List of points

You wrote to tell me that you have at last gone to confession and that you experienced the humiliation of having to open the sewer — that is what you say — of your life to “a man”.

When will you get rid of that feeling of vain self-esteem? You will then go to confession extremely happy to show yourself as you are to “that man”, who, being anointed, is a Christ — Christ himself — and gives you absolution, God’s forgiveness.

Auxilium christianorum! —Help of Christians, says the litany of Loreto with confidence. Have you tried to repeat that aspiration in time of difficulty? If you do it with faith, with the tenderness of a daughter or a son, you will discover the power of the intercession of your Holy Mother Mary, who will lead you to victory.

Naturalness, sincerity and cheerfulness are indispensable conditions for the apostle to attract people.

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

The dust thrown up by your fall blinds and disorients you, and you have thoughts which rob you of your peace.

—Have you sought relief in tears by the side of Our Lord, and in confident conversation with a brother?

Sincerity: with God, with the director, with your fellow men. —If you act like that, I shall be certain of your perseverance.

Do you want to know how to be frank and simple? Listen to these words of Peter and meditate on them: Domine, Tu omnia nosti… —Lord, You know all things!

“What shall I say?”, you asked when you began to open up your soul. And with a sure conscience, I answered: “In the first place say what you would not like to be known.”

The defects you see in others are perhaps your own. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex… — If your eye is clear, the whole of the body will be lit up; whereas if the eye is diseased, the whole of the body will be in darkness.

Moreover: “How is it that you can see the speck of dust in your brother’s eye, and are not aware of the beam that is in your own?”

Examine your conscience.

We all need to foresee our lack of objectivity whenever we have to judge our own behaviour. This applies to you too.

If you had a big heart and were a bit more sincere you would not be troubled by feelings of mortification over little things — nor would you use them to mortify other people.

If the word love is often on your lips, without being backed by little sacrifices, it becomes tedious.