'To attain union with God, all the adversities that He
sends us are necessary; for His only aim is to consume all our evil
inclinations from within and from without. Therefore, slights, injuries,
insults, infirmities, poverty, abandonment by friends, and relatives,
humiliations, temptations of the devil, and many other things opposed to
our human nature - all are extremely needed by us, that we may fight
until by means of victories we have extirpated all our evil
inclinations, so that we may feel them no longer. Nay more, until all
adversities no longer seem bitter to us, but rather sweet for God, we
shall never arrive at divine union.'