Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 41
I OFTEN think that when we come to adore Our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament, we should obtain everything we want, if we
would ask for it with a very lively faith and a very pure heart.
- Catechism on Prayer (M.)
ST. MAURUS instantly left his work to answer the call his
Superior, St. Benedict. The other monks all had something
to finish first.
- On Self-Denial (Sp.)
WHERE are the Christians today who would be ready, I do not
say to give their lives for God, but even to put up with the least
unpleasantness or inconvenience rather than disobey Him?
- On Hearing Mass on Sundays (E.)
THE Heart of Jesus is infinetely good and loves each one of us,
who ever we are. But we must have confidence in Him. There is
a certain kind of fear which displeases Him.
- On the Lord's Prayer (C.)
THE devil writes down our sins - our Guardian Angel all our
merits. Labor that the Guardian Angel's book may be full, and
the devil's empty.
- Catechism on Sin (M.)
WE ought in the morning on awaking to offer to God our heart,
our mind, our thoughts, our words, our actions, our whole selves,
to serve for His glory alone.
- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 42
DO you know why Our Lord persists in remaining day and night
in our churches? . . . He stays there so that every time we want to
go and see Him, we may be able to find HIm.
- Style of the Cure d'Ars (P.)
YOU wonder why God, who is goodness Itself, allows us to suffer . . . .
But, what would you think of a doctor who lost his patient because he
was afraid to give him the necessary but unpleasant treatment?
- Sermon Afflictions.
TO be loved by God, to be united to God, to live in the Presence of God,
to live for God! Oh! how wonderful like is -- and death!
- Words with which the Cure d'Ars often ended his addresses (D.)
WITH God's help we shall always have power over our emotions.
- Of Salvation (Sp.)
WHEN his mother recognized St. Alexis in the lifeless body of the
beggar who had lived for thirty years under her palace stairway,
she cried: "Oh! that I should have known you so late!" . . . The
soul after this life will see at last Him whom she has possessed
in the Eucharist . . . .
-Eucharist Mediation I.
Page 43
WE should be able to suffer for Him who
vouchsafed to suffer for us.
- Catechism on Suffering (M.)
ONE must do all one can for everybody,
expecting no return save from God only.
- Catechism on Charity (D.)
NOTHING is more unworthy of a Christian, whose
life should be an imitation of a God who is the soul
of Honor and Truth itself, than to think one thing
and say another.
- Sermon on Lying.
IF God took the name of Father, it was to inspire
us with a greater confidence in Him.
- Sermon on Hope.
GOD makes greater speed to pardon a penitent sinner
than a mother to snatch her child out of the fire.
- Catechetical Illustration from Nature (M.)
HE to whom all power has been given has not yet lost it.
- Signs of the Saint's Mission (J.V.)
AN undertaking to be pleasing to God must have three
conditions: It must be sincere, selfless and persevering.
- Sermon on False and True Goodness.
THE martyrs would not have been martyrs if they had not
refused to disobey the commandments of God.
- Sermon on the First Commandment.
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 44
We ought to love the Blessed Virgin very much.
- The Cure d'Ars and La Salette (M.)
WHAT joy it is to know that when we go out of the house,
we are never alone en route.
- Sermon for the Feast of the Guardian Angels.
ALL Jesus Christ did, He did for us. His prayers, His tears,
His watchings, His fasting, His preaching, His journeys,
His conversations, His miracles - - all those were for us.
- Sermon on Love for God.
I OFTEN think that the life of some poor employee who knows
no will but that of others may be - - if only she knows how to
profit by it - - quite as agreeable to God as that of a religious
who is always confronted with her rule.
- Mortification of the Cure d'Ars (M.)
We must take care not to get slack . . . We ought always
to be going from strength to strength . . . .
- Sermon on False and True Goodness
EVERY evening think over what you have done during the day,
and each month over the month, and each year over the year.
Thus you cannot fail to correct yourself and when death comes
you will be ready and happy to go to Heaven.
- On Death (Sp.)
IT is only God that can fill the soul.
- Of Holy Communion (M.)
Page 45
THE sun never hides his light for fear of inconveniencing the owls.
- Maxim (M.)
OUR Lord carried His Cross - - surely I can do as He did.
- Saying - Patience of the Cure d'Ars (T.)
DO not distrust the Providence of God. He who made your corn
to grow will assuredly help to gather it in.
- Maxim (M.)
WHEN we receive Holy Communion, we receive our joy and
our happiness.
- Catechism on Communion (Sp.)
WE must take great care never to do anything before having said
our Morning Prayers . . . . The devil once declared . . . that if he
could have the first moment of the day, he was sure of all the rest.
- Sermon on the First Commandment.
"GOD," said the Cure d'Ars, "has shown me this great mercy, that
He has given me nothing on which I could rely, neither talent, nor
wisdom, nor knowledge, nor strength, nor virtue.
"When tempted to despair I have only one resource: to throw myself
at the foot of the Tabernacle like a little dog at the feet of his master."
- Interior Life of the Cure d'Ars (M.)
TO possess God, that is the joy of joys.
- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 46
AS the Disciples on Tabor saw Jesus only, so interior souls see
Our Lord alone in the Tabor of their heart. They are two friends
who never grow tired of each other.
- Catechism on Heaven and Hell (M.)
GOD only gave men ten Commandments, and one of the ten has
for its sole object the reverence due to His Name . . . . Yet is there
anything nowadays that is treated with less respect than the
Sacred Name?
- Catechism on Blasphemy (E.)
IF I were to ask you if you loved God, you would tell me that
you did; but that is not enough. You must prove it.
- Sermon on the Love of God.
WHEN good thoughts come to us, it is a visit of God the Holy Ghost.
- Catechism on the Holy Ghost. (D.)
WE must never despise the poor, because that contempt is
reflected back upon God.
- Catechism on Love for the Poor (Sp.)
IF we are tempted to thoughts of envy against our neighbor,
far from letting him see it by our cold manner, we must go out
of our way to be friendly, and do him any service that lies in our power.
- Sermon on Envy.
Page 47
ST. COLETTE saw and spoke to Our Lord as we speak to each
other. How often do we come to church without knowing what
we come to do, or what we wish to ask!
- Catechism on Prayer (M.)
TO what outrages does Our Lord expose Himself in the Blessed
Sacrament that He may remain in the midst of us! He is there to
console us, and therefore we ought often to visit Him.
- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)
EVERY time we are able to give up our own wishes in favor of
those of other people, so long as it is not contrary to the will of
God, we acquire great merit . . . .
- On Mortifying Self-Will (C.)
LET us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only,
desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.
- Sermon for the Feast of the Assumption.
THOSE who are led by the Holy Ghost experience all sorts of
happiness in themselves.
- Catechism on the Holy Ghost (Sp.)
OUR home is -- Heaven. On earth we are like travellers staying
at an hotel. When one is away, one is always thinking of going home.
- On Detachment (C.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 48
A GOOD Christian mounts a chariot in this world --- borne
by Angels and conducted by Our Lord.
- Sermon on the Love of God (Sp.)
NEVER pass a day without thanking Jesus Christ for all He
has done for you during your life.
- Sermon on the First Commandment.
IF you keep your thoughts fixed on Our Lord after Communion,
you will feel for a long time that consuming fire which will inspire
in your heart the desire for good and a shrinking from evil.
- Catechism on Holy Communion (M.)
HE who does not pray is like a hen or a turkey that cannot rise
into the air. He who prays is like an intrepid eagle!
- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)
THERE is hardly a day when we shall not be obliged to make
some sacrifice for God, if we do not want to displease Him
and if we want to love Him.
- Sermon on Love for God.
WE must always act in the way that will give most glory to God.
- Catechism on the Word of God.
WHEN Our Lord sees pure souls coming eagerly to visit Him
in the Blessed Sacrament, He smiles upon them. They come
with that simplicity which pleases Him so much.
- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)
Page 49
THE Saints did not become Saints without many
a sacrifice and many a struggle.
- Sermon on Sanctity.
WHEN we want to obtain anything of the good God, let us,
after Holy Communion, offer Him His well-beloved Son,
with all the merits of His Death and Passion; He will be able
to refuse us nothing.
- Catechism on the Holy Eucharist (M.)
DURING the harvest season the harvesters rise early and work
hard, but they do not complain, since it is a question of making
money. Temptation is the season of spiritual harvest.
- On Temptations (C.)
MAKE a note of the difference there is between believing in
the existence of God and believing in Him.
- Sermon on the First Commandment.
WE ought to have a charity like that of St. Augustine, who
rejoiced to see anyone very good: "At least," he used to say,
"here is someone who will make amends to God for my want
of love."
- Sermon on the Forgiveness of Others (M.)
HIS death was the price of one dance . . .
- Inscription chose by the Cure d'Ars for his Chapel
of St. John the Baptist (D.)
IT is in solitude that God speaks to us.
- Interior Life of the Cure d'Ars (M.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 50
WE are each of us like a small mirror in which God
searches for His reflection.
- On the Sin of Impurity (E.)
ONE sin cannot excuse another sin.
- On Anger (Sp.)
If we possessed a real penetrating faith like the Saints
we should see Our Lord like they did.
- Remark (M.)
THOSE who love themselves with a love that seeks
themselves and the world -- that seeks creatures more
than God -- are never satisfied -- never quiet. They are
always uneasy, always tormented, always upset.
- Catechism on the Love of God (Sp.)
YOU can pray by putting yourself quite simply in touch
with God. When one finds nothing more to say to Him
but just knows He is there -- that in itself is the best of prayers.
- A. , April 1859 -- On Prayer.
WE must love while we suffer, and we must suffer if we love.
- Catechism on Suffering (M.)
NOTHING is so contrary to charity as pride.
- Homily on the Gospel for the 21st
Sunday after Pentecost (Sp.)
Page 51
AT the hour of your death you will see that you have saved
more souls by your illness than by all the good works you
might have accomplished in health.
- To a sick Religious who had been sent to the Cure d'Ars
by his Superior (M.)
ON the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Our Lord places us on His
Heart. Ah! If we could remain there always!
- Charity of M. Vianney (Sp.)
SINCE we are only in the world for God Himself, we shall
never be happy if we do not serve Him with zeal and love.
- Catechism on the Instruction of Children (F.)
EVERYONE is ready to run after the latest novelty, . . .
But as for Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, He is
deserted and forsaken . . . .
- Sermon for Corpus Christi.
THE priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus. When
you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Catechism on the Priesthood (Sp.)
WHEN we have had the great misfortune to sin, the
adorable Blood of Jesus will ask for our forgiveness.
- Sermon for Maundy Thursday.
We must honor God as He requires us to honor Him, or
we shall be asked why.
- Saying (S.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 52
TO love God with our whole mind is to think of Him often,
and to make it our principal study to know Him well.
- Sermon on the Love of God (Sp.)
GOD acts vigorously and gently; it is good to rely on Him.
- Saying - Vocations and Works (J.V.)
OUR Lord takes pleasure in doing the will of those who love Him.
- The Cure of Ars in his Conversation (Sp.)
THE Saints did not all begin well, but they all ended well.
- Catechism on our Last End (M.)
GOD is like a mother who carries her child in her arms by the
edge of a precipice. While she is seeking all the time to keep
him from danger, he is doing his best to get into it.
- Catechism on the Love of God (D.)
THE Kingdom of God is within us when we love Him and are
in a state of grace.
- On Habitual Grace (Sp.)
TO receive the Blessed Sacrament worthily, one must have a
great desire for union with Jesus Christ.
- Sermon on Communion.
Page 53
GOD allowed the Blessed Virgin to be born in poverty,
to the end that her nativity should more closely resemble
that of her Divine Son, of whom the Prophets had foretold
that He would have no place to lay His head.
- Notre-Dame d'Ars, Meditation 4.
WHEN we pray, we should open our heart to God, like
a fish when it sees the wave coming.
- The Cure of Ars in his Catechisms (Sp.)
ALAS! If we put all our trust in God, how much happier we should be!
- Eucharistic Meditation 25.
THE greatest Saints were those who suffered the most.
- Sermon on Afflictions.
WHEN you awake in the night, transport yourself quickly in
spirit before the Tabernacle, saying: "Behold me, my God, I come
to adore Thee, to praise, thank, and love Thee, and to keep Thee
company with all the Angels."
- Precept (J.V.)
HE is hidden from our eyes under the humility of His Sacrament, to try our faith. . . .
- Eucharistic Meditation 21.
WHEN two things are to be done, we may choose the one which is the least pleasant.
- On Self-Denial (Sp.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 54
NEVER let your home he without a crucifix upon its walls,
to the end that all who enter it may know that you are a
disciple of a Crucified Lord, and that you are not ashamed to own it.
- On Home Life (F.)
JESUS CHRIST, after having given us all He could give, that is
to say, the merit of His toils, His sufferings, and His bitter death;
after having given us His Adorable Body and Blood to be the Food
of our souls, willed also to give us the most precious thing
He had left, which was His holy Mother.
- Notre-Dame d'Ars, Meditation 8.
LOVE is the distinctive mark of those who belong to God,
as the mark of those who reject Him is hatred.
- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)
THERE is no great merit in doing good to one who is loving
and grateful to us in return.
- Catechism on the Practice of Virtues (M.)
OFFER your temptations for the conversion of sinners.
When the devil sees you doing this, he is beside himself
with rage and makes off, because then the temptation
is turned against himself.
- On Temptations (C.)
WE are poor people who have been taught to beg
spiritually, and we do not beg.
- On Prayer (Sp.)
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 55
WAS Jesus Christ afraid of being laughed at?
- Sermon on Fasting.
WE must watch over our mind, our heart and our senses,
for these are the gates by which the devil enters in.
- On Temptation (Sp.).
TO love God with our whole strength is to employ our
possessions, our health, and our talents in serving Him
and glorifying Him. It is to refer all our actions to Him
as our last end.
- Sermon on the Love of God (Sp.).
IT is God's Will that on Sunday's we should occupy ourselves
only with what has to do with His service and the salvation
of our soul. By doing so, we draw down blessings on our
work during the week.
- On the Sunday Mass (E.).
THOSE who love riches or pleasures offer God nothing but
the languid remains of a heart worn out in the service of the world.
- On the Love of God (Sp.).
"AT the beginning of the day, I endeavor to unite myself closely
with Jesus Christ, and then I do the next thing, with the thought
of this union in mind," confessed the Cure d'Ars to the Abbe Dufour.
"From which I infer," adds the Abbe, "that his life was one long prayer."
- Interior Life of the Cure d'Ars (T.).
Page 56
LOVE for our neighbor consists of three things: To desire
the greater to good of everyone; to do what good we can
when we can; to bear, excuse and hide others' faults.
- Sermon on Love for one's Neighbor.
ONE's everyday life ought to be both a preparation and a
thanksgiving for Communion. By one Communion you
give more glory to God than if you gave away one hundred
thousand francs.
- On Communion (C.).
WHEN we pray with attention and humility of mind and heart,
we quit the earth and rise to Heaven. We reach the outstretched
arms of God. We talk with the Angels and the Saints.
- On Prayer (Sp.).
THE virtue of Obedience makes the will supple. It gives the
power to conquer self, to overcome laziness, and to resist
temptations. It inspires the courage with which to fulfill the
most difficult tasks.
- Catechism on the Duty of Children (F.).
IF I may make use of such an expression, I compare those who
serve sometimes God, sometimes the World, as the case may be,
with dogs who answer to every whistle.
- Sermon on the World.
Posts: 392
Threads: 120
Joined: Dec 2020
Page 57
AS a good gardener works from morning till night to destroy
the weeds in his garden and fill it with flowers, so let us work
every day to destroy the blemishes of our soul and adorn it
with virtues.
- Of Salvation (Sp.)
WHEN you think of going to Mass on working days, it is an
impulse of the grace that God wills to grand you. Follow it.
- Eucharistic Meditation 25.
THE first thing about the Angels that we ought to imitate, is their
consciousness of the Presence of God.
- Sermon for the Feast of the Guardian Angels.
OH! How easily we could win Heaven day by day just by doing
what we have to do - but by doing it for God! . . .
- On the Sanctification of Daily Life (E.)
HOW beautiful it is, my children, to be accompanied by the Holy
Ghost! He is indeed a good guide; and to think that there are
some who will not follow Him!
- Catechism on the Holy Ghost (Sp.).
IT is good to abandon oneself unreservedly to the guidance of
Divine Providence. Our reserves dry up the current of His
mercies, and our distrust stops the course of God's blessings.
- Advice to the Directresses of the Cure d'Ars Orphanage (M.)
Page 58
IF we did like St. Remigius, we should never be angry. See, this
Saint, being questioned by a Father of the desert as to how he
managed to be always in an even temper, replied: "I often
consider that my Guardian Angel is always by my side . . . . "
- Sermon on Anger (Sp.)
IF you really love God, you will not be content with avoiding big
sins. You will regard as hateful anything which could be even a
little displeasing to Him.
- On the Keeping of Sunday (E.)
IN the morning we should behave towards God like an infant in
its cradle. As soon as it opens its eyes, it looks quickly through
the room to see its mother. When it sees her, it begins to smile.
When it cannot see her, it cries.
- Catechetical Illustration from Nature (M.)
SEE, my children, the first virtue is Humility, the second Humility,
and the third Humility . . . . The Saints thought themselves nothing
. . . and God gave them all they asked.
- On Humility (C.)
GOD treats us as He treated His people of old. When He took away
Moses, He left them Caleb and Josue (Joshua).
- Conversation - A Thought which consoled the Cure after a friend's death. (Sp.)
|
