Faith and Religion

The present system aims at pushing God out of all areas of public life; they even want to prevent people from using the name of God – but for profane purposes. God ought to disappear from all our customs and habits. In the Oblates on the contrary the good God shall have a say in everything. (Chapter 1891)

Quite frequently, families consider religion a formality … Faith becomes merely a way of instructing the mind. However, it is not enough to be told rough-and-readily our duties, one needs to fulfill them at the same time. Just as little as a worker is proficient in his profession by by-hearting the theory. (Chapter 1893)

Let us cling onto God and never part from him, whatever it may be. He is the core of our being and the marrow of our soul. (Chapter 1891)

As soon as one lets God go, there is no more solid foundation, and everything collapses. (Retreat 1890)
In all our activities God must be included. This gives us the true direction, the true way which every soul must follow. This is the true purpose for which we should strive, the true purpose for which we should steer. Turning towards God blesses all our actions. (Chapter 16.5.1894)

Prayer

To pray means to double check our own matters with God, to speak with him about it in a gentle manner; not only about spiritual matters, but about all our matters. (Chapter 16. 5. 1894)

Without prayer one can never have success. It would be foolish to even want to try it. (Chapter 1897)
If what we tell and promise God leads us to cling unto his feet and arms; if we ask him for his light in order to enlighten us; if we ask him how to conduct ourselves in order to act; if we ask him to hasten to help us; - then it really is prayer. (Chapter 16.5.1894)

Respect

We have surely committed many mistakes since our birth, and the majority of them have their source here: We forgot this principle, the principle of respect of our fellow human beings, the respect for their thoughts and their opinion. We should dread, not to demolish, what others have built up. (Retreat 1894)

Reverence

Let us therefore always be accostable and very polite. Let us show great respect for everybody, because reverence of our neighbor well understood is the basic rule of love. (Chapter 1888)

Criticism

In difficult questions, if contradicting opinions clash, you may certainly also defend your point of view. However, do it with much charm and goodwill so that from the very beginning your opinion succeeds on grounds of the conciliatory tone, and so you make a big impression by skilful action. (Chapter 1891)

Love

All our activities are based on the principle of love. (Chapter 1893)

Instead of restricting the barriers of your love more and more, you should extend them more and more; thus you will harvest God's blessing, because God anyway blesses the loving hearts. (Chapter 1895)

We have a heart! Let us follow it. God didn’t make a mistake with his creation. He has laid treasures of love and tenderness in this heart, each one according to the vocation he has called people to. This love must grow out of the heart, spread out and communicate. This is the law of any love. (Retreat 1897)

Dignity of a person

The person is something grand; we may neither destroy it nor humiliate it. (Chapter 1893)

Courage

We take as motto: 1. Do passionately well what you do. And 2. Have good courage. (Retreat 1890)

God’s Creation

Do you know why I make these clocks? Because they mirror what God has created. The more complete the clockwork, the more it resembles the creation of God. The movements of the earth and the stars determine and accompany our life. The clock continues to tick, until the hour has begun at which we leave this world and are taken up to God where there is no more time. I work with pleasure on such a clock, for me it is relaxing and I find God in it. (Chapter 1888)

In a clockwork there are wheels which only turn slowly; they rotate just once a day. But they also shouldn’t be missing; they contribute to the general movement. Thus each of us must generously remain faithful in his small sphere of activity, yes even in his pitifulness; then we will all be accomplishing God's work. (Chapter 1888)

Pride

If we are not very careful, we are easily convinced that our habits and ideas are the best oft the world. (Chapter 1896)

Confidence

I have said it quite frequently: vital is that we remain imperturbable and have confidence. It isn’t the greatness of what we achieve that counts, but that we endure much, expect much and have much to hope for. (Chapter 1891)

„All our activities are based
on the principle of love.“