Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year

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Title: Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Author: Various
Language: English
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Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year

Being a Collection of Quotations From

ST. ALPHONSUS
ST. ANSELM
ST. ANTONINUS
ST. BENEDICT
ST. BERNARD
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
ST. IGNATIUS
ST. MECHTILDIS
ST. TERESA
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
ST. VINCENT FERRER
BL. ALBERT THE GREAT
BL. HENRY SUSO
BL. JORDAN OF SAXONY
VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS
VEN. JOHN TAULER
VEN. JULIENNE MOREL
VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS
VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA

Collected by Rev. Bonaventure Hammer, O.F.M.

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER

Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year

"Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name forever" (_Ps._
cxliv. 2).

January

THERE are two guarantees of a wise rule of conduct: the thought before
action, and self-command afterward.--ST. IGNATIUS.

When we receive with an entire and perfect resignation the afflictions
which God sends us they become for us favors and benefits; because
conformity to the will of God is a gain far superior to all temporal
advantages.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

All perfection consists in the love of God; and the perfection of divine
love consists in the union of our will with that of God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Leave to every one the care of what belongs to him, and disturb not
thyself with what is said or done in the world.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

Place before your eyes as models for imitation, not the weak and
cowardly, but the fervent and courageous.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Prayer is a pasturage, a field, wherein all the virtues find their
nourishment, growth, and strength.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

A single act of resignation to the divine will in what it ordains
contrary to our desires, is of more value than a hundred thousand
successes conformable to our will and taste.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

The shortest, yea, the only way to reach sanctity, is to conceive a
horror for all that the world loves and values.--ST. IGNATIUS.

As long as we are in this mortal life, nothing is more necessary for us
than humility.--ST. TERESA.

Learning without humility has always been pernicious to the Church; and
as pride precipitated the rebellious angels from heaven, it frequently
causes the loss of learned men.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Why remain sad and idle? Why exhaust thyself in the anguish of
melancholy? Have courage, do violence to thyself; meditate on the
passion of Jesus Christ, and thou shalt overcome thy sorrow.--BL. HENRY
SUSO.

Here is the difference between the joys of the world and the cross of
Jesus Christ: after having tasted the first, one is disgusted with them;
and on the contrary, the more one partakes of the cross, the greater the
thirst for it.--ST. IGNATIUS.

When the sky is free from clouds we can see more clearly the brightness
of the sun. In like manner, when the soul is free from sin and the gloom
of passion, it participates in the divine light.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

Our works are of no value if they be not united to the merits of Jesus
Christ.--ST. TERESA.

If we are very determined to mortify ourselves and not to be too much
occupied with our corporal health, we will soon, by the grace of God,
become masters of our bodies.--ST. TERESA.

In every creature, however small it be, we may see a striking image of
divine wisdom, power, and goodness.--VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.

Time is but a period. It passes like the lightning flash. Suffering
passes with time; suffering, then, is very short.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

In order to bear our afflictions with patience, it is very useful to
read the lives and legends of the saints who endured great torments for
Jesus Christ.--ST. TERESA.

Open thine ears to the voices of nature, and thou shalt hear them in
concert inviting thee to the love of God.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

On the feasts of the saints consider their virtues, and beseech God to
deign to adorn you with them.--ST. TERESA.

When faith grows weak, all virtues are weakened. When faith is lost, all
virtues are lost--ST. ALPHONSUS.

A precious crown is reserved in heaven for those who perform all their
actions with all the diligence of which they are capable; for it is not
sufficient to do our part well; it must be done more than well.--ST.
IGNATIUS.

Nothing created has ever been able to fill the heart of man. God alone
can fill it infinitely.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

We should only make use of life to grow in the love of God.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

In vain men try. They can never find in creatures sincere affection,
perfect joy, or true peace.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

God is supreme strength, fortifying those who place their trust and
confidence in Him.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

God gives each one of us sufficient grace ever to know His holy will,
and to do it fully.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Shun useless conversation. We lose by it both time and the spirit of
devotion.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

The upright intention is the soul of our actions. It gives them life and
makes them good.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The truth of faith alone, deeply graven in the soul, is sufficient to
encourage us to very perfect works; for it strengthens man and increases
his charity.--ST. TERESA.

It is folly not to think of death. It is greater folly to think of it,
and not prepare for it.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

February

THE most perfect and meritorious intention is that by which, in all our
actions, we have in view only the good pleasure of God and the
accomplishment of His holy will.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Mary's sorrow was less when she saw her only Son crucified, than it is
now at the sight of men offending Him by sin.--ST. IGNATIUS.

There is nothing more unreasonable than to estimate our worth by the
opinion of others. Today they laud us to the skies, to-morrow they will
cover us with ignominy.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

Act as if every day were the last of your life, and each action the last
you perform.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Perfection consists in renouncing ourselves, in carrying our cross, and
in following Jesus Christ. Now, he who renounces himself most perfectly
carries his cross the best and follows nearest to Jesus Christ is he who
never does his own will, but always that of God.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

That which would have easily been remedied at first, becomes incurable
by time and habit--ST. IGNATIUS.

Among the gifts of grace which the soul receives in holy communion there
is one that must be numbered among the highest. It is, that holy
communion does not permit the soul to remain long in sin, nor to
obstinately persevere in it.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Be assured that one great means to find favor when we appear before God
is to have pardoned the injuries we have received here below.--VEN.
LOUIS OF GRANADA.

Woe to him who neglects to recommend himself to Mary, and thus closes
the channel of grace!--ST. ALPHONSUS.

It is folly to leave your goods where you can never return, and to send
nothing to that place where you must remain for ever.--VEN. LOUIS OF
GRANADA.

Discretion is necessary in spiritual life. It is its part to restrain
the exercises in the way of perfection, so as to keep us between the two
extremes.--ST. IGNATIUS.

By denying our self-love and our inclinations in little things, we
gradually acquire mortification and victory over ourselves.--ST. TERESA.

Should we fall a thousand times in a day, a thousand times we must rise
again, always animated with unbounded confidence in the infinite
goodness of God.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

God's way in dealing with those whom He intends to admit soonest after
this life into the possession of His everlasting glory, is to purify
them in this world by the greatest afflictions and trials.--ST.
IGNATIUS.

After the flower comes the fruit: we receive, as the reward of our
fatigues, an increase of grace in this world, and in the next the
eternal vision of God.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

God refuses no one the gift of prayer. By it we obtain the help that we
need to overcome disorderly desires and temptations of all kinds.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

To establish ourselves in a virtue it is necessary to form good and
practical resolutions to perform certain and determined acts of that
virtue, and we must, moreover, be faithful in executing them.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

Love ought to consist of deeds more than of words.--ST. IGNATIUS.

There are many things which seem to us misfortunes and which we call
such; but if we understood the designs of God we would call them
graces.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Let us abandon everything to the merciful providence of God.--BL. ALBERT
THE GREAT.

Jesus Christ, our great Model, suffered much for us; let us bear our
afflictions cheerfully, seeing that through them we have the happiness
of resembling Him.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Remember that virtue is a very high and rugged mountain, difficult to
ascend, and requiring much fatigue and exertion before we arrive at the
summit to rest.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Labor to conquer yourself. This victory will assure you a brighter crown
in heaven than they gain whose disposition is more amiable.--ST.
IGNATIUS.

We should not examine articles of faith with a curious and subtle
spirit. It is sufficient for us to know that the Church proposes them.
We can never be deceived in believing them.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

We should guard against jealousy, and even the slightest sentiment
thereof. This vice is absolutely opposed to a pure and sincere zeal for
the glory of God, and is a certain proof of secret and subtle pride.--
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Charity requires us always to have compassion on human infirmity.--ST.
CATHERINE OF SIENA.

When one does not love prayer, it is morally impossible for him to
resist his passions.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Docility and easy acquiescence with good advice are the signs of a
humble heart.--VEN. JULIENNE MOREL.

There is nothing richer, nothing surer, nothing more agreeable than a
good conscience.--BL. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.

March

IT SEEMS as if God granted to other saints to free us from some
particular needfulness; but I know by experience that the glorious St.
Joseph assists us generally in all our necessities.--ST. TERESA.

A most powerful and efficacious remedy for all evils, a means of
correcting all imperfections, of triumphing over temptation, and
preserving our hearts in an undisturbed peace, is conformity with the
will of God.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

It often happens that when we take less care of our body, we have better
health than when we bestow upon it too much care.--ST. TERESA.

Do nothing, say nothing before considering if that which you are about
to say or do is pleasing to God, profitable to yourself, and edifying to
your neighbor.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Sometimes God leaves us for a long time unable to effect any good, that
we may learn to humble ourselves, and never to glory in our efforts.--
ST. VINCENT FERRER.

We easily lose peace of mind, because we make it depend, not on the
testimony of a good conscience, but on the judgment of men.--BL.
BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.

You may fast regularly, give alms, and pray without ceasing, but as long
as you hate your brother, you will not be numbered among the children of
God.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

He who at the hour of death finds himself protected by St. Joseph, will
certainly experience great consolation.--ST. TERESA.

Take care that the worldling does not pursue with greater zeal and
anxiety the perishable goods of this world than you do the eternal.--ST.
IGNATIUS.

We should consider our departed brethren as living members of Jesus
Christ, animated by His grace, and certain of participating one day of
His glory. We should therefore love, serve, and assist them as far as is
in our power.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Control thy senses, guard thy mouth, bridle thy tongue, subjugate thy
heart, bear all provocation with charity, and thou shalt perfectly
fulfil the will of God.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Our perfection consists in uniting our will so intimately with God's
will, that we will only desire what He wills. He who conforms most
perfectly to the will of God will be the most perfect Christian.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

Humility, modesty, sobriety, purity, piety, and prudence, with meekness,
ornament the soul, and make us live on earth a truly angelic life.--BL.
JORDAN OF SAXONY.

In recalling to mind the life and actions of the saints, walk in their
footsteps as much as possible, and humble thyself if thou canst not
attain to their perfection.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

When the devil again tempts you to sin, telling you that God is
merciful, remember that the Lord showeth mercy to them that fear Him,
but not to them who despise Him.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

In prayer we should particularly combat our predominant passion or evil
inclination. We should devote continual attention to it, because when it
is once conquered we will easily obtain the victory over all our other
faults.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

I will carefully consider how, on the day of judgment, I would wish to
have discharged my office or my duty; and the way I would wish to have
done it then I shall do now.--ST. IGNATIUS.

It is well to deny ourselves that which is permitted, in order to avoid
more easily that which is not.--ST. BENEDICT.

I have noticed that all persons who have true devotion to St. Joseph and
tender him special honor, are very much advanced in virtue, for he takes
great care of souls who recommend themselves to him; and I have never
asked of him anything which he did not obtain for me.--ST. TERESA.

He who forgets himself in the service of God may be assured that God
will not forget Him.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Let all our actions be directed to the end that God may be glorified in
all things.--ST. BENEDICT.

He who suffers in patience, suffers less and saves his soul. He who
suffers impatiently, suffers more and loses his soul.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

When we remember or hear that the enemies of the Church burn and destroy
God's temples, we should grieve therefor; but we should also rejoice
much when we see new ones built, and we should co-operate in their
erection as much as we possibly can.--ST. TERESA.

We should carefully beware of giving ourselves so completely to any
employment as to forget to have recourse to God from time to time.--ST.
TERESA.

Our Lady, deign to intercede for us sinners with thy divine Son, our
Lord, and obtain of Him a blessing for us in our trials and
tribulations!--ST. IGNATIUS.

Whoever would follow Jesus Christ, must walk in His footsteps, if he
would not go astray.--ST. TERESA.

Let us thank God for having called us to His holy faith. It is a great
gift, and the number of those who thank God for it is small.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

The trials of life cease to oppress us if we accept them for the love of
God.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

If you wish to take up your abode in the tabernacle of the heavenly
kingdom, you must reach there through your good works, without which you
can not hope to enter.--ST. BENEDICT.

It is a great folly to be willing to violate the friendship of God,
rather than the law of human friendship.--ST. TERESA.

When the afflictions of this life overcome us, let us encourage
ourselves to bear them patiently by the hope of heaven.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

April

TO PUT into practice the teachings of our holy faith, it is not enough
to convince ourselves that they are true; we must love them. Love united
to faith makes us practise our religion.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Unite all your works to the merits of Jesus Christ, and then offer them
up to the eternal Father if you desire to make them pleasing to Him.--
ST. TERESA.

God pardons sin; but He will not pardon the will to sin.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

It is a fault, not a virtue, to wish your humility recognized and
applauded.--ST. BERNARD.

Before engaging in your private devotions, perform those which obedience
and your duty toward your neighbor impose upon you in such a manner as
to make an abnegation of self.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

The world is full of inconstancy; its friendship ceases the moment there
is no advantage to be expected from us.--BL. JOHN TAULER.

There is nothing better to display the truth in an excellent light, than
a clear and simple statement of facts.--ST. BENEDICT.

Be careful and do not lightly condemn the actions of others. We must
consider the intention of our neighbor, which is often good and pure,
although the act itself seems blameworthy.--ST. IGNATIUS.

He who does not overcome his predominant passion is in great danger of
being lost. He who does overcome it will easily conquer all the rest.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

To conquer himself is the greatest victory that man can gain.--ST.
IGNATIUS.

A soul which does not practise the exercise of prayer is very like a
paralyzed body which, though possessing feet and hands, makes no use of
them.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

When you do a good action, have the intention of first pleasing God, and
then of giving good example to your neighbor.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The grace of perseverance is the most important of all; it crowns all
other graces.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Prayer is the only channel through which God's great graces and favors
may flow into the soul; and if this be once closed, I know no other way
He can communicate them.--ST. TERESA.

To acquire courage it is very useful to read the lives of the saints,
especially of those who, after living in sin, attained great sanctity.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

The truly humble reject all praise for themselves, and refer it all to
God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Prayer should be effective and practical, since it has for its end the
acquisition of solid virtue and the mortification of the passions.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

We do not keep an account of the graces which God has given us, but God
our Lord keeps an account of them. He has fixed the measure thereof.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

The more guilty we are, the greater must be our confidence in Mary.
Therefore, courage, timid soul; let Mary know all thy misery, and hasten
with joy to the throne of mercy.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Evil is often more hurtful to the doer than to the one against whom it
is done.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

During life despise that which will avail you nothing at the hour of
death.--ST. ANSELM.

He who fails to reflect before acting, walks with his eyes shut and
advances with danger. He also falls very often, because the eye of
reflection does not enable him to see whither his footsteps lead.--ST.
GREGORY THE GREAT.

Sanctity and perfection consist not in fine words, but in good
actions.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

As patience leads to peace, and study to science, so are humiliations
the path that leads to humility.--ST. BERNARD.

Do not disturb yourself with vain curiosity concerning the affairs of
others, nor how they conduct themselves, unless your position makes it
your duty to do so.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

The deceitful charms of prosperity destroy more souls than all the
scourges of adversity.--ST. BERNARD.

The first degree of humility is the fear of God, which we should
constantly have before our eyes.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

He who cheerfully endures contempt and is happy under crosses and
affliction, partakes of the humility and sufferings of Our Lord.--ST.
MECHTILDIS.

He who is resigned to the divine will shall always surmount the
difficulties he meets with in the service of God. The Lord will
accomplish His designs concerning him.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Consent to suffer a slight temporary pain, that so thou mayst avoid the
eternal pains which sin deserves.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

May

MARY was the most perfect among the saints only because she was always
perfectly united to the will of God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place
in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

When we feel our cross weighing upon us, let us have recourse to Mary,
whom the Church calls the "Consoler of the Afflicted."--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The devotions we practise in honor of the glorious Virgin Mary, however
trifling they be, are very pleasing to her divine Son, and He rewards
them with eternal glory.--ST. TERESA.

There is nothing which is more profitable and more consoling to the mind
than to frequently remember the Blessed Virgin.--ST. TERESA.

Blessed are the actions enclosed between two Hail Marys.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Let us consider what the glorious Virgin endured, and what the holy
apostles suffered, and we shall find that they who were nearest to Jesus
Christ were the most afflicted.--ST. TERESA.

The servants of Mary who are in purgatory receive visits and
consolations from her.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

If you persevere until death in true devotion to Mary, your salvation is
certain.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

He who remembers having invoked the name of Mary in an impure
temptation, may be sure that he did not yield to it.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Mary being destined to negotiate peace between God and man, it was not
proper that she should be an accomplice in the disobedience of
Adam.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Mary having co-operated in our redemption with so much glory to God and
so much love for us, Our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain
salvation except through her intercession.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

He who wishes to find Jesus will do so only by having recourse to
Mary.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Mary having always lived wholly detached from earthly things and united
with God, death, which united her more closely to Him, was extremely
sweet and agreeable to her.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Mary being in heaven nearer to God and more united to Him, knows our
miseries better, compassionates them more, and can more efficaciously
assist us.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The Virgin Mother, all pure and all white, will make her servants pure
and white.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

To assure our salvation it does not suffice to call ourselves children
of Mary, therefore let us always have the fear of God.--ST. TERESA.

Let us offer ourselves without delay and without reserve to Mary, and
beg her to offer us herself to God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Such is the compassion, such the love which Mary bears us, that she is
never tired of praying for us.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

O Queen of heaven and earth! The universe would perish before thou
couldst refuse aid to one who invokes thee from the depth of his
heart.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

O most blessed Virgin, who declarest in thy Canticle that it is owing to
thy humility that God hath done great things in thee, obtain for me the
grace to imitate thee, that is, to be obedient; because to obey is to
practise humility.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

May the two names so sweet and so powerful, of Jesus and Mary, be always
in our hearts and on our lips!--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Whatsoever we do, we can never be true children of Mary, unless we are
humble.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Let us highly esteem devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and let us lose no
opportunity of inspiring others with it.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

As a mother feels no disgust in dressing the sores of her child, so
Mary, the heavenly infirmarian, never refuses to care for sinners who
have recourse to her.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Each of our days is marked with the protection of Mary, who is
exceedingly anxious to be our Mother, when we desire to be her
children.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

When the devil wishes to make himself master of a soul, he seeks to make
it give up devotion to Mary.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Let us have recourse to Mary; for of all creatures she is the highest,
the purest, the most beautiful, and the most loving.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Let the name of Mary be ever on your lips, let it be indelibly engraven
on your heart. If you are under her protection, you have nothing to
fear; if she is propitious, you will arrive at the port of salvation.--
ST. BERNARD.

Know that of all devotions the most pleasing to Mary is to have frequent
recourse to her, asking for favors.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Let the servants of Mary perform every day, and especially on Saturday,
some work of charity for her sake.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

June

CAN WE, amongst all hearts, find one more amiable than that of Jesus? It
is on His Heart that God looks with special complacency--ST. ALPHONSUS.

One must wage war against his predominant passion, and not retreat,
until, with God's help, he has been victorious.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

An act of perfect conformity to the will of God unites us more to Him
than a hundred other acts of virtue.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and the love of our
neighbor serves to keep alive the love of God.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

Live always in the certainty that whatever happens to you is the result
of divine Providence; because nothing hard or laborious falls to your
lot without the Lord permitting it.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

Whatsoever good work you undertake, pray earnestly to God that He will
enable you to bring it to a successful termination.--ST. BENEDICT.

What is a fruitless repentance, defiled almost immediately by new
faults?--ST. BERNARD.

You propose to give up everything to God; be sure, then, to include
yourself among the things to be given up.--ST. BENEDICT.

If you can find a place where God is not, go there and sin with
impunity.--ST. ANSELM.

He can not err who is constantly with the visible Head which Jesus
Christ has left to His Church, as its foundation, rule, teacher, and
defender of the Faith.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The more numerous the gifts we have received from God, the greater the
account we must render to Him.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

True penance consists in regretting without ceasing the faults of the
past, and in firmly resolving to never again commit that which is so
deplorable.--ST. BERNARD.

[Illustration: The Sacred Heart of Mary.]

We are not raised the first day to the summit of perfection. It is by
climbing, not by flying, that we arrive there.--ST. BERNARD.

What we do for ourselves during life is more certain than all the good
we expect others to do for us after death.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

Idleness begets a discontented life. It develops self-love, which is the
cause of all our misery, and renders us unworthy to receive the favors
of divine love.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Have death always before your eyes as a salutary means of returning to
God.--ST. BERNARD.

If the devil tempts me by the thought of divine justice, I think of
God's mercy; if he tries to fill me with presumption by the thought of
His mercy, I think of His justice.--ST. IGNATIUS.

In time of temptation continue the good thou hast begun before
temptation.--ST. VINCENT FERRER.

In the eyes of the sovereign Judge the merit of our actions depends on
the motives which prompted them.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

The benefits to be derived from spiritual reading do not merely consist
in impressing on the memory the precepts set forth, but in opening the
heart to them, that they may bear fruit.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

As clouds obscure the sun, so bad thoughts darken and destroy the
brightness of the soul.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

To judge rightly of the goodness and perfection of any one's prayer, it
is sufficient to know the disposition he takes to it, and the fruits he
reaps from it.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

To commence many things and not to finish them is no small fault; we
must persevere in whatever we undertake with upright intention and
according to God's will.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

The perfect champion is he who establishes complete control over his
mind by overcoming temptations and the inclination of his nature to
sin.--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

If the love of God is in your heart, you will understand that to suffer
for God is a joy to which all earthly pleasures are not to be
compared.--ST. IGNATIUS.

The world around us is, as it were, a book written by the finger of God;
every creature is a word on the page. We should apply ourselves well to
understand the signification of the volume.--VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF
MARTYRS.

A man of prayer is capable of everything. He can say with St. Paul, "I
can do all things in Him who strengthened me."--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Whilst here below our actions can never be entirely free from
negligence, frailty, or defect; but we must not throw away the wheat
because of the chaff.--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

Strive always to preserve freedom of spirit, so that you need do nothing
with the view of pleasing the world, and that no fear of displeasing it
will have power to shake your good resolutions.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

Wo to us poor sinners if we had not the Divine Sacrifice to appease the
Lord!--ST. ALPHONSUS.

July

HOW few there are who avail themselves of the precious blood of Jesus to
purchase their salvation!--ST. IGNATIUS.

O Queen of heaven and earth! Thou art the gate of mercy ever open, never
closed. The universe must perish before he who invokes thee from his
heart is refused assistance.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Our Faith will never be true unless it is united to that of St. Peter
and the Pontiff, his successors.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Short pleasures and long sufferings are all the world can give.--VEN.
JOHN TAULER.

Learn to be silent sometimes for the edification of others, that you may
learn how to speak sometimes.--ST. VINCENT FERRER.

Gratitude for graces received is a most efficacious means of obtaining
new ones.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

To a useless question we should answer only by silence.--ST. VINCENT
FERRER.

We should not judge things by their exterior or appearance, but consider
what they are in the sight of God, and whether they be according to His
good pleasure.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Preserve purity of conscience with care, and never do anything to sully
it or render it less agreeable to God.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

Give not thyself too much to any one. He who gives himself too freely is
generally the least acceptable.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Affliction strengthens the vigor of our soul, whereas happiness weakens
it.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

To acquire purity of the soul, it is necessary to guard against passing
judgment on our neighbor, or useless remarks on his conduct.--ST.
CATHERINE OF SIENA.

Turn away the eyes of thy body and those of thy mind from seeing others,
that thou mayest be able to contemplate thyself.--ST. VINCENT FERRER.

The brightest ornaments in the crown of the blessed in heaven are the
sufferings which they have borne patiently on earth.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

We are not innocent before God if we punish that which we should pardon,
or pardon that which we should punish.--ST. BERNARD.

Is there any one in the world who has invoked thee, O Mary, without
having felt the benefit of thy protection, which is promised to those
who invoke thy mercy?--ST. BERNARD.

It is the key of obedience that opens the door of paradise. Jesus Christ
has confided that key to His vicar, the Pope, Christ on earth, whom all
are obliged to obey even unto death.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

It is true that God promises forgiveness if we repent, but what
assurance have we of obtaining it to-morrow?--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

We should offer ourselves and all we have to God, that He may dispose of
us according to His holy will, so that we may be ever ready to leave all
and embrace the afflictions that come upon us.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

No one has a right to mercy who can not himself show mercy.--VEN. LOUIS
DE GRANADA.

We should reflect on all our actions, exterior and interior, and before
we commence, examine well if we are able to finish them.--VEN. JOHN
TAULER.

The reason why the lukewarm run so great a risk of being lost is because
tepidity conceals from the soul the immense evil which it causes.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

We should learn of Jesus Christ to be meek and humble of heart, and ask
Him unceasingly for these two virtues. We ought, particularly, to avoid
the two contrary vices which would cause us to destroy with one hand
what we seek to raise with the other.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

The sufferings endured for God are the greatest proof of our love for
Him.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

It is in vain that we cut off the branches of evil, if we leave intact
the root, which continually produces new ones.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

How little is required to be a saint! It suffices to do in all things
the will of God.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Wouldst thou know what thou art? Thou art that to which thy heart turns
the most frequently.--VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.

When you covet that which delights you, think not only of the sweet
moments of enjoyment, but of the long season of regret which must
follow.--ST. BERNARD.

They who voluntarily commit sin show a contempt for life eternal, since
they willingly risk the loss of their soul.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

It suffices not to perform good works; we must do them well, in
imitation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it is written, "He doeth all
things well."--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Put not off till to-morrow what you can do today.--ST. IGNATIUS.

August

CHRIST Himself guides the bark of Peter. For this reason it can not
perish, although He sometimes seems to sleep.--ST. ANTONINUS.

Prayer teaches us the need of laying before God all our necessities, of
corresponding with His grace, of banishing vice from our heart and of
establishing virtue in it.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Take this to heart: Owe no man anything. So shalt thou secure a peaceful
sleep, an easy conscience, a life without inquietude, and a death
without alarm.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

If you would know whether you have made a good confession, ask yourself
if you have resolved to abandon your sins.--ST. BERNARD.

He who does that which is displeasing to himself has discovered the
secret of pleasing God.--ST. ANSELM.

An ordinary action, performed through obedience and love of God, is more
meritorious than extraordinary works done on your own authority--VEN.
LOUIS DE BLOIS.

Vigilance is rendered necessary and indispensable, not only by the
dangers that surround us, but by the delicacy, the extreme difficulty of
the work we all have to engage in the work of our salvation.--VEN. LOUIS
DE GRANADA.

Among the different means that we have of pleasing God in all that we
do, one of the most efficacious is to perform each of our actions as
though it were to be the last of our life.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

I have to seek only the glory of God, my own sanctification, and the
salvation of my neighbor. I should therefore devote myself to these
things, if necessary, at the peril of my life.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Idleness is hell's fishhook for catching souls.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Whoever imagines himself without defect has an excess of pride. God
alone is perfect.--ST. ANTONINUS.

As we take the bitterest medicine to recover or preserve the health of
the body, we should cheerfully endure sufferings, however repugnant to
nature, and consider them efficacious remedies which God employs to
purify the soul and conduct it to the perfection to which He called
it.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

To give up prayer because we are often distracted at it is to allow the
devil to gain his cause.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Curb the desire of display, and do nothing from human respect.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

O Mary, vessel of purest gold, ornamented with pearls and sapphires,
filled with grace and virtue, thou art the dearest of all creatures to
the eyes of eternal Wisdom.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

We must be careful not to omit our prayers, confession, communion, and
other exercises of piety, even when we find no consolation in them.--ST.
VINCENT FERRER.

Let us leave to God and to truth the care of our justification, without
trying to excuse ourselves, and peace will truly spring up within us.--
VEN. JOHN TAULER.

Read good and useful books, and abstain from reading those that only
gratify curiosity.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

So great is the goodness of God in your regard, that when you ask
through ignorance for that which is not beneficial, He does not grant
your prayer in this matter, but gives you something better instead.--ST.
BERNARD.

Men can use no better arms to drive away the devil, than prayer and the
sign of the cross.--ST. TERESA.

He who knows well how to practise the exercise of the presence of God,
and who is faithful in following the attraction of this divine virtue,
will soon attain a very high degree of perfection.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

One of the most admirable effects of holy communion is to preserve the
soul from sin, and to help those who fall through weakness to rise
again. It is much more profitable, then, to approach this divine
Sacrament with love, respect, and confidence, than to remain away
through an excess of fear and scrupulosity.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Let us remember that every act of mortification is a work for heaven.
This thought will make all suffering and weariness sweet.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

Correction should be given calmly and with discernment, at seasonable
times, according to the dictates of reason, and not at the impulse of
anger.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

There is nothing more certain, nothing more agreeable, nothing richer
than a good conscience.--VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.

God, to procure His glory, sometimes permits that we should be
dishonored and persecuted without reason. He wishes thereby to render us
conformable to His Son, who was calumniated and treated as a seducer, as
an ambitious man, and as one possessed.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

All that God gives us and all that He permits in this world have no
other end than to sanctify us in Him.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

If you can not mortify your body by actual penance, abstain at least
from some lawful pleasure.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

One whose heart is embittered can do nothing but contend and contradict,
finding something to oppose in every remark.--VEN. JULIENNE MOREL.

Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to advance in the way
which leads to God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

I have never gone out to mingle with the world without losing something
of myself.--BL. ALBERT THE GREAT.

September

HE who perseveres with constancy and fervor will, without fail, raise
himself to a high degree of perfection.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

An upright intention is the soul of our actions. It gives them life, and
makes them good.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

You wish to reform the world: reform yourself, otherwise your efforts
will be in vain.--ST. IGNATIUS.

Let all thy care be to possess thy soul in peace and tranquillity. Let
no accident be to thee a cause of ill-humor.--ST. VINCENT FERRER.

Humility is a fortified town; it repels all attacks. The sight of it
obliges the enemy to turn and flee.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

The world is deceitful and inconstant. When fortune forsakes us,
friendship takes flight.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Perform all your actions in union with the pure intention and perfect
love with which Our Lord did all things for the glory of God and the
salvation of the world.--ST. MECHTILDIS.

An air of meekness and a modest speech are pleasing alike to God and
men.--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

The saints owed to their confidence in God that unalterable tranquillity
of soul, which procured their perpetual joy and peace, even in the midst
of adversities.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Look not to the qualities thou mayest possess, which are wanting to
others; but look to those which others possess and which are wanting to
thee, that thou mayest acquire them.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

Your heart is not so narrow that the world can satisfy it entirely;
nothing but God can fill it.--ST. IGNATIUS.

If you wish to raise a lofty edifice of perfection, take humility for a
foundation.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

It ordinarily happens that God permits those who judge others, to fall
into the same or even greater faults.--ST. VINCENT FERRER.

Raise thy heart and thy love toward the sweet and most holy cross, which
soothes every pain!--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

Often read spiritual books; then, like a sheep, ruminate the food thou
hast taken, by meditation and a desire to practise the holy doctrine
found therein.--ST. ANTONINUS.

Love others much, but visit them seldom.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

God sends us trials and afflictions to exercise us in patience and teach
us sympathy with the sorrows of others.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Armed with prayer, the saints sustained a glorious warfare and
vanquished all their enemies. By prayer, also, they appeased the wrath
of God, and obtained from Him all they desired.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

All souls in hell are there because they did not pray. All the saints
sanctified themselves by prayer.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The thought of the presence of God renders us familiar with the practice
of doing in all things His holy will.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

If we consider the number and excellence of the virtues practised by the
saints, we must feel the inefficiency and imperfection of our actions.--
ST. VINCENT FERRER.

Prayer without fervor has not sufficient strength to rise to heaven.--
ST. BERNARD.

The path of virtue is painful to nature when left to itself; but nature,
assisted by grace, finds it easy and agreeable.--VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.

Always give the preference to actions which appear to you the most
agreeable to God, and most contrary to self-love.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

As the branch separated from the roots soon loses all life and verdure,
so it is with good works which are not united with charity.--ST. GREGORY
THE GREAT.

We should constantly thank the Lord for having granted us the gift of
the true faith, by associating us with the children of the holy Catholic
Church.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

We should not spare expense, fatigue, nor even our life, when there is a
question of accomplishing the holy will of God.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Some are unable to fast or give alms; there are none who can not pray.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

We meet with contradictions everywhere. If only two persons are together
they mutually afford each other opportunities of exercising patience,
and even when one is alone there will still be a necessity for this
virtue, so true it is that our miserable life is full of crosses.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

We should bear our sufferings in expiation for our sins, to merit
heaven, and to please God.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

October

ALWAYS give good example: teach virtue by word and deed. Example is more
powerful than discourse.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

If thou wouldst glory, let it be in the Lord, by referring everything to
Him, and giving to Him all the honor and glory.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

There is nothing more holy, more eminently perfect, than resignation to
the will of God, which confirms us in an entire detachment from
ourselves, and a perfect indifference for every condition in which we
may be placed.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Prayer consists not in many words, but in the fervor of desire, which
raises the soul to God by the knowledge of its own nothingness and the
divine goodness.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Let us make up for lost time. Let us give to God the time that remains
to us.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

When thou feelest thyself excited, shut thy mouth and chain thy
tongue.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

If it was necessary that Christ should suffer and so enter by the cross
into the kingdom of His Father, no friend of God should shrink from
suffering.--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

We should grieve to see no account made of time, which is so precious;
to see it employed so badly, so uselessly, for it can never be
recalled.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

Every time that some unexpected event befalls us, be it affliction, or
be it spiritual or corporal consolation, we should endeavor to receive
it with equanimity of spirit, since all comes from the hand of God.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

There are some who sin through frailty, or through the force of some
violent passion. They desire to break these chains of death; if their
prayer is constant they will be heard.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

"Thy will be done!" This is what the saints had continually on their
lips and in their hearts.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

He who would be a disciple of Jesus Christ must live in sufferings; for
"The servant is not greater than the Master."--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

He who submits himself to God in all things is certain that whatever men
say or do against him will always turn to his advantage.--ST. VINCENT DE
PAUL.

If he be blind who refuses to believe in the truths of the Catholic
faith, how much blinder is he who believes, and yet lives as if he did
not believe!--ST. ALPHONSUS.

There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to endure, when we
consider the torments and sufferings which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured
for us.--ST. TERESA.

Outside of God nothing is durable. We exchange life for death, health
for sickness, honor for shame, riches for poverty. All things change and
pass away.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

If you would keep yourself pure, shun dangerous occasions. Do not trust
your own strength. In this matter we can not take too much precaution.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

After knowing the will of God in regard to a work which we undertake, we
should continue courageously, however difficult it may be. We should
follow it to the end with as much constancy as the obstacles we
encounter are great.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

In your prayers, if you would quickly and surely draw upon you the grace
of God, pray in a special manner for our Holy Church and all those
connected with it.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

Prayer is our principal weapon. By it we obtain of God the victory over
our evil inclinations, and over all temptations of hell.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

We should never abandon, on account of the difficulties we encounter, an
enterprise undertaken with due reflection.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Being all members of the same body, with the same head, who is Christ,
it is proper that we should have in common the same joys and sorrows.--
VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

We should be cordial and affable with the poor, and with persons in
humble circumstances. We should not treat them in a supercilious manner.
Haughtiness makes them revolt. On the contrary, when we are affable with
them, they become more docile and derive more benefit from the advice
they receive.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Let not confusion for thy fault overwhelm thee with despair, as if there
were no longer a remedy.--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

As all our wickedness consists in turning away from our Creator, so all
our goodness consists in uniting ourselves with Him.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

That which we suffer in the accomplishment of a good work, merits for us
the necessary graces to insure its success.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

We ought to have a special devotion to those saints who excelled in
humility, particularly to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who declares that the
Lord regarded her on account of her humility.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

He who wishes to find Jesus should seek Him, not in the delights and
pleasures of the world, but in mortification of the senses.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

Let us not despise, judge, or condemn any one but ourselves; then our
cross will bloom and bear fruit.--VEN. JOHN TAULER.

It is rarely that we fall into error if we are humble and trust to the
wisdom of others, in preference to our own judgment.--VEN. LOUIS DE
BLOIS.

The best of all prayers is that in which we ask that God's holy will be
accomplished, both in ourselves and in others.--VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.

November

WE SHOULD honor God in His saints, and beseech Him to make us partakers
of the graces He poured so abundantly upon them.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

We may have a confident hope of our salvation when we apply ourselves to
relieve the souls in purgatory, so afflicted and so dear to God.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

The example of the saints is proposed to every one, so that the great
actions shown us may encourage us to undertake smaller things.--VEN.
LOUIS DE GRANADA.

Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider the penances which
they performed, and blush to be so effeminate and so fearful of
mortifying our flesh.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The greatest pain which the holy souls suffer in purgatory proceeds from
their desire to possess God. This suffering especially afflicts those
who in life had but a feeble desire of heaven.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Death is welcome to one who has always feared God and faithfully served
Him.--ST. TERESA.

True humility consists in being content with all that God is pleased to
ordain for us, believing ourselves unworthy to be called His servants.--
ST. TERESA.

The best preparation for death is a perfect resignation to the will of
God, after the example of Jesus Christ, who, in His prayer in Gethsemani
prepared Himself with these words, "Father, not as I will, but as Thou
wilt."--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

The errors of others should serve to keep us from adding any of our own
to them.--ST. IGNATIUS.

There is more security in self-denial, mortification, and other like
virtues, than in an abundance of tears.--ST. TERESA.

A resolute will triumphs over everything with the help of God, which is
never wanting.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

If humble souls are contradicted, they remain calm; if they are
calumniated, they suffer with patience; if they are little esteemed,
neglected, or forgotten, they consider that their due; if they are
weighed down with occupations, they perform them cheerfully.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

When we have to reply to some one who speaks harshly to us, we must
always do it with gentleness. If we are angry, it is better to keep
silence.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The two principal dispositions which we should bring to holy communion
are detachment from creatures, and the desire to receive Our Lord with a
view to loving Him more in the future.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

In doing penance it is necessary to deprive oneself of as many lawful
pleasures as we had the misfortune to indulge in unlawful ones.--ST.
GREGORY THE GREAT.

In raising human nature to heaven by His ascension, Christ has given us
the hope of arriving thither ourselves.--ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

It is useless to subdue the flesh by abstinence, unless one gives up his
irregular life, and abandons vices which defile his soul.--ST. BENEDICT.

No prayers are so acceptable to God as those which we offer Him after
communion.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

It avails nothing to subdue the body, if the mind allows itself to be
controlled by anger.--ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

What is it that renders death terrible? Sin. We must therefore fear sin,
not death.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

The Blessed Virgin is of all the works of the Creator the most
excellent, and to find anything in nature more grand one must go to the
Author of nature Himself.--ST. PETER DAMIAN.

If we would advance in virtue, we must not neglect little things, for
they pave the way to greater.--ST. TERESA.

When one has fallen into some fault, what better remedy can there be
than to have immediate recourse to the Most Blessed Sacrament?--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

Afflictions are the most certain proofs that God can give us of His love
for us.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Is it not a great cruelty for us Christians, members of the body of the
Holy Church, to attack one another?--ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.

The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, and her infallibility
admits of no doubt.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

He who truly loves his neighbor and can not efficaciously assist him,
should strive at least to relieve and help him by his prayers.--ST.
TERESA.

We should blush for shame to show so much resentment at what is done or
said against us, knowing that so many injuries and affronts have been
offered to our Redeemer and the saints.--ST. TERESA.

The reason why so many souls who apply themselves to prayer are not
inflamed with God's love is, that they neglect to carefully prepare
themselves for it.--ST. TERESA.

It is absolutely necessary, both for our advancement and the salvation
of others, to follow always and in all things the beautiful light of
faith.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

December

IF WE consider all that is imperfect and worldly in us, we shall find
ample reason for abasing ourselves before God and man, before ourselves
and our inferiors.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

No one should think or say anything of another which he would not wish
thought or said of himself.--ST. TERESA.

We should study the interests of others as our own, and be careful to
act on all occasions with uprightness and loyalty.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

It is God Himself who receives what we give in charity, and is it not an
incomparable happiness to give Him what belongs to Him, and what we have
received from His goodness alone?--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Let your constant practice be to offer yourself to God, that He may do
with you what He pleases.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

It is not enough to forbid our own tongue to murmur; we must also refuse
to listen to murmurers.--VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.

We can obtain no reward without merit, and no merit without patience.--
ST. ALPHONSUS.

No harp sends forth such sweet harmonies as are produced in the
afflicted heart by the holy name of Mary. Let us kneel to reverence this
holy, this sublime name of Mary!--BL. HENRY SUSO.

The life of a true Christian should be such that he fears neither death
nor any event of his life, but endures and submits to all things with a
good heart.--ST. TERESA.

We should abandon ourselves entirely into the hands of God, and believe
that His providence disposes everything that He wishes or permits to
happen to us for our greater good.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Regulate and direct all your actions to God, offering them to Him and
beseeching Him to grant that they be for His honor and glory.--ST.
TERESA.

[Illustration: Hail, Virgin Most Pure!]

Conformity to the will of God is an easy and certain means of acquiring
a great treasure of graces in this life.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Do not consider what others do, or how they do it; for there are but few
who really work for their own sanctification.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

To-day God invites you to do good; do it therefore to-day. To-morrow you
may not have time, or God may no longer call you to do it.--ST.
ALPHONSUS.

To advance in the way of perfection it does not suffice to say a number
of weak prayers; our principal care should be to acquire solid
virtues.--ST. TERESA.

Humility is the virtue of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of His blessed Mother,
and of the greatest saints. It embraces all virtues and, where it is
sincere, introduces them into the soul.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

It will be a great consolation for us at the hour of death to know that
we are to be judged by Him whom we have loved above all things during
life.--ST. TERESA.

Humble submission and obedience to the decrees of the Sovereign Pontiffs
are good means for distinguishing the loyal from the rebellious children
of the Church.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

The devil attacks us at the time of prayer more frequently than at other
times. His object is to make us weary of prayer.--BL. HENRY SUSO.

It is an act as rare as it is precious, to transact business with many
people, without ever forgetting God or oneself.--ST. IGNATIUS.

God is our light. The farther the soul strays away from God, the deeper
it goes into darkness.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

True Christian prudence makes us submit our intellect to the maxims of
the Gospel without fear of being deceived. It teaches us to judge things
as Jesus Christ judged them, and to speak and act as He did.--ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL.

Remember that men change easily, and that you can not place your trust
in them; therefore attach yourself to God alone.--ST. TERESA.

If we secretly feel a desire to appear greater or better than others, we
must repress it at once.--ST. TERESA.

The King of heaven deigned to be born in a stable, because He came to
destroy pride, the cause of man's ruin.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

To save our souls we must live according to the maxims of the Gospel,
and not according to those of the world.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

Be gentle and kind with every one, and severe with yourself.--ST.
TERESA.

If you wish to be pleasing to God and happy here below, be in all things
united to His will.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

In proportion as the love of God increases in our soul, so does also the
love of suffering.--ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

He who keeps steadily on without pausing, will reach the end of his path
and the summit of perfection.--ST. TERESA.

The past is no longer yours; the future is not yet in your power. You
have only the present wherein to do good.--ST. ALPHONSUS.

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year" ***

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