I Love This Quote

The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place, there will no question at all on the text of Aristotle, the aphorisms of Hippocrates, or the Paragraphs of Justinian. Love will be the whole syllabus.

- St. Robert Bellarmine


H/T Catholic Quotes on LiveJournal

St. Therese

When we're misunderstood and judged unfavorably, what good does it do to defend or explain ourselves? Let the matter drop and say nothing. It's so much better to say nothing and allow others to judge us as they please! We don't see the Gospel where Mary explained herself when her sister accused her of remaining at Jesus' feet, doing nothing! She didn't say: 'Oh Martha, if you only knew the joy I am experiencing, if you only heard the words I hear! And besides, it's Jesus who told me to remain here.' No, she preferred to remain silent. O blessed silence that gives so much peace to souls.

- St. Therese

catholic_quotes

Conversion

H/T Livejournal Group catholic_quotes

I learned something a long time ago: I have no control, nor do I want to, over somebody else's mind.

I can't make anybody else do anything.

You know, we get upset sometimes...oh, I don't know why my grandson or my daughter or my nephew or my husband or my wife or my friend or my coworker...they just don't get it...they live like pagans and...hey--if God leaves them free, we've got to leave them free too. God does not put out contracts with hit men to coerce people into loving Him. Doesn't work that way. Leave 'em alone.

You know what I do? I'll tell you what I do. People think, "Oh you must have converted a lot of people, Father." Nope. Never. In 15 years of constant preaching...over a million miles in airplanes...49 states...over 100 dioceses...never converted anybody.

I don't have the POWER to change a heart. Or a mind.

GOD has the power to change a heart. Or a mind. I just show up for work and open my mouth and then He does the rest!

And you have to come to that understanding! You're not going to convert your children! You're NOT! And you're not going to convert your wife or your husband! You CAN'T!

But God can.

What do you have to do? Show up for work.

And what does that mean?

Be patient. And kind. And loving. And be steadfast in the truth. Love your faith. Learn your faith. Live your faith. That's showing up for work.

- Fr. John Corapi

You have to love the quote from one of my all time favorite people, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, posted in response.

Very recently, a young priest told me in conversation: 'I have already made 72 converts in 6 years of my priesthood.' I said: 'I would advise you to stop counting them, otherwise you might think you made them and not God.'

Insecurity

I was going through the posts of Livejournal communities I'm on when I saw this quote on the Catholic Quotes Community.

I guess it really spoke to me today because I'm always so insecure about myself, and I don't want to say jealous of the gifts and talents others because jealous is such a strong and negative word... maybe envious... well you get the idea. And I'm such a fan of Fulton Sheen that it really caught my attention.

God has given different gifts to different people. There is no basis for feeling inferior to another who has a different gift. Once it is realized that we shall be judged by the gift we have received, rather than the gift we have not, one is completely delivered from a false sense of inferiority.

- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Taking this quote and applying it to myself, I guess the next step is to pinpoint what my gift or gifts are and start appreciating what God has given me.