Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly

  • "'What is the most I can do?' For this is the question of the lover" (26).
  • "Freedom without discipline is impossible" (28).
  • The description Kelly gives of early Christian communities, which he contrasts with the many current Catholic communities he believes are unhealthy, make me think of the Catholic community at Notre Dame, giving me hope for that community (39).
  • "We become what we celebrate" (51).
  • "Every honest work wan be transformed into prayer" (59).
  • "The surest signs of holiness are an insatiable desire to improve oneself and an unquenchable concern for unholy people" (66).
  • "The truth is, virtue is ultimately attractive...There is nothing more attractive than holiness" (67).
  • "The purpose of education and extracurricular activities is to provide opportunities for our children to develop discipline. Once discipline is learned, it can be applied to any area of life. Those who develop this discipline go off in search of excellence and live richer, more abundant lives. Those who do not find this grounding in discipline do many things, but none well. God has placed you here for a purpose, but without discipline, you will never discover that purpose" (85).
  • "First discipline, then genius" (86).
  • "The goal of the Christian life is holiness" (86).
  • "Those who refuse to study history must content themselves to make mistakes that have been made before" (91).
  • "For the man who knows where he is going, the whole world will get out of his way" (123).
  • "The defining quality of a true friendship is when the other person encourages you to be all you can be, challenges you to become the-best-version-of-yourself, and vice versa" (134).
  • Everyday, focus on each of the four aspects of your person (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual) and choose one goal you can accomplish to become a better person in that area. 136
  • "Great men and women want to know their weaknesses" (160).
  • "Excellence belongs to the humble" (174).
  • "Until you have learned to see yourself in every person in the Scriptures, you have not read the Bible" (215).
  • "Uncertainty is a spiritual gift designed to help you grow" (217).
  • Piety in our modern, academic world, and how it can be viewed as "superstitious" or uneducated. 255
  • "Simplicity is the key to perfection" (255).
  • Mysteries of the Rosary (259):
    • The Annunciation - saying yes to God's will in our lives
    • The Visitation - learn the value of service
    • The Birth of Jesus - encounter the humility of Jesus
    • The Presentation - example of obedience
    • The Finding of Jesus in the Temple - true wisdom comes not from knowledge, but is a gift from God
    • The Agony in the Garden - importance of perseverance in prayer
    • The Scourging at the Pillar - we are renewed for our daily sacrifices
    • The Crowning with Thorns - learn compassion for the mocked/rejected and ask forgiveness for when we have done so
    • The Carrying of the Cross - help Jesus carry his cross by standing up to injustice
    • The Crucifixion - we experience the pain of evil and the weight of our sins
    • The Resurrection - we are reminded of the reality of life and death
    • The Ascension - we are reminded of our mission to continue Jesus' work
    • The Descent of the Holy Spirit - we are reminded of the power of the help of the Holy Spirit to do good in our lives
    • The Assumption - we are reminded of the beauty of purity
    • The Crowning of Our Lady Queen of Heaven - learn to honor and learn from those who attain virtue in their lives
  • "Those who do not love God simply do not know God" (275).
  • "Friendship is the key to evangelization" (288).
  • "The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage" (298).
  • Leadership - "People don't follow titles and authority. They follow courage" (299).