"A thing is one in perfection, when it is complete through the presence of all that is needed for its end; as a man is complete by having all the members required for the operation of his soul, and a house by having all the parts needful for dwelling therein. And so this sacrament is [...]
"When I say that compliments have no effect upon me, Mother, I am not referring to the love and confidence you have shown me; that, on the contrary, touches me deeply, but I feel that I need not be afraid of praise anymore and can enjoy it in all simplicity, attributing all that is good [...]
"This is an aspect of the Eucharist which merits greater attention: in celebrating the sacrifice of the Lamb, we are united to the heavenly 'liturgy' and become part of that great multitude which cries out: 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!' (Rev 7:10). The Eucharist is truly [...]
"Renounce self, then. Know for certain and for all time that of yourself you can never accomplish anything, neither here nor there, neither today nor to morrow, neither for this one nor for that one, and go ask God's help before beginning- anything whatsoever. This is true humility; to omit it, is stupidity." -St. Peter [...]
"Nature, therefore, suggests that a sacrifice must precede a sacrament; death is the prelude to a communion. It was our sins that slew Christ on Calvary, and yet by the power of God risen from the dead and reigning gloriously in Heaven, He now becomes our life and has communion with us and we with [...]
"Nevertheless, there is a difference between humility and abjection; for abjection is the poverty, vileness, and littleness which exist in us, without our taking heed to them; but humility implies a real knowledge and voluntary recognition of that abjection. And the highest point of humility consists in not merely acknowledging one’s abjection, but in taking [...]
"The Apostle says (1 Cor. 10:17): 'For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread': from which it is clear that the Eucharist is the sacrament of the Church's unity. But a sacrament bears the likeness of the reality whereof it is the sacrament. Therefore the Eucharist is one [...]
"So let silence or a holy argument for virtue be in your mouth to discourage vice. And when you think you discern vice in others, put it on your own back as well as theirs, acting always with true humility. Then if the vice is truly there, such people will change their ways all the [...]
"Thus the true cause of the blessedness of the good angels is found to be this, that they cleave to Him who supremely is. And if we ask the cause of the misery of the bad, it occurs to us, and not unreasonably, that they are miserable because they have forsaken Him who supremely is, [...]
"O Jesus, without wishing to aspire after the favours granted to your saints, give me, I pray, the proof of your presence in Holy Communion by the unction of your grace, by the spiritual joy and generous enthusiasm in the practice of virtue." -St. John Vianney