Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst, and privation. Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering the Kingdom.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 544)
It is by the works of mercy that we shall be judged.
—Dorothy Day
Fear only two: God, and the man who has no fear of God.
—Hasidic proverb
Psychology says, “Let go.” Spirituality says, “Wake up.” In both cases there is a withdrawal from the busyness of daily life (our dream state) and a waking up to the subconscious and spiritual depths of ourselves.
–Alfred Mcbride, O. Praem., The Priest
The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord.
—Joni Eareckson Tada, disabled artist and writer
The Wisdom of God . . . comes forth, reaching from "end to end mightily." She wills to be also the unseen pivot of all nature, the center and significance of all the light that is in all and for all. That which is poorest and humblest, that which is most hidden in all things is nevertheless most obvious in them, and quite manifest, for it is their own self that stands before us, naked and without care.
—Thomas Merton, Hagia Sophia
God favors the humble. Scripture tells us that he resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. In fact he gives them everything . . . . He cannot refuse it. He gives himself entirely to humility.
—Cardinal Jean Verdier (1864-1940)
Priesthood is not about power, prestige, or privilege. The pedestal has been struck down. The status lost. The Lord cautioned his disciples not to be seeking places of honor.
—Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
The measure of a country’s greatness should be based on how well it cares for its most vulnerable populations.
—Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Any day, any minute we bless God for our being or for anything, for food, for sunlight, we do and are what we were meant for, made for—things that give and mean to give God glory.
—Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)
From ancient times down to the present, there is found among various peoples a certain perception of that hidden power which hovers over the course of things and over the events of human history; at times some indeed have come to the recognition of a Supreme Being, or even of a Father.
—Nostra Aetate (1965)
How can we profess faith in God's word, and then refuse to let it inspire and direct our thinking, our activity, our decisions, and our responsibilities toward one another? Faith is always demanding, because faith leads us beyond ourselves.
—Pope John Paul II (1920-2011)
Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide.
—Luke 10:7
To be spiritually weeded means to have renounced the love of material things and attachment to possessions . . . . Freed from the profitless burden of earthly aspirations, that person can breathe again.
—Basil the Great (c. 330-379)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
—John 14:27
The fundamental thing for the member is to be united with all the other members of the Mystical Body; the essential Christian virtue is, then, the virtue which unites all members in Christ, that is, charity.
—Émile Mersch, S.J.
The universal church is seen to be "a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
—Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 1964
The gate of heaven is very low; only the humble can enter it.
—Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)
Our sins are nothing but a grain of sand alongside the great mountain of the mercy of God.
—Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)
How can we pray to God for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy?
—Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-91)
Mercy is the fulfillment of justice, not its abolition.
—Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-74)