The Psalter is the great school of prayer.

It seems to me more important actually to share someones distress than to use smooth words about it.

A home is a kingdom of it's own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life's storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.

Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words.

God cannot endure that unfestive, mirthless attitude of ours in which we eat our bread in sorrow, with pretentious, busy haste, or even with shame. Through our daily meals He is calling us to rejoice, to keep holiday in the midst of our working day.

So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make him aggressive. A fool must therefore be treated more cautiously than a scoundrel.

We are silent at the beginning of the day because God should have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep because the last word also belongs to God.