Saint Quotes Give Guidance to Live an Inspiring Life

It’s through saint quotes that we can learn to follow the examples set down by these exemplary individuals.

“You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” — St. Therese of Lisieux
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.” — St. Francis
“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.” — St. Gregory Nazianzen
“If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!” — St. Catherine of Siena
“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.” — St. Francis of Assisi
“The dress of the body should not discredit the good of the soul” — St. Cyprian
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” — St. Augustine
“We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.” — St. Francis de Sales
“A faint faith is better than a strong heresy.” — St. Thomas More
“Teach us to give and not count the cost.” — St. Ignatius de Loyola
“Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity.” — St. Vincent de Paul
“Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds.” — St. Teresa of Avila
“To love God is something greater than to know Him.” — St. Thomas Aquinas
“It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.” — St. Edmund
“Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?” — St. Gerard Majella

Saints are canonized in faith as people who have achieved extraordinary status.

They’re often seen as embodying such high morals and values that they transcend what it means to be just flesh and blood.

It’s why saints become part of imagery, stories and teachings!

Saints leave behind inspirational deeds and words that serve as a method for us to follow them into the afterlife.

And though we may not be saints ourselves, we can still learn a thing or two from the lessons they have to teach us.

When we let saints become our role models and our guides through life, we can more easily forge our path to an everlasting eternity.

Saint quotes show how to live every day with good intentions

The first and most important rule saints teach us is to live with good intentions.

Paul the Apostle, Mother Teresa, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and a myriad other saints have this in common, despite the other good things that led to their canonization.

If we look past the individual deeds of each saint and connect them by their intentions, it forms a very clear path of principle.

In taking heed of inspirational saint quotes and understanding what drives these saintly actions, we can better emulate these inspirational figures in our own lives.

You don’t have to travel the world feeding the hungry and clothing the homeless to live a saint-like life.

Put others before yourself

All you need to do is be selfless and make the most of every day and each opportunity you’re given.

Do a good deed for someone, take a selfless path and put others before yourself.

These are the traits that every saint has rooted themselves in and the fundamental steps towards living a life of altruism and goodness.

It’s also important to realize that not every good intention results in a good action.

You may have the best intentions at heart but be unable to follow through with them. This doesn’t make you a bad person!

Just remember to never stop living with these good intentions.

Quotes about saints help you be the best version of yourself

We canonize saints because they represent the purest, truest versions of what we want to be.

St. Dominic De Guzman was the embodiment of total truth, while St. Thomas Aquinas was known for his pursuit of reason and philosophical morality.

We may never reach the immortalized status of these saints, but we’re not supposed to—they’re merely an example for us to follow.

When we strive to be like the saints we look up to, we’ll end up living up to the best version of ourselves.

Faith

If you go to church and learn about the good deeds of Pope St. John XXIII, the “caretaker pope,” and decide to live your life by his example, you’ll be embodying the catholic faith.

In this way, saints and beatified popes are true role models, because they inspire others to strive to be better.

The best version of yourself may not be saintly, but it certainly will be honorable.

As you strive to be the best version of yourself and follow the example of a saint, reflect on some of the best saint quotes about how to live a Christian life.

You’ll find that they’re not filled with cryptic teachings or riddles to solve—just plain and simple advice for how to live like a saint.

Trust in God’s guidance

Saints were more than just individuals who did great deeds and set a perfect example—they’re also clearly defined figures of piety.

Every saint, regardless of his or her actions, had a fundamental faith in God that helped drive them to do the right things in their life.

And, they’ve all recognized the role God played in their lives.

For this, they’ve been elevated beyond just role models, to the level of religious figures—saints.

Saint quotes on hope

Evidence of their strong piety can be found in saint quotes on hope, struggle and perseverance.

Every saint has spoken at length about their lives and their deeds, which has provided us with wonderful examples of how to think, act and worship.

By looking at the words of St. Thomas More or St. Augustine, we can learn what it means to be a devout and faithful servant of religion, as well as a good human being and an honorable individual.

It’s critical to understand that saints are merely examples of something greater.

True worship should always be towards God.

Saints are just his example of how we can achieve our fullest potential on earth—whether we choose to help others, spread the word of God, enrich our world or simply teach others to be kind.

Never think twice about acting selflessly

Selflessness is a common theme among saints and the subject of many saint quotes.

This isn’t a coincidence!

Christianity preaches selflessness and piety and saints are the embodiment of these traits.

A selfless, wholesome approach to life is what drove many saints to do the things they did.

St. Teresa put her health second to those who needed care, while St. Ignatius focused on teaching others the path to inner peace through Jesus.

The first and best teachings of saints

When we learn to put others before ourselves, we’re recognizing the first and best teachings of saints.

And while we may never wander across continents giving the clothes off our back or gather crowds of thousands together in prayer, simply doing good deeds and putting the needs of others above our own is enough to bring us closer to saintliness.

We may not be canonized or beatified for our good deeds, but they’ll be recognized in the afterlife, when the time comes to face the life we led.

There is no singular way to sainthood and every canonized saint has a different story.

What this teaches us is that regardless of the person you are, a few fundamental things—like selflessness, piety and goodness—are all it takes to immediately begin living a better life.

Helping others is the simplest thing you can do, with the greatest effect on the world.

Altruism brings you closer to God

There are many saint quotes on love, because many saints were full of love!

They had love for God, love for their fellow human being and most of all, love for their purpose.

Love is a powerful emotion and, if saints are any indication, one of the most transformative forces we can harness.

If you’re trying to live a better life filled with altruism and goodness, open your heart to love. Love will give you the power to embrace the teachings of so many saints who have lived before you.

Sainthood

You may never find yourself in sainthood, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t live each day of your life as though you’re working towards it!

Live each day with good intentions, open yourself up to God’s calling, act with altruism and be the best version of yourself.

This alone is what will put you in good company with the saints we look up to for guidance.

We hope you were inspired by the above inspiring saint quotes, which are part of our spiritual quotes series.

What are the best saint quotes you know? Share them with us in the comments below to inspire others to find the same positivity you’re working toward!