Mary means enlightener, because She brought forth the Light of the world. In the Syriac tongue, Mary signifies Lady.

If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us.

Nothing exists without music, for the universe itself is said to have been framed by a kind of harmony of sounds, and the heaven itself revolves under the tone of that harmony.

Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in confession; in confession there is a chance for mercy.

The more you devote yourself to study of the sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled, the richer the harvest.

Letters are signs of things, symbols of words, whose power is so great that without a voice they speak to us the words of the absent; for they introduce words by the eye, not by the ear.

Prayer purifies us, reading instructs us. Both are good when both are possible. Otherwise, prayer is better than reading.

Baptism is not the work of man but of Christ, and this sacrament is so holy that it would not be defiled, even if the minister were a murderer.

War with vices, but peace with individuals.

Tolle numerum omnibus rebus et omnia pereunt.Take from all things their number and all shall perish.

Study as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were to die tomorrow.

Sow yourself first and foremost in something today

When you are touched by a calling, answer on the first ring. As time passes the volume decreases until it is silenced forever by our allotted time.

A piano might fall on your head, he said, but it also might not. And in the meantime you never know. Something nice might happen.

There are two kinds of terrorism. Rational terrorism such as Palestinian terrorism and apocalyptic terrorism like Sept. 11. You have to distinguish between the two.

Healing opportunities can be disguised as people who really piss you off. Pay attention because they could be your greatest teachers.

[To Oleg Cassini:] Just make sure no one has exactly the same dress I do ... I want all of mine to be original & no fat little woman hopping around in the same dress.

Literature is as old as speech. It grew out of a human need for it, and it has not changed except to become more needed

I use a lot of humor in my writing. But it's completely black humor.

I have failed in finding parasites in mosquitoes fed on malaria patients, but perhaps I am not using the proper kind of mosquito.

Mental toughness is essential to success.