List of points

I must warn you against a ploy of satan — yes, without a capital, because he deserves no more — who tries to make use of the most ordinary circumstances, to turn us away, slightly or greatly, from the way that leads us to God.

If you are struggling, and even more if you are really struggling, you should not be surprised at feeling tired or at having sometimes to “go against the grain”, without any spiritual or human consolation. See what someone wrote to me some time ago, and which I kept for those who naively consider that grace does away with nature: “Father, for a few days now I have been feeling tremendously lazy and lacking in enthusiasm for fulfilling the plan of life. I have to force myself to do everything, and I have very little taste for it. Pray for me so that this crisis may soon pass, for it makes me suffer a lot to think it could make me turn from my way.”

—I answered only: did you not know that Love demands sacrifice? Read the words of the Master slowly: “Whoever does not take up his Cross quotidie — every day — is not worthy of Me.” And further on: “I will not leave you orphans…” Our Lord allows that dryness of yours, which you find so hard, so that you may love Him more, so that you may trust only in Him, so that you may co-redeem with the Cross, so that you may meet Him.

“The devil doesn’t seem to be very clever”, you told me. “I can’t understand how he can be so stupid: he always uses the same deceits, the same falsehoods…”

—You are absolutely right. But we men are less clever, and we do not learn from the experience of others… And satan counts on all that in order to tempt us.

Anyone who hides a temptation from his director shares a secret with the devil. —He has become a friend of the enemy.

Pride sooner or later ends up humiliating a man in front of others, however much of “a man” he is, since he will have been acting like a vain and brainless puppet, moved by satan’s strings.

The devil, father of lies and victim of his own pride, tries to imitate the Lord even in the way he seeks converts. Have you noticed that in the same way as God makes use of men to save souls and lead them to holiness, so does satan use other people to impede that work and even to bring them to ruin? And — don’t be frightened — in the same way as Jesus seeks those who were nearest, relatives, friends or colleagues to be instruments, the devil also often attempts to get the people we love most to lead us into evil.

That is why, if the bonds of blood-relationship tie us down and hinder us from following the ways of God, we should cut them promptly. And perhaps your resolve will also release others who were being entangled in the nets of Lucifer.

The tactics of a tyrant towards those who could overthrow him if they were united are to make them quarrel among themselves. —It is an old ploy of the enemy, the devil and his followers, to destroy many apostolic plans.

Sometimes I think backbiters are like men possessed by a lesser devil… —For the devil always insinuates himself and his evil spirit here, forever critical of God or God’s followers.