List of points

Be calm! Be daring!

With these virtues you must rout the fifth column of people who are lukewarm, who are cowards or traitors.

A consequence of loyalty is your assurance that you are walking along the right road, without being unsettled or confused. You are also strengthened in this additional certainty: that good sense and happiness exist.

—See whether this is fulfilled in every instant of your life.

I do not deny that you are clever. But your unreasonable vehemence leads you to act like a fool.

It is not a matter of fulfilling your obligations in a hurry, but of bringing them to a finish without a pause, at God’s pace.

There is a remedy for those anxieties of yours. Be patient, have rectitude of intention and look at things from a supernatural perspective.

God is with you! So cast far away from you that fear and spiritual agitation… They are reactions to avoid in the first place, for they only serve to multiply temptations and increase the danger.

Everything may collapse and fail. Events may turn out contrary to what was expected and great adversity may come. But nothing is to be gained by being perturbed. Furthermore, remember the confident prayer of the prophet: “The Lord is our judge, the Lord gives us our laws, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.”

—Say it devoutly every day, so that your behaviour may agree with the designs of Providence, which governs us for our own good.

If you fix your sight on God and thus know how to keep calm in the face of worries; if you can forget petty things, grudges and envies, you will save a lot of energy, which you need if you are to work effectively in the service of men.

Holy Mary is the Queen of peace, and thus the Church invokes her. So when your soul or your family are troubled, or things go wrong at work, in society or between nations, cry out to her without ceasing. Call to her by this title: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis — Queen of peace, pray for us. Have you at least tried it when you have lost your calm?… —You will be surprised at its immediate effect.

Everything can be put right… except death. And death puts everything right.

You are wrong to let yourself be impressed by the first or the latest conversation!

Listen with respect and interest. Give due credit to people… but carefully ponder your judgement in the presence of God.

You have a big problem; but if such things are approached properly, that is to say, with calm and responsible supernatural vision, the solution is always to be found.