Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door the dark night wakes - the glory breaks, Christmas comes once more.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance, but taking hold of God's willingness.

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.

The more man becomes irradiated with Divinity, the more, not the less, truly he is man.

For the Christ-child who comes is the Master of all; No palace too great, no cottage too small.

Devotion is like the candle which Michael Angelo used to take in his pasteboard cap, so as not to throw his shadow upon the work in which he was engaged.

The essential tendency of life is toward happiness . . . . Optimism is the only true condition for a reasonable man.