Difficulties are overcome

Difficulties! There will always be difficulties of one sort or other, but they can always be overcome. They are matters of “ordinary administration” that you will conquer by your sacrifice, your prayer and your joy. Besides, don’t forget that we rely on God’s grace, the passage of time, our charity and our work. Things change, the atmosphere improves. Those who once criticized and were opposed end up praising and helping.

Don’t suffer, no matter what they call you. They are right! Our Lord tells us through St Matthew, Unus est bonus: Deus (Matt 19:17); God alone is good. At times, my dear sons and daughters, you have to remember those words: exiit qui seminat seminare semen suum (Luke 8:5); the sower went out to sow his seed. Be aware that generously scattering handfuls of the pure gold of wheat upon the earth’s soil brings with it worries that are not small. Rain and drought, sun or fog, cold and heat: anything and everything can do harm.

Difficulties from within

Other times there will be no shortage of occasions to suffer that come not from without but from within. One of the young people coming to our houses may say something inappropriate – they “put their foot in it”, as they would say – and the Director does not manage the situation properly, perhaps because they are overly strict and lack experience. Or because their work is very tiring, and requires much effort, patience, sacrifice, self-denial and, I must also add, deep humility. You should be prepared not to let such things upset you, but to overlook them with a smile.

As I have told you before, give these boys or girls responsible jobs to do. Pray for them. Treat them with affection and understanding, with Christ’s charity, and you will see real changes in them. Those who had been an obstacle will become, in your hands, like clay in the hands of the potter, sicut lutum in manu fíguli (Jer 18:6), very faithful instruments.