"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." — Andy Dufresne

It is just not possible to invite the Holy Spirit to come, to visit, and to fill us on condition that the Spirit leave us, thank you, just as we were before.

“Jesus wants you to know him in truth and can be relied on to help you if you do what you can, humbly, trustfully. Eat his words, take them right down into your heart, live with them.” —Sister Ruth Burrows, Essence of Prayer

“If you want to approach the Bible in a way worthy of it, you must surrender to the Word present in every syllable, and be totally defenseless before him. You are placing yourself unconditionally before a living person, ready to follow him as soon as he gives you a sign.”

— This Is the Day the Lord Has Made: 365 Daily Meditations by Stinissen Wilfrid

“She knows that God will give as much as we can or desire to receive. That is why she does all she can to clear away all obstacles, so that we become total openness. Wherever she discovers the beginning of a Yes, she lets something of her absolute Yes slip in.” — Mary in the Bible and in Our Lives by Wilfrid

Christian joy is born on the cross.” — This Is the Day the Lord Has Made: 365 Daily Meditations by Stinissen Wilfrid

We need a faith that is a radical personal decision for God that will allow us to discover the light and the strength we need to face the challenges of today.

“I know only one Christi and him crucified” 1 Cor 2:2.

To make the switch from this addictive habit of looking only at the negative to being present to the world around us in praise and gratitude to God can be difficult.

A post-mortem exam revealed that he had an enlarged heart, so much so that two of his ribs were dislocated.