Jesus says:
“And this is for little Marta,69 who must not complain about never receiving a word and who must be sure about being greatly loved in an active way by her Lord, who has taken care of protecting her since He placed her under the tent where He takes his rest. He had loved you before, for loving is his very breath. But when you thought you were alone, I loved you through a whole family, giving you peace alongside Maria. Do not complain if there are no words for you. You receive them all when living with Maria. Letters are written to those far away, not to those who dwell with us. And you are where I dwell. Be good. Infuse the spirituality of Maria, who chose the better part,70 into your activity as Marta; and since she chose it with pain and complete, voluntary love, she has received the super-best part from Me. You are resting upon Maria’s heart, and Maria, upon mine. Do not be anxious about too many matters, then, including wondering whether I am thinking of you. Rest on the hearts of those who love you and have faith. God does not abandon those who hope in Him and practice charity. Receive my peace.”
And I tell myself, on the other hand, the following, remembering....
Two years ago, as today, my relatives from Calabria were arriving.71 I gave them assistance and affection as a relative and for their sake took on the biggest battle. But I am not in the same condition as Lazarus’ Martha. I am not sure about holding my victory in my hand, in spite of all the protests of faith and so on which are written to me. What I am sure about is that I have had a lot of suffering, and still do, and will have it, for this motive, which had its inception two years ago. Jesus says, “It’s worth losing a friendship to save a soul.”72 And that’s fine. I really believe this is my case. And I also confess that my displeasure over it is very relative. I think that the fewer bonds I have, the freer I will be to fly to Jesus. I am speaking of the bonds of human affections. And I feel they are so weakened by the consumption of human baseness and wretchedness that there remains only one partially eaten-away fiber which can be broken by the slightest thing. My love for my relatives thus becomes stripped of all that is flesh and blood - that is, what remains selfish enjoyment – and turns into golden, painful spiritual love which will never abandon these spirits out of love for Jesus. And this is the essence which two years of intimate contact have squeezed out of the fruit of this proximity....73
69 Marta Diciotti. The episode dictated prior to this passage was written on the feast of St. Martha and centers on Martha of Bethany.
70 Luke 10:38-42.
71 See The Notebooks. 1944, note 312.
72 In the second episode we indicated for July 29.
73 We pass over the handwritten entries extending from July 30 to August 10, 1945, which contain episodes found in The Second Year of the Public Life.