Quotes by Fr. Paul of Moll (Francis Luyckx 1824-1896)
-To a servant girl in Antwerp Father Paul said,
“Before eating, sleeping, opening or closing a door or any other action, always have the intention of doing all for the love of Jesus. In this way you will continually reap a rich harvest for heaven.”
-Very early one morning, Father Paul seeing a peasant who had come a long distance through a snowstorm to hear Mass in the church at Steenbrugge, said to him: “If you could see the immense merits which your courage has procured for you, you would be astonished, and you might yet increase them in a incredible measure, by saying, ‘All for the love of Jesus.’”
“God will not ask, ‘Have you done much?’ but, ‘have you worked for the love of God?’ Quantity is not sufficient, it is quality that is necessary.”
-One day Father Paul was seen with a large wound on his forehead. He explained that it was the effect of a blow which the devil had given him.
-“When a demon suggests a bad thought, It is easy to resist the temptation; but if one does not immediately repel it, a second demon comes at once to help the first. Afterwards, in proportion as resistance is delayed, still other demons come and combine their efforts, and when one has to battle against seven devils all at once, it is very difficult not to succumb.”
-A lady acquaintance from Knesselaere paid a visit to Father Paul and found him very ill, his head, and left arm and leg were much swollen. Father Paul explained the cause of his condition in these terms: -
“I had great pains in my head and suffered so intensely from them that I complained to Jesus. He replied to me, ‘How insignificant your sufferings are, compared with the martyrdom I suffered, when crowned with thorns!’
“Then I asked Him that I might experience the pain of only one of those thorns and, at the same instant, the torture became so great that I fainted.”
“God is infinitely good and wise. He shows His goodness towards you by sending you crosses. The more bitter your pains, the more meritorious they are. Every cross is a blessing from Heaven, a blessing which surpasses all the suffering of the world. If one were able to understand the full value of crosses, it would be a terrible torment to be deprived of them.”
“If one could understand the value of an act of love for God in suffering, one would experience the greatest grief at being obliged to pass a single moment without being able to make this meritorious act. Happy is he who, in suffering, makes acts of love!”
-“When making the Way of the Cross, try to have compassion for the sufferings of Christ; for all those who took part in His sorrows became saints as, for example, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, the good thief, the holy women and so many others.”
A young girl inquired if the misfortunes that befell her family were divine punishments. “No,” replied Father Paul, “they are trials which the good God sends in order to make you a little more like Him.” Thereupon the girl asked what would come of her. “An angel in Heaven,” he said.
-Father Paul related one of his visions to a person from Knesselaere in the following manner:-
“The Blessed Virgin appeared to me, holding the Divine Infant in her arms; he was crying bitterly and did not cease to complain. I asked Mary what was the cause of the sorrows of the little Jesus, and she replied, ‘It is because priests do not remind the faithful sufficiently of the love of God for man, and of the passion of our Savior.’
“Thereupon I promised to treat of these two subjects in my next sermon, and immediately the sadness of the Infant Jesus was changed into great joy. He threw His little arms round the neck of His Mother, and embraced her tenderly.”
-“Jesus of infinite love, I feel pity for You, for every blow, every wound, every drop of blood.”
-“Oh love, oh infinite love of Jesus, I ask You for a heart to love You more and more; to love only You!”
-An unnatural Mother, as she advanced in years, having become blind, begged Father Paul to restore her sight. The Rev. Father held a small mirror before the woman’s eyes and asked her, “Do you see now?” Oh yes,” she replied, “and oh, what a beautiful little angel.”
“Is it not the child which you killed when you were young? You must bear your misfortune in expiation of your crime.”
And she again became blind for Father Paul invariably refused to intercede in behalf of those whose affliction was the effect of sin.
-A Nun happened to be in the Benedictine church of the abbey, and saw a woman lamenting and entreating Father Paul to come to her assistance; but he abruptly turned away from her. The religious Sister was greatly affected so she followed Father Paul and ventured to ask why he acted so strangely. He replied, “It is indeed very sad, but in her youth she destroyed her child, she is now suffering the penalty of her crime, and I cannot help her.”
-A poor girl in Antwerp who had become blind, desired to obtain her recovery through Father Paul; but having no funds for the journey to Termonde, she applied to a young lady of Antwerp who was well known for her works of charity. The lady was kind enough to accompany the girl to Termonde. Great, however, was her astonishment, when she heard Father Paul say to the blind girl, “Suffer your affliction in expiation of your crime; for you put your new-born infant to death.”
-A sick woman came and asked Father Paul to cure her. She had brought a friend with her. The Rev. Father prescribed a novena and gave her the assurance of a cure. Then turning to the other woman, he asked her if she were not ill. “No,” she said, “I come only to accompany my friend.”
“Nevertheless, you are very sick,” and she replied “Father, I am not sick, I feel fine.”
“It is your soul that is sick,” said Father Paul, “it is as is as black as soot.”
“Why” the woman asked.
“Did you not drown your child?”
“Oh, no! I never did such a thing!”
“Certainly you did so, eleven years ago, at such place (indicating the exact spot) and you never confessed your crime.” The unnatural mother burst into tears and then made her confession to Father Paul.
-From a letter to the Mother Superior of a convent: “It is by love that one can overcome Almighty God; He is so sensitive to love that He can refuse us nothing.”
-“Imagine all the love of one hundred thousand mothers for their children. It is nothing in comparison with the infinite love of God.”
-“The perfections of God are infinite. In Heaven the saints will see the divine perfections succeed each other without ceasing: every moment a new perfection will be revealed to them, and so it will be through all eternity.”
-“Man finds his greatest consolation in faithfully keeping the commandments of God and the holy Church, and in having a great devotion to Mary.”
-“The more a man loves God, the more beautiful he grows in the eyes of God.”
-“God being infinite love, we can always love Him more and more.”
-“God is astonishing in His love. The more we love Him, the more He loves us. He pays us back in tenfold love, the love which we have for Him.”
-Father Paul once said to a person in Antwerp,
“I never cease saying, ‘O love! O great love! O infinite love of God!’ If men knew how pleasing this is to God, they would repeat it without ceasing; several persons have become saints in this way.”
-“Ask Jesus everything in the name of his infinite love, but especially remembering his crown of thorns.”
“If it were permitted to one of the elect to live again in this world, he would submit with joy to all the sufferings that men have ever endured here below, in order to add to his merits that which he would acquire by the recital of one Ave Maria.”
This last quote is supported by an anecdote taken from ‘The Secret of the Rosary’ by St. Louis de Montfort:
Blessed Alan also relates that a nun who had always had a great devotion to the Rosary appeared after her death to one of her sisters in religion and said to her, “If I were able to return in my body to have the chance of saying just a single Hail Mary, even without great fervour, I would gladly go through the sufferings that I had during my last illness all over again, in order to gain the merit of this prayer.”[*] It is to be noted that she had been bed-ridden and suffered agonizing pains for several years before she died.
[*]Related articles:
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-seven-sorrows-of-mary-devotion.html
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/07/devotion-to-seven-sorrows-of-mary-prayer-card.html
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/heaven-opened-by-the-practice-of-the-three-hail-marys.html
ADDENDUM
Say often during the day: “All that I shall do today, or tonight, I shall do for the love of God, so that all my actions may be actions of love. I unite myself today, or tonight, with all the acts of love made to God, both in heaven and on earth.”
Say quite often during the day, when you commence to do something, were it only moving a chair, opening or shutting a door, or any other action, “For love of Thee, Jesus and Mary.” When you have to suffer anything say, “I want to suffer it for the love of Jesus and Mary, just as Jesus and Mary has suffered all for love of me.”
Related article:
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-become-saint-how-to-love-god-etc.html
Related article:
https://against-all-heresies-and-errors.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-become-saint-how-to-love-god-etc.html
Fr. Paul of Moll advices us to say these short but fervent prayers everyday:
“Unite yourself often with God through love, at your morning and evening prayer, and say, ‘I shall do everything for the love of God that all my actions may be acts of love.’ Ask for that love through the intercession of Mary. Suffer and endure everything for the love of Jesus, as Jesus has suffered everything for love of us.
“I wish you an ardent love for God, it is the richest and most beautiful treasure you can wish or desire. All other treasures will disappear like smoke; but the treasure of love shall remain forever in heaven.
“Ask God for this beautiful treasure, for it must come from Him; men cannot procure it for you. For this reason often ask God for a heart of love that you may love Him ever more and more, and like a child of love. Add to your morning and evening prayers, “All that I shall do today, or tonight, I shall do for the love of God, so that all my actions may be actions of love. I unite myself today, or tonight, with all the acts of love made to God, both in heaven and on earth.”
“Say quite often during the day, when you commence to do something, were it only moving a chair, opening or shutting a door, or any other action, “For love of Thee, Jesus.”
When you have to suffer anything say, “I want to suffer it for the love of Jesus, just as Jesus has suffered all for love of me.” (Fr. Paul of Moll, Letters of Fr. Paul of Moll (Part 3): https://archive.org/details/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll)
He also said: “A good means of avoiding a long stay in purgatory is to die entirely resigned to the holy will of God. … A lady had met her death in a terrible railway collision near Ghent. Father Paul said that her soul has gone straight to heaven because, at the last moment, the lady cried out, “Lord, may Thy will be done.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori (c. 1760): “Say also, every day, three ‘Our Fathers’ and three ‘Hail Marys’ in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, for the graces bestowed upon Mary. The Blessed Virgin once revealed that this devotion is very pleasing to her.”
“A young girl from Scheepsdaele complained to Father Paul that she had very little time for her devotions, and even the few prayers she did say were said with many distractions. “Oh! in that case,” Father Paul replied, “you can remedy the matter by saying, in the evening, ‘May all my imperfections of this day be changed into perfections!’”
“A young girl from Scheepsdaele complained to Father Paul that she had very little time for her devotions, and even the few prayers she did say were said with many distractions. “Oh! in that case,” Father Paul replied, “you can remedy the matter by saying, in the evening, ‘May all my imperfections of this day be changed into perfections!’”
Affectionate Salutations to Mary By Fr. Paul of Moll
I greet thee, Mary, Daughter of God the Father.
I greet thee, Mary, Mother of the Son of God.
I greet thee, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
I greet thee, Mary, Temple of the Blessed Trinity.
I greet thee, Mary, white Lily of the resplendent Trinity.
I greet thee, Mary, fragrant Rose of the heavenly court.
I greet thee, Mary, Virgin full of meekness and humility, of whom the King of heaven willed to be born and nourished by thy milk.
I greet thee, Mary, Virgin of virgins.
I greet thee, Mary, Queen of martyrs, whose soul was pierced by the sword of sorrows.
I greet thee, Mary, Lady and Mistress, to whom all power has been given in heaven and on earth.
I greet thee, Mary, Queen of my heart, my sweetness, my life and all my hope.
I greet thee, Mary, Mother most amiable.
I greet thee, Mary, Mother most admirable.
I greet thee, Mary, Mother of beautiful love.
I greet thee, Mary, conceived without sin.
I greet thee, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed be the fruit of thy womb.
Blessed be thy spouse Saint Joseph.
Blessed be thy father Saint Joachim.
Blessed be thy mother Saint Ann.
Blessed be thy angel Saint Gabriel.
Blessed be the Eternal Father who hath chosen thee.
Blessed be thy Son who hath loved thee.
Blessed be the Holy Ghost who hath espoused thee.
May all those who love thee bless thee.
O Blessed Virgin, bless us all in the name of thy dear Son. Amen.
The venerable Father Paul assured one of his friends, that those who devoutly venerate Mary with these affectionate salutations may rely on her powerful protection and blessing.
Once, whilst giving a copy of these Salutations to a girl from Eecloo, Father Paul said to her, "These Salutations are so beautiful! Say them every morning. From on high, in heaven, the Blessed Virgin will then give you her blessing. "Yes, yes, would to God that you could see her! The Blessed Virgin blesses you then; I know it quite well." He said further that it is impossible not to be heard favorably when we recite these Salutations to Mary for the conversion of sinners.
Prayer for All Things Necessary for Salvation
O My God, I believe in Thee; Do Thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; Do Thou secure them. I love Thee with my whole heart; teach me to love Thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended Thee, do Thou increase my sorrow.
I adore Thee as my first beginning, I aspire after Thee as my last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor; I call upon Thee as my sovereign protector.
Vouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by Thy wisdom, to restrain me by Thy justice, to comfort me by Thy mercy, to defend me by Thy power.
To Thee, I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions and sufferings; that henceforward I may think only of Thee, speak of Thee, refer all my actions to Thy greater glory, and suffer willingly, whatever Thou shall appoint.
Lord, I desire that in all things, Thy will may be done, because it is Thy will, and the manner that Thou willest.
I beg of Thee, to enlighten my understanding, To inflame my heart, to purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.
Give me strength, O my God, to expiate my offenses, to overcome my temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper in my state of life.
Fill my heart, with tender affection, for Thy goodness, hatred of my faults, love of my neighbour, and contempt of the world.
Let me always, remember to be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends and charitable to my enemies.
Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.
O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in affliction, and humble in prosperity.
Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent at my employments, and constant in my resolutions.
Let my conscience be ever upright, and pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying and my comportment regular.
Assist me, that I may continually labour to overcome nature, to correspond with Thy grace, to keep Thy commandments, and to work out my salvation.
Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of eternity.
Grant that I may prepare for death, that I may fear Thy judgment, escape hell and in the end obtain Heaven, through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Amen.
Life and Biographies of Fr. Paul of Moll (Francis Luyckx 1824-1896):
St Gemma Galgani: Rev Father Paul of Moll
http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/2009/02/rev-father-paul-of-moll.html
The Very Rev. Father Paul Of Moll: A Flemish Benedictine And Wonder-Worker Of The Nineteenth Century, 1824-1896
https://archive.org/details/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll
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