June 27th
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop, Confessor, Founder; Marianella, Italy; Feast day August 2nd

"Ah, if faith had not assured us of it, who could ever have believed that a God, almighty, most happy, and the Lord of all, should have condescended to love man to such an extent that He seems to go out of Himself for the love of him?  We have seen Wisdom itself, that is the Eternal Word, become foolish through the excessive love He bore to man!"

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Thorens-Glieres, France; Feast day January 29th

"With what love would not our souls become enkindled at the sight of those flames which are in the Redeemer's breast!  And oh, what happiness, to be able to be consumed by that same fire with which our God burns for us!  What joy, to be united to God by the chains of love!"

St John of Avila (1499-1569), Priest, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Almodovar del Campo, Spain; Feast day May 10

"No human intellect can conceive how strongly this fire burns in the heart of Jesus Christ.  As He was commanded to suffer death once, so, had He been commanded to die a thousand times, His love had been sufficient to endure it.  And if what He suffered for all men had been imposed upon Him for the salvation of one single soul, He would have done the same for each in particular as He did for all."