List of points

The world awaits us. Yes! We love the world passionately because God has taught us to: Sic Deus dilexit mundum… — God so loved the world. And we love it because it is there that we fight our battles in a most beautiful war of charity, so that everyone may find the peace that Christ has come to establish.

The Lord has shown us this refinement of Love: he has let us conquer the world for him.

He is always so humble that he has wished to limit himself to making it possible… To us He has granted the easiest and most agreeable part: taking action and gaining the victory.

The world… “That is our field!” you said, after directing your eyes and thoughts to heaven, with all the assurance of the farmer who walks through his own ripe corn. Regnare Christum volumus! — we want Him to reign over this earth of his!

“It is a time of hope, and I live off this treasure. It is not just a phrase, Father,” you tell me, “it is a reality.”

Well then… bring the whole world, all the human values which attract you so very strongly — friendship, the arts, science, philosophy, theology, sport, nature, culture, souls — bring all of this within that hope: the hope of Christ.

That insubstantial and pleasure-giving enchantment of the world — so constant. The flowers by the wayside — you are attracted by their colour and the air is scented with them; the birds of the air; creatures, all of them…

—My poor son: it is quite reasonable. For, if you were not fascinated by it all, what sacrifice would you be able to offer Our Lord?

Your Christian vocation requires you to be in God and, at the same time, to be concerned with the things of the earth, using them objectively, just as they are: to give them back to Him.

It seems incredible that one could be so happy in this world, where so many are bent on leading sad lives because they follow their own selfishness, as if everything came to an end down here!

—Don’t you be one of them… rectify your intention all the time!

The world is cold and seems to be asleep. —You often look on it, from your vantage point, with a glance that would set it on fire. Lord, may it awaken!

—Channel your bursts of impatience and be sure that if we manage to keep our whole life alight, we shall set every corner of the world alight, and the way it all looks will change.

The faithfulness — in the service of God and souls — which I always ask you for, is not the easy type of enthusiasm. It is the enthusiasm you can acquire in the middle of the street, when you see how much there is to be done everywhere.

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

It is difficult to make our mark through quiet work and the proper fulfilment of our duties as citizens, so that later we can demand our rights and place them in the service of the Church and of society.

It is difficult… but it is very effective.

It is not true that there is opposition between being a good Catholic and serving civil society faithfully. In the same way there is no reason why the Church and the State should clash when they proceed with the lawful exercise of their respective authorities, in fulfilment of the mission God has entrusted to them.

Those who affirm the contrary are liars, yes, liars! They are the same people who honour a false liberty, and ask us Catholics “to do them the favour” of going back to the catacombs.

To follow in Christ’s footsteps, today’s apostle does not need to reform anything, but even less has he to take no part in the contemporary affairs going on around him. —He has only to act as the first Christians did, and give life to his environment.

You live in the middle of the world and you are just another citizen living in contact with men who say they are good or bad. You must always want to give other people the happiness you enjoy as a Christian.

A decree went out from the Emperor Augustus, enjoining that all the inhabitants of Israel should be registered. Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. —Has it ever occurred to you that the Lord made use of the exact acceptance of a law to fulfil his prophecy?

Love and respect the norms of behaviour required for living in amity. Have no doubt, either, that your loyal submission to duty can be the means for others to discover Christian integrity, which is the fruit of divine love, and to find God.