David Beckwith

“The promise of a happy life free from discomfort is dangled before us and from every angle voices scream at us to chase it. Psychologists talk about self-realisation and self-esteem. Politics champions materialistic values and realigns our moral system as it calls us to select a side. Movies and television by-pass our rational objections and draw us into making emotional responses to characters and stories that are feeding us this same world view.”
― Spyridon Bailey, The Ancient Path

“To free yourself, to be more authentic, to be less addicted, to be less manipulated, to be less paranoid … for all these marvelous reasons, delete your accounts.”
― Jaron Lanier, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

“Moreover, it is impossible in this life to avoid all venial sins. For, says the Holy Ghost, a just man shall fall seven times (Prov. xxiv, 16). He who quits this life ceases to offend God. " For," says St. Ambrose, " what is death but the burial of vices?" (De Bon. Mort. c. 4). This consideration makes the souls that love God long for death. The Venerable Vincent Caraffa consoled himself at death, saying: " By ceasing to live, I cease forever to offend God." And St. Ambrose said: " Why do we desire this life, in which, the longer we live, the more we are loaded with sins?" (Ibid. c. 2). He who dies in the grace of God can never more offend him, says the same holy doctor (In Ps. cxviii, s. 18). Hence, the Lord praises the dead more than any man living, though he be a saint (Eccles. iv, 2). A certain spiritual man gave directions that the person who should bring him the news of death, should say: "Console yourself; for the time has arrived when you will no longer offend God.”
― Alfonso María de Liguori, Preparation for Death