Dietrich von Hildebrand Quotes

Beauty kindles love, and only the one who remains captivated by it, only the one who is intoxicated by it, only the one who remains a lover while he is investigating its essence, can hope to penetrate its essence.

The great mystery of our metaphysical situation, that God is nearer to us than we are ourselves, is manifest in the fact that we cannot even be wholly ourselves—in the sense of individuality as a unique divine thought—until we are reborn in Christ.

The way to attain the virtue of mercy lies in our constant awareness of being encompassed by mercy.

There are really no serious arguments for communion in the hand. But there are the most gravely serious kinds of arguments against it.

Better to be a beggar in freedom than to be forced into compromises against my conscience.

Purity perceives and respects the character of sex-its depth, seriousness, intimacy, and true home within wedded love, which alone makes possible the total and mutual gift of self.

One saintly priest attracts more souls to Christ...than do those who lack the imprint of their sacred office

Sex is essentially deep. We become what we do with our bodies, and there is no deeper act than sex.