A word to the materialists

My friend, do you not know that every man who marches along the path of progress always has against him ignorance and envy? Envy is the dust raised by your steps. Your ideas revolt certain men, for they do not understand, or stifle in pride the clamor of conscience, which cries out to them: That which you repel, your judge will remind you of one day; it is a hand that God extends to draw you out of the mire into which the passions have cast you. Listen for an instant to the voice of reason; you think you live in the century of money, where the self dominates; that the love of riches withers your heart, burdens your conscience with many faults and even with crimes that you ought to confess. Men without faith, who call yourselves shrewd, your shrewdness will lead you to shipwreck; no hand will be extended to you; you were deaf to the miseries of others and you will be swallowed up without a single tear falling upon you. Stop! there is still time; let repentance penetrate your hearts; let it be sincere, and God will forgive you. Seek out the unfortunate one who does not dare to lament and whom misery slowly kills. The poor person you have relieved will include your name in his prayers; he will bless the hand that has perhaps saved his daughter from the hunger that kills and from the shame that dishonors. Woe to you, if you are deaf to his voice. God said to you, through the sacred mouth of the Christ: Love your brother as yourself. Did He not give you reason to judge good and evil? Did He not give you a heart to take pity on the sufferings of your fellow creatures? Do you not feel that, by stifling conscience, you stifle the voice of progress and of charity? Do you not feel that you merely drag along an empty body? That nothing more beats in your breast, which makes your march uncertain? Because you have fled from the light and your eyes have become of flesh, the darkness that surrounds you agitates you and causes you fear. You seek, but too late, to leave this life that crumbles at your feet; the fear, which you cannot define, makes you superstitious. You pretend to be a charitable man; nevertheless, hoping to redeem the life of an egoist, you give the mite that dread wrests from you, but God knows what moves you to act: you cannot deceive Him; your life will be extinguished without hope, and you cannot prolong it by a single day. It will be extinguished, despite your riches, which your children covet in advance, for you have given them the example. Like you, they have but one love: that of gold, the sole dream of happiness for them. When this hour of justice strikes, you will have to appear before the Supreme Judge whom you have despised. Your Daughter.