The Power of Love

No storm, no profound danger, no fear of death or of punishment diminishes the strength oflove; in such happenings as we are tested, in them lies the happy life, even though it is deluged by many dangers. For the wise person is not broken by bodily ills nor is he distrubed by misfortunes, but he remains happy even amid troubles . . . For the happiness of life does not lie in bodily pleasures, but in a conscience pure of every strain of sin, and in hte mind of the one who knows that the good is also pleasurable, even though it is harsh, and that what is shameful does not give delight, even though it is sweet.
--Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, mid 5th century AD