“You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not yet know how to walk.  In his desire to reach the top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step.  It is all in vain, and at each renewed effort he falls.  Well, be like that little child.  Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step.  All God asks of you is good will.  From the top of the ladder He looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitless efforts, He will Himself come down, and, taking you in His Arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him.  But should you cease to raise your foot, you will be left for long on the earth.”

* * * * * *

“The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to remain always very little.  That is what I did, and now I can sing with our holy Father, St. John of the Cross: 

’Then I abased myself so low, so very low, That I ascended to such heights, such heights indeed, That I did overtake the prey I chased!’”

* * * * * *

Under a temptation which seemed to me irresistible, I said to her:  “This time, I cannot surmount it.”  She replied:  “Why seek to surmount it?  Rather pass beneath.  It is all well for great souls to soar above the clouds when the storm rages; we have simply to suffer the showers.  What does it matter if we get wet?  We shall dry ourselves in the sunshine of love.

“It recalls a little incident of my childhood.  One day a horse was standing in front of the garden gate, and preventing us from getting through.  My companions talked to him and tried to make him move off, but while they were still talking I quietly slipped between his legs . . .  Such is the advantage of remaining small.”

* * * * * *

Our Lord said to the mother of the sons of Zebedee:  ’To sit on my right or left hand is for them for whom it is prepared by my Father.’[1] I imagine that these chosen places, which have been refused alike to great Saints and Martyrs, will be reserved for little children; and did not David foretell it when he said, that ’the little Benjamin will preside amidst the assemblies[2] of the Saints.’”

* * * * * *

“You are wrong to find fault with this thing and with that, or to try and make everyone see things as you see them.  We desire to be ‘as little children,’ and little children do not know what is best:  to them all seems right.  Let us imitate their ways.  Besides, there is no merit in doing what reason dictates.”

* * * * * *

“My patrons and my special favourites in Heaven are those who, so to speak, stole it, such as the Holy Innocents and the Good Thief.  The great Saints won it by their works; I wish to be like the thieves and to win it by stratagem—­a stratagem of love which will open its gates both to me and to poor sinners.  In the Book of Proverbs the Holy Ghost encourages me, for He says:  ’Come to me, little one, to learn subtlety!’"[3]