List of points

There are many Christians who are persuaded that the Redemption will be completed in all environments of the world, and that there have to be some souls — they do not know which ones — who will contribute to carrying it out with Christ. But they think it will take centuries, many centuries. It would be an eternity, if it were to take place at the rate of their self-giving.

That was the way you yourself thought, until someone came to “wake you up”.

Self-giving is the first step along the road of sacrifice, joy, love, union with God. —And so an entire life is filled with a holy madness which makes us find happiness where human logic would only see denial, suffering, pain.

“Pray”, you said, “that I may be generous, that I may progress, and come to change in such a way that one day I may be useful in something.”

Good. —But what means are you using so that these resolutions can be effective?

You often ask yourself why souls who have had the great fortune of knowing the true Jesus ever since their childhood, hesitate so much in responding with the best they have: their life, their family, their ideals.

Look: you are bound to show yourself very grateful to the Lord, precisely because you have received ‘everything’ in one go. Just as it would strike a blind man if he suddenly recovered his sight, while it does not even occur to others to give thanks because they see.

But that is not enough. You have to help those around you, daily, to behave with gratitude for their being sons of God. If you don’t, don’t tell me you are grateful.

Meditate on this slowly: I am asked for very little compared to how much I am being given.

As you never seem to manage to set off, consider what a brother of yours wrote to me: “It takes an effort, but once you have ‘made up your mind’, how you gasp with happiness when you find yourself firmly on your way!”

“These days”, you were saying, “have been the happiest in my life.” —And I answered you without hesitation: that is because you ‘have lived’ with a little more self-giving than usual.

The Lord’s calling — vocation — always presents itself like this: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Yes: a vocation demands self-denial, sacrifice. But how pleasant that sacrifice turns out to be — gaudium cum pace, joy and peace — if that self-giving is complete!

Don’t you have that mad desire to give yourself more completely, more irrevocably?

How ridiculous is the attitude of us poor little human beings when we deny the Lord such trifles again and again! As time goes by, and we begin to see things in their true perspective, then shame and sorrow are born.

Aure audietis, et non intelligetis: et videntes videbitis, et non perspicietis. These are the clear words of the Holy Spirit: they hear with their own ears, and they do not understand; they see with their own eyes, but they do not perceive.

Why worry if some, although they see the apostolate and they know how great it is, still do not give themselves to it? Pray in peace, and persevere along your way. If they don’t want to set out, there will be others!

Ever since you said Yes, time has broadened your horizons, giving them new and brighter colours and making them more beautiful every day. But you have to continue saying Yes.