A school teacher speaks words of faith just days before his martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis.

Dear Brethren, Here I am at the parting of the ways and I must take the other road after all. The death sentence has been passed and the atmosphere is so charged with enmity and hatred that no appeal has any hope of succeeding.

The God of life is a personal God and only when man enters into the dialogue with him does he begin to realize his dreams. In this conversation he learns the fundamental principles of his being-adoration, veneration, love, trust. Anything undertaken on a plane lower than this dialogue, no matter how much zeal and sincerity and devotion go into it, is in the end incomplete. Adoration is the road that leads man to himself.

Jesus. The name of our Lord and of my Order [The Society of Jesus] shall be the first word I write in the New Year. The name stands for all the things I desire when I pray, believe and hope; for inner and outer redemption; for relaxation of all the selfish tensions and limitations I place in the way of the free dialogue with God, all the barriers to voluntary partnership and surrender without reserve: and for a speedy release from these horrible fetters. The whole situation is so palpably unjust; things I have neither done nor even known about are keeping me here in prison. “

This year now ending leaves behind it a rich legacy of tasks and we must seriously consider how to tackle them. Above all else one thing is necessary religious minded people must become more devout; their dedication must be extended and intensified.

– By Alfred Delp.  What actually is happiness, true happiness! Philosophers have defined it as contentment with one’s lot. That definition may fit certain aspects of the happy state but it certainly does not describe true happiness. If it did how could I possibly be happy in my present circumstances? As a matter of fact we […]