List of points

Will-power. A very important quality. Don't despise little things, for by the continual practice of denying yourself again and again in such things — which are never futile or trivial — with God's grace you will add strength and resilience to your character. In that way you will first become master of yourself, and then a guide, a chief, a leader: to compel and to urge and to inspire others, with your word, with your example, with your knowledge and with your power.

You want to hear all that I think of 'your way'? Very well, then…, listen: if you respond to the call, you will do your utmost in your work for Christ: if you become a man of prayer, you will be granted the grace necessary to respond and, hungry for sacrifice, you will seek out the hardest tasks…

And you will be happy here, and unspeakably happy hereafter.

Forget that despair produced by the realization of your weakness. — True: financially you are a zero, in social standing another zero, and another in virtues, and another in talent.

But to the left of these noughts, stands Christ. And what an incalculable figure we get!

An upright heart and good will. With these, and with your mind intent on carrying out what God wants, you will see your dreams of Love come true and your hunger for souls satisfied.

Never lose heart if you are an apostle. There is no obstacle that you cannot overcome.

Why are you sad?

Stages: to be resigned to the will of God; to conform to the will of God, to want the will of God; to love the will of God.

There is a brilliant man whom you long to attract to your apostolate; there is another, a man of great influence; and a third, full of prudence and virtues…

Pray, offer up sacrifices, and work on them with your word and example. — They don't want to come! — Don't lose your peace; it's because they are not needed.

Do you think there were no brilliant and influential and prudent and virtuous contemporaries of Peter outside the apostolate of the first twelve?

You write: 'Our longing to see it all going ahead and spreading seems about to turn into impatience. When will things get under way, when will the break-through come,… when will we see the world ours?'

And you add: 'It won't be a useless longing if we seek an outlet for it in "coercing", in "pestering" God: then we will have made excellent use of our time.'