Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Wisdom of the Saints on the Power of Obedience


I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible. 
--Saint Teresa


It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey. 
--Saint Ignatius


Without a doubt, obedience is more meritorious than any other penance. And what greater penance can there be than keeping one's will continually submissive and obedient?
--St. Catherine of Bologna


“The power of obedience! The lake of Gennesareth had denied its fishes to Peter’s nets. A whole night in vain. Then, obedient, he lowered his net again to the water and they caught ‘a huge number of fish.’ Believe me: the miracle is repeated each day.”
–-St. Josemaria Escriva


“I often thought my constitution would never endure the work I had to do, (but) the Lord said to me: ‘Daughter, obedience gives strength.’”
–-St. Teresa of Avila



“On each occasion I say: ‘Lord, thy will be done! It’s not what this or that one wants, but what You want me to do.’ This is my fortress, this is my firm rock, this is my sure support.”
–-St. John Chrysostom

“Obedience, is rightly placed before all other sacrifices, for in offering a victim as sacrifice, one offers a life that is not one’s own; but when one obeys one is immolating one’s own will.”
--St. Gregory the Great

“The Devil doesn’t fear austerity but holy obedience.”
– St. Francis de Sales

“Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”
– St. Thomas Aquinas

'A Christian faithful to obedience, knows not delays, but prepares his ears for hearing, and his hands and his feet for labor.'
--St. Bernard of Clairvaux

“He who is his own master is a scholar under a fool.”
–-St. Bernard

No man commands safely unless he has learned well how to obey.
--Imitation of Christ

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