Behold, the pagans have trodden your cross underfoot! Where is your glory? As I see all this, I would, in the ardent love I have for you, prefer to be torn limb from limb and to die as a witness to your love. (From a letter of Saint Paul Le-Bao-Tinh, martyr in Vietnam)
Quotes
The faithful, moreover, by meditating upon these truths, will gain much strength and courage, enabling them to form their lives after the true Christian ideal. If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his[…]
Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience toward evil … a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment. Tolerance applies only to persons … never to truth. Tolerance applies to the erring, intolerance to the error … Architects are as intolerant about sand as foundations for skyscrapers as doctors are intolerant about[…]
No type of cruelty can tear down the religion established by the mystery of Christ’s cross. The Church is not diminished by persecutions, but rather increased. (Pope Saint Leo the Great, +461)
Hitherto I have served you as a soldier; allow me now to become a soldier to God. (Saint Martin of Tours, +397)
When Christ came, he banished the devil from our hearts, in order to build in them a temple for himself. Let us therefore do what we can with his help, so that our evil deeds will not deface that temple. For whoever does evil, does injury to Christ. (Saint Caeserius of Arles, +542)
When the human being is open to God, making the most of the disposition to listen to his voice: when we listen to divine Revelation, to the word of God in order to accept it, a message reaches us that fills our life with light and hope and we are truly free. (Blessed Duns Scotus, as[…]
God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything – hope anything, or desire anything but from Him and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone (Saint Charles Borromeo, +1584)
Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts (Saint Thomas Aquinas)
Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate (G.K. Chesterton)