Frederick William Faber (1814–63) was a noted English hymn writer and theologian who converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood subsequently in 1847.
Born in Calverley, Yorkshire, Faber graduated from Oxford and won the Newdigate Prize for poetry (1836.) He took Anglican orders, but under the influence of Cardinal John Newman, Faber turned Roman Catholic in 1845. Soon afterward, he founded the ‘Wilfridians,’ a Birmingham-based religious society living in common without vows.
Faber wrote many theological works and is remembered for his Hymns (1861,) such as ‘My God, how wonderful Thou art’ and ‘Hark, hark my soul.’ His best-known work is the hymn ‘Faith of Our Fathers.’ His writings include Lives of Modern Saint (1847,) The Foot of the Cross (1858,) and Notes on Doctrinal Subjects (2 vols., 1866.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Frederick William Faber
For right is right, since God is God and right the day must win. To doubt would be disloyalty, to falter would be sin.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Right, Rightness
The buried talent is the sunken rock on which most lives strike and founder.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Talent
The surest method of arriving at a knowledge of God’s eternal purposes about us is to be found in the right use of the present moment. Each hour comes with some little fagot of God’s will fastened upon its back.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Duty, Delay
Great numbers of moderately good people think it fine to talk scandal; they regard it as a sort of evidence of their own goodness.
—Frederick William Faber
If our love were but more simple, we should take Him at his word, and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Simplicity
When men do anything for God, the very least thing, they never know where it will end, nor what amount of work it will do for Him. Love’s secret, therefore, is to be always doing things for God, and not to mind because they are such very little ones.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Influence
Every moment of resistance to temptation is a victory.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Victory, Temptation
There is a great deal of self-will in the world, but very little genuine independence of character.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Integrity
Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is rare. But they also imply a great deal of thinking about others without the thoughts being criticisms. This is rarer still.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Thinking, Thought, Thoughts
Many a friendship—long, loyal, and self-sacrificing—rested at first upon no thicker a foundation than a kind word.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Friendship
There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go.
—Frederick William Faber
Exactness in little duties is a wonderful source of cheerfulness.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Duty
Kind words are the music of the world.
—Frederick William Faber
They always win who side with God.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Winning, Winners
Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.
—Frederick William Faber
Topics: Kindness
Remember that if the opportunities for great deeds should never come, the opportunities for good deeds are renewed day by day. The thing for us to long for is the goodness, not the glory.
—Frederick William Faber
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