"My daughters must believe that it is for their own good that the Lord has enabled me to realize in some small degree what blessings are to be found in holy poverty. Those of them who practice it will also realize this, though perhaps not as clearly as I do; for, although I had professed [...]
"Expect some defeats, but do not let them discourage you. When you shall have fallen, acknowledge your fault and your weakness, and ask God to hold out to you a helping hand. The humility which rises again is a perfect victory, and it becomes more vigilant." Source: St. Peter Julian Eymard, The Divine Eucharist [...]
"Take patiently the petty annoyances, the trifling discomforts, the unimportant losses which come upon all of us daily; for by means of these little matters, lovingly and freely accepted, you will give Him your whole heart, and win His. I mean the acts of daily forbearance, the headache, or toothache, or neighbor, the effort of [...]
"[God] had never ordained anything in this life should be an obstacle to peoples’ salvation, no matter what their situation, but that everything should serve the exercise and proving of virtue." Source: St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, Paulist Press, 1980 The Dialogue was dictated by Catherine over a period of five days. Three [...]
"The State must inevitably face the question of how justice can be achieved here and now. But this presupposes an even more radical question: what is justice? The problem is one of practical reason; but if reason is to be exercised properly, it must undergo constant purification, since it can never be completely free of [...]
"The door to the soul is closed to the entrance of Truth by error, ignorance and prejudice; the door of the heart is closed by pride and unbelief and willful evil, and the door of conscience is barred by the continual habit of evil." Source: Sheen Fulton, Guide to Contentment, Alba House, 2010. [...]
"The first benefit which the soul receives from the Presence of God is that Faith grows more alive and active in all the events of life, particularly when we feel our need." Source: Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God and The Spiritual Maxims
"If you would dance or play rightly, it must be done as a recreation, not as a pursuit, for a brief space of time, not so as to make you unfit for other things, and even then but seldom. If it is a constant habit, recreation becomes an occupation." Source: St. Francis de Sales, [...]
"From God’s standpoint, faith liberates reason from its blind spots and therefore helps it to be ever more fully itself. Faith enables reason to do its work more effectively and to see its proper object more clearly." Source: Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love: Deus Caritas Est, Ignatius Press, 2006.
"Begrudge the stomach and your heart will be humbled; please the stomach and your mind will turn proud." Source: St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent