Nothing appeases an enraged elephant so much as the sight of a little lamb.
Let us run to Mary and as her little children cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.
Mount Calvary is the academy of love.
God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
There was never an angry man that thought his anger unjust.
We are sometimes so busy being good angels that we neglect to be good men and women.
He prays well who is so absorbed with God that he does not know he is praying.
Where there is peace and meditation there is neither anxiety nor doubt.
Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul except sin. God commands you to pray but He forbids you to worry.
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever even if your whole world seems upset.
The Devil doesn't fear austerity but holy obedience.
...There is no better means of attainment to the spiritual life Than by continually beginning again...
All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.
It is wonderful how attractive a gentle pleasant manner is and how much it wins hearts.
You can attract more bees with a spoonful of sugar than a cupful of vinegar.
To live according to the spirit is to love according to the spirit.
One of the most evil dispositions possible is that which satirizes and turns everything to ridicule. God abhors this vice and has sometimes punished it in a marked manner
Whatever happens abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God.
Examine from time to time what are the dominant passions of your soul and having ascertained this mold your life so that in thought word and deed you may as far as possible counteract them.
Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections.
Humility makes our lives acceptable to God meekness makes us acceptable to men.
If when stung by slander or ill-nature we wax proud and swell with anger it is a proof that our gentleness and humility are unreal and mere artificial show.
There is no artifice as good and desirable as simplicity.
Since God often sends us inspirations by means of His angels we should frequently return our aspirations to him by means of the same messengers.
So many have come to me that I might serve them leaving me no time to think of myself. However I assure you that I do feel deep down within me God be praised.
He who can preserve gentleness amid pains and peace amid worry multitude of affairs is almost perfect.
We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.
Many would be willing to have afflictions provided that they not be inconvenienced by them.
What son would not bring his mother back to life and would not bring her into paradise after her death if he could?
Pride dies 20 minutes after death.
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved and they themselves are more afraid than anyone for whereas other men fear only them they fear everyone.
A quarrel between friends when made up adds a new tie to friendship.
Be patient with everyone but above all with yourself. I mean do not be disheartened by your imperfections but always rise up with fresh courage
True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
Have Jesus always for your patron His Cross for a mast on which you must spread your resolutions as a sail. Your anchor shall be a profound confidence in Him and you shall sail prosperously.
Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying but about the God to whom they pray.
Every vocation becomes more agreeable when united with devotion.
Let God be the air in which your heart breathes at ease.
Have patience with all things But first of all with yourself.
Be patient with everyone but above all with yourself.
Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God's will.
Big fires flare up in a wind but little ones are blown out unless they are carried in under cover.
Souls do not wish to be bullied but gently brought back; such is the nature of man.
While I am busy with little things I am not required to do greater things.
Half an hour's meditation each day is essential except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.
Every Christian needs a half-hour of prayer each day except when he is busy then he needs an hour.
A spoon full of honey gets more flies than a barrel full of vinegar.
What we need is a cup of understanding a barrel of love and an ocean of patience.
Do not desire crosses unless you have borne well those laid on you; it is an abuse to long after martyrdom while unable to bear an insult patiently.
Faith is like a bright ray of sun light. It enables us to see God in all things as well as all things in God.
For every great temptation there will be many small ones. Wolves and bears are more dangerous than flies but we are bothered most by flies.
Be who you are and be that well.
Be who you are and do that well.
It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth ill-humoredly and spoil an excellent dish by covering it with bad sauce.
We may be excused for not always being bright but we are not excused for not being gracious yielding and considerate.
We must visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament a hundred thousand times a day.
The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved their hearts are filled with passion for it and their mouths full of its praises.
When you encounter difficulties and contradictions do not try to break them but bend them with gentleness and time.
Faith fills a man with love for the beauty of its truth with faith in the truth of its beauty
Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.
Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit; for without being seen they are present with you.
Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again never to be broken off.
Consider all the past as nothing and say like David: Now I begin to love my God.
It is right that you should begin again every day. There is no better way to complete the spiritual life than to be ever beginning it over again.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them and he leaves them whole undamaged and fresh just as he found them.
A good discourse is that from which nothing can be retrenched without cutting into the quick.
Charity and devotion differ no more the one from the other than the flame from the fire.
Cook the truth in charity until it tastes sweet.
A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity.
To love our neighbor in charity is to love God in man.
Every moment comes to us pregnant with a command from God only to pass on and plunge into eternity there to remain forever what we have made of it.
Friendship requires great communication.
It is a great imperfection to complain unceasingly of little things.
He who complains sins.
The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying not "What a lovely sermon!" but "I will do something.
Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock pound scream howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain that he cannot enter our soul except by the door of our consent.
When charity requires it we must freely and mildly communicate to our neighbor not only what is his instruction but also what is profitable for his consolation.
Humility consists in not esteeming ourselves above other men and in not seeking to be esteemed above them.
The state of marriage is one that requires more virtue and constancy than any other; it is a perpetual exercise in mortification.
If you would fall into any extreme let it be on the side of gentleness. The human mind is so constructed that it resists rigor and yields to softness.
Is it not a great temptation to be so valiant in imagination and so cowardly in execution?
Be not miserable about what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow.
Trouble that is easily recognized is half-cured.
There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love - every man works his oar voluntarily!
Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others and talk to God.
I have made a pact with my tongue not to speak when my heart is disturbed.
Great occasions for serving God come seldom but little ones surround us daily.
During the night we must wait for the light.
One single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.
I have the same opinion of dances that physicians have of mushrooms: the best of them are good for nothing.
The Lord delights in every little step you take.
We must never undervalue any person. The workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence. Now God is present everywhere and every person is His work.
One single act done with aridity of spirit is worth more than many done with feelings of devotion.
Fear is a greater evil than evil itself.
We have freedom to do good or evil; yet to make choice of evil is not to use but to abuse our freedom.
In everything love simplicity.
God is present everywhere and every person is His work.
By giving yourself to God You not only receive Himself in exchange but eternal life as well.
Every morning prepare your soul for a tranquil day.
By turning your eyes on God in meditation your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.
The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed but if underfed the body cannot endure the spirit.
Humor is the foundation of reconciliation.
Have patience to walk with short steps until you have wings to fly.
Hell is full of good intentions and wills.
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved.
We must fear God out of love not love Him out of fear.
Nothing is so strong as gentleness nothing so gentle as real strength.
Better make penitents by gentleness than hypocrites by severity.
He who stays not in his littleness loses his greatness.
Provided that God be glorified we must not care by whom.
Doing little things with a strong desire to please God makes them really great.
There is nothing small in the service of God.
Don't get upset with your imperfections. Surrender to the Power of God's Love which is greater than our weakness.
God will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it.
I recommend to you holy simplicity.
Nothing is more like a wise man than a fool who holds his tongue.
True humility scarcely ever utters words of humility.
Take care of your health that it may serve you to serve God.
All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best has made himself most saintly.
Make sickness itself a prayer.
The Prayer of the sick person is his patience and his acceptance of his sickness for the love of Jesus Christ. Make sickness itself a prayer for there is none more powerful save martyrdom!
You learn to love by loving.
Do not complain then of your poverty my daughter - we only complain of that which is unwelcome and if poverty is unwelcome to you you are no longer poor in spirit.
The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.
The whole world is not worth one soul.
It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.
Let us think only of spending the present day well. Then when tomorrow shall have come it will be called today and then we will think about it.
A dance is the devil's procession and he that entereth into a dance entereth into his possession.
It matters little how one begins provided that he be resolved to go on well and to end well.
Reputation is rarely proportioned to virtue.
Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly.
One rarely does well what one rarely does.
There is nothing as strong as tenderness And nothing as tender as true strength.
To lose ourselves in God is simply to give up our own will to Him. When a soul can truly say Lord I have no other will than Thine it is truly lost in God and united to Him.
Let us be what God likes so long as we are His and let us not be what we want to be if it is against his intention.