Ignatius of Loyola Quotes

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES whereby to conquer oneself, and order one's life, without being influenced in one's decision by any inordinate affection.

Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you.

Let me look at the foulness and ugliness of my body. Let me see myself as an ulcerous sore running with every horrible and disgusting poison.

May it please Christ our Lord to grant us true humility and abnegation of will and judgment, so that we may deserve to begin to be His disciples.

Do not put faith in constant happiness, and fear most when all smiles upon you.

The servant of God earns half a doctorate through illness

Above all, remember that God looks for solid virtues in us, such as patience, humility, obedience, abnegation of your own will - that is, the good will to serve Him and our neighbor in Him. His providence allows us other devotions only insofar as He sees that they are useful to us.

We should always be disposed to believe that that which appears white is really black, if the hierarchy of the Church so decides.

Teach us to give and not to count the cost.

God our Lord would have us look to the Giver and love Him more than His gift, keeping Him always before our eyes, in our hearts, and in our thoughts.

To conquer himself is the greatest victory that man can gain.

Discouragement is not from God.

Laugh and grow strong.

All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.

If, one day, I should offend God in any way, or grow remiss, though ever so little, in that which concerns His holy service and glory, I solemnly implore Him, rather let me die.

A religious ought to dread more being afraid of poverty than experiencing it.

The principal end both of my father and of myself in the conquest of India... has been the propagation of the holy Catholic faith.

Remember that the good angels do what they can to preserve men from sin and obtain God's honor. But they do not lose courage when men fail.

He who is devout to the Virgin Mother will certainly never be lost.

What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines.

Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants for me is only my deepest happiness.

May God our Lord never let me harm anyone when I cannot help him!

Whatever you are doing, that which makes you feel the most alive...that is where God is.

May the perfect grace and eternal love of Christ our Lord be our never-failing protection and help.

We should not have a petty regard for God's gifts, though we may and should despise our own imperfections.

God will not be outdone in generosity.

It is not the finest wood that feeds the fire of Divine love, but the wood of the Cross.

They who load us with insults and ignominies give us the means of acquiring treasures more precious than any that man can gain in this life.

Remember that bodily exercise, when it is well ordered, as I have said, is also prayer by means of which you can please God our Lord.