October 4 - St. Francis
blessed are the peacemakers
Francis’s charity, devotion, humility, and his love for animals and nature have made him one of the most popular Christian saints. His close rapport with the animals has often inspired artists; he is often depicted preaching to the birds.
“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received--only what you have given.”
“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation. Where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice. Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.”
—Francis of Assisi
”The use of peaceful activities, not force or violence, to bring about positive change; the goal is always to help the people currently doing harmful things to see how what they are doing is wrong and change, so people are never seen as the enemy but bad, harmful ideas are the enemy.” -Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers.
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death.”“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel -Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech - December 10, 1986
“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian