Virtues

"Religious instruction should aim chiefly to turn men’s aspirations and efforts to that perfection of the soul, which constitutes it a bright image of God."

"There is but one true good for a spiritual being, and this is found in its perfection. Men are slow to see this truth; and yet it is the key to God's providence, and to the mysteries of life."

"This is the highest honour of the Church, that, until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons himself in some measure imperfect. What consolation is it for us to learn, that, not until we are along with him, does he possess all his parts, or wish to be regarded as complete! Hence, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, when the apostle discusses largely the metaphor of a human body, he includes under the single name of Christ the whole Church."

"We should not insist on absolute perfection of the gospel in our fellow Christians, however we may strive for it ourselves."

"Man is a being who must take his orientation by his possible perfection. To attempt to suppress this most natural of all inclinations because of possible abuses is, almost literally, to throw out the baby with the bath. Utopianism is, as Plato taught us at the outset, the fire with which we must play because it is the only way we can find out what we are. We need to criticize false understandings of Utopia, but the easy way out provided by realism is deadly. As it now stands, students have powerful images of what a perfect body is and pursue it incessantly. But deprived of literary guidance, they no longer have any image of a perfect soul, and hence do not long to have one. They do not even imagine that there is such a thing."

"In general, just as painters in working from models constantly gaze at their exemplar and thus strive to transfer the expression of the original to their own artistry, so too he who is anxious to make himself perfect in all the kinds of virtue must gaze upon the lives of the saints as upon statues, so to speak, that move and act, and must make their excellence his own by imitation."

"Why should not such perfection be enjoined on man, although in this life nobody may attain to it? The course is a right one, even if it be not known whereunto it must finally run. How, indeed, could it be known at all, unless it were pointed out in such precepts? Let us therefore “so run that we may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:23) For all who run rightly will obtain,—not as in the contest of the theatre, where all indeed run, but only one wins the prize."

"Let us, as many as are running our course to perfection, be thus resolved, that, being not yet perfected, we pursue our course to perfection along the way by which we have thus far run perfectly, in order that “when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part may be done away;” (1 Corinthians 13:10) that is, may cease to be but in part any longer, but become whole and complete."

"That is the true perfection of man to find out his imperfections."

"Culture is then properly described not as having its origin in curiosity, but as having its origin in the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection."

"The whole scope of the essay is to recommend culture as the great help out of our present difficulties; culture being a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know, on all the matters which most concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world; and through this knowledge, turning a stream of fresh and free thought upon our stock notions and habits."

"Even in our poor old country, with its aristocratic class materialized, its middle class vulgarized, its lower class brutalized, there are to be found individuals, as I have again and again said, lovers of the humane life, lovers of perfection, who emerge in all classes, and who, while they are more or less in conflict with the present, point to a better future."

"Then the King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you received me hospitably."

"A host in himself."

"The lintel low enough to keep out pomp and pride; The threshold high enough to turn deceit aside; The doorband strong enough from robbers to defend; This door will open at a touch to welcome every friend."

"Ah me, why did they build my house by the road to the market town?"

"Given to hospitality."

"For I, who hold sage Homer's rule the best, Welcome the coming, speed the going guest."

"Hospes nullus tam in amici hospitium diverti potest, Quin ubi triduum continuum fuerit jam odiosus siet."

"Hospitality sitting with gladness."

"Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men!"

"For 't is always fair weather When good fellows get together With a stein on the table and a good song ringing clear."

"True friendship's laws are by this rule express'd, Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest."

"Axylos, Teuthranos's son that dwelt in stablished Arisbe; a man of substance dear to his fellows; for his dwelling was by the road-side and he entertained all men."

"He kept no Christmas-house for once a yeere, Each day his boards were fild with Lordly fare: He fed a rout of yeoman with his cheer, Nor was his bread and beefe kept in with care; His wine and beere to strangers were not spare, And yet beside to all that hunger greved, His gates were ope, and they were there relived."

"If my best wines mislike thy taste, And my best service win thy frown, Then tarry not, I bid thee haste; There's many another Inn in town."

"When friends are at your hearthside met, Sweet courtesy has done its most If you have made each guest forget That he himself is not the host."

"I charge thee, invite them all: let in the tide Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide."

"I am your host; With robbers' hands my hospitable favours You should not ruffle thus."

"My master is of churlish disposition And little recks to find the way to heaven By doing deeds of hospitality."

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

"Do not forget hospitality, for through it some unknowingly entertained angels."

"Share with the holy ones according to their needs. Follow the course of hospitality."

"So saying, with despatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent."

"But all his mind is bent to holiness, To number Ave-Maries on his beads; His champions are the prophets and apostles, His weapons holy saw of sacred writ, His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves Are brazen images of canonized saints."

"Whoso lives the holiest life Is fittest far to die."

"God attributes to place No sanctity, if none be thither brought By men who there frequent."

"Where'er we tread 'tis haunted, holy ground."

"Might make a saintship of an anchorite."

"Do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”"

"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."

"I am holy because I know the names of two feet wherewith thou wouldst walk upon me."

"Thy throne hath descended unto thy son Horus, and the god Tem hath decreed that thy course shall be among the holy princes. In truth he shall rule from thy throne, and he shall be heir to the throne of the Dweller in the fiery Lake [Neserser]. In truth it hath been decreed that in me he shall see his likeness, and that my face shall look upon the face of the Lord Tem. How long then have I to live? It is decreed that thou shalt live for millions of years, a life of millions of years. Let it be granted to me to pass on to the holy princes, for indeed, I have done away all the evil which I committed, from the time when this earth came into being from Nu, when it sprang from the watery abyss even as it was in the days of old."

"I am the holy lotus that cometh forth from the light which belongeth to the nostrils of Ra, and which belongeth to the head of Hathor. I have made my way, and I seek after him, that is to say, Horus. I am the pure lotus that cometh forth from the field [of Ra]."

"I am exalted like that holy god who dwelleth in the Great House. The gods rejoice greatly when they see my beautiful appearances from the body of the goddess Nut, and when the goddess Nut bringeth me forth."

"Homage to you, O ye divine Lords of things, ye holy beings, whose seats are veiled! Homage to you, O ye Lords of Eternity, whose forms are concealed, whose sanctuaries are mysteries, whose places of abode are not known!"

"Grant thou that I may reach the heaven of eternity, and the region where thy favoured ones dwell. May I unite with those holy and perfect Spirit-souls of ."

"Homage to thee, O thou who comest as the Soul of Souls, the Holy One in Amentet."

"Homage to you, O ye gods of the Tuat, whose faces are turned back, whose powers advance, conduct ye me to the Star-gods which never rest. Prepare ye for me the holy ways to the Hemat house, and to your god, the Soul, who is the mighty one of terror. hath commanded me to lift up your faces; do ye look upon me. I have risen up like a divine hawk. Horus hath made me to be a Spirit-body by means of his Soul, and to take possession of the things of Osiris in the Tuat."

"I look upon the holy things which are hidden. I see the being who is therein. ... I shall see the gods [and] the Eye of Horus burning with fire before my eyes. They shall reach out their hands to me. I shall stand up. I shall be master of him that would subject me to restraint. They shall open the holy paths to me, they shall see my form, they shall listen to my words."