Quotes from David M. Knight

God doesn't ask the impossible. He sees our weakness and our struggles. He looks at our heart more than at our behavior. If he sees that we want to love him, want to believe in him, and want to follow his way — but are just unable right now to do it — he has patience with us. He encourages us to do whatever we can, and to keep trying.

Great scientists are Peter Pans, still anxious to classify and explain at an age when most people are concerned with money, power and sex.

If we don't get to the roots of our sins, we will just keep confessing the same old things unproductively forever.

Jesus is the only one who can show us without distortion the way to live and the truth to live by which lead us to life.

Since it is so difficult in the concrete to judge what is and is not "mortal sin," and who is and is not subjectively guilty of it, we should choose pastorally not to make that judgment except in extreme and obvious cases. Then Eucharist would be recognized again as what it really is: not just the "bread of angels," but on this earth the strengthening food and sacrament of sinners.

To preach conservative heresy — making the rules stricter than they are, distorting doctrines through ignorance or narrowness, denying the Eucharist to those who have a right to receive it — is pretty safe. No one will complain to the bishop. But anyone who leans to the left is in danger of instant denunciation. There is a saying in the Vatican, "The right writes." The left fumes in silence. That is a sin against stewardship.

Rather, we stand before the infinite holiness of God, all presumption annihilated in his presence. We are deeply conscious that we do not know him enough to praise him adequately, appreciate him enough to love him as we should, or reverence him enough to serve him as we ought.