Christian quotations by Don Bosco: Passions

“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

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	Christian quotations by Don Bosco: Passions

John Bosco photo Christian quotations by Don Bosco "[Concerning how to speak and write about Holy Scripture when children are the audience]
Holy Scripture contains certain episodes which, revealed prematurely, may taint a child’s candor and excite his passions. A book intended for children must consider this danger and either omit or wisely cover up what could be an occasion of scandal at their tender age."

"[To teenagers]
Look, you will soon face a dangerous crisis; the devil will try to ensnare you. To start with, he will tell you that frequent Communion is good for children, not for adults, and that once in a great while is quite enough for you. Then he will do his best to keep you from sermons by making you feel bored by God’s words. He will convince you that certain things are not sinful. Then you’ll have to tussle with friends and what they might say, with [dangerous] readings, with your own passions, and so on. Be on your guard. Do not let the devil rob you of that peace of mind and purity of soul which makes you God’s friends!"

"Be guided by reason and not by passion."

"Once a man came from a distance to ask Father [St. Joseph] Cafasso what he should do to overcome his evil inclinations. Father Cafasso’s answer was quite brief: "Subdue them." The man went away satisfied. I decided to put this advice to the test and always found it quite effective. Some people think that they can pacify evil passions by giving in to them. This is a mistake. If a man has the dropsy, the more he drinks, the thirstier he becomes. Our evil inclinations are like snarling dogs, nothing will satisfy them. The more one panders them, the more they demand. An alcoholic may think that he will satisfy his craving by getting drunk, but it will only make his craving all the stronger. Do you want to banish evil thoughts? Control your sight, taste, and hearing. Give up certain kinds of talk and books. This is the only way you will still your passions, be victorious, and enjoy peace of mind."

"What do the pleasures of this world amount to? What is not eternal is worth nothing. Those who allow their passions to rule them, overtaken by death and buried in the eternal flames of hell will shriek in tears: "Fools that we were and how dreadfully wrong!""

Read other quotations by Don Bosco