Holy impatience

Our Lord has set this divine fire ablaze in our hearts and we ought to have a holy impatience to spread it to all souls around us, even to those furthest away. But until we receive the approval of Holy Church, it is advisable to act with prudence – in agreement with the local ordinary as we have always done – when we take any steps to inform people about the existence and nature of the Work. But be very clear that this way of proceeding in no way means keeping secrets. We act openly where everyone can see, and in fact only the blind and the deaf can be unaware of our Work.

Lack of understanding

You know that I am not one to judge harshly. But as far as I can see, some people, moved by their lack of understanding, would like my children, because they are so dedicated to the service of God, to carry a sign on their backs that would say more or less, Let it be known that I am a good boy. They don’t realize that we (who are not religious and never will be) work, with supernatural outlook, legally and canonically just like the members of an association of the faithful.

It would never occur to anyone to make a doctor, who is a member of a Third Order, print on his business cards: “John Smith, Franciscan tertiary, MD”. Consequently, our way of acting cannot be called secrecy, because it is not an attempt to hide what we are. On the contrary, it is simply naturalness. We do not want to appear to be what we are not, and what we are is ordinary Catholics, the same as other citizens.