THE SECRET OF INFLUENCING OTHERS
There is an art in the moving of others, and those that work for their neighbor must study it.
Do not say "I cannot," or "I am not fitted," or "Nobody heeds me." For there is one thing that can cloth you with power in your dealings with others affection for them. This is the great secret of all real influence. To possess it, follow this simple rule - Look only for good qualities in anyone you meet; you will find them. Never look for faults, for you would find them. Act thus, and you will easily develop the habit of love.
Convince those around you, by deeds, not phrases, that you truly have this feeling for them, and you can lead them where you like.
Attacks Against the Church
Wherever you go, at your work or in clubs or societies, you will hear difficulties raised and questions asked which, perhaps, strike at the foundations of the Church or of Faith itself and in aiding others, do not forget the danger to yourself.
Many of these objections you will be able to meet effectively from your own knowledge. Others may appear so strong as to frighten you. It is useful then to reason thus to oneself:
"Whatever the objection is, there is an answer to it. All these difficulties have been raised and answered before. Great men have in all ages endeavored to pick holes in the doctrine of the Church, and they and their philosophies have gone, while the Church lives on.'
Always remember that the truth of Catholic doctrines does not depend on your ability to prove them true. Ten lifetimes would not be long enough to satisfy oneself on every point. The real proof of them lies in the declaration of the Church, which is the pillar and the ground of truth.
So do not let what someone in the words has said unsettle you. Let his objection - even if it raises a difficulty in your mind - only give you the opportunity for an Act of Faith:
"I don't understand, Dear Lord, but I believe because the Church teaches it, and the Church is infallible."
Read the promise of Our Lord: "Upon this Rock I will build My Church . . and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
Then hear the words of Lord Macaulay, who was no friend of the Church, and see how that promise stands after nineteen centuries: When we reflect on the tremendous assaults which the Catholic Church has survived, we find it difficult to conceive in what way she is to perish."
(Taken from Can We Be Saints?)