Strength and Courage

St. Francis de Sales says: "I say, that even if we felt we might have neither the strength nor the courage to resist temptation should it befall us now; as long as we desired to resist it and hope that if it did come our way, God would rescue us and we would seek His help, then we must not be sad. Neither do we always have to feel strong and courageous; it is enough to hope that we will have strength and courage when and where we need them. We don't have to have a sign that these virtues will be ours; it is enough if we hope that God will help us.

. . . Now God, who does nothing in vain, does not give us either strength or courage when we don't need them, but only when we do. He never fails us. Consequently, we must always hope that He will help us if we entreat Him to do so. We should always use these words of David, 'Why are you sad, my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in the Lord.' The prayer which he spoke: 'When my strength fails, Lord, do not abandon me.'"

Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal: Letters of Spiritual Direction, Paulist Press, p.181.

"If you would like to know God, Look at the Crucifix"

If you would like to know God, Look at the Crucifix

If you would like to love God, Look at the Crucifix

If you want to serve God, Look at the Crucifix!

If you hope for eternal Happiness, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how much God loves you, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how He tries to prevent you from the yawning jaws of hell, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how much He will help you to save your immortal soul, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how much you should forgive others, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how much your faith demands of you, in humility, poverty, charity, meekness and every virtue, Look at the Crucifix

If you wonder how far your own unselfishness should go to bring others to Christ, Look at the Crucifix!

If you want to understand the need for self-denial and mortification, Look at the Crucifix!

If you wish to live well, Look at the Crucifix

If you wish to die well, Look at the Crucifix

St. Thomas Aquinas

Quote of the Day: Padre Pio

"Happy are we who, contray to our every merit, are already on the hill of Calvary by divine mercy. We have already been made worthy to follow the heavenly Master; we have already been numbered amongst that blessed group of chosen souls, and all this through a most special act of divine mercy on the part of the heavenly Father. Let us not allow this blessed group to disappear from sight, but let us always keep ourselves tightly united to them, fearing neither the weight of the cross we have to carry, the long journey to be made, nor the steep hill which we must climb."

Padre Pio
In My Own Words, Liguori, 2000