Souls who suffer

February 29

For the mundane seems incredible that there are souls who have to see that providence extends life. However, there is the history of the saints, which is and will be the master of mankind.
Of suffering such torment the souls of the righteous to be far from its center, we can form, oh Raffaelina, a faint idea by looking at what these souls are suffering, having to satisfy even the most vital needs of life such as eating, drinking and sleeping. And if God's mercy not to go, especially at certain times and on certain days, with a kind of miracle, depriving them of reflection while performing such acts necessary for life, for the poor things is such torment experienced in making such a action also can not help that I, without fear to lie, I could not find a proper comparison and not what should experience the martyrs who were burnt alive, thus surrendering their lives to Jesus in witness to their faith.
It is easy compared to this one would be an exaggeration beautiful and empty, but I, my dear Raffaelina, I know what I'm saying. The day of universal judgment certainly see these souls who, without having given their blood for the faith, we will say that crowned, like the martyrs, with the palm of martyrdom.

  (23 February 1915, at Raffaelina Cerase - Letters. II, p. 340)