02 May  Athanasius, bishop

You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading, and as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed in his progress.

 

If the son is a king, the mother who begot him is rightly and truly considered a queen and sovereign.

 

05 May  Hilary of Arles, bishop

However great a sinner we may have been, if we show ourselves devout to Mary, we will never perish.

 

09 May  Pachomius

The spiritual combat in which we kill our passions to put on the new man is the most difficult struggle of all.  We must never weary of this combat, but fight the holy fight fervently and without stopping.

 

10 May  John of Avila

Christ tells us that if we want to join him, we shall travel the way he took.  It is surely not right that the son of God should go his way on the path of shame while the sons of men walk the way of worldly honor.

 

Just as the father gave us the great gift of his son to be our Redeemer, so also the son gives us the great gift of his blessed Mother to be our advocate.  When he said to John at the foot of the cross: "Behold your mother!"  He said it to him representing all Christians.

 

12 May  Germanus of Constantinople

Mary is holier than the saints, loftier than the heavens, more glorious than the cherubim, and more worthy of our praise than any other creature.

 

The prayers of this mother have a certain maternal authority with Jesus Christ; so that she obtains the grace of pardon even for those who have been guilty of grievous crimes, and who commend themselves to her.

 

14 May  Mary Mazzarello

Laugh and play and dash about as much as you like, only be careful not to say or do anything that would be displeasing to God.

17 May  Bruno of Wurzburg, bishop

Jesus, son of Mary, has no likeness among me, nor has Mary any likeness among women.  She is the most beautiful of the living; she is a splendid dawn rising. 

 

20 May  Bernadino of Siena

No sooner had Mary consented to be mother of the eternal Word, than she merited by this consent to be made queen of the world and of all creatures.

 

You must practice first, all that you desire to teach others.

 

22 May  Rita of Cascia, widow

The more we indulge ourselves in soft living and pamper our bodies, the more rebellious they will become against the spirit.

 

25 May  Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress

It show weakness of mind to hold too much to the beaten track through fear of innovations.  Times change and to keep up with them, we must modify our methods.

26 May  Philip Neri

Never trust to yourself, either on the ground of experience, or length of time, or age, or sickness; but always fly from every occasion of danger as long as you have strength to raise your eyelids.

 

Entire conformity and resignation to the divine will is truly a road on which we cannot go wrong, and it is the only road that leads us to taste and enjoy that peace of which sensual and earthly men know nothing.