Hope pushes man forward on the difficult but unique road, so he might attain the only good that a man can desire with all the strength of his heart. A Christian is a man on the road.

Father Bruckberger OP (1907-1998)
Dominican

“My grandmother (from Auvergne) was a widow. I never tired of watching this little woman live. Grandmother, full of untiring energy, made me understand the never-spent patience of the poor. Always active and unflagging, it was she who carried the weight of a broken and suffering family without ever flinching, as if it were a common affair. Bent over her ledger in the light of an oil lamp she would record all the expenses of the day, down to the penny. Her ledger was riddled with spelling mistakes, but there wasn’t a single calculation error. I would watch her as she lined up all the numbers, doing her sums, the tip of her tongue between her lips, just like a little girl. Her aged hand resting on the page was thin and wrinkled, and in the narrow circle of the lampshade, her face was gentle though concentrated, and slightly illuminated by the reflection of the white page. I would watch this little woman – so small and seemingly fragile, but so unshakeable – and I felt at peace, and almost wholly safe.”

Father Bruckberger OP (1907-1998)
Dominican