Latin Doctor Quote of the Day

Saint Francis de Sales:
''Though light is beautiful and lovely it dazzles our eyes if we have been in darkness for any length of time; we are always ill at ease in a strange country no matter how gracious and courteous its inhabitants, until we become familiar with them. It may well happen, Philothea, that having embarked on this new life, your soul may feel ill at ease and that you experience a sense of sadness and discouragement in bidding farewell to the follies and vanities of the world; be patient a little while, it is of no importance, only the discomfort of unfamiliarity; as soon as it has worn off you will experience abundant consolation.''
Comment: One of the greatest difficulties that I have experienced in undertaking the Christian life after conversion has been discouragement. It was certainly naive of myself to consider the Faith initially as having commandments to adhere to outwardly. Certain pursuits are easy to cast off, but often the inward affections that lead to them are difficult to extract. I was unaware of the spiritual battle to be engaged in. Too quickly my mind wanders, my devotion is dissipated and my heart loses courage. It was not without import that our Lord said that whoever wishes to find his life, must lose it.

Latin Doctor Quote of the Day

Saint Augustine of Hippo:

''And so it pleased God, the Creator and Governor of the universe, that, since the whole body of the angels had not fallen into rebellion, the part of them which had fallen should remain in perdition eternally, and that the other part, which had in the rebellion remained steadfastly loyal, should rejoice in the sure and certain knowledge of their eternal happiness; but that, on the other hand, mankind, who constituted the remainder of the intelligent creation, having perished without exception under sin, both original and actual, and the consequent punishments, should be in part restored, and should fill up the gap which the rebellion and fall of the devils had left in the company of the angels. For this is the promise to the saints, that at the resurrection they shall be equal to the angels of God. And thus the Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all, the city of God, shall not be spoiled of any of the number of her citizens, shall perhaps reign over even a more abundant population''

Latin Doctor Quote of the Day

Saint Augustine of Hippo:

(''For the Son of Man is come to seek that which was lost.'') 'Therefore, if man had not sinned, the Son of Man would not have come'.

Latin Doctor Quote of the Day

Saint Ambrose:

''Ye will see that as all the ceremonies of the old law were types of realities in the new, so the circumcision of the body signified the cleansing of the heart from the guilt of sin. But since the body and mind of man remain yet infected with a proneness' to sin, the circumcision of the eighth day is also a type of that complete cleansing from sin which we shall have at the resurrection''

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Ambrose:


''As the modesty of Mary is a pattern for the imitation of all maidens, so also is her humility. She went to see Elizabeth, like one cousin going to visit another, and as the younger to the elder. Not only did she first go, but she first saluted Elizabeth. Now, the purer a virgin is, the humbler ought she to be. She will know how to submit herself to her elders. She that professeth chastity ought to be a very mistress of humility. Lowly-mindedness is at once the very ground in which devotion groweth, and the first and principal rule of its teaching. In this act of the Virgin then we see the greater going to visit and to succour the lesser Mary to Elizabeth, Christ to John.''

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Augustine of Hippo:

'The blessed life should be sought, and requested from God. The nature of blessedness has been much discussed by many people; but why should we go to many people and much explanation? In the Scripture of God it is put briefly and truly: 'Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord'. In order that we may be of that people, and attain to contemplation of Him, and to everlasting life with him, 'The end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and good conscience and unfeigned faith'. In the same Trinity, hope is put in place of good conscience. Faith, then, and hope and charity lead to God the man that prays, the man, that is, who believes, hopes and desires, and gives heed to what he is requesting from the Lord in the Lord's prayer'.

Comment: Through the divine light of the Holy Spirit, man who is inflamed with true charity which urges him on to a intimate union with the Trinitarian communion of life. Our blessedness in this can only find fulfilment in everlasting life, yet even today, our salvation is being realised as that same Paraclete Who descended on Peter and the others in the Cenacle, continues to animate man in sanctity and transforms the Sacred Gifts at the Holy Oblation. Our salvation is not a past event, so let us through prayer come to the communion of love that Christ shed His Precious Blood for.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Bernard:

''And so too, my brothers, I tell you that to this very day it is evident that the words of Jesus are spirit and truth to some people, and for that reason they follow him. To others, His words seem hard, and they seek elsewhere a consolation that can only end in misery''

Comment:
It would be foolish for a sick man to discard the directives of a doctor, if he wished to become well again. Would it not also be madness to reject the counsel of the Author of human nature if we wish to become satisfied and eternally happy? Such revelation of God through Christ is too often seen as an infringement upon liberty, yet it is only in Him that man can scatter the bands that chain him to perversity. I have a great distaste for the values and principles of this world, however I lack the trust in His divine Goodness to prostrate myself fully at His feet and enter life. I acknowledge the futility of earthly seeking, but I struggle to step across that threshold to the city of God.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Pope Saint Leo the Great:

'The blessedness of seeing God is rightly promised to those who are pure of heart. For the eye that is filled with dirt cannot see the brightness of true light; what is joy to the clear, shining mind is punishment to the mind which is stained. Let the darkness of the empty things of this world be set aside and the eyes of the soul be cleansed of all the filth of sin so that the inward sight may enjoy in peace the wonderful vision of God'.

Comment: Within the divine simplicity, there is no change or alteration. He Who Is exists through Himself and rejoices in His own eternal felicity. But fallen man is dragged around by the various waves of passion and emotion, leading to insecurity and confusion. However, the saint clings to God as his only refuge and transforms these disordered loves to the glory of the Undivided and Most Holy Trinity. As he increases in likeness to that Ineffable Holiness, he is impelled to reach higher and higher, purifying himself by the divine light and grace, never satisfied with the state of mediocrity. The beauty of God is revealed to him, and in fact, he sees within himself, this glory reflected and he cries out for the Archtype with ever greater confidence. On the other hand, the reprobate only sees in God, opposition, demands, and a state that could never be attained. He is repulsed by such a height which makes him dizzy. Like the unguarded eye glancing at the sun, he turns away and rots in his pride.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Alphonsus Liguori:

"Realize that you may gain more in a quarter of an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament than in all other practices of the day."

Comment: The heart of our Catholic Faith is the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, when our Divine Redeemer calls us forth to worship Him in reverence and awe. Such is the great privilege of entering a Catholic Church, where we find our Lord and God waiting for us. Why do we fail to make use of this gift?

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Isidore:

'Anyone who reflects on his own life in the light of its end, rather than the passing of the days, perceives how wretched and short it is.'

Time to profit by. Life to know and love and serve God. We often complain how little time we have, yet we often spend the time we have been given in idle persuits. These 'hobbies' or diversions certainly have their place, to give rest to the body and soul, however all must be moderated. Too often, our duties for our state in life are suspended while we vegetate in front of the television and we end up wearier than when we pressed the on button.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Catherine of Siena:

'I therefore earnestly request, as a special grace, the exercise of that supreme charity which prompted you to make man in your own image and likeness. What inspired You, or who persuaded You, to grant men such dignity? It was love alone which made You care for Your creature; You were, so to speak, possessed by love. I see clearly that man deserved to lose that dignity which You accorded him. Such depths of charity cannot be plumed. What heart is so hard that it can maintain its independence, virtually unmoved, when it contemplates the descent of God's grandeur into the depths of that dejected condition which is the measure of our humanity'

Comment: With the Psalmist (8:4), we wonder, 'What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?' Man rises up to God as He is the source of our being and only in Him can we shout for joy and take our rest. Yet, what has God to gain from our exaltation? What did He lack that He was forced by a law of necessity to bring us forth from nothing? No such motive compelled Him. So how can we answer this problem? The answer is simple: Divine love. In the Trinitarian life, God is subsisting perfection, relying on nothing outside of the divine essence. He receives His source from nothing, but He communicates that divine life to us. We may marvel at this great act of love, but how greater was the descent of the Logos to assume flesh and suffer a most horrendous death so that we may have abundant life? What could we offer to God in return, but ourselves? After all, our exaltation will be simply the Lord crowning His own gifts.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Pope Saint Gregory the Great:

'Let no one take on him the office of preacher unless he loves his hearers'

Comment: In the patristic era, preaching was not mere communication, but an art form. Beauty was expressed but was often tinged with vanity and ambition. The preacher today faces a similar difficulty. Too frequently, our priests settle for the acceptance of the crowd, not by an exquisite turn of phrase, but by appealing to their preconceived notions and expectations. The preacher no longer challenges his congregation to become as holy as the Father is holy, but offers words of 'kindness' and 'consolation.
Let no preacher today fall into such a trap. He will answer for the souls he has touched, or failed to, at his death.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Ambrose:

''The devil does not have only one weapon. He uses many different means to defeat human beings; now with bribery, now with boredom, now with greed he attacks, inflicting mental and physical wounds equally.''

Comment: It is only through suffering that a man is made perfect. Only when considerable pressure is mounted upon an athelete will muscles develop and speed increase. Yet, suffering can deprave a man even more, or it can exalt him over the heavens in holiness. Recourse to the Father of heavens and the Holy Virgin in such difficulties creates a greater likeness of Christ in the soul, and Satan is powerless. Let us remember that the Good Lord will not permit us to be tested beyond our strength. Let us refrain from idleness, where Satan is often at his most dangerous, and our souls at their weakest. Vigilate!

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Ambrose:

'Let us remember that religion comes first and family affection only in second place. Then everything becomes clear. You should put human affairs second to divine imperatives. If we have a duty to love our parents, we also have one paramount duty of love to the Father of our parents.'

Comment: I can already hear the modernist plead, 'What about the commandment to honour our parents, are we negating that divine law for the sake of superficial piety?' Not so. When we follow the outline given above by the Bishop of Milan, we recognise the uniqueness of our parents. Nothing occurs on this earth without the will of God, either His ordaining (what I call 'positive') or permissive will, therefore it was not without reason that our Eternal Father placed us in the care of those He did. Through our obediance to 'divine imperatives', we truly honour the God, from Whom all fatherhood proceeds. In Christ, we not only wish them peace and prosperity, but all heavenly benediction and eternal happiness. To act and believe in such a manner, we truly honour our parents.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Bonaventure.

'When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than that proceeding from the mouth.'

Comment: Prayer is not the mere verbalising of pre-written formulae, but the cry of the child of God to his gracious Father. It is a cry of confidence from the very depths of our nature, a longing for the Good, for the Supreme Beauty, our only End and our purpose. Without this intimate communication in the Spirit, no man can be saved, how can we regain the divine likeness, when the very archtype is foreign to us?

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Jerome:

'At the very time when Mass is said for those souls for whom it is being offered, all their pains are lifted.'

Comment: Let us not neglect to have the Holy Sacrifice offered for those who have departed this mortal realm. These souls certainly need prayers and penances to alleviate their pains in order to bring them to the vision of He who is. By this act of charity, let us call to mind the truth that we are but dust and ashes and we too will one day lie in a coffin before the Altar.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Albert the Great:


"Do this in remembrance of me." Two things should be noted here. The first is the command that we should use this sacrament, which is indicated when Jesus says, "Do this." The second is that this sacrament commemorates the Lord's going to death for our sake. This sacrament is profitable because it grants remission of sins; it is most useful because it bestows the fullness of grace on us in this life. "The Father of spirits instructs us in what is useful for our sanctification." And his sanctification is in Christ's sacrifice, that is, when he offers himself in this sacrament to the Father for our redemption to us for our use. Christ could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for this sacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. "It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on me shall live on account of me." Nor could he have commanded anything more lovable, for this sacrament produces love and union. It is characteristic of the greatest love to give itself as food. "Had not the men of my text exclaimed: Who will feed us with his flesh to satisfy our hunger? as if to say: I have loved them and they have loved me so much that I desire to be within them, and they wish to receive me so that they may become my members. There is no more intimate or more natural means for them to be united to me, and I to them. Nor could he have commanded anything which is more like eternal life. Eternal life flows from this sacrament because God with all sweetness pours himself out upon the blessed.''

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

St. Peter Chrysologus

"He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in the Flesh, molded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre, placed in the Churches, and set upon the Altars, which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful."

Comment: Let us not neglect this Heavenly Bread, which contains all graces to bring us to our inheritance. It is truly Christ Himself.

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Ambrose:

"For divine favors are conferred not on those who sleep, but on those who watch"

Comment is taken from Mystici Corporis by His Holiness Venerable Pius XII:
'No one of course can deny that the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ is the one source of whatever supernatural power enters into the Church and its members. For "the Lord will give grace and glory" as the Psalmist says (Ps. LXXXIII,12).But that men should persevere constantly in their good works, that they should advance eagerly in grace and virtue, that they should strive earnestly to reach the heights of Christian perfection and at the same time to the best of their power should stimulate others to attain the same goal, -- all this the heavenly Spirit does not will to effect unless they contribute their daily share of zealous activity.'

Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day

Saint Augustine of Hippo on the Holy Spirit.

''There is no gift of God more excellent than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of the eternal kingdom and the sons of eternal perdition. Other gifts, too, are given by the Holy Spirit; but without love they profit nothing. Unless, therefore, the Holy Spirit is so far imparted to each, as to make him one who loves God and his neighbor, he is not removed from the left hand to the right. Nor is the Spirit specially called the Gift, unless on account of love. And he who has not this love, "though he speak with the tongues of men and angels, is sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; and though he have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and though he have all faith, so that he can remove mountains, he is nothing; and though he bestow all his goods to feed the poor, and though he give his body to be burned, it profiteth him nothing." (On the Trinity)

Comment: It is only in the Holy Spirit that we can profess the true faith revealed by God. Our acceptance of the Catholic religion is more than mere adherence of the intellect, but involves the whole person who is led by the Spirit and cries out with a peace and a joy that the world can not give, 'Abba, Pater'.