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Like the blind, they must lean on dark faith, accept it for their guide and light, and rest on nothing of what they understand, taste, feel, or imagine.

If, while He went about in the world, the sick were healed merely by touching His clothes, how can we doubt that He will work miracles when He is within us, if we have faith, or that He will give us what we ask of Him since He is in our house? His Majesty is not wont to offer us too little payment for His lodging if we treat Him well.

O illustrious people! Open your eyes for the love of God; behold that the true knights of Jesus Christ and the princes of His Church, a St. Peter and a St. Paul, did not follow the road you follow. Do you think perhaps there will be a new road for you? Do not believe it.

As a result the soul recognizes the truth about its misery, of which it was formerly ignorant. When it was walking in festivity, gratification, consolation, and support in God, it was more content, believing that it was serving God in some way. Though this idea of serving God may not be explicitly formed in a person's mind, at least some notion of it is deeply embedded within, owing to the satisfaction derived from one's spiritual exercises.

I know that God makes use of me as an instrument and that neither by reason of my talents nor because of my services was I called to fill this position that I now occupy. To the blindest of men I am a striking proof of what faith can do, and nothing worthwhile that I have done in my life has come from me.

All of this darkness signifies the obscurity of faith with which the divinity is clothed while communicating itself to the soul.

If Our Lord were to offer me a choice between dying in ecstasy or in the loneliness of Calvary, I would prefer the latter, not for the sake of the merit, but to glorify Him and be like Him. If I had died in my former state of soul, it would have been too easy! It is in pure faith that I now leave and I prefer it that way. I am thus more like my Master and more in truth.

These times in which all structures of life on earth are tottering and changing, are also a period of struggle over eternal questions. Ardently, we seek God, we strive for intensification and revival...we have a desire to live totally out of faith, to place ourselves completely at the service of the Lord.

In order to reach the ideal life of the soul, I believe we must live in the realm of the supernatural and be persuaded that God dwells in our innermost being, and go to everything with Him. Then nothing can be trivial, no matter how commonplace in itself, for we do not live in those things, but soar above them.

I have made more acts of faith during the past year than in all the rest of my life. Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a gallant soldier. Aware that a duel is an act of cowardice, I turn my back on the foe without once looking him in the face; then hastening to my Savior I tell Him that I am ready to shed my blood as a witness to my belief in Heaven. I tell Him that if He will deign to open it for eternity to poor unbelievers, I am content to sacrifice during my life all joyous thoughts of the Home that awaits me.

Let us gaze upon our Master and may this gaze of simple, loving faith separate us from all else, and place, as it were, a cloud between us and the things of the earth ... let us keep everything for Him alone, and sing to the Lord with David, ‘I will keep my strength in thee’ (Ps. 58:10).

The cross...It is the path from earth to heaven. It will lift one who embraces it in faith, love, and hope into the bosom of the Trinity.