St. Rita of Cascia says: “Praise be to Jesus.”

“I tell you, the soul that does not pray for perseverance in the virtuous life is not sincere in his pursuit of personal holiness. No one can hope to persevere in righteousness without Heavenly help. When souls become over-confident in their own capabilities, they are not God-reliant – not trusting and dependent on God's grace.”

“This is how the enemy of every soul captures the present moment and influences thoughts, words and actions. This is the reason evil has crept into the holiest of places – into long trusted institutions, governments, education and media. It is the lapse in perseverance towards personal holiness that is the root cause.”

“People cannot live in the truth if they do not persevere in the truth. Therefore, comprehend that lack of perseverance leads to every sort of compromise.”