The place where we seek holiness is in our work, in our relationships with those who share our tasks, in our social dealings, and in our family.
If we encounter obstacles, misunderstandings, or unjust criticism, we will ask the Lord for His grace to remain serene, to have patience, and—under ordinary circumstances—not to cease our apostolate. The Lord did not always meet people of good faith while announcing the **Good News**, yet He never stopped revealing the wonders of the Kingdom of God. The Apostles at the birth of the Church, and the first Christians as well, also encountered situations and environments that initially rejected outright the saving doctrine they carried in their hearts; nevertheless, they converted the ancient world.
Furthermore, no situation is immovable or final. The passage of time eventually proves right those who work and treat others with honesty, with rectitude of intention, and without seeking personal advantage.
### Overcoming "Human Respect"
Allowing oneself to be carried away by **human respect** (the fear of what others think) is typical of people with superficial formation, lacking clear criteria and a firm character. Frequently, this attitude—which is also quite unattractive from a human standpoint—is fueled by the convenience of avoiding a brief moment of discomfort, the fear of endangering a position, or the desire not to stand out from the crowd.
> *"Though princes sit and gossip about me,"* we read in the Responsorial Psalm, *"your servant meditates on your laws; your precepts are my delight, your decrees are my counselors."*
To overcome human respect, we need:
* **Rectitude of intention:** caring more about God’s opinion than the opinion of others.
* **Fortitude:** to move with elegance past minor, often superficial, criticisms when they arise.
* **Joy:** to communicate the treasure that every disciple of the Lord has found.
* **Good example:** something we will never regret, which is simply being consistent with the grace the Lord has placed in our hearts.
### The Path of Kindness and Joy
Even in the most difficult environments, we can win souls for Christ if we truly desire to make those friends, colleagues, or acquaintances happy.
> "Before wanting to make saints of all those whom we love, it is necessary to make them happy and cheerful, for nothing prepares the soul for grace better than gladness and joy.
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> You already know (...) that when you hold in your hands the hearts of those you wish to make better, if you have known how to attract them with the **meekness of Christ**, you have already traveled half of your apostolic journey. When they love you and trust you, when they are happy, the field is ready for sowing. Their hearts are open like fertile soil to receive the white wheat of your word as an apostle or educator.
>
> If you know how to speak without wounding, without offending—even if you must correct or rebuke—hearts will not close to you. The seed will undoubtedly fall on fertile ground and the harvest will be abundant. Otherwise, your words will encounter a solid wall instead of an open heart; your seed will not fall on fertile ground, but on the wayside of indifference or lack of trust; or on the rock of an ill-disposed spirit; or among the thorns of a wounded, resentful heart full of bitterness.
>
> Let us never lose sight of the fact that the Lord has promised efficacy to kind faces, to affable and cordial manners, and to the clear and persuasive word that directs and forms without wounding (...). We must never forget that we are men dealing with other men, even when we want to do good to souls. We are not angels. Therefore, our appearance, our smile, and our manners are elements that condition the effectiveness of our apostolate."
### Recourse to Mary
In the Blessed Virgin, as the Apostles did, we find the strength necessary to speak of God without human respect:
> "After the Master, as He ascends to the right hand of God the Father, has told them: 'Go and preach to all nations,' the disciples are left in peace. But they still have doubts: they do not know what to do, and they gather with **Mary, Queen of the Apostles**, to become zealous heralds of the Truth that will save the world."
HCD