List of points

Here is a good way of doing an examination of conscience:

—Have I accepted in a spirit of expiation the difficulties which have come to me this day from the hand of God? Or those which came from the behaviour of my colleagues? Or from my own wretchedness?

—Have I managed to offer Our Lord, in expiation, the very sorrow I feel for having offended him so many times? Have I offered him the shame of all my inner embarrassment and humiliation at seeing how little progress I make along the path of virtue?

Foster a desire for atonement in your soul, so that you may acquire greater contrition each day.

What the flesh lost, the flesh should pay back: be generous in your penance.

There are two reasons, among others, that friend was saying to himself, why I should make reparation to my Immaculate Mother every Saturday and on the eve of her feasts.

The second is that on Sundays and on feasts of Our Lady (which are often feasts in villages), instead of dedicating such days to prayer, so many people spend them — you have only to look around you and see — offending Our Jesus with public sins and scandalous crimes.

The first reason is that, perhaps due to the devil’s influence, those of us who want to be good sons are not taking proper care in the way we live these days dedicated to Our Lord and to his Mother.

You’ll realise that unfortunately these reasons are still very valid. And so we too should make reparation.

Love Our Lord very much. Maintain and foster in your soul a sense of urgency to love him better. Love God precisely now when perhaps a good many of those who hold him in their hands do not love him, but rather ill-treat and neglect him.

Be sure to take good care of the Lord for me, in the Holy Mass and throughout the whole day!

Love God for those who do not love him. You should make this spirit of reparation and atonement flesh of your flesh.

The longing for atonement that your Father God puts in your soul will be satisfied if you unite your poor personal expiation to the infinite merits of Jesus.

—Rectify your intention, and love suffering in him, with him, and through him.