St. Philip Neri said.....

[Denise]

We ought to make no account of abstinences and fasts, when there is self-will in the matter.

[Denise]

"Our Blessed Lady is the dispenser of all the favors which the goodness of God concedes to the Sons of Adam."

[Denise]

"In seeking for counsel it is necessary sometimes to hear what our inferiors think, and to recommend ourselves to their prayers."

[Denise]

"A man ought never to say one word in his own praise, however true it may be, no, not even in a joking way."

[Denise]

"Whenever we do a good work, and somebody else takes the credit of it, we ought to rejoice, and acknowledge it as a gift from God. Anyhow, we ought not to be sorry, because if others diminish our glory before men, we shall recover it with all the more honor before God."

[Denise]

"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."

[Denise]

"We ought not to publish or manifest to every one the inspirations which God sends us, or the favors He grants us. Secretum meum mihi! Secretum meum mihi!" "my secret is for me"

[Denise]

"In order to avoid all risk of vain-glory, we ought to make some of our particular devotions in our own rooms, and never seek for sweetnesses and sensible consolations in public places.

[Denise]

"The true medicine to cure us of pride, is to keep down and thwart touchiness of mind."

[Denise]

"When a man is reproved for anything, he ought not to take it too much to heart, for we commit a greater fault by our sadness than by the sin for which we are reproved."

[Denise]

"They who when they have got a little devotion think they are some great one, are only fit to be laughed at."

[Denise]

"Humility is the true guardian of chastity."

[Denise]

"When a man has fallen he ought to acknowledge it in some such way as this: 'Ah, if I had been humble I should not have fallen!' "

[Denise]

"We ought to be pleased to hear that others are advancing in the service of God, especially if they are our relations or friends; and we ought to rejoice that they share in whatever spiritual good we may have ourselves."

[Denise]

"In order the better to gain souls, in visiting the sick, we ought to imagine that what we do for the sick man we are doing for Christ Himself; we shall thus perform this work of mercy with more love and greater spiritual profit."