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would do? It is impossible.
So, this hard trial, though I don’t remember too well,

lasted for three years; however, there were days or weeks of
interval. It is not that they would cease completely, but they
began to mitigate.

I remember that, after one Communion, the Lord taught
me what to do in order to put them to flight and this was

to despise them and not to bother about them at all, and to
consider them as if they were as many ants. I felt so much
Strength being infused in me, that I no longer felt that fear
of before. And I would act in this way: when they made

clamours and noise, I would say to them: “It shows that you
have nothing to do, and that in order to spend time you are
doing so many silly things. Go ahead, do them, for when you

get tired, you will stop it.” Sometimes they would stop; other
times they would get so angry, and would make greater noise.

I felt them near me, making themselves stronger and doing

violence to themselves in order to take me away; I smelled
the horrible stench, and felt the heat of the fire. It is true that
in my interior I felt a certain shiver, but I would pluck up

Strength, and say to them: “Liars that you are if this were
true, you would have done it from the first day. But since it is
false, and you have no power over me but that which is given
to you from Above go ahead, keep singing; and then, when

you get tired, you will croak.” If then they sent out laments
and shouts, I would say to them: “What is this you could

not add to the accounts today?,” that is: “Have some souls
been taken away from you, that you lament? Poor ones, you
don’t feel well? But I too want to make you lament a little bit
more.” And I would begin to pray for sinners, or to do acts

of reparation. Sometimes I would laugh when they started to
do the usual things; and I would say to them: “How can I fear
you, cowardly species? If you were serious beings, you would

not have done so many silly things. Don’t you yourselves feel
ashamed? Don’t you let yourselves be made fun of?” If then
they tempted me with blasphemies or hatred against God, I

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