From behind the Iron Curtain, there are signs that tyranny is in trouble and reminders that its structure is as brittle as its surface is hard.

Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-and at times, of course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with the Infinite. We know that our prayers are imperfect. Of course they are. We are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective.

Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all.

War is mankind's most tragic and stupid folly; to seek or advise its deliberate provocation is a black crime against all men.

May we grow in strength — without pride in self. May we, in our dealings with all peoples of the earth, ever speak truth and serve justice. And so shall America — in the sight of all men of good will — prove true to the honorable purposes that bind and rule us as a people in all this time of trial through which we pass.

I feel like the fellow in jail who is watching his scaffold being built." (On construction of reviewing stands for inauguration of his successor John F Kennedy)

As our heart summons our strength, our wisdom must direct it.