Spiritual work on ourselves is actually a silent work on our fellow human beings; it is work that instructs by example and causes others to imitate the good behavior they see and correct their faults. (With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man. pg. 342.)
“We must have positive thoughts, otherwise none of the spiritual fathers—not even the saints—can help us. When Jesus was on the Cross and all the terrible events were taking place, two thieves were also being crucified with Him….Each one of them had a different attitude towards Him, even though they were both placed next to the same God; a God who had never been blamed for, or accused by anyone for the slightest sin….Both thieves had the same almighty God placed between them who could help them.
