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The Quotable Saint
THE
QUOTABLE
SAINT
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MP Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Preface vii
Introduction ix
Bibliography 340
Index 347
PREFACE
The Quotable Saint is organized alphabetical- early Christianity were focused on refuting
ly by topic. Some of the long entries, such heresies and establishing the theology of the
as CHRIST, GOD, and PRAYER, are subdivided church. Mystics were focused on their inner
into categories, and the subheadings are in lives, and preachers and missionaries gave
alphabetical order. I did not alphabetize the their full attention to exhorting people on
saints by name within topics, in order to virtues, vices, sin, and repentance. Some
provide variety. However, if I used more saints were very prolific, while others left
than one quotation from a particular saint behind few written works.
within the same topic, I grouped all those My general definition of saint was those
quotations together. individuals recognized by the church as
In choosing the material, I sought to pro- canonized, beatified, and declared venera-
vide a broad representation of works and ble. There are exceptions, such as the her-
saints, from well-known to lesser-known mits, monks, and abbots known as Desert
throughout the history of Christianity. I Fathers; the holy men whose writings are
researched treatises, sermons, orations, compiled in The Philokalia; and individuals
books, journals, personal writing, autobi- considered saints by acclaim or martyrdom.
ographies, biographies, and diaries of mysti- I included Julian of Norwich, whose cause
cal experiences. My primary objective was for beatification stalled because of lack of
to find nuggets of wisdom that would res- information about her personal life, but
onate with the interests and concerns of whose mystical work, Revelations of Divine
daily life in present times, so that this book Love, is significant.
would be useful, illuminating, and inspiring The words of the saints make them come
to the reader. Many lesser-known saints deliv- alive in a vivid way. I hope that through this
ered magnificently in that respect, sometimes book the reader can become better
outshining their more famous associates. The acquainted with them, so that they are no
writings of the saints of course reflect their longer remote, exalted figures, but wise peo-
roles and concerns of their own times. For ple we can envision meeting and talking
example, many of the towering figures of with today.
vii
INTRODUCTION
“Words are truly the images of the soul,” and suffering. As I went deeper into the writ-
Basil the Great once wrote in one of his let- ings, I felt more and more uplifted. The
ters. No better description can be made of message of the saints is not so much the con-
the writings of the saints. For centuries, sequences of sin, but the call to the right life:
golden wisdom and inspiration have poured to embody the virtues and unite with God.
forth from those whose holiness has given Of course, they often had to write for the
them the exalted status of sainthood, either needs of their audiences, and sometimes
by popular acclaim or by official church people listen only when they hear of the
recognition. In their lives and mystical expe- potential dire consequences of their
riences, in their religious studies and prac- actions—or their failure to act.
tices, the saints have looked into the depths For several years, I read nothing but works
of their souls and recorded what they found about the saints and by the saints. Toward
there. the end of the research, I suddenly realized
The compilation of this book was a spiri- how profoundly this spiritual study had
tual journey for me. For a long time, I have changed me—the way I think, my outlook,
been reading and researching the saints as my behavior, my spiritual consciousness.
part of the broad net I have cast for my own One cannot immerse one’s self in spiritual
spiritual study. After completing The Encyclo- thought without being changed by it. If you
pedia of Saints, a collection of biographical take this book and read a little of it every
profiles of saints and their lives and works, it day, and spend a few minutes meditating on
was natural to focus more closely on their the wisdom of the saints, you will experi-
personal works: their explanations of theolo- ence significant inner changes, too. Those
gy and dogma; their views on virtues and changes will in turn change your outer world
vices; their mystical views on God, Christ, for the better.
Mary, creation, heaven and hell, the soul Contemplation of spiritual wisdom is
and the human condition; their poignant essential for our well-being. “Every day keep
diaries and letters detailing their triumphs, turning over in your mind some thought
fears, accomplishments, and sufferings; and which has deeply impressed you and fallen
their personal ecstasies and experiences in into your heart. Unless you exercise your
the presence of the divine. The result is The powers of thought, the soul becomes
Quotable Saint, a distillation of the thoughts numb,” advised Theophan the Recluse, the
and insights of saints, which continue to Russian bishop who translated The
illuminate and inspire us in daily life. Philokalia writings of the Eastern fathers and
At times I felt weighed down by what ascetics into Russian. Much of our reading
seemed like an emphasis on sin, penance, and entertainment in daily life is soul-
ix
Introduction
numbing. But the words of the saints stim- comes from The Ladder of Divine Ascent;
ulate soul-searching. Climacus (klimakos) means “ladder.” There
I cannot say that I have a favorite saint, or are 30 chapters in the book, which corre-
even several favorite saints, as a result of this spond to the first 30 years of Jesus’ life.
research and contemplation. Each saint They provide steps in the spiritual ladder of
weaves a unique strand in a tapestry of grand ascent to God. Each step describes a certain
design. I appreciate the intellectual thought virtue or passion and the path that can lead
of saints such as Augustine and Thomas from it. The book offers no formulae, but
Aquinas equally with the heart-centered mys- instructs that “the life you have is hidden
ticism expressed by the women visionaries with Christ in God.” The stages of the spir-
such as Gertrude the Great, Hildegard of itual life set forth by John are the break with
Bingen, and Julian of Norwich. Each has its the world; the practice of asceticism; the
place and its power. struggle against the passions; the practice of
I would give the titles “golden- simplicity, humility, and discernment; and
mouthed,” “honey-mouthed,” and “gold- union with God.
en-streamed” to many saints besides John John Climacus’s work is but one of many
Chrysostom, Bernard of Clairvaux, and by numerous other saints that have strong
John Damascene, respectively. I was quite merit. The works of the saints are like jew-
taken with the writings of some other els in a crown—they are all beautiful.
saints as well. For example, the Divine I also especially appreciated the visionary
Mercy in My Soul of Faustina Kowalska writings of women saints, among them—
moved me deeply. The sermons of Vincent besides those already mentioned—
Ferrer express a succinct and crisp wis- Catherine of Siena, Catherine of Genoa,
dom. The writings of Josemaría Escrivá dis- Teresa of Ávila, Mary of Agreda, Elisabeth of
pense a most practical advice. The letters Schönau, Mechtilde of Magdeburg, Maria
of Paulinus of Nola about early Christianity Maddalena de’ Pazzi, and others. Women,
are illuminating. Overall, I resonated pro- shut out of the central authority of the
foundly with the mystical insights of the church, often established their authority
Desert Fathers and the Eastern saints, such through direct experience.
as collected in The Philokalia. I highly rec- The women visionaries reveal an essential
ommend John Climacus’s The Ladder of part of the spiritual quest. No matter how
Divine Ascent. much we read and study, each of us ulti-
A mystic and abbot of Sinai, John mately discovers Truth through our own
Climacus was regarded as one of the direct experience and understanding.
Eastern Fathers of the Church. After study- In all, the wisdom of the saints helps us
ing at the famous monastery at Mount by providing shining lamps to light our way.
Sinai, he retired to a cave and spent 20 years The saints’ wisdom is timeless. The same
in near isolation, studying the lives of the concerns, difficulties, struggles, insights,
saints and practicing severe austerities. He yearnings, aspirations, and triumphs that
visited monks in Egypt. In 600 he became have engaged them over the centuries are
abbot of the Sinai monastery, and attracted found in the hearts and minds and lives of
many pilgrims. His surname, Climacus, people today. Their wisdom transcends reli-
x
Introduction
gious boundaries and speaks to all people, on Prayer & Meditation, “Keep the thought
everywhere. of God continually before you, and walk
Reading the wisdom of the saints turns always in his presence.”
our thoughts to different and higher planes.
Peter of Alcantara counseled in his Treatise —Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Ph.D.
xi
A
Abortion good in agriculture, in teaching, in any sort
of trade.
—John Chrysostom, On the First Letter to the
The woman who destroys voluntarily a Corinthians
fetus incurs the pain of murder.
—Basil the Great, letter to Amphilochios
Action
Abundance Action is worth nothing without prayer:
prayer grows in value with sacrifice.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
God, my God, because you are mine, I
lack nothing.
—Gertrude the Great, Spiritual Exercises
Never be men or women of long action
and short prayer.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
God feeds the fowls, and daily
sustenance is furnished the sparrows,
and to those creatures who have no sense We cannot preach what we do not
of things Christian, do you think that to practice.
a servant of God, do you think that to —Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge
one devoted to good works, do you think
that to one dear to the Lord anything will
be lacking? Adoration
—Cyprian of Carthage, Works and Almsgiving
What an honor it is for your body to be
Giving and receiving—this is the principle spiritually sacrificed in the hour of your
of the multiplication of goods. It holds adoration before the Blessed Sacrament!
1
Adultery
What a privilege for your soul to do here The ambitious are not satisfied by the
below what the angels and saints are doing attainment of certain honors: their
in heaven so sweetly and gloriously although ambition and pride continually increase;
you have not their understanding nor their and their inquietude, their envy, and their
light but only the feeble light of faith. fears are multiplied.
—Louis de Montfort, letter —Alphonsus Liguori, sermon
May your prayer always be a real and Poor worldings! they labor and toil to
sincere act of adoration of God. acquire an increase of wealth and property;
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge but never enjoy repose: the more they
accumulate riches, the greater their
disquietude and vexation.
Adultery —Alphonsus Liguori, sermon
2
Angels
in the Thrones as equity, reigns in the because it is the form of the body and,
Dominations as majesty, rules in the therefore, is part of man.
Principalities as principle, guards in the —Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
Powers as salvation, acts in the Virtues as Ladder of Created Things
strength, reveals in the Archangels as light,
assists in the Angels as piety. An angel by a single glance intuits an
—Bernard of Clairvaux, De Coinsideratione object and at the same moment sees its
causes and effects and penetrates not only
His holiness is so great that all the Powers to its accidents but also to its substance.
and Virtues tremble before Him. He sees not only physical objects but also
—Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul spiritual ones.
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
Ladder of Created Things
Cherubim means knowledge in abundance.
They provide an everlasting protection for
that which appeases God, namely, the Angels can without effort and without
calm of your heart, and they will cast a hands and instruments and in scarcely a
shadow of protection against all the attacks moment of time mold a body for
of malign spirits. themselves so that intelligent men would
—John Cassian, Conferences judge it a human body seeing that it walks,
speaks, eats, drinks, and can be touched,
felt, and even washed.
The angels were created in the empyrean
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
heavens and in the state of grace by which
Ladder of Created Things
they might be first to merit the reward of
glory. For although they were in the midst
of glory, the Divinity itself was not to be The holy angels were created at the same
made manifest to them face to face and time with heaven and earth and are like
unveiled, until they should be merited certain bright, spiritual stars so that they
such a favor by obeying the divine will. can be called the sons of God; when they
—Mary of Agreda, The Mystical City of God saw heaven and earth come forth from
nothing and stand on nothing and still rest
most firmly on their own stability, they
Those closest to God in heaven, the
doubtless praised the omnipotence of the
Seraphim, are called the fiery ones because
Craftsman with immense awe and
more than the other angels they take their
rejoicing.
fervor and ardor from the intense fire of
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
God. Ladder of Created Things
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
Ladder of Created Things
The angels cherish no envy or jealousy;
they are full of true and burning charity.
If an angel is compared to the rational
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
human soul, he can be rightly enough
Ladder of Created Things
called a perfect soul just as a soul can be
called an imperfect angel. . . . An angel is
a complete and perfect spiritual Good angels, therefore, cannot mediate
substance; the human soul is a between miserable mortals and blessed
diminished and imperfect substance immortals, for they themselves also are
3
Angels
both blessed and immortal; but evil cherubim were the contemplatives, who
angels can mediate, because they are possessed divine wisdom in an eminent
immortal like the one party, miserable like degree. Among the Seraphim were those
the other. who loved God with an ardent love.
—Augustine, The City of God —Vincent Ferrer, sermon
The good angels, therefore, hold cheap all Angels that have fallen have acquired a
that knowledge of material and transitory noetic volition which is perpetually evil,
things which the demons are so proud of while the good angels possess one that is
possessing—not that they are ignorant of perpetually good and has no need of a
these things, but because of the love of bridle.
God, whereby they are sanctified, is very —Gregory Palamas, Topics of Natural and Theological
dear to them, and because, in comparison Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life:
of that not merely immaterial but also One Hundred and Fifty Texts
unchangeable and ineffable beauty, with
the holy love of which they are inflamed, God delineated all the beauty in the works
they despise all things which are beneath of divine omnipotence in the first angel.
it, and all that is not it, that they may with God adorned him like the starry heavens—
every good thing that is in them enjoy that with all the stars and with the beauty of
good which is the source of their the greening of every kind of sparkling
goodness. rock. And God called him Lucifer because
—Augustine, The City of God that angel bore the light from the One who
alone is eternal.
Think how, when Christ reached heaven —Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
with the blessed Fathers, many
thousands of them gathered in the first For the angels owe both their spirits and
street; that of the Angels. These were the lives to God. For all eternity they will
souls who, in this world, saved behold God’s fiery splendor. Out of this
themselves by means of penance; each, splendor they will glow like flames.
seated on his throne, over which his —Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
name had already been written, and each
placing his crown on his head. With the
God is the brightest of lights which can
Choir of Archangels were those who
never be extinguished, and the choirs of
saved their souls by spiritual works.
angels radiate light from the Divinity.
Among the Principalities were those who
Angels are pure praise without any trace of
had saved themselves by works of mercy.
a bodily deed.
Among the Powers were those who saved
—Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
themselves by great patience in adversity.
Among the Virtues were those who saved
themselves by patience bearing ill-will to DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES
no one. Among the Dominations were OF ANGELS
gathered the earthly Lords, Rulers and
Judges, who had ruled those under them We have no right to claim that the Angels
with great justice. Among the Thrones should obey us—but we can be absolutely
were those who, for love of Christ, had sure that the Holy Angels hear us always.
lived a life of great poverty. Among the —Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge
4
Angels
We should believe that the angelic spirits book. They attend us. They speak to us in
are especially present to us when we give a reasonable way, just as God inspires
ourselves in a special way to divine them to do. In the sight of God they praise
services, that is, when we enter a church people who do good deeds but turn away
and open our ears to sacred reading, or from whose who are evil.
give our attention to psalm-singing, or —Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
apply ourselves to prayer, or celebrate the
solemnity of mass. At the orders of the Queen the angels
—Bede the Venerable, homily on the Gospels frequently assisted the Apostles in their
travels and tribulations and in the
God is man’s universal teacher and persecutions as well of the gentiles and the
guardian, but his teaching to men is Jews, as of the demons, who continually
mediated by angels. excited evil-minded men against the
—Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica preachers of the Gospel. The angels often
visited them in visible shapes, conversing
with them and consoling them in the
I have great reverence for Saint Michael the name of the most blessed Mary. At other
Archangel; he had no example to follow in times they performed the same office
doing the will of God, and yet he fulfilled interiorly without manifesting themselves;
God’s will faithfully. sometimes they freed them from prison;
—Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul sometimes they warned them of dangers
and snares; sometimes they accompanied
I would fain be secure as the angels are them on their way or carried them from
secure, toiling not, but serving God one place to another where they were to
without stay. preach, or informed them of what they
—Abbot John of Short Stature, saying were to do according to the circumstances
peculiar to certain places or peoples. Of all
Thus God ordains, we think, that the these things they also kept their blessed
angels should have the knowledge by Lady informed; for She took care of all of
which they constantly sing reverent hymns them and labored with them more than all
of praise and love for God. They have no of them together.
other desire than to see God and sing —Mary of Agreda, The Mystical City of God
God’s praises.
—Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works The reason why God, who is everywhere
and can easily speak to the hearts of men
by himself, should wish nonetheless to
And just as the sun’s rays indicate the sun,
send angels seems to be so that men may
the angels reveal God by their hymns of
understand that God has a care for human
praise. And just as the sun cannot exist
affairs and that he rules and directs
without its light, the Godhead could not
everything, for men can easily persuade
be if it were not for the angels’ praise.
themselves that divine inspirations are
—Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
their own reasonings and plans. But when
they see and hear that angels are sent by
The angels who shine like the stars feel God and that the things that the angels
sympathy for our human nature and place predict come true as they foretold, they
it before God’s eyes just as if it were a cannot doubt that God oversees human
5
Angels
affairs and especially directs and arranges certain negative imperfection which,
those which relate to the eternal salvation however, does not render them
of his elect. displeasing to God. Confirmed in grace,
—Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the their imperfection can no longer cause
Ladder of Created Things them to fall from beatitude, nor cause
them to commit any sin. Their
imperfection lies in the fact that, although
It is rightly and truly said in Scripture that
they enjoy the clear vision of God, they
all the works of the angels and the
do not always clearly and fully recognize
inspirations they impart are also
his will, so that while waiting to have a
accomplished or granted by God. For
clearer knowledge, they do as perfectly as
ordinarily these works and inspirations are
they are able what they judge to be most
derived from God by means of the angels,
comfortable to the divine good pleasure,
and the angels also in turn give them one
although at times there are different
to another without delay. . . .
opinions among them.
Consequently, the nearer the higher spirits
—Francis de Sales, Oeuvres
(and those that follow) are to God, the
more purged and clarified they are by a
more general purification; the last spirits The bad spirit knows well how to
receive a fainter and more remote transform himself into an angel of light.
illumination. Humans, the last to whom Aware of the pious desires of the soul, he
this loving contemplation of God is will begin by seconding them, but soon he
communicated, when God so desires, will begin to lead it to his own ends. Thus
must receive it according to their own at first he will feign to consent to your
mode, in a very limited and painful way. good and holy thoughts, and even applaud
—John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul them, but by degrees he will draw you into
his hidden snares and entangle you in his
dark meshes.
True visions ordinarily come from the good —Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
angel, even if Christ is represented, for he
hardly ever appears in his own Person. If a
person receives true visions from the good Pride and nothing else caused an angel to
angel, God permits the bad angel to fall from heaven. And so one may
represent the false ones of the same kind. reasonably ask whether one may reach
Thus an incautious person can be heaven by humility alone without the help
deceived, as many have been. of any other virtue.
—John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
—John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul
6
Angels
Get into the habit of praying to the Is there a greater happiness than to imitate
Guardian Angel of each person you are on earth the choir of angels?
following up. Their Angel will help them —Basil the Great, letter to Gregory of Nazianzus
to be good and faithful and cheerful, so
that when the time comes they will be We should show our affection for the
able to receive the eternal embrace of angels, for one day they will be our coheirs
Love from God the Father, God the Son, just as here below they are our guardians
God the Holy Spirit, and from the Blessed and trustees appointed and set over us by
Virgin. the Father.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge —Bernard of Clairvaux, sermon
Greetings, holy angel of God, guardian of Your tears were collected by the angels and
my soul and body. Through the most were placed in a gold chalice, and you will
dulcet heart of Jesus Christ, the Son of find them when you present yourself
God, for love of him who created you and before God.
me, for love of him who commended me —Padre Pio, Send Me Your Guardian Angel
to you at baptism, take me into your most
faithful fatherly care. May I, then, aided by
you, pass through the torrent of this life So if we detect an angel by the effect he is
along a spotless path until, with you, I producing, let us hasten to pray since our
come gladly to see that mellifluous face heavenly guardian has come to join us.
which you see: that merriest radiance of —John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
imperial divinity, dulcet beyond all
sweetness. Although the angels are superior to us in
—Gertrude the Great, Spiritual Exercises many ways, yet in some respects . . . they
fall short of us with regard to being in the
image of the Creator; for we, rather than
The powers of Hell will assail the dying they, have been created in God’s image.
Christian; but his angel guardian will come
—Gregory Palamas, Topics of Natural and Theological
to console him. His patrons, and St. Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life:
Michael, who has been appointed by God One Hundred and Fifty Texts
to defend his faithful servants in their last
combat with the devils, will come to his God gave to us human beings the place
aid. and honor of the fallen angels so that we
—Alphonsus Liguori, sermon might complete God’s glory, which is
something those angels had refused to do.
—Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works
HUMANS AND ANGELS
Since God often sends us his inspirations We are not angels but have bodies, and it
by means of his angels, we ought is madness for us to want to become
frequently to offer him our aspirations angels while we are still on earth, and as
through the same channel. . . . Call on much on earth as I was.
them and honor them frequently, and ask —Teresa of Ávila, Life
their help in all your affairs, temporal as
well as spiritual. Our soul is also marked with nine levels
—Francis de Sales, The Devout Life when within it the following are arranged
7
Anger
in orderly fashion: announcing, declaring, Let good men love their fellow citizens, the
leading, ordering, strengthening, angels; let wicked men shudder at the
commanding, receiving, revealing and power of the angels, servants of the wrath
anointing. These correspond level by level of almighty God, from whose hands no
to the nine choirs of angels. In the one can snatch them.
human soul the first three of these levels —Robert Bellarmine, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the
pertain to human nature; the next three, Ladder of Created Things
to effort and the last three, to grace.
Having attained these, the soul, by Let us be like the holy Angels now. If you
entering into itself, enters the heavenly wish to place your son in the court of a
Jerusalem, where beholding the choirs of king or bishop, you will have to begin to
angels, it sees in them God, who dwells teach him court manners beforehand. So it
in them and performs all operations. is with us; if one day we are to be in the
—Bonaventure, The Soul’s Journey Into God Angelic Court, we must learn how, while
we are still here, the manners of the
The Angels of God accompanied the Angels.
—Vincent Ferrer, sermon
faithful when the light of His truth only
dawned in the world. And now that the
day sprung from on high was visited, and Oh, that God who is loved by the
exalted our nature to a union with the seraphim, served by the angels, feared by
Divinity, will these beneficent beings be the powers, and adored by the
less associated or delighted to dwell with principalities, is offended by such a vile
the soul that is panting for heavenly joys worm of the earth as man. Marvel at this,
and longing to join in their eternal O ye heavens!
Alleluias? Oh, no, I will imagine them —Anthony Mary Claret, autobiography
always surrounding me and in every
moment will sing with them “Holy, holy, If you remembered the presence of your
holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth Angel and the angels of your neighbors,
are full of Thy glory!” you would avoid many of the foolish
—Elizabeth Seton, Collected Writings things which slip into your conversations.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
8
Anger
no one should hurt another in word or impervious to insults, and comes by hard
deed, or in any way. work and the sweat of one’s brow.
—Vincent de Paul, Common Rules or Constitutions of —John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
the Congregation of the Mission
9
Animals
If you have a dispute with someone, make But to a mind that is drunk with fury
peace with that person before the sun goes every right thing that is said appears
down. wrong.
—Benedict, Rule —Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule
He wants us to smother anger when it is I will never get angry, but suffer in silence,
still only a spark. If it grows to the full and offer to God everything that gives me
flame of its fury, it does not get checked pain.
without bloodshed. —Anthony Mary Claret, autobiography
—Peter Chrysologus, sermon
Be slow to anger, quick to learn, also slow
The full victory is to keep silent when to speak, as St. James says, equally quick
another shouts, to make no reply when he to listen.
provokes. Then you get the reward both —Columban, letter, c. 610
for your patience and for your brother’s
correction, if insult is consigned to Say what you have just said, but in a
oblivion. But, when words follow upon different tone, without anger, and your
words, fuel is supplied to a fire. argument will gain in strength and, above
—Valerian, homily all, you won’t offend God.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
If one of you should be cross with another
because of some hasty word, the matter Don’t recall to your memory anything your
must at once be put right and you must neighbor may have said in a moment of
betake yourself to earnest prayer. acrimony, whether he insulted you to your
—Teresa of Ávila, The Way of Perfection face, or spoke evil of you to another and
that person has come and reported it to
you. If you let yourself become angry, it is
We should make it a point never to do but a short step from anger to hatred.
anything when we are “hot and bothered,”
—Maximus the Confessor, Centuries on Charity
but strive first of all to calm down, to hand
ourselves over to the will of God and of
the Immaculate and then to act with
serenity so that we may not commit
blunders.
Animals
—Maximilian M. Kolbe, letter to friars in Japan, 1941
Like me, creatures have received a being
which is in some sort the efflux of his
Keep a guard on your anger and do not August perfections; but they have not, like
seek revenge for any injury that may be me, the honor of being the living image of
done to you. God, and made in his likeness.
—Vincent Ferrer, sermon —Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
Conquer your rage with wise, rational All creatures were given to man to lead
thought. Offer it up as a sacrifice to God. him to his proper end.
—John Chrysostom, letter during exile —Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
10
Attachment
The love of the crow for its young is unseemliness of the body: lest under
laudable! When they begin to fly, she pretense of hiding the unseemliness, thou
follows them, gives them food, and for a fall into another kind of unseemliness by
very long time provides for their thy extravagant dress.
nourishment. —Cyril of Jerusalem, Catecheses
—Basil the Great, homily on the Hexaemeron
Appetites
Anxiety see DESIRES; LUST; PASSIONS
see WORRY
Arguing
Appearance Don’t argue. Arguing seldom brings light,
for the light is quenched by passion.
It is not your outward appearance that you
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
should beautify, but your soul, adorning it
with good works. Although the body, to be
precise, should be made beautiful, though
in a measured way. Arrogance
—Clement of Alexandria, The Teacher
It is a greater thing to change one’s
disposition than to change one’s dress. We
Study to be neat, and let nothing about
part with arrogance less easily than with
you be slovenly or disorderly. It is an
gold and jewels.
affront to those with whom you associate
—Jerome, letter to Oceanus
to be unsuitably dressed, but avoid all
conceits, vanities, finery and affectation.
Adhere as far as possible to modesty and
simplicity, which, doubtless, are the best Atonement
ornaments of beauty, and the best
atonement for its deficiency. Atonement: this is the path that leads to
—Francis de Sales, The Devout Life Life.
—Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
Let your dress be neither elegant nor
slovenly, and let it not be noticeable by
any strangeness that might attract the Attachment
notice of passers-by and make people
point their finger at you. There are even spiritual souls who possess
—Jerome, letter to Eustochium, 384 what they have with such attachment and
take such pleasure in seeing and reflecting
But let thine apparel be plain, not for on what they do, that they commit a kind
adornment, but for necessary covering: not of idolatry, making and adoring as many
to minister to thy vanity, but to keep thee idols as they have actions.
worth in winter, and to hide the —Francis de Sales, Oeuvres
11
Attachment
Righteousness is the natural and essential proclivities in this life will hereafter live a
food of the soul, which can no more be divine and truly eternal life in communion
satisfied by earthly treasures than the with Christ.
hunger of the body can be satisfied by air. —Gregory Palamas, To the Most Reverend
If you should see a starving man standing Nun Xenia
with mouth open to the wind, inhaling
draughts of air as if in hope of gratifying Thus when the soul renounces its
his hunger, you would think him lunatic. attachment to inferior things and cleaves
But it is no less foolish to imagine that through love to God and submits itself to
the soul can be satisfied with worldly him through acts and modes of virtue, it is
things which only inflate it without illuminated and made beautiful by God
feeding it. and is raised to a higher level, obeying his
—Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God counsels and exhortations; and by these
means it regains the truly eternal life.
If you truly love God and long to reach —Gregory Palamas, Topics of Natural and Theological
the kingdom that is to come, if you are Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life:
truly pained by your failings and are One Hundred and Fifty Texts
mindful of punishment and of the eternal
judgment, if you are truly afraid to die, But as long as we have peace with the
then it will not be possible to have an natures of this world we remain enemies of
attachment, or anxiety, or concern for God and of his angels and all his saints.
money, for possessions, for family —Anthony, letter
relationships, for worldly glory, for love
and brotherhood, indeed for anything of
earth. To die to the world is no light matter, but a
—John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent business of the greatest difficulty and
importance. Those find it most difficult
who do not know the power of God’s
But how great soever a man’s attachment grace and have not tasted the sweetness of
to the things of this world may be, he His love, but are carnal, not having the
must take leave of them at death. Naked Spirit; all carnal objects become insipid
he has entered into this world, and naked when once we taste the divine sweetness.
he shall depart from it. —Robert Bellarmine, The Art of Dying Well
—Alphonsus Liguori, sermon
12
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how this integration of them originates. To these questions let us
now address ourselves.
§ 193. Plants depend for their prosperity mainly on air and light:
they dwindle where they are smothered, and thrive where they can
expand their leaves into free space and sunshine. Those kinds which
assume prone positions, consequently labour under disadvantages in
being habitually interfered with by one another—they are mutually
shaded and mutually injured. Such of them, however, as happen, by
variations in mode of growth, to rise higher than others, are more
likely to flourish and leave offspring than others. That is to say,
natural selection will favour the more upright-growing forms.
Individuals with structures which lift them above the rest, are the
fittest for the conditions; and by the continual survival of the fittest,
such structures must become established. There are two essentially-
different ways in which the integrated series of fronds above
described, may be modified so as to acquire the stiffness needful for
maintaining perpendicularity. We will consider them separately.
Figs. 77, 78.
Figs. 100–104.
Figs. 105–106.
Figs. 107–110.
Facts confirming these interpretations are afforded by the
structure and distribution of buds. The phænogamic axis in its
primordial form, being an integrated series of folia; and the
development of that part by which these folia are held together at
considerable distances from one another, taking place afterwards; it
is inferable from the general principles of embryology, that in its
rudimentary stages, the phænogamic shoot will have its foliar parts
more clearly marked out than its axial parts. This we see in every
bud. Every bud consists of the rudiments of leaves packed together
without any appreciable internodal spaces; and the internodal
spaces begin to increase with rapidity, only when the foliar organs
have been considerably developed. Moreover, where nutrition falls
short, and arrest of development takes place—that is, where a
flower is formed—the internodes remain undeveloped: the unfolding
ceases before the later-acquired characters of the phænogamic
shoot are assumed. Lastly, as the hypothesis leads us to expect,
axillary buds make their appearances later than the foliar organs
which they accompany; and where, as at the ends of shoots, these
foliar organs show failure of chlorophyll, the axillary buds are not
produced at all. That these are inferable traits of structure, will be
manifest on inspecting Figs. 106–110; and on observing, first, that
the doubly-proliferous tendency of which the axillary bud is a result,
implies abundant nutrition; and on observing, next, that the original
place of secondary prolification, is such that the foliar surface on
which it occurs, must grow to some extent before the bud appears.
On thus looking at the matter—on contemplating afresh the ideal
type shown in Fig. 106, and noting how, by the conditions of the
case, the secondary prolifications must cease before that primary
prolification which produces the main axis; we are enabled to
reconcile all the phenomena of axillary gemmation. We see harmony
among the several facts—first, that the axillary bud becomes a
lateral, leaf-bearing axis if there is abundant material for growth;
second, that its development is arrested, or it becomes a flower-
bearing axis, if the supply of sap is but moderate; third, that it is
absent when the nutrition is failing. We are no longer committed to
the gratuitous assumption that, in the phænogamic type, there must
exist an axillary bud to each foliar organ; but we are led to conclude,
à priori, that which we find, à posteriori, that axillary buds are as
normally absent in flowers as they are normally present lower down
the axis. And then, to complete the argument, we are prepared for
the corollary that axillary prolification may naturally arise even at the
ends of axes, should the failing nutrition which causes the dwarfing
of the foliar organs to form a flower, be suddenly changed into such
high nutrition as to transform the components of the flower into
appendages that are green, if not otherwise leaf-like—a condition
under which only, this phenomenon is proved to occur.
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