List of points

There are some people who, when they speak about God or the apostolate, seem to feel the need to apologise. Perhaps it is because they have not discovered the value of human virtues, but, on the other hand, have been greatly deformed spiritually, and are too cowardly.

“You are all so cheerful, and one doesn’t expect that,” I heard someone say.

It has been happening for a long time; insistently and with diabolical determination, Christ’s enemies never tire of complaining that the people who give themselves to God are all sullen. And, unfortunately, some of those who wish to be ‘good’ have lent support to those words, with their ‘sad virtues’.

—We give you thanks, Lord, because you have chosen to count on our cheerful, very happy lives to erase that false caricature.

—I also ask You that we may not forget it.

A good son of God has to be very human. But not to such an extent that he becomes uncouth and bad-mannered.

If the Lord has given you some natural quality or skill, you should not just enjoy it yourself or show off about it; you should use it charitably in the service of your neighbour.

—And what better occasion than now will you find to serve, since you live with so many souls who share the same ideal as yourself?

What a sorry state someone is in when he has marvellous human virtues but a total lack of supernatural outlook, because he will apply those virtues quite easily to his own selfish ends. —Meditate on this.

“A great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman adorned with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars about her head.” —From this, you and I and everyone may be sure that nothing perfects our personality so much as correspondence with grace.

—Try to imitate the Virgin Mary and you will be a complete man or woman.

Blessed are you for believing, said Elizabeth to our Mother. —Union with God, supernatural virtue, always brings with it the attractive practice of human virtues: Mary brought joy to her cousin’s home, because she “brought” Christ.

Iesus Christus, perfectus Deus, perfectus Homo — Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect Man.

There are many Christians who follow Christ and are astonished by his divinity, but forget him as Man… And they fail in the practice of supernatural virtues, despite all the external paraphernalia of piety, because they do nothing to acquire human virtues.

Take note of the words of that working man who commented so enthusiastically after he had attended a gathering you had organised: “I had never heard people speak as they do here, about being noble, honest, kind and generous…” And he concluded in amazement: “Compared to the materialism of the Left or the Right, this is the true revolution.”

—Any soul can understand the fraternity Christ has established. Let us make a point of not adulterating that doctrine.

Look at the great difference between the natural and the supernatural way of acting. The first begins well, but later ends up slackening. The latter begins equally well… and later struggles to become even better.

It is not at all bad to behave well for upright human reasons. —But… what a difference it makes when the supernatural ones rule!

I give you thanks, my Jesus, for your decision to become perfect Man, with a Heart which loved and is most lovable; which loved unto death and suffered; which was filled with joy and sorrow; which delighted in the things of men and showed us the way to Heaven; which subjected itself heroically to duty and acted with mercy; which watched over the poor and the rich and cared for sinners and the just…

—I give you thanks, my Jesus. Give us hearts to measure up to Yours!