Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
“In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue; in the Cross is perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.”
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) The Inner Life
“The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. The cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it is not one inch too large nor one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy name, anointed it with His grace, perfumed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Camillus wanted to have on his habit the Sign of the Cross in order ‘to demonstrate that this is a religion of the Cross… so that those who want to follow our way of life will get ready… to follow Jesus Christ unto death’. He wanted it to be dark red ‘because more like the true wood of the most holy Cross on which the Redeemer of the World died and was appended’.
St Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)
“Oh cherished cross! Through thee my most bitter trials are replete with graces!”
St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775
“Everything is a reminder of the Cross. We ourselves are made in the shape of a cross.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“Let us not forget, that Jesus not only suffered but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection, by way of suffering and the Cross.”
St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)
“There is line from the illuminator of the St John’s Bible that states: “We have to love our way out of this.” There is nothing wimpy or namby-pamby or blind about this conviction. When we love extravagantly, we are not purposely blinding ourselves to moral realities— just the contrary.
Love is not a sentiment, but “a harsh and dreadful thing,” as Dostoevsky said.
This is just what Jesus shows on His terrible cross. And this is just what we, His followers, must imitate. Taking up the cross means, not just being willing to suffer but being willing to suffer as He did, absorbing violence and hatred through our forgiveness and nonviolence.”
Bishop Robert Barron
(via Quote/s of the Day - 14 September - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)