Maureen Dillon
12 Amazing Quotes from Saint John Paul II
During his life and his pontificate, Pope John Paul II reached many, both Catholic and non-Catholic, with the depth of his insight into the human spirit. Today, on the feast of the great, modern saint, here is a list of 12 amazing quotes from Saint John Paul II that will move, encourage and challenge you. Enjoy! Saint John Paul II, Pray for Us!
1.
"It is Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.
It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”
Address at World Youth Day, Rome, August 19, 2000
2.
"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself.”
3.
“It is the duty of every man to uphold the dignity of every woman.”
General Audience, November 24, 1982
4.
“Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5.
“A person’s rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.”
6.
"Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase."
7.
"...many women, especially as a result of social and cultural conditioning, do not become fully aware of their dignity. Others are victims of a materialistic and hedonistic outlook which views them as mere objects of pleasure, and does not hesitate to organize the exploitation of women, even of young girls, into a despicable trade. Special concern needs to be shown for these women, particularly by other women who, thanks to their own upbringing and sensitivity, are able to help them discover their own inner worth and resources. Women need to help women, and to find support in the valuable and effective contributions which associations, movements and groups, many of them of a religious character, have proved capable of making in this regard.
Women have the right to insist that their dignity be respected. At the same time, they have the duty to work for the promotion of the dignity of all persons, men as well as women."
8.
"[O]nly in Christ do we find real love, and the fullness of life. And so I invite you today to look to Christ."
“When you wonder about the mystery of yourself, look to Christ who gives you the meaning of life. When you wonder what it means to be a mature person, look to Christ who is the fullness of humanity. And when you wonder about your role in the future of the world...look to Christ. Only in Christ will you fulfill your potential...as a citizen of the world community.”
Address to High School Students
9.
"All human activity takes place within a culture and interacts with culture. For an adequate formation of a culture, the involvement of the whole man is required, whereby he exercises his creativity, intelligence, and knowledge of the world and of people. Furthermore, he displays his capacity for self-control, personal sacrifice, solidarity and readiness to promote the common good."
10.
"...to men and women there falls the task of exploring truth with their reason, and in this their nobility consists."
11.
"The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are pleasure, comfort and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish."
Homily during the Holy Mass at the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C.
12.
"Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape."
Homily during the Holy Mass on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts
What are your favorite JPII quotes?
Header Image: Pope John Paul II visit to Luxembourg/Dennis Jarvis
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