List of points

You must always have, in everything, the same “sentiments” as the Church. For this, you must acquire the spiritual and doctrinal training that you need, which will make you a person of sound judgement in temporal matters, humble and quick to correct yourself when you realise you have made a mistake.

—Correcting your own mistakes, nobly, is a very human and very supernatural way of using your freedom.

There is an urgent need for spreading the doctrine of Christ.

Store up your training, fill yourself with clear ideas, with the fullness of the Christian message, so that afterwards you can pass it on to others.

—Don’t expect God to illuminate you, for he has no reason to when you have definite human means available to you: study and work.

Error does not only darken the understanding: it also sunders wills.

But veritas liberabit vos: the truth will set you free from the partisan spirit that dries up charity.

You spend your time with that companion of yours who is scarcely even civil to you… and it’s hard.

—Keep at it, and don’t judge him. He’ll have his “reasons”, just as you have yours, which you strengthen so as to pray for him more each day.

If you walk in the world on all fours, how can you be surprised if other people are not angels?

Be lovingly on your guard, to live holy purity, because a spark is more easily put out than a roaring blaze.

But all human care, and mortification, and the cilice, and fasting — which are essential weapons! — how little all these are worth without you, my God!

Constantly call to mind that at every moment you are cooperating in the human and spiritual formation of those around you, and of all souls — for the blessed Communion of Saints reaches as far as that. At every moment: when you work and when you rest; when people see you happy or when they see you worried; when at your job, or out in the middle of the street, you pray as does a child of God and the peace of your soul shows through; when people see that you have suffered, that you have wept, and you smile.