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Observance Quotes

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Observance Quotes

“I’m riding a tram and, as is my habit, slowly absorbing every detail of the people around me. By ‘detail’ I mean things, voices, words. In the dress of the girl directly in front of me, for example, I see the material it’s made of, the work involved in making it – since it’s a dress and not just material – and I see in the delicate embroidery around the neck the silk thread with which it was embroidered and all the work that went into that. And immediately, as if in a primer on political economy, I see before me the factories and all the different jobs: the factory where the material was made; the factory that made the darker coloured thread that ornaments with curlicues the neck of the dress’ and I see the different workshops in the factories, the machines, the workmen, the seamstresses. My eyes’ inward gaze even penetrates into the offices, where I see the managers trying to keep calm and the figures set out in the account books, but that’s not all: beyond that I see into the domestic lives of all those who spend their working hours in these factories and offices...A whole world unfolds before my eyes all because the regularly irregular dark green edging to a pale green dress worn by the girl in front of me of whom I see only her brown neck. ‘A whole way of life lies before me. I sense the loves, the secrets, the souls of all those who worked just so that this woman in front of me on the tram should wear around her mortal neck the sinuous banality of a thread of dark green silk on a background of light green cloth. I grow dizzy. The seats on the tram, of fine, strong cane, carry me to distant regions, divide into industries, workmen, houses, lives, realities, everything. I leave the tram exhausted, like a sleepwalker, having lived a whole life.”

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Book:The Book of Disquiet
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“It is well to have specifically holy places, and things, and days, for, without these focal points or reminders, the belief that all is holy and "big with God" will soon dwindle into a mere sentiment. But if these holy places, things, and days cease to remind us, if they obliterate our awareness that all ground is holy and every bush (could we but perceive it) a Burning Bush, then the hallows begin to do harm.”

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Book:Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
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“By being in a state of complete awareness, we can remain observant of our thoughts and feelings with acceptance and non-judgment because we have a heightened awareness of what is occurring in our minds.”

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Book:Mindfulness and Mysticism: Connecting Present Moment Awareness with Higher States of Consciousness
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“The observance of Lent is the very badge of Christian warfare. By it we prove ourselves not to be enemies of Christ. By it we avert the scourges of divine justice. By it we gain strength against the princes of darkness, for it shields us with heavenly help. Should men grow remiss in their observance of Lent, it would be a detriment to God’s glory, a disgrace to the Catholic religion, and a danger to Christian souls. Neither can it be doubted that such negligence would become the source of misery to the world, of public calamity, and of private woe.”

MenWorldShouldSoulHelpingWould BeChristianGrowsChristJusticeEnemyDarknessDangerDivineSourceProveGloryGainsCatholicMiseryHeavenlyWarfareWoeCalamityDisgraceShieldsDoubtedBadgesScourgeNegligenceObservanceAvertDivine JusticeCatholic Religion
Author:Pope Benedict XIV
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“When prayer, rituals and ascetic life are just a means of self-indulgence, they are harmful rather than beneficial. This is quite obvious to people nowadays, when it is widely recognised that fixations are not the same as valuable and laudable observances. One should not pray if that prayer is vanity; rituals are wrong when they provide lower satisfactions, like emotional stimulus instead of enlightenment; he or she should not be an ascetic who is only enjoying it.”

PeopleIfsShouldMeanSelfEnjoyPrayerEmotionalPrayingEnlightenmentSatisfactionObviousValuableVanityRitualBeneficialIndulgenceStimulusObservanceSelf IndulgenceFixation
Book:Seeker After Truth
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“It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. But if we had no divine instruction on the subject, our own interest would demand of us a strict observance of the principle of these injunctions. . . .”

IfsMenShouldImportantDifferentAblePoliticalHateInterestViewsPrinciplesTeachSubjectsDivineMoralityDemandDirectScriptureDoctrineStationsInstructionRulersStrictBe A ManQualificationsDefectiveCovetousnessObservanceFear God
Author:Noah Webster
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“Mr. Browborough, whose life had not been passed in any strict obedience to the Ten Commandments, and whose religious observances had not hitherto interfered with either the pleasures or the duties of his life, repeated at every meeting which he attended, and almost to every elector whom he canvassed, the great Shibboleth which he had now adopted "The prosperity of England depends on the Church of her people.”

PeopleChurchReligiousPleasureDutyDependsTenEnglandMeetingsProsperityObedienceCommandmentsStrictAdoptedTen CommandmentsObservance
Book:Anthony Trollope: The Chronicles of Barsetshire & The Palliser Novels (Unabridged): The Warden + The Barchester Towers + Doctor Thorne + Framley Parsonage + The Small House at Allington + The Last Chronicle of Barset + Can You Forgive Her? + The Prime Minister + Eustace Diamonds...
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“It goes with the passionate intensity and deep conviction of the truth of a religious belief, and of course of the importance of the superstitious observances that go with it, that we should want others to share it - and the only certain way to cause a religious belief to be held by everyone is to liquidate nonbelievers. The price in blood and tears that mankind generally has had to pay for the comfort and spiritual refreshment that religion has brought to a few has been too great to justify our entrusting moral accountancy to religious belief.”

WayWantShouldHas BeensSpiritualCertainCoursesBeliefCausesReligiousPayMoralBloodShareAtheismMankindTearsComfortImportancePassionateConvictionJustifyIntensityReligious BeliefSuperstitiousObservanceRefreshmentsEntrusting
Book:The Strange Case of the Spotted Mice and Other Classic Essays on Science
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“Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority.”

FirstsBelieveSaidDivineAuthorityMassLatinSaviorSuperstitionsArrangementsObservingWarrantsObservance
Author:Charles Spurgeon
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“When it can be proved that the observance of Christmas, Whitsuntide, and other Popish festivals was ever instituted by a divine statute, we also will attend to them, but not till then. It is as much our duty to reject the traditions of men, as to observe the ordinances of the Lord. We ask concerning every rite and rubric, "Is this a law of the God of Jacob?" and if it be not clearly so, it is of no authority with us, who walk in Christian liberty.”

IfsMenChristianLawAsksWalksLibertyLordDivineDutyAuthorityTraditionRejectsFestivalsJacobRiteOrdinancesStatutesObservanceRubrics
Book:The Treasury of David: Spurgeon's Classic Work on the Psalms
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“If is a custom, More honor'd in the breach than the observance.”

IfsHonorCustomsBreachObservance
Book:The Shakspearian Reader: A Collection of the Most Approved Plays of Shakspeare : Carefully Revised, with Introductory and Explanatory Notes, and a Memoir of the Author : Prepared Expressly for the Use of Classes, and the Family Reading Circle
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“Error is multiform (for evil is a form of the unlimited, as in the old Pythagorean imagery, and good of the limited), whereas success is possible in one way only (which is why it is easy to fail and difficult to succeed - easy to miss the target and difficult to hit it); so this is another reason why excess and deficiency are a mark of vice, and observance of the mean a mark of virtue: Goodness is simple, badness is manifold.”

WayMeanReasonFormEvilEasyDifficultSimpleVirtueFailingMissingSucceedGoodnessMarkErrorsVicesOne WayReason WhyTargetExcessUnlimitedImageryDeficiencyBadnessObservanceManifold
Book:The Nicomachean ethics
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“Not every action or emotion however admits of the observance of a due mean. Indeed the very names of some directly imply evil, for instance malice, shamelessness, envy, and, of actions, adultery, theft, murder. All these and similar actions and feelings are blamed as being bad in themselves; it is not the excess or deficiency of them that we blame. It is impossible therefore ever to go right in regard to them - one must always be wrong.”

MeanFeelingsActionEvilNamesEmotionMoralVirtueImpossibleMurderRegardBlameDuesEnvyInstanceExcessAdulteryTheftMaliceDeficiencyObservanceBeing Bad
Author:Aristotle
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“It is my thought that clean living and a strict observance of the golden rule of true sportsmanship are foundation stones without which a championship structure cannot be built.”

BuiltStonesFoundationStructureCleanGoldenChampionshipStrictMy ThoughtsGolden RuleSportsmanshipObservanceClean Living
Book:The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World: The Story of a Colored Boy's Indomitable Courage and Success Against Great Odds; an Autobiography
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“... up to this date, I have never been shut up in a separate room, or hedged off with any observances. My study, all the study I have attained to, is the little 2nd drawing room where all the (feminine) life of the house goes on; and I don't think I have ever had two hours undisturbed (except at night, when everybody is in bed) during my whole literary life.”

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Book:The Autobiography of Margaret Oliphant
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“Some 'separation' zealots would expunge any vestige of religious observance in public schools. Many of the same anti-religious fanatics would like to wipe out of existence all church-related schools, by regulation or taxation, so that universal ignorance of the life of spirit should prevail.”

ShouldSchoolChristianSpiritChurchReligiousExistenceIgnoranceUniversalSeparationRelatedRegulationTaxationPublic SchoolWipeFanaticsObservanceAnti ReligiousZealotReligious Fanatics
Book:The Assault on religion: commentaries on the decline of religious liberty
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“Both magic and religion are based strictly on mythological tradition, and they also both exist in the atmosphere of the miraculous, in a constant revelation of their wonder-working power. They both are surrounded by taboos and observances which mark off their acts from those of the profane world.”

WorldReligionWonderMagicTraditionMarkConstantAtmosphereRevelationsMiraculousTabooProfaneObservance
Book:Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays
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“137 years later, Memorial Day remains one of America's most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed - it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy.”

YearsAmericaSpiritDemocracyMilitaryChangedHonorDiedRemainsPatriotismPatrioticThis DayMemorialMemorial DayObservanceHonoring Veterans Memorial DayHappy Memorial DayHonoring Memorial DayMemorial Day HeroesMemorial WeekendMemorial Day Thank YouMemorial Day WeekendRemember Memorial Day
Author:Doc Hastings
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“There are racial considerations too grave to be brushed aside for any sentimental reasons. Biological laws tell us that certain divergent people will not mix or blend. The Nordics propagate themselves successfully. With other races, the outcome shows deterioration on both sides. Quality of mind and body suggests that observance of ethnic law is as great a necessity to a nation as immigration law.”

PeopleMindReasonShowsBodyLawCertainNationsSidesRaceQualityGravesImmigrationOutcomesConsiderationSentimentalBoth SidesMind And BodyDivergentObservanceDeteriorationImmigration Laws
Author:Calvin Coolidge
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“Procrastination, as it may be applied to Gospel principles, is the thief of eternal life - which is life in the presence of the Father and the Son. There are many among us, even members of the Church, who feel that there is no need for haste in the observance of Gospel principles and the keeping of the commandments.”

NeedsFeelsMayFatherChurchPrinciplesSonMembersEternalThievesProcrastinationCommandmentsEternal LifeHasteObservance
Author:Joseph Fielding Smith
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