I believe that the hardships of hunger we endured during the war in prison were somewhat easier for me to bear thanks to the fasting, self-denial, and acts of penance that I had once imposed on myself. The experience of hunger was at least not new to me; the only difference was in its intensity. And soon I recognized that while prayer does not alleviate physical suffering or mental anguish, it allows one to endure them more patiently. And surely it was prayer that helped me overcome each crisis.
(Walter J. Ciszek SJ /1904–1984/,
memories of Soviet prison during World War II, He Leads Me, chapter 5)
