We’ve entered the holy season of Lent.
Turning to the saints during this sacred time can strengthen and inspire our pursuit of holiness.
Their lives remind us that we are not alone in striving for sainthood—they endured suffering, temptation, and struggle just as we do.
This Lent, let us lean on their words, their example, and their intercessory prayers as we follow the path that leads us closer to Christ.
Below are 20 inspiring quotes from the saints to help you begin Lent with a renewed sense of purpose and hope:
1) “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”- Saint Catherine of Siena
2) “Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may go to heaven.”- Saint Rose of Lima
3) “Behold, Jesus Christ crucified, who is the only foundation of our hope; He is our mediator and advocate; the victim and sacrifice for our sins. He is goodness and patience itself; His mercy is moved by the tears of sinners, and he never refuses pardon and grace to those who ask it with a truly contrite and humbled heart.” - Saint Charles Borromeo
4) “If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him. If you cry with Him, you will have joy with Him. If you die with Him on the Cross of tribulation, you will possess the eternal dwelling place in the splendor of the saints. And your name, written in the Book of Life, will be glorious among men.” - Saint Clare of Assisi
5) “You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’ you can be sure you’ve already begun.” - Saint Josemaría Escrivá
6) “The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain.”- Saint Padre Pio
7) “As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst…He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” - Saint Teresa of Calcutta
8) “Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity. Enter again into yourself.” - Saint Augustine of Hippo
9) “My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice; these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words.” - Saint Therese of Lisieux
10) “Let us set out with trust on our Lenten journey, sustained by fervent prayer, penance, and concern for those in need. In particular, may this Lent be a time of ever greater concern for the needs of children, in our own families and in society as a whole: for they are the future of humanity.” - Pope Saint John Paul II, 2004 Lenten Message
11) “Lenten fasts make me feel better, stronger, and more active than ever.” - Saint Catherine of Genoa
12) “Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.” - Saint Augustine of Hippo
13) “Lent is a time of grace, a time for conversion, a time to come home to God.” - Saint Maximilian Kolbe
14) “Lent is a time for us to empty ourselves of worldly distractions and allow God to fill us with His love, His grace, and His peace.” - Saint Teresa of Calcutta
15) “The purpose of Lent is not to force on us a few formal obligations, but to ‘soften’ our heart so that it may open itself to the realities of the spirit, to experience the hidden ‘ thirst’ for communion with God.” - Pope Saint John Paul II
16) “Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism, for what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes but bite and devour our brothers?” - Saint John Chrysostom
17) “Fasting is directed to two things, the deletion of sin, and the raising of the mind to heavenly things.” - Saint Thomas Aquinas
18) “Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.” - Soon-to-be-Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen
19) “Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage towards Him who is the fount of mercy.” - Pope Benedict XIV
20) “There are plenty of ways to practice mortification! Just patiently endure cold, heat, sickness, troubles, people, happenings, and so forth.” - Saint John Bosco