Friendship is something whose depth fits human aspirations and fulfills human possibilities. It has heft to it, as a gold-piece does and a gambling chip does not.

Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.

The object of religion is the imagination, that deep and inexhaustible font of our understanding and symbolizing our deepest possibilities.

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.

It's an unfortunate consequence of American history. Gambling is exactly like demon rum was 75 years ago when the temperance movement was agitating. Once you demonize something, it becomes difficult to look at it in any rational way.

The mystery of being human and, certainly, of being a Catholic lies in our embracing together the imperfect state known as the human condition. First and foremost, if we could ever be perfect or do things perfectly, we would eliminate mystery, an essential ingredient in the good life and the spiritual life.