Heroism in what is little

If you live like this you will turn your life into a fruitful apostolate, and at the end of the way you will receive Jesus’ praise: Quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam: intra in gaudium domini tui (Matt 25:21); you have been faithful over a little, in little things, I will set you over much: enter into the joy of your Lord.

All are called to holiness

Our life is simple and ordinary. Yet, if you live according to the demands of our spirit, it will be at the same time heroic. Sanctity is never a mediocre thing; the Lord did not call us in order to make our way to him any easier or less heroic. He has called us so that we may remind everyone, in any state or condition in life, in the midst of the noble toils of this earth, that they can be saints, that sanctity is something attainable. At the same time we must proclaim that the goal is very high: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48). Our life is the heroism of persevering in the normal, ordinary things of every day.

Doing ordinary things with love

Normal life is not without its value. If doing the same thing day after day seems flat, monotonous and unappealing, it is because love is missing. When there is love, every new day has a different hue, a different tone; each day strikes a different chord. May you do everything for Love. Let us never grow weary of loving our God. We need to use every second of our poor life to serve all souls, for love of our Lord, because the period of mortal life is always little for loving. It is short like the breeze that passes by.⁹

Spiritual childhood

Some people could perhaps imagine that ordinary life contains very little that can be offered to God: just trifles or silly things. But small children who want to please their parents give them whatever they have: a lead soldier with no head, a spool without any thread, a few pebbles, a couple of buttons. This is everything valuable they have in their pockets, their treasures. And a father does not consider how childish the present is: he thanks his child for it with the tenderest of hugs. Let us act in the same way towards God, because these childish things, these silly little things, become great things, because love is great. This is our way: to make, by Love, something heroic out of the little details of every day and every moment.