Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
“Such should be the shepherd
in the Church who, like Paul,
becomes all things to all men,
so that the sick may find healing in him;
the sad, joy;
the desperate, hope;
the ignorant, instruction;
those in doubt, advice;
the penitent, forgiveness and comfort
and finally, everyone,
whatever is necessary, for salvation.
And so Christ, when He wished
to appoint the chief teachers
of the world and of the Church,
did not limit Himself to saying to his disciples:
‘You are the light of the world’;
but also added these words:
‘A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle
and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick,
that it may shine to all who are in the house.’
Those churchmen err, who imagine,
that it is by brilliant preaching,
rather than by holiness of and all-embracing love,
they fulfil their office.“
“If you have too much to do, with God’s help, you will find time to do it all.”
St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
“Among the Jesuit saints, it is Peter Canisius
that brought me into the Society of Jesus…
as we go on, you will see, what influence
St Peter has had on this sinner. “
“(St Peter Canisius had) an extraordinary devotion
to the Holy Eucharist – his devotion to the Holy Sacrifice
were such that people would come from great distances
to watch him offer Mass, so devoutly did he celebrate.
He was one of the people that urged frequent Communion
at the Council of Trent and was one of those who got
the Council of Trent to pass a little known decree,
little known because it took almost three hundred years
for that decree to really come to life.
The Council of Trent, mind you, sixteenth century,
encouraged daily Communion – you would never guess it, would you?
Peter Canisius was one of those who, under instructions from Ignatius,
made sure that the Council passed that decree
and he spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament.”
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