Rest tranquilly in the loving Heart of our dear Saviour; do not lose peace, even though the world turn upside down.Rest tranquilly in the loving Heart of our dear Saviour; do not lose peace, even though the world turn upside down.
One of the best proofs that we advance in virtue is to be at peace amid the attacks and the contradictions of creatures. Be firm on this point, and despise all the assaults of hell. More than ever show your fidelity to God by reposing on the cross with equanimity of spirit, and even exteriorly be calm and serene, without murmur or complaint. Drink of the chalice which Jesus Himself offers you; if it be bitter to the palate, it is sweet to the heart.
Nothing but sin can separate us from God. You do not wish to sin; therefore preserve your heart in peace, and have it constantly turned towards heaven.
Keep interior peace at every cost; pay no attention to fears or scruples. Experience will teach you that those vain fears of sin, etc., which I call veritable follies, ought to disappear in the fire of love.
I beg of you to appreciate the great favor which is accorded you in being always of a contrite and humble heart.
Make of your fears and other silly scruples a bundle, and throw it into the fire of divine charity, which will at once consume it; then keep yourself in interior solitude, and rest on the bosom of your heavenly Father.
Be very careful to retain peace of heart, because Satan casts his lines in troubled waters.
The notion that you commit sin in everything you do is a wicked suggestion of the devil; it is not true.
Humble yourself before God; lose yourself in the very depths of that sacred desert of which I have spoken to you; be absorbed by the Sovereign Good, consumed by the sacred fire of love. Believe me, this divine fire will dissipate all the dust and mist of scruples, and your soul will become purer and more beautiful in the eyes of your heavenly Spouse.
Keep yourself in a silence of faith and love, as a victim offered to the glory of God, and courageously despise scruples.
The merciful visits with which your Saviour favors you are not liable to illusion; they cause you to know how much He loves you, and that your scruples are an artifice of the demon.
When you are annoyed by scruples, say: "Yes, my Jesus, yes, I firmly trust that Thou hast pardoned me. My confessions have been well made, since my spiritual father has told me so. I believe Thy minister, and not the devil, who seeks to ruin me and to deprive me of peace of heart. So, my soul, courage! God has pardoned thee; trust in Him. O my God, my Father! I hope in Thee, I love Thee. Infernal spirit, begone from me! No more scruples, no more doubts, no more fears! May the love of my Jesus live in me! May the love of Jesus reign forever!"
- text taken from Flowers of the Passion, taken from the letters of Saint Paul of the Cross