The church is not an institution forcing us to follow rules but a community inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its table.

Living a spiritual life requires a change of heart, a conversion. Such a conversion may be marked by a sudden inner change, or it can take place through a long, quiet process of transformation. But it always involves an inner experience of oneness.

God, help me to see others not as enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst.

The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it

Once you are in communion with God, you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear other people in whom God has also found a dwelling place.

When you're on the bus or subway or in your car, why busy your mind with all the garbage of advertisements? Why fill your mind with television and radio? Somehow you have to decide what your mind will receive. I don't mean you shouldn't ever go to movies or watch television, but control what enters your mind and heart. It's not just a question of pushing bad things out but also a question of holding on to something really good.

My writing has developed drastically . The Return of the Prodigal Son is the most important thing I've done, and my most mature book.