Maxims to Live By

Maxims to Live By

We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.  -St. Francis de Sales

Do not lay open your conscience to anyone whom you do not trust in your heart. - St. Poemen

Regard yourself as more vile and miserable in the sight of God because of your faults than any sinner whatever, no matter what his sins. . . and consider closely that any grace or inclination to good or desire of virtue you may have, is not of yourself but of the sole mercy of Christ. - St. Vincent Ferrer

Live in the joy and the peace of the divine Majesty. Live lost in divine love. Live for divine love and of divine love. - St. Paul of the Cross

In all things let us not forget to repeat with the Lord Jesus: "Not my will but Thine be done". . . . Let us not forget that Jesus not only suffered, but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection by way of suffering and the Cross. - St. Maximilian Kolbe

Before choosing, let us examine well whether the attachment we feel for an object springs solely from the love of God. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

When a man is reproved for anything, he ought not to take it too much to heart, for we commit a greater fault by our sadness than by the sin for which we are reproved. - St. Philip Neri

As soon as we know the will of God, we ought without delay to follow it. - St. Paul of the Cross

Conform yourself as closely as possible to His humility and gentleness in dealing with your neighbor. . . Love those who humble and contradict you, for they are more useful to your perfection than those who flatter you. - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Place before your eyes as models for imitation, not the weak and cowardly, but the fervent and courageous. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Make the body serve the commandments, keeping it so far as possible free from sickness and sensual pleasure. - St. Thalassios the Libyan

Let thy first rule be to flee the conversation of every human being, in so far as it is simply conversation, except as deeds of charity may demand; but to love people very much, and talk with few of them. And know how to talk in moderation even with those whom thou lovest with spiritual love. . . - St. Catherine of Siena

Go in search of occasions to serve your accusers. You should seek these occasions more assiduously than people seek pearls and diamonds. - St. Paul of the Cross

Perfection consists in renouncing ourselves, in carrying our cross, and in following Jesus Christ. Now, he who renounces himself most perfectly carries his cross the best and follows nearest to Jesus Christ is he who never does his own will, but always that of God. - St. Vincent de Paul

But I say to you, do not resist evil; but if someone hits you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek as well. And if anyone sues you in the courts, and takes away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And if anyone forces you to go a mile, go with him for two miles" (Matt. 5:39-41). Why did He say this? Both to keep you free from anger and irritation, and to correct the other person by means of your forbearance, so that like a good Father He might bring the two of you under the yoke of love.  - St. Maximos the Confessor

Shun useless conversation. We lose by it both time and the spirit of devotion. - St. Thomas Aquinas

Be very quick to turn away from whatever leads or allurs to lewd conduct, for this evil works without our knowing it and from small beginnings moves on to great difficulties. Such things are always easier to avoid than to cure. - St. Francis de Sales

The forceful practice of self-control and love, patience and stillness, will destroy the passions hidden within us. - St. Thalassios the Libyan

The best preparation for the divine banquet is to keep ourselves well purified, and to watch over our tongue, which is the first member that touches the sacred Host. - St. Paul of the Cross

When you are insulted by someone or humiliated, guard against angry thoughts, lest they arouse a feeling of irritation, and so cut you off from love and place you in the realm of hatred. - St. Maximos the Confessor

Run from places of sin as from the plague. - St. John Climacus

Do not permit yourself to be a spectacle for the gossip of others; do not allow your honor to be degraded. Do not associate with vain people. Avoid the bad; rebuff the indolent. Flee overmuch association with men, especially those who are more inclined to vice. - St. Isidore of Seville

If you wish to advance in the love of God, speak of it; for pious conversations are to charity what the wind is to the flame. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Do not pass one day without devoting a half hour, or at least a quarter of an hour, to meditation on the sorrowful Passion of your Saviour. Have a continual remembrance of the agonies of your crucified Love, and know that the greatest saints, who now, in heaven, triumph in holy love, arrived at perfection in this way. - St. Paul of the Cross

Maintain a regular level of ascetic practice and do not break your rule unless forced to do so. - St. Thalassios the Libyan

Then I read the Gospel, and saw there that a great means of reaching perfection was the selling of one's goods, the sharing of them with the poor, the giving up of all care for this life, and the refusal to allow the soul to be turned by any sympathy towards things of earth.  - St. Basil the Great

You should not pay so much attention to or dwell on certain gifts, but rather go to the Divine Source whence they proceed. - St. Paul of the Cross

Those visions, elevations, and lights are seldom genuine. Hence, says a great saint, "it is always best to reject them, to distrust them, particularly in the case of women, whose imagination is most vivid." In acting thus, we act well, because, if they come from God, they will not fail to produce their effect, even though we ignore them; and if they come from the devil, which is more probable, we guard ourselves, in rejecting them, against illusion. - St. Paul of the Cross

Blessed the one who seated in his cell, like a noble warrior, guards the treasure of the kingdom, that is his body with his soul, blameless in the Lord. - St. Ephrem of Syria

Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to Communion as often as you can. - St. Dominic Savio

Go and set the whole world on fire with the fire of Divine love. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

I despair. I despair. . . I despair of myself, but I trust in God, hence, during this life which we are exposed to so many dangers of losing God, it is necessary for us to live always in great distrust in ourselves, and full of confidence in God. - St. Philip Neri

We must never lose sight of the fact that we are either saints or outcasts, that we must love for Heaven or for Hell; there is no middle path in this. - St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

Keep this in mind, for it is very important advice, so do not neglect it until you find you have such a fixed determination not to offend the Lord that you would rather lose a thousand lives and be persecuted by the whole world, than commit one mortal sin, and until you are most careful not to commit venial sins. - St. Teresa of Jesus

Take it for a principle to concede readily in the beginning of a conversation with those whose aspirations are only earthly; but reserve yourself for the end and try to cover with a layer of gold the metal of their conversation, whatsoever it may be. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Let every one stay at home, that is, within himself, and sit in judgment on his own actions, without going abroad to investigate and criticise those of others. - St. Philip Neri

The moment has come when you should more than ever die to all that is not God, that you may the more lovingly commune with Him alone. Let your life be as hidden as possible. Lock yourself up in the great sanctuary of the divine Heart, for there the soul is nourished by her divine Spouse with that wine which strengthens, vivifies, inflames the soul, and causes her to take flight to the contemplation of the supreme Monarch; it is in that sanctuary that the soul learns the science of the saints, which is taught only to the humble. - St. Paul of the Cross

It costs little to tell God we love Him when He is showering favors upon us; it is in the midst of the tempest that we must cry out to Him like Job: "Although He should kill me, I will trust Him."- St. Peter Julian Eymard

Those who intend to fulfill the Christian way of life to the best of their ability must first devote all their attention to the rational, discriminative and directing aspect of the soul. Perfecting in this way their discrimination between good and evil, and defending the purity of their nature against the attacks of the passions that are contrary to nature, they go forward without stumbling, guided by the eye of discrimination and not embroiled with the impulses of evil. For the soul's will is able to preserve the body free from the vitiation of the senses, to keep the soul away from worldly distraction, and to guard the heart from scattering its thoughts into the world, completely walling them in and holding them back from base concerns and pleasures. Whenever the Lord sees someone acting in this manner, perfecting and guarding himself, disposed to serve Him with fear and trembling, He extends to him the assistance of His grace. But what will God do for the person who willingly gives himself up to the world and pursues its pleasures? - St. Symeon Metaphrastis

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