providentia Dei principaliter est circa illa quae perpetuo manent: circa vero ea quae transeunt providentia Dei est inquantum ordinat ipsa ad res perpetuas.

The providence of God is principally about those thing which remain perpetually. The providence of God is about those things which pass away insofar as he orders them to perpetual things.

(S.T. Ia Q.113 a.2)

Whence, since the first in whatsoever order is the cause of those things which are consequent in that order, it follows that every power of understanding is from him. Similarly, since he himself is the first being and all beings pre-exist in him, as in the first cause, it must be that they are in him intelligibly according to his mode. For, just as all intelligible notions of things first exist in God, they also come from him into other intellects, insofar as they understand in act, as they also come from him into creatures, insofar as they subsist in being. Thus, therefore, God moves the created intellect insofar as he gives it the power to understand, whether natural or superadded, and insofar as he imprints upon it intelligible species; and both he holds and conserves in being.

(S.T. Ia Q.105 a.3)

If any consolation entered that sea of bitterness, the heart of Mary, the only one was this, that she knew that by her sorrows she was leading us to eternal salvation...And indeed these were the last words with which Jesus bid her farewell before His death: this was His last recommendation, leaving us to her for her children in the person of Saint John: “Woman, behold thy son.””

(St Alphonsus)

“I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity me, and meditate upon my sorrows; and I find that there are very few. Therefore, my daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do thou not forget me.”

(Our Lady to St Bridget)

The sight of Mary at the foot of the Cross makes the lesson of the Cross less hard and less bitter; her maternal example encourages us to suffer (with her) and makes the road to Calvary easier. Let us go then with Mary, to join Jesus on Golgotha; let us go with her to meet our own cross, and sustained by her, let us embrace it willingly, uniting it with her Son’s Cross.

(Fr. Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen O.C.D.)

Mary’s heart, like Christ’s whole crushed and bruised being , was transformed with anguish by the sins of mankind … Mary became the Queen of martyrs because, after Jesus, she has endured the greatest martyrdom of heart … her sufferings are fruitful for us in a way that we can scarcely suspect…

(Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange O.P.)

omnis motus corporis cuiuscumque vel consequitur ad aliquam formam, sicut motus localis gravium et levium consequitur formam quae datur a generante, ratione cuius generans dicitur movens, vel est via ad formam aliquam, sicut calefactio est via ad formam ignis.

Every motion of any sort of body either is consequent upon some form, as the local motion of heavy and light things follows upon their form, which is given by their generator (for which reason the generator is said to be ‘the mover’), or tends to some form, as heating is the way to the form of fire.

(S.T. Ia Q.105 a.2)

effectus aliquis invenitur assimilari causae agenti dupliciter. Uno modo, secundum eandem speciem; ut homo generatur ab homine, et ignis ab igne. Alio modo, secundum virtualem continentiam, prout scilicet forma effectus virtualiter continetur in causa… Sic igitur effectus causae agenti similatur secundum totum illud ad quod se extendit virtus agentis.

Any effect is found to be assimilated to its agent cause in two ways. In one way, according to the same species, as man is generated from man and fire from fire. In another way, according to virtual containment, that is insofar as the form of the effect is virtually contained in the cause… Thus, therefore, an effect is similar to an agent cause, according to all that to which the power of the agent extends itself to.

(S.T. Ia Q.105 a.1 ad 1)

“That...you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” (Ephesians 3:18). Breadth designates the dimension or extension of his power and divine wisdom over all being. “And he poured her out,” namely wisdom, “upon all his works” (Ecclus. 1:10). By length his eternal duration is signified: “But thou, O Lord, endurest forever” (Ps. 101:13), and “holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, unto length of days” (Ps. 92:5). Height or loftiness denotes the perfection and nobility of his nature which infinitely exceeds all creation: “The Lord is high above all nations: and his glory above the heavens” (Ps. 112:4). In depth the incomprehensibility of his wisdom is intimated: “It is a great depth,” this divine wisdom, “who shall find it out?” (Eccl. 7:25). Clearly, therefore, the fulfillment of our faith and charity is to arrive at a perfect knowledge of the faith, by it we shall know, to the degree we can attain to it, the infinite extent of his power, the unbounded eternity of his duration, the loftiness of his most perfect nature, and the incomprehensibility and depth of his wisdom.

(Commentary of St Thomas)

I shall spare myself neither care nor labour nor vigils for the salvation of souls. My hope is in Christ, who strengthens the weakest by His divine help; I can do all in Him who strengthened me! His power is infinite, and if I lean on Him it will be mine; His wisdom is infinite, and if I look to Him for counsel I shall not be deceived; His goodness is infinite, and if my trust is stayed on Him I shall not be abandoned. Hope unites me to my God and Him to me. Although I know I am not sufficient for the burden, my strength is in Him. For the salvation of others I must bear weariness, face dangers, suffer offences, confront storms, fight against evil. He is my Hope.

(Pope Saint Pius X)