“Vigilance, but without fear; courage, but without recklessness; recollection, but active” (Inner Word).
Here is some advice on how to live fruitfully our following of Christ. Vigilance is part of our basic equipment as Christians. It is not only a matter of identifying and repulsing the devil’s insidious attacks, but of being attentive to our whole way of life, in accordance with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16).
Our faith demands the courage to confess it. Who, if not a firm faith, could stand against the world, with its course leading to the abyss? Who, if not those who hold fast to the faith, could counteract the tendency of Church leaders to conform to the spirit of the world? Today it takes courage to profess one’s faith without reservation, both inside and outside the Church. On the other hand, words should be chosen carefully and not lightly, so that they are well-founded and not distorted by negative sentiments.
Our works will be fruitful to the extent that they come from our inner relationship with God. The more we live in the Heart of our Father, retreating there again and again and remaining in recollection, the easier it will be for us to carry out the tasks entrusted to us. The more they are permeated and impelled by love, the more they acquire that “taste” which is proper to the works of God. They lose their uneasiness and the restlessness with which we often carry them out, and in their place appears a serene flow in our activities.