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It is one thing to be eloquent and charming in profane speech, and another when the one speaking as a religious.
Saint Ignatius -
Remember that the good angels do what they can to preserve men from sin and obtain God's honor. But they do not lose courage when men fail.
Saint Ignatius
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If God has given you the world's goods in abundance, it is to help you gain those of Heaven and to be a good example of sound teaching to your sons, servants, and relatives.
Saint Ignatius -
The safest and most suitable form of penance seems to be that which causes pain in the flesh but does not penetrate to the bones, that is, which causes suffering but not sickness.
Saint Ignatius -
While studying at Barcelona, Ignatius was in doubt whether, after completing his studies, he should enter some Religious Order, or go from place to place, according to his custom. He decided to enter upon the religious life.
Saint Ignatius -
Be slow to speak, and only after having first listened quietly, so that you may understand the meaning, leanings, and wishes of those who do speak. Thus you will better know when to speak and when to be silent.
Saint Ignatius -
May it please Christ our Lord to grant us true humility and abnegation of will and judgment, so that we may deserve to begin to be His disciples.
Saint Ignatius -
What St. Francis and St. Dominic have done, that, by God's grace, I will do.
Saint Ignatius
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When Ignatius understood that God did not wish him to remain at Jerusalem, he began to consider what he should do. The plan he approved and adopted was to enter upon a course of study in order to be better fitted to save souls.
Saint Ignatius -
We esteem, honor, and love the apostles more than the other saints, because they served God more faithfully and because they loved Him more perfectly.
Saint Ignatius -
Experience proves that in this life peace and satisfaction are had, not by the listless but by those who are fervent in God's service. And rightly so. For in their effort to overcome themselves and to rid themselves of self-love, they rid themselves of the roots of all passion and unrest.
Saint Ignatius -
Man was created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord and in this way to save his soul. The other things on Earth were created for man's use, to help him reach the end for which he was created.
Saint Ignatius -
To have prevented one single sin is reward enough for the labors and efforts of a whole lifetime.
Saint Ignatius -
The wellbeing of the head resounds throughout the whole body, and as are the Superiors, so, in turn, will their subjects be.
Saint Ignatius
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In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.
Saint Ignatius -
Be generous to the poor orphans and those in need. The man to whom our Lord has been liberal ought not to be stingy. We shall one day find in Heaven as much rest and joy as we ourselves have dispensed in this life.
Saint Ignatius -
Concerning the harsh treatment of the body for our Lord's sake, I would say, avoid anything that would cause the shedding even of a drop of blood.
Saint Ignatius -
I can love a person in this life only insofar as he tries to advance in the praise and service of God our Lord; for the man who loves anything for itself and not for the sake of God, does not love God with his whole heart.
Saint Ignatius -
The more completely we focus our attention on our Creator and Lord, the less chance there is of our being distracted by creatures.
Saint Ignatius -
Occupy yourself in beholding and bewailing your own imperfections rather than contemplating the imperfections of others.
Saint Ignatius
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Above all, remember that God looks for solid virtues in us, such as patience, humility, obedience, abnegation of your own will - that is, the good will to serve Him and our neighbor in Him. His providence allows us other devotions only insofar as He sees that they are useful to us.
Saint Ignatius -
May God our Lord never let me harm anyone when I cannot help him!
Saint Ignatius -
Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our Lord may wish to work in you. It is certainly a higher virtue of the soul, and a greater grace, to be able to enjoy the Lord in different times and different places than in only one.
Saint Ignatius -
If I cannot add to my own low level of understanding, I could ill afford to try to raise that of others, seeing that it belongs to our Creator and Lord to give much or little.
Saint Ignatius