The Wisdom of the Saints………………………about Holy Scripture (part 3)

“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke, also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.” St. Irenaeus (2nd-3rd centuries)

“There is a mirror, a spiritual one… that not only shows us our own deformity, but transforms it to – if we are willing – into surpassing beauty. This mirror is the memory of good men, and the history of their blessed lives; the reading of the Scriptures; the laws given by God.” St. John Chrysostom (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“Nothing could have been devised more likely to instruct and benefit the pious reader of sacred Scripture than that, besides describing praiseworthy characters as examples, and blameworthy characters as warnings, it should also narrate cases where good men have gone back and fallen into evil, whether they are restored to the right path or continue irreclaimable; and also where bad men have changed, and have attained to goodness. Whether they persevere in it or relapse into evil; in order that the righteous may not be lifted up in the pride of security, nor the wicked hardened in despair of cure.” St. Augustine of Hippo (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“O wondrous are the depths of Your words, for see, their surface lies before us, giving delight to Your little ones. But wondrous is their depth, O my God, wondrous is their depth!” St. Augustine of Hippo

“Receive with divine love the fragrant words of our Lord Jesus Christ. And those of you who do not know how to read should have them read to you often, and commit them to memory, and live them unto holiness to the end, for they are spirit and life.” St. Francis of Assisi (12th-13th centuries)

“If a man will not take the teachings of the Catholic faith as a rule of interpretation when he studies the Scripture – but instead, being distrustful, studies the Scripture to find out whether or not the faith of the Church is true – he cannot fail to fall into error.” St. Thomas More (15th-16th centuries)

“As you take hold of the book…it will take hold of you. Its words, which are spirit, will penetrate into you like seeds in the earth, like leaven in bread, like trees in the sky. And if you yield yourself up to these words, you yourself will become simply a new expression of them. The Gospel has the power to enlighten and transform; it is a permanent and powerful gift from God.” Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel (20th century)

“Make it a habit to mingle with the characters who appear in the New Testament. Capture the flavor of those moving scenes where the Master performs works that are both divine and human, and tells us, with human and divine touches, the wonderful story of His pardon for us and His enduring Love for His children.” St. Josemaria Escriva (20th century)

“The beginning of prayer is Scripture…we listen to God speaking. And then we begin to speak to Him again from the fullness of our hearts. And He listens. That is really prayer. Both sides listening and both sides speaking.” St. Teresa of Calcutta (20th century)

“By knowing the Gospel, you will encounter Christ – and do not be afraid of what He may ask of you.” Pope St. John Paul II (20th-21st centuries)