God never refuses the first grace, which gives courage to conquer self: if the soul corresponds to it she will find that she immediately receives light. I have ever been struck with those words of praise to Judith: "Thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened."[1] We must first act with courage, then the heart is strengthened and we go from victory to victory.
COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES
My God, how varied are the ways by
which Thou dost lead souls. In reading
the Lives of the Saints we find a great
number of whom nothing has remained
to us after their death: not the smallest
souvenir, not a written line. Others
there are, on the contrary, like our Holy
Mother Saint Teresa, who have enriched
the Church with their sublime doctrine,
not fearing to reveal the secrets of the King,[2]
in the hope that souls might know Him
better and love Him more. Which of
these two ways pleases our Lord best?
