From In Conversation with God, Volume 5:
Scandal damages and destroys. Charity, on the other hand, builds up and heals. Charity is the path that leads to the Lord. Our good example provides a worthy antidote to the evil that many people disseminate in this life, sometimes without even being aware of it. Our good example will prepare the ground for a most fertile apostolate. Let us never lose sight of the fact that Our Lord has promised his effectiveness to friendly faces, to cordiality, to good manners, and to clear, persuasive words which direct and form without wounding: ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth’. We should never forget that we are men and women relating to other men and women, even when we want to do good to souls. We are not angels: therefore our appearance, our smile, our manners, are factors which condition the effectiveness of our apostolate.
While scandal tends to alienate souls from God, charity inspires souls to seek the gates of Heaven. St. Teresa has observed: I think He (God) prizes one soul which by His mercy, and through our diligence and prayer, we may have gained for Him, more than all the other services we can render Him. Let us never be indifferent in the face of evil. We have to respond to moral sickness with a spiritual remedy: with many acts of reparation to the Lod and a renewed dedication in the apostolate. The greater the evil may be, the greater should be our desire to sow good seed. Let us never forget to pray for those poor souls who exercise a bad influence on others. We should also pray for the many souls who become alienated from God as a result of a negative conversation, a certain book or article, or a bad television programme… The Lord will hear our prayer and our Blessed Lady will obtain special graces for these intentions. When we meet Our Lord at the end of our life we will find that these acts of reparation have built up a great treasure for us in Heaven.
From Woman, Edith Stein/St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross:
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