5 of Mother Angelica’s Sassiest Quotes and What They Taught Me
Mother Angelica is one of the most iconic Catholics that made a huge impact in the world today. Her down-to-earth wit and humor attracted the attention of people who were starving to hear the Good News. Even after having a stroke that required her to wear an eye patch ( and that made her look like a pirate), she never stopped speaking about God’s love and salvation.
Below are just some of her wittiest quotes and the lessons I have learned by reflecting upon them:
1. “St. Jerome had a terrible temper. He would hit himself with a rock every time he lost his temper. I’d be dead as a doornail, with no ribs, if I did that.”
Like Mother Angelica, I also had difficulty controlling my temper on various occasions. It’s one of the reasons why I thought it would be impossible for me to be a saint!
But Mother Angelica made me see that the temperament we have never excludes us from God’s grace. If I allow God to help me, then even the burden of controlling my temper can purify me, humble me and give me compassion for other people.
2. “If you’re breathing and you’ve got two legs, you’re called to holiness.”
Now that pretty much includes everybody! Every human being who is still alive is being given a chance to live a holy life.
I cannot say that I wasn’t called to be a nun. I can never excuse myself by saying I’m poor or sickly. And how could I dare say I’m not the saintly type of person who could never do anything wrong?
God calls everyone. Period. And it’s up to us how we should respond to His call.
3. “We are all called to the place where God can use us the most. In my case, Our Dear Lord looked at me and said, ‘Kiddo, I’ve got to lock you up because that’s the only place you can make it.’ I always say, the Lord spared some man a lifetime of trouble when He sent me to the cloister.”
For a long time, I have wondered whether it’s possible to live a meaningful life even if I felt I wasn’t called to marriage or to religious life. Can I still live a purposeful life by being a lay single person?
This quote by Mother Angelica made me realize how much God knows me and cares for me. Why should I question His plans when His plans are the best for me? Who knows what could have happened had I forced myself to get married? And what if I entered the convent without seeking His will?
As long as we are allowing God to take the lead in our lives, we shouldn’t be afraid. Even if we can’t understand His ways, we must trust that He is leading us to bring us good.
4. “The apostles were dodos, dummies. But all the smart people in the world at the time wouldn’t take chances. That is the same problem we have today. The world is looking for intellectuals and the Lord is looking for dummies. That’s why I’m here.”
Mother Angelica was so humble to say she’s not among those people who consider themselves smart in the eyes of the world. Quite often, that’s what we wanted to hear, isn’t it? That we’re intelligent and wiser than the rest. Many times, people are even afraid to say they believe in God for fear they will be seen as ignorant people.
The first step to wisdom is to acknowledge our weaknesses. The second step is to believe in the God who can make all things possible.
5. “Don’t be afraid to get frustrated. Look at me, I take a lot of Maalox. Somebody said to me not long ago, ‘I’m surprised that a woman of such great faith would have to take Maalox.’ I said, ‘My friend, my stomach doesn’t know about my great faith.’”
Aside from having a good laugh, this quote tells us so much about the Catholic faith. Our Catholic faith is not a superstitious faith. It doesn’t say we don’t need doctors anymore. It doesn’t say we shouldn’t believe in science.
But what it does say is that God uses all things for our good. It says that behind everything in the Universe, there is a God who works endlessly and loves tirelessly. A God who makes beautiful and useful things filled with wonder and wisdom.
Final Words
I learn something whenever I read Mother Angelica’s writings. The down-to-earth kind of wisdom never fails to make me realize God is not a faraway deity who doesn’t understand us and who isn’t present in our reality.
God is practical and personal and desires to be intimate with us. He came down from heaven to reveal Himself to us and to save us.
If there is one important thing that I have learned from Mother Angelica, it is the faith that God is real and we can know Him no matter where we may be in life.
Our worth isn’t in what other people say about us or in how we feel about ourselves. Our worth is in the eyes of God who sees us for who we are. He is the Father who never abandons His children.
