The world is the closed door. It is a barrier. And at the same time it is the way through.

To wish to escape from solitude is cowardice. Friendship is not to be sought, not to be dreamed, not to be desired; it is to be exercised (it is a virtue).

If it were conceivable that in obeying God one should bring about one's own damnation whilst in disobeying him one could be saved, I should still choose the way of obedience.

Love of God is pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude.

It is human misery and not pleasure which contains the secret of the divine wisdom.

The speed with which bureaucracy has invaded almost every branch of human activity is something astounding once one thinks about it.

Justice consists in seeing that no harm is done to men. Whenever a man cries inwardly: 'Why am I being hurt?' harm is being done to him. He is often mistaken when he tries to define the harm, and why and by whom it is being inflicted on him. But the cry itself is infallible.