John Paul II Quotes

Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

The future starts today, not tomorrow.

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.

The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.

It is not enough for Christians to be not anti-Semitic. They must be philo-Semitic, in solidarity with the Jewish people.

The best way to navigate through life is to give up control and surrender to God’s will.

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.

A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members.

Prayer is the key which opens God’s heart.

In the design of Providence, there are no coincidences.

If you want peace, work for justice.

Peace is not just the absence of war. It is the presence of justice, of law, of order — in a word, of government.

Family, work, and prayer are the three pillars of human society.

Christianity is not a collection of prohibitions, but a positive option: the option of self-restraint.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Every life is a gift. We have a duty to protect and cherish it.

True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life.

Man discovers himself only in truth — that is, in the light of God.

Be not afraid of change. Trust in the power of God’s grace.

Do not forget that true power lies in humility.

Human love must be pure and free of possessiveness, just as God loves us.

The Gospel consists of two parts: the words of Jesus and the works of Jesus.

The greatest danger for man is the loss of his own dignity.

The future is in your hearts and in your hands.

The challenge of our time is to find the balance between love of truth and respect for others.

A civilization that discards the weak and those who are suffering discards itself.

The family is the first and fundamental school of social living.

A person’s rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.

Truth is not determined by a majority vote.

You are not the sum of your weaknesses and failures. You are the sum of the Father’s love for you.

Peace is built on justice, justice is rooted in love.

Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it.

The greatest love story of all time is contained in one tiny white host.

There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us.

The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer.

The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are pleasure, comfort, and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish.

Man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man.

The Eucharist is the secret of my day.

Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyle.

A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members.

Do not be afraid to take a chance on peace, to teach peace, to live peace. Peace will be the last word of history.

I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.

Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.

All genuine progress comes from truth.

The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being.

Darkness can only be scattered by light; hatred can only be conquered by love.