"Out of the strong came forth sweetness"

Sophie's serenity was not stoicism.

"If pagans make sacrifices for the sake of their own glory, can I not bear crosses for the sake of the God of heaven whom I serve?" was her own explanation of the unfailing sweetness at which others marvelled. A motto she was fond of quoting in after years was: "To suffer myself and not to make others suffer."

-- Life of Blessed Madeleine Sophie Barat

(Siteowner's note: Madeleine Sophie Barat was canonized in 1925.)