List of points

The world admires only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacrifice that is hidden and silent.

Nonsectarianism. Neutrality. Old myths that always try to seem new.

Have you ever stopped to think how absurd it is to leave one's Catholicism aside on entering a university, a professional association, a cultural society, or Parliament, like a man leaving his hat at the door?

The standard of holiness that God asks of us is determined by these three points:

Holy intransigence, holy coercion and holy shamelessness.

Holy shamelessness is one thing: plain cheekiness, quite another.

Holy shamelessness is a characteristic of the 'life of childhood.' A little child worries about nothing. He makes no effort to hide his weaknesses, his natural miseries, not even when everyone is watching him.

This shamelessness applied to the supernatural life, brings with it the following train of thought: praise, contempt; esteem, ridicule; honour, dishonour; health, sickness; riches, poverty; beauty, ugliness…

All right… so what?

Laugh at ridicule. Despise the bogey of what people will say. See and feel God in yourself and in your surroundings. And you will acquire the holy shamelessness that you need — what a paradox! — in order to live with the refinement of a christian gentleman.

If you have holy shamelessness, you won't be worried by the thought of 'what will people say?' or 'what can they have said?'

Convince yourself that there is no such thing as ridicule for whoever is doing what is best.

'Generally', you write, 'people are anything but generous with their money. Plenty of talk, of loud enthusiasm, of promises and plans. But at the moment of sacrifice few come forward to lend a hand. And if they do give, it has to be with "trimmings" attached: a dance, a raffle, a cinema or theatre show, or an announcement and subscription list in the newspapers.'

It's a sad state of affairs, but it has its exceptions. May you also be one of those who, when they give alms, don't let their left hand know what their right hand is doing.

'This is the carpenter's son, surely? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary?'

This, which was said of Jesus, may very well be said of you, in a tone half of astonishment, half of mockery, when you really decide to carry out God's will, to be an instrument: 'But, isn't this "So-and-so"…?'

Say nothing. And let your works confirm your mission.

Piety has its own good manners. Learn them. It's a shame to see those 'pious' people who don't know how to attend Mass — even though they go daily, — nor how to bless themselves (they throw their hands about in the weirdest fashion), nor how to bend the knee before the Tabernacle (their ridiculous genuflections seem a mockery), nor how to bow their heads reverently before a picture of our Lady.

Once again they have spoken, they have written: in favour, against; with good and with not so good will; faint praise and slander; panegyrics and plaudits; hits and misses…

Don't be a fool! As long as you are making straight for your goal, head and heart intoxicated with God, why worry about the voice of the wind, or the chirp of the cricket, or the mooing or the grunting or the braying?

Besides, it's inevitable; don't waste time answering back.