Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, never did anything in a small way. She was known for her ability to parry a quick retort, make a wry observation or toss off a witticism that could catch a listener off-guard in its wisdom. Due to a stroke, the EWTN foundress had been silent for more than a decade, but her dart-like observations still hit their mark. We’ve collected a few for you, here. Most of these were found in Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality:
On Conversion:
Even the devil believes that God exists. Believing has to change the way we live.
On Faith:
Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air and a queasy feeling in the stomach.
On clarity:
If you are following God, he never shows you the end. It’s always a walk of faith.
On Trust:
Unless you are willing to do the ridiculous, God will not do the miraculous.
On Mindfulness:
Everyone drags his own carcass to market, so be careful.
On Love:
Love is not a feeling; it’s a decision.
On Mercy:
You can’t go to heaven hating somebody. Forgive now.
On Anger:
St. Jerome used to hit himself with a rock every time he lost his temper. I’d be dead as a doornail with no ribs if I did that.
On Struggle
If you’ve got a cross, carry it. It’s to make you holy.
On Reality:
Those who tell the truth love you. Those who tell you what you want to hear love themselves.
On Error:
Every moment of life is like God saying, “Look, I know you messed up the last moment, but here’s a new one.”
On Pride:
Once you contemplate the humility of Jesus in the Eucharist, how can you possibly justify your pride?
On the Courage to Suffer:
It takes a lot of guts to be in pain all day long.
On Enemies:
Don’t say, “If it weren’t for that person I could be holy.” No; you can be holy because of that person.
On Not Limiting God:
Your plans, your projects, your dreams have to always be bigger than you, so God has room to operate.
On Perseverence:
Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.
On Holiness:
Holiness is a beautiful struggle.
On Death:
I guess that is what dying must be like: to be finished and to be able to look back at the struggles of life and know that God was your constant companion.
On Serving:
God looks for dodos. A dodo doesn’t know it can’t be done. God uses dodos, and I’m a dodo.
On Worldliness:
God wants you to be in the world but so different from the world that you will change it. Get cracking.
Read of Mother Angelica’s passing, her bio and funeral details, here.
Read tributes to Mother Angelica here.
And today we celebrate...