“Human art, moreover, produces houses, and ships, and cities, and pictures. And how shall I tell what God makes? Behold the whole universe; it is His work: and the heaven, and the sun, and angels, and men, are the works of His fingers. How great is the power of God!...
“Emulate the tiny ant; be an ant of God. Listen to the word of God, and hide it in your heart. Collect plenty of food during the happy days of your spiritual summers. You will then be able to endure the difficult days of temptations during the winters of your...
“Let us be kind to one another after the pattern of the tender mercy and goodness of our Creator.” St. Clement of Rome (1st century) “The Lord does not say that the proof of His disciples’ faithfulness will be the working of wondrous miracles…What does He tell them? ‘You shall...
“The Lord Jesus took compassion on us in order that He might call us to Himself and not scare us away. He comes as someone gentle, someone humble.” St. Ambrose of Milan (4th century, Doctor of the Church) “May He make us children of God, He Who for our sakes...
“The whole Church observes the custom handed down by our fathers: that those who have died within the fellowship of Christ’s body and blood should be prayed for when they are commemorated in their own place at the Holy Sacrifice [of the Mass], and that we should be reminded that...
“The prayers of His mother are a pleasure to the Son, because He desires to grant all that is granted on her account, and thus repay her for the favor she gave Him in giving His body.” St. Theophilus of Alexandria (Ammon) ( 3rd and 4th centuries) “What prayer to...
“Brothers and sisters: The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord...
“Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from...
“After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long,...
“Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” St. Peter the Apostle (1st century) “Humility is the mother, root,...