Daily quotes on developing virtue from Saints, Popes and others.
"Meekness is not, then, a natural virtue, and one attains it not by his own strength, nor by merely saying. 'I want to be meek.' It is a virtue proper to Jesus Christ, entirely supernatural. For us to practise it, His grace, a powerful grace, is necessary. It is the question of simply vanquishing one's [...]
"Let us foster all our virtues, my daughter, because they are pleasing to God, the Chief Aim of all we do." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.
"For if we look at the matter a little more carefully, we shall see that even when a man dies faithfully and laudably for the truth’s sake, it is still death he is avoiding… He submits to the separation of soul and body, lest the soul be separated both from God and from the body, [...]
"When God-Yahweh says, 'It is not good that the man should be alone' (Gen 2:18), he affirms that, 'alone,' the man does not completely realize his essence. He realizes it only by existing 'with someone' – and, put even more deeply and completely, by existing 'for someone.'" Pope John Paul II, Man and Woman [...]
"International development aid… whatever the donor’s intentions, can sometimes lock people into a state of dependence and even foster situations of localized oppression and exploitation in the receiving country." Source: Pope Benedict XVI, CARITAS IN VERITATE (Charity in Truth), 6/29/2009
"A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus Himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the [...]
"Habit forms things and follows them. And it is particularly true that virtue depends on habit, and here God is the great collaborator." Source: St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"Kindness towards the afflicted becomes compassion, which means a suffering with, or an entering into the distress and the pains of others as if they were our own." Source: Ven. Fulton Sheen, The Way to Happiness
"Meekness, like humility, is one of Jesus Christ's characteristic virtues. It is, consequently, one of the fundamental virtues of evangelical perfection. Sanctity that is not meek is not true. Our Lord set down meekness and humility as the dominant virtues of His Heart." Source: St. Peter Julian Eymard, The Divine Eucharist [...]
"Turn your attention upon yourself and beware of judging the deeds of other men, for in judging others a man labors vainly, often makes mistakes, and easily sins; whereas, in judging and taking stock of himself he does something that is always profitable." Source: Thomas a’ Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Dover Thrift Editions, [...]