December 13, 1975

INTERIOR FORTITUDE

Write, my son:

In the preceding message I spoke of an important virtue; all virtues are important, just as all the members of a body, but there are members more important than others; there are some of greater importance and others of lesser.

The virtue about which I now will speak is interior fortitude, of which the Christian has extreme need, and during his entire life he should combat against the forces of evil.

“Militia est vita hominis super terram.” “The life of man is a warfare upon earth.” (Job 7, 1). This verse is already a forgotten truth, treated lightly and put behind all other Church problems; while it should be made a special object of study and one should take suitable means to spread it and protect it from all the astuteness of the Enemy.

When a young man becomes aware of the spiritual difficulties that he begins to find, to remain faithful to God, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, he should be enlightened. One should help him, training him with the virtue of fortitude, and giving him formation by means of a realistic vision of the battle, as the principal purpose of his earthly life, in order to attain eternal life. One should point out to him the indispensable weapons against the battle, and the means and times for the efficacious use of these weapons.

Men teach soldiers in a very detailed manner how to use indispensable weapons for battle; they perform training and exercises and explain to the soldiers when, how and why one should make use of these weapons.

Only in my Church, in which structures are not lacking, they have not understood the importance of this central problem of pastoral theology. If this is taken away, everything else is marginal; it is a frame. Of what use is everything else, if in the end man loses his soul?

Salvation depends upon it

All education and formation that must be given to children and young men, who at the beginning of life begin to find the first difficulties, should be based and centered on these points that I already commented upon in previous messages: Creation and the fall of man; Incarnation, Passion and Death of myself, eternal Word of God, to deliver men; my Redemption, my Mystical Body that issued forth from my Pierced Heart.

Why do I insist so much on these points that form the spinal column of the history of the human race? It is because the life of all men is linked to these historical realities.

Men cannot withdraw from this battle, upon which depends their eternal salvation or else their condemnation. No man in the world can presume he is capable of confronting an enemy superior in nature and in power, unless he has adequate assistance, that I have foreseen to be given to him, and you all know the price that it cost Me.

For this reason I desired my Church to exist in the world. Its purpose is not only to give birth to children for God, but also by all forms and all means that it possesses, it should make them grow, should nourish them and defend them; and as my Church is not formed only by the hierarchy, but by all the baptized, then the parents, the educators and the priests have the grave duty of occupying themselves deeply in this pastoral task, directed to make men understand that it is their duty to combat Satan, who incarnates evil, in all the moments of their life upon earth, using the adequate weapons at the precise time.

For the Christian this battle should have the preeminent place over all other things; it is clear that all these other things have value only in the measure in which they are used to attain the purpose of their life. It should never be forgotten that I have made the Christian a soldier, a combatant: strong in the faith, strong in hope, strong in love, well armed and equipped, they can confront the Enemy, with the certainty of victory, just as David, who combatted and conquered Goliath.

Mistaken formation

My son, tell Me if the formation and education given to childen by their parents who say they are good Christians, seems to you just and adequate. They have made of their children puppets, afterwards idols, and then proud tyrants. Nothing is denied to their children, from their first infancy every caprice is satisfied, every desire is fulfilled and they grow up thus, day after day they are allowed to say all their demands, they can do everything, they can experience everything, and for this reason you even have children addicted to drugs and even more, in primary schools.

They have never been asked to renounce anything, to make a sacrifice. Is it then surprising that vice dominates them, even when they are beginning their lives?

Many parents of these children consider themselves good Christians; they go to confession from time to time and my priests absolve them with great benevolence, and the bishops continue with their illusion. We have arrived to such a point of perversion; the most important problem has been lost sight of; an infinite number of things are discussed, but they never meet with their pastor to study the strategy about the greatest problem of pastoral theology.

Mental illness is not cured with simple generic means; a tumor is not cured with just any pill. Even when a surgical intervention is not pleasant, they do not hesitate to perform it, to save someone's life. But: how many vain fears, when they are dealing with the supreme welfare of their soul! They have doubts; they are afraid, and the adequate solution is postponed; they make excuses, and it is forgotten.

The weakness of bishops and priests is one of the principal causes of many evils that my Church suffers today. Interventions, well-planned but rapid, realized at the opportune moment, would have prevented so many woes and lamentations. What incalculable damage to souls!

Pray, my son; pray and offer Me your small sufferings, in order to mitigate the infinite sadness of my Merciful Heart.

I bless you. Do not worry about what will happen to you. My Love is enough; it is enough to know that you are in my Heart.