Quotations from the Popes of the Church
Years ago I signed up with Ask a Catholic website to receive a daily quote from one of the popes plus beautiful thoughts about Mary from many of our Catholic Saints. I kept them all yippee!
Saint Pope John Paul II
Mini-Bio: pope: (1978 - 2005) Polish; The most traveled pope in history. During his papacy, he issued many letters clarifying and safeguarding the Church's teachings in moral areas. Has consecrated his papacy to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"How essential is it for the life of society that people not lose faith in their own work? How essential is it that they not suffer disillusionment because of this work." Pope John Paul II
"The Church is our Mother: a Mother who nourishes and reconciles. We cannot criticize our Mother as if she were a stranger, for we love the person who gave us life." Pope John Paul II
"The call to prayer must precede the call to action, but the call to action must truly accompany the call to prayer. In prayer we discover the needs of our brothers and sisters and make them our own, because in prayer we discover that their needs are the needs of Christ." Pope John Paul II
"Over the centuries shining pages have been written of heroism in suffering accepted and offered in union with Christ. Likewise we see humble service to the poor and the sick, in whose tormented flesh the presence of the poor, crucified Christ has been recognized."Pope John Paul II
" Mary Immaculate, she who has been redeemed in a privileged manner, is the sign of the beginning of God's project to make all things new. It is she who unveils, with her singular grace, the new life introduced by God the Father into the most intimate depths of the human person." Pope John Paul II
" All of us are capable of expressing ourselves, of transmitting our message to the world. But at the same time, each one of us must be a hearer. Our message will be more fitting the more the hearing of the Word of God is already present in our message." Pope John Paul II
"Our Lady of Guadalupe is still the great sign of the nearness of Christ with Whom she invites every human being to enter into communion. She also invites all people into communion with one another in respect for each one's rights and in a just common sharing of the goods of this earth." Pope John Paul II
"Love is great and authentic not only when it seems easy and pleasant, but also and most of all when it is strengthened in life's small and big trials." Pope John Paul II
"Just as the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room, so we today share the Bread of everlasting life, as we join our praise to that of the faithful of the whole world. We pause to amazement, in silent adoration, before the great Mystery of our Faith. "Pope John Paul II
"A vocation is a call that comes from God's sovereign power and free gift. However, such a call must find an open path in the heart. It must enter into the depths of the subject's thoughts, feelings, and will, in order to influence one's moral behavior." Pope John Paul II
" Before Jesus ever spoke about Himself and His mission, Mary spoke of Him to those who came to visit the Child. And they were amazed to learn how much God had done for the salvation of Israel and the entire humanity." Pope John Paul II
" It is in our power to correspond with continuing increase in grace that God wishes to grant us. He does so to help us advance, without hesitation or stumbling, toward His Kingdom." Pope John Paul II
"Peace is needed. This refers to inner peace, peace of the conscience freed from all the fragmentation caused by sin and open to the true good. It also means peace with others, in mutual respect and friendship made of truth and love." Pope John Paul II
" All of us who have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ know that our death will not be totally different from the rest of our earthly journey. It too will be God's love coming upon us, but God's love in its transforming fullness." Pope John Paul II
" The laity, because of their vocation to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, should be well grounded in the Church's social doctrine. Then, through their presence in public life, they should contribute to strengthening the fabric of society." Pope John Paul II
"Genuine happiness of the home is based on love that gives itself and sacrifices itself simply and perseveringly. This love can be sustained only with the food of faith, and faith in a gift of God that is nourished in prayer and the Sacraments." Pope John Paul II
"The Faith that we have received is a gift in a sacred trust that must be handed on to others. There is an urgency about the truths of Christianity, a missionary dimension to its saving message." Pope John Paul II
" Grace is Divine Life in the human soul, fruit of reconciliation, gifts of God in Jesus. It is the beginning of eternal life, that is, of salvation." Pope John Paul II
"We have inherited from the most ancient Christian communities the following certainty. There is an intense participation in life between us and the sisters and brothers who are in heavenly glory or who are still being purified after death." Pope John Paul II
" Feelings that motivate people reveal their profound stability during difficult moments. It is then that mutual surrender and love take root in their hearts, because true love does not think of itself but of how it can promote the true good of the loved one."Pope John Paul II
" We can all get lost at times, lost within ourselves or lost in the world about us. Allow Christ to find you, to speak to you, to ask of you whatever He wants in all things. Pope John Paul II
" There is a theological truth behind the depictions of Mary most holy with the Infant Jesus in her arms. She gives you Jesus and leads you toward Jesus in the Eucharist, the center of your personal life and community; to Jesus, the Word of life." Pope John Paul II
" In prayer, we come to see the stark reality of our own poverty, the absolute need we have for a Savior. We discover, in a more profound degree, the many ways in which we ourselves are poor and needy, and thus we begin to feel an increasing solidarity with all the poor." Pope John Paul II
" As far as the Christian is concerned, ethical behavior in public life must be restored. However, this must go hand in hand with an awareness of one's identity and of the message of salvation of which one is the humble but diligent witness." Pope John Paul II
" Choosing a carpenter for His "foster father" and becoming a carpenter Himself, Christ has enriched human work with a dignity that cannot be equaled. Now all who work know that they are doing something Divine, which can even be linked with God's initial work." Pope John Paul II
" The Cross was not an accident in the journey made by Jesus. It was an element consciously willed for the redemption of humankind." Pope John Paul II
" In order to continue and grow the Gospel life-style as the early Christians did, you must be united among yourselves and with your bishops. You must persevere in the liturgical and sacramental life and meditate on the truth of the Faith within your heart." Pope John Paul II
"God the Father loves each of you. It is not that He loves you too, but that He loves you most of all. His is a love so strong that it melts the hardness of the human heart. His is a justice that is clothed in mercy." Pope John Paul II
" Those who see suffering with merely human eyes cannot understand its meaning. We Christians know that suffering can be converted if we offer it to God. It can become an instrument of salvation, a path to holiness, that helps us to reach heaven." Pope John Paul 11
"Certainly, you are not unaware of how much the path of love can cost. Christ Himself reminds you of it from atop the Cross." Pope John Paul 11
"Holiness is the awareness of being "watched over," watched over by God. Saints know very well their frailty, the precariousness of their existence. Yet they are not frightened. They feel secure in spite of all this." Pope John Paul 11
"We have a responsibility regarding the light that has been passed to us. We cannot enclose it within the four walls of our "I." We must also communicate it to others. We must shine with it before all." Pope John Paul 11
"A deeply Christian life cannot be sustained by religious feelings alone or by a vague identification with a religious tradition. What is required is an ever greater understanding of the Mystery of Salvation that is revealed in Christ and handed down in Sacred Scripture and Church teaching." Pope John Paul 11
" In the past the attacks against the Christian Faith came from without, from forces contrary and extraneous to the believing community. Today the snares arise from within, in the context of the rapid social change that is taking place in our age." Pope John Paul 11
"To conserve and increase that Divine life in which you share, strive for a continuous conversion of mind and heart, firmly struggling with sin that destroys the life of your soul. Return with confidence to God our Father with the repentance that flows from love of Him Who is Supreme Goodness." Pope John Paul 11
" Whenever you refuse to accuse someone without proof, you announce the coming of the Kingdom of God and His justice. From that Kingdom no one is excluded." Pope John Paul 11
"In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, I urge you all to open your hearts to God's love, to respond by your prayers and by the deeds of your lives. Let go of your doubts and fears, and allow the mercy of God to draw you to His Heart." Pope John Paul 11
" Arriving at a deeper awareness of Christ demands also a deeper awareness of the Holy Spirit. "To know Who Christ is" and "to know Who the Spirit is" are two indissolubly linked requirements, the one implying the other." Pope John Paul 11
" In order that your life may retain a taste of the feast, be dynamic and joyful in the service of others. Seek to carry out what Christ ask of you, answer with Mary's "fiat": "I am the servant of the Lord" (Luke 1:38)." Pope John Paul 11
"St. Jerome was the model of devotion and service to the revealed Word. He never grew tired of reminding the Church that God Himself spoke to the soul of the sacred writers: 'To be ignorant of the Scriptures is not to know Christ.' " Pope John Paul 11
"There is nothing passive about nonviolence when it is chosen out of love. It has nothing to do with indifference. It has everything to do with actively seeking to resist evil and conquer it with good." Pope John Paul 11
"At the heart of the human family and of the Church the work of assistance to the poor, the sick, the elderly, the disabled, the marginalized, the alienated, is as fruitful as the love that inspires it. It is a living force of Christ's disciples that cause today's observers to repeat, 'See how they love one another.'" Pope John Paul 11
"Let Jesus Himself be the One to define your existence and direct your choices. In this way the relationships among you may correspond always to the model of love given by the Heart of Christ, without either lapses or evasions." Pope John Paul 11
"We need a docile heart in order to build an exemplary Christian community. We need a spirit that is strong in the faith in order to proclaim the love of God that conquers sin and saves in Christ Who died and is risen." Pope John Paul 11
"Every burden is light when we are united to Christ, when it is He Who gives us the strength and breath to go on walking. On the other hand, how heavy the burden is when it is carried without Christ!" Pope John Paul 11
"If today we are living in a climate of public freedom and personal responsibility, we will have an increased duty to exercise our own critical moral judgment with vigilant assiduousness. Temptations are very widespread and aggressive in our day." Pope John Paul 11
"The Incarnate Word of God continues to speak to the Church through the sacred books. In reading and studying the Scriptures, Christians seek to know God and to understand God's plan for the human family." Pope John Paul 11
"Mary not only leads us to the Mystery of the Cross like a teacher; she also participates in that Mystery. She suffers with Jesus and suffers with us. With Jesus she also confronts and defeats the powers of evil." Pope John Paul 11
" To discover the Lord's concrete will for us, we must listen to the Word of God, pray and discuss our problems and discoveries with others. In this way, we will discern the gifts we have received and use them profitably." Pope John Paul 11
" Evil is not the only thing that is contagious; goodness is as well. It is necessary that, at this favorable hour, goodness increasingly abound in us! Let us succumb to the contagion of goodness!" Pope John Paul 11
" Right from the first moment of her Divine Motherhood, of her union with the Son Whom the Father sent into the world, that the world might be saved through Him, Mary takes her place within Christ's Messianic service." Pope John Paul 11
" Be witnesses to the love of the Eucharistic Christ, a love that spurs us on to unlimited generosity. It also spurs us on to total surrender to Him, and through Him to all those who seek Him with a true heart." Pope John Paul 11
" What a wonderful thing it is when families realize the power they have. This power works for the sanctification of the world, the mutual sanctification of husband and wife, and the reciprocal influence between parents and children." Pope John Paul 11
"The Cross of Christ! It is the last word of Divine Wisdom. It is the ultimate source of Divine Power over human history." Pope John Paul 11
"Mary , accepting the will of the Father, opens the path of salvation and makes it possible -- through the presence of the Kingdom of God -- for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Mary, proclaiming the faithfulness of God for all generations, assures the victory of the poor and the lowly." Pope John Paul 11
" Mother of the incarnate Word! You are the human heart's immaculate sensitivity to all that is of God. This means all that is true, good, and beautiful, all that has its source and fulfillment in God. " Pope John Paul 11
" Someone would have a poor idea of human and marital love by thinking that affection and joy vanish when difficulties come. This is when we really see what motivates people. Here also is where gift and tenderness are consolidated, because true love does not think about itself, but about how to increase the good of the beloved." Pope John Paul 11
"In prayer we seek, find, and converse with God just as we would with an intimate friend. We can speak of our sorrows and joys, our weaknesses and problems, and our desires to be better and to help others to be better too." Pope John Paul 11
" Lord Jesus, grant that those You have called Your friends may come to know in fullness the joy You have promised. May they know the joy of praising You, the joy of serving their brothers and sisters, the joy of abiding in Your love." Pope John Paul 11
"Catholics must become closer to the "unchurched" and help them discover their true vocation in Christ. This is the best service we can render to them and the best expression of solidarity and friendship." Pope John Paul 11
" Catholics must become closer to the "unchurched" and help them discover their true vocation in Christ. This is the best service we can render to them and the best expression of solidarity and friendship." Pope John Paul 11
" We must be open, listen, seek to understand. We must go beyond the limits because all that is Divine, that is revealed, is superior to the human, to our limits. Many people do not accept it because they do not see or because they cannot go beyond these limits." Pope John Paul 11
"In the light of faith, each one of you can look at others as if they were an icon, a portrait -- at least a potential one -- of Christ." Pope John Paul 11
"Confession is an act of honesty and courage, an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to a loving and forgiving God. It is an act of the prodigal son who returns to his Father and is welcomed by Him with the gift of peace." Pope John Paul 11
"Prayer opens the mind and heart to God. It deepens our longing for His Kingdom. Prayer consciously links us to the Communion of Saints, who support us by their continual intercession." Pope John Paul 11
"Christ is absolute Truth; in Him the Father offers human beings the complete answer to all the questions that worry them. In Christ we can discover the full truth about ourselves and about the world." Pope John Paul II
"What the world really asks of us is that the Mystery of Redemption be accessible to all, especially to the poor, the sick, children, the young, the family. It is precisely through the Eucharist that Christ's Redemption touches each person's heart, transforming the world's history." Pope John Paul 11
"One of the underlying problems today is a loss of appreciation of the virtue of chastity. How important it is to recover this virtue in our own time! Chastity helps us to harmonize all the dimensions of our sexuality and thus to live joyfully in accordance with God's will. " Pope John Paul 11
"Do not be intimidated by anything because God is our hope. Fight, with eagerness and courage, the battle of love. This battle begins in yourselves and in your families, with the removal of selfishness and misunderstandings and a striving to drown evil in an abundance of God. " Pope John Paul 11
" Remember how the first Christians, most of them simple and humble people, suffering the most cruel persecutions, were successful in spreading Christ's message to all parts of the empire. Their only weapons were prayer, the Gospel, and the Cross." Pope John Paul 11
"When the Church assembles in prayer to reflect on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit Himself pours out God's love on His people. He gives them the hope that does not disappoint."Pope John Paul 11
"Prayer is able to transform the world. Everything is new with prayer, both for individuals and for communities. New goals and new ideals emerge. Christian dignity and action are reaffirmed." Pope John Paul 11
" The demands Jesus makes upon His followers are not empty rhetoric, and they do not change with the passing of time. He calls us to conversion, to reconciliation with God and one another. Jesus wishes us to hear the "hard sayings" as well as the words of confidence and encouragement."Pope John Paul 11
"Today it is necessary for us to adopt environmental decisions. These must also take into account the moral responsibility that we bear toward future generations." Pope John Paul 11
"Silence is the vital space dedicated to the Lord, in an atmosphere of listening and assimilation of His Word. To remain faithful and zealous, it is necessary to know how to receive the Divine inspirations that come interiorly." Pope John Paul 11
"We must conform our lives to the Gospel in all its fullness, accepting its demands and trusting its wisdom. Then despite the skepticism of some and the ridicule of others, we shall be drawing many people to Christ." Pope John Paul 11
" From Jesus' behavior we learn a double lesson: that human suffering has a precise role to play in God's plan, and that it moves to compassion the Heart of Jesus. For He knows how much suffering can affect human weakness and put it to the test." Pope John Paul 11
"Christians today, like Christians during the first centuries, must have courage and faith in God. They must distinguish themselves from the world about them. They do this not to condemn the world but to penetrate it with the light and truth of the Gospel." Pope John Paul 11
The attitude of the human person in the quest for truth is already an act of praise of the Author of truth. It is the Author of truth Who alone can fully satisfy the human intellect."Pope John Paul 11
" More than any other person, Mary was aware of God's love for her, of all the great things the Lord has done for her. Mary's life was a response to God's love." Pope John Paul 11
"The Sacrament of mercy and of forgiveness has to be lived out with a feeling of great confidence in Divine salvation and a sincere desire for conversion. We must seek in it reconciliation with God and with our brothers and sisters." Pope John Paul 11
"One of the first good works that flows from faith is one that is so desperately needed in this place and everywhere. It is the work of reconciliation: reconciliation with God and reconciliation with one another." Pope John Paul 11
"Whatever an individual person's journey of faith and acceptance of it, no one is passive. Each one must work to improve the lot of others and thus make progress along the way of the Gospel." Pope John Paul 11
" Suffering is a necessary ingredient of holiness. Love is like it. The love that Christ teaches us and that He first lived to give us an example is a merciful love, a love that atones and saves through suffering." Pope John Paul 11
" People in our modern society are threatened by the disease of superficiality, by complacency. We must work in order to reacquire depth, that depth which is really the essence of the human person." Pope John Paul 11
" Work is not something that people do for the sole purpose of earning a living; it is a human dimension that can and must be sanctified. In this way, work will enable people to fulfill their vocation as creatures made in the image and likeness of God." Pope John Paul 11
" Our Church is the Sacrament of God's love. She is a communion of faith and life. She is a mother and teacher. She is at the service of the whole human family as it goes forth toward its ultimate destiny." Pope John Paul 11
"With Catherine of Siena and so many other "Saints of the Cross" let us hold on tightly to our most sweet and merciful Redeemer, Whom Catherine called Christ-Love. In His pierced Heart is our hope." Pope John Paul 11
" Responsible parenthood involves not only bringing children into the world, but also taking part personally and responsibly in their upbringing and education. True love in the family is forever!" Pope John Paul 11
" Here is a model image of what the sentiments of the evangelizer should be: A person who suffers with those who suffer, rejoices with those who rejoice, and gives self to all so that others may share an immense joy." Pope John Paul 11
"The peace of Christ is different from that of the world. The peace of Christ surely does not remove trials and tribulations, but it is always a source of serenity and happiness. For it brings with it the fullness of life." Pope John Paul 11
"Pray also for your brothers and sisters and for all the children of the world, especially those who are poor and hungry. Pray for those who do not know Jesus, for those who are alone and sad." Pope John Paul 11
" Watch! Do not let the precious values of faithful married love and family life be taken away from you. Do not reject them, or think that there is some other human prospect for happiness and human fulfillment." Pope John Paul 11
" We must strive to ensure that the celebration of the Divine Mysteries be given such a central place in the organization of pastoral activity that all apostolic activity will have its beginning and fulfillment therein. For the Liturgy is the "summit and fount" of the Church's life and mission." Pope John Paul 11
"Pray for the many spiritual and material needs of your families, your communities, the whole Church, and all of humanity. Indeed, prayer is the first and greatest work of charity that we must do for our brothers and sisters."Pope John Paul 11
" The Eucharist is in no way alien to the building of a new world. Rather, it is the principle and source of inspiration. For the Lord Jesus is the foundation of a new humanity that is reconciled and fraternal." Pope John Paul 11
" Christians do not estrange themselves from life in society. They assume its history and express its culture. As the same time they strive to radiate to those around them the spiritual realities of which they are bearers." Pope John Paul 11
" The Divine is united to the human. The invisible has become visible. The infinite has assumed a human form. Humanity has been accepted into the unity of the Divine Person of the Word." Pope John Paul 11
"Because all are entrusted with the vast area of charity and material assistance, I invite you to give generously. Give for the maintenance and support of seminarians, for the formation of the laity, in particular of catechists, for the construction of churches, schools, hospitals, and social work." Pope John Paul 11
" We are working for the Kingdom of God, and we do not do so with the gloomy spirit of those who see only insufficiencies of perils. We work with the firm trust of those who know that they can count on the victory of Christ." Pope John Paul 11
"The spirituality of work consists in the awareness that through our work, we can place ourselves in a relation with our ultimate destiny. We can become an ally of the living God" Pope John Paul 11
" God's love for us is freely given and unearned, surpassing all we could ever hope for or imagine. His love for us does not depend on whether we have merited or are worthy of it." Pope John Paul 11
"We cannot live without hope. We have to have some purpose in our life, some meaning to our existence. We have to aspire to something. Without hope, we begin to die. Hope comes from God, from our belief in God." Pope John Paul 11
"In the face of the phenomenon of the diminished number of those consecrated to the priesthood and the religious life, we cannot remain passive, not doing as much as we possibly can. Above all, we can pray very much."
Pope John Paul 11
" If the members who constitute the parish, are numerically many, so are the gifts that the Holy Spirit incessantly distributes. So also are the initiatives that He awakens there according to the grace given to each member." Pope John Paul II
"Even the memory of our sins does not discourage us any longer. We realize that God's mercy is greater than our sins and that God's pardon is a proof of His faithful love for us." John Paul II
" The Church cannot say what is bad is good, nor can she call valid what is invalid. She cannot fail to proclaim Christ's teaching, even when this teaching is difficult to accept" John Paul II
" In today's world, torn by indifference, division, hatred, and oppression, fraternal communion founded on love is an eloquent example of universal reconciliation in Christ." John Paul II
"The new generations need to be helped to grow as free persons, to love truth and to be faithful to it. The search for the true, the beautiful, and the good is not a pragmatic exercise, but rather a cultural and ethical one. It is a service to human development and a way for evangelization." John Paul II
"Mary, you are the Mother of the Church and the Model of every vocation. Help us respond by saying "Yes" to the Lord when he calls us to collaborate in the Divine Plan of salvation." John Paul II
"The temptation today is to try to build a world for oneself, forgetting the Creator and His design and loving Providence. But sooner or later we must come to grips with this: That to forget God, to feign the death of God, is to promote the death of humankind and of all civilization."John Paul II
" Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish.." John Paul II
" In a secularized world, to speak and act in the name of Jesus can bring opposition, and even ridicule. It often means being out of step with the majority opinion. Yet if we look at the New Testament, we find encouragement for perseverance in this testing of our faith." John Paul II
"The meek endure conflict and jealousy, rivalries that arise within families and among neighbors. They do not, however, passively accept situations of injustice. They are anything but indifferent, but they do not respond to violence with violence, to hatred with hatred." John Paul II
"In a world that often reduces sex to the pursuit of pleasure, and in some cases to domination, the Church has a special mission. She is to place sex in the context of conjugal love and of generous and responsible openness to parenthood." John Paul II
"There is a higher wisdom: a wisdom that reveals the true meaning of our human weakness and our pain. That wisdom is revealed in Christ. He knows what it is to suffer; He experienced it on the road to Calvary."John Paul II
"Only those persons who recognize that they are sinners, in need of salvation because they cannot save themselves, only they can extend their hands to Jesus as to their Savior."
Pope John Paul II
"Mary is the clearest and surest sign that God always comes to us with His love. She sings with all her being that whatever we receive from God is grace. The Virgin is our true teacher in the journey of faith." Pope John Paul II
"In Christ we find hope, because He is the symbol of hope, friendship, unending love, and the Father's indescribable affection for every individual. We know that all the promises and hopes find their complete fulfillment in Christ, because in Christ, God's very word has found its 'Yes.'" Pope John Paul II
"As a manifestation of the human spirit, music performs a function that is noble, unique, and irreplaceable. When music is truly beautiful and inspired, it speaks to us more than all the other acts of goodness, virtue and peace. " Pope John Paul II
"Nobody is a Christian for oneself alone. The gift of faith is given to us so that by word and example we may become witnesses before others." Pope John Paul II
"Welcome Christ into your lives. Without the experience of this interior meeting with Christ, life can all too easily be wasted on illusory and consumerist experiences. These obviously include the suicidal experience of drugs or the egoistic one of using our neighbor and rejecting solidarity." Pope John Paul II
"Lourdes is a prophecy of justice and peace, where there is no room for pride and hardness of heart. Indeed, Lourdes is where this hardness is dissolved by one's witness of charity, mercy, serene resistance to evil, human solidarity, and sincere and moving generosity." Pope John Paul II
"In a single word, be Saints! Holiness is the most powerful force that leads human hearts to Christ. Remember that verse of the Gospel about the vine and the branches. In the union of the branches with the one vine is the concrete source and the sure measure of one's apostolic activity." Pope John Paul II
"Love cannot stop at half measures, as you well know. Love must be ready to offer itself as far as the very ultimate in generosity." Pope John Paul II
"Children learn to do what they see others doing. For this reason, they should learn from you how to be strong, industrious, temperate, happy, and devout, upright citizens and exemplary Christians." Pope John Paul II
"Suffering for the sake of love, truth, and justice is a sign of fidelity to the God of life and of hope. It is the blessedness of those who suffer for Christ, who fall to the ground like grains of wheat and are promised life and resurrection." Pope John Paul II
'Love gives suffering meaning and makes it acceptable. It is possible to have love without suffering; but suffering without love has no meaning. Suffering accepted with love, as Christ and the Saints accepted it, acquires an inestimable value." Pope John Paul II
"Allow the light and the healing presence of Christ to shine brightly through your lives. In that way, all those who come in contact with you will discover the loving kindness of God." Pope John Paul II
"Grace builds upon nature. The Gospel does not make inhuman demands on us. It enlightens, elevates, and perfects what is human through the power of God's grace." Pope John Paul II
"Christ desires to be newly present to this contemporary world with all the explosive force of His Mystery of love. He wishes to meet the people of today through teachers who are true educators, drawn by Christ." Pope John Paul II
"The way to the heart very often passes through the mind. Today, throughout the length and breadth of the Church there is need for a new effort of evangelization and catechesis directed to the mind." Pope John Paul II
"As people, we are meant to have human joys; the joy of living , the joy of love and friendship, the joy of work well done. As Christians, we have cause for further joy; like Jesus, we know that we are loved by God our Father." Pope John Paul II
"Marriage is a communion of life. It is the home. It is work. It is concern for the children. It is also joy and leisure in common." Pope John Paul II
"Paul's conversion reminds us that a sincere change of heart is essential for the spiritual progress of individual Christians as well as for full unity among them. Only by a change of attitude and behavior toward one another can Christ's disciples remove the obstacles to such unity." Pope John Paul II
"If you nourish your life with personal and liturgical prayer, if you are supported by the advice of a spiritual guide, you will not be afraid to face the world. On the contrary, you will face it with a calm, positive, and open mind." Pope John Paul II
"Sorrow is an isolated thing in the natural world. For Jesus, however, it is part of an encounter. Thus, those of you who are sick, who are unfortunate, who are dying may lack all things, but not Jesus on the Cross. He is with you. He is indeed with you."Pope John Paul II
"You must understand that faithful service to Christ and His Church will not always earn you the world's praise. On the contrary, you will sometimes receive the same treatment as the Lord: rejections, contempt, and even persecution." Pope John Paul II
"Despite her youth, St. Agnes experienced the victorious strength of the love of Christ. Sustained by that inner force, she was able to "conquer overwhelmingly." May she be your model of courage and generosity in every event of your life." Pope John Paul II
"There exists a close connection between holiness of life and the promotion of a more human way of life in society, for it is from a converted and reconciled heart that goodness and justice flow in human relations. Time and energy given to the life of the spirit is not time and energy taken away from service." Pope John Paul II
"We strongly deny the assertion that there is no obligation for us to put the message of Christ at the disposal of all. Indeed, we claim with full conviction that it is our right and our duty to do no less."
Pope John Paul II
"I ask you to pray for those who cannot pray and also for those who do not know how to pray. Pray too for all who have lost faith in God and in His mercy." Pope John Paul II
"Attaining happiness requires a rigorous personal ascetism whose function is to bring order into the human person. It is a tragic lie to teach people that happiness can or even should be reached by abandoning oneself to the inclinations of instinct, without any self-denial." Pope John Paul II
"If peace is to reign in your hearts, you must be willing to forgive, to forgive completely and sincerely. No community can survive without forgiveness. No family can live in harmony, no friendship can endure, without repeated forgiveness." Pope John Paul II
"The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life, Who is capable of causing life to burst forth even where everything seemed dead and withered. That is why we can and must have confidence. Not only can we, but we must!" Pope John Paul II
"We may be tempted to show respect only for the great ones of the earth and to reserve our love for our own family and friends. But Christ teaches us that, for good or ill, what we do to the least of our brothers and sisters we do to Him." Pope John Paul II
"Every Cross that we see in the world becomes a silent reminder for us. The true victory that overcomes hatred in the world is ultimately self-sacrifice, in constant fidelity flowing from the power of love." Pope John Paul II
"You may say that it is hard to think of yourself as a brother or sister of Someone Who died so long ago. But no, Jesus is alive today and always! This is our Faith. This is the source of every thing it means to be a Christian." Pope John Paul II
"Be happy, rejoice in Christ's love, and live from His Strength. True, you cannot always be healthy or successful. However, you can always be with Christ and find strength at His side." Pope John Paul II
"Jesus identified Himself with the poor and the defenseless. Thus, what we do for them is done for Him, and the service we fail to render them is service denied to Him. Gross disparities of wealth between nations, classes, and persons reenact the parable of the rich man and Lazarus." Pope John Paul II
"Once a star led the Magi to set out on their journey to the Lord. And it may be that the star has not yet appeared in the sky that you see. Nonetheless, in your soul there is that same interior light that guided the Magi." Pope John Paul II
"Today, faced with the contradictions of the adult world and the rapidity of change, evangelizers could become discouraged and be tempted to limit their missionary effort. We must revive the Master's invitation to the whole world! To all creatures! To the ends of the earth!" Pope John Paul II
"Loving is not easy. It presupposes affective maturity, willpower, the capacity for self-control, and an attitude of self-denial and giving. It is necessary to learn how to love. This is an apprenticeship that requires years of commitment." Pope John Paul II
"Do not be afraid of the demands of the love of Christ. On the contrary, be afraid of being fainthearted, of taking things lightly, of seeking your comfort, of being selfish. Be afraid of everything that seeks to silence the voice of Christ Who addresses each person."Pope John Paul II
"The dynamism of new life is at work throughout history in apostolic service and in the mandate to pass on the Gospel. In order to touch everyone's heart it must be translated into understandable and easily accessible language." Pope John Paul II
"Let no one in your land be at ease while there is anyone whose human and Christian dignity is not respected and loved. This is true whether that person is a man, a woman, a child, an elderly or sick person, or any child of God!" Pope John Paul II
"Christians of these last years of the Second Millennium, you have an honorable yet burdensome task. You must be bearers of the Word to those who have lost its full meaning and importance." Pope John Paul II
"May prayers give wings to work, purify intentions and be a defense against the longings of materialism. And may work in its turn lead to the refreshing encounter with God in which humanity rediscovers its primordial vocation and the true meaning of its existence......" Pope John Paul II
"As Christians we should offer our memories to the Lord. Thinking about the past will not alter the reality of your sufferings of disappointments, but it can change the way you look at them....." Pope John Paul II
"How essential is it for the life of society that people not lose faith in their own work. How essential is it that they not suffer disillusionment because of this work."Pope John Paul II
"In prayer the Church concentrates on Christ; she possesses Him, savors His Friendship, and is therefore in a position to communicate Him. But by exercising faith, hope, and charity in prayer, she reinforces her power to communicate Christ." Pope John Paul II
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