Spiritual Diary

Saintly Sayings and Examples of Saints 
Tags


May 6, 2010

Meekness: May 6

Since it is impossible for us to go through life without causing annoyance to one another, it is necessary to have a great supply of meekness from which to draw to check sudden bursts of anger and preserve peace of soul.

Philip II, King of Spain, had spent many long hours of the night in writing a letter to the Pope. Finally he finished it and gave it to his secretary to fold and seal. The latter, half asleep, sprinkled ink instead of sand upon the letter. Realizing what he had done, he was horrified. Unperturbed, the king said, "Here, let me have another sheet of paper," and he proceeded to rewrite the letter very calmly. Another day, while getting ready to go hunting, he seated himself to have his riding boots put on. After one had been donned, it was discovered that the other was missing. For a long time the king sat waiting while the misplaced boot was being sought, yet he gave no sign of impatience nor did he utter a word. On the day of his coronation one of the soldiers, in the act of holding back the multitudes with the pole, broke three crystal lamps which were above the throne. As a result, oil fell on the costly robes of the king and queen. King Philip, with serene countenance, said: "This is a sign that during my reign there will be the unction of peace and plenty."

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   May   Meekness  
May 5, 2010

Meekness: May 5

At times one word is sufficient to placate an angry person. Similarly one word is enough to dishearten a soul and cause a bitterness which might prove very harmful.

While traveling, three monks lost their way and had to cross through a field of wheat, crushing quite a bit of it. Upon seeing this, the farmer yelled at them angrily, calling them fake monks. The elder of the three exhorted the other two not to answer him. As soon as they were near he said to the farmer: "You are right, my son, for if we were real monks we would not have done so much damage. But now forgive us, for the love of God, because we acknowledge our mistake." Amazed at such meekness, the farmer fell to his knees before the monks and begged their pardon.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   May   Meekness  
March 22, 2010

Mortification: March 22

In all things, always strive to mortify and deny your will and never satisfy it, if possible. Accustom yourself, therefore, to desire and enjoy having it frequently opposed. And when someone contradicts you, whether in material or spiritual matters, prefer to follow the will of the other person as long as it is good, even though your own may appear better to you. The harm done to you by contending with another will always be greater than the usefulness wich might come from the willful practice of virtue against another's desires.
– St. Vincent de Paul

It was thus that St. Catherine of Genoa always acted, happy to submit her will to that of others. In fact, as soon as she realized that she desired something, she would do the exact opposite.

Whenever Father Thomas Sanchez went to make a request of his superior, he would first pray to Our Lord that his request would not be granted if what he was about to ask was inspired by self-love and egotism.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 21, 2010

Mortification: March 21

If we do not use great care to mortify our will, there are many things which can deprive us of the holy freedom of spirit that we are seeking in order to fly more freely to our Creator, without always being bogged down with the clay of this earth. Moreover, there can never be solid virtue in a soul that is attached to its own will.
– St. Teresa of Avila

One day St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi said she desired only one thing from God: that He deprive her of her will, because she knew that she was not progressing sufficiently in the acquisition of those virtues which render a soul pleasing to God. After saying this she turned her eyes toward heaven and was rapt into ecstasy. Then God showed her the immense damage done to souls, especially religious, when they do their own will, which they have consecrated to Him by vow. After this vision, St. Mary Magdalene made the resolution always to do God's will and never her own.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 20, 2010

Mortification: March 20

Some subordinate their progress in perfection, which consists in denying their desires and likings out of love for God, to their own tastes and whims. So strong is this inclination that even if they are commanded by obedience to do something which is to their liking, they immediately lose their desire for it, and all interest in it, because their one desire is to do their own will. The saints did not act this way.
– St. John of the Cross

The Capuchin Brother, Blessed Seraphim, once confided to a friend that he would have liked to remain in the house of Loreto or in Rome in order to serve as many Masses as possible. Upon being told that if he he but asked the favor, his Superiors would readily grant him his wish, he answered: "Oh! never! No matter how holy a desire may be, it must never be defiled by one's own will."

Another Capuchin, St. Felix, never did anything without the permission and expressed will of his superior, even though his duty of seeking alms allowed him some freedom. And his superiors, knowing St. Felix's integrity and virtue, would often leave it up to him to dispose freely of the things received. But the saint, instead of deriving satisfaction from this liberty, saw in it a reason for sadness and grief for he was unable to practice that entire submission and dependence which he so ardently desired, and was obliged to do his own will, which he greatly abhorred.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 19, 2010

Mortification: March 19

Never relax, for you will not attain to the possession of true spiritual delights if first you do not learn to deny your every desire.
– St. John of the Cross

St. Macarius of Alexandria, we are told by Eriberto Rosveido, being greatly tormented by sleepiness, for a long time slept with his head against the wall to overcome this inclination. The same saint also suffered many temptations of the senses. Because of this, he stayed near a marsh for a long period and exposed his chest and back to the bites of mosquitoes which, in that part of the country, are as large as wasps. As a consequence of the innumerable bites, he looked worse than a leper. Moreover, this saint relates about himself that he never took enough food to satisfy himself fully. Mortifying his senses in this way, he merited many graces from God, and so much did he advance in his knowledge of and union with God, that he would spend entire days and nights in continuous blissful contemplation.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 18, 2010

Mortification: March 18

Every time one feels moved by an ardent desire to perform some deed, even though holy and important, he should put it off until he is certain that he has reached a stage of tranquility and holy indifference in its regard, so that his self-love will not unconsciously taint his pure intention.
– St. Vincent de Paul

On one of his trips, St. Francis de Sales went to visit St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who was eagerly awaiting him in order to confer with him about her spiritual needs. It had been three years and a half since they had spoken together because of the great many things occupying his time. Upon seeing her, the holy prelate asked: "My dear Mother, since we now have a few free hours, which one of us will speak first?" "'I will," she immediately answered, "because my soul certainly needs guidance." Whereupon, in order to correct her anxiety to speak to him, which she revealed by her quick answer, he said: "Why, Mother, do you still have desires and preferences? I thought I would find you more supernatural. Let us, then, defer speaking of you until we are in Annecy, and for now discuss the affairs of our Congregation." The good, holy Mother, therefore, without a word, set aside her personal matters and, with perfect tranquility, discussed the affairs of the Congregation with the Saint for about four hours. Then he left.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 17, 2010

Mortification: March 17

The most important thing upon which to concentrate in order to mortify it and eradicate it entirely is our predominate passion, that is, that affection, desire, inclination, vice or bad habit which drags us down and most frequently causes us to fall into sin. Once this king of our faults has been conquered, the battle will be won. And unless we conquer it, we will not make much progress toward perfection.
– St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

St. Ignatius would frequently say to one of his young religious who was by nature impetuous: "My son, overcome this passion, and your crown in heaven will be more resplendent than that of many whose nature is meeker than yours." One day one of the Priests accused this young religious of being impossible to deal with. "Slowly, my son," replied St. Ignatius, "because I feel that he has made more progress in a few months, than so-and-so, who is by nature much meeker than he, has done in a year's time." St. Ignatius himself was, by nature, choleric, but he combatted this predominant fault so energetically that, with God's grace, he overcame it and changed so radically as to be regarded by all as phlegmatic.

St. Francis de Sales confessed that the two predominating passions he had most difficulty in overcoming were love and anger. Love he overcame by diverting his mind and giving himself another object to love, "because," as he said, "since the soul cannot stay without a love, the whole secret of success consists in giving it only what is good, pure, and holy." As to anger, he declared open war on it and never gave in to it. Thus, although he was by nature irascible, he was considered naturally meek.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 16, 2010

Mortification: March 16

Many take upon themselves indiscreet penances and many other imprudent exercises of their own will, thus placing their entire confidence in them and believing that these will sanctify them. If only they would use half of that zeal to mortify their inclinations and passions, they would, through this means, gain more profit in a month than in many years with all their other practices.
– St. John of the Cross

When St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was novice mistress, she sought, above all else, to accustom her novices to mortify their passions and desires. If she saw one too inclined to prayer, she would send her to do some work. On another, who was inclined to external activities, she would impose prayer or other interior exercises. To those who wanted to do a great many mortifications, she would advise just an Our Father and a Hail Mary. Among other things, the Saint ordered one of her novices to burn a manuscript of spiritual exercises which she had written and in which she took a certain pride. Thus she helped them to overcome their inclinations as well as their judgment and will.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification  
March 15, 2010

Mortification: March 15

He who wishes to progress in perfection must use particular diligence not to let himself be carried away by his passions which, so to speak, with one hand destroy the spiritual edifice being constructed by the other. But in order to be successful, one must start eradicating the roots of these passions while they are still tender, because once they have taken root, there is almost no remedy for them.
– St. Vincent de Paul

St. Dorotheus narrates that one day, while an old monk was traveling through the woods with one of his disciples, he commanded the latter to uproot several cypress trees. First he pointed to one that was but a little shoot; then to one that was beginning to take root; next to one that was already a tree, and finally to one that was a full-grown tree. The disciple then began to uproot them. The first one he picked up with one hand and with no difficulty whatsoever; the second he uprooted with the same hand, but with some difficulty.  In order to uproot the third he had to use both hands and pull several times with all his might; but he could not move the tree a single bit.

Thereupon the saintly old monk said: "This, my son, is precisely what happens with our passions. When they make their first appearance, a little vigilance and some mortifications on the part of the one tempted and he will succeed in overcoming them and eradicating them, but if we let them take root in our soul, no human strength will be able to overcome them – only the omnipotent hand of God. My son, if you wish to acquire virtue, watch the first movements of you soul, and study to repress them instantly."

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   March   Mortification