Victory Over Vice Quotes

“These people who are always talking, reading, and thinking about sex are like singers who think more about their larynx than about singing. They make that which is subordinate to a higher purpose so all important that the harmony of life is upset.”
― Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“Ignorance of ourselves is another reason for forgiving others. Unfortunately it is ourselves we know least; our neighbor’s sins, weaknesses, and failures we know a thousand times better than our own. Criticism of others may be bad, but it is want of self-criticism which is worse.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“One day a woman went to the saintly Father John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, in France, and said, “My husband has not been to the sacraments or to Mass for years. He has been unfaithful, wicked, and unjust. He has just fallen from a bridge and was drowned —a double death of body and soul.” The Curé answered, “Madam, there is a short distance between the bridge and the water, and it is that distance which forbids you to judge.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“Do you hate religion? Then your conscience bothers you. Do you hate the wealthy? Then you are avaricious, and you want to be wealthy. Do you hate the common worker? Then you are selfish and a snob. Do you hate sin? Then you love God. Do you hate your hate, your selfishness, your quick temper, your wickedness? Then you are a good soul, for “If any man come to me . . . and hate not his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
― Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“It is not hatred that is wrong; it is hating the wrong thing that is wrong. It is not anger that is wrong; it is being angry at the wrong thing that is wrong. Tell me your enemy, and I will tell you what you are. Tell me your hatred, and I will tell you your character.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“We are so ignorant of our true condition that we know little more of ourselves than our name and address and how much we have; of our selfishness, our envy, our detraction, our sin, we know absolutely nothing. In fact, in order that we may never know ourselves, we hate silence and solitariness.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“The only way love can be shown in this world is by sacrifice —namely, the surrender of one thing for another. Love is essentially bound up with choice, and choice is a negation, and negation is a sacrifice. When a young man sets his heart upon a young woman and asks her to marry him, he is not only saying “I choose you”; he is also saying “I do not choose, I reject, all others. I give them all up for you.” Apply this to the problem of lust.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“the only real escape from the demands of the flesh is to find something more than the flesh to love; and that Mary is the refuge of sinners.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“A few years ago, one who was generally believed to be a racketeer and murderer met death at the hands of his fellow criminals. A few minutes before his death, he asked to be received into the Church, was baptized, received First Communion, and was anointed and given the last blessing. Some who should have known better protested against the Church. Imagine! Envy at the salvation of a soul! Why not rather rejoice in God’s mercy, for, after all, did he not belong to the same profession as the thief on the right —and why should not our Lord be just as anxious to save twentieth-century thieves as first-century thieves? They both have souls. It would seem that sinful envy of the salvation of a thief is a greater sin than thievery. One thief was saved: therefore, let no one despair. One thief was lost: therefore, let no one presume.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“In fact, in order that we may never know ourselves, we hate silence and solitariness. Lest our conscience should carry on with us an unbearable repartee, we drown out its voice in amusements, distractions, and noise. If we met ourselves in others, we would hate them.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice

“We know nothing about the inside of our neighbor’s heart, and hence, we refuse to forgive. Jesus knew the heart inside out, and because He did know, He forgave. Take any scene of action, let five people look upon it, and you will get five different stories of what happened. No one of them sees all sides. Our Lord does, and that is why He forgives. Why is it that we can find excuses for our anger against our neighbor, yet we refuse to admit the same excuses when our neighbor is angry with us? We say others would forgive us if they understood us perfectly, and that the only reason they are angry with us is because “they do not understand.” Why is not that ignorance reversible? Can we not be as ignorant of their motives, as we say they are ignorant of ours? Does not our refusal to find an excuse for their hatred tacitly mean that, under similar circumstances, we ourselves will be unfit to be forgiven? Ignorance of ourselves is another reason for forgiving others. Unfortunately it is ourselves we know least; our neighbor’s sins, weaknesses, and failures we know a thousand times better than our own. Criticism of others may be bad, but it is want of self-criticism which is worse.”
― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Victory Over Vice