Category Archives: today

October 16
“Take care that your habits are not corrupted, your hope undermined, your patience discouraged and you yourselves turned aside into crooked ways. On the contrary, by being meek and mild you keep to the straight ways which the Lord teaches you. The truth is, without patience amid the troubles and trials of this life, hope in the future cannot be kept alive. You cannot maintain unflagging patience unless you are meek and mild, never resisting God’s will. Indeed, by being meek and mild you will not only love his consolations, you will also bear up under his discipline. Continuing to hope for what you cannot yet experience, you will wait for it patiently.”
Sermon 157, 2

October 15
“Highway robbers spend sleepless nights lying in wait for travelers. Their endurance is to be marveled at, but their apparent ‘patience’ should be condemned. Patience flows from wisdom, not passion. Patience is the product of a good conscience. It does not result in robbing the innocent. Whenever, then, you see someone enduring suffering, do not immediately praise that person’s patience. Patience must come from a good cause. Not all those who suffer have the virtue of patience. Only those who suffer for the right reason are crowned with patience’s reward.”
            On Patience, 5-6

October 14
“The virtue of patience endures trouble for good reasons but it becomes a vice when it descends into stubbornness. Stubbornness imitates patience; indeed, it is its close neighbor. Just as a person who cannot be forced to do evil is better than one who weakens under the pressure, so too a person who stubbornly cannot be turned away from evil is worse than one who can. Stubbornness prevents a person from ceasing his or her evil or foolish course of action even by the threat of the direst consequences. What shall we say of such a person who refuses to yield to pressure? Rather than describing such a one as having great patience we should recognize that he or she is just a hard-headed stubborn person.”
            Sermon 283, 7

October 13
“It may happen that some catastrophe strikes suddenly. Our hearts throb as the earth quakes and thunder rolls round the sky. Or we are frightened by a terrifying attack or the threat of robbers lying in wait. There is terror all around and panic strikes home. Above and beyond these dreadful events, we suffer what is going on inside us and what is done to us by those with whom we live. We suffer our own bad qualities and we are obliged to suffer those of other people. No wonder that the psalmist cries out, ‘O Lord, cleanse me from my secret sins and spare me from the faults of others.’”
            Commentary on Psalm 37, 15-16

OCTOBER 12 -BLESSED MARIA TERESA FASCE, O.S.A.
 “When we think of the peace that you enjoy in Christ, beloved, we too find rest with you, even though we are engaged in various harassing labors. For we form one body under one Head, in such a way that you are busy in us, and we at leisure in you.”
            Letter 48

OCTOBER 11 – BLESSED ELIAS DEL SOCCORO, O.S.A.
 “What a great thing charity is! The soul of the scriptures, the force of prophecy, the saving power of the sacraments, the fruit of faith, the wealth of the poor, the life of the dying. What could be more magnanimous than to die for the godless, what more kindly than to love one’s enemies?”
            Sermon 350, 2-3

OCTOBER 10 – SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA, O.S.A.
 “The entire life of a good Christian is a holy desire. What you desire, however, you don’t yet see. But by desiring you are made large enough, so that, when there comes what you should see, you may be filled.”
            Commentary on 1 John 4

OCTOBER 9 – BLESSED ANTHONY PATRIZI, O.S.A.
 “We are already redeemed, so let us not fear enemies lurking by the wayside. He redeemed us to that no enemy may dare to ambush us – provided we do not step off the way. Christ himself has become our way.”
            Exposition of Psalm 125