i give you the joy of the cross
1974.03.23
let yourself be led by me at every moment, my son, and you will find peace.
even in sorrow, even in abandonment, even in contradictions, even when you seem to feel that you are powerless to do good.
you would like to and you cannot, because this does not depend on you you would like to and yet you cannot, because you meet with difficulties which you cannot overcome alone.
you would like to and yet you cannot, because, one by one, all those human supports on which you counted so much fail you.
even for me and for my movement, how many times you would have liked to do something and you cannot.
oh, this inability to act, this experience of your own fragility, and the patience which you must exercise, and this waiting-how much this costs you at times, how it makes you suffer, how it purifies you.
indeed, you will know joy in your every sorrow.
moreover, you will offer for my joy each of your sufferings, even the smallest, and i will accept it as a gift which the little child makes to its mother, and i will change it immediately into joy for you.
however, the joy that i give you is deep, it is not superficial it is peaceful, it never brings agitation.
it is for you, my son, the joy of the cross.
the joy of remaining always in my sorrowful heart to experience all its indescribable motherly bitterness.
i want to bring all the priests of my movement to this joy.
they must know how i completely change and transform their existence, taking literally the gift which they made to me by their consecration.
i will lead them, these little children of mine, very far in love, in suffering, in the joy of the cross.
those moments are approaching when i will be able to act, for the salvation of the world, through the sufferings of my priest sons.
from them i want trust, prayer, simplicity, silence.
Fr Gobbi 