Daily quotes on developing virtue from Saints, Popes and others.
"The one who lives in this way, 'according to the flesh,' that is, who subjects himself – even if not altogether consciously, nevertheless effectively – to the threefold concupiscence, particularly to the concupiscence of the flesh, ceases to be capable of this freedom for which 'Christ has set us free'; he also ceases to be [...]
"Your body is not a profane thing, but something holy, august and sacred. It is the dwelling place of Jesus Christ, and the temple of the Holy Ghost. Even though the material violation of the body cannot wrest from the soul the flowers of its virginity, strive with all your might to preserve your mind, [...]
"God's love for us is fundamental for our lives, and it raises important questions about who God is and who we are. In considering this, we immediately find ourselves hampered by a problem of language. Today, the term 'love' has become one of the most frequently used and misused words, a word to which we [...]
"To pass judgment on another is to usurp shamelessly a prerogative of God, and to condemn is to ruin one’s soul." Source: St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"He who gives himself importance by boasting is actually showing the credentials of his own worthlessness. Pride is an attempt to create an impression that we are what we actually are not." Source: Ven. Fulton J. Sheen, Way to Happiness, St. Pauls, 1998.
"You must seek earnestly the grace of devotion, ask for it fervently, await it patiently and hopefully, receive it gratefully, guard it humbly, cooperate with it carefully and leave to God, when it comes, the length and manner of the heavenly visitation. When you feel little or no inward devotion, you should especially humiliate yourself, [...]
"You see now why the saints rejoiced in insults and persecutions: it was because these gave them something to present to the Lord when they prayed to Him. What can a poor creature like myself do, who has had so little to forgive others and has so much to be forgiven herself?" Source: Saint [...]
"We should make of prayer a practical virtue, a virtue of every instant, whose acts should be easy and, as it were, natural." Source: St. Peter Julian Eymard, The Divine Eucharist St. Peter Julian Eymard was a priest and the founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. This religious order is "a Catholic [...]
"They who drink the juice of the Ethiopian herb Ophiusa imagine that they see serpents and horrors everywhere; and those who drink deep of pride, envy, ambition, hatred, will see harm and shame in everyone they look upon. The first can only be cured by drinking palm wine, and so I say of these latter: [...]
"Thus it is in every respect dangerous to be content with mediocre obedience. Such obedience is cold, very burdensome, and very painful. Because it seems to the cold heart wearisome to carry it, these souls bear great burdens with little fruit. They sin against the perfection into which they entered and which they are obliged [...]