What, then, are the obstacles which cause such incomparable harm, depriving people of the precious bounty which fills heaven and earth with its riches while they themselves remain empty and unfulfilled? It is a state we can observe all around us. You must understand that these venial sins let works of love grow cold, dissipate the affections, drive out and hinder devotion, take away spiritual consolation, and destroy the intimacy between God and man by bringing about an alienation. Even if such sins