Daily quotes on developing virtue from Saints, Popes and others.
"The trust we put in God, honors Him much, and draws down great graces." Source: Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God and The Spiritual Maxims
"I want it to be set down in writing, not to forget that we in this house, and for that matter anyone who would be perfect, must flee a thousand leagues from such phrases as: 'I had right on my side'; 'They had no right to do this to me'; 'The person who treated me [...]
"Here is the first-class humility that we ought to imitate, Let us then, refer all to God. Return to Him His graces, which He lends you only that you may make them fructify to His profit and glory. Do not pride yourselves on God's gifts. Do not appropriate them, as if they came from yourself, [...]
"I would not affect either folly or wisdom; for just as humility deters me from pretending to be wise, so simplicity and straightforwardness deter me from pretending to be foolish; and just as vanity is opposed to humility, so all affection and pretense are opposed to honesty and simplicity." Source:ÿ St. Francis de Sales, [...]
St. Faustine describes failing greatly when trying to perfect a virtue. Although we should work hard to develop virtue, our progress is dependent on grace. If we do not cooperate with God, we will be frustrated and fail. "When one day I resolved to practice a certain virtue, I lapsed into the vice opposed to [...]
Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that we are made to be in union with each other. The materialistic world, focused on pride and selfishness, seeks individual isolation and dominance over others. This is incompatible with developing a community that is a united people. "The development of peoples depends, above all, on a recognition that the [...]
Ven. Fulton Sheen reminds us that humility is the key to inner peace. We must put Jesus first, and accept that He is greater than we are. As long as we maintain our pride, we cannot find peace. "There has been no greater secret of inner peace ever given than in the words of John [...]
"Even if your neighbor's sins are clearly shown to your spirit not just once or twice but many times, you should still not confront them with specific sins.ÿ Rather, when they come to visit you, you should correct their bad habits in a general way and lovingly and kindly plant the virtues [in their place], [...]
"He who is not submissive in his talk will certainly not be so in what he does. To be unfaithful in the small things is to be unfaithful in the great, and this is very hard to bring under control." Source: St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"My child, you cannot always continue in the more fervent desire of virtue, or remain in the higher stage of contemplation, but because of humanity's sin you must sometimes descend to lower things and bear the burden of this corruptible life, albeit unwillingly and wearily. As long as you wear a mortal body you will [...]