Pg. 716. On what God delights as perfect sacrifice

No. God cannot be possessed through vain appearances that conceal sores and emptiness, like a golden mantle thrown on a leper or on a clay staute, which is empty inside, without the life of a soul. And the Lord, the Master of the world, confessing that He is a poor King with too few subjects and a poor Father of too many children who have run away from His residense says: "To whom shall I turn My eyes, if not to the man of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at My word?" Why does he tremble? Only with fear of God? No. With deep respect and true love. Because he is a humble subject and son, who says and acknowledges that the Lord is Everything while he is nothing, and he trembles with emotion feeling that he is loved, forgiven and suported by the Lord Who is Everything.

Oh! do not look for God among proud people! He is not there. Do not look for Him among hard-hearted people. He is not there. Do not look for Him among unrepentant souls. He is not there. He is with the simple, the pure, the merciful, the poor in spirit, the meek people, with those who weep without cursing, with those who seek justice, with those who are persecuted, with peaceful souls. God is there. He is in those who repent and desire forgiveness and seek expiation. And none of these offer the sacrifice of a bull or a sheep or any other oblation, to be praised or from superstitious terror of punishment or motives of pride, that they might appear perfect. But they offer the sacrifice of their contrite and humbled hearts, if they are sinners; of their hearts obedient to the point of heroism, if they are just. That is what the Lord likes. Those are the offerings for which He grants Himself with His ineffable treasures of love and supernatural delights. He does not give Himself to others. They already have their poor trite delights, and it is useless for God to call them to His ways, because they have already chosen their own. He will let them have nothing but neglect, fear and punishment, because they have not replied to the Lord, they have not obeyed, they have done evil in the eyes of God contemptuously and wickedly.