As soon as we are stripped of the sordid garb of avarice, we shall be clothed with the royal and imperial vest of the opposite virtue, liberality. Philip Neri More Quotes by Philip Neri More Quotes From Philip Neri Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if he wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength. Philip Neri armswantgiving A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than a downcast one. Philip Neri joyfulperfectheart We are not saints yet, but we, too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards, in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us. Philip Neri selfwisejoy Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast. Philip Neri successfuloppositesgrieving The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last. Philip Neri best-waylastsway There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder, as prayer. Philip Neri devilprayertrying He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works, and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing. Philip Neri askingwishdoe To preserve our cheerfulness amid sicknesses and troubles, is a sign of a right and good spirit. Philip Neri sicknesstroublespirit The best remedy for dryness of spirit, is to picture ourselves as beggars in the presence of God and the Saints, and like a beggar, to go first to one saint, then to another, to ask a spiritual alms of them with the same earnestness as a poor fellow in the streets would ask an alms of us. Philip Neri saintspiritualfirsts First let a little love find entrance into their hearts, and the rest will follow. Philip Neri saintheartlittles Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than not fearing the danger. For my part, when I find a man secure of himself and without fear, I give him up for lost. I am less alarmed for one who is tempted and who resists by avoiding the occasions, than for one who is not tempted and is not careful to avoid occasions. When a person puts himself in an occasion, saying, I shall not fall, it is an almost infallible sign that he will fall, and with great injury to his soul. Philip Neri humilitymenfall The cross is the gift God gives to his friends. Philip Neri crossesgiving We must sometimes bear with little defects in others, as we have, against our will, to bear with natural defects in ourselves. If we wish to keep peace with our neighbor, we should never remind anyone of his natural defects. Philip Neri bearswishlittles My Jesus, if you uphold me, I shall not fall. Philip Neri ifsfalljesus The Lord grants in a moment what we may have been unable to obtain in dozens of years. Philip Neri dozenmayyears The greatness of our love of God must be tested by the desire we have of suffering for His love. Philip Neri greatnesssufferingdesire He who is unable to spend a long time together in prayer, should often lift up his mind to God by short prayers. Philip Neri prayermindlong Christian joy is a gift of God flowing from a good conscience. Philip Neri saintchristianjoy "If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the Pater Noster, every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself." Philip Neri forgivenessmenfather Let us pray God, if He gives us any virtue or any gift, to keep it hidden even from ourselves, that we may preserve our humility, and not take occasion of pride because of it. Philip Neri pridehumilitygiving
