Dorothy Day 11/8/1897 - 11/29/1980

Sometimes our hearts are heavy with the tragedy of the world, the horrible news from Vietnam, Brazil, Biafra, the Israeli-Arab war. And here it is Advent and Christmas time again, and with it the juxtaposition of joy and sorrow, the blackness of night, brightness of dawn. What saves us from despair is a phrase we read in the Life of Jesus by Daniel-Rops, "getting on with the business of living." What did the women do after the cruxifiction? The men were in the upper room mouring and praying and the women, by their very nature, "had to go on with the business of living." They prepared the spices, purchased the linen cloths for the burial, kept the Sabbath, and hastened to the tomb on Sunday morning. Their very work gave them insights as to time, and doubtless there was a hint of the peace and joy of ressurection to temper their grief.
- Dorothy Day, quoted in The Dorothy Day Book