Brief reflections written at the onset of the Spanish civil war, which began on 18 July 1936. Poveda was killed ten days later, on 28 July, witnessing to his Christian faith and his life commitment as a priest of Christ.

• Now is the time to redouble our prayer, to do more penance, to suffer better, to be generous in charity, to talk less, to live closely united to our Lord, to be very prudent, to console our neighbour, to encourage the downhearted, to be lavish in mercy, to live dependent on Providence, to have and give peace, to edify others at every moment. 
  
  

• Now as never before we should study the life of the early Christians, to learn from them how to conduct ourselves in times of persecution. How they obeyed the Church, how they confessed Christ Jesus, how they prepared themselves for martyrdom, how they prayed for their persecutors, how they forgave, how they loved, how they blessed the Lord, how they encouraged one another!
  
  

•  How much talk there is these days about persecution, how shallowly judgments are made, what eagerness for news, what badly restrained curiosity, what unchristian anxiety, what ways of speculating, how many faults are committed. Let us examine ourselves and resolve to change.
  
  

• Now is the time when our mettle is known, when our spirit of faith becomes evident, when our confidence in divine Providence is open to view, when true virtues are distinguished from false, when firmness in doctrine is revealed, when solid piety is appreciated. Let us reflect on this.
  
  

• All of you must contribute to the salvation of your country with prayer, love and work, and not with complaints, gossip and moaning.
  
  

• Do we judge present events by human criteria or by supernatural criteria? Our actions, our judgments, our attitudes will tell us.
  
  

• If we only knew the strength of prayer, we would consider ourselves blessed, because we would have the certainty of attaining as much good as we desire and resolve for ourselves and for others.
  
  

• If we only knew the strength of prayer, we would consider ourselves blessed, because we would have the certainty of attaining as much good as we desire and resolve for ourselves and for others.
  
  

• Those who forget themselves in order to think only of others earn the right to be cared for by God who will guide them, defend them and give them success in their apostolic work.
• Is our trust founded on God or on our hard work, our strength, or something human? Our peace of mind and the tranquility of our spirit will give us the answer.
  
  

• The good that you can do is incalculable, if you are filled with God, if you live in dependence on him, and if all your work and all the glory that may arise from it are referred to him.
  
  
• Let no-one consider herself useless if she places all her trust in God who is all-powerful. Let no-one believe herself useful if she trusts only in her talent, learning, popularity or anything human.
  
  
• May no sacrifice be painful for you when the good of your soul and the salvation of your neighbor are involved.
  
  
• If from your behavior others had to form an opinion about the faith you profess, the morality you practice and the Church who taught them both to you, what will your enemies have thought? Will you have confused them, edified them or scandalized them?
  
  
• How about meekness, patience, kindness, goodness in dealing with others?
  
  
• Examine your conduct to know if you have been influenced by the environment around you and if you have contracted the same faults that you criticize.
  
  
• How courageous have we been in confessing Christ, defending him, sacrificing ourselves for him?
  
  
• All the strength of your apostolic mission is in your union with God. To lead souls to him you have to be filled with his spirit; this is attained by praying for it with faith and trust.
  
  
• Let us ask Jesus if he is happy, if we are as he wishes us to be, if we fulfill our obligations as is fitting for good children, if we have loved him to make up for who hate him, if we have prayed for those who forget him, if we have atoned for those who offend him.
  
  

Early counsels to the educators of the Academies of Saint Teresa (1912)

• Under the appearance of being only human, God is present; the spirit of God should be in you, under an ordinary exterior.
  
  
• Do everything with that rare naturalness which is the fruit of self-control.
  
  
• No one needs light from the heavens, granted by the Lord of all sciences, more than those who devote themselves to their study.
  
  
• In order to know what God wants of us we need to pray; in order to be as God wants us to be we have to pray, and to overcome our enemies we likewise need prayer.
  
  
• Let each one of you strive to gain for yourself the perfection that you wish to see in the other and you will live in peace.
  
  
• Let others be as God allows, but make sure that you act toward everyone as you should.
  
  
• You should ardently desire one another’s growth, pray to Go for it, and rejoice in it.
  
  
• If you are full of God, you will speak of God and will show God in everything.
  
  
• Of whom can you speak more and better than of God? It is the topic for those who are united to him.
  
  
• If your love of God is true, you will rejoice in the good qualities of your neighbor.
  
  
• Your good example will be the most effective lesson that you can give to your students.
  
  
• All the glory you receive is due to God; if you accept it as your own you will steal it from the Lord.