The Golden Rule
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.
Jesus Christ, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:12
Saint Francis de Sales
- Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. He is not only with me but in me and I in Him.’
- Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul, except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.
- Don’t get upset with your imperfections. It’s a great mistake because it leads nowhere – to get angry because you are angry, upset at being upset, depressed at being depressed, disappointed because you are disappointed. So don’t fool yourself. Simply surrender to the Power of God’s Love, which is always greater than our weakness.
- Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
- There are many who want me to tell them of secret ways of becoming perfect and I can only tell them that the sole secret is a hearty love of God, and the only way of attaining that love is by loving. You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so you learn to love God and man by loving. Begin as a mere apprentice and the very power of love will lead you on to become a master of the art.
- Don’t sow your desires in someone else’s garden; just cultivate your own as best you can; don’t long to be other than what you are, but desire to be thoroughly what you are. Direct your thoughts to being very good at that and to bearing the crosses, little or great, that you will find there. Believe me, this is the most important and least understood point to the spiritual life. We all love according to what is our taste; few people like what is according to their duty or to God’s liking. What is the use of building castles in Spain when we have to live in France?
- We have freedom to do good or evil; yet to make choice of evil, is not to use, but to abuse our freedom.
- 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.
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St. Therese of Lisieux
- Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love – difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs – everything, because through them, she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events – to the heart that loves, all is well.
- Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.
- If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.
- Perfect love means putting up with other peoples shortcomings, feeling no surprise at their weaknesses, finding encouragement even in the slightest evidence of good qualities in them.
- You know well that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.
- Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.
- Why should we defend ourselves when we are misunderstood and misjudged? Let us leave that aside. Let us not say anything. It is so sweet to let others judge us in any way they like. O blessed silence, which gives so much peace to the soul!
- Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.
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St. Mary Faustina Kowalska Quotes
- Patience, prayer and silence-these are what give strength to the soul.
- Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is.
- Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors.
- I know well that the greater and more beautiful the work is, the more terrible will be the storms that rage against it.
- Oh, if only the suffering soul knew how it is loved by God, it would die of joy and excess of happiness! Some day, we will know the value of suffering, but then we will no longer be able to suffer. The present moment is ours.
- Entrust everything to Me and do nothing on your own, and you will always have great freedom of spirit.
- Jesus, I trust in You.
- Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.
- How can one be pleasing to God when one is inflated with pride and self-love under the pretense of striving for Gods glory, while in fact one is seeking ones own glory?
- Nothing is difficult for the humble.
- He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. (267)
- A talkative soul lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A deeper interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord dwells, is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the sweetness of inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of others.
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Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
- The root of all evil is ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘Mine’.
- Always remain close to the Catholic Church, because it alone can give you true peace, since it alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the true Prince of Peace.
- Do not let your heart become troubled by the sad spectacle of human injustice. Even this has its value in the face of all else. And it is from this that one day you will see the justice of God rising with unfailing triumph.
- By suffering we are able to give something to God. The gift of pain, of suffering is a big thing and cannot be accomplished in Paradise.
- The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: keep at a distance. If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will.
- You must not be discouraged or let yourself become dejected if your actions have not succeeded as perfectly as you intended. What do you expect? We are made of clay and not every soil
yields the fruits expected by the one who tills it. But let us always humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are nothing if we lack the Divine assistance. - Always humble yourself lovingly before God and man, because God speaks to those who are truly humble of heart, and enriches them with His gifts.
- May the Heart of Jesus be the goal of all your aspirations.
- Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.
- Every Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves, do not know…It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!
- Your temptations are from the devil and from Hell; but your sufferings and afflictions are from God and Heaven.
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Mother Teresa
- Small things done with great love will change the world.
- I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.
- I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.
- Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness.
- If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.
- Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.
- The beginning of peace is a smile.
- God does not create poverty; we do, because we do not share.
- There is no key to happiness; the door is always open
- Speak tenderly; let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don’t only give your care but give your heart as well.
- May today be peace within. May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be… May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you… May you be content knowing you are a child of God… Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of you.
- We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love.
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