Do not regard the bread and wine as natural elements because they are, as the Master declared, body and blood. . . . [D]o not judge by taste but by faith; be fully assured, you who have been judged worthy of the body and blood of Christ.
—Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315?-386)

That the desire to follow Christ alone and to be with him always is a good thing leading to our salvation is entirely self-evident; yet we may learn this from the Old Testament as well. . . . Keeping with their guide was the Israelites’ salvation then, just as not leaving Christ is ours now.
—Saint Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444)

No one realizes the mystery of the Incarnation but must feel disposed towards that of Holy Communion. Let us pray [to Jesus] to give us an earnest longing after him—a thirst for his presence—and anxiety to find him—a joy on hearing that he is to be found, even now, under the veil of sensible things—and a good hope that we shall find him there.
—Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The most holy Eucharist holds within itself the whole spiritual treasure of the church, namely Christ himself, our passover and our living bread.
—Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)

We speak of the real presence of Christ in us . . . . he is in us, through his flesh, and we are in him; and with him, what we are is in God.
—Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315-367)

Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrow, but we can choose to live in joy.
—Mythologist Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

Those who eat and drink the Lord’s flesh and blood live in the Lord and the Lord lives in them. A marvelous and inexplicable union occurs by which God is in us, and we are in God. Does this not fill you with awe as you listen?
—Saint Theophylact (c. 1050-1109)

Love is fully sufficient to itself, when it enters the heart, it absorbs all other feelings. The soul who loves, loves and knows nothing more. To God alone, honor and glory. But God accepts these only when seasoned with the honey of love.
—Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Jesus asks only that we unite ourselves to his most divine life by imitating it to the best of our ability so as to enter into a real communion with God and God’s divine mysteries.
—Attributed to Denis the Areopagite (fifth-sixth centuries)

Give me persons who love and they will understand what I am saying. Give me persons who desire; who are hungry; who, after a pilgrimage in the wilderness, are thirsty and pine for the source of the eternal homeland; give me such persons and they will understand what I am saying.
—Saint Augustine (354-430)

The Eucharist shows us in the glorified flesh of the Risen Christ the world already transfigured, and it inaugurates the definitive harmony of earthly things, the harmony of glory. Rise, my soul, take and eat the pledge of all salvation and glory for all flesh.
—Karl Rahner (1904-1984)

I long to understand in some degree thy truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.
—Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Yes, the time has come for conversion, for personal transformation, for inner renewal. We must get used to thinking in a new way, of humanity, of common life among humans, of the roads of history and the destiny of the world.
—Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)

Whoever believes in this bread will never hunger, will never be famished for want of hearing the word of God; nor will such a person be parched by spiritual thirst through lack of the waters of Baptism and the consecration imparted by the Spirit.            
—Saint Theophylact (c. 1050-1109)

You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.
—Psalm 104:14-15

Bread plays so many roles! We have learned to recognize, in it, an instrument of the human community, because of the bread we break together. . . . We have learned to recognize, in it, the essential vehicle of pity, because of the bread we distribute in times of want.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.
—Mahatma Gandhi

In a world that victimizes us by its compulsions, we are called to solitude where we can struggle against our anger and greed and let our new self be born in a loving encounter with Jesus Christ. It is in this solitude that we become compassionate people.
—Henri J. M. Nouwen

Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.
—Acts 4:19–20

When we wake up each morning, if praise of the Risen Christ were to fill our hearts . . . then in the monotony of daily life, an inner surge of vitality would reveal our hidden longing.
—Brother Roger of Taizé

For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
—2 Corinthians 13:4

Let orators keep their eloquence, philosophers their wisdom, kings their kingdoms; for us, Christ is glory, riches, and kingdom; for us, wisdom is the folly of the gospel; for us, strength is the weakness of the flesh and glory is the scandal of the cross.
—Paulinus of Nola (c. 354-431)

Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.
—Albert Camus

Let us . . . have our eyes fixed on the image of God so that we may be formed anew in God’s likeness. . . . By looking back at the image of God, in whose likeness humanity was created, we will receive back from the power of God’s Word the form we had by nature.
—Origen

Let your intentions be so pure that you reject from your actions any other motive than the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
—Saint Angela Merici (1470?-1540)

John was a good man and had urged [others] to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God.
–Josephus, Antiquities (c. 94 A.D.)