Guidelines  foR  salvation

 Treasure Christ's wounds as you treasure the money which buys your needs; for when you offer these wounds to God, He will, through them, grant you whatever you ask Him. People obtain whatever they ask for through Christ's wounds, for they are of infinite value.          

During any trial you may find yourself in, examine yourself well and see what is moving you to act; whether it is your own nature seeking its own gratification, or God's grace helping you to do His will. Bear in mind that one always reaps what he sows.       

Consider yourself fortunate when you are insulted or slandered in any way, for then you have an occasion to exercise forgiveness, and God will forgive you, if in all sincerity you forgive others. You know well that to fogive will eventually be to our great advantage because of our numerous sins.   

When you do not have the strength to deny yourself or to endure patiently, ask God to help you.  He will certainly do so, just as a master helps his servant who asks his help in order to carry out a command which he finds too difficult to obey.  God could never be less good than human beings.               

Never think that you have God's spirit in you if you do not have a sincere and disinterested love towards everyone else, for God is love.  Those who choose whom to love, but not universally, in fact love only themselves and not God nor their neighbour.           

The commandment of Christ, our Lord, is to love one another.  If we observe this commandment, it will be sufficient for us, for God will preserve us from sinning.  

If you want to become perfect, do not be curious or a blabber.  Christ wants us to be perfect as God is perfect.  He tells us, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5,48).  By the help of his grace, everything is possible for us.   

Prudent people live in trepidation, and quite rightly so, for all through life nothing is certain.  Indeed, this is the true reason for apprehension; that no one can be sure about the future  except the fact of death.   

One should cherish wholesome fear, for it leads to the real good (Ps.110.10).  Whoever fears is cautious, and it is impossible for the cautious person not to live an ordered and a peaceful life.  Those who are cautious take all the necessary safeguards to preserve themselves from that evil of which they are afraid.  

Every morning affiance yourself to patience, for it is necessary for you to fulfill the will of God, and so reach heaven.  With patience you can conquer anything.  Thus you will have the consoling sign that in you there is prudence, which is true wisdom, as attested by the Holy Spirit.

  Spiritual Directory from the writings of St. George Preca