Timothy M. Dolan > Quotes

“someone, we desire to cleanse our lives of anything that could hurt our beloved. Thus, a basic characteristic of our relationship with Our Lord will be a daily dying to sin and rising in virtue. Thomas Merton describes the love of God as a brilliant ray of sunlight shining through a window. The light will always reveal streaks, or smudges, or dirt on the window. We let more light in the more we purify the window. Thus, the way to receive more and more of the light of Christ’s love is to constantly purify our life of sin. That is the exhortation found on almost every page of the Gospel — conversion, repentance, metanoia — call it what you want. The daily wrestling with that dark side of ourselves that holds us back from the freedom and self-giving that this romance with the”
― Timothy M. Dolan, Called to Be Holy

“Penance (Scripture selection — Joel 2:12-13) The name of Gene Hamilton may be new to you if you are not from the archdiocese of New York or have not read A Priest Forever by Father Benedict Groeschel (published by Our Sunday Visitor in 1998). Gene was a seminarian for that archdiocese at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. From all accounts he was a fine student, a friendly, sincere young man, eager to be a priest. He was diagnosed with cancer, and the final years of his life were a real cross for him — pain, decline, hopes way up after surgery and treatment only to have them dashed with another outbreak. In his brave struggle a saint emerged, and I use that word purposefully. In his pain, agony, and dwindling strength, a man of deep faith, indomitable hope, and genuine love arose; a seminarian of prayer, who never complained, thought more of the needs and difficulties of others than his own. A man driven by one desire: to be united with Jesus in his passion and death, hopefully, yearning to do so as a priest. There was a lot of longing for a miracle by his family, brother seminarians, friends and admirers; many, including doctors and other medical personnel, told the young man, “You’re going to beat this, Gene.” Dozens who just knew he was too good, too innocent, too pure and holy to die so young and painfully, prayed for his recovery. In January of 1997, Gene Hamilton was too ill to come on the pilgrimage here to Rome with the men from Dunwoodie. Bishop Edwin O’Brien, realistic and thoughtful man that he is, with the late Cardinal John O’Connor, approached the prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, the dicastery of the Holy See under which seminaries come, for permission to ordain”
― Timothy M. Dolan, Priests for the Third Millennium