To attain holiness, then, we must not only pattern our lives on Christ’s by being gentle, humble and patient, we must also imitate him in his death. – St. Basil
Nails would not have held the God-man fast to the cross, had not love held him there. – St. Catherine of Siena
The world hates Christians, so why give your love to it instead of following Christ, who loves you and has redeemed you? – St. Cyprian
It is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins. – St. Francis of Assisi
Love the difficulties of this world for the sake of eternal rewards. – St. Gregory the Great
The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first, and in truth, to enter the thicket of the cross. – St. John of the Cross
Other than the Cross there is no other ladder by which we get to heaven. – St. Rose of Lima
The key to happiness, to full human flourishing, is learning to despise what Jesus despised on the cross and to love what he loved on the cross. – St Thomas Aquinas
Like the passion of Christ itself, this sacrifice, though offered for all, has no effect except in those united to the passion of Christ by faith and charity. To these things it brings a greater or less benefit in proportion to their devotion. – St. Thomas Aquinas
Why did the Son of God have to suffer for us? There was a great need, and it can be considered in a twofold way: in the first place, as a remedy for sin, and secondly, as an example of how to act. – St. Thomas Aquinas
QUOTES BY OTHER FAITHFUL MEN & WOMEN
Saints do not crucify their flesh and its concupiscences because crucifixion is an ideal. They see through the cross: they love something beyond the cross, and for that they are willing to suffer pain. – Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Jesus on the cross is the picture of true freedom and the richest humanism. He eschewed worldly goods and loved the Fathers will. – Bishop Barron
Christ leads the disciple in one direction: the cross. – Bishop Barron
What people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross. – Flannery O’Connor
The building up of friendship happens through sharing: of time, joys, hopes, secrets, and, probably above all, sufferings. The Lord Jesus has shared his sufferings with us, so together we share ours with him, and thus the deepest of eternal friendship springs forth. – Fr. John Muir
God does not wait until the guilty come to be reconciled; He goes to meet them and reconciles them. Here we can see the true direction of the Incarnation, of the cross. – Joseph Ratzinger
Acceptance of the name “Christian” is an acknowledgment of martyrdom. – Joseph Ratzinger
The cross itself has become God’s glorification, the glory of God made manifest in the love of the Son. – Joseph Ratzinger
There is no knowledge superior to knowing the crucified Christ. If we go to this school, we will learn more about God and humankind simultaneously than if we were to look at any other source of knowledge. – Rene Girard
The more often we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of the Christians is seed. – Tertullian (~225 AD)
If you know how to suffer in silence, you will surely receive God’s help. – Thomas à Kempis
Jesus accepted Peter’s profession of faith, which acknowledged him to be the Messiah, by announcing the imminent Passion of the Son of Man. He unveiled the authentic content of his messianic kingship both in the transcendent identity of the Son of Man “who came down from heaven,” and in his redemptive mission as the suffering Servant: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Hence the true meaning of His kingship is revealed only when He is raised high on the cross. – CCC 440
