Daily Inspiration- 365 Quotes From Saints

by Wyatt North

  “Our own evil inclinations are far more dangerous than any external enemies.”

  – St. Ambrose of Milan

  Ambrose was fearless in his defense of the Faith and espousing the gospel. Even the emperor was not immune to Ambrose’s chastisement for wrongdoing. When the emperor ordered the execution of 7,000 people in retribution for the murder of a Roman governor, Ambrose excommunicated the emperor and required him to do penance in public for not following the gospel and causing the deaths of so many innocents for the sin of one man.

  “No one heals himself by wounding another.”

  – St. Ambrose of Milan

  There’s an interesting reason for St. Ambrose being the patron saint of beekeepers. The story is that a swarm of bees landed on the face of the infant Ambrose, leaving behind a drop of honey when they flew away. Ambrose was not harmed, and his father saw the single drop of honey as a sign that his son would grow up to be a gifted speaker, which was, in fact, the case. Whether entirely a natural gift or the result of studying rhetoric and law, Ambrose was known to speak and write eloquently with the goal of spreading the gospel.

  “The Lord was baptized, not to be cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of baptism.”

  – St. Ambrose of Milan

  In the year 374, Ambrose enjoyed great popularity as Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy. Amid great controversy over the selection of a successor to the Bishop of Milan after his death, Ambrose traveled to the church where the election was to be held, hoping to prevent a crisis. As he addressed the assemblage, a great cry went up for Ambrose himself to become bishop, though he had never been baptized or formally trained in theology. Considering himself unqualified, Ambrose fled the crowd and hid away in a friend’s home. But when a letter applauding the choice of Ambrose was received from the Emperor, Ambrose’s friend refused to conceal him, and within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained, and consecrated as bishop of Milan.

  “By Christ's Passion our weakness was cured. By His Resurrection death was conquered. Still we have to be sorrowful for the world, as well as joyful in the Lord, sorrowful in penance, joyful in gratitude.”

  – St. Ambrose of Milan

  Ambrose is said to have resurrected an infant while staying in the home of Decentius, a prominent citizen or Florence. While Ambrose was away on a trip, the infant son of Decentius died, and the mother laid him upon Ambrose’s bed. When Ambrose returned from his trip, he laid upon the child’s body, emulating the actions by which Elisha resurrected the son of a rich woman of Sunam in gratitude for her hospitality. Through his prayers, Ambrose restored life to the son of Decentius.

  “When we find ourselves in some grave danger, we must not lose courage but firmly trust in God, for where there is the greatest danger, there is also the greatest help from Him who wants to be called our 'Help' in times of peace and in times of tribulation.”

  – St. Ambrose of Milan

  Ambrose of Milan died in Rome on the eve of Easter in the year 397. His death was accompanied by several miracles, including his appearance in a vision to a group of children who were being baptized that night. He was interred beneath the altar in the Ambrosian basilica in Milan, between the bodies of St. Gervase and St. Protase. In 1298, St. Ambrose was named a Doctor of the Church for his vigorous defense of the Church in trying times.

  “If we strive for goals, relishing in the pleasure of circumstance, nothing is enjoyable, and life becomes purposeless.”

  – St. Andrew

  The brother of Simon Peter, Andrew is known as the First Called, for having been the first of the Apostles to follow Jesus. While Peter was a gifted and persuasive speaker, Andrew was regarded as practical and apparently played an administrative role among the disciples of Jesus. His practical nature is seen in the account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish in Galilee. It was Andrew who called Jesus’ attention to the young boy who had the five loaves and two fish. It was also Andrew who pointed out the inadequacy of that small amount of food to satisfy the multitudes. Like Jesus, Andrew died on the cross, but it took him two days to succumb. According to the sixth century story of the Passion of Andrew, the Apostle came to the cross full of joy and confidence: “O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty and beauty of the Lord's limbs!... Take me, carry me far from men, and restore me to my Teacher, so that, through You, the One who redeemed me by You, may receive me. Hail, O Cross; yes, hail indeed!"

  “It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.”

  – St. André Bessette

  Alfred Bessette (1845-1937) was a sickly child, who grew into a sickly young man, and was fired from one job after another for not being strong enough to do much work. Though he was accepted into the novitiate of the Holy Cross Brothers, he once again was asked to leave, but a visiting bishop was impressed with his devotion to God and Saint Joseph and allowed him to stay. He took the name Brother Andre and worked as the doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal for forty years. His greatest desire was to build a mountaintop chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph, but the Archbishop told him he could build one only if he could pay for it. After years of collecting nickels and dimes and quarters, he had a few hundred dollars saved and began building, a little at a time, as he collected more donations, many of them from people who experienced healing on the mountaintop. His deep devotion to St. Joseph was his motivation to keep persevering. When the chapel was done, he started to build a basilica, but he didn’t live to see it finished. The sickly man who was considered too weak to do any work of value lived to the age of 92, never wavering in his devotion. He was canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.

  “I urge you to remain steadfast in faith, so that at last we will all reach heaven and there rejoice together.”

  – St. Andrew Kim Taegon

  Andrew Kim Taegon was the first Korean-born priest and pastor and became the patron saint of Korea. The son of Korean Christian converts, he attended seminary in Macao, China and was ordained in Shanghai. After its introduction into Korea by Japanese Christian soldiers during the Japanese invasion of 1592, Christianity flourished under lay leadership during the 17th century, even while Korea was a closed society. However, the 19th century saw three terrible waves of persecution in 1839, 1866, and 1867. A total of 103 Korean Christians, mostly lay people, were tortured and martyred, Andrew’s father among them. Eight years after his father’s execution, Andrew was helping smuggle missionaries into Korea in 1847 when he was arrested, tortured, and beheaded. During his visit to Korea in 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized Andrew Kim Taegon, the married lay apostle Paul Chong Hasang, 98 other Koreans, and three French missionaries persecuted and martyred between 1839 and 1867.

  “Behold thy lofty origin and bethink thee of the due of love thou owest thy Creator.”

  – St. Anselm of Canterbury

  By nature a gentle, peace-loving man and a brilliant scholar, St. Anselm came into the priesthood and rose in the Church in a time of rampant conflict. Known for his philosophical and theological writings, in 1093 at the age of 63, he reluctantly accepted his appointment as archbishop of Canterbury. As archbishop he often found himself opposing the crown as England’s King William Rufus, and then his successor, King Henry I, resisted efforts to reform the Church in England. Anselm chose voluntary exile on two occasions to remove himself from the fray. He is perhaps known best for his theological treatises.

  “When I am before the Blessed Sacrament, I feel such a lively faith that I can't describe it. Christ in the Eucharist is almost tangible to me...When it is time for me to leave, I have to tear myself away from His sacred presence.”

  – St. Anthony of Claret

  The founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretions, had the gift of prophecy, and many of his prophecies are well documented. One prophecy occurred while Anthony was serving as Arc
hbishop of Santiago in Cuba. He told those who would not heed his words that God would give them a sign, and shortly thereafter Santiago was rocked by the strongest earthquake in memory, followed by numerous aftershocks every day for weeks. Anthony told the people that the earthquakes were the sign he had told them to expect from God, and then he went on to predict that if they did not change their ways, God would strike them with cholera and pestilence. Within a short time, cholera broke out and swept through the city, killing ten percent of the population in three months.

  “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”

  – St. Anthony of Padua

  Today, we speak of people “reinventing” themselves when they make drastic changes in their lives. Anthony’s life changed directions several times, always at God’s calling, though to observers it may have appeared to be a matter of chance. Born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal, he felt called to study at the Abbey of Santa Cruz in what was then the capital of Portugal, Coimbra. As a young priest, he was given responsibility for providing hospitality for the Abbey’s guests which brought him into contact with the Franciscans. He soon asked permission to leave and join the new Franciscan Order, where he changed his name to Anthony. Hoping to be martyred, he went to Morocco to spread the Faith to the Moors, but he was soon sent back to Portugal to recover from a serious illness. When his ship was blown off course, Anthony ended up in Tuscany where he lived as a hermit for a while before a chance invitation to deliver a sermon without preparation led to another chapter in his life as a renowned preacher.

  “The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.”

  – St. Anthony of Padua

  Anthony died in 1231 at the young age of 36 and was canonized the following year, among the quickest canonizations ever. One of the miracles attributed to Anthony, the miracle of the mule, attests to his fervent desire to convert heretics. He believed that not partaking of the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist was as self-destructive as refusing food. A heretic told Anthony he would only believe in Christ’s presence in the consecrated host if his mule would bow down to it. During the three days before the test, the man starved his mule, yet at the appointed hour, the mule chose the host offered by Anthony over the handful of grain held out by the heretic.

  “Consider every day that you are then for the first time beginning; and always act with the same fervor as on the first day you began.”

  – St. Anthony of Padua

  Many people of Anthony’s time praised his talent as a speaker and his fervor in reaching out to nonbelievers. This is nowhere more apparent than in the story of the miracle of the fishes. After preaching to the heretics in Rimini for several days without changing their hearts, Anthony stood on the shore where the river met the sea and said, “Listen to the word of God, O ye fishes of the sea and the river, seeing that the faithless heretics refuse to do so.” A multitude of fish of different species arranged themselves in rows before him and lifted their heads from the water to hear his words. As Anthony continued to preach, the fish bowed their heads in reverence to God, and the heretics who witnessed the sight opened their hearts to his words and embraced the faith he spoke of so eloquently.

  “The birds are the saints, who fly to heaven on the wings of contemplation, who are so removed from the world that they have no business on earth. They do not labour, but by contemplation alone they already live in heaven.”

  – St. Anthony of Padua

  There’s a story behind St. Anthony being the patron saint of lost things. In his time, the printing press had not yet been invented, so books had to be copied laboriously by hand and were therefore of great value. A novice who left the order took with him a book of psalms that was especially valuable to Anthony because it contained notes he used while teaching. When Anthony noticed that it was missing, he prayed that someone would find and return it. The novice had a change of heart and not only returned the book but also returned to the order. Not only is St. Anthony known for restoring lost objects, but he is also known for restoring lost faith because of his success in converting heretics.

  “Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul.”

  – St. Anthony of Padua

  In Anthony’s time, many clergymen who preached the Gospels had no qualms about displaying their own personal wealth. The poor to whom they were preaching had trouble relating to their privileged lifestyle—a lifestyle that Anthony found antithetical to the lessons of the Gospels. Anthony believed that he could only be an effective preacher of the Gospels by living a life of gospel poverty and humility. The crowds found the example of Anthony’s life as compelling and instructive as his words.

  “Thus united to them in the fellowship of life, he will both understand the things revealed to them by God and, thenceforth escaping the peril that threatens sinners in the judgment, will receive that which is laid up for the saints in the kingdom of heaven.”

  – St. Athanasius

  Athanasius was repeatedly forced into exile while serving as archbishop of Alexandria during decades of conflict between the Church and Arianism. The Arians did not believe that Jesus was fully divine, while Athanasius strongly defended the doctrine that Jesus was truly God. In exile, Athanasius lived among the religious hermits in the Egyptian desert, moving from one hermitage to another and gaining a true appreciation of monastic ascetism.

  “These are fountains of salvation that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take out from these.”

  – St. Athanasius

  Athanasius, born in 296 to a well-regarded Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, was destined from an early age for a life in the Church and received an education in philosophy, theology, rhetoric, and law. When Athanasius was only a boy, Bishop Alexander of Alexandria saw him baptizing some other children and assumed they were playing. But when Alexander spoke with the boys, he was impressed by their sincerity, declared the baptisms legitimate, and decided that all of them should train as priests. Athanasius would eventually become Alexander’s successor as bishop of Alexandria.

  “Jesus that I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God.”

  – St. Athanasius

  Athanasius spent most of his life defending the faith against Arianism, which argued against the true divinity of Jesus. His actions earned him the names "Father of Orthodoxy," "Pillar of the Church," and "Champion of Christ's Divinity,” and eventually the title of Doctor of the Church. While bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, he was exiled to northern Gaul by the Emperor Constantine, the first of five times he would be exiled for defending the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. During the relatively peaceful periods in this life, Athanasius wrote theological and historical treatises that attacked Arianism from every angle. His most popular work, however, was his biographical Life of Saint Anthony, which promoted something very important to him—the ideals of monastic life.

  “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.”

  – St. Augustine

  Born in 354 to a Christian mother, Monica, who would eventually be canonized herself, and a pagan father, Patricius, in Numidia, Augustine had the advantage of a Christian education. But in his teens, he fell into a profligate lifestyle and entered a 15-year relationship with a concubine who bore him a son. He was as seduced by various philosophies as he was by excessive drink, the theater, and other pleasures of city life. After 17 years of his mother’s prayers for him to return to Christianity, at the age of 29 he left Africa for Italy, came under the influence of Bishop Ambrose, an
d embraced Christianity as the true faith. Augustine was baptized by Ambrose in 387 and was ordained in 391. As a priest he refuted the same ideas he had once espoused and had great success in fighting heresy. At 42, he became Bishop of Hippo. Continuing to write prolifically, as he had through most of his life, he vigorously defended the faith against attack by competing philosophies and theological views and played a key role in shaping Western Christianity. Augustine succumbed to illness at 76, was canonized by popular acclaim, and was recognized as a Doctor of the Church in 1298. He is recognized as the patron saint of brewers, in recognition of his understanding of those who overindulge in alcohol and other vices.