Quotes by Saints

For acting thus you will remain innocent among the hissings of the serpents, and like a sweet strawberry you will receive no venom from the contact of venomous tongues.
Francis de Sales
If you don't break your ropes while you're alive, do you think ghosts will do it after?
Kabir
There is a wide difference between having poison and being poisoned. All apothecaries have poisons ready for special uses, but they are not consequently poisoned, because the poison is only in their shop, not in themselves; and so you many possess riches without being poisoned by them, so long as they are in your house or purse only, and not in your heart. It is the Christian's privilege to be rich in material things , and poor in attachment to them.
St. Francis de Sales
If there were no tribulation there would be no rest if there were no winter there would be no summer.
Saint John Chrysostom
While I am busy with little things I am not required to do greater things.
St. Francis de Sales
The rich man is not one who is in possession of much but one who gives much.
Saint John Chrysostom
Start by doing what's necessary then what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Saint Francis of Assisi
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.
Saint Francis de Sales
We must not wish anything other than what happens from moment to moment all the while however exercising ourselves in goodness.
Saint Catherine of Genoa
Study as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Saint Isidore of Seville
By-and-by never comes.
Saint Augustine
If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts with wish as a guest to dwell in the monastery and will be content with the customs which he finds in the place and does not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery but is simply content with what he finds he shall be received for as long as he desires. If indeed he find fault with anything or expose it reasonably and with the humility of charity the Abbott shall discuss it prudently lest perchance God had sent him for this very thing. But if he have been found gossipy and contumacious in the time of his sojourn as guest not only ought he not be joined to the body of the monastery but also it shall be said to him honestly that he must depart. If he does not go let two stout monks in the name of God explain the matter to him.
Saint Benedict
Faith is to believe what we do not see the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.
Saint Augustine
Love and do what you like.
Saint Augustine
Lord make me chaste - but not yet.
St. Augustine
He who prays and labours lifts his heart to God with his hands.
Saint Bernard
If we live good lives the times are also good. As we are such are the times.
Saint Augustine
God hates those who praise themselves.
St. Clement
He who complains sins.
Saint Francis de Sales
If you do not ask yourself what it is you know you will go on listening to others and change will not come because you will not hear your own truth.
Saint Bartholomew
Soften my hard self-opinionatedness which time has hardened so exceedingly!
Gertrude the Great
Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections.
Saint Francis de Sales
Do not wish to be anything but what you are.
Saint Francis de Sales
You must be holy in the way God asks you to be holy. God does not ask you to be a Trappist monk or a hermit. He wills that you sanctify your everyday life.
Saint Vincent Pallotti
Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger.
Saint Basil
The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying not What a lovely sermon but I will do something!
St. Francis de Sales
Prayer is an all-efficient panoply a treasure undiminished a mine which is never exhausted a sky unobscured by clouds a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root the fountain the mother of a thousand blessings.
Saint John Chrysostom
Prayer should be the means by which I at all times receive all that I need and for this reason be my daily refuge my daily consolation my daily joy my source of rich and inexhaustible joy in life.
Saint John Chrysostom
The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire it hath bridled the rage of lions hushed anarchy to rest extinguished wars appeased the elements expelled demons burst the chains of death expanded the gates of heaven assuaged diseases repelled frauds rescued cities from destruction stayed the sun in its course and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.
Saint John Chrysostom
Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do.
Saint Augustine
Grant that we may not so much seek to be understood as to understand.
Saint Francis of Assisi
With God there is no need for long speeches.
Jane Frances de Chantal
In prayer more is accomplished by listening than by talking.
Jane Frances de Chantal
There is no sinner in the world however much at enmity with God who cannot recover God's grace by recourse to Mary and by asking her assistance.
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Follow your own way of speaking to our Lord sincerely lovingly confidently and simply as your heart dictates.
Jane Frances de Chantal
He prays best who does not know that he is praying.
Saint Anthony of Padua
Once you begin to believe there is help "out there " you will know it to be true.
Saint Bartholomew
He who sows courtesy reaps friendship and he who plants kindness gathers love.
Saint Basil
Poetry is the Devil's wine.
St. Augustine
Have patience with all things but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them-every day begin the task anew.
Saint Francis de Sales
It is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection.
Saint Augustine
Have patience with all things but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.
St. Francis de Sales
I am not afraid. ... I was born to do this.
Joan of Arc
True love grows by sacrifice and the more thoroughly the soul rejects natural satisfaction the stronger and more detached its tenderness becomes.
Therese of Lisieux
As a moth gnaws a garment so doth envy consume a man.
Saint John Chrysostom
What then is time? If no one asks me I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks I do not know.
Saint Augustine
Come let us give a little time to folly ... and even in a melancholy day let us find time for an hour of pleasure.
Saint Bonaventura
Do not wish to be anything but what you are.
Saint Francis de Sales
Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections.
Saint Francis de Sales
Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger.
Saint Basil
The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying not What a lovely sermon but I will do something!
St. Francis de Sales
Prayer is an all-efficient panoply a treasure undiminished a mine which is never exhausted a sky unobscured by clouds a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root the fountain the mother of a thousand blessings.
Saint John Chrysostom
Prayer should be the means by which I at all times receive all that I need and for this reason be my daily refuge my daily consolation my daily joy my source of rich and inexhaustible joy in life.
Saint John Chrysostom
The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire it hath bridled the rage of lions hushed anarchy to rest extinguished wars appeased the elements expelled demons burst the chains of death expanded the gates of heaven assuaged diseases repelled frauds rescued cities from destruction stayed the sun in its course and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.
Saint John Chrysostom
Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do.
Saint Augustine
Grant that we may not so much seek to be understood as to understand.
Saint Francis of Assisi
With God there is no need for long speeches.
Jane Frances de Chantal
In prayer more is accomplished by listening than by talking.
Jane Frances de Chantal
There is no sinner in the world however much at enmity with God who cannot recover God's grace by recourse to Mary and by asking her assistance.
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Follow your own way of speaking to our Lord sincerely lovingly confidently and simply as your heart dictates.
Jane Frances de Chantal