Top 100 Saint Francis Quotes
#1. Saint Francis of Assisi understood the power of faith put into action to change the human heart, for it was he who said, "Preach the gospel always; when necessary use words." We had not yet spoken a word in their language, but the village elders had already "heard" the gospel.
Richard Stearns
#2. What chance has a Saint Francis, if his Assisi is a multicultured, financial, unyieldingly secular northern city, whose lepers and other detrimentals are charges on the public purse?
Robertson Davies
#3. Others too would occasionally entertain and privately express such doubts; though we all had been most solemnly warned by the cruel murder of Saint Francis.
Maria Monk
#4. Small yet strong in the love of God, like Saint Francis of Assisi, all of us, as Christians, are called to watch over
and protect the fragile world in which we live, and all its peoples.
Pope Francis
#5. One of the greatest sermons ever pronounced on missionary work is this simple thought attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: 'Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.' Opportunities to do so are all around us. Do not miss them by waiting too long on the road to Damascus.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
#6. Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. - Saint Francis of Assisi
Joyce Meyer
#8. Saint Francis. "When we pray to God," he said, "we must be seeking nothing - nothing.
Wayne W. Dyer
#9. To defend his purity, Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush, and Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond ... You - what have you done?
Josemaria Escriva
#10. But in disclaiming the dead, you are yourself disclaimed by the dead. If you are not prepared to blush for Alexander the Sixth, it is childishly inconsistent to take pride in the memory of Saint Francis.
Ronald Knox
#11. Christmas Eve Saint Francis and Saint Benedight Blesse this house from wicked wight; From the night-mare and the goblin, That is hight good fellow Robin: Keep it from all evil spirits, Fairies, weezels, rats, and ferrets: From curfew time To the next prime.
Thomas Cartwright
#13. When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.
Saint Francis De Sales
#15. He who can preserve gentleness amid pains, and peace amid worry multitude of affairs, is almost perfect.
Saint Francis De Sales
#16. Let us think only of spending the present day well. Then when tomorrow shall have come, it will be called today, and then we will think about it.
Saint Francis De Sales
#17. What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience.
Saint Francis De Sales
#19. Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart, which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God's will.
Saint Francis De Sales
#20. So many have come to me that I might serve them, leaving me no time to think of myself. However, I assure you that I do feel deep down within me, God be praised.
Saint Francis De Sales
#21. To be pleased at correction and reproofs shows that one loves the virtues which are contrary to those faults for which he is corrected and reproved. And, therefore, it is a great sign of advancement in perfection.
Saint Francis De Sales
#22. Obedience is a virtue of so excellent a nature, that Our Lord was pleased to mark its observance upon the whole course of His life; thus He often says, He did not come to do His Own will, but that of His Heavenly Father.
Saint Francis De Sales
#23. All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.
Saint Francis De Sales
#24. All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.
Saint Francis De Sales
#26. It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth ill-humoredly, and spoil an excellent dish by covering it with bad sauce.
Saint Francis De Sales
#28. What son would not bring his mother back to life and would not bring her into paradise after her death if he could?
Saint Francis De Sales
#32. If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently ... And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.
Saint Francis De Sales
#34. Is it not a great temptation to be so valiant in imagination and so cowardly in execution?
Saint Francis De Sales
#35. I pity the village where no one is a saint, but I also pity the village where everyone is a saint!
Nikos Kazantzakis
#37. Let us be what God likes, so long as we are His, and let us not be what we want to be, if it is against his intention.
Saint Francis De Sales
#38. The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it, and their mouths full of its praises.
Saint Francis De Sales
#39. While extremely sensitive as to the slightest approach to slander, you must also guard against an extreme into which some people fall, who, in their desire to speak evil of no one, actually uphold and speak well of vice.
Saint Francis De Sales
#43. Examine from time to time what are the dominant passions of your soul, and having ascertained this, mold your life, so that in thought, word, and deed you may as far as possible counteract them.
Saint Francis De Sales
#44. There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love - every man works his oar voluntarily!
Saint Francis De Sales
#45. It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.
Saint Francis De Sales
#46. Naturally we all have an inclination to command, and a great aversion to obey; and yet it is certain that it is more for our good to obey than to command; hence perfect souls have always had a great affection for obedience, and have found all their joy and comfort in it.
Saint Francis De Sales
#47. We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.
Saint Francis De Sales
#48. Be not miserable about what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father, who cares for you today, will care for you tomorrow.
Saint Francis De Sales
#49. The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.
Saint Francis De Sales
#50. well-meaning Christians almost killed the faith eight hundred years ago
Jon M. Sweeney
#51. The recollection of an injury is ... a rusty arrow and poison for the soul.
Francis Of Paola
#52. We are sometimes so busy being good angels that we neglect to be good men and women.
Saint Francis De Sales
#53. It is not those who commit the least faults who are the most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immediately apprehensive about tripping.
Saint Francis De Sales
#54. A dance is the devil's procession, and he that entereth into a dance, entereth into his possession.
Saint Francis De Sales
#55. Libraries are as the shrine where all the relics of the ancient saints, full of true virtue, and that without delusion or imposture, are preserved and reposed.
Francis Bacon
#56. Strive to see God in all things without exception. Do not smother yourself ... If you start smothering yourself with a host of cares and longings and wishes ... you will be disabling yourself from serving God with all your heart.
Saint Francis De Sales
#58. One great remedy against all manner of temptation, great or small, is to open the heart and lay bare its suggestion, likings, and dislikings before some spiritual adviser; for, ... the first condition which the Evil One makes with a soul, when he wants to entrap it, is silence.
Saint Francis De Sales
#60. The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not "What a lovely sermon!" but "I will do something."
Saint Francis De Sales
#61. Go in all simplicity; do not be anxious to win a quiet mind, and it will be all the quieter. Do not examine so closely into the progress of your soul. Do not crave too much to be perfect, but let your spiritual life beformed by your duties, and by the actions which are called forth by circumstances.
Saint Francis De Sales
#63. You should never praise anyone until you see how he turns out in the end!
Francis Of Assisi
#64. For every great temptation there will be many small ones. Wolves and bears are more dangerous than flies, but we are bothered most by flies.
Saint Francis De Sales
#66. God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
Saint Francis De Sales
#67. A good discourse is that from which nothing can be retrenched without cutting into the quick.
Saint Francis De Sales
#68. I have the same opinion of dances that physicians have of mushrooms: the best of them are good for nothing.
Saint Francis De Sales
#70. Faith fills a man with love for the beauty of its truth, with faith in the truth of its beauty
Saint Francis De Sales
#72. One of the most evil dispositions possible is that which satirizes and turns everything to ridicule. God abhors this vice, and has sometimes punished it in a marked manner
Saint Francis De Sales
#73. Saint John Paul II, pray for us and especially for our youth.
Pope Francis
#74. Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.
Saint Francis De Sales
#75. The highest point of humility consists in not merely acknowledging one's abjection, but in taking pleasure therein, not from any want of breadth or courage, but to give the more glory to God's Divine Majesty, and to esteem one's neighbour more highly than one's self.
Saint Francis De Sales
#77. Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.
Saint Francis De Sales
#78. [Francis of Assisi was one of the] signal figures who are catalysts for rapid change
Jon M. Sweeney
#79. Today Saint Paul has told us that in Christ we have become God's adopted children, brothers and sisters in Christ. This is who we are. This is our identity.
Pope Francis
#81. A heart-memory is better than a mere head-memory. Better to carry away a little of the love of Christ in our souls, than if we were able to repeat every word of every sermon we ever heard.
Saint Francis De Sales
#82. It is right that you should begin again every day. There is no better way to complete the spiritual life than to be ever beginning it over again.
Saint Francis De Sales
#84. We may be excused for not always being bright, but we are not excused for not being gracious, yielding and considerate.
Saint Francis De Sales
#88. By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.
Saint Francis De Sales
#89. The declared enemies of God and His Church, heretics and schismatics, must be criticized as much as possible, as long as truth is not denied. It is a work of charity to shout: 'Here is the wolf!' when it enters the flock or anywhere else.
Saint Francis De Sales
#91. Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying, but about the God to whom they pray.
Saint Francis De Sales
#92. True virtue has no limits, but goes on and on, and especially holy charity, which is the virtue of virtues, and which having a definite object, would become infinite if it could meet with a heart capable of infinity.
Saint Francis De Sales
#95. What St. Francis and St. Dominic have done, that, by God's grace, I will do.
Saint Ignatius
#96. It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.
Saint Francis De Sales
#97. Do not fret under such assistance as is needful; therein lies one great grace of poverty. It were overambitious to aim at being poor without suffering any inconvenience, in other words, to have the credit of poverty and the convenience of riches.
Saint Francis De Sales
#98. In no other action can our Savior be considered more tender or more loving than in this, in which He, as it were, annihilates Himself and reduces Himself to food, that He may penetrate our souls and unite Himself to the hearts of His faithful.
Saint Francis De Sales
#99. When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.
Saint Francis De Sales
#100. If I want only pure water, what does it matter to me whether it be brought in a vase of gold or of glass? What is it to me whether the will of God be presented to me in tribulation or consolation, since I desire and seek only the Divine will? ...
Saint Francis De Sales
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