Over one hundred quotations on the subject of 'Thought' is now found at Inspirational Quotes from the Saints.
'Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord: and pure words most beautiful shall be confirmed by him.'
Proverbs 15:26
'The
passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of
arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect
through these thoughts, they force it to give its assent to sin. When it
has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has
been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action.
Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons
then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the specter or
idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says,
"When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy
place (let him who reads understand) . . . " (Matt. 24:15). For man's
intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons,
having desolated the soul by means of impassioned thoughts, set up the
idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no
one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that
they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.'
St. Maximos the Confessor
'And
this movement of the heart is not unsuitably illustrated by the
comparison of a mill wheel, which the headlong rush of water whirls
round, with revolving impetus, and which can never stop its work so long
as it is driven round by the action of the water: but it is in the
power of the man who directs it, to decide whether he will have wheat or
barley or darnel ground by it. That certainly must be crushed by it
which is put into it by the man who has charge of that business. So then
the mind also through the trials of the present life is driven by the
torrents of temptations pouring in upon it from all sides, and cannot be
free from the flow of thoughts: but the character of the thoughts which
it should either throw off or admit for itself, it will provide by the
efforts of its own earnestness and diligence: for if, as we said, we
constantly recur to meditation on the Holy Scriptures and raise our
memory towards the recollection of spiritual things and the desire for
perfection and the hope of future bliss, spiritual thoughts are sure to
rise from this, and cause the mind to dwell on those things on which we
have been meditating. But if we are overcome by sloth or carelessness
and spend our time in idle gossip, or are entangled in the cares of the
world and unnecessary anxieties, the result will be that a sort of
species of tares will spring up, and afford an injurious occupation for
our hearts, and as our Lord and Saviour says, whereever the treasure of
our works or purpose may be, there also our heart is sure to continue.'
St. Moses the Black
'For
the rest, brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is modest,
whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is amiable,
whatsoever is gracious, if there is any virtue, if there is any
discipline worthy of praise, think on these.'
Philippians 4:8
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Extracts from the Mystical City of God
Hundreds of quotations extracted from Ven. Mary of Agreda's Mystical City of God.
'Abhor human ostentation, suffer in silence and let the world consider thee ignorant; for it does not know where true wisdom dwells.'
'Another deceit has spread through the world: many imagine that they are following Christ their Master, though they neither suffer affliction nor engage in any exertion or labor. They are content with avoiding boldness in committing sins, and place all their perfection in a certain prudence or hollow self-love, which prevents them from denying anything to their will and from practicing any virtues at the cost of their flesh. . . He [Jesus] chose not a life of softness and ease for the flesh, but one full of labors and pains; for He judged His instructions to be incomplete and insufficient to redeem man, if He failed to teach them how to overcome the demon, the flesh and their own self. He wished to inculcate, that this magnificent victory is gained by the Cross, by labors, penances, mortifications and the acceptance of contempt: all of which are the trademarks and evidences of true love and the special watchwords of the predestined.'
'I was made to understand, that if God were not so outrageously misused in his mercy, He would often interpose, even miraculously, his divine Omnipotence in our behalf. Especially would He do this in defense of the mystical body of the Church and of some Catholic governments, bringing to naught the counsels of hell for the destruction of Christianity in our times. We do not merit this protection of the infinite power, because all are united in rousing the divine wrath and the whole world his joined hands with the infernal fiends, into whose power it has fallen on account of the blind and insane pursuit of evil rampant among men.'
'It is important for all the children of the Church to escape the ignorance in which they live concerning the dangers besetting their eternal salvation; for they do not know or take notice, that their ignorance of these secrets is the chastisement of the sin of Adam, and how, after being enlightened, they again lose it and become more unworthy of it than before through their own sins. Many of the faithful are as oblivious and careless, as if there were no demons to persecute and deceive them; and if they sometimes think of them, it is superficially and lightly, falling immediately back into their forgetfulness, which for many of them means no less than eternal punishment. If at all times and in all places, in all their works and on all occasions the demons set their snares, it is but just and proper that Christians on their part take not one step without asking divine light to see and avoid the danger. But as the children of Adam are so torpid in regard to this matter, they perform scarcely one work without being assailed by the infernal serpent and infected by his poison. Thus they accumulate sins upon sins, evil upon evil, irritating the divine justice and shutting out mercy.'
'Abhor human ostentation, suffer in silence and let the world consider thee ignorant; for it does not know where true wisdom dwells.'
Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 602
'Another deceit has spread through the world: many imagine that they are following Christ their Master, though they neither suffer affliction nor engage in any exertion or labor. They are content with avoiding boldness in committing sins, and place all their perfection in a certain prudence or hollow self-love, which prevents them from denying anything to their will and from practicing any virtues at the cost of their flesh. . . He [Jesus] chose not a life of softness and ease for the flesh, but one full of labors and pains; for He judged His instructions to be incomplete and insufficient to redeem man, if He failed to teach them how to overcome the demon, the flesh and their own self. He wished to inculcate, that this magnificent victory is gained by the Cross, by labors, penances, mortifications and the acceptance of contempt: all of which are the trademarks and evidences of true love and the special watchwords of the predestined.'
Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 662
'I was made to understand, that if God were not so outrageously misused in his mercy, He would often interpose, even miraculously, his divine Omnipotence in our behalf. Especially would He do this in defense of the mystical body of the Church and of some Catholic governments, bringing to naught the counsels of hell for the destruction of Christianity in our times. We do not merit this protection of the infinite power, because all are united in rousing the divine wrath and the whole world his joined hands with the infernal fiends, into whose power it has fallen on account of the blind and insane pursuit of evil rampant among men.'
Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 296
'It is important for all the children of the Church to escape the ignorance in which they live concerning the dangers besetting their eternal salvation; for they do not know or take notice, that their ignorance of these secrets is the chastisement of the sin of Adam, and how, after being enlightened, they again lose it and become more unworthy of it than before through their own sins. Many of the faithful are as oblivious and careless, as if there were no demons to persecute and deceive them; and if they sometimes think of them, it is superficially and lightly, falling immediately back into their forgetfulness, which for many of them means no less than eternal punishment. If at all times and in all places, in all their works and on all occasions the demons set their snares, it is but just and proper that Christians on their part take not one step without asking divine light to see and avoid the danger. But as the children of Adam are so torpid in regard to this matter, they perform scarcely one work without being assailed by the infernal serpent and infected by his poison. Thus they accumulate sins upon sins, evil upon evil, irritating the divine justice and shutting out mercy.'
Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 361
'In order to deserve this protection of the Lord, God wishes the
creature on its part never to relax in vigilance, nor trust in its own
strength, nor ever be remiss in asking and desiring this help; for
without it, man can do nothing and will soon perish.'
Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 454
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