A great safeguard is the entire faith, the true faith, in which neither anything whatever can be added by anyone nor anything taken away; for, unless faith be one, it is not the faith.

As the world attracts us with its appearance, and abundance and variety, it is not easy to turn away from it unless in the beauty of things visible the Creator rather than the creature is loved; for, when He says, 'you shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and from all your mind, and from all your strength' (Mt. 22:37), He wishes us in nothing to loosen ourselves from the bonds of His love. And when He links the love of our neighbor also to this command, He enjoins on us the imitation of His own goodness, that we should love what He loves and do what He does.

Let no one be ashamed of the cross by which Christ has redeemed the world. None of us must be afraid to suffer for the sake of justice or doubt the fulfillment of the promises, for it is through toil that we come to rest and through death that we pass to life.

The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever.

Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.

No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ.

Beyond our grasp, He chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, He began to exist at a moment in time.