Download Illumine your life with the virtues of faith and charity. Set fire to the

Cardinal Francis Xavier Thuan Nguyen
May 31, 2015
 Illumine your life with the virtues of faith and charity. Set fire to the world
with the flame God has ignited in your heart.
 Always act in such a way that your thoughts, words, and deeds will lead
others to conclude that, “This person is steeped in one book, the Gospel, and
inspired by one ideal, the life of Jesus Christ.”
 Be serious and constant. Your exterior demeanor should reflect the interior
life of your soul—that is, your peace of soul and self-control, rather than
childish fear.
 You should acquire the habit of being able to refuse, of knowing how to say, “No.”
 Do not be particular or parochial in regard to where or with whom you live and work, but open wide your
heart so that all humanity may find a place there. Otherwise, you may be Christian in name, but not in
reality.
 When the father of Bernadette Soubirous took her to the convent she was to enter, he laid down one
condition: “Don’t force my daughter to eat cheese—it would kill her.” Thereafter, day after day for seven
long years, Bernadette struggled at meals: “I must eat the cheese...I can’t eat it...I must eat the cheese ...”
Eventually she triumphed over herself and such was her courage that she could eat it. That fortitude,
evidenced in such small things, was what made her a saint.
 If God is present, your life is no longer lonely.
 Put your hand over your heart often and tell yourself: “God is living with me and in me.” Little by little, God
will give you a taste of that happiness which his presence brings.
 “Where is God? God is in heaven.” There is something missing when we teach small children this stock
reply in their catechisms. We should add, “God is living in me.” That answer is far more accurate and will
bring these little ones greater happiness, inviting them into a relationship with him.
 The several thousand patients in the House of St. Joseph Cottolengo have a special expression on their
faces, for from time to time a gentle voice can be heard over the public address system repeating a simple
phrase: “God is here at our side!”
EL CAMINO DE LA ESPERANZA
 Ilumina tu vida con la luz de la fe y de la caridad: Enciende el mundo con la llama que Dios ha puesto en tu
corazón.
 Actúa de modo que tus pensamientos, palabras, y obras, hagan decir a los demás: “Esta persona tiene una
sola pasión, el Evangelio, y está inspirada en un solo ideal, la vida de Jesús”.
 Sé serio y constante. Tu comportamiento exterior debería expresar la vida interior de tu alma, es decir, su
paz y el dominio de ti mismo, más que los caprichos infantiles.
 Sé capaz de oponer resistencia, y de saber decir “no”.
 No te dejes encadenar por el rudo nacionalismo, sino abre tu corazón; así cualquier persona podrá encontrar
sitio. De otra forma, serás católico sólo de nombre, no de hecho.
 Cuando el padre de Bemardet la condujo al convento al que iba a entrar, puso una condición: “No obliguen
a mi hija a comer queso: eso la mataría”. Un día tras otro, por siete largos anos, Bemardet luchó en la mesa
consigo misma: “¡Debo comer queso! ¡No puedo comerlo! ¡Debo comerlo!” Al final se venció a sí misma y
lo comió. ¡Y llegó a ser santa!
 Si Dios está presente, nunca estarás solo.
 Pon frecuentemente la mano en tu corazón y di: “Dios vive conmigo y en mí”. Poco a poco Dios te hará
degustar esa felicidad que viene de su presencia.
 “¿Dónde está Dios?” “Dios está en el cielo”. Cuando nosotros enseñamos a
los niños a responder así, omitimos alguna cosa, y deberíamos añadir: “Dios
vive en mí”. Esta respuesta es más exacta y produce en ellos una felicidad
más grande y una relación más intensa con Dios.
 Los millares de acogidos en el “Cotolengo”, tienen en su cara una expresión
especial: de vez en cuando, una voz hermosa repite por el altavoz: “Dios
está a nuestro lado”.