All beginnings are somewhat strange; but we must have patience, and little by little, we shall find things, which at first were obscure, becoming clearer.

Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.

[N]or should you move so fast! The works of God do not proceed in that way; they come about of themselves, and those He does not create soon perish.

That's what our Rules engage us to do, to help poor persons, our lords and masters.

A man who behaves poorly in a Community will not do well in a parish.

Always be quite simple and sincere and ask God to grant me those two virtues.

Use gentle methods to get whatever good you can from priests and monks who are slaves, as well as from merchants and captives. Resort to severe measures only in extreme cases, for fear lest the hardship they are already enduring in their state of captivity, joined to the strictness you might want to exercise in virtue of your authority, drive them to despair. . . . It is not light they need, but strength, and strength permeates through the external balm of words and good example.