The supernatural virtue of justice consists of behaving exactly as though there were equality when one is the stronger in an unequal relationship.

The great error of nearly all studies of war... has been to consider war as an episode in foreign policies, when it is an act of interior politics.

The need of truth is more sacred than any other need.

Purity is the ability to contemplate defilement.

It seemed to me certain, and I still think so today, that one can never wrestle enough with God if one does so out of pure regard for the truth. Christ likes us to prefer truth to him because, before being Christ, he is truth. If one turns aside from him to go toward the truth, one will not go far before falling into his arms.

prayer consists of attention. It is the orientation of all the attention of which the soul is capable towards God. The quality of the attention counts for much in the quality of the prayer. Warmth of heart cannot make up for it.

We only possess what we renounce; what we do not renounce escapes from us.