“Father Michaels' sermon was mercifully short. He had a reputation for three-minute homilies, tightly written, provocative and insightful. His words centered on the true meaning of Christianity. That is was all about love. Love of God, love of self, love of family, love of community. Love was a gift.”

“a good woman's heart knows no bounds. And love is the most powerful and wondrous gift in the world. Yes, it is.”

“The people you love never leave you ...”

“She says that on the day you stop believing in love you may as will lie down and die. I think she may be right.”

“the Devil danced all over the place in his beautiful eyes. You never knew what kind of surprise he had for you, just to make you laugh.”

“What he didn't know was that he always would and that in all those important moments that were yet to come to pass in his life, there would be a searing wound. Over time the wound would grow smaller, but it would never disappear.”

“I want you to think. Gawd got his special purpose for you, just like He does for every one of us. He done give you a very good mind. The world you have when you grow up is gonna be the one you make. You use your mind and make it better.”