Knights of Columbus Elder Council 1195

"When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing -- they believe in anything."

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

"Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you."

"Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions."

"Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger."

"A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world---and might be even more difficult to save."

"I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it."

"Such is the way with sinners. Everything excites their suspicion; they quake at every shadow; they start at every noise; they look upon every man as an enemy."

"The Magi brought gold; you bring a temperate and virtuous spirit. They brought incense; you must offer pure prayers, which are the incense of the soul. They brought myrrh; you must bring a humble and contrite heart along with alms."

"God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain."

"Everywhere there is the persistent and insane attempt to obtain pleasure without paying for it....'Let us have the pleasure of conquerors without the pains of soldiers; let us sit on sofas and be a hardy race.' ...All around us is the city of small sins, abounding in backways and retreats, but surely, sooner or later, the towering flame will rise from the harbor announcing that the reign of the cowards is over and a man is burning his ships."

Look at my unworthiness; look at your kindness, Jesus, Son of Man, my Lord and my God. Forgive me and accept my thanks for allowing me another chance. I know my weakness. I know that without you I am nothing. Help me! Alone I cannot make one step. Let me see myself as I am.

Make me realize these graces that you have allowed. Give me tolerance, understanding, humility, patience! Above all, inflame my heart with an unquenchable love for you. Make me an alert servant, not a sloppy, tired, lazy one as I have been until now. Do not allow me, sweet Lord, to take unto myself any pride about my achievement; make me humbly realize that I am only an instrument. You know it is all for your glory.

Make me more charitable, more gentle, more understanding with people. Give me humility - then I shall be able to serve you as I must. Cure my laziness. Give me strength and determination for sacrifices and mortifications. Make me patient, controlling all irritability, anger, impatience.

Help me, O Master. Look not at the unworthiness of your servant but only on my desire to serve you. Enkindle that desire until, as a flame, it consumes me entirely! Bless all the things I do in your name. Give me understanding of what I should do and what I should run away from. Give me your love! In temporal things, give me my daily bread, and the rest as you will. Your will be done, not mine.