Faith.
Now, while seeing the confessor, I remembered he had told me that I was to write about Faith in the way in which the Lord had spoken to me about this virtue. While I was thinking of this, in one instant the Lord drew me so much to Himself, that I felt I was outside of myself, in the the vault of the heavens together with Jesus, and He told me these exact words: "Faith is God."
But these two words contained an immense light, such that it is impossible to explain them – but I will do what I can. In the word "Faith," I comprehended that Faith is God Himself. Just as material food gives life to the body so that it may not die, Faith gives life to the soul – without Faith, the soul is dead. Faith vivifies, Faith sanctifies, Faith spiritualizes man, and makes him keep his eyes fixed on a Supreme Being, in such a way that he learns nothing of the things of down here; and if he learns them, he learns them in God. Oh, the happiness of a soul who lives of Faith! — her flight is always toward Heaven. In everything that happens to her she always looks at herself in God; and so, just as in tribulation, Faith raises her in God and she does not afflict herself, not even with a lament, knowing that she is not to form her contentment here, but in Heaven; in the same way, if joy, riches and pleasures surround her, Faith raises her in God, and she says to herself: "Oh, how much more content and rich I will be in Heaven!" So, she feels bothered by these earthly things, she despises them, and tramples them underfoot. It seems to me that to a soul who lives of Faith, it happens as to a person who possessed millions upon millions of coins, and even entire kingdoms, and someone else wanted to offer him a cent. What would he say? Would he not disdain it? Would he not throw it in his face? I add: and what if that cent were all muddy, just as earthly things are? Even more: what if that cent were only lent to him? This person would say: "I enjoy and possess immense riches, and you dared to offer me this miserable cent, so muddy, and only for a short time?" I believe he would quickly remove his gaze from it, and would not accept the gift. So does the soul who lives of Faith with regard to earthy things.