Tribulations cannot cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless.

We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.

Grief is like a bomber circling round and dropping its bombs each time the circle brings it overhead; physical pain is like the steady barrage on a trench in World War One, hours if it with no let-up for a moment. Thought is never static pain often is... is it not yet enough?

Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth. What you now call the free play of inquiry has neither more nor less to do with the ends for which intelligence was given you than masturbation has to do with marriage.

if anyone present wishes to make me the subject of his wit, I am very much at his service--with my sword--whenever he has leisure.

The more pride we have, the more other people’s pride irritates us

I'm not sure God wants us to be happy. I think he wants us to love, and be loved. But we are like children, thinking our toys will make us happy and the whole world is our nursery. Something must drive us out of that nursery and into the lives of others, and that something is suffering.