John VianneyI thought a time would come when people would rout me out of Ars with sticks, when the Bishop would suspend me, and I should end my days in prison. I see, however, that I am not w… ▶373HumanityThoughtTime
John VianneyThere is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.332Reading
John VianneyWe put pride into everything like salt. We like to see that our good works are known. If our virtues are seen, we are pleased; if our faults are perceived, we are sad. I remark th… ▶376HumanitySadness
John VianneyThe saints had no hatred, no bitterness; they forgive everything and think they deserve much more for their offenses against God.293Thought
John VianneyPrayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.261Love
John VianneyMy little children, your hearts, are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradi… ▶3510LoveSadness
John VianneyYou either belong wholly to the world or wholly to God.295Death
John VianneyThe pure soul is a beautiful rose, and the Three Divine Persons descend from Heaven to inhale its fragrance.319Reflection
John VianneyHumility is like a pair of scales: the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other. Let us humble ourselves like the Blessed Virgin and we shall be exalted.244Philosophy
John VianneyOh, how I like those little mortifications that are seen by nobody, such as rising a quarter of an hour sooner, rising for a little while in the night to pray!289Sadness
John VianneyThe man of impure speech is a person whose lips are but an opening and a supply pipe which hell uses to vomit its impurities upon the earth.225Philosophy
John VianneyWhen we receive Holy Communion, we experience something extraordinary - a joy, a fragrance, a well-being that thrills the whole body and causes it to exalt.194Life
John VianneyGod commands you to pray, but forbids you to worry.195Philosophy
John VianneyEnvy, my children, follows pride; whoever is envious is proud. See, envy comes to us from Hell; the devils having sinned through pride, sinned also through envy, envying our glory… ▶197Love
John VianneyOn this path, it is only the first step that counts.175Death
John VianneyIf people would do for God what they do for the world, what a great number of Christians would go to Heaven.208Humanity
John VianneyWhen we have been to Holy Communion, the balm of love envelops the soul as the flower envelops the bee.187Love
John VianneyA pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it is hidden in the shell, at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, this pearl w… ▶1910Thought
John VianneyPrivate prayer is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire it makes a lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them, and you get a m… ▶146Sadness
John VianneyOn the Way of the Cross, you see, my children, only the first step is painful. Our greatest cross is the fear of crosses. . . We have not the courage to carry our cross, and we ar… ▶158LoveSadness
