Msgr. Pope on the Importance of Little Things

"I have found that one of my favorite quotes from St. Augustine is not all that well known. Here it is in Latin, followed by my own translation: 

   "Quod minimum, minimum est,
   Sed in minimo fidelem esse,
   magnum est.

   "What is a little thing, is (just) a little thing,
   But to be faithful in a little thing,
   is a great thing.
   (De Doctrina Christiana, IV,35) 
 
"I first saw this quote on the frontispiece of a book by Adrian Fortescue. Fortescue applied it to the intricate details of celebrating the Old Latin Mass. That form of the Mass has an enormous amount of detail to learn: how exactly to hold the hands, when and how to bow, what tone of voice to use when, what fingers should be used to pick up the host, and so on. Some might see these details as picky and overwhelming, but Fortescue apparently wanted us to think about the fact that love is often shown through attention to the little things."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance paying attention to little things.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: On the Importance of Little Things (7 FEB 18)