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Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day Quotes

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Famous Dorothy Day Quotes

“Two years ago, I was saying as I planted seeds in the garden, "I must believe in these seeds, that they fall into the earth and grow into flowers and radishes and beans." It is a miracle to me because I do not understand it. The very fact that they use glib technical phrases does not make it any less a miracle, and a miracle we all accept. Then why not accept God's miracles?”

YearsBelieveDoeTwoFactsUseEarthFallGrowsAcceptingFlowerYears AgoGardenMiraclePlantSeedsPhrasesTwo YearsWhy NotBeansTwo Years AgoRadishes
Author:Dorothy Day
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“I can write no other than this: unless we use the weapons of the spirit, denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus, dying with Him and rising with Him, men will go on fighting, and often from the highest motives, believing that they are fighting defensive wars for justice and in self-defense against present or future aggression.”

MenWritingBelieveI CanWarSelfUseSpiritFightingJesusJusticeDyingGoes OnWeaponsHighestCrossesFollowingDefenseMotiveRisingAggressionSelf DefenseFollowing Jesus
Book:On Pilgrimage
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“The theoretician of the Marxist revolution in Cuba certainly wasn't Castro. It was Don Carlos Rafaelo Rodriguez. He was the theoretician and very often people say he will take over. But I don't believe it. I think that it's a very good combination - the Catholic man working together with a man like that who has everything pretty well planned.”

PeopleThinkingMenBelieveWellsTogetherRevolutionCatholicDon't BelieveVery GoodCombinationWorking TogetherCubaMarxistCastro
Author:Dorothy Day
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“Maybe I was praying for him then, in my own way. Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people-- lots of people-- pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they have, the love they offer people and receive from people. Since when are words the only acceptable form of prayer?”

PeopleWayBelieveDoeFormI BelieveMy OwnPrayerDoubtPrayingOffersWitnessAcceptable
Author:Dorothy Day
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“We're living in an age of genocide. ...And we do believe that there is not only the genocide of war, and the genocide that took place with the extermination of the Jews, but the whole program....of birth control and abortion is another form of genocide.... [T]hey claim the poor are bringing forth tremendous numbers of children and so the solution is to kill them off.”

BelieveChildrenWarWholeAgeFormPoorNumbersBirthSolutionsProgramClaimsJewHeyAbortionGenocideBirth ControlExtermination
Author:Dorothy Day
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“How necessary it is to cultivate a spirit of joy. It is a psychological truth that the physical acts of reverence and devotion make one feel devout. The courteous gesture increases one's respect for others. To act lovingly is to begin to feel loving, and certainly to act joyfully brings joy to others which in turn makes one feel joyful. I believe we are called to the duty of delight.”

FeelsBelieveJoySpiritTurnsI BelieveKindnessDutyIncreaseDelightDevotionPsychologicalReverenceGesturesJoyfulRespecting OthersCourteous
Author:Dorothy Day
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“If I did not believe, if I did not make what is called an act of faith (and each act of faith increases our faith, and our capacity for faith), if I did not have faith that the works of mercy do lighten the sum total of suffering in the world, so that those who are suffering on both sides of this ghastly struggle somehow mysteriously find their pain lifted and some balm of consolation poured on their wounds, if I did not believe these things, the problem of evil would indeed be overwhelming.”

IfsWorldBelieveProblemPainSufferingEvilSidesStruggleCapacityMercyIncreaseWoundsOverwhelmingHave FaithBoth SidesConsolationGhastlyProblem Of Evil
Author:Dorothy Day
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