Quotes about Duty

As we should not own our duties further than somewhat of Christ is in them, so should we no further our own hearts ; and as we should delight in the creatures no further than they have reference to Christ and eternity, so should we no further approve of our own hearts (483).

Of two duties we must choose the greater, though of two sins we must choose neither (556).

There is a great deal of duty that husband and wife owe to one another, such as to instruct, admonish, pray, watch over one another, and be continual helpers to each other in order to their everlasting happiness; they must also patiently bear with the infirmities of each other.

O]ne duty may be said to be too long, when its shuts out another, and then it ceaseth, indeed, to be a duty(274).

What if you had once seen hell open, and all the damned there in their easeless torments, and had heard them crying out of their slothfulness in the day of their visitation, and wishing that they had but another life to live, and that God would but try them once again; one crying out of this neglect of duty, and another of his loitering and trifling, when he should have been labouring for his life; what manner of person would you have been after such a sight as this ? (284)

Every man therefore is bound to do all the good he can to others, especially for the church and commonwealth.

That physician is no better than a murderer, that negligently delayeth till his patient be dead or past cure (389).

If every work of the day had thus its appointed time, we should be better skilled, both in redeeming time and performing duty (556).

remember, you cannot decline and neglect your duty, to your own hurt alone; many will be losers by it as well as you.

As my father, St. Francis, put it, when the heart is pure, "Love responds to Love alone" and has little to do with duty, obligation, requirement, or heroic anything. It is easy to surrender when you know that nothing but Love and Mercy is on the other side.

The motivation for all morality and religion is the imitation of God, who is love. When religion bases itself in fear, duty, honor, a need for law and order, a need for a superior self-image, or group cohesiveness, it is corrupt. It looks good and will have many defenders, but it is actually at the heart of the problem. The real God is no longer needed or even wanted, and such religion usually becomes the actual enemy of God. The crucifixion of Jesus speaks to this.

Power always brings with it responsibility.