List of points

Aure audietis, et non intelligetis: et videntes videbitis, et non perspicietis. These are the clear words of the Holy Spirit: they hear with their own ears, and they do not understand; they see with their own eyes, but they do not perceive.

Why worry if some, although they see the apostolate and they know how great it is, still do not give themselves to it? Pray in peace, and persevere along your way. If they don’t want to set out, there will be others!

Sometimes you feel that you are beginning to lose heart and that everything is getting on top of you. This kills your good desires, and you can hardly manage to overcome this feeling even by making acts of hope… —Never mind: this is a good time to ask God for more grace. Then, go on! Renew your joy for the struggle, even though you might lose the odd skirmish.

Faced by all those men without faith, without hope; by minds desperately near the borders of anguish, seeking for a meaning in their life, you found your purpose: Him!

This discovery will permanently inject a new happiness into your existence, it will transform you, and present you with an immense daily hoard of beautiful things of which you were unaware, and which show you the joyful expanse of that broad path that leads you to God.

Hope does not mean beginning to see the light, but trusting with one’s eyes closed that the Lord possesses the light fully, and lives in its clarity. He is the Light.

“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.

Do not be disheartened when you become aware of your mistakes. React against them.

—Sterility is not so much a consequence of one’s faults, especially if one repents, as a consequence of pride.

If you fall, get up with greater hope… Self-love alone is incapable of understanding that an error, when put right, helps us to know and to humble ourselves.

You suffer a lot because you realise that you don’t make the grade. You would like to do more, and do it more effectively, but very often you do things in a complete daze, or you don’t dare do them at all.

Contra spem, in spem! — live in certain hope, against all hope. Rely on that firm rock which will save you and help you on. It is a wonderful theological virtue, which will encourage you to press on, without being afraid of going too far, and will not let you stop.

—Don’t look so troubled! Yes, cultivating hope means strengthening the will.