1298].

Saint Augustine of Hippo (c. 354-430), North African bishop, author of Confessions, City of God, and numerous treatises, countered heretical movements, one of the most influential theologians of the Western church, called “Doctor of Grace” [1298].

St. Jerome  c. 343-420), translated Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin and revised Latin translation of New Testament to produce Vulgate version of Bible, called “Father of Biblical Science” [1298].

Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540-604), pope, strengthened papacy and worked for clerical and monastic reform [1298].

Saint Athanasius (c. 297-373), bishop of Alexandria, dominant opponent of Arians, called “Father of Orthodoxy” [1298]

Saint John Chrysostom (“Golden-Mouthed”) (c. 347-407), archbishop of Constantinople, homilist, writer of scripture commentaries and letters, patron of preachers [1568].

Saint Basil the Great (c. 329-379), bishop of Caesarea in Asia Minor, refuted Arian errors, wrote treatises, homilies, and monastic rules, called “Father of Monasticism of the East” [1568].

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 330-390), bishop of Constantinople, opponent of Arianism, wrote major theological treatises as well as letters and poetry, called the “Christian Demosthenes” and, in the East, “The Theologian” [1568].

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Italian Dominican, wrote systematically on philosophy, theology, and Catholic doctrine, patron of Catholic schools and education, one of the most influential theologians in the West [1568].

Saint Bonaventure (c. 1217-1274), Franciscan, bishop of Albano, Italy, cardinal [1588].

Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), archbishop, called “Father of Scholasticism” [1720].

Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560-636), Spanish bishop, encylopedist, and preeminent scholar of his day [1722].

Saint Peter Chrysologus (c. 400-450), archbishop of Ravenna, Italy, homilist and writer, counteracted Monophysite heresy [1729].

Saint Leo I, the Great (c. 400-461), pope, wrote christological and other works against the heresies of his day [1754].

Saint Peter Damian (1007-1072), Italian Benedictine and cardinal, ecclesiastical and clerical reformer [1828].

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153), French Cistercian abbot and monastic reformer, called “Mellifluous Doctor” [1830].

Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315-368), one of first Latin doctrinal writers, opposed Arianism [1851].

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), founder of Redemptorists, preeminent moral theologian and apologist, patron of confessors and moralists [1871].

Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop of Geneva, spiritual writer, patron of Catholic writers and press [1877].

Saint Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444), bishop, authored doctrinal treatises against Nestorian heresy [1882].

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-386), bishop, catechist, vigorous opponent of Arianism [1882].

Saint John Damascene (c. 675-749), Syrian monk, doctrinal writer, called “Golden Speaker” [1890].

Saint Bede the Venerable (c. 673-735), English Benedictine, called “Father of English History” [1899].

Saint Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306-373), counteracted Gnosticism and Arianism with his poems, hymns, and other writings [1920].

Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597), Dutch Jesuit, catechist, important figure in Counter-Reformation in Germany [1925].

Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), founder of Discalced Carmelites, called “Doctor of Mystical Theology” [1926].

Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), Italian Jesuit, archbishop of Capua, wrote Reformation-era doctrinal defenses, catechisms, and works on ecclesiology and church-state relations [1931].

Saint Albert the Great (c. 1200-1280), German Dominican, bishop of Regensburg, teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of scientists, called “Universal Doctor” and “Expert Doctor” [1932].

Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), first theologian of Franciscans, preacher, called “Evangelical Doctor” [1946].

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), Italian Capuchin Franciscan, influential post-Reformation preacher [1959].

Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582), Spanish Carmelite, initiated discalced Carmelite movement, prolific spiritual and mystical writer, first woman Doctor of the church [1970].

Saint Catherine of Siena (c. 1347-1380), Italian Third Order Dominican, mystical author, also active in support of Crusades and in papal politics [1970].

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), French Carmelite, wrote spiritual autobiography describing her “little way” of spiritual perfection [1997].

Saint John of Ávila (1499 or 1500-1569), Spanish priest, preacher, and mystic, was influential in spreading the faith in Andalusia and reforming the church in Spain [2012]

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), German Benedictine abbess and mystic, recorded her visions in writing, also wrote lyric poems, letters of advice and prophecy, and treatises on medicine and physiology [2012]

Saint Gregory of Narek (950-c. 1005), Armenian monk and poet, also recognized as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church [2015]

St. Irenaeus of Lyon (125- 202) Bishop of Lyons, theologian and martyr, [2022]