#edel15 The Quotes

As you can probably imagine, coming home after a weekend away means spending all day Monday catching up. I’ve got some laundry to start, some meals to plan, a grocery list to compile and approximatley 1 million social media notifications and messages to respond to. Wowzers.

Plus, I’m getting a late start to my day since last night I woke up to a bat flying around my head, trying to get out a nearby window. This resulted in my cowering under the covers, then running to the upstairs bathroom and locking myself inside while my husband tried to hunt down the culprit for almost two hours. It was quite an adjustment to go from the most comfortable bed EVER at the Francis Marion to the floor of my bathroom (which thankfully I had recently cleaned.) Needless to say, I didn’t get any sleep on the cool laminate floor of my panic room.

So ANYWHO-I’m not typing out some deep reflection on the weekend today. Because LIFE. But there have been multiple requests for the quotes that I used during my talk. I’m still learning to be a speaker; finding my groove, learning what to share and how to do so with humor and grace. In the mean time, I do rely on a good many quotes to fill in where I don’t quite know what to say.  If you weren’t at Edel, hopefully you’ll find some gems in here. I’ve listed them in the order presented.

“You have been chosen twice; first to be, then to know Jesus. What are you doing with that fantastic mission? You have been created by God and know Jesus for one reason; to witness to faith and hope and love before an unbelieving world. I don’t care if the world knows you, or no one knows you. Even if you influence only one person in your whole life, God does not look at numbers or quantities. He looks at souls and individuals. If you were able, by your example or by one of your acts to bring one person to heaven, it would mean more to Him than all the accomplishments on earth.” -Mother Angelica

“You are unhappy? Think: there must be an obstacle between God and me. You will seldom be wrong.” -St. Josemaria Escriva

“Contentment is not inconsistent with our endeavor to have our condition improved. We do everything we can as if all depended on us but we trust in God as if everything depended on him.” – Ven. Arbp. Fulton Sheen

“Our Lady suffered with her Son. You’ve got to suffer with her Son too, and so do I. Jesus says, “take your cross upon yourself and I will help you with it. Learn of Me.” We don’t often think of God trusting us. When we haved crosses and more crosses on top of them, He is trusting us. If you accept them obediently and go forward with His help, your soul is being purified bit by bit and becomes beautiful before the Lord.” – Mother Angelica

“Our lives for the most part are made up of little things and by these our character is to be tested. there are very few who have to take a prominent place in the great conflicts of our age; the vast majority must dwell in humbler scenes and be content to do more humble work. The conflicts which we have to endure either against evil in our own soul or in the moral circle where our influence would seem to be the most trivial are in reality the struggle of the battle for the life and decency and true heroism is shown here as well as in those grander scales in which others win the leaders fame or the martyr’s crown. Little duties carefully discharged; little temptations earnestly resisted with the strength which God supplies, little sins crucified, these all together help to form that character which is to be described not as popular or glamorous but as moral and noble.” -Ven. Arbp. Fulton Sheen

“I know that true charity consists in bearing our neighbors defects- not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.” -St. Theresa of Liseaux

“When something painful or disagreeable happens to me, instead of a melancholy look, I answer by a smile. At first I did not succeed, but now it has become a habit which I am glad to have acquired.” -St. Theresa of Liseaux

“Happiness is not always ours. It is very short lived sometimes. We all know that. But joy is forever. “Your hearts will be full of joy, the lord tells us and that joy no one shall take from you. John 16:22. Se joy is the acceptance of God’s Will, whether it is a crust of bread or a fresh loaf, whether it is being throttled in the snow, or sitting before a warm fire. If God allows it, or admits it, or ordains it what’s the difference. It’s there. In the acceptance of whatever happens, lies perfect joy.” -Mother Angelica

“Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards in self respect and respect from others and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time and thus see ourselves for a moment as the all wise God see us.” -St. Philip Neri

“The beginning of all temptation lies in a wavering mind and little trust in God, for as a rudderless ship is driven hither and yon by waves, so a careless and irresolute man is tempted in many ways. Fire tempers iron and temptation steels the just. Often we do not know what we can stand, but temptation shows us what we are.
Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.” -St. Francis De Sales

“Every time you bless yourself, it’s like punching the devil in the face.” (okay this one is mine)

“Oh blessed perseverance of the donkey that turns the water wheel! Always the same pace, always the same circles. one day after another, everyday the same. Without that, there would be no ripeness in the fruit, nor blossom in the orchard nor scent of flowers in the garden.” -St. Josemaria Escriva

“The least significant trifle becomes a great thing if the alternative of obedience or rebellion is involved in it. To live by the day and to watch each step is the true pilgrimage method, for there is nothing little if God requires it.” -Ven. Arbp. Fulton Sheen