'(2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me, ”in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil.'
[Saint Catherine of Bologna – XV Century AD; Bologna/Bologna (aged 49); Virgin; Mystic; Spiritual Writer; Teacher; Artist] '[VI] Of the Sixth Weapon. (1) The sixth weapon is the memory of the goods of paradise which are prepared for those who lawfully struggle by abandoning all the vain pleasures of the present life in accord with the saying of the most holy doctor Saint Augustine that it is impossible to enjoy present goods and future ones too. (2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me,”38 in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil. (3) And in confirmation of the …More
"If in this warfare we are provided with no weapons except self-distrust and trust in God, needful as both these are, we shall not only fail to gain the victory over ourselves, but shall fall into many evils. To these, therefore, we must add the use of Spiritual Exercises, the third weapon named above."
[Father Dom Lorenzo Scupoli – XVI-XVII Century AD; Otranto, Kingdom of Naples/Naples, Kingdom of Naples; (aged 79-80); Priest; Spiritual Writer] VI. Further directions how to attain Self-Distrust and Trust in God Since our whole power to subdue our enemies arises principally from self-distrust and trust in God, I will give you some further directions to enable you, by the Divine Assistance, to acquire it. Know, then, for a certain truth, that neither all gifts, natural or acquired, nor all graces given gratis, nor the knowledge of all Scripture, nor long habitual exercise in the service of God, will enable us to do His will, unless in every good and acceptable work to be performed, in every temptation to be overcome, in every peril to be avoided, in every Cross to be borne in conformity to His will, our heart be sustained and up-borne by an especial aid from Him, and His hand be outstretched to help us. We must, then, bear this in mind all our life long, every day, every hour, every …More
"This severity of Divine Justice in regard to the most fervent souls is explained by the infinite Sanctity of God, who discovers stains in that which appears to us most pure."
Chapter XVI Pains of Purgatory — St. Antoninus and the Religious — Father Rossignoli on a Quarter of an Hour in Purgatory— Brother Angelicus. That which shows still more the rigour of Purgatory is that the shortest period of time there appears to be of very long duration. Every one knows that days of enjoyment pass quickly and appear short, whilst the time passed in suffering we find very long. Oh, how slowly pass the hours of the night for the poor sick, who spend them in sleeplessness and pain. We may say that the more intense the pain the longer appears the shortest duration of time. This rule furnishes us with a new means of estimating the sufferings of Purgatory. We find in the Annals of the Friar Minors, under the year 1285, a fact which is also related by St. Antoninus in his Summa.1 A religious man, suffering for a long time from a painful malady, allowed himself to be overcome by discouragement, and entreated God to permit him to die, that he might be released from his pains …More
"Two things are found in the New Law: First, a prudent temperance in soul and body and the right use of all things. Second, a readiness for heeding and keeping the Law; for the person who cannot endure to stay in one thing can stand in another. Hereby follows that a person who cannot endure to be a virgin can live in in honorable marriage, and he who falls into sin may get up again and better himself. But this Law is now rejected and despised by the world. For they say that the Law is narrow, heavy, and ugly. They say it is narrow, for the Law orders one to be satisfied with the necessary and to flee the superfluous. But they want to have all things without reason like senseless cattle and above the necessity of the body, and that is why the Law is too narrow for them. Second, they say it is heavy, because the Law says that one should have enjoyment with reasonable temperance and at established times. But they want to fulfill their lust more than what is good and more than what is …More
[Saint Bridget of Sweden/ Heliga Birgitta; XIV Century AD: aged 69-70; Uppland, Sweden/Rome, Papal States; Widow, Mystic; Spiritual Writer; Founder; Patron of Europe] Chapter 47 Our Lord’s words to his bride about the contempt of the New Law, and about how that same Law is now rejected and despised by the world, and about how bad priests are not God’s priests but God’s betrayers, and about the punishment and damnation they receive. “I am the God who in ancient days was called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. I am the God who gave the Law to Moses. This law was like clothing. For as a mother with her child in the womb prepares her infant’s clothing, so too I, God, prepared the New Law, for the Old Law was nothing but the clothing and shadow and sign of future things to come. I clothed and wrapped myself in the clothing of this Law. And then when a boy grows up somewhat, his old clothes are laid down and new clothes are taken up. In this way, I fulfilled the …More
'The fourth torment that they have is the fire. This fire burns and does not consume, for the being of the soul cannot be consumed, because it is not a material thing that fire can consume. But I, by Divine justice, have permitted the fire to burn them with torments, so that it torments them, without consuming them, with the greatest pains in diverse ways according to the diversity of their sins, to some more, and to some less, according to the gravity of their fault.'
[Saint Catherine of Siena /Caterina di Benincasa/; XIV-XV Century AD; Siena, Republic of Siena/Rome, Papal States; aged 33; Spiritual Writer; Mystic; Virgin; Doctor of the Church] “Of the four principal torments of the damned, from which follow all the others ; and particularly of the foulness of the Devil. " My daughter, the tongue is not sufficient to narrate the pain of these poor souls. As there are three principal vices, namely : self - love, whence proceeds the second, that is love of reputation, whence proceeds the third, that is pride, with injustice and cruelty, and with other filthiness and iniquitous sins, that follow upon these. So I say to thee, that in Hell, the souls have four principal torments, out of which proceed all the other torments. The first is, that they see themselves deprived of the vision of Me, which is such pain to them, that, were it possible, they would rather choose the fire, and the tortures and torments, and to see Me, than to be without the torments …More
"A deed sometimes seemeth to be done of charity and love of God, when it is rather done of carnality, and of a fleshly love, than of a charitable love: for commonly some carnal inclination to our friends, or some inordinate love to ourself, or some hope of a temporal reward, or the desire of some other profit, moveth us to do the deed, and not the pure love of charity."
[Thomas a Kempis – XIV-XV Century AD; Kempen, Holy Roman Empire/Zwolle, Holy Roman Empire; aged 90-91; Canon, Regular] 15. OF WORKS DONE IN CHARITY. FOR nothing in the world, nor for the love of any creature, is evil to be done, but sometimes for the need and comfort of our neighbour a good deed may be deferred, or be turned into another good deed, for thereby it is not destroyed, but is changed into better. Without charity the outward deed is little to be praised: but whatsoever is done of charity, be it never so little, or never so despicable in sight of the world, it is right profitable before God, Who judgeth all things after the intent of the doer, and not after the greatness or worthiness of the deed. He doth much that much loveth God, and he doth much that doeth his deed well, and he doeth his deed well, that doth it rather for the commonalty than for his own will. A deed sometimes seemeth to be done of charity and love of God, when it is rather done of carnality, and of a fleshly …More
'Cast a look round the world, just observe the manner of living, of speaking, and you will see immediately whether the evil of sin is known in the world or whether any attention is paid to it. Not to speak of those who live decidedly irreligious and wicked lives, how few are those who pass for good and who approach the sacraments are aware of the great evil that sin is, and the great ruin it brings with it. It must necessarily happen that, on account of this certainly culpable ignorance in which most men live, an enormous number will come to be damned, because no sin is pardoned which is not detested, and it is impossible to detest sin properly if it is not known as such.' St. Joseph Cafasso 'There are many who arrive at the faith, but few that are lead into the heavenly kingdom.' Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor and Father of the Church 'It is as though Jesus said: "O My Father, I am indeed going to clothe myself with human flesh, but the greater part of the world will set no value …More
"Eternal Wisdom.--The bottomless abyss of My hidden mysteries (in which I order everything according to My eternal providence), let no one explore, for no one can fathom it. And yet, in this abyss, what thou askest about and many things besides are possible, which yet never happen. However, know this much, that, in the order in which emanated beings now are, a more acceptable or more pleasing way could not be. The Lord of nature knows well what He can do in nature. He knows what is best suited to every creature, and He operates accordingly. How should man better know the hidden things of God than in His assumed Humanity?"
“Chapter II - What Happened Before the Crucifixion After the Last Supper, when on the Mount of Olives, I gave Myself up to the pangs of cruel death, and when I felt that he was present before Me, I was bathed in a bloody sweat, because of the anguish of My tender Heart, and the agony of My whole bodily nature. I was ignominiously betrayed, taken prisoner like an enemy, rigorously bound, and led miserable away. After this I was impiously maltreated with blows, with spittle, with blindfolding, accused before Caiphas, and pronounced worthy of death. Unspeakable sorrows of heart were then seen in My dear Mother, from the first sight she had of My distress till I was hung upon the cross. I was shamefully presented before Pilate, falsely denounced, and sentenced to die. They stood over against Me with terrible eyes like fierce giants, and I stood before them like a meek lamb. I, the Eternal Wisdom, was mocked as a fool in a white garment before Herod, My fair body was rent and torn without …More
"Therefore, St. Anselm, overcome with amazement, exclaims: "O Blessed and ever Blessed Virgin, by whose blessing every creature is not only blessed by its Creator, but the Creator by the creature!" Again, how useful was Mary, by the excellence of her Child, is well expressed in the words: Blessed is the fruit of thy womb! For she availed to save the world, having brought forth the most excellent and powerful Fruit of salvation."
[Saint Bonaventure – XIII Century AD: Civita di Bagnoregio, Papal States/Lyon, Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles; (aged 52-53); Cardinal, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, Seraphic Doctor, Teacher of the Faith, Writer, Philosopher] “CHAPTER I -- ON THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. HEAR, O most sweet Virgin Mary, hear things new and wonderful! Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear ! Hear that glorious messenger, Gabriel! Hear what is to be the wonderful mode of thy fecundity! Incline thine ear to a fruitful consent. Hear what is announced to thee as a certainty by God the Father ! See in what manner the Son of God is to become Incarnate of thee! Incline thine ear to the Holy Spirit, who is about to operate within thee ! Because thou hast ears to hear, hear ! And in the beginning of thy hearing, listen to this unheard-of salutation: Hail Mary. This name, Mary, is not inserted …More
Great humility of St. Teresa of Avila: 'He who bids me write this, tells me that the nuns of these convents of our Lady of Carmel need someone to solve their difficulties about prayer: he thinks that women understand one another’s language best and that my sisters’ affection for me would make them pay special attention to my words, therefore it is important for me to explain the subject clearly to them. Thus I am writing only to my sisters; the idea that anyone else could benefit by what I say would be absurd.
[Saint Teresa of Avila XVI Century AD; Avila, Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy/Alba de Tormes, Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy; Aged 67; Virgin; Doctor of the Church; Mystic; Writer; Reformer] “PREFACE THIS TREATISE, STYLED THE INTERIOR CASTLE, WAS WRITTEN BY TERESA OF JESUS, NUN OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL, FOR HER SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS, THE DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS. RARELY has obedience laid upon me so difficult a task as this of writing about prayer; for one reason, because I do not feel that God has given me either the power or the desire for it, besides which, during the last three months I have suffered from noises and a great weakness in my head that have made it painful for me to write even on necessary business. However, as I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible, my will submits with a good grace, although nature seems greatly distressed, for God has not given me such strength as to bear, without repugnance, the constant struggle against …More
"But someone may prefer to regard the Divine Orders as pure and ineffable in their own natures, and beyond our power of vision, and may consider that the imagery of the Celestial Intelligences in the Scriptures does not really represent them, and is like a crude dramatization of the celestial names: and he may say that the theologians, in depicting wholly incorporeal natures under bodily forms should, as far as possible, make use of fitting and related images, and represent them by the most exalted, incorporeal and spiritual substances amongst ourselves, and should not endue the Celestial and Godlike Principles with a multitude of low and earthly forms."
[Dionysius the Areopagite – I Century AD; Hieromartyr and Bishop of Athens; Converted by St. Paul] “Chapter II That Divine and Celestial matters are fittingly revealed even through unlike symbols. I consider, then, that in the first place we must explain our conception of the purpose of each Hierarchy and the good conferred by each upon its followers; secondly we must celebrate the Celestial Hierarchies as they are revealed in the Scriptures; and finally we must say under what holy figures the descriptions in the sacred writings portray those Celestial Orders, and to what kind of purity we ought to be guided through those forms lest we, like the many, should impiously suppose that those Celestial and Divine Intelligences are many-footed or many-faced beings, or formed with the brutishness of oxen, or the savageness of lions, or the curved beaks of eagles, or the feathers of birds, or should imagine that they are some kind of fiery wheels above the heavens, or material thrones upon which …More
[Saint John of the Cross – XVI Century AD; Fontiveros, Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy/Ubeda, , Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy; (Aged 49); Priest, Mystic, Writer, Doctor of the Church] “ARGUMENT ALL the doctrine whereof I intend to treat in this Ascent of Mount Carmel is included in the following stanzas, and in them is also described the manner of ascending to the summit of the Mount, which is the high estate of perfection which we here call union of the soul with God. And because I must continually base upon them that which I shall say, I have desired to set them down here together, to the end that all the substance of that which is to be written may be seen and comprehended together; although it will be fitting to set down each stanza separately before expounding it, and likewise the lines of each stanza, according as the matter and the exposition require. The poem, then, runs as follows: STANZAS Wherein the soul sings of the happy chance which it had in passing through the …More
"Father Bernard, I want you to reassure me, and then I will be certain! In a vision two years ago I saw you as a man able to stare at the sun without flinching, a courageous man. And I wept because I blush so much - because I am so timid! Good Father, through your kindness I have found a place in your soul, so that now, if you will, you can reveal to me through your word whether you want me to say these things openly or whether I should keep quiet."
[HILDEGARD OF BINGEN was born into a noble family in Bermersheim in 1098. At the age of eight her family gave her into the care of a religious noblewoman, Jutta of Spanheim, who took Hildegard with her to become a recluse at the Disibodenberg monastery. Some time between 1112 and 1115, when the monastery became a convent, Hildegard took religious vows. After Jutta’s death in 1136, Hildegard was elected abbess at Disibodenberg. At this time she started to write about the visions she had been experiencing. Her first work, Scivias, appeared with Papal approval in 1151, just after she had established her own religious community at Rupertsberg, near Bingen. Her collection of religious songs, the Symphonia, appeared in 1158. She then produced a number of other works, including The Book of Life’s Merits (c. 1163), The Book of Divine Works (c. 113), lives of local saints, and various musical, scientific and medical works. She also invented a private language, which formed the basis of two short …More
"The venerable Benedict extended his hand, made the sign of the cross, and, by means of this holy sign, broke the glass which was held up at some distance from him, so that the glass containing the poison was as quickly broken, as if, instead of blessing it with the sign of the cross, he had flung a stone and broken it. Beholding this wonder, the man of God knew at once that the glass contained a deadly potion, since it was unable to bear the sign of life."
“Of a glass that St. Benedict broke by making over it the sign of the CROSS. THE man of God, being freed from temptations, made new progress in virtue, and his soul became still more fruitful in good works, just as we see a field yielding more abundant fruit after it has been cleared of the thorns and put under cultivation. His life appeared so holy and edifying that every one eulogized it, and his name became famous throughout the whole country. Not far from his retreat there was a monastery whose Abbot had lately died. The whole community immediately repaired to the venerable Benedict and earnestly besought him to be their superior. For a long time he refused, alleging as an excuse that his manner of living was too different from theirs to suit each other; but at length, overcome by their importunity, he acceded to their wishes. Thus having undertaken to govern the community, he applied himself to cause the laws of monastic life to be observed; he was careful that the Religious should …More
"3. Chosen soul, living image of God and redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God wants you to become holy like him in this life, and glorious like him in the next."
[Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort – XVII-XVIII Century AD; Montfort-sur-Meu, France/Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, France; Total consecration to Jesus through Mary] “Introduction 1. Here is a secret, chosen soul, which the most High God taught me and which I have not found in any book, ancient or modern. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I am confiding it to you, with these conditions: a) That you share it only with people who deserve to know it because they are prayerful, give alms to the poor, do penance, suffer persecution, are unworldly, and work seriously for the salvation of souls. b) That you use this secret to become holy and worthy of heaven, for the more you make use of it the more benefit you will derive from it. Under no circumstances must you let this secret make you idle and inactive. It would then become harmful and lead to your ruin. c) That you thank God every day of your life for the grace he has given you in letting you into a secret that you do not deserve to know. As …More
"The Mother speaks: ”Daughter, you should have five attributes within you and five without. First without: a mouth pure from backbiting, ears closed to vain speech, chaste eyes, hands busy with good works, and the avoidance of dealings with the world. Within you should have these five: loving God fervently, desiring him wisely, distributing temporal goods reasonably with a just and upright intention, fleeing from the world humbly, and awaiting my promises steadfastly and patiently.”
[Saint Bridget of Sweden – XIV Century AD; Uppland, Sweden/Rome, Papal States; Patron Saint of Europe, Widow, Mystic, Spiritual Writer] “Interrogation 3 First question. Again the monk appeared on his ladder as before saying: ”O Judge, I ask you: Why did you give us the bodily senses, if we are not to move and live according to carnal feelings?” Second question. ”And why did you give us the means of carnal sustenance, such as food and other delectable things, if we are not to live in order to sate the carnal appetite?” Third question. ”Why did you give us free will, if we are not to follow our own wishes?” Fourth question. ”Why did you give men and women the seed of intercourse and a sexual nature, if the seed is not to be spilled according to the carnal appetite?” Fifth question. ”Why did you give us a heart and a will, if not to choose that which tastes sweetest and to love the more enjoyable delights?” Answer to the first question. The Judge answered: ”Friend, I gave humans …More
"Jude the brother of James, left a short epistle which is reckoned among the seven catholic epistles, and because in it he quotes from the apocryphal boo of Enoch it is rejected by many. Nevertheless by age and use it has gained authority and is reckoned among the Holy Scriptures."
[Saint Jerome – IV-V Century AD; Stridon, Roman Empire/Bethlehem, Palaestina Prima; Translation of the Bible into Latin – Vulgate; Doctor of the Church] Chapter 3 “Matthew, also called Levi, apostle and aforetimes publican, composed a gospel of Christ at first published in Judea in Hebrew for the sake of those of the circumcision who believed, but this was afterwards translated into Greek, though by what author is uncertain. The Hebrew itself has been preserved until the present day in the library at Cæsarea which Pamphilus so diligently gathered. I have also had the opportunity of having the volume described to me by the Nazarenes of Berœa, a city of Syria, who use it. In this it is to be noted that wherever the Evangelist, whether on his own account or in the person of our Lord the Saviour quotes the testimony of the Old Testament he does not follow the authority of the translators of the Septuagint but the Hebrew. Wherefore these two forms exist Out of Egypt have I called my son,…More
"16. And He had in His right hand seven stars. He said that in His right hand He had seven stars, because the Holy Spirit of sevenfold agency was given into His power by the Father. As Peter exclaimed to the Jews: Being at the right hand of God exalted, He has shed forth this Spirit received from the Father, which you both see and hear. Acts 2:33 Moreover, John the Baptist had also anticipated this, by saying to his disciples: For God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him . The Father, says he, loves the Son, and has given all things into His hands. Those seven stars are the seven churches, which he names in his addresses by name, and calls them to whom he wrote epistles."
[Saint Victorinus – III-IV Century AD; Roman Greece/Pettau, Roman Greece; Spiritual Writer; Martyr under Diocletian] “16. And out of His mouth was issuing a sharp two-edged sword. By the twice-sharpened sword going forth out of His mouth is shown, that it is He Himself who has both now declared the word of the Gospel, and previously by Moses declared the knowledge of the law to the whole world. But because from the same word, as well of the New as of the Old Testament, He will assert Himself upon the whole human race, therefore He is spoken of as two-edged. For the sword arms the soldier, the sword slays the enemy, the sword punishes the deserter. And that He might show to the apostles that He was announcing judgment, He says: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34 And after He had completed His parables, He says to them: Have ye understood all these things? And they said, We have. And He added, Therefore is every scribe instructed in the kingdom of God like a man that is …More
"The Evangelists call Joseph father: Mary confesses he was father. Not (as I said before) that Joseph was really the father of the Saviour: but that, to preserve the reputation of Mary, he was regarded by all as his father, although, before he heard the admonition of the angel, Matthew 1:20 Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost, he had thoughts of putting her away privily; which shows that he well knew that the child conceived was not his."
[Saint Jerome – IV-V Century AD; Stridon, Roman Empire/Bethlehem, Palaestina Prima; Translation of the Bible into Latin – Vulgate; Doctor of the Church] “4. Let us take the points one by one, and follow the tracks of this impiety that we may show that he has contradicted himself. He admits that she was betrothed, and in the next breath will have her to be a man's wife whom he has admitted to be his betrothed. Again, he calls her wife, and then says the only reason why she was betrothed was that she might one day be married. And, for fear we might not think that enough, the word used, he says, is betrothed and not entrusted, that is to say, not yet a wife, not yet united by the bond of wedlock. But when he continues, the Evangelist would never have applied the words, before they came together to persons who were not to come together, any more than one says, before he dined, when the man is not going to dine, I know not whether to grieve or laugh. Shall I convict him of ignorance, or …More
"Nothing was more insignificant than man, and nothing became more honoured than man. He was the last item of the reasonable creation. But the feet became the head, and by means of the first-fruits, were raised to the royal throne."
[Saint John Chrysostom – IV-V Century AD; Antioch, Roman Empire/Comana, Eastern Roman Empire; Archbishop; Church Father; Doctor of the Church; "golden-mouthed"] “2. This also happens at secular feasts. Some indeed are more quickly satisfied, some more tardily, and neither do these blame those, nor do they condemn these. But there indeed to withdraw more quickly is praiseworthy, but here to withdraw more quickly is not praiseworthy, but excusable. There to leave off more slowly, is culpable and faulty, here to withdraw more tardily, brings the greatest commendation, and good report. Pray why is this? Because there indeed the tardiness arises from greediness, but here the endurance, and patience are made up of spiritual desire and divine longing. But enough of preamble. And we will proceed hereupon to that business which remained over to us from that day. What then was that which was then spoken? That all men had one speech, just as also they had one nature, and no one was different in …More