BIG C CATHOLICS

St. Isidore of Seville was a 7th century bishop and Doctor of the Church, whose brilliant scholarship gave insight into the knowledge of men and the ways of God. Nearly two decades after his death, the bishops of Spain recognized him as, “an illustrious teacher of our time and the glory of the Catholic Church.” For your consideration, here are 25 quotations from the last of the early Church Fathers, who combined Christian faith and classical education in his remarkable ministry. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.  *** Prayer purifies us, reading instructs us. Both are good when both are possible. Otherwise, prayer is better than reading. *** War with vices, but peace with individuals. *** The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future. ***  If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and

Saint Louise de Marillac served God in numerous ways as a wife, mother, nurse, teacher, mystic, social worker, mentor and foundress. Her veneration of the Eucharist led to profound insights into the Incarnation as found in the Blessed Sacrament that bestows grace and perdures still among us. The following twelve quotes from St. Louise de Marillac speak of God’s goodness, mercy and justice. God never showed greater love for his creatures than when he resolved to become man. *** Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them as you would Christ himself. *** We only hope that God will show us his mercy and restore to us what was taken away by his justice. *** With all my heart, I wish you the joy and interior consolation of a soul that is lovingly submissive to the most holy will of God. *** Our good God has his time and moments for everything. Do not believe that things will always be as they are now. *** O eternal light, lift up my blindness! O perf

The following quotations attributed to Saint John of God bespeak his great love for God and total dedication to the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the suffering. God is love! Whoever abides in love; abides in God and God in him. *** Labor without stopping; do all the good works you can while you still have the time. — St. John of God O God, who filled Saint John of God with a spirit of compassion, grant, we pray, that, giving ourselves to works of charity, we may merit to be found among the elect in your Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Saint Katharine Drexel’s love of the Eucharist and perspective on the unity of all peoples fueled her dedication to addressing social inequality among minorities. Her belief in quality education for all and her tireless efforts to achieve it marked her life’s work. The quotations below testify to her deep devotion to God, selfless service and her concern for and ministry involving the victims of injustice. Ours is the Spirit of the Eucharist, the total Gift of Self. *** The Eucharist is a never-ending sacrifice. It is the Sacrament of love, the supreme love, the act of love. *** The patient and humble endurance of the cross – whatever nature it may be – is the highest work we have to do. *** If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them. Let us open wide our hearts. It is joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing. *** It is a lesson we all need - to let alone the things that do not

Saint Peter Damian was an 11th century reformer Benedictine monk, cardinal and scholar who advised Pope Leo IX. He was prayerfully pious and strident in his defense of orthodoxy. He observed that "when you spurn this life and its wisdom, you may deserve by happy exchange to be filled with the divine Spirit, who will urge you on to eternal glory." Here is a selection of his wisdom in 12 quotes. Through a woman [Eve] a curse fell upon the earth; through a woman [Mary] as well there returned to the earth a blessing. *** I scourge both flesh and spirit because I know that I have offended in both flesh and spirit. *** And what more should I say since it expels the whole host of the virtues from the chamber of the human heart and introduces every barbarous vice as if the bolts of the doors were pulled out. *** Truly, this vice is never to be compared with any other vice because it surpasses the enormity of all vices.... It defiles everything, stains everything, p

Clockwise from L to R: Pope Pius XI, Pope Paul VI, Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. Pius X. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. If not for the Incarnation, there could be no Eucharist. In the words of Servant of God Father John Hardon: "We are to believe that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ - simply, without qualification. It is God become man in the fullness of His divine nature, in the fullness of His human nature, in the fullness of His body and soul, in the fullness of everything that makes Jesus Jesus. He is in the Eucharist with His human mind and will united with the Divinity… That is what our Catholic Faith demands of us… If we believe this, we are Catholic. If we do not, we are not, no matter what people may think we are." Below are quotes on the Most Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our Faith, from 20th century pontiffs. The faith of the Church is this: That one and identical is the Word of God an

O Lord, if I could fly to my people and tell them of your Goodness at the top of my voice: oh, how many souls would be won!  *** I have given everything to my Master: He will take care of me… The best thing for us is not what we consider best, but what the Lord wants of us! *** Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, ‘Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?’ I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage.   *** I received the Sacrament of Baptism with such joy that only angels could describe…  *** If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today… *** The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone… we must be compassionate! *** Mary protected me even before I knew her! *** When a person loves another dearly, he desires strongly to be close to the other: the

Although they have not been formally canonized, Blessed Miguel Pro and Father Jacques Hamel are most certainly among the elect in heaven by virtue of their glorious martyrdoms in testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior & King. When the court sentenced Stephen to death, the 1st century Protomartyr was taken outside the city to be stoned. Scripture testifies that the participants laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul (the future Saint Paul) who consented to the execution. Before giving up his soul to Christ, Stephen prayed for his persecutors: " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. " Acts says, "Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him." St. Stephen, help us to be courageously steadfast in faith despite difficulties. St. Agatha (231 – 251 AD) was a girl of immense beauty from a wealthy family in Sicily. The perfect of the city, Quintanius desired her hand in marriage and to gai

Orphaned at an early age, Saint Angela Merici devoted her life, her work and her virtue to God. Her selfless humility and dedication to the meek is a model for us to follow. The quotes below reflect the wisdom of a soul completely disposed to being an unfailing disciple of Christ in all things. to all people, at all times. Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service. *** Beware of trying to accomplish anything by force. *** Strive to be faithful to that which God has called you. *** We must give alms. Charity wins souls and draws them to virtue. *** Keep to the ancient way and custom of the Church, established and confirmed by so many Saints under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And live a new life. Pray, and get others to pray, that God not abandon His Church, but reform it as He pleases, and as He sees best for us, and more to His honor and glory. *** Consider that the devil doesn't sleep, but

St. Francis de Sales was a brilliant disciple of our Lord whose insights into the ways of God won innumerable souls for the Church. His homilies, letters and works are gems of contemplation comprising a treasury of theological wisdom. May the following quotations from this servant of Christ deepen our love for God. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections. *** It is an error, or rather a heresy, to say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier, a tradesman, a prince, or a married woman... It has happened that many have lost perfection in the desert who had preserved it in the world.  *** There was never an angry man that thought his anger unjust. *** The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it, and their mouths full of its praises. *** Through devotion, your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes mor

St. Anthony, the "Father of Monks", sought perfect solitude in the desert at the age of 18. Laying the foundations of monastic life, he instructed his disciples to live lives of severe mortification and prayer; the basis of Christian asceticism. The following ten quotations from St. Anthony the Great, demonstrate his great wisdom and profound insight into living as disciples in imitation of Jesus Christ. Believe me; the devil fears the vigils of pious souls, and their fastings, their voluntary poverty, their loving compassion, their humility, but most of all their ardent love of Christ our Lord. As soon as he sees the sign of the Cross, he flees in terror.  ***  Let it be your supreme and common purpose not to grow weary in the work you have begun, and in time of trial and affliction not to lose courage and say: Oh, how long already have we been mortifying ourselves! Rather, we should daily begin anew and constantly increase our fervor. For man's whole life is sh

In Thee, O Lord, have I put my hope. Let me never be confounded ***  It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards one’s progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken. ***  Would to God that these men who labor so much in gaining knowledge would give as much thought to the account they must one day give to God of the use they have made of their learning and of the talents entrusted to them! ***  The better friends you are, the straighter you can talk, but while you are only on nodding terms, be slow to scold. ***  Speak to them of the great mercy of God… Sometimes people are helped by your telling of your own lamentable past. ***  It is impossible to find a saint who did not take the 'two P’s' seriously: prayer and penance.  ***  I wish they [students] would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to th

Saint Charles Borromeo is one of the most celebrated saints that lived in the 16th century. By virtue of his prodigious intellect, unassailable belief and deeply held devotion, he made the Church glorious in the face of her enemies. Here are six insights on faith and love of God from this revered disciple of Christ. If a tiny spark of God’s love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out... Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter... Do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. *** If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor. *** If teaching and preaching is your job, then study diligently and apply yourself to whatever is necessary for doing the job well. Be sure that you fi

The Rosary is a necessary prayer for all Christians. It helps us to grow in holiness and in our prayer life. Moreover, it is necessary to love our Lady; that is, to be Marian. According to Pope Paul VI, "If we want to be Christians we must be Marian." Being a Christian means imitating Christ in all things. Our Lord loved his mother and honored her. We also must love and esteem our Blessed Mother. The Marian prayer par excellence is the Holy Rosary because it is a compendium of the Gospel and the mysteries of our salvation. If you have the Rosary in your hand it is like holding our Lady by the hand. The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. These statements by men and women of faith testify to the Rosary's power, and why it should be prayed frequently, even daily. Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary. — Pope Pius IX Say the Rosary every day to

Saint Paul of the Cross' life was marked by hardships. It is not surprising that he developed such a great love for the Passion of Jesus Christ. His namesake, Saint Paul of Tarsus' letter to the Romans, Chapter 5, states "... let us exult, too, in our hardships, understanding that hardship develops perseverance, and perseverance develops character." Likewise, St. Paul of the Cross in the following 10 quotations expresses the immense value and divine blessing that attends our suffering. The soul is a seed which God sows in the field of the Church; to produce fruits, it must die under the strokes of pains, sorrows, contradictions, and persecutions. *** Let us fear more to be deprived of sufferings than a miser fears to lose his treasures. *** Suffering is brief; joy will be eternal. *** Do you know why God subjects you to so many miseries? That He may bestow on you the riches of heaven. *** In your trials, have recourse to Mary, and She will reme

Before everything else, fidelity to the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Jesus did not found several churches, but one single Church. ***  The family, founded upon marriage freely contracted, one and indissoluble, must be regarded as the natural, primary cell of human society. The interests of the family, therefore, must be taken very specially into consideration in social and economic affairs, as well as in the spheres of faith and morals. For all of these have to do with strengthening the family and assisting it in the fulfillment of its mission — Pacem in Terris,  1963 We are not on earth as museum-keepers, but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life and to prepare for a glorious future.  ***  To have accepted with simplicity the honour and the burden of the pontificate, with the joy of being able to say that I did nothing to obtain it, absolutely nothing; indeed I was most careful and conscientious to avoid anything that might direct attention to mys

Marie Thérèse Martin was born January 2, 1873, the youngest of five daughters, to a deeply devout Catholic family. At 15, she entered the Carmel of Lisieux where she would spend the rest of her life. Like other saints and teachers of faith, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face experienced profound spiritual insights attained in prayer. Little things done out of love are those that charm the Heart of Christ... On the contrary, the most brilliant deeds, when done without love, are but nothingness. *** We must do all that lies in our power; we must give without counting the cost; we must constantly renounce ourselves. In one word, we must prove our love by all the good works we can perform; but, since all that we can do is very little, it is of the greatest importance that we put our confidence in Him who alone sanctifies those works and that we recognize that we are indeed useless servants, hoping that the good Lord will give us through grace all that we desire.

St. Pio of  Pietrelcina was a humble friar whose holiness and patient suffering won many souls for Christ. Pope Benedict XVI said he "'prolonged' the work of Christ: announcing the Gospel, remitting sins and healing the sick in body and spirit". Here are twenty-five quotations from this much beloved saint illustrating his wisdom, humanity and deep spiritual insight. In the uproar of the passions and of reverses of fortune, we are upheld by the comforting hope of God’s inexhaustible mercy.  *** Jesus is with you even when you don’t feel His presence. He is never so close to you as He is during your spiritual battles. He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight your battle courageously. He is there to ward off the enemy’s blows so that you may not be hurt. *** God leaves you in that darkness for his glory; here is a great opportunity for your spiritual progress.  *** The storms that are raging around you will turn out to be for God’s glor

Virgin and Child , William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1888. In Honor of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary , September 12th: In obedience to Jewish religious practice our Lady's parents named her eight days after her birth. Joachim and Anne were inspired to call her Mary. As the mother of Christ Incarnate, Mary is a powerful intercessor and mediatrix of graces. Invoking her name devoutly is itself a most efficacious prayer. Below are the testimonies of saints and blesseds affirming that when we pronounce the blessed Virgin’s name we proclaim her power, implore her aid and place ourselves under her protection. Oh name of the mother of God, thou art my love. — St. Anselm The name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven.  — St. Ephrem Mary is the salvation of all who call upon her.  — St. Bonaventure O most sweet name! O Mary, what must thou thyself be, since thy name alone is thus amiable and gracious.  — Blessed Henry Suso In dangers, in perplexities, in d

In honor of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s canonization here are twenty-five quotations from the foundress of the Missionaries of Charity who exuded joy and selflessness while serving the poor and uncared for. What is my thought? I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, This is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus. ***  Be kind to each other in your homes. Be kind to those who surround you. I prefer that you make mistakes in kindness rather than that you work miracles in unkindness. Often just for one word, one look, one quick action, and darkness fills the heart of the one we love. ***  We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty. ***  We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just