Russian literature might almost be described as the literature of conversion. (We noted some famous instances in Chapter 3.) Time and again, suffering leads to awareness of Truth or apprehension of God. Tolstoy’s autobiographical Confession recounts…
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. –The Gospel of John, 12:24
My approach to the Beshtian movement is influenced by what I have taken from it, namely, the need and obligation to love the Jewish people, and, through it, all people who need compassion in a…
A man must not delay his start in the right direction until the next day. Do not say: ‘To-morrow I will commence to serve the Lord properly; to-morrow I will begin to worship from the…
On the other hand, having to learn from men by reading, teaching, contact, appreciate the sense of this golden rule inserted by St. Thomas in the middle of his Sixteen Precepts: “Do not consider from…
The world is in danger for lack of life-giving maxims. –A.G. Sertillanges, O.P., The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods, translated by Mary Ryan
The next step in the process is for you to see that your even thinking about what you are doing is crucially important. You are probably striving to build yourself an identity in your work,…
Get away from any man who always argues every time he talks. –ABBOT PASTOR, cited in Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert: Sayings from the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century
The world is charged with the grandeur of God.It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oilCrushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?Generations…
I read something from Boswells’ Life of Johnson almost every day. –James V. Schall, On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing