Practical Piety - St. Francis de Sales

CO
REGIS
BIBL. MAJ.
PL
imprimatur.
Westmon. die 11 Nov. 1851.
+ N. CARD. WISEMAN.
PEAGTICAL PIETY
SET FORTH BY
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES,

BISHOP AND PRINCE OF GENEVA.
COLLECTED FROM HIS LETTERS AND DISCOURSES,
ttotD
(irst translate into (Ettfllisl).
[V
r&
BIBU
gOLLEGE,
LONDON:
BURNS AND LAMBERT, 17 PORTMAN STREET,
PORTMAN SQUAEE.
MDCCCLI.
61694 r
LONDON:
Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

FRANCIS DE SALES was born on August 21, 1567,
"T.
at the Castle of Sales, near

Annecy, the seat of the
ancient and noble family of that name, to which
he belonged. His father was Francis Count of
Sales, and his mother, who was also descended from
a noble stock, Frances de Sionas. The history
of his infancy is pleasing and beautiful. Before his birth, the
holy countess his mother offered the fruit of her womb to
God, and prayed fervently that He would rather deprive her
of the happiness of
seeing herself a mother, than that her child
should hereafter become an
enemy of God. Her prayers were
heard for the young Francis, even from his earliest
;
years,
shewed an extraordinary goodness and sweetness of
disposition.
He loved God as soon as he began to know Him and it is said
;
that the first words which he uttered God and my
"
were,
mother love me well." The countess took
great pains to bring
up her son in innocence and holiness, and he did not disap
point her watchful care. He loved to read holy books, to be
often in church, to visit the
poor, and to deny himself food as
far as he was able, in order to bestow it on them. His capa
city for learning was no less remarkable; and on his arriving at
the proper age he was sent to the He
college of Annecy.
there applied himself with
great diligence to his studies, with
out, however, at all relaxing his zeal for devotion. He very
early wished to consecrate himself to Almighty God in the
ecclesiastical state, and with the consent of his father he re
ceived the tonsure in 1578, at the
age of twelve years.
Some time afterwards his parents sent him to the Univer
of where he went
sity Paris, through a course of rhetoric and
philosophy at the schools of the Jesuits, and also studied
theology, partly there and partly at the Sorbonne. His prin
cipal teacher was the celebrated Maldonatus, and he studied
iv PREFACE.
the learned languages under Genebrard, with a view chiefly to

a more profound acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures. He
made in all. his studies, and advanced no less
great proficiency
in the path of perfection, on which he had entered from his
earliest years. Among the religious books which he most
prized, the Spiritual
Combat is mentioned as his chief favour
ite. This admirable book he always carried about with him,
and read a or at least a page or two in it, every day.
chapter,
He frequented the churches constantly,
and indeed was never
seen abroad except going to or from church and college. The
church to which he was fondest of resorting was that of St.
Etienne-des-Gres, as being very retired and it was in that
;
church that, prostrated before an image of the Blessed Virgin,

he made a vow of perpetual chastity, placing himself under
the special patronage of our Holy Mother.
About this period of his life, at the age of sixteen, it pleased
God to allow the saint to be visited with an extraordinary
to purify his heart, and give
temptation, doubtless intended
hinAvisdom in after years, to comfort others in like desolation.
The holy youth was suddenly overwhelmed with the idea that
he was doomed to be eternally lost.This temptation," says
"
Bishop of Belley, made such an

"
his devout biographer, the

impression on his soul thathe lost all peace of mind, and could
neither eat nor drink. He visibly wasted away, and fell sick,
whilst he could not be induced to tell any one the cause of his
grief.
He was at the same time deprived of all the sweetness
of divine love, though not of the fidelity with which, as an
endeavoured to repel
impenetrable shield, he unconsciously
the fiery darts of the enemy. The consolation and calm which
he had enjoyed before this storm, came back to his memory,
and redoubled his anguish. It was, then, in vain, he would say
to himself, that blessed hope which fed me with the expectation
of being inebriated with the abundance of the sweetness of the
house of God, and drowned in the torrents of His pleasures. O
of God, I shall, then, never see
lovely tabernacles of the house
in those beautiful abodes of the palace
you, and never dwell
of the Lord !
He remained an entire month in this anguish and bit

"
terness of soul, which he could compare to nothing but the

pains of death and the terrors
of hell. He passed his days in
mournful groans, and every night he watered his couch with
his tears.
At last, having by a divine inspiration entered into a
"
church (that of Etienne-des-Gres), to implore the grace of God

on his misery, and kneeling down before a picture of the holy
PREFACE. V
Virgin, he besought that Mother of Mercy to be his advocate

with God, and of her goodness to obtain from Him, that if he
were unhappy enough to be separated from Him eternally, he
might at least love Him with all his heart during his life. He
recited the prayer, Remember, O most pious Virgin Mary,
&c., with floods of tears and inexpressible sorrow of heart.
He had no sooner finished this prayer than he felt the effect of
the succour of the Mother of God, and the power of her assist
ance with God for in an instant that demon which had filled
;
his mind with these sad illusions left him, and he remained
filled with such joy and consolation, that where darkness had
abounded, light much more abounded.
This combat and this victory, this captivity and this deli
"
verance, rendered him afterwards so skilful in the use of spiri

tual weapons, that he was, as it were, an
armoury for others ;
furnishing all who revealed their temptations to him with
means of defence being unto them, like that tower of David
;
on which hung a thousand bucklers, all the armour of valiant

men. Above all, he advised that in great temptations we
should have recourse to the powerful intercession of the Mother
of God, who is terrible as an army set in array. 1
After having spent a sufficient time at Paris, his father sent

him to the University of Padua, where he studied the law
under the celebrated Guy Pancirola, and theology under the
learned Jesuit Possevinus. The rule of life" which he drew
"
up for himself at this time is still preserved, and is full of in

terest and value for all, but especially for the
young student
at that dangerous period of life. One of the most interest
ing passages in this paper is the first, headed, The Prepara
"
tion for the Day," an exercise which the saint

expresses his
resolution to be very faithful in practising daily. This prepa
ration he makes to consist, (1) in calling God
upon Almighty
to assist him in all the dangers to which he may be exposed ;
(2) in imagining beforehand all the circumstances of the day, the
the affairs in which he may have to be
society, engaged, and
thus, by the grace of our Lord, anticipating any occasions that
might throw him off his guard ; (3) in arranging the day, con
sidering carefully the best means of avoiding any wrong steps,
and determining what he ought to do, to say, to seek, or to
avoid; (4) in resolving firmly nevermore to offend God, and
particularly on this day (5) lastly, in recommending himself,
;
and whatever depends on him, absolutely into the hands of

God, seeking only to do His will. There are also some admir
able rules for mental prayer, and some observations, full of
wisdom and that character of excellent good sense which dis-
VI PREFACE.
tinguished this great saint, on the deportment he proposed to

himself in society. He resolves never to miss hearing Mass
every day, and to confess and communicate at least once
a-week. His austerities at this time were so great that he fell
dangerously ill, but, however, happily recovered, and terminated
his residence at Padua by taking the degree
of doctor in laws,
with the great applause of that learned university. After this
he travelled through great part of Italy, going to Rome to
venerate the tomb of the holy Apostles and from thence to
;
Loretto, at which august shrine he renewed his vow of conti

nence under the patronage of our Blessed Lady.
On his return home, all received the young nobleman with
great joy. His father, who entertained lofty hopes of the dis
tinctions he was to gain in the world, had obtained for him the
important post of Counsellor of the Parliament of Chamberry,
and had also a match in view for him suitable to his rank, and
in every way worthy of him. Francis, however, declared his
resolution of devoting himself to God in the
ministry of His
Church. The kind but ambitious father was induced with
^
great difficulty to acquiesce; and at length the saint saw every
obstacle removed, and he entered on the path in which
Almighty
God had destined him to exhibit so splendid an example o"f
hoMness. He was appointed by Peter de Granier, Bishop of

Geneva, to the provostship of the cathedral church of Annecy,
where the predecessors of that prelate had fixed the episcopal
residence when the Calvinists had driven them out of Geneva.
Francis de Sales entered on this dignity in 1593. The Bishop,
immediately on his receiving the diaconate, employed him in
preaching. He displayed extraordinary zeal in that office ;
and by the fervour and wisdom of his discourses he brought
many thousands of souls into the fold of Christ. He never re
fused to preach when he was asked, always having in mind the
maxims, Give to him that asketh of thee," Deal thy bread
"
"
to the hungry ; and dreading that reproach, The little ones

"
asked for bread, and there was no man to break it unto them."
His method was always to have some particular object in his
sermons, such as the explanation of some point of the faith, or
the inculcation of some virtue, and the like. He preferred
rather to set forth the faith, as if he were instructing Catholics
only, without controversially disputing against objectors ; and
by this means the heretics, who were very numerous in the
diocese, were gently led to perceive that texts on which they
relied to defend their errors, rightly understood,
only proved
the truths taught by the Catholic Church. He ap pears to
have been slow and hesitating in his delivery ; but the force of
PREFACE. Vll
his reasoning and the sweetness of his manner were incompa

rable, and were able to move the very rocks. After he had
been raised to the priesthood, the Bishop of Geneva sent him
on an arduous mission, This was to effect the restoration of
the Catholic religion in the Duchy of Chablais, and other dis
tricts about the Lake of Geneva, of which the Calvinist heretics
had been in possession for sixty years. In 1594, when he was
sent into that province, he found only seven Catholics at Tho-
non, its capital. He laboured there for five or six years, aided
by his cousin, Louis de Sales ; and in the end brought over to
Catholicity between 40,000 and 50,000 souls. His exertions
seemed to meet with little success for the first four years ; he
lived in the midst of continual hostility; and sometimes his
life was in danger from the fanatical Calvinists in those abodes
of heresy ;
but his angelic sweetness and wisdom carried him
through all. A pestilence which raged at Thonon enabled the
servant of God to win the hearts of the people by his saintly
chanty, assisting the sick and dying at all hours, by day and
mght/and deterred by no fear of infection. The simplicity and
gentleness with which he set forth Catholic truth gave him such
power, that provided only a Protestant allowed him a quiet and
peaceable hearing, he would make his objections disappear
almost before they were stated. Even the heresiarch of Ge
neva, Theodore Beza, with whom, by order of Pope Clement
VIII., our saint held conferences, was so much shaken by his
words, that St. Francis conceived some hopes of his return to
the holy Roman Church, which were frustrated by the death
of the wretched man, which took place soon after.
In 1596 he effected the restoration of the church of St.
Hippolytus at Thonon, in which he celebrated Mass on Christ
mas-day in that year, and considered it in future as his parish
church. During the subsequent three years he gradually re
established the parochial system of the province. In reading
the history of the wonders he effected, it is impossible for an
English Catholic not to sigh over the records of his own
country, or to resist the thought, what if it had pleased God to
have sent us a St. Francis de Sales at some period ere the wild
boar had utterly wasted the vineyard of the Lord ! But at
this moment, when the Catholic Church is addressing itself,
under such happy and unlooked-for auspices, to reconquer whole
populations to Christ, the history and writings of such a ser
vant of God as St. Francis de Sales must be of the highest in
terest and advantage to all zealous missioners and devout Ca
tholics, who pray incessantly for the restoration of our Sion.
As we shall presently see, the conversion of England was an
Vlll PREFACE.
as it was to
object of profound interest to this great saint,
so many others, such as St. Philip Neri and V. Paul of the
Cross.
The success of the mission in Chablais, which was witnessed
by several distinguished persons, such as the Bishop of Geneva,
Cardinal Medici, Apostolic Nuncio in France, and the Duke
of Savoy, attracted universal attention to St. Francis, and ere
long was chosen by the Bishop of Geneva to be his coad
he"
jutor. On accepting this dignity he went to Rome to ask for

the Papal benediction, where the Holy Father (Pope Clement
VIII.) received him with singular honour; and after having
to the holy
questioned him concerning his charge, addressed
prelate these words Go, my son, drink water out of thine
"
own cistern, and the streams of thy own well; let thy fountains
be conveved abroad, and in the streets divide thy waters."
(Prov. v. l5.) In like manner, all the illustrious
men in Rome
at that time honoured his virtues; and it is mentioned that the
great Cardinal Baronius said of him, that Adam
had not sinned
in that holy minister of Jesus Christ, He received of the Pope
the Bulls for being consecrated Bishop of Nicopolis and coad
jutor of Geneva, and returned to Annecy towards the end of
1599.
Some time after this, a war between France and Savoy ter
minated in the cession of the bailiwick of Gex to the former.
As the Calvinist heresy was prevalent in that district, it be
came necessary for St. Francis to proceed to Paris to secure
the interests of the Catholic religion with the king (Henry IV.);
and this business he transacted with such sagacity and pru
dence, that he obtained from that prince all he wished in favour
of the Catholics. The fame of St. Francis had, of course, gone
before him to Paris, and he was received by all with the highest
reverence. Henry IV. persuade him to accept
in vain tried to
a rich bishopric in his dominions. Cardinal Berulle The holy
obtained his advice in establishing the Congregation of the
Oratorians, as also the Order of the Discalced Carmelitesses, in
France. His sanctity and wisdom recommended him to who
ever about the court regarded religion. The Duchesses of
Mercoeur and Longueville placed themselves under his direc
tion. His sermons converted many of the most obstinate of
the Calvinists; and, indeed, he never descended from the pul
pit without being followed by numbers
of persons desirous
either of instruction or confession. He was a living example
of the rule of the Apostle Be mild towards all men, apt to
:
"
teach, patient, with modesty admonishing them that resist

the
truth."
(2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.)
PREFACE. IX
from Paris he heard the

During his journey homeward
news of the death of the Bishop of Geneva, and his own conse
Pie retired to the chateau of Sales,
quent elevation to that see.
where he prepared himself, by a retreat of twenty days, for his
consecration, which took place on 8th December,
1602. He
made a general confession, and constituted for himself a rule
of life, to which he invariably adhered. In his house every
as in a monastery. They rose,
thing was done as regularly
sat down to
they attended prayer or went meals,
to Mass, they
at fixed hours. His table
they took recreation, they retired,
was frugal he dressed in woollen only, using no silk or costly
;
array. The furniture and arrangements of his house, though

dignified, were perfectly plain. Every day he offered the holy
Sacrifice ;
he said office on his knees. He was always present
the
at the feasts of devotion kept in any of the churches of
town. On Sundays and holidays he attended his cathedral.
The alms he gave
Every year he made a retreat of
ten days.
were wonderful, considering the limited income of his see. He
fasted every Friday and Saturday. He rose every day at four,
and observed an exact economy of time. In his diocese he
the
set himself to reform morals, by checking as far as possible
excess of public amusements. He ordered the exposition of
the Blessed Sacrament during the Carnival; he ordered
cate
the
chism to be given on Sundays and holidays throughout
year, and every day during
Lent. He was very scrupulous to
confer holy orders only on those thoroughly qualified; and he
an examination, so as to pro
gave ecclesiastical preferments by
mote the most deserving. He instituted confraternities of the
Blessed Sacrament, to strengthen Catholics in the faith against
the errors of Calvin. Among other confraternities established
the Penitents of the Holy
by St. Francis de Sales was that of
Cross, and that of the Purity of the
Blessed Virgin. Like St.
convinced of the bless
Alphonsus Liguori, he was profoundly
ings to be derived
from such associations. He convoked a
a ritual for the administration
synod of his clergy, and revised
of the sacraments. He diligently visited his diocese a work
full of difficulty, from its being a country
of mountains anc
glaciers, and having

a population ferocious and ignorant, anp
to a great extent hostile to the faith; but no dangers
or diffi
culties ever checked the zeal and charity of the apostolic pas
tor. He arrested the devastations of Calvinism, not only in
his own diocese, but at many other places; for example, Dijon
and Grenoble, where he made glorious conquests for the Ca
tholic faith, converting, amongst others, the Duke
of Lescli-
of Dauphiny, and many ministers of the Cl-
guieres, viceroy
X PREFACE.
vinist heresy. On one occasion he boldly passed through the

city of Geneva, on his way to the Cal vinist
district of Gex,
giving his name at the gate as the bishop of the diocese. Al

though the town was full of fanatics bearing deadly hate to
Catholicity, he passed unhurt through the midst of them, pro
tected by his saintly courage and zeal. On another occasion,
the Calvinist ministers, enraged at his having converted two
gentlemen of the household of the Duke of Bellegarde, gover
nor of Gex, caused poison to be administered to him. Francis,
ho\vever, by the miraculous protection of the Blessed Virgin,
to whom he recommended himself, escaped this danger, after
great sufferings. In the midst of all this, he not only found
time to effect reforms in several monasteries, to establish at
Annecy an ecclesiastical seminary and public schools of belles-
lettres, philosophy, theology, and jurisprudence, but also to
write numerous works, which have ever since been treasured
by Catholics all over the world as replete with wisdom and
holiness. Such was his Advice to Confessors
"
such his
;"
Introduction to a Devout Life," known to almost every

"
Catholic reader ;
such his Letters, from which, as from his
other writings, choice extracts are ^given in the following col
lection, and of which Alban Butler says, that they contain
*
an inestimable treasure of moving instruction, suitable to all
sorts of persons and circumstances." Acopy of the Intro
"
duction to a Devout Life" was sent by Mary of Medicis to

James I. of England, who was delighted with the book, and
asked his (the Anglican) bishops, how it was none of them
could write with such feeling and unction ? Jeremy Taylor,
indeed, is largely indebted to St. Francis in his work entitled,
Holy Living and Dying;" but King James s question may still
"
be asked, and receive no answer, except that Protestant writers

may have learning, but cannot have the faith and charity to
be found nowhere save in the Church. The heretic monarch
was no less delighted with a subsequent work of St. Francis
on the Love of God," and even expressed a great wish to see
"
the author; which being told St. Francis, he exclaimed: "Ah!

who will give me the wings of a dove, and I will fly to the
king, into that great island, formerly the country of saints,
but now overwhelmed with the darkness of error. If the duke
will permit me, I will arise and go to that great Ninive : I
will speak to the king, and will announce to him, with the
hazard of my life, the word of the Lord." The Duke of
Savoy, of whom St. Francis was a subject, would not suffer the
holy prelate to leave his dominions for this mission; and con
sequently the English king had not this yet greater grace given
PREFACE. XI
him of conferring with the saint, whether itwould have availed

to his conversion or greater condemnation. The idea had ap
parently suggested itself to Henry IV. of France. Weread in
the Bull of Canonisation of St. Francis de Sales that the saint
had an admirable eloquence which it was impossible to resist,
"
and this was in him less a natural talent, or one acquired by

study, than a supernatural gift, and the fruit of the purity of his
heart. Of this the world was so generally persuaded, that the
most Christian king was accustomed to say, that he knew of no
person so fitted as the coadjutor of Geneva to win the heart
of James I. the king of England, and to bend that indocile
spirit under the yoke of the Church."
In 1610, St. Francis de Sales founded the order of Nuns
of the Visitation. He designed this institution for women
who, either from their advanced age, their poverty, or their in
firm health, might not be able to undertake the austerities of
other orders, but who nevertheless were called to the religious
life. To the direction of the Order much of the saint s time
was subsequently devoted, and to it we owe a large proportion
of his spiritual writings, as profitable to the secular as they are
to the religious reader. The most valuable passages of them will
in fact constitute a considerable part of the following pages. As
very great bodily austerities, from the nature of the institution,
were inadmissible in his plan, St. Francis wished that his reli
gious should make up for them by continual slight mortifi
cations, and by incessant denial of their wills. The two vir
tues of humility and meekness formed the basis of the rule.
In the practice of the virtues," he said, let humility be the
" "
source of all the rest; let it be without bounds; make it the

reigning principle of all your actions. Let an unalterable
meekness and sweetness in all events by habit become natural
to you." The first superioress of this order was the holy
widow, St. Jane Frances de Chantal; and the formation of the
character of that saint, as also the marking out for her the
exalted career by which divine Providence intended to turn
her wonderful holiness to the best advantage, may be said to
be one of the greatest of the works of St. Francis de Sales.
So abundantly did the Order of the Visitation receive the
benedictions of the Lord, that in the year 1655, that of the
canonisation of its holy founder, after it had been established
only forty-five years, there were no less than one hundred and
thirty houses of the institute in different parts of Europe.
It is beyond the purposes of this sketch to enter into any
detailed history of the episcopate of St. Francis, though of no
other saint are there more abundant or more interesting records.
Xll PREFACE.
His time was passed in indefatigable labours for the conversion
of souls; in preaching, in writing, in the confessional, besides
the frequent public missions which the secular power obliged
him to undertake, from the universal reverence in which he
was held for his wisdom and dignity. He was the adviser of
all his people, of whatever rank, who resorted to him,
denying
access to no one. As a confessor, he was compared to a guar
dian angel, suggesting the holiest and wisest inspiration, or to
the angel at the pool of Probatica, with strong hand enabling
the feeble and sick to reach the healing waters. The great
work of his disciple, the Bishop of Belley, entitled L Esprit
du D. Francois de Sales, gives a most elaborate picture of the
daily life of the saint. The immense variety of his conversa
tions and actions there recorded, shew him to have combined
in an extraordinary degree prudence and
simplicity, sweetness
and strength. Every where you meet with a spirit of seraphic
devotion, and every where also with the very perfection of good
sense.
Among the important events of the later years of St.
Francis life was his accompanying the embassy of the Cardi
nal of Savoy to Paris, on occasion of the marriage of the Prince
of Piedmont with Christina of France, sister to Louis XIII.
This was in the year 1619. His time during that visit was
consumed, as usual, in ceaseless apostolic labours, in preach
ing, hearing confessions, and in counselling the crowds who
resorted to him to ask his advice, and hear the wisdom that
flowed from his lips. Great efforts were again made to induce
him to accept a bishopric in France ;
and Henry de Gondi,
Cardinal de lietz, then Bishop of Paris, used many arguments
to persuade the saint to become his coadjutor in that See. In
vain, however, did the Cardinal attempt to attract the zeal of
the holy prelate, by representing to him the good he might do
in the chief city of the kingdom. The saint excused himself,
quoting playfully those words of the Apostle: "Art thou bound
to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife?
seek not a wife." (I Cor. viii. 27.) He would not forsake his
poor spouse, the bishopric of Geneva, for a rich one ; and if he
quitted her at all, it would be to take no other.
In lf)22, when at Annecy, St. Fiancis de Sales received an
order from the Duke of Savoy to attend him to Avignon, where
that prince was to hold a conference with Louis XIII. The
saint s health was failing, and though he considered it his
duty
to go, he felt that he should return no more. He therefore
made his will, answered the questions of a vast number of
people who came to consult him on the affairs of their con-
PREFACE. Xlll
science, took farewell of his Nuns of the Visitation, and

preached with extraordinary fervour. The whole city, over
whelmed with grief, accompanied him some miles on his jour
ney, and received his last benediction.
From Avignon he attended the court of Savoy to Lyons,
where he arrived seriously indisposed, but refused all the
splendid apartments which were offered him, preferring to
lodge in the poor cottage of the gardener of the monastery of
the Visitation. For some days he preached and took part in
various ceremonies as usual, though sinking fast. At length
he was obliged to take to his bed, a seizure of the nature of
apoplexy coming on. The rude surgery of the time applied
the most barbarous remedies, blisters, hot irons behind his
neck, and a caustic to the crown of his head, which caused
him the greatest agony, but which he bore with heavenly pa
tience. Though shedding tears from the excessive pain, he
kept repeating, Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquities, and
"
cleanse me from my sin. Still cleanse me more and more.

What do I here, my God, separated from Thee He also
?"
consoled those around him, saying Weep not, my children;

:
"
must not the will of God be done?" He received extreme

unction, and on the evening of the Feast of the Holy Inno
cents, as they were reciting the Litany of the Saints, and had
come to the petition, Holy Innocents, pray for him," he gave
"
up unto God his pure and innocent soul, in the year of our
Lord 1622, and in the fifty-fifth year of his age. His obse
quies were celebrated with great pomp in the Cathedral of
Annecy, and he was buried near the high altar in the church
of the monastery of the Visitation in that city. Many miracles
were wrought by his relics and intercession, and in 1665 he
was canonised by Pope Alexander VII. The feast of St.
Francis de Sales is on January 29.
It remains to say a few words respecting the selection

from St. Francis de Sales Letters and Discourses, now for
the first time translated into English. Though originally ad
dressed, for the most part, to religious, perhaps few manuals
of devotional reading could be mentioned which are more ad
mirably adapted to persons living in the world. There breathes
throughout it such practical wisdom, such gentleness, such
sweetness, and frequently .what we may call such a majesty of
holiness, which, whilst it enters into the difficulties and scruples
of the weakest, furnishes food for those who are strongest, that
we seem not so much to be reading the writings of a saint, as
hearing his living voice addressed to ourselves. May his inter-
XIV PREFACE.
cession avail for all who read this book, either to strengthen
them in the faith to which, by God s grace, they have already
attained, or to lead them to the true fold, if they are still
wandering outside of it !
R. O.
O God, by whose gracious will the blessed Francis thy

Confessor and Bishop became all things unto all men for the
saving of their souls; mercifully grant that, being filled with

the sweetness of thy love, we may, through the guidance of his
counsels, and by the aid of his merits, attain unto the joys of
the life everlasting.
Collect for the Feast of S. Francis de Sales.

CONTENTS.
frat /M
DUTIES TOWARDS GOD.
CHAP.
I. Of divine love ........ PAGE
1
ii.
in.
Of the means of acquiring
perfection consists ......
the love of God, in which
Of submission to the will of God . .

3
5
iv. Of confidence in God 6
v. Of the exercise of confidence in God
vi. Of confidence in divine Providence
...
.... 8
9
vn. Of the abandonment of oneself into the hands of
Providence ... . . . . . .10
vin. Of the excellence of this abandonment . .13
ix. Of the exercise of this abandonment . * .15
x. Of determination to follow the will of God in all
things .17
xi. Examples on the preceding subject .
. .20
.
xn. "What is meant by hoping against all hope 23. .
xin. Of the divestment of self, and of confidence in God 25

xiv. Concerning fear of the judgments of God, and con
fidence in his kindness
xv. Of temptations against the faith ....
xvi. Other remedies in temptations against the faith .
27
29
30
xvn. What must be done when temptations against the
faith, having ceased, return again . . .32
xvni. Of temptations of blasphemy and infidelity . . 33
xix. That we ought not to desire to do more than we
can . . . . . . .35
xx. The same subject continued . . . . .37
xxi. How good desires are to be fulfilled . .39
XVI CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
xxii. Not to be over-fond of any thing, and to wish to
be what God wills us to be . . . .41
xxili. Of how little one quits by giving oneself to God . 42
DUTIES TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOUR.

I. Of the love of our neighbour ... .45
ii. In what way we should love our neighbour . . 46
in. On the death of persons dear to us . . .49
iv. On the same subject 50
v. On the same subject 52
vi. On the same subject . .
-
. . .54
Of bearing with our neighbour
vii. s imperfections . 56
vin. Of cordiality
ix. Of aversions ........ .61
57
59
x. Of the merit of obedience
Of obedience to superiors
xi.
xn. Of murmurs against superiors
.....
. .
.
.
.
.
. .64
63
xin. Of obedience to superiors in what regards the in
terior life . . . . . . . .66

xiv. Obedience better than austerity, and the morti
is
fication of the heart than that of the body . . 67

xv. Of imperfections we see in our superiors . . 68
xvi. Superiors ought cheerfully to bear with others,
perceiving their imperfections . . . .70
xvn. Of the respect due to confessors .72
xvin. Of the respect due to preachers .
xix. Of obedience to equals and inferiors
.
....75
.
.
.
.
74
xx. Of the authority of the pope and of kings . . 78

xxi. How we
ought to receive and give correction . 80
xxii. Of complaints on the subject of correction . . 83
xxin. Of the manner of giving advice .85 . . .
xxiv. Of Christian simplicity 86

xxv. Of the exercise of Christian simplicity .89 . .
xxvi. That simplicity is not contrary to prudence 92 . .
.xxviiT.
care about calumnies
How human
.....
xxvu. That we must take no part in evil-speaking, nor
prudence should be corrected . .

93
96
CONTENTS. XV11
CHAP. PAGE
xxix. How we should behave ourselves to those from
whom we have received a considerable injury 97 .
xxx. Of patience and resignation in lawsuits 99 . .
xxxi.
xxxn.
course to arbitration
Continuation of the same subject
.....
That we ought not to go to law, but have re
. .
100
102 .
xxxni. Continuation of the same subject . . 104 .
xxxiv. Of sweetness in the midst of domestic annoyance 105

xxxv. Of the deference which is due to fathers and hus
bands 107 .
DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES.

I. Of self-love 109
ii. That we must not be discouraged at feeling the
attacks of self-love Ill
in. Of one s own judgment . .. . . . 112
iv. Of the mortification of one s own judgment . 115
v. Of over-great tenderness for one s self . . 117
vi. How we must destroy the old Adam . . . 119
........
vn. Of mistrust in ourselves, and of our spiritual
enemies
vni. Of spiritual friendships
122
124
ix. Of humility 125
x. Of the spirit of humility 127
xi. Of abjection
xn. Of afflictions .......
,
xin. Continuation of the same subject . .

128
132
134
xiv. Continuation of the same subject . . . 136
xv. That we must suffer in tranquillity and love . 137
xvi. How the saints looked upon crosses . . . 139
xvn. Of the repose which our hearts ought to have in
the will of God in the midst of afflictions . 140
xvni. Of firmness of spirit in the accidents of life. . 142
xix. That we must have this same firmness in what
regards the spiritual life . . ..144 .
xx. Example of this firmness afforded by the blessed

Virgin and St. Joseph .... 145
XV111 CONTENTS.
CHAP.
PAGE
XXI. Of patience in sicknesses and infirmities . 147
XXII. Continuation of the sime
subject. . 149
XXIII. Of
patience when suffering from headache . . 151
XXIV. Continuation of the same
subject . 153
XXV. Of patience under painful
operations . . 155
XXVI. On the maxim ask for and nothing, refuse no
157
XXVII. Practice of this maxim in sufferings . 159
XXVIII. Practice of this maxim in
XXIX. Of generosity
XXX. Of evenness of
.... sickness 160
1G2
XXXI. Of modesty
XXXII.
.....
spirit
....
Of temptations against purity
. 166
169
XXXIII. Of the manner of making the vow of chastity . 170
XXXIV. That we ought not to desire
temptations," and
that we ought to be on our
guard against those
of self-will .
172
XXXV, Of the virtue of divestment
,
. . . 173
XXXVI. Answer to certain difficulties
XXXVII.
of divestment
How
.....
one ought to hate one
regarding the virtue
175
on death
XXXVIII. Continuation of the same
........
subject
s defects,
.
and look
. .
^7g
178
XXXIX. Of the fear of death
XL.
XLI.
.....
Of preparation for death
That we ought not to desire
. . . . . . 180
182
XLII. That
the dead
we ought
...... to know the state of
^ Ig4
XLIII.
life
.........
who
to be content with our state of
185
XLIV.
Jf those
pulsion ........
Of austerities
enter into religion as if by com
jgy
XLV. Of
obedience
fidelity to
....
practised through self-love against
the rules
188
189
XIiVI. Of the violation of the rules
191
XLVII. Continuation of the same
subject . 193
XLVIII. That we ought not to go beyond the rules . 195
XLIX. Of peace and tranquillity in the midst of affairs
198
L. Of peace in the midst of contradictions
200
CONTENTS.
OF DEVOTION, AND OF THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES

OF PIETY.
CHAP. PAGE
Oi devotion
....
I. . . . . . . . 202
ii. Means for
arriving at devotion 203
in. Other means for arriving at devotion . . . 206
iv. Maxims for living constantly in 208
piety . .
v. That devotion ought to be discreet . . 210

vi. That devotion ought to be sweet,
simple, and
patient 212
VIT.That devotion ought to be intimate and 213
strong .
vin. That devotion ought to be generous 214

. . .
ix. Of the spirit of liberty, and of the marks

by which
it is known . . ,S . . . 217
x. Of the effects of the spirit of
xi.
occasions for practising
Examples of the spirit of liberty
liberty,
it ....
....
and of the
219
221
xn. That progress in piety does not consist in multi
plying the exercises of it . . , . 223

xni. Of mental prayer . . . . . . 225
xiv. Continuation of the same subject . . . 229
xv. Continuation of the same subject . . . 231
xvi. Continuation of the same subject . . . 232
xvn. Continuation of the same subject . . . 234
xvin. Of distractions ,. -.
-
.
. . . 236
xix. Of good desires, and of unsuitable thoughts in
meditation . . . . . . . . 238
xx. Of drynesses in prayer 2b9
xxi. Continuation of the same subject . . , 240
xxu. Continuation of the same sxibject . . . 243
xxni. Continuation of the same subject . . . 244
xxiv. Continuation of the same subject . . . 245
xxv. Of strengthening our good resolutions 247 . .
xxvi. Of prayers which may be made in sickness 250 .
xxvu. Of preparation for the sacraments 251 . . .
xxvin. Of the fruit which we ought to draw from the

sacraments .......
xxix. Of dispositions for holy communion . . .
254
256
XX CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
XXX. Of the most holy communion . 259
XXXI. Of the spirit in which one ought to read spiritual
books 260
Of the imperfections which are found in religious
persons 262
XXXIII. Exercises of piety for persons engaged in the
world 2G3
XXXIV. "What a person engaged in the world ought to do
in order to arrive at perfection . 265 . .
XXXV. Of the combat of the inward man with the out

ward 267
XXXVI. What we ought to think of the world 269 . .
desires after perfection .....

XXXVII. Of the defects into which we fall in spite of our
XXXVIII. Perfection is not to be acquired in a day .

270
273 .
XXXIX. We should daily consider ourselves as commen

cing anew . .. . . . . 274 .
XL. Several important admonitions for the spiritual

life 276
XLI. Of excitement and disquietude in the pursuit of
virtue 278
How we may know
XLII.
from God or from the devil ....
whether our feelings come
281
XLIII. Whereby
gious vocation .......
to recognise the goodness of one s reli
XLIV. Of the object aimed at in entering religion

282
284 . .
XLV. What it is to be a religious 286

XL VI. Of the qualities which a novice ought to have in
order to be admitted to profession . .288 .
XLVII. How the spirit of one s vocation is to be preserved 290

XLVIH. Of disgust for one s vocation ....
XLIX. Of the conversation of religious persons with
291
seculars 292
L. God ordinarily give? us an inclination for the state
to which he calls us 294
LI. Mistrust the advantages of this life, and labour
for eternity 295
LII. We meet with all seasons in our souls . . 296
What is meant by living according to the
LIII.
and according to the flesh .... spirit
298
CONTENTS. XXi
CHAF. PAGE
LIV. God
LV. That we ought

.....
thinks of us, and looks on us with love, in
spite of our weaknesses
to conquer our evil inclinations
301
without distressing ourselves about them . 303

LVI. Of the tears of piety 305
LVII. Of suspected revelations 306
LVIII. Of sensible grace 308
f rat
/iftjr.
REFLECTIONS ON THE PRINCIPAL FEASTS OF THE YEAR.
i. The
feast of Christmas 310
ir.Continuation of the same subject . . .312
in. The end of the year 313
iv. The end and the
v. The feast of the Circumcision

vi. The feast of Epiphany
....
beginning of the year .
319
. 315
317
vn. The feast of the Presentation of our Lord . .320

vin. The feast of St. Joseph 322
ix. The feast of the Ascension of our Lord 323
x.
xi.
The feast of Pentecost
The feast of Corpus Christi
... .
324
.
. . . .326
XH. The feast of St. John Baptist . . . .329
xni. The feast of St. Peter 331
xiv. The feast of the Visitation of the Blessed
xv.
xvi.
The feast of the Assumption ....
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed
Virgin 333
Virgin
334
336 .
xvn. The feast of All Saints and of All Souls 337 .

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.
PART FIRST.
DUTIES TOWARDS GOD.
CHAPTER I.
OF DIVINE LOVE.
IT is true I am continually imploring that many graces

may descend upon your soul but above all, and for
;
the sake of do I ask for Divine love for therein

all, ;
is our all. It is our honey, in which, and

by which,
all the affections of our hearts should be
preserved
and sweetened. My God, how happy is the interior
kingdom, when holy love reigneth there
this How !
happy are the faculties of our soul, which obey a

king so holy and so wise No, under His obedience,
!
and in this state, He suffereth not great sins to dwell,

nor even any affection for them. True, He allows
them to approach nigh to the frontiers, in order to
exercise the interior virtues in war, and to make them
valiant ; and He suffers venial sins and
imperfections,
like spies, to run up and down in His kingdom : but
iS DUTIES TOWARDS GOD.
that is make us know that without Him we

only to
should be a prey to all our enemies.
Let us humble ourselves greatly let us confess ;
that if God be not our shield and buckler, we shall

forthwith be pierced and transfixed with every kind
of sins. For this reason, let us hold close unto God
by persevering in our exercises let this be our main
:
care, and the rest only accessories to it.

For what remains, it is necessary always to have
courage, and if any languor or feebleness of soul
hangs about us, let us run to the foot of the cross,
and place ourselves among those holy odours, among
those celestial perfumes, and without doubt we shall
thereby be fortified and refreshed.
Let us hold ourselves firm, and cling closely to
that foot of our Lord s cross the rain which falls
;
there from every part quickly abates the storm, how

ever great it be. Sometimes, when I am there,
God, how is my soul in peace, and what sweetness
that celestial dew gives to it ! But I have not stirred
a step away from it, before the blast rises anew.
But notwithstanding the storm, let us be entirely
in God hands, without any reserve, or division, or
s
exception, and without pretending to any thing but

the glory of being His. If we had a single thread of
affection in our heart, which was not at His service,
and came not from Him, we would straightway pluck
it out. Yes, if we knew of one single particle of our
heart which was not marked with the print of the
crucifix, we would not wish to keep it for one single
moment.
Let us also conceal ourselves in the hole of the
and in the pierced side of our dear Sa
turtle-dove,
viour. How good is that Saviour how loving is !
His heart Let us remain there in that holy abode.

!
Let that heart always live in our hearts; let that

LOVE OF GOD. O
blood always circulate in the veins of our souls. Let

our love be all in God, and let God be in all our love.
Oh, what need we have to desire that love, and what
need we have to love that desire, since reason wills
that we should desire to love for ever that which can
never be loved enough, and that we should love to
desire that which can never be desired enough.
CHAPTER II.
OF THE MEANS OF ACQUIRING THE LOVE OF GOD, IN WHICH

PERFECTION CONSISTS.
You ask me how one can acquire the love of

God?
I reply, by willing to love Him ; and, instead of
setting yourself to think and ask how you can love

Him, setting yourself to practise by a continual
application of your soul to God; and you will ar
rive thither very much sooner by that road than by
any other.
There are souls who employ themselves so much
in thinking how they shall do
something, that they
have not the time to do any thing ; and yet, in what
ever regards our perfection, which consists in the
union of our soul with the Divine goodness, it is not
so much a question of knowing as of doing much.
In my opinion, those of whom
people ask the
way to heaven have great reason to reply, as persons
do jestingly, that to reach such and such a place,
you must keep straightforward, and set one foot
before the other. Keep straightforward, we should
say to these souls anxious for their perfection ; go
in the path of your vocation with
simplicity, applying
yourselves rather to action than to aspiration it is :
the shortest road.

But here is a subtilty that I must unfold to ; you
4 DUTIES TOWARDS GOD.
and it is, that you would that I should tell you of

some way of perfection ready-made, in such sort
that you would only have to put it over your head,
as one would a garment and by that means might
;
find yourself perfect without any trouble that is to ;
say, that I should give you perfection ready-made.

Oh, certainly, if that were in my power, I should
be the most perfect man in the world for if I could
;
give perfection to others without their needing to do

any thing, I assure you that I would take it in the
firstinstance for myself. You seem to think that
perfection is an art, and that if one could find out
the secret of it, one would have it without any trouble.
Certainly, we deceive ourselves ;
for there is no other,
nor greater secret than do and to labour faithfully
to
in the exercise of Divine love, if we wish to unite
ourselves unto the Beloved.
But I wish it to be observed, that when I say
that we must do, I must always be understood to
speak of the superior part of our soul for as to all ;
the repugnance of the inferior, we must trouble our

selves as little about that as passers-by do of the
dogs which bark at a distance.
Those who, at a banquet, keep picking at every
dish, and eating a little of every thing, derange their
stomachs, and cause indigestion, which prevents their
sleeping ;
so those souls who would taste of all the
methods and all the means which conduct, or may
conduct, to perfection, do likewise for the stomach
;
of their will, not having strength enough to digest

and put in practice so many various means, a certain
crudity and indigestion arises, which takes away from
them their peace and tranquillity of spirit in our
Lord, which is that one thing needful that Mary
chose, and that shall not be taken from her.
SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD.
CHAPTER III.
OF SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD.
Keep, I pray you, your heart exalted very high ;
attach indissolubly to the will of that most merci

it
ful and fatherly heart of our God. Let it for ever be

obeyed, and supremely obeyed, by our souls. So
long as God wills that we are to be in the world
for the love of Himself, remain there willingly and
cheerfully.
Many go out of the world, who, for all that, do
not go out of themselves seeking by that going out
;
their taste, their ease, their contentment ; and these

persons are marvellously eager after this going out ;
for the self-love which urges them on is a turbulent,
impetuous, and unruly love.

Let us not be of this class let us go out of the
;
world to serve God, to follow God, to love God;

and in this frame of mind, so long as God wills that
we serve, follow, and love Him in the world, we will
remain there with a good heart for since it is only
;
that holy service which we desire, in whatever place

we perform it, we shall be contented.
Abide in peace do that well on account of which
;
you remain in the world do it with a good heart,

;
and be assured that God will esteem it of more worth

at your hands, than if you went out of the world
a hundred times to please your own will and incli
nation.
Asto your other desire, it is a good one but, ;
my God, it is not worth your setting your heart

upon. Let us recommend it to God let us do sweetly;
whatever can be done to attain success in it, as I shall

do for my part. And if the eye of God, which pene
trates the future, seeing perchance that this would not
turn out either to His glory, or as we intend it, we

must not lose one hour s sleep for the sake of it.
The world will talk : what will people say ? All
this is nothing to those who do not see the world
but to despise it, and who look not upon time except
in the light of eternity.
I will endeavour to keep the affair in progress, so
that we may be able to see it completed ; for you do
not desire it more than I do. But if it is not pleas
ing to God, it is not pleasing either to me or to you.
Abide in peace, with a singular love of the Divine will
and providence. Abide with our Saviour crucified
planted in the midst of your heart.
I saw, awhile ago, a girl who was
carrying a pail
of water on her head, in the midst of which she had
I wished to know
placed a piece of wood. why she
did this ; and she told me that it was to stop the
motion of the water, for fear it might be spilt. So
henceforth, said I, must we place the cross in the
midst of our hearts, to stop the movements of our
affections in that wood and by that wood, so that
they may not be spilt out in disquietings, and in
troubles of spirit.
CHAPTER IV.
OF CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
You ask me whether a soul, having the consci
ousness of her misery, can go to God with a great
confidence ?
Now, I reply, that not only the soul which has
the consciousness of her misery can have a
great
confidence in God, but that she cannot have a true
confidence unless she has the knowledge of her
misery; for this knowledge, and this admission of
our misery, introduces us to God.
Therefore all the great saints, such as Job, David,
CONFIDENCE IN GOD. /
and the others, began all their prayers with the con
fession of their misery ; so that a right good thing it
is to be conscious that one is poor, vile, abject, un
worthy to appear before God.

That proverb so famous among the ancients, Know
thyself, at the
same time that it applies to the great
ness and excellence of the soul, that we should not
abuse and profane it by things unworthy of its nobi
lity,
also applies to the knowledge of our own un-
worthiness, imperfection, and misery, that the more
we be miserable, the more we should
feel ourselves to
trust in the goodness and mercy of God for between
;
His mercy and our misery there is a bond so close,

that the one cannot exercise itself without the other.
If God had not created man, He still would have been
truly all good, but

He would not have been actually
merciful, because mercy is only exercised towards the
miserable.
You see, then, that the more we feel ourselves
miserable, the more we have occasion to put our
trust in God, since we have nothing to rest upon, to
enable us to put our trust in ourselves.
Mistrust in ourselves arises from the knowledge
of our imperfections. It is good to mistrust our
selves but how would it advantage us to do that
;
were it not to throw all our confidence in God, and

to wait on His mercy ? The faults and unfaithfulness
which we daily commit ought to bring much confu
sion upon us when we would approach our Lord.
Thus, we read that great souls, like St. Catherine 01
Sienna and St. Teresa, had these great confusions
when they had fallen into some fault ; and it is very
reasonable that, having offended God, we should re
tire awhile in humility, and remain confused. The
same thing often happens to us when we have of
fended a friend; we are ashamed to approach him.
But we must not stop there for it would be no great

;
thing, this annihilation and divesting one of self, which

is done by acts of confusion, if it was not in order to
throw ourselves wholly on God by confidence.
CHAPTER V.
OF THE EXERCISE OF CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
St. Paul teaches us the object of this divesting,

where he says, Put off the old man, and put on the
new ; for we must not remain unclothed, but clothe
ourselves anew in God. This little retirement is only
made in order the better to throw ourselves upon
God by an act of love and confidence, for our confu
sion ought not to be accompanied with sadness and
it is self-love which affords confusions of
disquiet :
that kind for we are troubled at not being perfect,

;
not so much for the love of God, as for the love of

ourselves.
And ifyou feel no such confidence, cease not, on
that account, from making these acts, and from say
ing to our Lord, Yet, Lord, though I have no feel
ing of confidence in Thee, I nevertheless know that
Thou God, that I am all Thine, and that I
art my
have no hope but in Thy goodness ; so I abandon
myself wholly into Thy hands. It is always in our
power to make these acts, and although we have dif
ficulty in them, still there is no impossibility and ;
it is on these occasions, and in the midst of these

difficulties,that we ought to testify faithfulness to
our Lord. For even though we do these acts with
out sensible pleasure and without any satisfaction,
we must not on that account vex ourselves, for our
Lord loves them better so. And do not tell me that
you say them, indeed, but that it is only with your
lips for if the heart willed it not, the lips would not
;
CONFIDENCE IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 9
say a word. Having done so,

remain in peace and, ;
without attending to your disquietude, speak to our

Lord of somewhat else.
It then, very good to have confusion, when
is,
we have the knowledge and the feeling of our own
misery but we must not stop there, nor fall, for
;
that reason, into discouragement, but must lift up

our heart to God with a holy confidence, the foun
dation of which must be in Him and in ourselves,
inasmuch as we change, and He never changes, but
remains always as good and as merciful when we
are feeble and imperfect, as when we are strong and
perfect.
I accustomed to say that the throne of God s
am
mercy our misery. In proportion, therefore, to
is
the greatness of our misery ought to be the greatness

of our confidence.
CHAPTER VI.
OF CONFIDENCE IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
You how sweet the Providence of heaven is

see
towards us, and that it delays not its succour, ex
cept to invite our confidence. That child will never
perish who remains in the arms of a Father who is
almighty. If our God grants us not always that
which we ask of Him, it is to keep us near Him, and
to give us occasion to urge Him, and to constrain
Him with a loving violence, even as He made it ap
parent at Emmaus to the two disciples who were
travelling, with whom He stayed not, except at the
end of the journey, and very late, and when they
constrained Him.
For the rest, He is gracious and kind the moment
:
that we humble ourselves under His will, He accom

modates Himself to ours. Try, then, to fortify more
and more your confidence in this holy Providence,

and frequently adore it in your spiritual retreats, and
by interior regards.
Give into the hands of God s most secret Provi
dence whatever you may find painful to you, and
firmly believe that He will sweetly conduct you, your
life,and all your affairs. Do you know what the
shepherds in Arabia do when they behold it thunder
and lighten, and the air is charged with sulphurous
vapour? They retire under the laurel-trees, they
and their flocks. When we see that persecutions or
contradictions threaten us with some great trouble,
we must retire, we and our affections, under the holy
cross,with a true confidence that all will end to the
advantage of those who love God.
Keep, then, your heart compact and settled be ;
much on your guard against eagerness ; often cast

your confidence on the Providence of our Lord, and
be altogether sure that heaven and earth shall sooner
pass away than the Lord be wanting to your protec
tion, so long as you are His obedient child, or at least
desirous to obey Him. Twice or thrice a-day look
to see whether your heart is not disquieted about
something; and if you find that it is, take care forth
with to restore it to calm.
CHAPTER VII.
OF THE ABANDONMENT OF ONESELF INTO THE HANDS OF
PROVIDENCE.
It is necessary you should know, that to abandon
one s soul, and to allow one s self, as it were, to drop
out of one s own hands into God s, means nothing else
but the parting with our own will to give it unto God;
for it would be to little purpose our renouncing and
surrendering ourselves, if this were not done
in order
to unite ourselves perfectly to the Divine goodness. To
ABANDONMENT TO PROVIDENCE. 11
do otherwise would be to resemble those philosophers

who did in an extraordinary manner abandon them
selves and all things for the sake of vain pretensions,
and to devote themselves to philosophy. Epictetus
was an instance of this, whose state of life being that
of slavery, and his master wishing to emancipate him
because of his great wisdom, he did not choose to
have his liberty at the cost of renouncing his lofty
contemplations and he therefore remained a slave,
;
and in such poverty, that, after his death, the only

property found about him was a lamp, which was
sold at a very high price, because it had belonged
to so great a man.
As for us, we should not desire to abandon our
were not to leave ourselves at the mercy
selves, if it
of God s will. There are many who say to our Lord,
I give myself unto Thee without any reserve ; but
there are very few who embrace the practice of this
abandonment, which is nothing else but a perfect resig
nation to receive all sorts of events according as they
occur by order of the Providence of God ; affliction
as well as consolation, sickness as well as health,
poverty as well as riches, contempt as well as honour,

disgrace as well as glory.
I mean this in reference to the superior
part of
our soul for there is no doubt that inferior parts
;
thereof, and our natural inclinations, always tend

rather in the direction of honour than of contempt,
of riches than of poverty ; although every one knows
that contempt and poverty are more agreeable to God
than honour and abundance.
Now, in order to this abandonment, one must
obey the expressed will of God, and that of His good
pleasure. The expressed will of God includes His
commandments, His counsels, His inspirations, and
the rules and ordinances of our superiors.
The will of His good pleasure regards the issues

of things which we cannot foresee ; for
example, I
know not if I am to die to-morrow. I perceive that
it is the
good pleasure of God that I die, and conse
quently I abandon myself to His good pleasure, and
I die with a
good heart. In like manner, I know
not whether in the coming year all the fruits of the
earth will not he spoilt by storms and tempests if it
;
happens that they are so, or that a pestilence befalls

us, or any similar events, it is evident that such is the
good pleasure of God, and consequently I conform
myself to it.
It occur that you have no consolation in

may
your religious exercises it is certain that such is the
;
good pleasure of God, to which therefore we must

conform ourselves and the same for all things that
;
happen, excepting, however, sin and the loss of one s

soul, to which we are never permitted to consent under
the notion of conforming ourselves to God s will, which
would be one of the grossest of delusions.
We must, moreover, observe, that there are things
in which it is
necessary to join the expressed will of
God to that of His good pleasure for example, if
;
I fall sick of a violent fever, I

perceive in that event
that the good pleasure of God is, that I remain in a
state of indifference to health or sickness. But the
expressed will of God is, that I who am not under
obedience should call in the physician, and
apply all
the remedies I can I do not
;
say those of the most
costly kind, but such as are common and ordinary ;
and that those who are under obedience should re
ceive the remedies and treatment afforded them with
simplicity and obedience for this God has declared to

;
us by imparting to remedies their

efficacy the sacred
:
Scriptures teach us this, and the Church orders it.

But this done, a soul
perfectly abandoned to God
EXCELLENCE OF THIS ABANDONMENT. 13
remains so indifferent whether the sickness prevails

over the remedy, or the remedy prevails over the
sickness, that if sickness and health were placed
before her, and if our Lord said to her, If thou
"
choosest health, I will not for that reason take from

thee one grain of My grace if thou choosest sick
;
ness, in like manner, I will not enrich thee with one

grain additional ;
but in the choice of sickness there
issomewhat more of My good pleasure." Then the
soul which is entirely abandoned into the hands of
our Lord will without doubt choose sickness, merely
because there is in it somewhat more of the good
pleasure of God. Yes, even were it to follow that
she should remain on a sick-bed all her life, without
doing aught else but suffer, she would not for all the
world could give desire any other state than that.
Thus the saints who are in heaven have such a union
with the will of God, that if there were somewhat
more of His good pleasure in hell, they would quit
Paradise to go thither.
This state includes also abandonment to the good
pleasure of God in all those temptations, drynesses,
aversions, and dislikes which occur in the spiritual life ;
for in all these things one sees the good pleasure of
God, when they do not happen by our own fault, and
do not imply any sin.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE EXCELLENCE OF THIS ABANDONMENT.
This abandonment is the virtue of virtues it is ;
the cream of charity, the odour of humility, the re

ward, as I think, of patience, and the fruit of perse
verance. Great is this virtue, and only worthy to be
practised by the dearest children
of God.
Father, said our sweet Saviour on the cross, into
Thy hands I commend my spirit (St. Luke xxiii. 46).
It is true, He meant to say that it is consummated,

and that / have finished the work which Thou gavest
me to do (St. John xix. 30; xvii. 4) but neverthe ;
less, if it is Thy will that I remain still upon this

cross to suffer yet more, I am content therewith ; I
resign my spirit into Thy hands ; Thou canst do with
it as it shall please Thee.
We ought to do the same on all occasions, whe
ther be that we suffer, or that we enjoy some con
it
tentment thus allowing the Divine will to lead us
;
according to its good pleasure, without ever allowing

ourselves to be engaged with our own particular will.
Our Lord loves with an extremely tender love
those who thus abandon themselves totally to His
fatherly care, allowing themselves to be governed by
His good Providence, without considering whether
the effects of that Providence will be sweet or bitter
to them being entirely assured that nothing can pos
;
sibly be sent to them from that fatherly heart which

is not for their
good and profit, provided they have
put their whole confidence in Him, and say with a
good heart, My Father, I
resign my spirit, my soul, my
body, and all that I have into Thy hands, to do with
them, in Thy love, whatever shall please Thee.
Sometimes our Lord wills that souls chosen for
the service of His Divine Majesty should nourish
themselves with a firm and inviolable resolution of
persevering to follow Him in the midst of disgusts,
drynesses, dislikes, and bitternesses of the spiritual
life, without consolations, favours, tendernesses or
sweetnesses, and that they should believe themselves
worthy of nothing else thus following the Divine
;
Saviour with the fine point of the Spirit, without any

thing to rest upon but his Divine will, which so wills
it. And in this way I desire that we should walk.
For never shall we be reduced to such an extremity
EXERCISE OF THIS ABANDONMENT. 15
as not to be able always to diffuse before the Divine
Majesty the perfumes of a holy submission to His

most holy will, and of a continual promise never to
consent to offend Him.
CHAPTER IX.
OF THE EXERCISE OF THIS ABANDONMENT.
You ask me now with what a soul must interiorly

occupy herself who is thus entirely abandoned into
the hands of God ? She has only to abide in peace
near our Lord, without disquieting herself as to what
will become of her for our Lord, to whom she has
;
abandoned herself, will take enough thought for that.

I do not, however, mean to
say, that we must not
think about the things to which we are obliged to
attend, each according to his office. No ; for it
would not do that a superior, under the pretext of
abandoning himself to God, and reposing himself on
Him, should neglect to study and to learn the instruc
tions proper to him in the exercise of his office.
It is
very true that we must have a great confi
dence thus to abandon ourselves without reserve to
Divine providence but also, when we do entirely
;
abandon ourselves, our Lord takes care of every thing,

and conducts every thing. But if we reserve to our
selves any thing about which we have not confidence
in Him, He leaves us as though He said, You think
;
yourself wise enough to manage this affair without

Me I allow you to guide it you shall see what will
; :
come of it in the end.

St. Magdalene, who was entirely abandoned to our
Lord, remained at His feet, and listened to Him as
long as He spoke and when He ceased to speak,
;
she also ceased to hear, but she stirred not from His
side so does this soul, abandoned to our Lord, abide
:
within His arms, like an infant in its mother s bosom,

who, when she puts him down to walk, walks till
his mother again takes him up, and, when she would
carry him, suffers her
to do so. He knows not,
and thinks not whither he is going, but he suffers
himself to be carried or taken whither his mother
pleases. Just in the same manner does this soul,
of God in all that
loving the will of the good pleasure
to suffer itself to be carried, and never
happens it,
theless walks, doing with great care whatever be

longs to the expressed will of
God.
You said just now, that if it is really possible
for our will to be so dead in our Lord, we should no
longer know what we will or what we do not will.
But I answer, that it never happens, however
abandoned to God we may be, that our liberty does
not remain entire; whence there always reaches us
some desire and some will but these are not abso
:
lute wills and forward desires and immediately the

;
soul abandoned to the good pleasure of God perceives

them, that moment she makes them die in the will
of God.
You wish, further, to know what foundation this
perfect abandonment ought to
have.
It ought to be founded on the infinite goodness
of God, and on the merits of the death and Passion
of our Lord Jesus Christ, with this condition, that
we have, and know we have, within us an entire and
firm resolution of being altogether in God s hands,
and of abandoning ourselves wholly, and without any
reserve, to His Divine Providence.
that I do not
you, however, to observe,
I desire
say that we mustfeel this resolution, but only that

we must have it, and know we have it, within us ;
because we ought not to amuse ourselves with think
ing what we feel or what we do not feel; and the
FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD IN ALL THINGS. 17
more because most of our sentiments and satisfac

tions are merely the amusements of our self-love.
Nor must you take me to mean, that. in all these
things we never have desires contrary
to the will of
God, or that our nature is not repugnant to the

events of His good pleasure for that may often hap
;
pen. The virtues I speak of have their abode in the

superior part of the soul ;
the inferior part ordinarily
understands nothing of them we must make no ac
;
count of it but, without regarding what it wills, we

;
must embrace that Divine will, and unite ourselves to

it, in spite of such
inclinations. Few arrive at that
degree of perfect riddance of themselves but we ought
;
nevertheless all to aim at it, each according to our

vocation and capacity.
CHAPTER X.
OF DETERMINATION TO FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD IN ALL

THINGS.
Theologians distinguish in God two wills the :
expressed will, and the will of His good pleasure.

The expressed will comprehends the command
ments of God and of the Church, counsels, inspira
tions, and constitutions. We cannot be saved with
out obeying the commandments of God and of the
Church, because God wills that we should observe
them in order to get to heaven. As to counsels, He
wills, indeed, that we should observe them, yet not
as commandments, but only by way of desire. The
will of God is also manifested to us by inspirations ;
still He does not wish that we should judge of them
by ourselves, but that, in things of importance, we

should have recourse to those whom He has set over
us, to guide us, and that we should be completely
subject to their counsel and opinion. The rules also
c
manifest to us His will, as

being so many fit means
for leading us to perfection.
There is, moreover, the will of the
good pleasure
of God, to which we ought to look in
every event,
I mean, in whatever
happens to us, agreeable or
disagreeable, in sickness as in health, in affliction as
in consolation, in death as in life ; in
short, in all
things which are unforeseen, provided they are not
manifestly contrary to the expressed will of God, for
that always comes first. Well, we should always be
ready to submit ourselves to the will of His good
pleasure, no less than to His expressed will.
The counsel of self-abnegation, so much recom
mended by our Lord, what else is it but the renounc
ing of our own will, of our own particular judgment,
to follow the willand judgment of another; excepting
always cases wherein one would be offending God?
But you may say, I see clearly that what I am
bid to do proceeds from a human will and a mere
natural inclination and consequently God has not
;
inspired those who ask me. I reply, that it may well

be that God has not inspired them to ask it of
you,
but that He does inspire you to do it.
But you may again ask, should I rather do

Why
other people s will than mine ? Is not mine as con
formable to God as theirs ? For what reason am I
bound to think that what they tell me to do is more
an inspiration of God than the will which I feel sug
gesting to me to do the contrary? God it is here!
where the Divine majesty desires to make us gain

the prize of submission. For if we always saw very
distinctly that people had good reasons for ordering
or begging of us to do this or that, we should neither
have great merit nor great repugnance ; but when
the reasons are hidden from us, then it is that our
will is repugnant and our
judgment resists, and we
FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD IN ALL THINGS. 19
feel the contradiction. Now, it is on these occa
sions that we ought to overcome
ourselves, and with
a simplicity altogether infantine, set ourselves to the
work without discussing or
reasoning about it, and
say I know that the will of God is, that I should
:
rather do another s will than and so I sub

my own,
mit myself.
If we ought thus to
comply with the will of every
body, much more ought we to do so with respect to
that of superiors, whom we should
regard and es
teem as the person of God Himself, for
they are His
vicars. It is for this reason, that
although we knew
them to have natural inclinations, or even
passions,
by the movement of which they commanded or re
proved us, we ought not to be astonished on that
account; for they are men, and are
consequently
subject to all that but we are not permitted to judge
:
that their commands proceed from their passions or

inclinations we must take heed of that. Neverthe
;
less, if we were to feel

palpably certain that it was so,
we ought riot to be weary of and
sweetly obeying
lovingly submitting ourselves with humility to cor
rection.
It is, in truth, a
thing very hard to self-love, to be
subject to all these encounters ; but that is not the
love which we
ought to please or to listen to, but the
most holy love of our souls, Jesus, who
requires of
His dear spouses a
holy imitation of the perfect obe
dience which He rendered, not
only to the most just
and holy will of His Father, but also to that of His
parents, and even to that of His enemies, who with
out doubt followed their
passions in the sufferings
which they imposed upon Him ; and nevertheless the
good Jesus did not grow weary of submitting Himself
thereto sweetly,
humbly, lovingly.
CHAPTER XT.
EXAMPLES ON THE PRECEDING SUBJECT.
The first is St. Anselm, who was extremely beloved

by every body, during the whole time that he was
prior and abbot of his monastery, because he was
extremely condescending to the will, not only of the
religious,but even of the seculars. One man would
come and say to him, My father, your reverence
"
ought to take a little of this dish," and he would

take some. Another would say to him," My father,
that will do harm," and he would at once give up
you
eating it. He
thus submitted himself, in whatever
was not offensive to God, to the will of his brethren,
and even of seculars, who might sometimes, and even
often, be following their own inclinations.
Now this great condescension of the saint was not
universally approved of, though he was beloved by
all, and some persons indeed took upon them to re
present to him that he ought not thus to comply

with the will of every body, but that, on the con
trary, he ought to make the will of others subject to
his own.
"Oh, my children," said that great saint, "you
perchance do not know with what intention I do

this. Know that, remembering that our Lord com
manded us to do to others what we would wish should
be done to us, I could not do otherwise; for I would
wish that God should do my will, and therefore I
willingly do that of others, in order that it may please
my God sometimes to do mine.
I have
yet another consideration, which is, that
"
God, I can know the will

after the expressed will of
of His good pleasure in no better way than by the
voice of another for God does not speak to me, still
;
EXAMPLES ON THE PRECEDING SUBJECT. 21
less does He send me angels to declare that which is

His good pleasure. Stones, plants, and animals do
not speak. There is, then, only man who can mani
fest to me the will of my God, and so I attach myself
thereto as much as I can and in obeying men, I
;
think that I obey God, who manifests to me His

will by them.
Moreover, God commands us to observe charity
"
with our neighbour, and to maintain union with

every body as much as we can. Now I know of no
better means for that than to be sweet and conde
scending. Sweet and humble condescension ought
always to float over all our actions.
"
Besides this, has not our Lord said, that if we do

not become as little children, we shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven ? Do not, then, be astonished
if I am sweet and ready to comply like a child, since
herein I only do what has been ordered me by my
Saviour. It is of no great consequence my doing this
or that, going here or staying there; but there would
be great imperfection in my not submitting myself in
that respect to the will of my neighbour."
See you the great St. Anselm submitting himself
in whatever is not against the commandments of God
or of His holy Church, or against the rules? for that
obedience must always come first. I do not think
that if people had wanted him to do any thing against
that, he would have done it. Oh, no, in no wise. But
that excepted, his general rule was, in things indif
ferent, to yield in every thing to every body.
The second is that of St. Pachoraius, who, when
employed one day in making mats, condescendingly
yielded to the wishes of a child who said to him My
"
father,you do not make them well it is not so that ;
you should make them." The great saint, although

he made them in reality well, nevertheless rose up
with alacrity, sat down beside the child, who shewed

him how to make them and he made them in that
;
way.
One of his religious said to him :
"
father, My
there are two evils in your attending to what the child
says you expose him to the danger of vanity, and
:
you spoil your mats ; for they were better made as

you made them before."
The saint replied My brother, if God suffers
"
the child to be vain, perhaps in recompense He will

give me humility and when He shall have granted
;
me that, perhaps I shall be able to impart it to the

child. There is no great danger in making mats this
way or that, but there would be a great deal of dan
ger if we had not at heart that famous word of our
Lord Unless you become as little children, you shall
:
not enter into the kingdom of heaven" Oh, how great

the good of thus gently yielding, as the saints have
done, to another s will!
The third example is St. Gertrude, who, being a
religious, and of a feeble and delicate complexion,
was treated by the superioress, who knew it, more
delicately than the other religious, and she was
allowed a mitigation of the austerities customary in
her rule. What did this good religious, think you,
in order to become holy ? Nothing, except submit
herself with all simplicity to the will of the supe
rioress ; and although her fervour would have made
her desire to do what the others did, she in nowise
shewed it; and when she was told to go and lie down,
she went and did so, without making any reply,
being assured that by so doing, in obedience, she
would enjoy as much of the presence of Jesus Christ,
her Divine Spouse, as if she had been in the choir
with her sisters.
And these submissions were so agreeable to our
HOPING AGAINST ALL HOPE. 23
Lord, that he revealed to St. Matilda, that if they

wished to find Him in this life, they should seek first
in the most holy Sacrament of the altar, and next in
the heart of St. Gertrude.
CHAPTER XII.
WHAT IS MEANT BY HOPING AGAINST ALL HOPE.
Among the praises given by the saints to Abra

ham, St. Paul ranks this above all the rest, that
against hope he believed in hope (Rom.
iv. 18). God
had promised him to multiply his posterity like the
stars of heaven and the sand of the sea; and notwith
standing his receiving the commandment to sacrifice

to Him his only son, Abraham did not on that account
lose hope and he believed that whilst he obeyed the
;
commandment which had been given him to sacrifice

his son, God would not fail to keep His word.
Great, assuredly, was his hope for he saw no
;
thing on which to rest, except the word of God. Oh,

how true and solid a foundation is that word for it !
is infallible.
Abraham therefore went his way, to accomplish the
commandment of God with a simplicity beyond com
pare for he took no more thought, nor made any
;
more reply, than he did when God told him he must

depart out of his country and from amongst his kin
dred. Journeying, then, three days and three nights
with his son, without precisely knowing whither he
went, his son, who was carrying the wood of the sacri
fice, asked him where was the victim for the holocaust.
Abraham said, God will provide Himself a victim for a
holocaust, my son (Gen. xxii. 8).
my God, how happy should we be, if we could
accustom ourselves to make this answer to our hearts
when we are in anxiety about any thing Our Lord :
will provide for it; and thenceforward to have no

more carefulness and trouble, any more than Isaac ;
for he held his peace after that, believing that the

Lord would provide for it, as his father had told him.
Great, assuredly, is the confidence which God
requires us to have in His fatherly care and
in His
Divine providence but wherefore should we not have
;
it,seeing that no one can ever be deceived in it, and

that no one puts his trust in God who does not reap
the fruits of his confidence.
Consider that our Lord says to His Apostles, in
order to settle in them this holy and loving confi
dence :When I sent you without purse and scrip and
shoes, did you want any thing? (St. Luke xxii. 35.)
But they said : Nothing. Be not solicitous, He said
to them, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we
drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed ? (St. Matt. vi.
31.) And when they shall bring you to magistrates
and powers, be not solicitous how or what you shall
answer, or what you shall say. For the Holy Ghost
shall teach you in the same hour what you must say
(St. Lukexii. 11, 12).
But I have such slender talents, some one will
say, I do not know how to deal with great people
I ;
have no learning : tis all one go and put your con

;
fidence in God, for He hath said: Can a woman for

her
get her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of
womb? and if she should forget, yet will I not forget
thee. Behold, I have graven thee in my hands : thy
walls are always before my eyes (Isa. xlix. 15, 16).
Think you that He who takes care to provide for
the nourishment of the birds of the air, which neither
sow nor reap, will fail to provide all that is necessary
for him who confides fully in His providence, him
who is
capable of being united to God, who is the
sovereign good? (St. Matt. vi. 26.)
OF CONFIDENCE IN GOD. -O
CHAPTER XIII.
OF THE DIVESTMENT OF SELF, AND OF CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
assuredly perceive with my own eyes,

I as it ap
to me, that have put in practice a very
pears you
great self-divestment. Oh, hlessed are the hearts
thus divested! for our Lord will clothe them anew
with graces, benedictions, and with His special pro
tection.
Poor and frail creatures that we are in this life,
we are, as it were, powerless to do any good except by

suffering some evil for the sake of it ; and we are even,
God on one side, except
as it were, powerless to serve
by quitting Him on the other; and often it happens
to us that we must quit God for God, renouncing
His sweetnesses to share in His toil and suffering.
Daughters, on their marriage, often forsake the
society of their parents and leave their
native land,
in order to be subject to husbands very often un
known to them, or at least of a disposition with
which they are not acquainted, in order to give them
children for this world. It is very necessary that
the daughters of the Lord should have a yet greater
courage, in order to form, in holiness and purity of
life, children to His Divine majesty.
Keep, then, your eyes lifted up unto God. Aug

ment your courage in holy humility fortify it in sweet
;
ness, confirm it in evenness. Make your spirit per

petually the master of your inclinations and humours.
Never allow apprehensions to enter into your heart.
Each day will give you the knowledge of what you
shall bestdo the next. You have ere now got over
many difficulty, and that was by the grace of God
a :
the same grace will be present to you on all succeeding

occasions, and will deliver you from obstacles and

bad roads one after the other, yea, though it were
necessary for Him to send an angel to help you over

the most dangerous steps.
Turn not your eyes towards your infirmities and
insufficiency, except it be to humiliate, but never to
discourage you.
Often see God at your right hand, and the two
angels whom He has destined for you, one as your
own guardian, and the other for the conduct of your
little family.
Say often to those holy angels Lords,:
what shall we do ? Beseech of them to furnish you

ordinarily with the knowledge of that Divine Will
which they contemplate, and the inspirations which
our Lady wishes you to receive.
Do not look upon that variety of imperfections
which live in you, and in all the daughters whom our
Lord and our Lady have confided to your care, except
it be to
keep you in holy fear of offending God, but
never to amaze you; for one ought not to be sur
prised if every herb and every flower in a garden
requires each a special care.
In this world there is no good without its price ;
it is necessary, then, so to adjust our will, that either
it may make no pretensions at all to comforts, or, if
it does, it may sweetly accommodate itself to those
discomforts which are assuredly attached to all com
forts. There is world without lees.
no wine in this
Consider, then. Which is better, that there should
be thorns in our garden, that we may have roses
on them, or that we should have no roses in order
to have no thorns ?
FEAR OF THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD. 27
CHAPTER XIV.
CONCERNING FEAR OF THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD, AND
CONFIDENCE IN HIS KINDNESS.
What gives me most apprehension is, that I am

told that, besides your bodily afflictions, you are over
whelmed with a deep melancholy. I can well ima
gine how this must retard your complete restoration
to health. Tell me, I implore you, what cause have
you for feeding this sadness, which is so hurtfu] to
you ?
suspect your mind is still distressed by your
I
fear of sudden death, and of the judgments of God.
Alas, how strange a torment is that! My soul,
which endured it for six weeks, can well sympathise
with those who are afflicted by it.*
But it is necessary for me to speak to you a little,
heart to heart, and to tell you that whoever has a
true desire of serving our Lord, and of flying from
sin, ought in nowise to torture himself with the fear
of death, or of the divine judgments. For although
both the one and the other are indeed to be feared,
still the fear
ought not to be mere physical alarm,
crushing the vigour of our minds on the contrary, ;
it
ought to be so mingled with confidence in the
goodness of God, as to become sweet in consequence
of it.
And we ought not to begin to doubt whether we
are in a position to confide in God, when we feel
difficulty in keeping ourselves from sin, or have mis
trust and fear, lest in particular occasions and
temp
tations we shall be unable to resist it. Oh, no ! for
* Francis de Sales here alludes to the violent temp
St.
tation of despair which he experienced whilst a student at
Paris, at the age of sixteen years, and from which he was de
livered by the help of the B. Virgin, which he
implored in
the church of St. Etienne-des-Gres.
mistrust of our own strength is not a deficiency of

resolution, but a true acknowledgment of our misery.
It is a better feeling to mistrust our own power of
resisting temptations, than to assume a confident atti

tude, provided always that what we do not expect from
our own strength, we do expect from the grace of
God. For it has frequently happened that persons
who, in the midst of consolation, promised them
selves that they would do marvels for God, have
failed when put to the trial ; and others again, who
greatly mistrusted their own strength, and feared
much that they would fail when put to the proof,
have, on a sudden, effected marvels, because that deep
feeling of their own weakness drove them to seek aid
and succour from God, to watch, to pray, to humi
liate themselves, that they might not enter into temp
tation.
I we ought in nowise to be dis
further say, that
tressed not feeling within us force or courage
at
to resist temptation, in the supposition of its occur
rence at this moment, if only we desire to resist it,
hoping that, if it did come, God would help us, and
praying of Him to grant us His help. For there is
no need for us always to have the sensation of
strength and courage it is enough for us to hope
;
and desire that we shall have it at the right time and

place nor is there any need for us to feel within
;
ourselves any sign or mark that we shall have that

courage it is sufficient for us to hope that God will
;
aid us.
Samson, who was called the strong man, never
felt the supernatural strength with which God as
sisted him, except on occasions for it and on that ;
account is it said, when encountering lions or his

enemies, that the Spirit of God came upon him
(Judges xiv. 6).
TEMPTATIONS AGAINST THE FAITH. 29
God, who does nothing in vain, does not give you

either strength or courage when there is no occasion
for it, but only when there is occasion ; and so we
must always hope that on all occasions He will aid
us, provided only that we cry unto
Him. We should
constantly use those words of David. Why art thou
sad, my soul ? and why dost thou disquiet me ? Hope
in God (Ps. xlii. 5). And again, When my strength
shall fail, do not thou forsake me (Ps.lxx. 9).
Well, then, since you desire to depend entirely
on God, why do you fear your weakness, on which
it isvery true that you ought to place
no kind of
reliance. Do you not hope in God ? and shall he
that hopeth in Him ever be confounded? No, he
never shall be.
I entreat you to pacify all the objections which
may possibly arise in your mind. There is no occa

sion to make any other answer to them, except that
you desire to be faithful on all occasions and that
;
you hope God will enable you to be so, without at

tempting to find out whether that will be the case
or not for such attempts are very liable to deceive
;
you. Many are valiant when they do not see the

enemy, who are not so when he appears w hilst, on
r
;
the contrary, many are fearful beforehand, to whom

the very presence of the danger gives courage. You
must not fear being afraid. For the rest, God knows
how much I would do and suffer to see you released
from these temptations.
CHAPTER XV.
OF TEMPTATIONS AGAINST THE FAITH.
You ask me for remedies against the temptations

against the faith which are troubling you. You must
deal with such temptations exactly as you would with
those against purity. Dispute with them neither

much nor but do as the children of Israel did
little,
with the bones of the paschal lamb, which
they never
attempted to break, but cast them into the fire. You
must never answer nor seem to understand what the
enemy says. Let him make as much noise as he
pleases at the gate, never once say, Who goes there ?
Very true, you will say to me but he impor ;
tunes me, and his noise is so loud, that those within

cannot hear each other speak. Never mind patience ; ;
they must speak by signs you must prostrate your

;
self before God, and remain there at His feet He ;
will understand
by this humble guise that you are on
His side, and that you wish for His
help, though
you cannot speak. But above all, keep yourself fast
within, and on no account open the door, either to
see who knocks, or to drive
away the troublesome
applicant. He will at length weary of his noise, and
leave you at peace.
Courage, then provided he does not enter in, it

;
matters nothing. It is, however, a very good

sign
that the enemy keeps knocking and
storming at the
gate ; for it shews that he has not what he wants.
If he had, he would not make
any more noise, but
enter in, and quietly remain there.
CHAPTER XVI.
OTHER REMEDIES IN TEMPTATIONS AGAINST THE FAITH.
I
proceed to give you another remedy. Tempta
tions against the faith assail the intellect
directly, in
order to attract it to dispute and think about them.
Do you know what you ought to do, whilst the
enemy is
amusing himself with laying siege to the
intellect ? Make a sally by the gate of the will, and
TEMPTATIONS AGAINST THE FAITH. 31
charge him vigorously. mean, that when the temp

I
tation against the faith presents itself to converse with
you, and to ask you how such a mystery can be true,

or what have you to say to this, or what have
you to
say to that, instead of disputing with the enemy
by reason, your will should act on the offensive
against him and even answering the interior
;
sug
gestion by uttering an exclamation, cry out
"
Ah,
:
traitor ah, wretch

! thou hast left the Church of the
!
angels, and thou wouldst that I should leave that of

the saints Disloyal, faithless, and treacherous one
!
!
thou offeredst to Eve the fruit of perdition, and thou

wouldst have me eat of it! Begone, Satan It is writ
!
ten, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (St. Matt,
iv. 7). No, I will not dispute to please you. Eve,
being ready to dispute, lost herself. Eve saw the
fruit, and was overcome. Live, Jesus, in whom I be
lieve. adhere to holy Church, and will never for
I
sake Use such-like ardent words. I know not
her."
if I make
you understand me what I mean is, that
;
you should get the better of these temptations by the

affections, and not by the reason.
True it is that at such seasons the
poor will is
oppressed with dryness but so much the better:
;
her blows are so much the more terrible to the

enemy, who, seeing that, instead of retarding your
progress, he gives you the means of exercising a
thousand virtuous feelings, and
particularly that of
making acts of faith, will at last leave you alone.
It willbe good now and then to have recourse to
some exterior penance. For there is no doubt that
outward suffering diverts the evil, and the inward
affection attracts the of God.
mercy Add that the
enemy, seeing that you trouble his ally and confe
derate, the flesh, is afraid, and takes to flight. But
this third
remedy must be used with moderation, and
in the course of
according to the profit you may find,
a few days, that you derive from it.
To conclude, these temptations are only afflic
tions likeany others, and you must comfort yourself
with these words qf Scripture Blessed is the man
:
that endureth temptation ; for when he hath been proved,

he shall receive the crown of life (St. James i. 12).
I have seen very few persons who have made any
progress without trial.

You must, therefore, have
patience our God, after the tempest, will send a
:
calm.
CHAPTER XVII.
WHAT MUST BE DONE WHEN TEMPTATIONS AGAINST THE FAITH,

HAVING CEASED, RETURN AGAIN.
Your temptations against the faith have returned

did not answer them a word,
again ; and although you
they press upon you.
You do not reply to them that is well but you
;
:
think too much about them, you fear them too much,
you are too apprehensive of them ;
without that they
would do you no harm. You are too sensitive to
temptations. You love the faith,
and you would not
have a it enter your
willingly single thought against
touches
imagination ; and the moment such thought
a
become melancholy and anxious about it.
you, you
You are too jealous of this purity of faith ; you fancy
that every thing stains it.
No, no, let the wind blow, and do not imagine
that the rustling of the leaves is the clashing of arms.
I was lately standing near some beehives, and a few
of the bees lighted on my face. I was about to re
move them with my hand. No," said

"
a peasant to
me, do not be afraid, and do not touch them ; they

"
will not sting you ; but if you touch them, they will."
TEMPTATIONS OF BLASPHEMY. 33
I believed what he said, and not one of them stung

me.
Trust what I say ; do not fear these temptations ;
do not touch them, and they will not harm you.

Pass on your way, and do not think about them.
Be very resolute, and believe firmly that all the temp
tations of hell cannot sully a spirit that does not love
them. Let them, therefore, go their way. St. Paul
suffered terrible temptations (2 Cor. xii. 7) ;
and
God willed not to take them away from him ;
and
so willed because loved him.He Courage, then;
let that be with its Jesus, and let
heart always
the enemy make as much racket at the gate as he
pleases. Live with the sweet Jesus and His holy
Mother in the midst of the darkness, the nails, the
thorns, and the spears. Live for a long time in
tears without obtaining aught ; God will at last raise
you up, and will make you rejoice, and cause you to
see heart s desire. I hope it will be so ; but if
your
itwere not so, still let us not weary of serving Him ;
He will be none the less our God* ; for the love we

owe to Him is of an immortal and imperishable
nature.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OP TEMPTATIONS OP BLASPHEMY AND INFIDELITY.
cannot, and you ought not to believe that

You
the temptations of blasphemy and infidelity
come
from God and who has ever told you that God is
:
the author of them? He may, I grant you, send

spiritual darkness ;
He may send the feeling of de
reliction and loss of vigour He may send that bit
;
terness of the spiritual palate which makes the sweet

est wine of the world turn bitter but temptations of
:
blasphemy, of infidelity, oh, never !

They cannot
D
DUTIES TOWARDS GOD.
come from our good God ; His bosom is too pure to

entertain objects such as those.
Know you how God acts with
regard to such
things? He
permits the malignant craftsman who
makes them to come and offer us those wares of his
for sale, that,
by scorning them, we may be able to
prove our affection for divine things and ought we ;
to disquiet ourselves for that?

ought we to turn aside
for an instant ? God in nowise ought we to do
!
so. It is the devil who is ever

busying himself about
our soul, to see if where he can find a
any gate open
(1 Pet. Thus he did with Jacob, with St.
v. 8).
Anthony, with St. Catherine of Sienna, and with an
infinite number of
holy souls whom I know, and with
my own, which is worth nothing, and which I know
not.
But, what
ought we to vex ourselves for this ?
!
Keep the avenues

all
closely barred, and let him be
frozen he will be tired out at last or if
not, God
:
;
will make him raise the

siege. Remember what, I
believe, I said to you once before. It is a good
sign
that he raises such a tumult and
tempest, round your
will ; it is a that he is not within
sign it.
Courage,
then whilst we can
;
say with withresolution, though
out feeling, Jesus we need not fear.
"Live, !"
And do not tell me that you

say it with cowardice,
without force or courage, but as if
by a kind of vio
lence you do God behold therein that
yourself. !
holy violence which bears away the kingdom of

heaven (Matt. xi. 12).
It is a sign that the
enemy has indeed gained all
else in our except the impregnable, invinci
fortress,
ble citadel, which cannot be lost
except by itself.
It is, in fine, that free
will, which, all open to the
eyes of God, resides in the supreme and most spiri
tual part of the soul, and which
none depends upon
NOT TO DESIRE TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN. 35
other save its God and itself ;

and when all the other
faculties of the soul are troubled by the enemy, this
alone remains, having control over itself, so as not to
give consent unless it pleases.

Yet we see souls foolishly afflicted, because the
enemy, occupying the other faculties, makes therein
all
a loud hurly-burly and confusion. They can scarcely

hear what is said and done in that superior will,
which indeed has a voice much clearer and more dis
tinct than that of the inferior will ;
but the voice of
the latter is so rough and dissonant, that it drowns
the clear sounds of the former.
Lastly, observe this whilst the temptation is dis
:
pleasing to you, there is nothing to fear; for why

does it displease you, but because you do not will it ?
For the rest, those vexatious temptations come
from the malice of the devil ; but the pain and suf
fering which we feel from them comes from, the
mercy of God, who, contrary to the will of His enemy,
draws from his malice that holy tribulation whereby
He refines the gold which He destines for His trea
sure-house. your temptations come
I say, therefore,
from the deviland from hell, but your pains and
afflictions come from God and from Paradise. The
mothers are of Babylon, but the children are of Jeru
salem. Despise the temptations, embrace the tribu
lations.
CHAPTER XIX.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DESIRE TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN.
Look with suspicion on all these desires, which,

according to the common feeling of good people, can
not be carried into effect. Such are desires after a
certain Christian perfection which may be imagined,
but not practised, and in which

many learn lessons,
but no one carries them out.
Know that it is the virtue of patience that ensures
us the m-ost perfection and if we must have it with
;
others, we must also have

it with ourselves. Those
who aspire to the pure love of God, have not so much
need of patience with others as with themselves.
It is
necessary to suffer our own imperfection in
order to have perfection. I to suffer it with
say,
patience, not to love or to caress it
humility feeds
:
itself with this suffering.

The truth must be admitted we are :
poor crea
tures, who can do very little
good but God is in
;
finitely good, is contented with our little works, and

with the preparation of our heart (Ps. ix.
is^pleased
1 7) .And what means the preparation of our heart ?
According toholy Scripture, God is greater than our

heart (1 St. John hi.
20), and our heart is greater than
all the world. When our heart, being alone in its
meditation, prepares the service which it ought to
render to God, that is to
say, when it forms its pur
pose of serving God, of honouring Him, of serving our
neighbour, and of mortifying our exterior and inte
rior senses, and such-like
good designs at that time
;
it works marvels, it makes preparations, and

disposes
its actions to an eminent
degree of admirable perfec
tion. Nevertheless, all this preparation is in nowise
proportionate to the greatness of God, who is in
finitely greater than our heart ; yet this preparation
is
ordinarily greater than the world, than our exte
rior force and actions.
Asoul which, on the one hand, considers the
greatness of God, His immense goodness and holi
ness, can never satiate itself with making Him great
and marvellous preparations. prepares Him a body
It
mortified without rebellion, attention to
prayer with-
NOT TO DESIRE TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN. 37
out distraction, sweetness of conversation without bit

terness, humility without any feeling of vanity.
All
this is very good these are good preparations.
;
We
must even more of them, in order to serve God
get
according to our duty ;
but when they are completed,
we must consider who it isthat does them for when
;
we come to put in practice, we stop far short of

them
them, and perceive that these preparations cannot be
so great or so absolute in us as we imagined.
Wecan mortify the flesh, not so perfectly as
yet
that there shall be no rebellion at all. Our attention
will often be interrupted by distractions, and so for
the rest. But are we, for that reason, to lose our
peace of mind, to be troubled or flurried or afflicted
?
Assuredly not. Are we to form an infinity of eager

and discontented desires after a particular point of
perfection ?
By no means.
CHAPTER XX.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DESIRE TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN.
We may very rightly make simple wishes, which

witness to our gratitude. I may say, Alas, why am
I not as fervent as the Seraphim, the better to serve
and love my God? But I must not amuse myself
with forming desires, as if in this world I was to at
tain to that exquisite perfection; or say, I desire this,
I will set myself to attain it, and if I fail of reaching
it, I shall be unhappy. I do not say that we ought

not to put ourselves in the path of such perfections,
only we must not desire to reach it in one day, that
is to say, in one day of this mortal life for this de
;
sire would be a torment to us, and a most useless one.

It is necessary, in order to travel well, for us to at
tend to the accomplishment of that part of the jour
ney which is immediately before us, to get over the
first day s ground, and not to amuse ourselves with

desiring to accomplish the last day s journey, when
our business is to make an end of the first. I will
express it which I beg you to bear in

in one word,
mind : We
sometimes amuse ourselves with the idea
of being good angels when we are not labouring to
make ourselves even good men.
Our imperfections must accompany us to the
grave; we cannot walk without touching the earth.
We ought not to lie and welter there but we also ;
ought not to think of flying we are, as yet, un

;
fledged. We die little by little ;

we must therefore
make our imperfections die with us day by day.
Dear imperfections which make us recognise our
!
misery, exercise us in humility, in contempt of our

selves, in patience and diligence, and in spite of which
God considers that preparation of our heart which is
perfect.
Earth as we are, let us walk on earth, since the
deep sea turns our head and makes us reel. Let us
remain at our Lord s feet with Mary let us prac ;
tise those little virtues which are adapted to our lit
tleness; and there are virtues that are exercised rather

in descending than in ascending, the better for our
weakness. Such are patience, the bearing with our
neighbour and doing him service, humility, sweet
ness, courage, affability, the endurance of our own
imperfections, and other little virtues like them.
I do not say that we are not to ascend by means
of prayer; but it must be step by step. I recommend
to you holy simplicity. Look close before you, and
do not look dangers which you see afar off.
at those
You fancy they are armies ; they are only trees in the
distance, and whilst you are gazing at them you may
make some false steps.
Let us have a firm and general purpose, of in-
HOW GOOD DESIRES ARE TO B K FULFILLED. 39
tending to serve God with all our heart and all

our life ;and this done, let us not think of the
morrow. Let us only think of achieving the pre
sent day well and when to-morrow shall have ar
;
rived, it too will be called to-day, and then we shall

think of it. Besides this, it is necessary that we
have a great confidence in the Providence of God,
and a resignation to it. We must make provision of
manna for each day, and no more and let us have ;
no doubts God will rain manna to-morrow, and

;
the day after to-morrow, and all the days of our pil-
CHAPTER XXI.
HOW GOOD DES1KES AKE TO BE FULFILLED.
We ought not to desire impossible things, or

build upon difficult and uncertain ones. It is not
sufficient to believe that God can succour us by all
sorts of means ;
but we must believe that He wills
not to employ for that purpose those means which
He removes far from us, and that He does will to
employ such as are near to us.
It seems to me that
you have discovered the true
root of your evils, when you say to me, that you,
think it is a multitude of desires which can never
be satisfied. A variety of viands, if they are in too
great quantity, always overcharges the stomach but, ;
weak, it is ruined by them.

if it is When the soul
has been purged of bad and worldly affections, meet
ing spiritual and holy objects, and feeling, as it were,
utterly famished, it fills itself with many desires,
and with such avidity, that it is overwhelmed with
them.
Ask for remedies of our Lord, and of the spiri
tual Fathers whom you have near you nevertheless, :
I will tellyou simply what I think on the subject it :
is,that if you do not begin to put into execution some

of these desires, they will be ever multiplying, and will
embarrass your mind, so that you will not know how
to get rid of them.
You must, then, come to results. But in what
order ? You must begin by such palpable and ex
terior results as are most in
your power; for ex
ample, you are not without the desire of serving
the sick for the love of our Lord, of
doing any mean
and lowly services in the house, for the sake of hu
mility; for these are fundamental desires, and without
them all others are, and ought to be, suspected and
despised. Exercise yourself, then, strongly in the
production of the results of such desires for you ;
will have no lack either of occasions or

subjects for
them.
This is
entirely in your own power, and conse
quently you ought to put them into execution for ;
in vain will you frame

purposes of doing actions,
the subject of which is not in your own power, or
is
very remote from you, if you do not fulfil those
which are within your reach. Carry out, therefore,
with fidelity, the desires of the humble and mean of
fices of
charity, humility, and other virtues and
you ;
will see that

you are well provided with occasions for
them. Magdalene must first wash our Lord s feet,
must kiss them, and wipe them with the hairs of her
head, before she can entertain Him heart to heart, in
the secrecy of meditation ; and she must anoint His
body with earthly balm, before she can pour the balm
of her meditations on His
divinity.
It is good to desire much
but we must subject
;
our desires to a certain order, and arrive at results,

each in its own season, and according to your power.
We prune the leaves of the vine, that its humidity
NOT TO BE OVER-FOND OF ANY THING. 41
and sap may be sufficient for the production of fruit,

and that its natural force may not be weakened by an
excessive growth of leaves. It is good to prune this
multiplication of desires, lest our soul amuse itself
with them, and relax its care to produce results, of
which ordinarily the smallest fulfilment is of more
value than mighty desires of things remote from our
power: God rather desires in us fidelity to those little
things which He does place under our control, than
an ardour for great things which do not depend
on us.
CHAPTER XXII.
NOT TO BE OVER-FOND OF ANY THING, AND TO WISH TO BE

WHAT GOD WILLS US TO BE.
I shall bless God all

my life for the graces which
He has prepared for you. Do you also prepare for
Him, on your side, great acts of resignation, by way
of exchange and courageously settle your heart for
;
the fulfilment of such things as you know He wills

you to do, notwithstanding all sorts of contradictions
which may oppose themselves to it.
Do not look for a moment at what you have to do,
considered in itself, but only at the honour done to
it,trifling as it is, to be willed by His divine will, or
dained by His providence, arranged by His wisdom ;
in a word, since it is pleasing to God, and recognised

as such, to whom should it be displeasing ?
Take care to make yourself daily more pure in
heart ; this purity consists in weighing every thing in
the balance of the sanctuary, which is nothing else
than the will of God.
Be not, I implore you, over-fond of any thing,
not even of the virtues, which one sometimes loses
by the spirit of excess. I know not if you under-
stand me, but I think you do. I fancy it is not the
property of roses to be white, for the red ones are

more beautiful and fragrant but it is the property
;
of lilies. Let us be what we are and let us be so,

:
to do honour to the Master-workman, whose creation

we are.
Let us be what God wills, provided we are at His
service,and let us not be what we will, contrary to
His intention for, were we the noblest creatures
;
under heaven, what would that profit us, if we were

not according to the will of God ?
CHAPTER XXIII.
OF HOW LITTLE ONE QUITS BY GIVING ONESELF TO GOD.
It is beyond measure sweet to me to behold with

what a heavenly operation the Holy Spirit works in
your heart, by inspiring you with a strong and gene
rous resolution of abandoning the world. Oh, how
wisely do you act in obeying this supernatural wis
dom for thus it is said (St. Luke i. 39), that our
!
Blessed Lady went into the hill country with haste into
a city of Juda. This promptitude in doing the will
of God is a great means of attracting mighty graces
for the process and accomplishment of every good
work and you see that, after the rude shock your
;
heart sustained, when by main force it rid itself of

those feelings, humours, and inclinations, to follow
the superior attrait, you are at last full of consolation,
and enjoying repose in the midst of the burning bush
which you have chosen, to sing therein for ever the
glory of your Creator and Saviour. Raise, raise
your thoughts to that eternal consolation which you
will have in heaven, for having done all that you
have done.
HOW LITTLE ONE QUITS, ETC. 43
It is indeed nothing, and I see that you feel it,
altogether nothing in comparison with your

it is
duty, and with the immortal recompense which God

has prepared for you. For what are all these things
\vhich we despise and abandon for God ? Nothing
but little worthless moments of liberty, a thousand
times more slavish than slavery itself perpetual dis
;
quietudes, and vain, inconstant, and insatiable pre

tensions, which agitate our souls with a thousand
useless solicitudes and entreaties, and all for these
miserable days of life, so uncertain, so short, and so
evil.
Nevertheless, so it has pleased God, that he who

quits these empty nothings, these vain amusements,
giving in exchange for them an eternal and glorious
which this single consideration of having re
felicity,
solved to love God with all our heart, and of having
gained a single little additional degree of eternal love,
will plunge us into an abyss of happiness.
In truth, I would not have neglected to tell you
to trample under foot all your feelings, your interests,
your fears, your aversions, if I had not had that con

fidence in the goodness of the heavenly Spouse, that
He would give you strength and courage to take the
side of inspiration and reason against that of nature
and aversion. Behold you, then, all dead to the world,
and the world all dead to you.
That is one part of the holocaust, and there re
main two more yet. The first of these is to flay the
victim, stripping your heart of itself, cutting and tear
ing away all those minute impressions given us by
the world and nature and the second is to burn up
;
and reduce to ashes your self-love, and convert your

soul, all in flames with celestial love.
Now this cannot be done in a day ; and He who
has given you the grace of striking the first blow,
will Himself give you the two others ;

and because
His hand is all fatherly, either He will do this with
out your feeling it, or if He makes you feel it, He
will give you that joyful constancy which He gave
St. Lawrence on the burning coals.
Therefore you ought to be under no apprehen
sion, for He who has given you the will, will also
give you the accomplishment (Phil. i. 6 ;
ii.
13).
Only be faithful over a few things, and He will place
you over many things (St. Matt. xxv. 21).
PART SECOND.
DUTIES TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOUR.
CHAPTER I.
OF THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR.
IT is necessary we should know that love has its seat

in the heart, and that we can never love our neigh
bour too much, or exceed the bounds of reason in
that love, provided that it resides in the heart ; for,
so far as regards the signs of that love, we may easily
fallshort or exceed, going beyond the rules of sound
reason.
The great St. Bernard says, that "the measure
of loving God is to love Him without measure," and
that in our love we should assign no limits, but allow
it to spread its branches as far as it can. What is
here said of the love of God must also be understood
of the love of our neighbour, provided always that
the love of God floats above it, and holds the first
rank.
This being laid down, we ought to love our neigh
bour with all our heart, and like ourselves, as the
commandment of God obliges us to do. Our Lord
has said, Love one another as I have loved you (St. John
xiii. 34) ; which means that, as our Lord has always
preferred us to Himself, and has done so as often as
He has given Himself to us in the most holy Sacra
ment, making Himself our food, so He wills us to
46 DUTIES TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOUR.
have a love like His one towards another, and that

we should even prefer our neighbour to ourselves.
Observe particularly, that as our Saviour has done
for us all that could be done, so He wills, and the
rule of perfection requires, that we do all that we are
able one for another,
except sin. With that excep
tion, our love ought to be so firm, so cordial, and so
solid, that we should never refuse to do or suffer
aught for the good of our neighbour.

Now, rightly to evidence our love for our neigh
bour, it is necessary to procure for him all the good
that we can, both spiritual and
temporal, praying for
him, and cordially serving him as occasion requires;
because a friendship which ends in fine words is no
great thing. To do otherwise is not to love as our
Lord hath loved us, who did not content Himself
with assuring us that He loved us, but
gave us effec
tive proofs of His love.
CHAPTER II.
IN WHAT WAT WE SHOULD LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR.

You ask me in what way we should love our
neighbour? I answer, that there are
friendships
which seem extremely great and perfect in the eyes
of men, which before God are seen to be little and
of no value, because they are not founded in true
charity, which is God, but only on certain natural
affinities and inclinations, and on considerations hu
manly praiseworthy and agreeable.

There are other friendships, on the contrary,
which seem extremely poor and trifling in the eyes
of the world, which before God are seen to be rich
and very excellent, because they are only in God and
for God, without any admixture of our own interest.
Now the acts of charity which we exercise to-
IN WHAT WAY TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. 47
wards those whom we love in this way are a thou
sand times more perfect, inasmuch as every thing in
them tends purely to God but the services and ;
other help which we render to those whom we love

by inclination are of much less merit, by reason of
the great satisfaction and enjoyment which we have
in doing them, and because we generally do them
rather from this motive than from the love of God.
There is yet another reason which makes these
first-mentioned affections of less merit than the latter:
which is, that they are not durable, because the cause
of them being unstable, when any thing occurs to
thwart them, they alter and grow cold, which is not
the case with those that are founded in God, since
the cause of them is solid and permanent.
St. Catherine suggests a beautiful comparison on
this subject : "If "
a glass,
you take," says she,
and fill it at a fountain,
and drink out of this glass
without moving it away from the fountain, the glass
will not be
emptied but if you remove it from the
;
fountain, the glass will be empty when you have

drunk so is it with our affections ;
: when we do not
remove them from their source they never dry up."
Even the outward marks of friendship which we
give, contrary to our inclination, to persons for whom
we have an aversion, are better, and more agreeable
to God, than those which we
give under the influence
of a sensible affection ; and this must not be called
duplicity or hypocrisy for although I feel the con
;
trary sentiment, it is only in the inferior part of

the soul, and the acts I make are made a by prin
ciple of charity.
And so, if those on whom I bestow these out
ward marks of friendship knew that I gave them
with some feeling of aversion, they ought not to be
offended at it, but rather to value and cherish them
they proceeded from

more than if a sensible affec
tion ;
for feelings of dislike are natural, and of them
selves not bad, if we do not act upon them ; on the
a means of practising a thou
contrary, they furnish
sand acts of virtue ; and we are even more pleasing
to our Lord when we kiss His feet with an extreme
repugnance to overcome, than

when we do it without
such feeling. Those,
having to struggle against any
therefore, who have nothing to recommend them
to
the affection of others, are in this more happy ; for

the love which is borne to them
they are assured that
is excellent, because it is all in God.
We often fancy thatwe are loving a person for
God, when it only for ourselves.
is We avail our
selves of this pretext, saying that our regard for him
is for the sake of God, when it is only for the sake
of the consolation which we derive from it. For is
it not much more pleasant to see before you a soul
full of feeling, following your

counsels ex
right
tremely well, and faithfully
and
quietly walking in
the path which you have marked out for it, than to
behold another soul, unquiet, embarrassed, and feeble
in good, which requires the same thing to be told it
over and over again? No doubt it is so. Your
affection, then, is not for God, for the latter soul is as
dear to God as the former, and you ought to love it
more, because there is more in its regard to be done
for the sake ofGod.
In another point of view, it is true, that when
there is more of God, that is to say, more of virtue,
which is a participation of the divine qualities, more
affection is due.
ON THE DEATH OF PERSONS DEAR TO US. 49
CHAPTER III.
ON THE DEATH OF PERSONS DEAR TO US.
constantly in my mind, and

Your affliction is I
feel as if Icould do nothing else but speak to you

to console you still I could say nothing but that
;
the divine Spouse of our souls wills us to look upon

all events that happen to us in the bosom of His
our affections into
heavenly providence, and to cast
eternity, where we shall all be re-united, never again
to be separated.
Your father has at last gone, in such a way that,
if faith in life eternal reigns in our minds, as it
in the midst
ought, we should be greatly consoled
of the affliction which has come upon us. Little by
God severs us from the enjoyments of this
little,
world. We must, then, more ardently aspire to those
of immortality, and keep our hearts raised to hea
ven, where we desire to be, and where already we
have a great number of the souls which we cherish.
Blessed for ever be the name of our Lord, and may
His lovelive and reign in our inmost souls.
But you should console yourself by thinking that
your good father lived all his years in honour and
virtue, in public esteem, in the affection of his family
and of all who knew him.
After all that I feel from the sad event, I con
clude that, God having so willed, it was for the best.
May His will be adored for evermore.
His divine majesty attracts us in this way to the
desire of heaven, withdrawing from us by degrees all
that was most dear to us here below.
For the rest, we should allow afflictions a pas
sage in our hearts, but we must not make it their
abiding- place.
Lastly, this separation is less

painful, since it will
be but short, and we not only hope for, but aspire to,
that happy repose, where that beautiful soul either is
or soon will be safely housed.
Let us, I implore you, acquiesce in this
expecta
tion here below; and instead of
multiplying our sighs
and our tears over him, let us bestow them for him
before our Lord that it may please Him to hasten
;
his reception into the arms of His divine if

mercy,
He has not already bestowed that grace
upon him.
Let us bless God, let us praise Him, let us adore
the order of His decrees, let us
acknowledge the in
stability of this life, and let us peacefully wait for the
next.
CHAPTER IV.
ON THE SAME SUBJECT.
I have
just been told that you are continually
weeping over this painful separation. This indeed
ought not to be for either you are weeping for the
;
departed or for yourself. If for him,

why weep,
since he isin Paradise, where there is no more
any
place for tears ? If for yourself, is there not in this
too much self-love ? And would one not suppose
that you loved yourself more than his happiness,
which is beyond compare ? my God for all that, !
I do not say to
you, Weep not no, for it is most
;
just and reasonable that you should weep a little ;
I say a little, in
testimony of the sincere affection
which you bore him, in imitation of our dear Master,
who wept over His friend Lazarus but not overmuch
; ;
not like those who, placing all their

thoughts on the
moments of this miserable life, do not remember that
we are also going to
eternity, where, if we live well
we shall be re-united to those we love,
in this world,
and who have gone, to quit them no more for ever.
We cannot prevent our poor hearts from feeling

the condition of this life, and the loss of those who
were our beloved associates ; still we must not belie
the solemn professions we have made of joining our
will inseparably to that of our God.
How happy are they, those dear ones whom we
lament, to have seen coming little by little, and from
afar, the hour of their departure for so were they
!
prepared for departing holily.

Let us adore this divine Providence, and let us
say :
Yes, Thou art blessed, for all that pleases Thee
is good. My God how sweetly ought these little
!
accidents to be received by our hearts, by our hearts,

I say, which for the future must have their affections
placed more in heaven than on earth !
You must recover your courage after this shock.

Alas, these accidents (apoplexy) are but natural and ;
our Lord, seeing our end approaching, sweetly pre

pares us for it by His inspirations, that we may not
be taken by it unawares.
I am not surprised that you have been somewhat
startled, and that you have been unable to regain

your spirits so speedily, to offer them to your Lord.
God You must prepare yourself better for the
!
next occasion that presents itself for in proportion

;
as we in this world see the goods we have in it break

ing up before our eyes, we must have recourse the
more ardently to our Lord, and confess that we are
wrong in placing our hopes and expecting our peace
anywhere else than in Him, and in the eternity which
He has destined for us.
Let us abide in peace, and let us wait for His
disposal of us. Let us reckon little of this world,
except so far as it serves us as a sort of plank on
which to pass to a better.
Alas ! we only have life in this world in order to
pass to that of Paradise, towards which we are ad

vancing day by day and we know not when shall be
;
the day of our departure from the former, and of our

arrival in the latter.
CHAPTER V.
My God how deceitful

! is this life, and how short
are its One moment they appear, and
consolations !
another moment hurries them away and were it not ;
for that holy eternity which

the limit of our days,
is
we should have good reason to complain of the con
dition of humanity.
Be well assured that I write to you with my heart
full of sorrow for
my own loss, but still more because
of the vivid idea I have of the blow it will be to your
own heart when you hear the sad news of your wi
dowhood, so speedy, so unexpected, so lamentable.
If the multitude of those who will share your
grief could diminish its bitterness for you, there
would be little indeed of it remaining for there is ;
no one who knew your dear husband who does not

unite a heartfelt sorrow to the acknowledgment of
his goodness.
But all this cannot console you, until time has
softened your grief, and meanwhile God must sustain
your spirit and be your support.
His sovereign mercy will doubtless incline towards
you, and come into your heart to aid and succour it
in this visitation, if only you throw
yourself into His
arms, and resign yourself in His fatherly hands.
It was God who gave
you your husband it is He :
who has withdrawn him and taken him to Himself.

He is bound to be favourable to you in those sor-
rows which the right affections He gave you for

your
marriage will now cause you in this bereavement.
Such is our condition, that we die at an hour
unforeseen, and that we cannot escape from death.
Therefore it is that we must have patience, and em
ploy our reason in softening the evil which we
can
not avoid, in looking to God and His eternity, where
all our losses shall be restored, and our union, se
vered by death, shall be re-established.
Taking into consideration all these things, we
must accommodate our hearts to the state of life in
which we are placed. It is a perishable and mortal
life
; and death, which reigns over this life, does not
observe any certain "rules. It takes its prey some
times here, sometimes there, without any choice or
method ; the good among the bad, the young among
the old.
Oh, how happy are they who, living in a conti
nual sense of the uncertainty of life, are always ready
to die, so that they will be able to live again eternally
in that life where there is no death !
In a few days, or at latest, in a few years, we

shall follow them in that passage, and friendships
and unions begun in this world will be resumed,
never more to encounter a separation. However, let
us have patience, and let us courageously wait for the
hour of our departure to strike, to go where our
friends have already arrived ;
and since we loved
them cordially, let us persevere in loving them, doing
for the love of them what they desired we should do,
and what they now wish for us, and that is, to mo
derate our grief, by reserving our eyes for a better
purpose than tears, and our mind for better occupa
tions than those of sadness.
And since true friendship delights in pleasing the
person beloved, do you, in order to please him, com-
fort your spirit, and raise your courage, and imagine

that he besought you to do so on his departure.
It is on these occasions that we must, with a holy
love, acquiesce in the good pleasure of our
Lord.
But tell me and we, when shall we go to that true
;
Alas here we are almost

country which awaits us ?
!
at the eve of our departure, and we are weeping over

those who have gone thither.
Take the winding-sheet of our Lord, which wrap
ped Him in the sepulchre, and dry therewith your
tears.
Since our Lord loved death, and has given His
death as an object of our love, I cannot take badly
the death of any one, however dear to me, provided
death of our
it take
place in the love of that holy
Saviour.
May God and your good angel inspire you with
all
holy consolation.
CHAPTER VI.
The thoughts of men are vain and useless in

themselves to comfort a heart so afflicted as yours.
God alone is the master and comforter of hearts.
He alone it is who calms the souls of good will, that
is to say, those who hope in Him.
It was truly a good advice which you received
from His inspiration, when you proposed to yourself
to retire for a short space from the crowd of this
world s consolations, to place in perfect quiet the
wound of your heart in the hands of the heavenly
Physician, since even earthly physicians confess that
no healing can be wrought except in quiet and tran
quillity.
The interior words which God speaks to the af-
ON THE DEATH OF PERSONS DEAR TO US. i)O
flicted heartwhich has recourse to His goodness are

sweeter than honey, and more salutary than the most
precious halm.
The heart which unites itself to the heart of God
cannot choose but love, and finally accept lovingly the
arrows darted upon it by His hand.
I shall freely tell you, as a remedy for your sor
row, that whoever wishes to exempt his heart from the
evils of earth must hide it in heaven, and as David
says, must "hide himself in

the secret of God s face,"
must be "hidden in His tabernacle" (Ps. xxx. 21 ;
xxvi. 5). Look steadily at eternity, whither you are

not
going you will find that nothing which does
;
belong to that infinite duration should ever shake our

courage.
You have been serving God, and have been taught
in the school of His cross for so long a time, that not
I am
only you ought to accept it patiently, but, as
sure you will, sweetly and lovingly, in consideration
of Him who bore His own, and was carried on His
own till death and of her who, having only one Son,
;
but a Son of incomparable love, saw Him die on the

cross, with eyes full of tears and a heart full of grief,
but a sweet and loving grief, in favour of our salva
tion and of that of all the world.
Conform yourself to the Divine will in this loss,
if that name should be applied to a short absence,
which, by the help of God, will be repaired by an

eternal presence. Ah, how blessed is that heart
which loves and cherishes the Divine will on every
occasion !
Oh, once we had our heart well fixed on that

if
holy and blessed eternity, Go," we should say to

"
those we love, go into that eternal existence at the

"
hour which the King of eternity has marked out for

you we also shall go after you. And since time is
;
the world is peopled only

given us only for that, and
to people heaven, when we go thither we shall have
done that we had to
all do."
God let us leave our children to the mercy of

!
God, who left His Son to our mercy. Let us offer

Him the life of ours, since He gave the life of His
for us.
We must be firm and constant near the cross, and
even on the cross, if it pleases God to place us there.
Blessed are the crucified, for they shall be glorified.
But our inheritance in this world is in the cross, and
in the other it shall be in glory.
CHAPTER VII.
OF BEARING WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR S IMPERFECTIONS.
To bear with our neighbour s imperfections is one

of the principal points of the love of our Lord for ;
He shewed it to us upon the cross, having a heart so

sweet towards us, and loving us so dearly, us, I say,
and even those who wrought His death, which was
an act of most enormous sin, for that sin was a mon
ster of wickedness and nevertheless, our sweet Sa
;
viour had thoughts of love for them, giving us an

inconceivable instance of the same, when even for
those crucified Him, and heaped barbarous in
who
juries upon Him, He made excuse, and sought de
vices to make His Father pardon them in the very act
of their sin.
Oh, miserable men that we are for scarcely can
!
we forget an injury done to us till a long time after

we have received it. Nevertheless, he who shall pre
vent his neighbour in benedictions full of sweetness
will be the most perfect imitator of our Lord.
OF CORDIALITY. 57
CHAPTER VIII.
OF CORDIALITY.
Cordiality is nothing else than the essence of true

and sincere friendship, which cannot be but between
reasonable persons, conducting themselves by reason.
There must also be a certain equality either in voca
tion, orrank, or aims and this is why we do not call
;
by the name of friendship the affection borne by

fathers to their children, because this equality does
not exist in it the love of fathers being a majestic
;
love, and that of children a love of respect and sub

mission.
But between brothers, by reason of their like con
dition, the equality of their love constitutes a firm,
strong, and solid friendship. For this reason, the
first Christians all called each other brethren, a usage
which now remains in monasteries only, the inmates
of which are ordered all to call each other brethren
and sisters., as a mark of their true and sincere friend
ship.
This friendship is called cordial, because it has its
foundation in the heart. Now this cordial friend
ship ought to be accompanied by two virtues, one of
which is called affability, and the other good conver
sation. Affability is a virtue which diffuses a certain
sweetness over the serious affairs and communications
we may have to transact with each other. Good
conversation is a virtue which makes us gracious and
agreeable in the recreations and less serious com
munications which we have with our neighbour.
This friendship ought to be shewn without using
any ill-advised familiarity. We must laugh with those
who laugh, and weep with those who weep, and we
ought to shew our friends that we are pleased with

them, provided that holiness always accompanies
whatever evidence we give of our affection, and that
God is not only not offended with it, but that lie is
honoured and glorified.
The question here occurs, whether we
may shew
most affection towards the person whom we esteem
most virtuous.
I reply, that
although we may love the most vir
tuous with most love of
complacency, we ought not
to love them with most love of benevolence, or
give
them most marks of friendship; and this for two
reasons.
The first, because our Lord did not do it; He
seems even to have shewn more affection to the im
perfect than to the perfect, since He said that He
came not for the just, but for sinners. It is to those
who have the most need of us that we ought more
particularly to shew our affection; for thereby we
shew that we love out of charity, better than
by loving
those who give us more consolation than
pain and
;
in this we must conduct ourselves as the

spiritual
advantage of our neighbour requires. But apart from
this, we should endeavour to love them all
equally,
since our Lord did not
say, Love these, or those ; but
indifferently, Love each other, as I have loved you,
without excluding any, how imperfect soever he be.
The second reason is, that we cannot
judge who
are the most perfect, or who have most virtue for
;
appearances are deceitful, and very often those who

seem to us to be the most virtuous are not so before
God. It may happen that a person whom we see
fail
very often, and commit a great number of imper
fections, is more virtuous and more agreeable to God,
either by the greatness of he in the
courage preserves
midst of his imperfections, not
allowing himself to be
OF AVERSIONS. 59
troubled by seeing himself so subject to fall, or by

the humility he derives from it, than another who
has in truth a greater number of natural or acquired
virtues, but who has gone through less exercise and
labour, and has consequently less courage and humi
lity than he whom we see so subject to fail.
was chosen to be the chief of the Apos

St. Peter
tles, although he was subject to many imperfections ;
but because, notwithstanding these imperfections, he

had a great courage, our Lord chose him in prefer
ence to all the rest.
But true that we have an inclination to
if it is
love one more than another, we must not amuse our
selves with thinking about it, still less speak about
itto him ; for we ought not to love our neighbour by
inclination, but either because he is virtuous, or from
the hope we entertain that he will become so, and
principally because such is the will of God.
CHAPTER IX.
OF AVERSIONS.
Aversions are certain antipathies, sometimes na

tural, which make us feel a little dislike from the
very first to those who are the objects of them, which
prevents our liking their conversation, as the con
trary feeling makes us fond of the conversation of
those to whom we naturally incline.
To shew that it is natural to have an inclination
towards some and not towards others, we have only
to look at two men coming into a room where two
others are at play the two who come in will wish
:
one of them to win rather than the other. And

whence comes this, since they never saw or knew
them before, but from the fact that they are thus
?
naturally disposed
We see also the same law in brutes, who, not hav

ing reason, nevertheless have naturally aversions and
inclinations. You may try this experiment with a
newly-born lambkin. Shew it the skin of a wolf,
although dead, it will take to flight, it will moan, it
will hide itself under the side of its mother ;
but
shew it a horse, although a much larger animal than
a wolf, and it will exhibit no alarm, but will sport
with it. The reason of this is that nature makes it
friendly to the one and hostile to the other.
Of these natural aversions we must not make
much account, any more than of natural inclinations,
provided we submit the whole to reason.
What is the remedy for these aversions, since no
one can be exempt from them however perfect he be?
Those who are naturally rough will have an aversion
to very sweet-tempered persons, and will esteem such
sweetness an excessive softness, although that quality
of sweetness is the most universally loved.
The only .remedy to this evil, as to every other
sort of temptation, is simply to turn aside from it,
not to think about it at all but the misfortune is
:
that we are always anxious to know far too well

whether we have reason or not for these aversions.
Oh, we ought never to amuse ourselves with this
search for our self-love, which never sleeps, will
;
gild the pill so well, that it will make us think our

antipathies are good and then, being approved by
;
our own judgment and by

self-love, there will no
longer be any means of hindering us from thinking
them just and reasonable.
Assuredly we should be well on our guard against
this for we never have reason to entertain aversions,
:
much less to be willing to feed them. I say, then,

that when the question is of simply natural aver
sions, we ought to make no account of them, but to
OF THE MERIT OF OBEDIENCE. 61
turn aside from them without seeming to take

any notice, and so to wile away our spirit but we ;
must contend with and conquer them when we see

the aversion is going in advance of mere natural dis
like, and leading us away from the submission due
to reason, which never allows us to do any thing in
favour of our aversions, any more than of our in
clinations, when they are bad, from fear of offend
ing God.
But if we do nothing more in favour of our aver
sions than to speak a little less agreeably than we
should do to a person for whom we entertain great
feelings of affection, that is no great thing,
for it is
hardly in our power to do otherwise. When we are

under the influence of that feeling, it would be wrong
to exact that from us.
CHAPTER X.
OF THE MERIT OF OBEDIENCE.
To animate us to obedience when we are tempted

against it, we should consider its excellence, its
beauty, its merit, and even its utility. This obser
vation applies to souls who are not yet well settled
in the love of obedience ; for when there is merely
question of a simple aversion or disgust, we must
make an act of love and apply ourselves to the work.
Our Lord, even in His passion, felt a sorrow even
unto death, as He himself says but in the sharp
;
point of his spirit He was resigned to the will of His

Father all the rest was a movement of nature.
;
I do not call it a want of perseverance when we

make some little interruptions, provided we do not
quit our work altogether so it is not a want of obe
:
dience to fail in some one or other of its conditions,

seeing that we are only obliged to the substance, and
not to the conditions of the virtues. For even though
we obeyed with repugnance, and were forced by
as it
the obligation of our condition, our obedience would
not on that account fail in
being good in virtue of
our first resolutions but it is of a value and a merit
;
much greater when it is done with the conditions

we have alluded to for any thing, however little,
;
done with such obedience is of very great value.

Obedience is a virtue so excellent, that our Lord
willed to conduct Himself
through the whole course
of His life by obedience, as He so often said that He
had not come to do His own will, but the will of His
Father and the Apostle tells us that He made Him
;
self obedient unto death and the death of the

cross,
having willed to join to the infinite merit of His per
fect charity the infinite merit of a
perfect obedience.
Charity yields to obedience, because obedience de
pends on justice thus it is better to pay what one
;
owes than to give alms; which means that it is

better to perform an act of obedience than an act of
charity by our own proper motive.
I add that obedience is not of less merit than
To give a cup of water from
charity. charity will
win heaven. Do as much from obedience, and
you
will also win heaven. The least thing done
by obe
dience is
very agreeable to God. If you eat by obe
dience, your eating is more agreeable to God than
the fasts of anchorites done without obedience. If
you rest by obedience, your rest is more agreeable to
God than labour done without obedience.
Finally,
he who obeys as he ought will
enjoy a continual
and the most holy peace of the Lord,
tranquillity,
which surpasseth all
understanding; and I may well
assume, on the part of God, that he shall have Pa
radise for life
everlasting.
OF OBEDIENCE TO SUPERIORS. 63
CHAPTER XL
OF OBEDIENCE TO SUPERIORS.
Obedience consists in two points. The first is to

obey superiors, and the second to obey equals and
inferiors but the second belongs rather to humi
;
lity, sweetness, and charity than to justice for he ;
who is humble thinks that all others surpass him

and are far better than him, and makes them his
superiors, and thinks it his duty to obey them.

As to the obedience which relates to the supe
riors whom God has placed over us to govern us, it
is of
justice and necessity, and ought to be rendered
with an entire submission of our
understanding and
our will and this obedience of the
;
understanding is
practised when we accept and approve of the com
mandment, and value and think well of the thing
commanded.
Our natural inclination leads us to the desire of
command, and gives us an aversion to obedience ;
nevertheless it is certain that we have a much
greater
capacity for obeying than commanding.
The most ordinary obedience has three condi
tions. The first is to accept the thing commanded,
and to bend our will sweetly thereto, be
loving to
commanded : for it isnot the way to make us
truly
obedient not to love any one who commands us, just
as it is not the
way to have companionship to remain
by ourselves. Cassian relates that being alone in the
desert, he sometimes gave way to anger, and
taking
up his pen to write, if it would not mark, he threw
it aside in a
rage so that he observes, that it is of no
;
use being alone, since we our with us.

carry anger
The second condition is
promptitude, to which
is
opposed laziness or spiritual sadness for it rarely ;
happens that a sad soul does any thing promptly or

diligently.
The third is perseverance ;
for it is not enough
to fulfil the commandment if one does not perse
vere in fulfilling it ; and it is this perseverance which
wins the crown. It is an act of great humility to do
all one s life by obedience the same exercise, although
lowly for one may perchance be troubled to think

;
oneself capable of something greater.

This third condition is the most difficult, by rea
son of the levity and inconstancy of the human mind;
for we love one thing now, and to-morrow we will
not look at it to-day we would choose one situation,
;
and a little while after we seek for another, so great

is this inconstancy of the mind but we must stay ;
ourselves with the strength of our first resolutions,

so as to live evenly in the midst of the inequalities
of our feelings.
CHAPTER XII.
OF MURMURS AGAINST SUPERIORS.
Take great care not to be discouraged by listening

to any little murmur
or any sort of reprehension that
may be brought against you no, for I assure you ;
that the task of blaming is a very easy one, and that

of doing better a difficult one. There needs scarcely
any capacity to find faults and something to speak
against in those who
govern, or in their government ;
and when they take us to task, or would point out to
us imperfections in our conduct, we must sweetly bear
lay it before God, and take
it all, and then counsel
with our advisers, and after that do what is thought
reasonable, with a holy confidence that Providence
will make it all to conduce to His glory.
OF MURMURS AGAINST SUPERIORS. 65
Donot be hasty in promising, but ask for time

to determine things that are of consequence. This
is the proper means of ensuring safety in our affairs,
and of nourishiug humility, bt. Bernard, writing to
a Bishop of Geneva, says to him :
"
Do all things by
the advice of a few people who are peaceable, wise,
and good."
Follow this advice so sweetly, that your inferiors
may not take occasion to lose the respect which is
due to your office, nor to think that you have need
of them to ruleon the contrary, make them know,
;
without telling them so, that you do so in order to

follow the rule of modesty and humility, and what is
enjoined by the statutes. For, as you will perceive,
we ought, as far as possible, to contrive that the re
spect of our inferiors towards us may not diminish
their love, and that their love may not diminish their
respect.
Do not trouble yourself about being a little too
rudely controlled by the worthy extern you mention;
but pass it by in peace, or do according to her advice
in things where there is no danger in pleasing her ;
or do otherwise when the greater glory of God shall
require it, and then, as adroitly as you can, you ought
to gain her over to approve of it.
If you have any subject who does not fear you
with sufficient respect, let her understand it by the
means of some one you judge most fit to convey ihe
hint, not as from you, but as from that person ; and
in order that, in every point of view, your sweetness
may be distinct from timidity, and may not be treated
as such, when you see any one make profession of not
observing that respect, it will be necessary sweetly,

and by yourselves, to remonstrate on the ground
that your office ought to he honoured, and that all
the religious ought to co-operate in maintaining the
F
dignity of that office which binds them

all together
in one body and one spirit. For the rest, hold your
self wholly in God, and be humbly courageous in His
service.
CHAPTER XIII.
OF OBEDIENCE TO SUPERIORS IN WHAT REGARDS THE

INTERIOR LIFE.
There are souls who will not, as they say, be led,

except by the spirit of God ; and they fancy that all
the things they imagine are so many inspirations and
movements of the Holy Ghost, who takes them by
the hand, and conducts them like children in all that
they would do. In this they greatly deceive them
selves. For, I pray you, is there any vocation more
marvellous than that of St. Paul, in which our Lord
Himself spoke to him, in order to convert him ? and
nevertheless He would not instruct him, but sent him
to Ananias, to learn whatever he had to do. And
Paul might have said, Lord, where
"
although St.
fore not Thyself?"
he did not say so, but went in
all simplicity to do what was commanded him.
After this, shall we think ourselves more favoured
of God than St. Paul, and believe that He wills to
conduct us Himself without the instrumentality of
any creature? The conduct of God for us means
nothing else than obedience ; for beyond this there
is nothing but deceit.
There is one thing very certain, that all are not
conducted by the same road ; but it is also true that
it is not ours to know by what road God calls us ;
that belongs to superiors, who have the light of God
to do it.
We must not say that they do not know us well ;
for we ought to believe that obedience and submis-
OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN AUSTERITY. 67
sion are the true marks of a good inspiration. And

although may happen that we have no consolation
it
in the exercises they make us go through, and that

we have much in others, it is not by consolation that
we ought to judge of the goodness of our actions :
to regard, on these occasions, our own satisfaction,

would be to regard the flowersand not the fruit.
You willdraw more advantage from what you do
in following the direction of your superior, than from
what you do by following the dictates of your own
instincts, for they ordinarily only come from self-
love, which, under the show of good, seeks for com
placency in a vain self-esteem.
CHAPTER XIV.
OBEDIENCE ISBETTER THAN AUSTERITY, AND THE MORTIFICA
TION OF THE HEART THAN THAT OF THE BODY.
perceived the suggestions which

I the enemy of
your progress makes upon your heart, and I also
perceive the grace which the most holy Spirit of God
gives you to maintain you strong and firm in pur
suing the path wherein He has placed you.
The evil one cares not about our mortifying the
body, provided we do always what he wishes he :
fears not austerity, but obedience. What greater

austerity can there be than holding one s will con
tinually subject and obedient? You are fond of these
voluntary penances if, after all, the works of
; self-
love can be called by the name of penances.
When you gave yourself to God, after many
prayers and much
consideration, it was found good
that you should enter into obedience and the denial of
your own will, rather than be left to your own judg
ment and to yourself: do not, then, let yourself be
overcome, but remain where our Lord has placed you.
It is true, that you there have great mortifications

of heart, perceiving yourself so imperfect in that path,
and so worthy of frequent correction and reproof;
but is not this the very thing you ought to seek,
mortification of the heart, and the continual sense of
your own abjectness?
But, say you, you cannot do such and such a
penance you wish. Tell me, I reply, what better
penance could an erring heart have, than to endure
a continual cross and denial of its self-love? But I
say too much :God Himself will hold you with that
same hand of His mercy with which He placed you
in this vocation and the enemy will have no victory
;
over you, who, like the first daughter of this country,

must be well proved by temptation, and well crowned
by perseverance.
CHAPTER XV.
OF IMPERFECTIONS WE SEE IN OUR SUPERIORS.
You ask to know what ought to be done, if one

saw imperfections in superiors ;
for one never sup
poses the existence, you say, of imperfect superiors.

Alas, if we supposed the existence of perfect
superiors only, we should have to pray God to send
us saints or angels for as for men, we should find
;
none such among them. We do indeed seek such as

shall not give a bad example but we do not expect
;
them to be without imperfections, provided they have

those conditions of mind which are necessary and ;
the more so, because there are many to be found

more perfect, who, for all that, would not be capable
of being superiors.
Tell me, did not our Lord Himself shew to us
that we need not expect this, by the choice He made
of St. Peter to be superior over the Apostles? Every
OF IMPERFECTIONS IN OUR SUPERIORS. 69
one knows the fault which he committed

denyingin
our most dear Lord but, besides this, after having
;
been confirmed in grace by receiving the Holy Ghost,

did he not commit yet another fault which was judged
of such importance, that St. Paul, writing to the
Galatians, declares that he resisted him to the face,
because he was to be blamed ?
Not only St. Peter, but St. Paul and St. Barnabas
too, who had a dispute because St. Barnabas wished
to take with them John Mark, who was his cousin,
and St.Paul did not judge him fit for that purpose ;
and St. Barnabas not wishing to yield to St. Paul,
they separated, and went to preach, St. Paul in one

country and St. Barnabas in another, with his cousin
John Mark. Also it is true, that our Lord drew good
out of their dispute for instead of preaching in one
;
place only, they thus threw the seed of the Gospel

in divers places.
Do not, then, let us suppose, that so long as we
are in this life we can live without committing im
perfections for that cannot be, whether we are
;
superiors or inferiors, since we are all men, and con

sequently all imperfect, and subject to every kind of
imperfections.
Our Lord has commanded us to say every day
these words Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
:
those who have trespassed against us and there is

;
no exception to this commandment, because we have

all need to do so. It is therefore no sound reasoning
to say : Such a person is a superior therefore he is
;
never angry, or subject to other imperfections.

You are surprised that, having had occasion to
speak to the superioress, she spoke to you less sweetly
than usual, because perhaps at the moment she had
her head full of anxiety and business your self-love
;
is all at once in alarm, instead of

thinking that God
permitted this little dryness on the part of

the supe
rioress to mortify your self-love, which wanted her to
caress you a little, and receive graciously what you
wanted to say. But, in fine, it does annoy us to find
mortification where we did not look for it. Alas,
you should for that reason go and pray God for the
superioress, and bless her for this beloved
contradic
tion.
CHAPTER XVI.
SUPERIORS OUGHT CHEERFULLY TO BEAR WITH OTHERS,
PERCEIVING THEIR IMPERFECTIONS.
When a sister comes in all simplicity to the

superioress to accuse herself of some judgment or
thought which indicates imperfection in the latter,
for instance, that she has made a correction with
some warmth, I say that the superioress should
humiliate herself, and have recourse to the love of
lowliness. But if the sister is somewhat distressed in
making this confession, do not let her make a great
deal out of nothing, but turn aside the conversation,
still taking care to hide humility in the heart. For
we must be very careful that our self-love does not
cause us to lose an opportunity of seeing that we are
imperfect, and of humiliating ourselves and although
;
you may retrench the exterior act of humility, for

fear of distressing the poor sister, who is already
distressed enough, it must not be omitted interiorly.
But if, on the other hand, the sister shews no
distress in accusing herself, I think it well that the
superioress should freely declare that she was in the

wrong, if such was really the case. You see that
this little virtue of the love of humiliation ought
never to be removed from our heart, because we have
need of it every moment, since, however advanced we
may be in perfection, our passions sometimes spring
SUPERIORS OUGHT TO BEAR WITH OTHERS. 71
up afresh. Such an instance is related of a religious

under St. Pachomius, who, when in the world, had
been an actor by profession and having been con
;
verted and become a religious, he passed many years

in most exemplary mortification, without ever doing
any thing to remind any one of his former mode of
life.
Twenty years after he thought himself very
fairly at liberty to get up some little buifoonery to
amuse the brethren. But the poor man was mis
taken his passion for acting so revived, that from
;
amusement he went on to dissipation, so that it was

decided to drive him away from the monastery. This
would have been done, had not one of the brethren
answered for him, promising that he would amend,
which really happened, and he became afterwards a
great saint.
Observe, therefore, that we should never forget
what we have been, for fear we become worse or ;
suppose that we are perfect when we do not commit

many imperfections. Some faults we shall always
commit, but we ought to endeavour that they be very
rare, and, as it were, but two in the course of fifty
years, as there were but two in the Apostles after
they received the Holy Ghost. And if there were
three or four, or even seven or eight, in so long a
series of years, we ought not to lose
courage, but to
take breath and to strengthen ourselves to do better.
The sisters, then, ought not to be astonished if
the superioresses have their imperfections nor, on
;
the other hand, the superioresses if their faults are

observed; but they ought to observe the humility
and sweetness with which St. Peter received the ad
monition given him by St. Paul, although he was St.
Paul s superior. One hardly knows which is great
est, the courage of St. Paul in reproving St. Peter,
or the humility with which St. Peter submitted to
the reproof, even in a matter where he considered he

was doing right and had a good intention.
CHAPTER XVII.
OF THE RESPECT DUE TO CONFESSORS.
would have you give great honour to confes

I
sors for besides our obligation to honour the priest
;
hood in them, we ought to look upon them as angels

whom God sends to reconcile us with His divine
mercy and not only so, but we should regard them
;
as his vicegerents on earth and consequently, if it

;
should happen that they shew themselves men, com

mitting some imperfections, such, for instance, as
asking any question not pertaining to confession,
as, what is your name, whether you do penances,
whether you practise virtues, and what they are,
whether you have any temptations, and such-like I ;
would have you reply, although you are not obliged

to do so for you ought not to say that this is not
;
permitted you. oh, no for you may say in confession

;
!
whatever you please, provided you only speak of what

concerns yourself.
But if you are afraid of saying any thing relating
to yourself, such as your temptations, you may reply :
I have them, but, by the grace of God, I do not

"
think I have offended His goodness in them." But

never say that you are forbidden to confess this or
that ; say in good faith all that gives you pain, if
you
choose to do so ; but I repeat, be very careful not to
speak of others.
In the second place, we have reciprocal obligations
to our confessors, of keeping secret what they have
said to us in confession, unless it be any thing to our
edification but beyond this we ought to say nothing.
;
If they happen to give you any counsels contrary to

OF THE RESPECT DUE TO CONFESSORS. 73
your rules and your manner of living, listen to them

with humility and reverence, and then do what your
rules allow you, and nothing else. Confessors do not
always intend to oblige you to do what they say
under pain of sin you must receive their counsels
:
simply in the way of direction. Nevertheless, put a

high value on whatever is said to you in confession ;
for you cannot conceive the great profit derived from,

the sacrament by souls who approach it with the
required humility.
If they wish to assign for a penance any thing
contrary to the rule, beg of them with all gentleness

to change it, because, as it is against the rule, you
would be afraid of scandalising your sisters. For the
rest, you must never murmur against your confessors,
if, by their fault, any thing happens to annoy you in
confession. You can then say, with all simplicity, to
the superioress, that you wish to confess to some one
else, if she pleases, without saying any thing more ;
and by doing so, you will not discover the imperfec
tions of the confessors, and you will have the advan
tage of confessing to your mind but this ought not
:
to be done nor for trilling grounds. You

lightly,
must avoid extremes and as it would be wrong to
;
put up with great defects in confessors, so you ought

not to be so nice as to be unable to endure slight
ones.
In the third place, I would have you take great
care to particularise sins in confession I mean to ;
say, that those who have observed nothing worthy of

absolution, should mention some particular sin. You
must also take great care to be truthful, simple, and
charitable in confession ; accuse your
that is to say,
self very clearly of your faults without dissimulation

or artifice, observing that it is God to whom you
speak, from whom nothing can be concealed, and in
nowise mixing up your neighbours in your confes

sion :for example, having to confess that you mur
mured in your own mind, or perhaps with others, at
the superioress having spoken a little too drily to
you, do not go and say that you murmured at the
too harsh reproof she administered to you, but sim
ply that you murmured against the superioress. Men
tion only the evil you have done, and not the cause
and what led you to it; and never, either directly
or indirectly, reveal the sins of others, in confessing
your own ; and never give the confessor reason to
suspect who has contributed to your sin ; also intro
duce no useless accusation in your confession.
If you have had thoughts of imperfection regard
ing your neighbour, thoughts of vanity, or perhaps

even worse if you have had distractions in prayer
; ;
ifyou have deliberately consented to them, say so in

good faith, and do not content yourself with saying
that you have not taken pains enough to be recol
lected in prayer if you have only been negligent in
;
putting aside these distractions, say so in like man

ner ; for general accusations are of no use in con
fession.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OF THE RESPECT DUE TO PREACHERS.
Iwould have you moreover give great honour to

those who announce to us the word of God we cer :
tainly are under a great obligation to do so for they ;
are heavenly messengers, who come on God s part to

teach us the way of salvation. We ought to regard
them as such, and not as mere men ;
for although
they speak not with the eloquence of heavenly men,
we must not on that account abate aftight of that
humility and reverence with which we are bound to
accept the word of God, which is
always the same,
OF OBEDIENCE TO EQUALS AND INFERIORS. 75
as pure and as holy, as if it were spoken and delivered

by angels.
1 observe that if I write to a friend on bad paper,
and consequently with bad handwriting, I am thanked
as affectionately for my letter as if I wrote on better
paper, and with the finest characters in the world.
And why is this, but because my friend does not care
about the paper or the handwriting being bad, but

only cares about the writer.
We ought to act in the same way with regard to
the word of God. We must not consider who it is
that is preaching to us it ought to be enough for
:
us that God makes use of this preacher to proclaim

His word to us. And since we see that God honours
him so much as to speak by his mouth, how can we
fail in respecting and honouring him !
CHAPTER XIX.
OF OBEDIENCE TO EQUALS AND INFERIORS.
The second point of obedience is rather humility

than obedience for this sort of obedience is a cer
;
tain pliability of the will to follow the will of another ;
and is a virtue of great loveliness, which makes our

spirit turn in any direction, and disposes
us always
to do the will of God. For example, if, in going
somewhere, I meet a sister, and she tells me to go
elsewhere, the will of God is that I should do what
she wishes, rather than what I wish. But if I oppose
my will to hers, the will of God is that she should
yield to me ;
and so of all things when they are in
different.
But if it happens that both parties wish to yield,
they ought not to waste time over that dispute, but
consider which course would be the most reasonable
and the best, and do it with simplicity it is discre- :
tion that ought to be the guide on these occasions ;
for one ought to abandon a matter which is of neces

sity for one that is indifferent.
If wished to do some act of great mortification,
I
and another sister came and told me I should not do

it, or do something else, I would defer to another
time, if possible, my first purpose, to do what she

wished, and then I would finish what I hid begun.
But if I could not lay it aside or delay it, and if what
she wished me to do was not necessary, I would do
what I had first proposed and then, if possible, I
;
would secure the opportunity of doing what the sister

wished.
But if it happens that a sister asks us to do any
thing, and that from surprise we shew some dislike
to it, the sister ought not to take offence at it, or
appear to perceive it, or beg the other not to shew

such a feeling; because it is not in our power to hin
der our colour, or eyes, and our countenance from
witnessing to the conflict within, although our reason
is well
disposed to do what is required of us for ;
these messengers which come unbidden, and

are
which, although told to depart, generally disregard
the command.
Why, then, should this sister wish me not to do
what she asked, merely because she has observed that
I have
repugnance to it ? She ought to be glad that
I do so for the
good of my soul. You will tell me
that it is because she fears she has annoyed you.
Not so it is her self-love, which would not have me
;
entertain so much as a passing thought that she is

troublesome. I should have the thought all the same,
even if I did not persist in it. If, however, to the ex
pression of my repugnance I add words which openly

signify that I had rather not do what she asks, she
ought sweetly to allow me to say that I would cer-
OF OBEDIENCE TO EQUALS AND INFERIORS. 77
tainly not do it, were we equal ; for those who are

in authority are bound to be firm, and to oblige their
inferiors to obey.
Now, although a sister gives me a flat refusal, or
exhibits a degree of unwillingness, I ought not to lose
confidence in employing her another time, nor even
be disedified by her imperfection for if at present
;
I bear with her, she will bear with me another time :
at this moment she has an aversion for doing what

she is desired, but to-morrow she will do it willingly.
If, however, I was aware by experience that hers
was a spirit not yet capable of this mode of acting,
I would wait till she was better disposed. We ought
all to be capable of bearing with one another s de
fects, and by no means to be surprised at meeting

with them for if we pass some time without faults,
:
we shall afterwards for a time do nothing but fail

and fall into many grave imperfections, by which we
must profit in the humiliation which we derive from
them. We must endure with patience the delay of
our perfection, doing always with a good heart what
ever we can for our advancement.
But the means of acquiring this spirit of yielding
to the wills of others is
frequently to make acts of
indifference in our meditations, and afterwards to put
them in practice as occasion for them shall offer;
is not
for it
enough to divest oneself of one s will
before God, inasmuch as this, being done by the
imagination only, is no great matter but when it is
;
required to do this in practice, then it is that we are

called upon to shew our courage. This sweetness
and condescension to the will of our neighbour is a
virtue of great price, because it is true union with
our neighbour.
CHAPTER XX.
OP THE AUTHORITY OF THE POPE AND OF KINGS.
I am
very ready to answer your question; but
allow me
to speak as St.
Gregory did to a virtuous
lady in the court of the empress. She had entreated
him to obtain of God the knowledge of what was to
become of her, and he answered : As to what you
"
ask of me, and say that you will not cease your im
portunity till I have granted it, your petition is for a
thing alike difficult and useless."
I say the same to
you in regard to your question,
What authority the Pope has over kingdoms and
principalities? You require of me an answer alike
difficult and useless : difficult, not in itself, for it is
very easy to minds who seek it by the road of charity ;

but difficult, because in this age, which abounds in
hot, sharp, and contentious spirits, it is not easy to
say any thing which will not offend those who, set
ting up to be the headstrong defenders whether of
the Pope or of the princes, will never allow any one
to stop short of extremes, not
considering that one
cannot consult for the interests of a father worse
than to take away from him the love of his children,
or for those of the children worse than by taking
away from them the respect which they owe to their
father.
But I call it useless, because the Pope asks no
thing in this point of view from kings and princes :
he loves them all tenderly; he wishes for the firmness

and stability of their crowns ; he lives sweetly and
cordially with them. He does hardly any thing in
their states, even in what regards matters purely
ecclesiastical, except with their agreement and good
will.
OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE POPE, ETC. 79
What need, then, is there to be so anxious just

now to examine into this authority over things tem
poral,and by that means to open a gate to dissension

and discord? What object is there in figuring to
ourselves pretences, or entering into disputes against
him whom we ought filially to cherish, to honour and
respect as our true father and spiritual pastor ?
I tell you sincerely, I have extreme sorrow at my
heart in knowing that this dispute is a plaything, and
a subject of gossip among so many people, who, little
qualified for its solution, instead of clearing it up,
trouble it, and instead of deciding it, tear it to pieces ;
and what worse, in troubling it, trouble the quiet

is
of many souls, and tearing it to pieces, tear in pieces
the most holy unanimity of Catholics, by turning
them away, so far, from thinking of the conversion
of heretics. Now, I have said all this to you in order
to draw the conclusion that, so far as regards you,
you ought not by any means to allow your mind to

run after these vain discourses, but to leave all this
curiosity, which does not suit you, to spirits which
feed on wind. By natural inclination, by the cha
racter of my education, by the light drawn from
my ordinary reflections, and, as I think, by celestial
inspiration, I hate all those contentions and disputes
which arise amongst Catholics, the end of which is
useless; and still more those, the effects of which
can only be dissensions and differences; but above all
in this time, full of minds disposed to controversies,
to revilings, to censures,and to the ruin of charity.
The Church our mother, who keeps us under her
wings, has amply sufficient trouble to shelter us from
the kite, without our pecking at each other and we ;
have enemies enough without, to make it a duty for

us not to raise disturbances within the
body of the
Church.
Abide there be a humble spiritual daughter of

;
the Church and of the Pope be a humble subject

;
and servant of the king; pray for the one and for the
other and believe firmly that in so doing you will
;
have God for your Father and your King.
CHAPTER XXI.
HOW WE OUGHT TO RECEIVE AND GIVE CORRECTION.
You wish to know what we ought to do in order

to receive correction rightly, so that no feeling of it
or sadness of heart remain.
may
To prevent feeling, to hinder the blood rushing
to our brow, that is impossible. Happy shall we
be if we manage to have this perfection a quarter
of an hour before we die : but to retain sadness of
heart, so that after the feeling is over you could
not speak with as much confidence, sweetness, and
tranquillity as before ; oh, that is what you must
not do and to get rid altogether of this feeling,
:
which you say you have removed to a consider

able distance, but which is concealed in some little
corner of your heart, or at least a part of it, which
causes your sadness, it is necessary to submit your
judgment, and not allow it to persuade you that the
correction was made unseasonably, or through pas
sion, or in any other similar manner.
But in order to this, you will ask, What is to be
done?
You must draw near to our Lord, and speak to
Him of something until your spirit is restored
else,
and tranquillised.For whilst the trouble lasts, you
ought not to say or do any thing, but remain firm
and resolute not to consent to your distress, whatever
reason there may be for it for you will never want
;
reasons at such a time they will come in crowds ;

;
HOW \VE OUGHT TO RECEIVE CORRECTION. 81
but you must not listen to one of
them, however
good it may seem to you but keep yourself nigh
;
unto God, speaking to Him of

something else, as I
said, and diverting your mind from the
subject of
your sorrow after you have humiliated and submitted
yourself before His majesty.
But observe this remark, which I take
pleasure
in repeating because of its
utility humiliate your
:
self with a sweet and

peaceful humility, and not" with
a sad and troubled
humility ; for it is our misfortune
that we bring before God acts of
humility full of
vexation and sorrow; and so
doing, we do not as
suage our spirits, and we render those acts fruitless.
If, on the contrary, we
perform these acts before the
Divine goodness with a sweet
confidence, we should
come out full of peace and and would
serenity, very
easily reject all the reasons,
very often and generally
speaking unreasonable, which our own judgment and
our self-love suggest to us, and we would
go and
speak to those who corrected us with as much ease
as before.
You tormentyourself very much, you say, to
speak to them; but
if
they do not speak as you wish,
that doubles the All this comes from
temptation.
the same source we mentioned. What consequence
is whether they speak to
it
you in one way or an
other, provided that you do
your duty ?
Taking every thing into consideration, there is
no one who has not an aversion for correction.
St.
Pacomius and St. Francis, saints as
they were, being
each of them reproved
by some one of their brethren
shewed some emotion at it; and the former
went
immediately to throw himself on his knees before
God, asking of Him pardon for his fault,
complain
ing that after so long an abode in the desert, he was
so little mortified ; and he made a
so humble
prayer
and so fervent, that he obtained the grace of never

more being subject to impatience; and the latter
immediately threw himself on his knees before his
brother, and supplicated his pardon.
Now, how could one suppose, I pray you, that
such as we should not feel some pain when we are
reproved ? We must, therefore, follow the example
of those saints who immediately conquered them
selves, the one having recourse to prayer, and the
other humbly asking pardon of his brother, neither
doing any thing in compliance with their distress,
but correcting themselves, and deriving great profit
from their fault.
You me that you receive this correc
will tell
tion with a good heart, that you approve of it, and
think it just and reasonable; but that this gives
you some confusion in the presence of the supe
rioress, because you have annoyed her, or have given
her occasion of annoyance that this takes from
;
you your confidence in approaching her, although

you are glad of the humiliation you derive from
your fault.
All this is
merely obedience to the law of self-
love. You do not perhaps know that there is in us
a certain monastery over which self-love presides ;
and this distress is the penance imposed upon you
by self-love for the fault you committed in annoying
the superioress ; because perhaps she will not value
you so much as she would have done if you had not
erred.
Enough for those who receive correction ; let us
say a word for those who give it. Besides their
being bound to have a great discretion in taking the
right time and moment to give it, they ought never
to be astonished or offended at seeing those to whom
they give it pained at it; because it must always
OF COMPLAINTS OF CORRECTION. 83
be a painful thing for persons to see themselves cor

rected.
CHAPTER XXII.
OP COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT OF COKBECTION.
You ask me if the sisters are permitted to tell

each other that they have been mortified by the supe
rioress.
I answer, that this may be done in three ways.
The first is, to shew the joy the sister has had in
being mortified, and at having gained this advantage
for her soul, that she may make her sister take part
in her joy, and bless God for it. The second is, to
console herself, by unburdening her heart, and seek
ing for sympathy, so that the other may take a part
of her burden this way is not so endurable as the
:
first, because there is in it more feebleness and im
perfection. But the third is altogether bad, and that

consists in telling it by way of murmur and displea
sure, to make it known the superioress was to blame.
Although there is no harm in telling it in the first
way, it would nevertheless be
good not to tell it, and
itwould be far better to rejoice on it alone with God.
As for the second way, this too ought not to be
done, because by our complaint we lose the merit of
the mortification ; we ought, on the contrary, to hide
it in our heart, and to kiss and caress it as
tenderly
as we can.
It is also by no means to the purpose to go and
I have been to speak to our mother; I am
"
say: just
as sad as I was before; one ought only to attach
oneself toGod for myself, I receive no consolation
;
from creatures I came away from her less- consoled

;
than I was before." No, it is by no means to the

purpose to speak in this way and the sister who is
;
84 DUTIES TOWARDS OT7R NEIGHBOUR.
thus addressed ought sweetly to reply Why were :

"
you not well attached to God before you went to speak

to our mother, and then you would not be discontented
at her not having consoled you ? Take care, lest it
was from seeking God only because creatures failed
you that you did not find Him, for He wills Himself
to be sought in preference to all things. Because
creatures do not content you, you seek the Creator.
Oh, no the Creator well deserves that you should
;
quit every thing for Him, and so He wills that we

should do."
When, therefore, we leave the superioress full of

sadness, and without having received one single drop
of consolation, we ought to carry our sadness like a
precious balm, and take great care not to spill this
choice liquor, which has been sent us from heaven as
a most precious gift, in order to perfume our heart
with the privation of that comfort which we thought
to meet with in the words of the superioress.
But there is one remark to make on this subject,
which is, that a sister sometimes carries with her a
hard and dry heart when she goes to speak to the
superioress a heart that is not capable of being be
;
dewed or softened with the waters of consolation,

because it is by no means susceptible of what the
superioress can say.
Another time, when your heart is tender and well
disposed, she will only say to you three or four words,
much less useful for your perfection than the former,
which will console you. And why ? Because your
heart was well disposed.
You fancy that superiors have consolation on
their lips, and that they diffuse it as they will in
hearts ; but it is not so ;
for they cannot always be
equally disposed any more than others. Blessed is
he who can keep an evenness of heart amidst all
OF THE MANNER OF GIVING ADVICE. 85
these inequalities. Sometimes we are in consolation,

and a little while after, our heart is dry; and then the
words of consolation will cost us an extremely great
effort to utter.
CHAPTER XXIII.
OF THE MANNER OF GIVING ADVICE.
You wish to know whether you ought to have a

great confidence and a great care in reminding one
another charitably of your faults.
No doubt this is what you ought to do. For
what would be the use of your perceiving a fault in
your sister, without attempting, by a charitable hint,
to remove it from her ?
You must nevertheless be discreet in this work ;
for it would not be the proper time to give such a
hint to a sister when you saw her indisposed or op
pressed with melancholy, because there would be
reason to fear that she would reject at once the
friendly warning, if you gave it to her under those
circumstances you should wait a little while, and
;
then admonish her in confidence and charity.

If a sister says to you words that look like mur
muring, but seems, however, to have her heart in
sweetness, you should say to her with all confidence :
"My sister,
this is not well;" but if you perceive that
there is some emotion in her heart, you must turn the
conversation as adroitly as you can.
You say that you are afraid of so often warning a
sister of the faults she makes, because that takes her
confidence from her, and makes her stumble by mere
timidity. God! we should not pass such a judg
ment on our sisters it only belongs to the daughters
;
of this world to lose confidence, when they are ad

monished of their faults our sisters are too fond of
:
their own abjection to do so ; so far from their trou

bling themselves about it, on the contrary, they will
have a greater courage, and will take the more pains
to correct themselves on that account not to avoid
;
being admonished (for I suppose that they have a

sovereign love for whatever may render them vile and
lowly in their own eyes), but in order that they may
do their duty better and better, and render them
selves more and more equal to their vocation.
CHAPTER XXIV.
OF CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY.
Simplicity is nothing else than an act of pure and

simple chanty, which has only one end, namely, that
of pleasing God ;and our soul is simple, when we
have no other pretension in whatever we do.
The well-known history of Martha and Mary, who
exercised hospitality towards our Lord, is very remark
able on this head. Although the object of Martha
was praiseworthy, in wishing to treat our Lord well,
she was nevertheless reproved by that Divine Master,
because, beyond the very good end she had in view
in her haste, she mixed up other purposes with it ;
and thus she doubled that first end, for which reason
she was reproved Martha, Martha, thou art careful,
:
and art troubled about many things ; but one thing is

necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which
shall not be taken away from her. (St. Luke x. 41,
42.)
Christian simplicityis, then, an act of simple cha
rity, which makes us have no other view in all our

actions than the sole desire of pleasing God this is :
the part of Mary, and the one thing necessary. It

is a virtue which is
inseparable from charity, which
looks straight to God, and which cannot suffer any
OF CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY. 87
interference from the consideration of creatures : God

alone finds place in it.
This virtue is purely Christian. The pagans,
even those who have spoken the best concerning
other virtues, had no knowledge of it, any more than
they had of humility. They have written well con
cerning magnificence, liberality, constancy but no ;
It was our
thing about simplicity and humility.
Lord Himself, coming down from heaven, who gave
the knowledge thereof to man otherwise these vir ;
tues would have remained always unknown. Be wise

as serpents, said He to His apostles but do not stop ;
there be, moreover, simple as doves.

;
Learn of the
dove to love God in simplicity of heart, having only
one or end, which is to please Him by the
object
means corresponding to your vocation.
Thus simplicity banishes from the soul the care
and anxiety with which many uselessly seek out a
multiplicity of means to enable
them to love God, as
and that if they do not do all
they say they;fancy
that the saints have done, they cannot arrive at that
end. Poor people, who torment themselves to dis
cover the art of loving God Do they not know that !
there is no other way but to love Him? They think

there is some stratagem or other for gaining this love,
whilst the greatest stratagem in the matter is to pro
ceed with all simplicity.
this simplicity ought to have no other motive
But
for being excited to seek for the love of God but the
end itself, would not be perfectly simple
otherwise it :
for it cannot allow look to any thing else,

itself to
how perfect soever, but the pure love of God, which
is its only object. For instance, if you are going to
office, and some one asks you, Where are you go "
I am going to office," you will reply. But

" "
ing ?"
why are you going ?"

"
I am going in order to praise

God." But why at this hour than at any other

"
?"
"
Because, the clock having struck, if I did not go, I

should be noticed." The object of going to office to
praise God is very good ; but this motive is not a sim
ple one for simplicity requires us to go thither, at
:
tracted by the desire of praising God, without any

other purpose ; and so of every thing else.
This virtue, then, does not suffer us to employ
ourselves with what people will say or think of us ;
because its only thought is to please God, and not
creatures, except so far as the love of God requires it.
After the simple soul has done an action which it
thinks it ought to do, it thinks no more about it ;
and if the idea occurs what people will say or think
of it, such a soul at once rejects the thought, be
cause it cannot allow any interference with its object,
which is to keep itself attentive to God in order to
increase His love in itself. The consideration of
creatures in nowise moves it, because it refers every
thing to its Creator.
This virtue is practised even in conversations and
recreations, as in every other action, although in this
there ought to be a holy liberty to entertain oneself
with such subjects as serve to promote the spirit of
joy and recreation. We must be frank in conversa
tion ; but we must not for that reason be incon
siderate, inasmuch as simplicity always follows the
rule of the love of God. But if we happened to say
any little thing that seemed not to be so well re
ceived as we could wish, we ought not on that ac
count to amuse ourselves with making reflections
and examens on all our words. Oh no !
;
for it is
self-love that causes us to make all these researches :
but holy simplicity does not run after its words and
its actions, but leaves the event of them to Divine
Providence, to which it supremely attaches itself,

EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY. 89
without turning to the right hand or the left, but

following simply its path. But if it meets with any
occasion for practising any virtue, it diligently avails
itself of it, as of a means proper to enable it to arrive
at its perfection, which is the love of God but it :
does not agitate itself to seek for them neither does

;
it keeps itself peaceable and tran

it
despise them ;
quil in the confidence it has that God knows its de

sire, which is to
please Him, and that suffices it.
CHAPTER XXV.
OF THE EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY.
You ask me how souls which are attracted in me

ditation to this holy simplicity ought to conduct
themselves in all their actions.
I answer, that not only in meditation, but also in
all their conduct, they ought to walk in the spirit of
simplicity ; abandoning and giving up their whole

soul, their actions, and their successes to the good
pleasure of God, by an act of perfect and most absolute
confidence in the eternal love of His divine Provi
dence keeping their soul firm in this disposition,
;
without allowing it to w aste time in perpetually re

r
turning to itself to see what it does, or whether it is

satisfied. Alas! our satisfactions and. consolations
do not satisfy the eyes of God, but they only content
that miserable love and care which we have for our
selves, apart from God and the consideration of Him.
Certainly, little children, whom our Lord pro
poses to us as the model of our perfection, have not
ordinarily any care, especially in the presence of
their fathers and mothers. They keep themselves
attached to them, without regarding either their con
solations or their satisfactions, which they take in
good faith, and which they enjoy in simplicity, with-
out inquiring too curiously into the causes or effects

of them ; love occupying them sufficiently without
their thinking of doing any thing else. Whoever is
zealous and watchful lovingly to please the Heavenly
Lover, has not either the heart or the leisure to re
turn to himself, his spirit tending continually in the
direction whither love carries him.
Spiritual lovers, spouses of the Heavenly King,
do indeed view themselves from time to time, like
doves near most pure waters, to see whether they
shall be pleasing to those they love ; and this is
done by the examens of conscience, by which they
cleanse themselves, purify and adorn themselves the
best they may, not to satisfy themselves, but to obey
the Spouse, for the reverence they bear Him, and
the extreme desire which they have to give Him
pleasure. And is not this a love very pure, very
simple, and very perfect, since they do not purify
themselves in order to be pure, nor adorn themselves
in order to be beautiful, but only to please their
Heavenly Lover, to whom if ugliness were as pleas
ing, they would love it as much as beauty.
And moreover these simple doves do not employ
either an extremely long time, or an unquiet anxiety
in cleansing and arraying them, because the confi
dence which their love gives them of being greatly
loved, although unworthy (I say the confidence
which their love gives them in the love and the good
ness of their Lover), takes from them all disquietude
and mistrust about their not being fair enough be:
sides that the desire of loving rather than of arraying

and adorning themselves for love, takes from them
all curious solicitude, and makes them contented
with a sweet and faithful preparation, made lovingly
and with a good heart.
Let us listen to and imitate the divine Saviour,
EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY. 91
who, like a most perfect psalmist, sings of the sove

reign arrows of His love under the tree of the cross.
He concludes them all thus :
"
Father, into Thy

hands I commend My spirit." After we shall have
said that, what remains but to expire and die the
death of love, living no longer to ourselves, hut Jesus
Christ living in us ? Then will cease all the disqui
etudes of our heart arising from self-love, and that
tenderness for ourselves which breathes only in an
atmosphere of satisfaction and consolation and em ;
barking in the exercises of our vocation with the mind

of this holy and loving confidence, without perceiving
our progress, we shall make very great progress ;
without going, we shall advance ; without changing
our place, we shall make great way, as they do who
sail in the deep sea with a favourable gale.
Then all the events and all the varieties of
accidents which supervene will be received sweetly
and gently. For whoever is in the hands of God,
and reposes in His bosom, whoever has abandoned
himself to His love, and has given himself up to His
good pleasure, who is there that can shake or trouble
him? Certainly, whatever he meets with, without
amusing himself by philosophising on the causes,
reasons, and motives of the events, he utters from his
heart that holy acquiescence of the Saviour,
"
Yea,
Father for so it hath seemed good in Thy sight."
;
Then we shall be all steeped in sweetness to

wards our brethren and towards our neighbour, be
cause we shall see those souls in the bosom of the
Saviour. Alas he who looks at his neighbour, ex
!
cept there, runs a chance of not loving him either

or agreeably but there, who
purely, or constantly,
:
would not love him, who would not support him,

who would not bear with his imperfections, who
would find him ill-favoured? That neighbour of
ours is in the bosom of the Saviour as one well-be

loved, and so lovely that the Heavenly Lover died of
love for him.
Then also the natural love of relationship, of
propriety, of convenience, of corresponding dispo
sitions, of sympathies, of graces, will be purified and
reduced to the obedience of the all-pure love of the
divine good -pleasure and certainly, the great good
:
and the great happiness of the souls which aspire to

perfection, would be to have no desire of being loved
by creatures, except with that love of charity which
makes us regard our neighbour with affection, and
each in his rank, according to the desire of our Lord.
Then, too, we shall no longer desire those virtues
the practice of which is not necessary to us, such as
magnificence and the like but only those which are
;
necessary for us, and the practice of which ought to

be habitual with us, such as sweetness, the love of
our own abjectness, humility, sweet and cordial cha
rity towards our neighbour, and obedience.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THAT SIMPLICITY IS NOT CONTRARY TO PRUDENCE.
Many think that simplicity is contrary to pru

dence ; but this is not the case for the virtues are
;
never contrary to each other on the contrary, they

;
have a very great union each with another.

The virtue of simplicity is contrary to subtlety, a
vice which is the source of contrivances, artifices,
and duplicities and it is by means of this vice that
;
we invent tricks to deceive our neighbour, and to

make him suppose we have in our heart no other
sentiments but those which we manifest to him by
words ;
and this is infinitely contrary to simplicity,
TAKE NO PART IN EVIL-SPEAKING. 93
which requires that we should have our exterior con

formable to our interior.
Many ask how we ought to understand those
words of our Lord: Be prudent as serpents." Not
"
to mention any other explanation, I reply, that we
ought to understand them thus Be prudent

as the :
all his body to

serpent, who, being attacked, exposes
preserve his head so ought :we to do, exposing every
thing to when it is necessary to preserve in us

peril,
safe and sound our Lord and His love; for He is our
chief, and we are his members and it ;
is herein that
prudence perfectly accords with simplicity.
I will tell you further, that we should remember
there are two sorts of prudence, the natural and the
supernatural. As to the natural, we must mortify it
well, when suggests to us various unnecessary con
it
siderations and precautions, which keep our souls far

removed from simplicity.
That which is supernatural ought to be truly
so to speak, a spiritual
practised, inasmuch as it is,
salt, which gives taste and savour to all the other
virtues ;
but it be so practised, that the vir
ought to
tue of confidence, I mean
that which is simple and
loving, may surpass all, and make us abide in peace
in the hands of our heavenly Father, quite secure, as
we shall be by that confidence, of His most precious
protection and care.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THAT WE MUST TAKE NO PART IN EVIL-SPEAKING, NOB CAKE
ABOUT CALUMNIES.
In conversations at which you are present by
necessity, be in peace, whatever may be said ; for if
it is
good, you have wherewith to praise God ; and if
it is bad, you have wherewith to serve Him, by turn-
ing away your heart from it, without affecting to be

astonished and annoyed, since you have not influence
enough to hinder the bad words of those who choose
to say them, and who will
say yet worse if there
appears to be an attempt made to check them for ;
in so doing, you will remain

altogether innocent
among the hisses of serpents.
As for calumny, do not allow it to enter into
your mind, but stop it at the very gate, according to
the old proverb :
He who over easily

To slander s voice will list,
That man he either wanteth head,
Or wanteth heart, I wist.
Prefer dissimulation to resentment ; for we are in
the case of the Wise Man of old, who said, If thou
"
despise it, it shall vanish like smoke ; but if thou trou

ble thyself with it, thou wilt be thought to blame."
And as I often say, if the beard is neither plucked
out, nor burnt off, but only clipped or shaven, it will
grow again easily.
But I would that this dissimulation should be
frank, as all those heroic actions ought to be which
are practised for the love of God, without any com
plaints, without shewing repugnance to granting
pardon ; for the candour of the heart that pardons
makes the person who did the injury know so much
the better how much he was in the wrong.
No one who has the true foundation of honour
can ever lose it. No one believes those slanderers ;
they are taken for worthless persons. The best
means of repairing the mischief they do is to despise
the tongues which are their instruments, and to
reply
to them with a holy
modesty and compassion.
Believe me, the honour of good people is under
the protection of God, who does indeed sometimes
TAKE NO PART IN EVIL-SPEAKING. 95
allow it to be shaken, to make them exercise patience;

but never allows it to be ruined entirely; on the con
trary, He speedily raises it again.
You are quite right : a person who is in God s
hands ought never to disquiet himself about his repu
tation. Let God do what He will with our life and
our character and our honour, since it is all His own.
If our humiliation serves for His glory, ought we not
to glory in being despised 1 Gladly, therefore, said
the Apostle, will I glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Cor. xii. 9.)
What virtue is this Humility and the acquiescing
!
in humiliation. May we sincerely love those crosses

we meet with in our road, and may God bless us in
the love of His holy cross !
Certainly, most of our evils are imaginary rather

than real. Do you think the world believes in its own
slanders ? It may be that some amuse themselves
with them, and the others entertain some little sus
picion. But know that your soul being good, and
being well resigned into the hands of our Lord, all
this sort of attacks will vanish like smoke in the
wind ;
and the stronger the wind is, the quicker will
they disappear, especially satires of the day; for
calumny, which has neither father nor mother to
avow it, shews itself to be illegitimate. "Alas," said
*
St. Gregory to an afflicted bishop,
f
if your heart were
in heaven, the winds of the earth would never unsettle
it :to him who has renounced the world, nothing
that passes in the world can do any mischief." Cast
yourself at the feet of the Crucified, and see how many
injuries He sustains supplicate Him by the sweet
:
ness with which He received them, that He may give

you strength to sustain these little noises, you, to
whom they are fallen in inheritance, as to His sworn
servant: Blessed are the poor in spirit ; for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall

revile you and speak all this evil against
you untrulyfor
My sake. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very
great in heaven.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
HOW HUMAN PRUDENCE SHOULD BE CORRECTED.
in our
When human prudence mixes itself up
it is difficult to silence it, for it is
purposes, very
wonderfully importunate,
and thrusts itself audaci
and vehemently into our affairs in spite of us.
ously
What must we do hereupon, that our intention
is law
may be purified ? Let us see if our purpose
ful, just, and pious and if it is, let us propose and
;
deliberate about doing it, not to obey human pru

dence, but to accomplish the will of
God.
If you have a daughter, for example, whom hu
man prudence dictates to you should be placed in
religion, for
some reason connected with the state
of your affairs then you will say to yourself (not
;
before men, but before God), Lord, I wish to offer

you this because, such as she is, she is
daughter,
Thine : and although human prudence excites and
inclines me to nevertheless, Lord, if I knew
this,
that it was not also your good pleasure, in spite of
human prudence, I would in nowise do it, rejecting
herein that prudence which my heart feels, but to
which it desires not to consent, and embracing your
will, which my heart does
not perceive as to feeling,
it is
but to which it consents in its resolution. Oh,
in every thing that the human spirit troubles us
with
its pretensions, and comes importunately
to interfere
with our affairs.

We are not more holy than the apostle St. Paul,
who felt (Rom. two wills in the midst of his soul,
vii.)
CHARITY TO THOSE WHO INJURE US. 97
the one, which would have him do according to the

old man, and this made itself most felt and the ;
other, which would have him do according to the

spirit of God, and this was less sensibly felt but ;
nevertheless it ruled, and according to it he lived.

This is why, on the one hand, he lamented, Unhappy
man that 1 am, who shall deliver me from the body of
this death ? and, on the other, he said : / live, now
not I; but Christ liveth in me. (Gal. ii. 20.) And at
every step almost we must make the act of resigna

tion, Father, not my will, but Thine be done (St, Luke
xxii. 42) ; and this done, to allow human prudence
to murmur as it will ; for the world will no longer
belong to it, and you may say to it, as the Samari

tans said to the Samaritan woman We now believe,
:
not for thy saying ; for we ourselves have heard Him.

(St. John iv. 42.)
be no longer for the sake of human pru
It will
dence, although that may have excited your will, that
you fulfil this resolution, but because you know that
it is
agreeable to God thus shall you correct the
:
human will by the infusion of the divine will.

CHAPTER XXIX.
HOW WE SHOULD BEHAVE OURSELVES TO THOSE FROM WHOM
WE HAVE RECEIVED A CONSIDERABLE INJURY.
You ask me how I wish that you should act on
an interview with the gentleman who killed your hus
band. I reply, that it is not necessary you should
seek either day or occasion for it but if such an
;
occasion does present itself, I wish you to keep your

heart calm, gracious, and compassionate.
I know that, doubtless, your heart will be stirred
and agitated, that your blood will boil but what ;
matters that? Our dear Saviour felt this at the sight

of dead Lazarus, and of the representation of His Pas-
sion. Yes but what says the Scripture ? That on

;
both occasions He lifted up His eyes to heaven. God

makes us see in these emotions that we are made of
flesh and blood as well as spirit.
Ihave explained myself sufficiently. I reply, I
do not wish that you should seek an interview with
this poor man, but that you should be condescend
ing to those who wished you should grant one and ;
that you should shew yourself resigned to all things,

even the death of your husband, or that of your fa
ther, of your children, and of your nearest relations ;
yes, your own death, in the death

and in the love of
our sweet Saviour. Courage let us go forward, and
!
let us practise these low and vulgar, yet solid, holy,

and excellent virtues. Abide in peace and keep ;
yourself on your feet, and on the side of heaven.

God has held you by His good hand in your afflic
tion. He will assuredly always do so. My God,"
"
said St. Gregory to an afflicted bishop, "how can it

be that our hearts, which are already in heaven, are
It was well
agitated by the accidents of the earth?"
said: the meffe sight of our dear crucified Jesus can
soften in a moment all our sorrows, which are only
flowers in comparison with those thorns; and then
our great meeting-point is in that eternity, the re
ward of which in view, how can any thing affect us
which is terminated by time ?
Continue to unite yourself more and more with
this Saviour plunge your heart into that abyss of
;
charity which is His and let us say always, with all

;
our heart, Let me die, and let Jesus live. Our death
will be happy, if it be in His life. / live, said the
apostle; but he corrects himself immediately, now not
/, but Christ liveth in me. (Gal. ii.
20.)
Blessed be you with the benediction which the
divine goodness has prepared for hearts which aban-
PATIENCE AND RESIGNATION IN LAWSUITS. 99
don themselves a prey to His holy and sacred love.
And courage God is good to us let all else be evil
! :
to us,what matters it? Live joyously before Him.

Years go on, and eternity approaches to us
may we ;
so employ those years in the divine love, that we may

enjoy an eternity in His glory !
CHAPTER XXX.
OF PATIENCE AND RESIGNATION IN LAWSUITS.
I know the multitude of

your sorrows, and I have
recommended them to our Lord, that it may
please
Him to bless them with that sacred benediction with
which He hath blessed those of His dearest servants,
that they may be
employed in the sanctification of
His holy name in
your soul.
I mast still confess
that, in my own opinion, the
afflictions
regarding a person s own self and those
regarding sins are the most distressing nevertheless,
;
those regarding lawsuits excite

my compassion the
most, for they are the most dangerous to the soul.
How many persons have we seen in peace under the
thorns of sickness or the loss of
friends, who have
lost interior peace in the vexatiousness of a lawsuit !
And this is the reason, or rather the cause without

reason it is, that we have
difficulty in believing that
:
the evil of lawsuits is

employed by God for our
exercise, because we see that
they are men who
contend against us ; and not
venturing to murmur
against that Providence, all and all wise, we
good
murmur against the persons who
afflict us and we ;
suffer from them, not without

great danger of losing
the only loss which we
eternity, ought to dread in
this life.
Well when ought we to wish to shew our fide
!
lity to our Saviour, if not on these occasions? When

ought we to wish to keep our heart, our judgment,

and our tongue under bridle, if not on these uneven
paths, so near the precipice? For God s sake, do
not allow a season so favourable to your spiritual
advancement to pass without collecting from it abun
dance of the fruits of patience, lowliness, sweetness,
and the love of humiliation. Remember that our
Lord never said one word against those who con
demned Him. He judged them not. He was judged
and condemned wrongfully and He abode in peace,
;
and died in peace, and revenged Himself only by

praying for them and as for us, we judge our judges
:
and our opponents we arm ourselves with com

;
plaints and reproaches.

Believe me, it is necessary to be firm and con
stant in the love of our neighbour and I say this
;
with all heart, without having regard either to

my
your opponents or to their relation towards me ; and
I think that nothing touches me in this business
except jealousy for your perfection. You will have
God always when you please ; and is not this being
rich enough? I entreat you, let His will be
your
repose, and His cross your glory.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO GO TO LAW, BUT HAVE RECOURSE TO
ARBITRATION.
How long will you pretend to other victories over

the world and the affection for what you may have
in it, but those which our Lord won over it, and to
the imitation of which He in so many ways exhorts
you ? How did He do, that Lord of all the world ?
It is true He was the lawful Lord of all the world :
and did He ever go to law to have only whereon to

lay His head 1
They did Him a thousand wrongs :
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO GO TO LAW. 101
what suits did He ever make about them ? Before

what tribunal did He ever cause any person to be
cited ? Never once before any. He would not even
cite the executioners who crucified Him before the
tribunal of the justice of God on the contrary, He
;
invoked in their favour the authority of mercy.

And this is what He has so often inculcated on
us If a man will contend with thee in judgment, and
:
take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him.
(St. Matt. v. 40.) I am in no respect superstitious,
and I do not at all blame those who do go to law, pro
vided that it is in truth, judgment, and justice but
;
I say, I
cry out, I write, and if need were, I would
write it in my blood, that whoever would be perfect,
and altogether a child of Jesus Christ crucified, must
practise this doctrine of our Lord. Let the world
murmur, let human prudence raise its eyebrows in
scorn as it pleases ; let all the wise ones of the age
invent as many evasions, pretexts, and excuses as they
will; this word is to be preferred to all prudence :
He that will take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also
unto him.
But, you will tell me, that is meant in certain
cases. True ; but, thanks be to God, we are in that
case. For we aspire to perfection, and we wish to
follow, the nearest we can, him who with an affection
truly apostolic said Having food, and wherewith to
:
be covered, with these we are content

(1 Tim. vi. 8) ;
and cried unto the Corinthians, Already indeed there
is plainly a fault
among you, that you have lawsuits
one with another. (1 Cor. vi. 7.) But listen to the
sentiments and counsel of that man who lived not
in himself (Gal. ii. 20), but Jesus Christ in him :
Why do you not rather, he adds, take wrong ? why do
you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? And
observe that he speaks not to a single soul aspiring
in a particular manner to the perfect life, but to all

the Corinthians. Observe that he would have us
suffer ourselves to be defrauded. Observe that he
tells them a fault to go to law against those
that it is
who wrong them. But why a fault? Because that

in going to law they scandalised the infidels of the
world, who said See what Christians are Chris"
tians Their Master saith

!" He that will take away :
thy coat, go thy cloak also unto him.

let See how for
temporal goods they put in jeopardy eternal ones, and
the tender and brotherly love which they ought to
have one for another. Observe moreover, said St.
Augustine, the lesson of our Lord. He does not
say He that will take away thy ring, let him have
:
thy necklace also, which are both of them superfluous

things but He speaks of the coat and the cloak,
;
which are necessary things.
CHAPTER XXXII.
CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT.
Oh ! behold the wisdom of God.

Behold His
prudence, which consists in the most sacred and
inestimable simplicity, childishness, and, to use the
apostolic phrase, in the most holy folly of the cross.
But, human prudence will say, Whither are you
taking us? What! do you wish us to be trodden
under foot, to have our noses pulled, to be trifled
with like fools, without saying one word ? Yes, it is
true, I do wish that yet I do not wish it myself, but
;
Jesus Christ wishes it in me and the apostle of the ;
cross and of the Crucified cries out Even unto this :
hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are
buffeted ; we are made as the refuse of this world, the
offscouring of all. (1 Cor. iv. 11.) The inhabitants
THA.T WE OUGHT NOT TO GO TO LAW. 103
of Babylon do not understand this doctrine ; but the

inhabitants of Mount Calvary practise it.
Oh, Father, you will say, you are very severe all
at once. It is certainly not all at once ; for from
the time that I had grace to know a little of the
fruit of the cross, this feeling entered into mind my
and never left it. If I have not lived conformably
to it, it has been by the weakness
of my heart, and
not by feeling. The clamour of the world has made
me outwardly do the evil I hated inwardly. I do
not here examine my conscience ; but as far as I see,
in the main I am speaking the truth, so much the
less excuse for me.
I would have you be prudent like the serpent,
which divests itself altogether, not of its habits but
of its skin, to grow young again ; and which hides its
head to us, St. Gregory, fidelity to the
says
(signifying
words of the gospel), and exposes all the rest to the
mercy of its enemies, careful only to preserve the
head safe. You have about you so many persons of
honour, wisdom, ability, cordiality, and piety, will it
not be easy for them to bring your adversaries to
such views as may give you a holy satisfaction ? Are
they tigers, who will not allow themselves wisely
to
be brought back to reason ? And would not the
good father take pleasure in serving God in your
affair, which I may almost say concerns the salvation
of your soul, but at all events certainly your advance
ment in perfection ?
How many duplicities, artifices, worldly longings,

and perhaps how many lies how many acts of petty
;
injustice, and sly, well- concealed,

and imperceptible
calumnies, or at least half-calumnies, do npt people
employ in these entanglements of legal proceedings !
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Will you not say that you wish to marry, to

scandalise all the world with manifest inconsistency,
ifyou have not a monitor continually to whisper in
not say
your ears the purity of sincerity ? Will you
that you wish to live in the world, and to be regarded
according to your rank ? that you require to have
this and that? And then what will you do with
that crowd of thoughts and imaginations such pur
suits will produce in your mind ?
Leave, I beseech you, to worldlings their world.

What need have you of what is required to go through
it ? Surely two thousand crowns,
and less, will most
abundantly suffice for a daughter who loves our cru
cified Lord. An allowance of a hundred and fifty or
two hundred crowns is riches for a daughter who
believes in the article of evangelical poverty.
But if I were not a cloistered religious, but only
associated to some monastery, I should not have the
means of addressed as "madame," except by a
being
servant or two. Well ; did you ever hear that our
Blessed Lady had as many ? And what consequence
is it whether any one knows that you are descended
from a noble house, if only they know that you be
long to the house of God 1
Oh, but I should wish to found some religious
house, or at least to give great assistance to a house,
for being sickly, I should thereby be supported the
more cheerfully. Yes, it is true ;
I knew well that
to
your piety would throw out a plank
self-love.
if they are not
Certainly, we do not love crosses
of gold, adorned with pearls, and enamelled. It
is a rich, although a very devout and admirably
OF SWEETNESS IN DOMESTIC ANNOYANCE. 105
spiritual abjectness, to be regarded by a community

as their foundress, or at least a great benefactress.
Lucifer would have been content to remain in heaven
on such a condition. Bat to live on alone, like our
Lord, to receive the charity of another in our sick
nesses, we who in extraction and spirit are this and
that, is indeed a very painful and difficult thing.
Difficult, truly, it is to man, but not to the Son of
God, who will obtain you that grace.
But not a good thing to have one s property,
is it
to employ it as one likes in the service of God?

The words as one likes" clear up our difference.
"
But I say, as you like, Father. Well, then, I like

that you should be content with what M. and Ma
dame advise and that as for the rest, you should
;
leave it for the love of God and the edification of

your neighbour, and the peace of the souls of the
ladies your sisters, and that you should thus conse
crate it to the love of your neighbour and the glory
of the Christian spirit. my God, what benedic
tions, what graces, what spiritual riches, will your
soul enjoy, if you do so You will abound, and more
!
than abound. God will bless the little you have,

and He will content you. No, no it is not difficult
;
for God to do as much with five barley-loaves as

Solomon with all his cooks and purveyors. Abide
in peace.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
OF SWEETNESS IN THE MIDST OF DOMESTIC ANNOYANCE.
seems to me that I have not quite told

It
you
all Iwished concerning those slight but frequent
feelings of impatience in the management of your
household. I tell
you, therefore, that it is necessary
you should pay special attention to maintain sweet-
ness of temper throughout ; and that, on rising in

the morning, coming from meditation, returning from
mass or communion, and always when you resume
your domestic affairs, you ought to take care to be
gin sweetly, and at successive moments to watch your
heart and see whether it is sweet ; and if it is not,
above all things to make it so but if it is sweet,
:
then you must praise God for it, and employ it in

the affairs which present themselves, taking particu
lar care not to allow it to dissipate itself.
Do you not see those who
frequently eat honey
find sour things more and
bitter things more
sour,
bitter, and easily get disgusted with rough-tasted
food ? so your soul, often occupying itself with spi
ritual exercises, which are sweet and agreeable to
the mind, when it returns to bodily, exterior, and
material exercises, finds them very harsh and very
troublesome, wherefore it easily gets impatient of
them ; and it is consequently necessary that in these
exercises you should consider the will of God which
is in them, and not the thing itself which is
being
done.
Often invoke the one and fair dove of the hea
venly Spouse, that she may obtain for you a true
dove s heart, and that you may be a dove, not only
as flying by prayer, but still more in
your nest, and
with all those who surround you.
My God, how treacherous is this life, and how
desirable is eternity How blessed are those who
!
desire it ! Let us keep fast hold of the merciful

hand of our good God j for He wills to draw us after
Him.
Let us be very sweet and humble in heart towards
all, but above all towards our own. Let us not
agitate ourselves let us go on with all sweetness,
;
bearing with one another. Let us take good care

OF DEFERENCE TO FATHERS AND HUSBANDS. 107
that our heart does not escape us. Alas! David

says, Myheart hath forsaken me. (Ps. xxxix. 13.)
But our heart will never fail us, if we do not fail it.
Let us keep it always in our hands, and let Jesus
Christ be always in our heart.
CHAPTER XXXV.
OF THE DEFERENCE WHICH IS DUE TO FATHERS AND HUSBANDS.
Truly we have a good father, and you have an

excellent husband. Alas they are a little jealous
!
of their rule and dominion, which seems to them

somewhat interfered with when any one acts with
out their authority and without their orders. What
would you have ? You must indulge them in this
little human failing. They wish to be masters and ;
is it not reasonable they should ? It is certainly so

in whatever relates to the service which you owe
them.
But these good lords do not consider that for the
good of the soul trust must be reposed in directors
and spiritual physicians and that, saving the rights
;
which they have over you, you ought to provide for

your spiritual good by the means judged suitable by
those who are set over the conduct of souls.
But notwithstanding all this, you are bound to
yield very much to their will, to bear with their hu

mours, and to accommodate yourself to them as much
as possible, without breaking through your good de
signs. These compliances will be pleasing to our

Lord. I told you so before the less we live as we
:
please, and the less of our own choice there

is in our
actions, the more goodness and solidity of devotion

there will be.
Sometimes it
happens that we are forced to leave
our Lord to oblige others for the love of Him. For
we ought, if possible, to hinder ourselves from making

our devotion annoying to others. Now I will tell
you what you should do. When you can receive
holy communion without troubling your two supe
riors, do it, according to the advice of your con
fessors. When you are afraid of troubling them, be
content with communicating in spirit and believe
;
me, this spiritual mortification, this privation of God,

will be extremely pleasing to God, and will bring Him
into your heart long before.
have often admired the extreme resignation of
I
St. JohnBaptist, who abode so long in the desert,
very near to our Lord, without hastening to see Him,
to go and hear Him, and to follow Him and how
:
is it, that after having seen and baptised Him, he

can let Him go, without attaching himself to Him by
bodily presence, as he was already so closely united
to Him by the presence of the heart ? But he knew
that he was serving this same Lord by means of this
privation of His bodily presence.

wish to say that for a time you will serve God,
I
if to gain the souls of those two superiors whom He
has given you, you suffer the privation of real com
munion and it will be to me a very great conso
;
lation, if I know that this advice which I give you

does not put your heart into disquietude. Believe
me, this resignation, this abnegation of self, will be
extremely useful to you.
You will, nevertheless, be able to gain secret op
portunities for receiving holy communion ; for, pro
vided that you defer to and compassionate the wills
of these two persons, and avoid giving them occasion
of impatience, I give you no other rule for your com
munions than what your confessors shall tell you ;
for they see the present state of your soul, and will
know what is required for your good.
109
PART THIRD.
CHAPTER I.
OF SELF-LOVE.
SELF-LOVE may be mortified in us, but it, notwith

standing, never dies ; on the contrary, from time
to time, and on different occasions, it shoots forth
germs in us which shew that although it may be cut

off at the stalk, it is not yet rooted up.
This is the reason why we have not the consola
tion which we ought to have when we see others
doing well for what we do not see in ourselves is
;
not so pleasant to us, and what we do see in our

selves is extremely dear to us, because we love our
selves tenderly and profoundly.
This same self-love makes us well enough dis
posed to do this or that by our own choice but we ;
would not wish to do it by the choice of another

person, or in the way of obedience. It is always
ourselves we seek ourselves, our own will, and our
;
own self-love.
On the contrary, if we had the perfection of the
love of God, we should be better pleased to do what
we are commanded to do, because that comes more
from God and less from ourselves.
As to our taking more pleasure in doing difficult
things than in seeing them done by others, this may
either arise from charity, or because our self-love
secretly fears lest the others equal or surpass us.

110 DUTIES TOWARDS OUKSELVES.
Sometimes we are more pained at seeing others ill-

treated than ourselves,
from kindness of disposition :
sometimes it is because we fancy that we are more

courageous than they, and that we should bear the
misfortune better than they could,
according to the
good opinion we have of ourselves. The indication of
this is, that generally we had rather have little evils
ourselves than allow others to have them but as for ;
great ones, we had rather others should have them

than we.
After all, know that what you have mentioned
are only feelings of the inferior part of the soul ; for
I am well assured that the
superior part of it dis
avows all that. The only remedy is to disarm such
feelings, invoking obedience, and protesting that we
wish to love it, notwithstanding all more repugnance,
than that which is of our own choice, praising God
for the good which we see in others, and entreating
Him to continue it.
We must in nowise be astonished to find self-love

in our hearts, for never leaves us. Like the crafty
it
fox, it sometimes pretends to be asleep, and then all

at once wakes up and for this reason we ought
;
constantly to have an eye to it, and with all sweet

ness to defend ourselves against it. But if now and
then it wounds us, we are healed by merely recalling
what it has made us say, and disavowing what it has
made us do. These sallies of self-love ought to be
neglected. By disavowing them two or three times
a day, one gets rid of them. There is no occasion
to reject them by force of arms one need only say
;
the little word "no."

NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED BY SELF-LOVE. Ill
CHAPTER II.
THAT WE MUST NOT BE DISCOURAGED AT FEELING THE

ATTACKS OF SELF-LOVE.
I see inyour letter a great reason for blessing

God on behalf of your soul, in that it retains holy
indifference in effect though not in feeling. There
is nothing in all this that you tell me of your little
sallies. These little surprises of passion are inevit

able in this mortal life; for it is on their account
that the great apostle cries to heaven, Unhappy man
that I am ! (Rom. vii. 23, 24.) I feel two men
within me, the old and the new ; two laws, the law
of the senses and the law of the spirit ; two opera
tions, that of nature and that of grace. Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death ?
Self-love never dies but with our bodies. We
must always feel its sensible attacks or its concealed
stratagems whilst we are in this exile it suffices if
;
we do not consent to it with a wilful, deliberate,

settled, and admitted consent : and this virtue of holy
indifference is so excellent, that our old man and
the sensitive part of the soul, and human nature ac
cording to its natural faculties, was not capable of it
even in our Lord, who, as a child of Adam, although
exempt from all sin, and from all that belonged to
it, in the sensitive part of His soul, and according to
His human faculties,was in nowise indifferent, but

desired not to die on the cross indifference and its
;
exercise being all reserved to the spirit, to the su

preme part of the soul, to the faculties enkindled by
grace, and finally to Himself, in that He was the new
Adam.
Remain, then, in peace. When it happens to us
to break the laws of indifference in indifferent things,
by the sudden sallies of self-love and of our passions,
112 DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES.
let us, as soon as we can, prostrate our heart before

God ;
let us say in a spirit of confidence and of hu
mility, Lord, have mercy on me, for I am weak ;
let
us rise up in peace and tranquillity, make fast once
more the thread of our indifference, and then go on
with our work.
We ought not either to break the chords or
throw aside the when we perceive a discord ;
lute,
we must apply our ear to perceive whence comes
the disarrangement, and gently stretch or loosen the
chord as the art prescribes.
I confess before Heaven and the angels, that you
are precious to me as myself ; but that does not take
from me the very fixed resolution of entirely acqui
escing in the divine will. We
wish to serve God in
this world, here and there : if He judges it better
that we should be in this world or in the other, His
most holy will be done.
CHAPTER III.
OF ONE S OWN JUDGMENT.

You wish to know whether it is a thing contrary
to perfection, to be subject to have opinions of one s
own ? To which I
reply, that it isa thing which is
neither good nor bad, because it is all natural. Every
one has opinions of his own. What we must avoid
is,attaching ourselves to them and loving them ; be
cause that attachment and that love are very con
trary to perfection and this is what I have said so
;
often, that the love of our own judgment, and the

value which we set on it, is the cause why there are
so few perfect souls.
There are many people to be found who will
renounce their own will, some on one subject, and
others on another ; I do not say only in religion, but
OF ONE S OWN JUDGMENT. 113
amongst seculars, and even in the courts of princes.

If a prince gives any orders to a courtier, he will
never refuse to obey ; but it very rarely happens that
he will confess that the order was right. No one
can doubt that this is very contrary to perfection,
because it generally produces disquietudes of spirit,
caprices, and murmurs and finally, it nourishes the
;
love of one s own esteem.

The great St. Thomas, who had as great a capa
city as it is
possible to have, when he formed opi
nions, supported them on the most solid reasons he
could and nevertheless if he
; 3
met any one who did
not approve of what he had judged to be good, or
contradicted it, he never disputed with him, or was
offended at it, but bore with it cheerfully by which ;
he shewed that he was by no means attached to his

own opinions, although he did not disapprove of
them. He left things so, whether people thought
it
good or not after having done his duty, he did
;
not trouble himself with the rest.

If superiors were to change their opinions in
every conversation, they would be regarded as care

lessand imprudent in their government ; but, on the
other hand, if those who are not in office were to be
attached to their own opinions, wishing to maintain
them, and to make people accept them, they would
be esteemed self-opinionated. For it is very certain
that the love of our own opinion degenerates into
this, if it is not faithfully mortified and cut down.
All the difference that exists between those who
have a charge over others and those who have not, is,
that the former can and ought to form opinions, in
order to maintain a uniform conduct; whilst the latter
may dispense with them, having nothing to do but
obey but if they do form them, they ought not, any
;
more than the others, to attach themselves to them.

] 14 DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES.
There are some persons of great talents, and at

the same time excellent people* but who are so sub
ject to their own opinions, and think them so good,
that they are never disposed to loose hold of them.
There are also minds of great capacity who are not
subject to this defect, and who very readily renounce
their opinions, even though they are very good they :
do not arm themselves to defend them when they are

contradicted. Melancholic persons are only more
liable to this defect than those who are of a cheerful
temperament.
this inclination, we should cut off its
To mortify
food. very true that we cannot hinder that
It is
first movement of complaisance which we feel when

our opinion is approved and followed; but we must
not amuse ourselves with this complaisance we must ;
bless God, and then pass on without troubling our

selves with this feeling, any more than with a slight
sense of pain that might come over us, if our opinion
was not followed or thought good.
When we are required, either by charity or obe
dience, to give our advice on the subject that is under
discussion, we must do it simply, making ourselves,
for the rest, indifferent whether it is received or not.
We must even sometimes express our views on the
opinions of others, and shew the reasons on which
we support our own but it is necessary that this
;
should be done modestly and humbly, without despis

ing the advice of others, or disputing to have our
own received.
The matter being decided, we must say no more
about especially with those who were of our way
it,
of thinking ; for that would be to nourish this de

fect,and to shew that we have not completely sub
mitted to the advice of the others, and that we always
prefer our own. We must not even think about it
MORTIFICATION OF ONE S OWN JUDGMENT. 115
any more, unless the resolution taken is

remarkably
faulty; for in that case, if any means could still be
found to prevent its execution, or to apply a remedy
to it, we ought
to adopt such means in the most
charitableand quiet way we can, so as not to trouble
any one, or to bring into contempt what they thought
good.
The love of our own the last thing that
opinion is
we part with ; and nevertheless one of the most
it is
necessary to part with, for the acquisition of true

perfection ; for otherwise we do not acquire holy
humility, which forbids and prevents us from mak
ing any account of ourselves, or of anything that de
pends upon us ; and consequently, if we have not the
practice of this virtue to a considerable degree, we
shall always be we
thinking better of ourselves than
deserve, and imagining that others moreover owe us
the same deference.
CHAPTER IV.
OF THE MORTIFICATION OF ONE*S OWN JUDGMENT.
You ask me what must be done to
bring about the
death of our own judgment. To which I
reply, that
to make an end of it, we
only have to sever it from
all sorts and occasions where it wants
of discourses
to make itself
master, taking care to let it know that
it is but the servant ; for it is
only by reiterated
acts that we acquire the virtues,
although there are
some of them that God gives all at once in a moment.
Therefore, whenever you feel tempted to
judge
whether a matter was rightly or
wrongly ordered,
sever this reflection from
your own judgment and :
when, a little after, you are told that you must do

such a thing in such a way, do not amuse
yourself
with reasoning or
determining whether it would not
be better otherwise, but persuade your judgment that

the thing could not be better done than is com
manded.
have never met a person who made no account
I
at all of his own judgment, except two, who con
fessed to me that they were destitute of judgment.
We have in our own days a very remarkable instance
of the mortification of a man s own judgment: I al
lude to that of a great doctor, enjoying a great repu
tation, who having composed a book on dispensations
and decrees, and this book having fallen into the
hands of the Pope, his Holiness judged that it con
tained erroneous propositions, and wrote concerning
them to that doctor, that he should strike them out
of his book.
The doctor receiving that order, submitted his
judgment so absolutely, that he would never attempt
to justify himself;on the contrary, he thought that
he was in the wrong, and had allowed his own judg
ment to be deceived and ascending the pulpit, he
;
read out the Pope s letter, and then stated that what
the Pope had judged was extremely well judged, and
that with his whole heart he approved of the censure.
This learned man was under no obligation to do
this, since the Pope did not require him to do any
thing but cancel some passages which were not here
tical, nor so manifestly erroneous as not to admit of
defence ;and in this he shewed great virtue and an
admirable mortification of his own judgment.
We often enough see the senses mortified, because
s own will is interested in
one mortifying them; and
itwould be a shameful thing to shew ourselves ob
stinate when we ought to obey. What would people
say of us ? But we rarely find any persons thoroughly
mortified in their own judgment. To confess that
what is commanded us is good, to love it, to esteem
OVER-GREAT TENDERNESS FOR ONE s SELF. 117
it as a thing which is good for us and useful above

every thing else oh, here it is that the judgment
;
I will do so and so,

"
proves obstinate. Many say,

and in the way that you tell me ; but I see clearly
that it would be better otherwise."
what are you doing, if you thus feed your
Alas,
own judgment ? Without doubt it will intoxicate
you for there is no difference between a person in
;
toxicated, and one who is full of his own judgment.

Nabal having refused provisions to David and to his
attendants, on one occasion when he was flying from
before Saul, Abigail, the wife of Nabal, to appease
the anger of David, who would have devastated Na-
bal s possessions with fire and sword, excused her
husband by saying that he was drunken and sense
less. It is necessary to make the same excuses for
him who is full of his own judgment as for a drunken
person for the one is no more capable of reason
;
than the other. It is necessary, then, to check our

own judgment from making its considerations, that it
may not intoxicate us with its reasons, above all in
matters regarding obedience.
CHAPTER V.
OF OVER-GREAT TENDERNESS FOR ONE S SELF.
You ask me if the tenderness which we have for

ourselves is a great hindrance to us in the path of
perfection.
To understand this, we must remember that there
are in us two sorts of love the affective love, and
:
the effective love. To explain the difference between

these two sorts of love, theologians are accustomed
to avail themselves of the
comparison of a father who
has two sons, one of whom is yet a child, but amiable
and of good promise ; and the other is a grown man,
brave and generous. The father greatly loves these

two sons, but with a different kind of love for he
;
loves the one who is still a child with a love extremely

tender and affective ; he caresses him, he kisses him,
he holds him on his knees and in his arms with an
incomparable sweetness, as well for himself as for the
child :
suppose this child has been stung by a bee,
the father never ceases to soothe him until the pain
is abated. If his eldest son had been stung by a
hundred bees, he would not deign to turn his head
round, although he loves him with a love mightily
strong and solid.
Consider, I pray you, the difference of these two
loves. For although you have seen the tenderness
of this father for his little one, he nevertheless does
not give up forming the intention of sending him
away from the house, destining his eldest son to be
his heir and the successor to his property. The lat
ter, therefore, is loved with an effective love, and the
former with an affective love. Both the one and the
other are loved, but in a different way.
The love which we have for ourselves is, in like
manner, either effective or affective. Effective love
is that which stirs and drives to action those who are
ambitious of honours and riches, who never say, It is
enough. Affective love applies to those who are very
tender over themselves, who do nothing but com
plain, and who are so afraid of any thing hurting
them, that it is lamentable to observe them. If they
are sick, though perhaps it is but the tip of their
finger that aches, nobody suffers so much as they do,
or is so miserable ; no sickness is to be compared to
that which they suffer, and one cannot find physicians
enough to attend to them. They never cease phy
sicking themselves, and whilst they think to preserve
their health, they lose and ruin it entirely. If others
WE MUST DESTROY THE OLD ADAM. 119
are sick,it is nothing, it is only themselves who have
a right to complain, and they weep tenderly over

themselves, to move others to compassion ; they do
not care whether we think them patient or not, pro
vided we think them sick and afflicted.
Imperfections characteristic of children, and if
I may venture to say so, of women, and of men
who have effeminate souls for these imperfections
;
are never found in generous souls, and well-consti

tuted minds never attend to these follies, which are
only adapted to stop our progress in the path of
perfection and after that, not to be able to endure
;
being thought feeble by others, is it not to be really

so in a high degree ?
This feebleness is much more insufferable in spi
ritual than in bodily things and nevertheless it is
;
unfortunately most indulged in by spiritual persons,

who would be saints all at once, without choosing to
be at the expense even of the sufferings caused by
those conflicts which the inferior part of the soul
sustains from things painful to nature : however,
whether we choose it or not, we must needs have the
courage to suffer, in resisting these efforts all the days
of our life, unless we wish to renounce the perfection
which we have undertaken.
CHAPTER VI.
HOW WE MUST DESTROY THE OLD ADAM.
You ask me, How am I to destroy the old Adam ?

How ? By punctual obedience to your rules. I
assure you, on the part of God, that if you are faith
ful to do what they teach you, you will obtain the
victory. Observe, I say, to do
"
because we do;"
not acquire perfection by sitting with our arms

folded it is necessary to labour with one s whole
;
heart at conquering oneself, and to live according to

reason, according to the rule, and according to obe
dience ; and not according to the inclinations which
we have brought with us from the world.
Religion tolerates our bringing with us our bad
habits, passions, humours, and inclinations, but not
that we should according to their dictates.
live She
gives us rules to serve as presses to our hearts, and
to wring out from thence whatever is
contrary to God.
Live, then, courageously according to those rules.
But some sister will say to me, How can I do
"
that? I have not got the spirit of the rule." Cer

tainly, I can easily suppose so. That is a thing which
one does not bring with one out of the world into
religion. The spirit of the rule is acquired by faith
fully practising the rule. I say the same to you of
holy humility and sweetness. God will infallibly give
it to us, provided that we have a good heart, and
do all in our power to acquire it. Blessed shall we
be, if, a quarter of an hour before our death, we find
ourselves clothed in that robe. The whole of our
life will be well
employed if we occupy ourselves
in first sewing on one piece to it, and then another ;
for this holy habit is not made out of one piece only
it is
requisite that it should have many.
You perhaps think that perfection is to be found
ready-made, and that you only require to put it on,
as you would put on a garment ; but it is not so ; it
is necessary to make it
yourself, and to clothe your
self with it.
You tell me that our sisters the postulants have a
good will, but that they feel their passions so strong,
that they are greatly afraid of yielding to them.
Courage, my dear daughters I have often said to
:
you that religion is a school where a lesson is being

learnt ; the master does not always insist that his
WE MUST DESTROY THE OLD ADAM. 121
scholars shall know their lesson without

any mistake.
Those who are learning to fence often fall ; and in
the same way do those who are learning to ride on
horseback; but they do not for all that think them
selves beaten. For it is one thing to fail sometimes,
and another thing to be absolutely beaten. Because
I am
your passions make head sometimes, you say :
not fit for religion. Oh, no for religion does not

!
esteem it a great triumph to fashion a spirit ready-

made, a sweet and tranquil soul but she reckons it
;
of great price to reduce under the dominion of virtue

souls strong in their inclinations ; for if these souls
are faithful, they will outstrip the others, acquiring,
as it were, at the sword s point of the spirit, what the
others have without difficulty.
It is not required of you to be without passions,
that is not in your power ; and God wills that you
shall feelthem up to the time of your death, for your
greater merit ; nor is it even required that your pas
sions should be not very strong, for that would be to
say that a soul which has bad habits would not be fit
for God s service in which the world deceives itself,
;
for God rejects nothing of that which is free from

malice. Wherein, I beseech you, is a person faulty
for being of this or that temperament, subject to this
or that passion ? All consists in the acts which we
do by the movement of our will, sin being so volun
without our consent there is no sin.
tary, that
If happens, then, that I am surprised by anger,
it
I
say to Away, begone; burst thyself if thou wilt;
it :
I will do nothing in thy favour, not even utter a

word according to thy impulse. God has left this
power in our hands otherwise, to demand of us
;
perfection, would be to oblige us to an impossibility,

and consequently to make an unjust demand, which
cannot be found in God.
You are happy, my deardaughters, at the expense

of us who are in the world. When we ask the road,
one says to us, It is on the right; another says, It
is on the left ; and in the end they most generally
deceive us but as for you, you have only to allow
;
yourself to be carried along, following faithfully your

rules, and you will arrive happily at God.
You tell me that our sisters say It is good to go :
by the rules but that is the general way ; God draws

;
us by particular attraits ; each has his own, we are

not all drawn by the same road. They are right in
saying so, and it is true but : it is also true, that if
this attrait comes from God, it will doubtless conduct

them to obedience. It does not belong to us inferiors
attraits ; that is the duty
to judge of our particular
of superiors ; and for that end, particular direction
isordered. Be faithful to it, and you will reap from
thence the fruits of benediction. If you do what
you are told to do,you will be very happy, you will

live contented, and you will experience, even in this
world, the favours of Paradise, at least by little
snatches.
CHAPTER VII.
OF MISTRUST IN OURSELVES, AND OF OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMIES.
Do you perceive it often happens, that when we

think we are entirely rid of the old enemies over whom
we have formerly gained the victory, we see them
come on a side where we expected them the least?
Alas, that wisest man in the world, Solomon, who
had done such marvels in his youth, and felt him
self fully assured in his long habit of virtue, and in
the confidence of the years he had gone through,
when he seemed out of the reach of danger, he was
surprised by the very enemy whom, in the ordinary
course of things, he had the least reason to fear.
OF MISTRUST IN OURSELVES. 123
This was to teach us two important lessons the :
one, that we ought always to mistrust ourselves, walk

with a holy fear, ask continually the assistance of
Heaven, live in a humble devotion ; the other, that
our enemies may be repelled, but not killed. They
leave us sometimes at peace, but it is to make a
stronger fight against us.
But notwithstanding all this, you must in nowise
be discouraged ; but on the contrary, with a peaceful
courage, take time and pains to cure your soul of the
evil which it may have sustained from these assaults,
humbling yourself profoundly before our Lord, and

by no means being astonished at your misery. Cer
tainly it would be a thing worthy of astonishment, if
we were not subject to these assaults and miseries.
These little shocks make us return unto ourselves,
consider our fragility, and have recourse more ear
nestly to our Protector. St. Peter walked with great
confidence on the waters, the wind arose, and the
waves seemed to be swallowing him up ; then he cried,
Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus, stretching forth
His hand, took hold of him, and said to him: thou of
little faith, why didst thou doubt ?
(St. Matt. xiv. 30,
31.) It is amidst the troubles of our passions, the
winds and storms of temptation, that we call upon
the Saviour ; for He never suffers us to be disturbed,
but to incite us to call upon Him more fervently.
Lastly, do not distress yourself, or at least do not
trouble yourself at having been troubled. Do not
agitate yourself at having been agitated. Do not dis
quiet yourself at having been disquieted by these dis
tressing passions ; but take heart again, and place
your heart sweetly in the hands of our Lord, entreat
ing Him to heal it ; and on your side do all that you
can, by the renewal of your resolutions, by the read
ing of books adapted to effect this cure, and by other
suitable means and in this way you will gain much

;
by your loss, and you will become the more whole

by
your sickness.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIPS.
I at length received the news which this good

daughter whom you know sent me concerning the
little
disappointment she had had in the spiritual
friendship of the person to whom she had given her
confidence. Do not let her be at all astonished at
this inconvenience ; for it is only the soil and rust
which is wont to grow in the human heart on the
most pure and sincere affections, if we do not take
good heed against it.
Do we not see that the vines which produce the
best fruit are the most subject to superfluities, and
most require to be pruned and clipped ? Such is
friendship, even spiritual friendship. But there is this
also to be observed, that it is necessary that the hand
of the vine-dresser who prunes them be the more de
licate, in proportion to the slenderness and delicacy
of the superfluities which grow there, which at their
beginning one could hardly see, unless one rubbed
one s eyes and looked very attentively. It is no won
der, then, if we are deceived in this.
But that daughter ought to bless God that this
disappointment has happened to her in the commence
ment of her devotion for it is an evident sign that
;
His Divine Majesty wishes to conduct her by His

hand, and to make her, by means of escaping this
danger, wise and prudent to avoid many other such.
God, how rare it is to see fire without smoke !
although, indeed, the fire of celestial love has none,

whilst it remains pure ; still, when it begins to inter-
OF HUMILITY. 125
meddle with other objects, it also begins to contract

the smoke of disquietude, of irregularities, and of un
ruly movements of the heart. But God be praised
that all is well settled and in a good state.
of the friendships which Hea
It is a characteristic
ven forms in us, that they never perish, any more than
the source from which they have issued dries up and ;
that presence does not nourish them, any more than

absence makes them languish or come to an end, be
cause their foundation is every where, which is God
Himself.
For the rest, there was no harm in mentioning it
in such a way that it would be understood who was
alluded to, since it was impossible to tell it in any
other way and the discreet adviser of souls never
;
finds any thing strange, but receives every thing with

charity, compassionates every thing, and knows well
that the mind of man is subject to vanity and dis
order, except it be by a special assistance of the
Truth.
It
only remains for me to tell you, that the most
assured path of devotion is that which is at the foot
of the cross, that of humility, of simplicity, of sweet
ness of heart. May God be ever in your heart !
CHAPTER IX.
OF HUMILITY.
What is Is it the
humility ?
knowledge of our
misery and poverty Yes, says St. Bernard ; but that
?
is human
humility. What, then, is Christian humility ?
It is the love of this
poverty and lowliness, in con
sideration of that of our Lord.
Know that thou art a creature, poor and little.
Love to be such; glory in being nothing; be well
content therewith, since thy misery serves for an
126 DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES
object to God s goodness on which to exercise His

mercy.
Among the poor, those who are the most miser
able, and whose wounds are the sorest and most piti
able, consider that they are the best poor, and the
fittest to attract alms. We are nothing but poor peo
ple, the most miserable are of the best condition, and
the mercy of God looks on them the most willingly.
Let us humble ourselves, I beseech you, and let
us preach nothing but our wounds at the gate of the
temple of Divine goodness. But remember to preach
them joyfully, consoling yourself at being altogether
empty, that God may satisfy you with His kingdom.
Be sweet and affable to every one, except to those who
would rob you of your glory, which is your misery. /
glory in my infirmities, says the Apostle. (2 Cor. xii. 9.)
And to me to die is gain (Phil. i. 21), rather than
to lose my glory. Do you see he preferred rather to
die than lose his infirmities,which are his glory ?
You must take good care of your misery, your
lowliness ; for God takes care of it, as He did of that
of the Holy Virgin. (St. Luke i. 48.) Man seeth those
things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.
(1 Kings xvi. 7.) If He sees our lowliness in our
heart, He will give us great graces.
This humility preserves chastity. This is
why
in the Canticles that beautiful soul is called the lily
of the valleys. (Cant. ii. 1 .) Keep yourself therefore
cheerfully humble before God, but keep yourself
equally cheerful and humble before the world. Be
very content if the world makes no account of you.
If it values you, cheerfully ridicule it, and laugh at
its
judgment, and at your misery which it accepts ;
does not value you, comfort yourself cheerfully

if it
on the ground that at least in this instance the world
follows the truth.
OF THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY. 127
As to
your exterior, do not affect visible humility,
but also do not avoid it. Embrace it, but always
cheerfully. I approve of your sometimes humbling
yourself to lowly services, even for inferiors and proud

persons, for the sick and poor, for those about you in
the house and out of it ; but always do this with sim
plicity and cheerfulness. Offices of a humble kind,
and belonging to exterior humility, are only the shell,
but the s hell preserves the fruit.
CHAPTER X.
OF THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY.
To understand what is meant

by the spirit of
humility, necessary to know that, as there is a
it is
difference between pride, the habit of pride, and the

spirit of pride, there is also a difference between humi
lity, the habit of humility, and the spirit of humility.
If you do an act of pride, there is pride. If you
do such acts on every occasion, and wherever you
go, there is the habit of pride. If you take pleasure
in those acts, and are on the look-out for them, there
is the spirit of pride.
In the same way, if you do an act of humility,
there is humility. If you do acts of
humility on all
occasions, and wherever you go, there is the habit of
humility. If you take pleasure in humiliation, and
are on the look-out for abjection in
every thing, there
is the spirit of
humility.
It is therefore not sufficient, in order to have the
spirit of humility, to do some acts of humility, nor
even to do such often; it is further
necessary, in all
that we
do, say, or desire, that our principal end
should be to humble and abase ourselves, and that
we should take pleasure in humiliation, and seek for
abjection in all things.
It is a good practice of humility, never to look

upon the actions of our neighbours, except to remark
the virtues that are in them, but never their imper
fections ; for so long as we are not in charge of
them, we must never turn our eyes, and still less
our attention, on that side.
We must always put the best construction that
we can upon what we see our neighbour do. In
doubtful matters, we ought to persuade ourselves
that what we noticed is not bad, but that it is our
imperfections that cause such a thought to arise in
our minds ; that thus we may avoid rash judgments,
which are a very dangerous evil, and for which we
ought to have a sovereign detestation. In cases
clearly wrong, we ought to have compassion for our
neighbour, and humble ourselves for his defects as
if they were our own, and pray God for his amend
ment with the same heart we should for our own,
were we subject to the same defects.
But what can we do, you say, to acquire this
spirit of humility ?
is no other
Oh, there way but frequent repetition
of Humility makes us annihilate ourselves
its acts.
in all those things which are not necessary for our
advancement in grace, such as good speaking, noble
mien, great talents for the management of affairs, a
great spirit of eloquence, and the like for in these
;
exterior things we ought to desire that others should

succeed better than ourselves.
CHAPTER XI.
OF ABJECTION.
Love your abjection. But, say you, what means

this,Love your abjection ? for I but faintly com
prehend it. Well, then, it is this. If you remain
OF ABJECTION. 129
humble, tranquil, sweet, full of confidence in the

midst of this obscurity ;
if you do not make your
self impatient, or trouble yourself for
all this, but
with a good heart do not say gaily, but I do say
I
freely and firmly embrace this cross, and remain

under these clouds, you will love your abjection.
For what else is it to be abject but to be in ob
scurity? Love to be so for the love of Him who
wishes you to be so, and you will love your own
abjection. In Latin, abjection is called humility, and
humility is called abjection ; so that, when our Lady
says, Because He hath regarded the humility of His
handmaid (St. Luke i. 48), she means to say, Because
He hath had regard to my abjection and vileness.
Nevertheless there is some difference between the
virtue of humility and of abjection because humility
;
is the admission of one s

abjection. Now the high
est degree of humility is not only to admit one s
abjection, but to love it and it was to this that I

;
exhorted you.
In order that I may make myself better under
stood, know that, among the evils that we suffer,
there are some which are abject, and others which
are honourable. Many accommodate themselves to
honourable few to abject ones. For example
evils ; :
Behold a Capuchin, all in rags and exposed to the

cold; every one honours his ragged habit, and com
passionates him in the cold. Behold a poor artisan,
a poor widow, a poor scholar, who is situated in the
same way people scorn them, and their poverty is
:
abject. A religious will suffer patiently the censure

of his superior, and every one will call that morti
fication and obedience. A
gentleman will suffer as
much for the love of God, and people will call it
weakness and a want of courage. Behold an abject
virtue, and a despised suffering. Behold a man who
has a cancer in his arm, another has one in his face :
the former conceals it, and has only the evil the ;
latter cannot conceal it, and, together with the evil,

he has the contempt and the abjection. Now I say
that we must not only love the evil, but also the ab
jection.
More than this ;
there are abject virtues, and
there are honourable virtues. Generally speaking,
patience, sweetness, mortification, simplicity among
are abject virtues ; to give
people of the world, these
alms, to be affable, gracious, and prudent, are
hon
ourable virtues.
There are some actions belonging to the same
virtue which are abject, and others which are hon
ourable. To give alms and to pardon offences are
actions of charity the first is honourable, and the
:
other is abject, in the eyes of the world. I am ill,
and amongst people who get tired of me behold :
evil of sickness. Young ladies

abjection joined to the
of the world, seeing me in the habit of a true widow,
say that I am affecting to
be devout ; and seeing me
smile, however modestly, they say that I would
still
be after that nobody can suppose that I do

sought ;
not wish for more honour and consequence than

I have, or that my love for my vocation is unmixed
with regret. All these are morsels of abjection to :
love all this, is to love one s own abjection.

Behold another instance of the same kind. We
are going, my sisters and I, to visit the sick. My
sisters send me to visit those who are the most mise
rable objects : behold an abjection according to the
world. They send me to visit the less miserable ob
behold an to God for this,
jects :
abjection according ;
the latter visit, is, in the eyes of God, the less worthy
of the two, and the former in the eyes of the world.
Now I will love both the one and other when it shall
OF ABJECTION. 131
fall to my lot. Going to the most miserable, I will

say : It is well said that I am abased. Going to the
less miserable :
; for I have not merit
It is well said
sufficient to make
a more holy visit.
I make some mistakes ; it renders me
abject
that is good. I fall into uncontrolled
anger ; I am
grieved for having offended God, and very glad that
this proclaims me to be vile, abject, and miserable.
Nevertheless, take good heed to what I am about
to say to you. Although we love the abjection which
follows from the evil, we ought not for that reason
to give up attempting to remedy the evil. I will do
what I can not to have a cancer in my face ; but if
I have one, I will love the and in
abjection of it :
matters of sin we must adhere to this rule still more

I have been
strongly. irregular in this or that; I
am grieved at it, although I embrace with a good
heart the abjection which arises from it ; and if one
could be separated from the other, I would cherish
dearly the abjection, and drive away the evil and the
sin. Further, we must have regard to charity, which
sometimes requires us to remove abjection for the
edification of our neighbour but in this case we ;
must remove it from the eyes of our neighbour, who

would be scandalised by it, but not from our heart,
which would be edified by it.
Lastly, you wish to know what are the best kinds
of abjection. I say to
you that they are those which
we have not chosen, and which are least agreeable to
us or, to express it better, those for which we have
;
not much inclination but, to speak ;

precisely, those
of our vocation and profession ; as, for example, this
married woman would
choose any other sort of ab
jection except thatwhich is attached to her state of
life ; that would obey any one else rather
religious
than her superioress and for myself, I would rather
;
be reprimanded by a superioress in religion than by

a father-in-law in my house. I say that to each per
son his own abjection is the best, and our choice
takes from us a great part of our virtues. Who will
to love our abjection well? No
give to us the grace
one can give it to us, but He who loved His own so
well, that to preserve it He chose to die.
CHAPTER XII.
OF AFFLICTIONS.
Oh, how precious are those stones which seem

so hard All the palaces of the heavenly Jerusa
!
lem, so shining, so beautiful, so lovely, are made of

these materials, at least in the mansions set apart for
mankind ; for in those of the angels, the buildings
are indeed of another sort, but not of a material so
excellent. And if envy could reign in the kingdom
of eternal love, the angels would envy mankind two
excellences, which consist in two sorts of suffering
:
the one is that which our Saviour endured on the

cross for us, and not for them, at least so entirely ;
the other is that which men endure for our Lord :

the suffering of God for man, and the suffering of
man for God.
you cannot make long prayers in
If infir
your
mities, turn infirmities themselves into a prayer,
your
by offering them to Him who hath so loved your
infirmities, that in the day of His espousals, and
in
the day of the joy of His heart, as the Spouse saith,

He willcrown Himself and glorify Himself with
them. (Cant. iii. 11.) We must leave to our sweet
Lord that most loving disposal, with which He often
bestows on us more good through labours and afflic
tions than through happiness and consolation.
You are surrounded with crosses. Now holy love
OF AFFLICTIONS. 133
will teach you that, in imitation of the great Lover,
you must be on the cross as though unworthy to

suffer any thing for Him who endured so much for
us, and with patience, so as not to come down from
the cross till after your death, if it so pleases the
eternal Father.
Here are indeed many fires. The fever, like a
fire, scorches your body ; the fire, like a fever, burns
your house. But I hope that the fire of heavenly

love will so occupy your heart, that on all these
occasions you will say, The Lord gave me rny health
and my house ; the Lord has taken away my health
and my house as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it
:
done ; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job i. 21.)

But impoverishes and greatly incommodes
this
us, it is But blessed are the poor in spirit, for
true.
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (St. Matt. v. 3.)
You ought to have before your eyes the sufferings
and the patience of Job, and look at that great prince
seated on the dunghill. He had patience, and God
at last gave him twice as much as he had before of
temporal goods, and of eternal goods an hundred
fold. (Job xlii. 10.)
You are a daughter of Jesus Christ crucified.
Well, then, how strange it would be if you did not
in His cross / was dumb, said David, and
!
?artake
opened not my mouth, because Thou hast done it.
(Ps. xxxviii. 10.)
Oh, by how many painful occurrences do we
pass on to that holy eternity Cast your confidence
!
and your thoughts wholly on God He will take

:
care of you, and will extend to you His favourable

hand.
CHAPTER XIII.
It is the truth, that nothing can give us a deeper
tranquillity in this world,

than frequently to look
our Lord in all the afflictions which came upon
upon
Him from His birth until His death ; for we shall
there see so much scorn, calumny, poverty, nee-d,
abjection, pains, torments, injuries,
and all sorts of
bitterness, that, in comparison with it, we
find out
that we were wrong in calling by the name of afflic
tion, pain, and contradiction, those little accidents
which happen to us, and in desiring patience for such
a trifling matter, since one little drop of modesty should
amply suffice to support that which happens
to us.
A heart which values and greatly loves Jesus
Christ crucified, loves His death, His pains, His tor
ments, His spittings, His insults, His hungerings,
His thirstings, His ignominies and when such a
;
heart happens to have some little participation in

all these things, it trembles with joy on that account,
and lovingly embraces them.
You ought, therefore, every day, not merely in
meditation, but as you walk abroad, to take a view
of our Saviour amidst the pains of our redemption,
and consider what a happiness it will be for you to
partake in them ; to consider on what
occasion this
be that is to say, to consider
blessing may obtained,
what contradictions you can have in all your desires,
but above all, in those which shall seem to you the
most just and lawful and then, with a great love of
;
the cross and passion of our Lord, you ought to cry

out with St. Andrew : good cross ! so much be
"
loved by my Saviour, when wilt thou receive me

within thine arms ?"
OF AFFLICTIONS. 135
Do you not see that we are over-delicate in calling
by the name of poverty a state in which we have nei

ther hunger, nor cold, nor ignominies, but only some
obstacles in our designs.
little
Form well in your mind the idea of eternity, on
which whoever frequently thinks, troubles himself
very little about what happens in these three or four
moments of mortal life.
Whata grace, to be not only under the cross, but
on the cross, and at least a little crucified with our
Lord! Be of good courage, and convert necessity
into virtue ; and do not lose the opportunity of well
shewing forth your love towards God in the midst of
tribulations, as He will shew forth His towards us in
the midst of thorns.
Do
not in any wise be astonished if you do not
yet see much
progress either in your spiritual or your
temporal affairs. God has concealed in the secret of
His Providence the time in which He wills to hear
you, and the way in which He will hear you and ;
perhaps He will hear you excellently, by not hearing

you according to your thoughts, but according to
His own.
Abide in peace in the fatherly arms of that most
loving care which the heavenly Father and King has
and will have for you, since you are all for Him, and
no longer for yourself. Oh, how great a favour it is
when He keeps back and preserves His bounties for
life eternal !
This is such, that we must needs eat more

life
wormwood than honey but He for whom we have
;
resolved to maintain holy patience, in the face of all

opposition, will give us the consolation of His spirit
in its season. Do not lose your confidence, says the
Apostle, which hath a great reward. For patience is
necessary for you : that, doing the will of God, you may
receive the promise. For yet a little, and a very little

while, and He that is to come will come, and will not
delay. (Heb. x. 35-37.)
CHAPTER XIV.
The your sorrows touches me with com

recital of
passion ;
butclearly that the end of them will
I see
be happy, since our good God is making you profit
in His school, in which you are more watchful than
formerly.
Courage, let us go forwards ; let us go the whole
length of these lowly valleys let us live, cross in
;
hand, with humility and patience.

What matters it to us whether God speaks to us
among the thorns or among the flowers ? But I do
not remember that He has ever spoken among the
flowers, though I remember right well that He has
many times spoken among the deserts and briers.
Proceed then, and get over the ground in this
stormy and dark time and believe that the weather
;
is better fitted for the journey than if the sun was
pouring its ardent heat upon our heads.

God! be of good courage. Light is not in
our power, nor any other consolation except that
which depends on our will; which being sheltered
by the holy resolutions we have made, the great seal
of the heavenly chancery being on your heart, there
is
nothing to fear.
We have no recompense without victory, and no
victory without war. Take, therefore, courage, and
convert your pain, which is without remedy, into
matter of virtue. Often turn your eyes to our Lord,
Who looks upon you, and beholds you in the midst
WE MUST SUFFER WITH TRANQUILLITY. 137
of your labours and distractions. He sends you suc

cours, and blesses your afflictions.
You ought, on this consideration, patiently to
take and sweetly to bear the vexations which come
upon you, for the love of Him who only suffers this
exercise for your good.
Lift up, therefore, your heart often to God, ask
His aid, and make the happiness you derive from
being dependent on Him your principal basis of con
solation.
All subjects which pain you will be of slight im
portance, when you know that you have such a friend,
so great a support and so excellent a refuge.
Raise your head to heaven, and see that not one
of the mortals who are immortal there, arrived thi
ther except by continual afflictions and troubles. Say
often in the midst of your contradictions This is the:
way to heaven, I see the port, and I am assured that

the storms cannot hinder me from going thither.
Do not let us vex ourselves with our storms and
tempests, which sometimes trouble
our heart and take
away our tranquillity.
Let us mortify ourselves to the very depths of
our spirit and provided that our dear spirit of faith
;
is faithful, let us allow every thing to be overturned,

and live in confidence.
Although every thing died within us, provided

that God lives in us, what ought it to matter to us ?
Come, come, we are in a good road. Let us look
neither to the right hand nor to the left no, this is :
the best for us.
CHAPTER XV.
THAT WE MUST SUFFER IN TRANQUILLITY AND LOVE.
We ought above all things to secure our tran
quillity : not because it is the mother of contentment,
but because it is the

daughter of the love of God, and
of the resignation of our own will. The occasions
of practising it occur daily for we shall never want
;
contradictions in whatever place we are ; and if no

one offered them to us, we should make them for our
selves.
My God, how holy and pleasing to God we should

be, if we knew how to make good use of the opportu
nities of mortifying ourselves with which our vocation
furnishes us for they are greater without doubt than
!
amongst religious the misfortune

; is, that we do not
make them profitable as they do.
Manage yourself with great care whilst your pre
sent infirmity lasts do not trouble yourself to force
;
your mind to any exercise, except very gently. If you

get tired with kneeling, sit down. If you have not
sufficient power of attention to pray for half an hour,
I beg of
pray for a quarter only, or half a quarter.
you to put yourself into the presence of God, and to
bear your sorrows in His sight.
Do not restrain yourself when you would com
plain ; but I would have you do it to God with a
filial spirit, as a tender infant would do to its mother;
for provided that it is done lovingly, there is no dan
ger in complaining, nor in asking to be healed, nor
in changing place, nor in procuring comfort ; only
do all this with love and resignation in the arms of
the most holy will of God. Do not trouble yourself
about not making the acts of the different virtues
well ; for, as I have told you, they may be very good,
although made with languor, heaviness, and a kind
of compulsion. You can only give to God what you
have, and in this season of affliction you have no
other actions to offer Him.
Your Beloved is now to you a bundle of myrrh"
"
(Cant. i. 12) ; do not weary of clasping it to your

HOW THE SAINTS LOOKED UPON CROSSES. 139
breast :
My Beloved to me, and I to Him (ibid. ii.
16) :
He shall ever be in my heart. Isaias calls Him a

man of sorrows (liii. 3). He loves sorrows, and those
who have them. Do not trouble yourself to do much,
but dispose yourself to suffer with love what you have
to suffer. God will be propitious to you. Whether
we languish, or whether we live, we live unto the Lord ;
or whether we die, we die unto the Lord (Rom. xiv. 8),
and nothing shall be able to separate us from His holy
love (ibid. viii. 39), His grace assisting us. Never
shall our heart live but in Him and for Him. He
shall be for ever the God of our heart. (Ps. Ixxii. 26.)
CHAPTER XVI.
HOW THE SAINTS LOOKED UPON CROSSES.
where see crosses of all kinds

I go on this visit, I
at every corner. My flesh murmurs at them, but
my heart adores them. Yes, I salute you, little and

exterior or interior ;
great crosses, spiritual or bodily,
I salute you, and kiss your foot, unworthy of your
shadow.
May God sustain the feebleness of my shoulders,
and load them not save with a little, only to make me
know how poor a soldier I should be, if I saw the
armies before me.
Let us allow the enemy to growl and roar at the
gate, and all around us for God is in the midst of
;
us, and in our heart, from whence He will not move,

if it is pleasing to Him. Lord, stay with us, because
it is towards evening, and the day is far spent. (Luke
xxiv. 29.)
any thing more to you, either on the
I will not say
greatabandonment of all things and of ourselves for

God, or on the departure from our country and the
house of our parents. No, I will not speak of these
things. May God vouchsafe to enlighten us, and to

make us see His good pleasure for at the risk of all
;
that is in us, we will follow it in whatever place it

conducts us to. Oh, how good it is to be with Him,
in what place soever !
I think of the soul of the

good thief. Our Lord
had said to him that he should be that day with Him
in Paradise ; and his soul was no sooner
separated
from his body, than behold, He conducted it to hell.
Yes for it was to be with our Lord, and our Lord
;
descended to hell. It therefore went thither with

Him. True God, what must that soul have thought
in descending, and beholding those abysses before
its interior
eyes I think that it said with Job
! :
Who will grant me this, that Thou mayest protect me

in hell, and hide me till Thy wrath
pass, and appoint
me a time when Thou wilt remember me! (Job xiv. 13.)
And with David, / will fear no evils, for Thou art with
me. (Ps.xxii. 4.)
No, whilst our resolutions live, I will not trouble
myself. Whether we die, whether every thing be over
turned, matters not, provided that this holds firm.
it
The night is to us as the

day, when God is in
our heart and the day as the night, when He is not
;
there.
There is no occasion to mention in confession
those little thoughts which, like flies, pass and repass
before your eyes, nor the insipidities of taste you feel ;
for there is no sin in all this,
only annoyance and
inconvenience.
CHAPTER XVII.
OP THE REPOSE WHICH OUR HEARTS OUGHT TO HAVE IN THE
WILL OF GOT) IN THE MIDST OF AFFLICTIONS.
Since my return from thevisit, I felt some symp-
tcms of fever. Our physician would not order me any
OF REPOSE IN THE WILL OF GOD. 141
remedy except rest, and I obeyed him. You know

also that the remedy I willingly order is tranquillity,
and that I always forbid excitement. This is why, in
this bodily repose, Ihave thought of the spiritual
repose which our hearts ought to feel in the will of
God, whatever portion it assigns to us. Let us live
as long as it pleases God in this vale of miseries, with
an entire submission to His holy and sovereign will.
I thought the other day of what writers say concern
ing the halcyons, little birds which float on the waves

of the sea. It is that they make nests so round and
compact, that the water of the sea cannot penetrate

them only at the top is a small hole, through which
;
they can breathe. In these nests they lodge their

young, so that if the sea surprises them, they may
swim securely, and float on the waves without filling
or sinking; and the air which comes through the
hole serves as counterpoise, and so balances these
little balls or boats that they never overturn. Oh,
how I wish that our hearts were as compact, and
as well stopped on all sides, so that if the troubles
and tempests of the world seized them, they might
notwithstanding never penetrate them and that there
;
were no opening but on the side of heaven, to breathe

unto our Saviour ! And for whom would this nest
be made ? For the little ones of Him who made it
for the love of God, for divine and heavenly affec
tions. But whilst the halcyons build their nests,
and their young are still too tender to bear the dashing
of the waves, alas, God has care for them, and is
pitiful to them, hindering
the sea from seizing and
wafting them away. God and therefore this so
!
vereign goodness will secure the nest of our hearts

for His holy love against all the assaults of the world,
where He will defend us from being assailed. Oh,
how I love those birds which are surrounded with
waters, live only on the air, and see only the sky !
They swim like the fishes, and sing like birds ; and
what pleases me more is, that their anchor is thrown
on high and not beneath, to steady them against the
waves. May the sweet Jesus vouchsafe to make us
such, that, surrounded with the world and the flesh,
we may live in the spirit, that, among the vanities of
the earth, we may always look to heaven that, living
;
among men, we may always praise Him

with the an
gels and that the security of our hopes may always
;
be on high and in Paradise. Every where and in

every thing may holy love be our great love. Alas,
but when will it be that He shall consume us, and
when shall our life be consumed, that He may make
us die to ourselves and live again to our Saviour?
To Him alone be for ever honour, glory, and bene
diction since our inviolable purpose, and final and
;
invariable resolution, tends incessantly to the love of

God, words concerning the love of God are never out
of place.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OF FIRMNESS OF SPIRIT IN THE VARIOUS ACCIDENTS OF LIFE.
The want of this firmness is what leads us to

discouragement and disquietude, to caprice of spirit,
and to variety of humours, to inconstancy, to insta
bility in our resolutions; for we would meet in our
path with no difficulty, no contradiction, no pain;
we would always have consolations without disgusts,
goods without evils, health without sickness, rest with
out labour, and peace without trouble.
Who does not perceive our folly in this ? for we
would have what cannot be. It is only to be found
in Paradise, where are all
goods without admixture;
but in this world every thing is mixed up. Thus
OF FIRMNESS OF SPIRIT. 143
God has summer should be followed by
willed that
autumn, and winter by spring and for want of at
;
tending to this truth, we are moveable and changeable

in our humours and we do not follow
; reason, which
would render us firm and immoveable.
God, in creating our first father, not only made
him master of the brute creation, by the
gift which
He gave him of reason, but He moreover gave him a
full power over all the accidents of this
life, according
as it is written, the wise man, that is to
say, he who
conducts himself by reason, will overrule the stars
;
which means, that by the use of his reason, he will

remain firm and constant in the
diversity of the ac
cidents of this life.
Whether the day be fair or whether it rain, whe
ther the air calm or the wind blows, the wise man
is
is
by no means startled at it, knowing well, as he
does, that nothing is stable in this life, and that the
place of our rest is not here. In affliction he does
not despair, but he waits for consolation in sick ;
ness he does not harass himself, but he waits for

health or if he sees that he shall not be cured, he
;
blesses God, hoping for the rest of life

everlasting.
But if he falls into poverty, he does not afflict him
self beyond measure, knowing well that it is the
lot of this life he
;
if
despised, he has no exces
is
sive sadness on that account,
knowing well that in
this life honour
is
ordinarily followed by contempt.
Lastly, in all sorts of events, whether* prosperous
or adverse, he remains firm, stable, and constant in
the resolution of aiming at, and to, the
tending enjoy
ment of eternal goods.
CHAPTER XIX.
THAT WE MUST HAVE THIS SAME FIRMNESS IN WHAT REGARDS
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.
This firmness is so much the more necessary in

the spiritual life, as this life is elevated above the
bodily life. It is a very great mistake not to be
willing to suffer, or to feel changes in our humours,

so long as we do not govern ourselves by reason, and
will not allow ourselves to be governed.
Most people in the world allow themselves to be
governed and conducted by their passions, and not
by their reason and consequently they are generally
;
very changeable. If they feel an inclination to go to

bed early or late, they do so if to go into the coun
;
try, they rise early in the morning but if to sleep,

;
they follow their inclination in the same way. When

they wish to dine or to breakfast late or early, they
do so also and not only are they inconstant in this,
;
but they are inconstant in their daily life and con

versation. They wish that other people should ac
commodate themselves to their humours, but will
not do the like with regard to those of others they :
allow themselves to be carried away by their incli

nations and particular affections, without its being
considered among them as a fault.
This ought not to be so among persons who wish
to labour for their salvation. You say to-day that
you feel consolation, that you are thoroughly deter
mined to serve God and to-morrow that you do not
;
feel this consolation,

you have no heart for the ser
vice of God. But tell me, if you governed yourself by
reason, would you not see that if it was good to serve
God yesterday, it is also very good to serve Him to
day ? for He is
always the same God, as worthy of
FIRMNESS IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 145
being loved when you are not in consolation as

when you are. To-day I like a person better, and am
greatly pleased with his conversation, and to-morrow
I can scarcely endure him. What means this ? Is
he not as capable of being loved to-day as he was
yesterday? If we regarded the dictates of reason,
we should see that we ought to love this person be
cause he is a creature who bears the image of the
divine Majesty so shall we have as much pleasure
:
in his conversation to-day as we had yesterday.

All this comes from allowing oneself to be con
ducted by one s inclinations and affections, thus in
verting the order placed within us by God, who would

have every thing submitted to reason ; for if reason
does not rule over all our powers, nothing will be
seen in us but a continual vicissitude and inconstancy,
making us sometimes fervent, and then a while after
cowardly and lazy; sometimes joyous, and then sad ;
we shall be tranquil for an hour, and then disquieted

for a couple of days ; and thus our life will slip
away in unprofitableness and loss of time, whilst we
allow ourselves to be subject to unevenness of humour
amidst the unevenness of the circumstances which
occur instead of submitting ourselves to the guid
;
ance of that reason which God has placed in us, and

which would render us firm, constant, and invariable
in the resolution which we have made of
serving God
constantly, courageously, ardently, and without in
terruption.
CHAPTER XX.
EXAMPLE OF THIS FIRMNESS AFFORDED BY THE BLESSED
VIRGIN AND ST. JOSEPH.
man, says the great St. Chrysostom, why trou-

blestthou thyself for that all things do not turn out
as thou desirest ? Art thou not ashamed to see that
what thou wouldst have was not even found in the

family of our Lord ? Consider, I beseech thee, the
vicissitude, the changefulness, and the diversity of
the things that happened there.
The Blessed Virgin receives the tidings that she
was to conceive of the Holy Ghost a Son who should
be our Lord and Saviour : what joy for her in that
holy hour of the Incarnation of the Eternal Word !
A while after, St. Joseph perceives she was with

child. God what sorrow for her, beholding her
!
beloved spouse about to abandon her, whilst her hu

mility would not allow her to disclose the honour and
the grace which God had bestowed upon her !
A little after this storm had passed away, what

consolation did they not receive, when the Son of
God having come into the world, the angels pro
claim His birth, the shepherds and the wise men
come to adore Him !
But, a little time after, the
angel of the Lord comes to say in a dream to St.
Joseph Take the young Child and his Mother, and
:
for Herod will seek the young Child

fly into Egypt ;
to destroy Him. Oh, this was without doubt an occa
sion of very great sorrow to the Blessed Virgin and
St. Joseph.
In these various events, what constancy and what
firmness! They reply not a single word. Might
not St. Joseph have said, You tell me that I must
go ; will it not be time enough to-morrow morning?
Whither do you wish me to go to-night ? How
would you have me carry the Infant ? I have nei
ther provisions nor money for the journey: you
know that the Egyptians are enemies of the Israel
ites. Who will receive us? And similar things,
which we might easily have urged to the angel, had
we been in the place of St. Joseph, who did not say
one word to excuse himself from obedience, but de-
OF PATIENCE IN SICKNESS. 147
parted the same hour, and did every thing the angel
had commanded him.
The Blessed Virgin conducted herself on this oc
casion in the same manner as St. Joseph. For she
might have said to her spouse Wherefore should I
:
go into Egypt, since my Son has not revealed it to

me ? Even the angel did not speak to me of it. But
the holy Virgin kept silence on all this, and is not
in the least offended that the
angel had addressed
himself to St. Joseph on the
;
contrary, she obeys in
all
simplicity, because she knows that God has so
ordained it, and takes no thought :
"
But I am more
than an angel," she might have said, more than"
St. Joseph." There was nothing of all this.

Consider, then, whether we have reason to trouble
ourselves and to be astonished, if similar
things hap
pen to us, since the case was thus with the family of
our Lord, where firmness and
solidity made its very
abode, which was our Lord Himself. It is a rule
which we must say and re-say
many times, the better
to engrave it into our souls, that the
inequality of
accidents ought never to lead our minds and
spirits
to an inequality of humour for :
inequality of humour
arises from no other source than our
passions, incli
nations, or unmortified affections, which ought not
to have any power over us, when
they would lead us
to do or to leave undone
any thing contrary to that
which reason tells us we should do or leave undone
in order to please God.
CHAPTER XXI.
OF PATIENCE IN SICKNESSES AND INFIRMITIES.
Certainly, I see plainly you will henceforth have

to familiarise
yourself with sicknesses and infirmities
at this have reached.
declining time of life you
Lord Jesus, what true happiness for a soul dedi

cated to God, to be much exercised with tribulation
before it departs from this life How can one know
!
free and ardent love, save among thorns, crosses, and
languors, and above all, when the languors abide

long ? Thus our dear Saviour has shewn us His un
measured love by the measure of His labours and
sufferings.
Shew well your love to the Spouse of your heart
on the bed of sorrow for thereon, even before His
;
Incarnation, He fashioned your heart, as yet seeing

it
only in His divine design. Alas, this Saviour has
reckoned up all your sorrows, all your sufferings,
and has paid at the price of His own blood for all
the patience and all the love which is necessary for
you, in order to apply your labours in a holy manner
to His glory and your salvation.
Take comfort in the consideration that it is God
who sends you these crosses ; for nothing comes from
that divine hand except for the profit of the souls
that fear Him, either to purify them, or to confirm
them in His holy love.
Happy are you, if you receive with a heart of
filial love that which our Lord sends
you with a heart
of such fatherly care for your perfection.
Often look to the duration of eternity, and do
not trouble yourself with the accidents of the life of
this mortality.
If you have little of gold or incense to offer to
our Lord, you at least have myrrh and I perceive
;
that He accepts it with great favour, as if this fruit

of life wished to be preserved in the myrrh of bitter
ness, as well in its birth as in its death.
Jesus glorified is fair ; but although He is always
very good, it seems nevertheless as if He were more

so when crucified. In this way is He for this present
OF PATIENCE IN SICKNESS. 149
time your Spouse ;

in the future it will be His glori
fied Self.
On what occasions could we make the great acts
of the invariable union of our heart with the will of
God, of the mortification of our own love, and of the
love of our own abjection, if not on these ?
It is God who wills thus to exercise our heart.
It is not then a rigour, it is a sweetness. Let not
our will be done ; but let His all-holy will be done.
Let us be of good courage for, provided that
;
our heart be faithful to Him, He will not load us

above our strength, but will support our burden with
us, when He sees with what readiness we place our
shoulders to it. (Is. xl. 11.)
I have at heart your advancement in solid
piety ;
and this advancement has its difficulties, in order that
you may be exercised in the school of the cross, in
which alone our souls can perfect themselves. It is
not with spiritual rose-trees as with material ones.
In the latter, the thorns remain, and the roses pass
away ; in the former, the thorns will pass away, and
the roses will abide.
CHAPTER XXII.
I think that
you are ill of a complaint more trou
blesome than dangerous, and I know that such sick
nesses are apt to spoil the obedience due to
physi
cians ; which is the reason why I wish to tell
you
that you must spare neither rest, nor medicines, nor
food, nor the recreations which are ordered you.
You will in this practise a sort of obedience and re
signation, which will render you extremely pleasing

to our Lord. For behold, indeed, here is a number
of crosses and mortifications, which
you have not
chosen nor willed. God has given them to you with

His holy hand receive them, kiss them, love them.
;
My God they are all perfumed with the dignity of

!
the place from whence they come.

To God be the praise of the exercise which His
providence gives you by this affliction of sickness,
which will render you holy by means of His holy
grace; for you know that you will never be the
spouse of Jesus glorified, if you have not first been
the spouse of Jesus crucified and you will never en
;
joy the nuptial couch of His love triumphant, if you

have not felt the love afflicting of the couch of His
holy cross.
I assure you that I would willingly bear in my
body, as I bear in my heart, all the pains you shall
suffer in your illness ; but not being able thus to get
rid of them, embrace in a holy manner these little
mortifications, receive these humiliations in the spirit

of resignation, and, if possible, of indifference. Ac
commodate your imagination to reason, your natural
feeling to understanding ; and love this will of God
in these cases, disagreeable in themselves, as if that
will were exhibited in cases the most agreeable to you.
You do not receive the remedies by your own
choice or from a liking for them it is therefore
:
by
obedience and by reason. Can any thing be so pleas
ing to the Saviour ? But there is humiliation ; and
so many Saints have suffered the like as a cross.
cross ! thou art lovely, since neither sense nor nature
loves thee, but only the superior reason.
My heart salutes yours filially, and more than
filially, beyond
all comparison. Be like the dove,
simple, sweet, and amiable, without reply and with
out deceit. May God bless you, and ever may our
hearts be in Him and for Him. Do not occupy your
mind with business, but receive humbly and sweetly
OF PATIENCE UNDER HEADACHE. 151
the little indulgences your infirmity requires. Live,

Jesus and Mary !
CHAPTER XXIII.
OF PATIENCE WHEN SUFFERING FROM HEADACHE.

Let us lay aside meditation for a little, by reason
of your headache, and let us practise well that holy
resignation and that courageous love of our Saviour,
which is never practised so completely as amidst tor
ments.
For to love God in sugared sweetness, little chil
dren could easily do as much ; but to love Him in
wormwood, there is the trial of our loving fidelity.
To say Live, Jesus on Thabor, St. Peter, rough
"
!"
as he was, had easily the courage; but to say

"
Live,
Jesus!" on
Calvary, that belongs only to the Mother
and to the beloved disciple, who was left to her as
her son.
But observe that I recommend you to God to ob
tain for you this holy patience ; and it is not in my
power to propose to Him any thing for you, except
that He altogether at His will fashion your heart, to
dwell there and to reign there eternally that He ;
fashion it, I say, either with the hammer or the

chisel or the brush it is with Him to use them
:
according to His pleasure.

I know
that your sufferings have lately increased,
and in thesame measure my sympathy for you, al
though with you I praise and bless our Lord for His
good pleasure which He exercises in you, making you
participate in His holy cross, and crowning you with
His crown of thorns.
But, you tell me, you can scarcely keep your
thoughts fixed on the woes which our Saviour suf
fered for you, whilst the pain is at its worst. Well
then, it is not necessary that you should do so, but

that with all simplicity you should raise your heart
as often as you can to this Saviour, and make the
following acts :
1Accept this pain from His hand, as if you saw

.
Himself imposing it on you, and fixing it on your

head 2. Offer yourself to suffer yet more of it 3.
: :
Entreat of Him, by the merit of His torments, to

accept of these little inconveniences in union with
His sufferings on the cross 4. Protest that you not
:
only love to suffer, but love and caress these evils,

as sent by so good and kind a hand :5 Invoke the
.
martyrs and those many servants of God, men and

women, who enjoy heaven for having been afflicted
in this world.
is no danger in desiring a remedy
There on the
;
you ought diligently to seek for one for

contrary, :
God, who has given you the affliction, is also the

author of remedies.
You must then apply them but with such resig
;
nation, that if His Divine Majesty wills that the dis

ease be subdued, you acquiesce in that if He wills
:
that the remedy fail, you bless Him for it.

My God! how happy you will be, if you continue
to hold yourself under God s hand, humbly, sweetly,
and submissively.
Ah I hope that this affliction of your head will
!
do great good to your heart. It is now more than

ever, and by an excellent token, that you are enabled
to shew to our sweet Saviour that it is with all your
affection that you have said, and continue to say,
Live, Jesus !
Live, Jesus ! and may He reign amidst our sor
rows, since we cannot reign or live except by those
of His death.
OP PATIENCE UNDER HEADACHE. 153
CHAPTER XXIV.
If God has rendered you stronger and more

valiant in supporting your adversities, to His good
ness be the glory, which is ever ready to receive those
souls who hope in Him.
Hope, then, always in Him and in order to hope
;
in Him, be always with Him. Often sacrifice your

heart to His love, even on the altar of the cross, on
which He sacrificed His for the love of you. The
cross is the royal gate by which to enter into the
temple of holiness. He who seeks for it in another
way will never find a fraction of it.
I will not
say to you that you must not regard
your your spirit, which is ready
afflictions at all; for
with would say to me that they oblige you
replies,
to regard them by the severity of the pain which
they give you but I will plainly tell you that you
:
must not regard them except through the medium of

the cross, and you will find them either little, or at
least so pleasing that you will love to suffer them,
rather than enjoy consolation apart from them.
all
And calling to mind that outward cross which you
carry on your heart, I say to you Love well your
:
cross ; for it is all of gold, if you regard it with your

eyes of love : and although on the one side you see
the love of your heart dead and crucified amidst nails
and thorns, you will find on the other an assemblage
of precious stones to compose the crown of glory
which awaits you, if you meanwhile lovingly carry
that crown of thorns with your King, who has willed
to suffer so much to enter into His felicity.
May our dear crucified Jesus rest, then, for ever
on your heart. Yes, for the nails are more desirable
than the thorns than roses.

violets, and My God !
how you should be holy, and all odori

I desire that
ferous with the perfumes of our dear Saviour !
The Our Father which you say for your headache
is not forbidden but, my God! no, I could not have
;
the courage to pray of our Lord, by the thorns which

wounded His brow, that in my head I should suffer
no pain at all. Did He endure in order that we
might not endure at all? St. Catharine of Sienna,
seeing that her Saviour presented two crowns to her,
one of gold, the other of thorns, said Oh I would: !
have the crown of suffering for this world the other ;
shall be for heaven. I would wish to employ the
crowning of our Lord to obtain a crown of patience

for the pains of headache which I suffer.
Live wholly among the thorns of the Saviour s
crown, and say always, Live, Jesus The thorns are
!
wonderfully painful to flesh and blood but the re ;
pugnance which you feel does not at all shew any

deficiency in love. For I imagine, if we thought He
would love us the more for it, we would submit even
to be flayed alive, not indeed without repugnance,
but in spite of repugnance.
You know that the fire which Moses saw on the
mountain typified this holy love and as its flames
;
fed themselves amidst the thorns, so the exercise

of divine love maintains itself much more happily
amidst tribulations than amidst comfort. You have,
then, an excellent opportunity of perceiving that our
Lord desires that you should make progress in His
love, since He gives you an uncertain state of health,
and many other trials. My God how sweet a thing
!
it is to see our Lord crowned with thorns on the cross,
and with glory in heaven for this encourages us to

:
receive contradictions lovingly, knowing well that by

the crown of thorns we shall arrive at the crown of
PATIENCE UNDER PAINFUL OPERATIONS. 155
felicity.Keep yourself always close to our Lord,

and you cannot have any evil which will not turn to
some good.
CHAPTER XXV.
OF PATIENCE UNDER PAINFUL OPERATIONS.
Our Lord wishes to give you His Holy Spirit, to

do and to suffer all things according to His holy will.
You tell me that incisions are to be made in your
leg: this will no doubt give you extreme torture.
But, my God what an opportunity does not His
!
goodness give you of trial in these commandments !
Oh, take courage; we are in the service of Jesus

Christ. He is sending us His livery. Think that
the iron which makes the incisions in your
leg is one
of the nails which pierced the feet of our Lord.
Oh, what an honour He chose these favours
!
for Himself, and cherished them so much that He

carried them into Paradise, and behold He
gives you
a share in them. But you tell me that you cannot
serve God on this bed of torture; and I to reply
you : When was itLord rendered the great
that our
est service to His Father ? Doubtless, when He was
stretched on the tree of the cross,
having His hands
and feet pierced. There was His greatest act of ser
vice.
And how did He serve Him ? By suffering and
sacrifice. These sufferings were an odour of sweet
ness to His Father. Behold, then, the service you
shall render to God
upon your bed you shall suffer,
:
and offer your sufferings to His majesty. He will

doubtless be with you in this tribulation, and will
console you.
Here has your cross come in sight embrace ; it,
and welcome it for the love of Him who sends it to
you. David in his affliction said to God / was dumb,
:
and I opened not my mouth, because Thou hast done it

(Ps. xxxviii. 10) as though he should say: If another
;
than Thou, my God, had sent me this affliction, I

would not love it, I should reject it but since it is
;
Thou, I say not a word more, I accept it, I receive

it, I honour it.
But here is a precious balm to soothe your woes.
Take each day a drop or two of that blood which
trickles from the wounds of the feet of our Lord ;
meditate on them ; and in your imagination dip reve

rently your finger in that blood, and apply it to your
sore, with the invocation of the sweet name of Jesus,
and you will see that your pain will dimmish.
The obedience which you shall render to the
physician will be very pleasing to God, and will be

reckoned at the day of judgment.
Whilst you lie in pain on your bed, I will regard
you with particular reverence and extraordinary hon
our, as a person visited by God, habited in His robes,
and as His special spouse.
When our Lord was on the cross, He was declared
King, even by His enemies and the souls which are
;
on crosses are declared queens.

St. Paul, who had been in heaven and amidst the
felicities of Paradise (2 Cor. xii.
4), regards himself
as happy only in his infirmities and in the cross of
our Lord. (Gal. vi. 14.)
When the incisions are made in your leg, say with
the same Apostle : From henceforth let no man be
troublesome to me ; for I bear the marks of the Lord
Jesus in my body. (Ibid. 17.)
leg, which well employed, will carry you fur
ther towards heaven than if it were the soundest limb
in the world! Paradise is a mountain, which is easier
ascended by broken and wounded legs than by those
sound and whole.
ASK FOB NOTHING, REFUSE NOTHING. 157
It is not good to have Mass said in your chamber ;

adore our Lord at the altar from your bed, and be
content. Daniel not being able to go to the temple,
turned himself towards it to adore God. Do you the
same. (Dan. vi. 10.) But I decidedly recommend
you to receive holy communion in your bed on all
Sundays and greater festivals, as often as the physi
cians allow you. Our Lord will willingly visit you
on the bed of affliction.
May God be eternally blessed and glorified through
you, in you, and by you.
beg of you to have the goodness to cause a good
I
work to be recommended to God which I am anxious
to see accomplished, and above all to recommend it
yourself during your sufferings for at such times

:
your prayers, although short and ejaculatory, will be

wonderfully well received. Ask of God at the same
time to grant you the virtues which are most neces
sary for you.
CHAPTER XXVI.
ON THE MAXIM ASK FOB NOTHING, AND REFUSE NOTHING.
I was speaking one day to an excellent religious,

who asked me whether, supposing she wished to re
ceive holy communion oftener than the community
did, she might ask permission of the superioress to
do so.
I replied to her, that if I were a religious, I think
I should conduct myself as follows I would never:
ask to communicate oftener than the community nor ;
would I ask to wear the hair-shirt or the cincture, or

to use extraordinary fasts or disciplines, or any thing
else I would be content with following the commu
:
nity in every thing. If I were strong, I would not

eat four times a day but if I were ordered to do so,
;
I would obey, and say nothing. If I were in weak

health, and were ordered notwithstanding to eat only
once a day, I would eat only once a day, without
thinking whether I was in weak health or not.
I wish for little what I do wish for, I wish very
;
little for. I have scarcely any desires for what regards

this world but if I were to be born again, I would
;
not wish to have any of them at all. If God came to

me by consolations, I would also go to Him but if ;
it were His will not to come to me

by consolations, I
would acquiesce, and would not go to Him to press
Him to give me them ; for He knows better than I
what necessary for me.
is
I say, then, that one ought to ask for nothing,
and refuse nothing ; but leave oneself in the hands
of divine Providence, without amusing oneself with
any desire, except to wish for that which God wishes
of us.
You ask me if one ought not to desire virtues; and
you tell me that our Lord has said
Ask, and it shall :
be given you. Oh, when I say that one ought to ask

for nothing and desire nothing, I mean for things
of the earth for as regards the virtues, we ought
:
certainly to ask for them and when we ask for the

;
love of God, we
them in it, for it contains
include
them all.
But you add, cannot one desire human employ
ments and offices of a lowly description, because they
aremore painful, and afford an opportunity of doing
more, and humbling ourselves more, for the sake of
God?
reply that David said that he chose to be an ab
I
ject in thehouse of his God, rather than to dwell in

the tabernacle of sinners this desire notwithstanding
:
is
very much to be suspected. How do you know, if,
having desired humble offices, you will have strength

PRACTICE OF THIS MAXIM IN SUFFERINGS. 159
will meet with in

to accept the humiliations you
them ? You might have to encounter in them many
disgusts and bitternesses ;
and if at present you feel
that you have strength to suffer mortification and
humiliation, how do you know whether you will have
that strength always ?
The surest way is to regard as a temptation the
desire of offices of whatever kind, lowly or honour
able, but to hold oneself in readiness to receive all
those that obedience shall impose on us ; and whether
they are honourable or abject, I would receive them
humbly without saying a single word about them, at
least unless I were asked ; for in that case I should
simply tell the truth as it appeared to me.
CHAPTER XXVII.
PRACTICE OF THIS MAXIM IN SUFFERINGS.
Our Lord being on thecross, made us clearly see

how we ought to mortify our natural feelings, which
render us too tender over ourselves; for being in
great thirst, He did not ask to drink, but only mani
fested His need by saying, "
I thirst." After which,

He made an act of very great submission ; for some
one having presented to Him, at the end of a reed,
a sponge dipped in vinegar, He sucked it with His
blessed lips.
Strange: He was not ignorant that it was a draught
which would augment His pain nevertheless He took
;
it in all
simplicity, to teach us with what submission
we ought to receive what is presented to us when we
are sick, without allowing our repugnance, disgust,
and weariness to be seen.
Alas, if we are ever so little incommoded, far
from imitating our Divine Master, we cease not to
lament and bewail ourselves our calamity, what-
;
ever it is, is without parallel, and wliat others suffer
isnothing in comparison with it we are more an

;
noyed and impatient than we can express, and we find

nothing that can assuage our trouble with sufficient
promptitude. Lastly, it is a great pity to see how little
we are imitators of the patience of our Saviour, who,
forgetting His woes, never called attention to them,
but was content that His heavenly Father, by whose
order He suffered, considered them, and bestowed the
fruit of them on man, for whom He suffered.
Engrave, therefore, deeply in your memory those

two dear words which I have already recommended
to you so much. Desire nothing, refuse nothing. In
the se two words I say every thing. Look at the in
fant Jesus in the manger ; He receives poverty, naked
ness, the company of brute creatures, the rudeness of
the season, the cold, and all that His Father permits
to happen to Him. It is not written that He ever
stretched forth His hands for His Mother s breast.
He abandoned Himself entirely to her care and to
her providing. Nor did He refuse any of the little
consolations which she gave Him ; and He received
the services of St. Joseph, the adoration and the
presents of the shepherds and of the kings, all with
a holy equality. Weought to do the like, and, fol
lowing the example of our Divine Saviour, to ask for
nothing and to refuse nothing, but to suffer and to
receive equally all that the providence of God allows
to happen to us. God give us grace to do this.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
PRACTICE OF THIS MAXIM IN SICKNESS.
I find in the Gospel a perfect model of this virtue

in the person of the mother-in-law of St. Peter. She
being attacked by a sharp fever, remained tranquil,
PRACTICE OF THIS MAXIM IN SICKNESS. 161
peaceable, free from all disquiet herself, and causing

none to those around her. She was content to suffer
her with patience and sweetness.
affliction God !
how happy she was, and how well she merited that
they should take care of her, as the Apostles did, who
provided for her healing without being solicited by
her to do so, but by a movement of
charity and of
*
compassion !
That dear patient knew well that our Lord was at

Capharnaum, and that He healed the sick neverthe
;
less she does not hasten to send Him word that she
was suffering. But what is yet more admirable is, that
she sees Him in her house, when He looks
upon her,
and she looks also on Him, and nevertheless she
does not say to Him one single word of her sickness
to excite Him to
compassion, nor does she make it a
duty to touch Him in order to be healed.
More than this, she does not appear to make ac
count her sickness; she does not make
"of
any piti
ful tale of it, she does not
complain, and does not
ask others to complain for her sake, or even to
pro
cure that she may be healed. She is contented that
God and her superiors should know it. She looks
upon our Lord not only as the sovereign Physician,
but also as her God, to whom she
belongs as well in
health as in sickness,
being equally content in sick
ness as in health.
Oh, how many persons would have used subtlety
in order to be healed
by our Lord, and would have
said that they asked for health that
they might serve
Him better, fearing that He should be in want of
any
thing ! But this holy woman did in nowise think of
all that,
making her resignation seen, and asking no
thing of our Lord but His most holy will.
I do not, however, mean to
say that one may not
ask it of our Lord, as of Him who can
give it to us,
M
with this condition, if such is His will. It does not

suffice to be sick because God wills it, but one must
be so as He wills, when He wills, as long as He wills,
and in the manner that He wills making no choice
;
or rejection of any affliction, be it what it

may, how
ever abject or humiliating for the affliction without
:
abjection very often puffs up the heart instead of

humiliating it ; but when one has affliction and con
fusion at the same time, what an occasion for exer
cising patience, humility, and sweetness of spirit and
of heart !
Let us then, following the example of this holy

woman, take great pains to keep our heart in sweet
ness, turning our sicknesses to profit, as she did ;
for she arose immediately and waited on our Lord,
making use of her health only for the service of our

Lord. And in this she did not act like those persons
of the world who, having been sick for some days,
need weeks and months to nurse themselves after re
covery.
CHAPTER XXIX.
OF GENEROSITY.
If humility makes us believe that we can do no

thing, from a consideration of what we know of our
feebleness and poverty ; generosity, on the contrary,
makes us say with St. Paul: I can do all things in
Him who strengtheneth me. Humility leads us to
mistrust ourselves ;
and generosity leads us to trust
ourselves with God. You see, therefore, that these
two virtues are so linked together, that they never
are or can be separated.
There are persons who give way to a false hu
mility,which hinders them from regarding the good
that God has really placed in them. They are greatly
OF GENEROSITY. 163
to blame ;
for the goods that God has placed in us
ought to be recognised, valued, and highly hon

oured.
That humility which does not produce generosity is
undoubtedly false for after humility has said, I can do
;
nothing, I am nothing, it immediately gives place to

generosity, which says,
There is nothing which I can
not do, inasmuch as I put all my confidence in God,
who can do everything; and with this confidence,
humility consequently undertakes every thing
which
it is ordered to do, how difficult soever and if it :
applies itself to fulfil

the commandment in simplicity
of heart, God will rather work a miracle than fail of
it His aid because it is not from any confi
giving ;
dence in strength that humility undertakes

its own
the work, but from the confidence which it has in
God.
in distrust
Humility, then, does not consist only
with God
ing ourselves, but in trusting ourselves ;
and distrust of ourselves and of our own strength

produces confidence in God, and
from this confidence
springs generosity.
The Blessed Virgin furnished us with a most re
markable example on this subject, when she uttered
the words Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it
:
done unto me according to Thy word. In saying that

she is the handmaid of the Lord, she makes the
greatest possible act of humility,
and thereby opposes
herself to the praises given her by the angel. But
observe that, directly she has discharged her duty to
humility, she forthwith
makes a most excellent act
of generosity, by saying, Be it done unto me accord
ing to Thy word.
It is true, shewould say, that I am in nowise
I am
capable of this grace, regard being had to what
of myself; but so far as that which is good in me is of
God, and what you say to me is His most holy will,

I think that it can be done and that it will be done.
Behold the example which we ought to follow
when we are ordered to do any thing we ought to :
undertake it generously, without reckoning on our

selves, but reckoning much on the grace of God, who
wills that we should obey without making any resist
ance.
But understand the subtlety of false hu
I well
mility : we fear we shall not come forth

it is, that
with honour to ourselves. We value our reputation
so highly, that in the exercise of our office we do
not like to be reckoned as apprentices, but as mas
ters, who never commit any blunders at all.
Besides what we have said of this generosity, we
ought also to add, that the soul which possesses it
receives alike drynesses as well as consolations; in
terior weariness, sadness, heaviness of spirit, as well
as the favours and prosperity of a spirit full of peace
and tranquillity ;
and this because it considers that
He who gave it is the same as He who
consolations
sends it afflictions, and all by an effect of His love, in
order thereby to attract it to a very great perfection,
which is the abnegation of itself remaining most ;
assured, that He who deprives it here below of con

solations, will by no means deprive it of them eter
nally in heaven above.
CHAPTER XXX.
OF EVENNESS OF SPIK1T.
What I have remarked in doves is, that they

mourn even as they rejoice, and that they sing al
ways the same note, as well in their songs of joy as
in those in which they lament and express their com
plaints and their sorrow : whether they be joyous or
OF EVENNESS OF SPIKIT. ] 65
sad, they never change their tune ; their cooing note

is ever the same.
It is this holy evenness of spirit which we ought
to try to have : I do not say evenness of humour or
of inclination, but of spirit; for we ought to make no
account of the fretting of the inferior part of our
soul, which is that which causes disquietude and ca
price, the superior part not doing its duty by render
ing supreme, and not keeping good watch to
itself
discern enemies and take cognisance of the tu
its
mults and assaults raised against it by the inferior
part, which spring from our senses and our inclina
tions and passions, to make war upon the reason, and
to subject it to their laws. I say, moreover, that we
ought always to keep ourselves firm and resolute in
the superior part of our soul, to follow virtue, of
which we make profession, and to keep ourselves in
a continual evenness amidst events favourable or ad
verse, in desolation as in consolation.
Holy Job furnishes us with an example on this
subject, for he never sang except in the same key ;
when God multiplied to him his property, gave him

children, and sent to him at his will every thing which
he could desire in this life, what said he
except,
Blessed be the name of the Lord? It was his can
ticle of love, which he
sang on every occasion. For
behold him reduced to the extremity of affliction :
what does he do ? He sings his song of lamentation

in the same notes which he chanted in his season of
If we have received good things," said he,
"
joy.
at the hand of God, why should we not receive
"
evil? The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken

away blessed be the name of the Lord." No other
:
canticle, be the time what it may, but this Blessed "
be the name of the Lord."

Oh, how like was that holy soul to the dove, which
16*6" DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES.
rejoices and laments always in the same note ! Thus

may we do and on every occasion thus
;
may we
receive goods, evils, consolations, afflictions, from the
hand of the Lord, ever singing that same sweetest
canticle, Blessed be the holy name of God," and
"
always on the air of continual evenness.

Never let us act like those who weep when con
solation fails them, and
only sing when it has re
turned in which they resemble apes and baboons,
:
which are sad and furious when the weather is

gloomy
and rainy, and never cease leaping and sporting when
the weather is fair and serene.
CHAPTER XXXI.
OF MODESTY.
Modesty is a virtue which regulates our exte

rior demeanour and it has two vices opposed
; to it,
namely, dissoluteness or levity in the gestures and

look, and affectation or an affected demeanour. This
virtue is extremely to be recommended first, because ;
it
very much reduces us under subjection, and in this
consists its value for all that brings one under sub
;
jection for the sake of God is of great merit, and

wonderfully pleasing to God. Secondly, because it
brings us into subjection not only for a time, but
always and in every place, as well when we are alone
as in company, and even in
sleeping.
A great Saint recommended one day this modesty
to one of his disciples, in
writing to him that, lie
should prepare himself for rest
modestly in the pre
sence of God, in the same manner that one
might be
imagined to do, if our Lord being yet on earth, had
commanded him to sleep in His presence. And al
though, says he, you see Him not, nor hear His com
mand, He nevertheless is as if you saw Him because, ;
OF MODESTY, 167
in truth, He is there present when you lie down to
rest, and He guards you whilst you sleep.
my God, how modestly should we lie down to
rest if we saw Thee Doubtless we should fold our
!
hands across our breast with great devotion, not

only
because of the presence of the divine
Majesty, but
because of the angels too who are present, and whose
eyes also demand of us great modesty.
This virtue is also much to be recommended for
the edification of our neighbour, it
having brought
many to conversion. This happened to St. Francis,
who passing through a city, shewed such
modesty
in his demeanour, that, without his
speaking a single
word, a great number of young persons followed him,
attracted solely by his example of modesty, which "
was a silent but most efficacious preaching.

Modesty ought to be observed in various ways,
according to the quality of the persons. For exam
ple, a nun ought to have a modesty different from
that of women, whether married or
single, who are
in the world; for what is
modesty in one person
would be immodesty in another. A gracious manner
is
extremely well suited to an aged person, which
would be affected in one younger, to whom is befit
ting a modesty of a more subdued and humble de
scription. Sometimes even what is in character with
a person in one position is not so with the same
person in another position of which rule the fol
:
lowing is a remarkable example.

The great Arsenius, chosen by Pope Damasus to
instruct and bring up Arcadius the son of the Em
peror Theodosius, after having been honoured for
several years at the court, and much favoured
by the
emperor as a man of the world, became disgusted
with all the vanities of the court,
although he lived
in it in a manner no less Christian-like than honour-
able, and resolved to retire to the desert, to live there

with the solitaries and as a solitary. One day, when
allthe fathers were assembled for a spiritual confer
ence, one of them informed the superior that Arse-
nius was wont to sit in a careless attitude, crossing
one leg over another.
said the superior; I have also no
"
"
It is true,"
ticed it ; but he is a man who lived for a long time in

the world, and who contracted that demeanour in the
court. What can we do He made excuses for him
?" :
for he was sorry to trouble him by reproving him for

what was in fact no sin at all ;
nevertheless he wished
that this should be corrected, for Arsenius had only
this fault.
One of the solitaries, a friend of Arsenius, who
was named Pastor, then said : "0
my father, do not
trouble yourself; there will be no great difficulty in
letting him know of it, without paining him ; and
for this reason, at the conference to-morrow, I will, if
you put myself in the same attitude, and you
please,
will rebuke me for it before all the fathers, and he
will understand that he ought not to use that pos
ture."
The superior having rebuked Pastor, the good Ar

senius immediately threw himself on the ground at
his feet, humbly asking pardon, and saying that per
haps had not been observed, but that he had been

it
in the habit ofcommitting the same fault, that it was

the ordinary attitude at court, and that he asked to
have a penance for it. None was given him but ;
no one afterwards saw him in that attitude, which

was not an immodesty in him when he was at the
court, although it was so when he was amongst the
solitaries.
There are, therefore, things which are immodest
in some persons, but not so in others ;
as there are
OF TEMPTATIONS AGAINST PURITY. 169
things which are immodest at some times and in

some places, but which are not so at other times and
in other places.
CHAPTER XXXII.
OF TEMPTATIONS AGAINST PUKITT.
As regards the temptations of this good soul, alas,

let her humiliate herself greatly, but not be at all sur
prised the lilies which grow among thorns are the
:
whiter for them, and the roses near garlic are the
more sweet and odoriferous. What doth he know
that hath not been tried? (Ecclus. xxxiv. 9.) If the
temptations referred to are those of the feelings, as
it would appear, let her make some change in bodily
exercise when distressed by them ; or if this cannot

conveniently be done, let her try a change in place
and posture such changes will turn aside the thoughts
:
to something else.
If the temptation is in the imagination, let her
sing, keep with the others, change spiritual exercise,

that is to say, pass from one kind to another ; and
changes of place will be an additional help above :
all, let her not be startled at these temptations, but

let her frequently renew her vows and humble her
self before God. Let her promise her heart the vic
tory, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
If any thing keeps her in a state of scruple, let
her tell it boldly and
courageously, without making
any reflection, when she goes to confession. But I
hope in God that with a noble spirit she will keep
herself exempt from all that can give her scruple.
I should be glad that she should wear the hair-shirt
once a week, unless she knows that that would ren
der her too inattentive to other more important exer
cises, as sometimes happens.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
OF THE MANNER OF MAKING THE VOW OF CHASTITY.
think that the desire which you have of making

I
the of chastity to God has not been thoroughly
vow
weighed in your mind, and that you have not for any
length of time considered its importance which is;
the reason why I wish you should do so. Now, to

make it well, take for three days previous leisure to
prepare your vow well by meditation, which you can
draw from these considerations.
Consider how chastity is a virtue pleasing to God
and to the angels, He having willed that it should be
eternally observed in heaven. Will you not be happy
in commencing in this world the life which you shall
continue eternally in the next ? Bless God therefore,
who has given you this holy inspiration.
Consider how noble is this virtue, which keeps
our souls white as lilies, pure as the sun which ren
;
ders our bodies consecrated, and gives us the means

of being all entirely devoted to His divine Majesty,
heart, body, spirit, and feeling. Is it not a great
consolation to be able to say to our Lord, heartMy
and my jlcsh have rejoiced in the living God (Ps.
Ixxxiii. 3), for the love of whom I quit all love, and
to please whom I renounce all other pleasures ?
Consider .that the Holy Virgin was the first to vow
her virginity to God, and after her so many virgins.
But with what ardour, what love, what affection were
not these virginities vowed! God! the tongue cannot
utter it.
Humiliate yourself greatly before the heavenly

troop of virgins and by a humble prayer, supplicate
;
them to receive you among them, not to pretend to

OF MAKING THE VOW OF CHASTITY. 171
equal them in purity, but at least tliat you may be

devoted to be their servant, imitating them as closely
as you can.
Beseech them to with you your vow to Jesus
offer
Christ, the and to render your chas

King of virgins,
tity pleasing to Him by the merit of theirs.
Above all, recommend your intention to our Lady,
and then to your good angel, that he may be pleased
henceforth to preserve with an especial care your heart
and your body from all defilement.
Then, on the day that you shall have chosen, when
the priest elevates the holy Host, offer with him to
the eternal Father the precious Body of His dear Son,
and with it
your body, which you will make a vow
to preserve in chastity all the days of your life, using
these words, or similar ones :
"
and Holy Ghost,

eternal God, Father, Son,
I, N., Thy unworthy creature, being in Thy divine
presence, and in that of all Thy celestial court, pro
mise to Thy divine majesty, and make a vow to main
tain and keep all the time of
my life an entire chas
tity and continence, by the help of Thy holy grace.
May it
please Thee, divine Majesty, to accept this
irrevocable vow, which I this day make, as an holo
caust of sweetness ;
and since it hath pleased Thee to
inspire me make it, give me the
to strength to accom
plish it to Thy glory, for ever and ever."
Hereupon you will receive holy communion, and

you may say to our Lord that indeed He is jour
spouse.
But this vow once made, you must not allow any
one to propose to you any thing contrary to it but ;
you must have a great respect for your body, as no

longer your body, but as a consecrated body and a
most holy relic and as one does not dare to touch
:
or profane a chalice after the bishop has consecrated

so the Holy Spirit having consecrated your heart

it,
and your body by this vow, you must regard it with a

great reverence.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DESIRE TEMPTATIONS, AND THAT WE
OUGHT TO BE ON OUR GUARD AGAINST THOSE OF SELF-WILL.
I wish that in
your fervours you would not form
those desires of temptations, or of occasions of morti
fications ; for since, by the grace of God, they do not
fail you, there is no occasion to employ your mind
in desiring them. Employ it rather in preparing it
self and placing itself in the position to receive them,
not when you will, but when God wills to permit
them.
I know of no temptations more manifest or easier
to recognise than such as these to break the vows
:
in order to fast to presume that one is well adapted

;
for the solitary life, and not well adapted for the con
ventual ; to wish to live to oneself in order the better
to live to God to wish to have the entire enjoyment
;
of one s own will in order the better to do the will of

God. What chimeras !
That an inclination, or rather a fantasy and an

imagination, impatient, capricious, vexed, hard, sharp,
bitter, heady, can be an inspiration what a contra
diction !
To cease to praise God, and to be silent, in dis

gust at the offices which Holy Church ordains, because
one cannot praise Him in a corner according to one s
intention what extravagance!
But I hope that God will turn all this to His
glory, since that poor daughter submits to whatever
she is commanded. Command her frequently, and
impose upon her mortifications opposed to her in-
OF THE VIRTUE OF DIVESTMENT. 173
clinations she will obey ;

and although it
may seem
to be constraint, it will nevertheless be profitable,
by
and according to the grace of God.
CHAPTER XXXV.
OF THE VIKTUE OF DIVESTMENT.
Weought not merely to wish for this divestment

in general, but in particular ; for nothing is so easy
as to say, in the lump as it were, We must deny our
selves and resign our own will but to come to the
;
practice of this is where lies the difficulty.

It is therefore necessary to make considerations
in detail, both on and on one s state of life,
oneself,
and all the things dependent on it and then, in par
;
ticular, renounce sometimes one of our self-wills, and

then another, until we are entirely divested of them.
Now, this divestment is made by three degrees.
The first is an affection for this divestment, which
arises in us from the consideration of its beauty. The
second is the resolution which follows the affection ;
for we easily determine ourselves to a good which we

regard with affection. The third is the practice, which
is the most difficult.
The goods of which we ought to divest ourselves
are of three kinds external goods, the goods of the
:
body, and the goods of the soul. External goods are

all those things which are outside of us, such as
pro
perty, possessions, friends, and the like. To divest
ourselves of them, we ought to give them up into the
hands of the Lord, and then ask of Him the affections
which He wishes us to have for them for one ought ;
not to remain without affections, or to have them all

equal for one ought to love each in his degree, and
;
it is
charity which marks that degree, and which
assigns to each affection its rank. The second class
] 74 DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES.
beauty, health,
and
of goods are those of the body,
kind and after having thus re
advantages of that ;
mirror to
nounced them, one ought not to go to the
is beautiful, and one ought
to be as
see whether one
at least so
contented with sickness as with health,
far as regards the superior part of
the soul, for nature
cries out, especially when
always feels, and sometimes
one is not very perfect. We ought, then,
to take
to hand-
remedies and nourishments as they come
for as to inclina
I mean always according to reason ;
with them. The goods

tions, I do not amuse myself
the sweetnesses
of the heart are the consolations and
which are found in the spiritual life. These goods
are very good, you will say and wherefore divest
;
oneself of them? We must do so nevertheless, and

we must surrender them into the hands of the Lord,
to dispose of them as He pleases ;
and we must serve
I do not mean
Him without them as with them.
for of those
here to speak of grace or of the virtues,
on
we ought never to divest ourselves we ought, ;
to desire them, and to ask the Lord for

the contrary,
them unceasingly.
in
There are still other goods which are neither
neither of the body nor
terior nor exterior, goods
such are those which depend on
goods of the heart
:
called honour,
the opinion of others, and which are
esteem, reputation. Now we ought to divest our
selves altogether of these, and to desire no other hon
o
our but that of seeking in every thing the glory
no other esteem or reputation but
God, and to desire
in all things.
that of wishing to give good edification
All these divestments ought to be made,
not from a
but from self-denial, for the sole and
feeling of scorn,
only love of God.
ANSWER TO CERTAIN DIFFICULTIES. ] 7
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ANSWER TO CERTAIN DIFFICULTIES REGARDING THE VIRTUE
OF DIVESTMENT.
We must here remark, that the satisfaction which

we feel at
meeting persons whom we love, and the
testimonies of affection which we give them, are by
no means contrary to this virtue of divestment,
pro
vided they are not
disorderly, and that, when absent,
heart does not run after them. For how could
pur
it be, that the objects being present, the faculties
should not be moved ? It is as if one should
say to
a person, on meeting a lion or a bear, Do not be at all
afraid. The thing is not in our power. In the same
way, on meeting a person whom we love, it cannot
be that we should not be moved with
joy and satis
faction and therefore this is not at all
;
contrary to
the virtue.
I
say more if I have a desire to see some one
:
for a profitable
purpose, and which ought to turn
out to the
glory of God ; if his intention of coming
to see me is crossed
by some obstacle, and if I feel
some little annoyance on that account, and even take
some trouble to remove the obstacle which
prevents
his coming, I do to the virtue of
nothing contrary
divestment, provided always that I do not lose tran
quillity.
Thus you see that the virtue is not such a terri
ble affair as is imagined. It is a fault that
many
people have, to form to themselves chimeras in then-
mind, and to think that the road
to heaven is
strangely
difficult which they deceive themselves, and are
; in
much in the wrong. This was what made David
say, in speaking to God, that the law of the Lord,
which the wicked proclaimed to be hard and difficult,
was sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. (Ps.

xviii. 11.)
It is true that one can never arrive at perfection
whilst one retains an affection to any imperfection,
however small it be, were it only a useless thought ;
and it is not to be credited what mischief this causes
to a soul. We must, then, cut the evil short the
moment we perceive it, however small it be.
We must also examine in good faith whether it is
tme, as seems to us sometimes, that we have not our
affection engaged. For example, if when any one
praises you, you happen to say a word
that augments
the praise given you, or still more, when you look
out for it by studied words, then search the bottom
of your conscience, for on these occasions you will
find in it affection to vanity.
You may also know whether you are attached to
any thing, when you cannot conveniently do what you
had intended to do; for if you have not affection for it,
you will remain as much in repose at not being able

to do it as if you had done it and, on the contrary,
;
if you trouble yourself about it, it is a mark that you

have placed your affection on it.
Now, our affections are so precious (since they
ought all to be employed in loving God), that we

ought to take to place them except
good heed not
exactly right;for a single fault, however trifling,
done with an affection for it, is more contrary to
perfection than any other done by mistake and with
out affection.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
HOW ONE OUGHT TO HATE ONE S DEFECTS, AND LOOK
ON DEATH.
It is very true, there cannot be this drowsiness
and numbness of the feelings without some
sort of
OF HATING ONE S DEFECTS. 1/7
sensible distress ; but whilst your will and the depth

of your soul is
fully resolved to be all for God, there
is nothing to fear ; for these are natural imperfec
tions, and rather ailments than sins or spiritual de
fects. You ought nevertheless to excite and rouse
yourself to courage and animation as much as pos
sible.
Oh, say you, this death is hideous. It is very

true but the life which is beyond, and which the
;
mercy of God will give to us, is also mightily desir

able and so we must in nowise lose confidence. For
:
although we are miserable, we are not by any means

so miserable as God is merciful to those who have
the will to love Him, and who have placed their hope
in Him.
When the blessed Cardinal Borromeo was on the
point of death, he caused his attendants to bring him
the image of our dead Lord, to soften his own death
by that of his Saviour. It is the best of all remedies
against the dread of your departure, to meditate on
that of Him who is our life, and never to think of
the one without adding the thought of the other.
Do not examine whether what you do is little or
much, good or evil, provided that it be not sin, and
that in good faith you have the will to do it for God.
As much as you can, do perfectly that which you do ;
but when it is done, do not think any more about it ;

think of what is to be done next. Walk very simply
with the Cross of our Lord, and do not torment your
mind. We
ought to hate our defects ; but with a
tranquil and peaceful hatred, not with a troubled and
distempered hatred and farther, we ought to have
:
patience when we see them, and derive from them

the profit of a holy abasement of ourselves. For
want of this, your imperfections which you discern
with subtlety, trouble you with yet greater subtlety,
and by means maintain themselves, there being

this
nothing which more preserves our faults than a dis

quietude and troubled eagerness to get rid of them.
It is a severe temptation to become saddened with
the world, when we must necessarily be in it. The
providence of God is wiser than we are. We fancy
that by changing our ship we shall fare better yes, :
ifw e changed ourselves. My God, I am the sworn

r
enemy of these useless, dangerous, and bad desires ;
for although what we desire is good, the desire is

nevertheless bad since God does not will for us this
;
sort of good, but another, in which He wills that w e r
should exercise ourselves. God wills to speak to us

amidst the thorns and the bush (Exod. iii. 2), and
we will Him to
speak to us in the ivhistling of a gentle
air. His goodness defend you!
(3 Kings xix. 12.)
but be constant and courageous, and rejoice in that
He gives you the will to be all His.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
We ought to join these two things together an :
extreme attention to practising our exercises, both

meditation and the virtues, with great exactness; and
in nowise to doubt or disquiet ourselves, or be aston
ished, if we happen to fail in them sometimes for :
the first point depends on our fidelity, which ought

always to be entire, and to increase from hour to
hour the second arises from our weakness, which
;
we can never lay aside during this mortal life.

When we happen to commit any defect, let us
immediately examine our heart, and let us ask it
whether it has not always the lively and^entire re
solution of serving God : and I hope that it will
OF HATING ONE S DEFECTS. 179
reply to us, Yes ; and that it would rather suffer a
thousand deaths than part with that resolution.
Let
us, then, ask it Wherefore, then, didst thou just
:
now stumble? Wherefore art thou so

cowardly?
It will
reply to you, I was surprised, I know not
now but I am so heavy just now.
;
Alas, we must
pardon it for it is not by unfaithfulness that it failed
;
but by infirmity.
We must, therefore, correct
sweetly and tran
it
quilly, and not irritate it and trouble it yet more

What (we should say to
!
it) my heart, my friend, in
thename of God take let us go forward,
courage ;
letus take care of

ourselves, let us raise ourselves to
our succour and to God.
Alas, we must be chari
table towards our
soul, and not devour it, when we
see that it does not err with its full
consent.
You perceive that in this exercise we
practise holy
humility that which we do for our salvation is done
:
tor the service of God for our Lord did

this
;
nothing in
world except for our salvation.
By no/means
desire war, but wait for it in a
steady attitude. Our
Lord be your
strength.
It is not
possible that can be so you speedily
mistress of
you r soul, and keep it so
under your hand absolutely
at the first time.
Be content with
gaming from time to time some little advantage over
your ruling passion. One must bear with* the others-
but in the first
place one must bear with one s self
and have patience with one s
being imperfect.
Above all, do not lose have courage ; patience
wait, exercise yourself
strongly in the spirit of com
passion, I do not doubt but that God will hold
with His hand
you
and if He allows
;
you to stumble,
that will only be to make
you know that if He did
not hold you, you would fall
altogether, and to make
you hold the faster His hand by
CHAPTER XXXIX.
OF THE FEAR OF DEATH.
Although there is no sin in this fear and in this

dread of death, nevertheless it is injurious to the
heart, which being troubled by this passion, cannot
so well unite itself to its God by love. I assure
you,
therefore, that if you persevere in the exercises of
devotion, as I see that you do, you will find yourself
gradually consoled because your soul, finding itself
;
thus freed from its evil affections, and uniting itself

more and more to God, will become less attached to
this mortal life, and to the vain gratifications which
it might have in it.
Exercise yourself often with thoughts of the great

sweetness and mercy with which our Saviour receives
souls on their departure, when they have placed their
confidence in Him during their life, and have endea
voured to serve and love Him, each in its vocation.
How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a light
heart! (Ps. Ixxii. 1.)
Often raise your heart, by a holy confidence min
gled with a profound humility, towards our Redeemer,
Him I am miserable, Lord, and Thou wilt
saying to :
receive my misery in the bosom of Thy mercy, and

Thou wilt draw me by Thy fatherly hand, to make
me enter into the enjoyment of Thy inheritance I ;
am poor and abject, but Thou wilt love me in that

day because I have hoped in Thee, and have desired
to be Thine.
Excite in yourself, as much as you are able, the
love of Paradise and of the heavenly life, and make
many meditations on this subject ; for in proportion
as you shall value and love eternal happiness, you
OF THE FEAR OF DEATH. 181
will have less apprehension about quitting this mor

tal and perishable life.
Often make acts of love towards our Lady and

the holy Angels. Familiarise yourself with them fre
quently, addressing them with words of praise for if ;
you have frequent access to these citizens of the hea

venly Jerusalem, it will trouble you the less to quit
the earthly Jerusalem.
Often adore, praise, and bless the most holy death
of our crucified Lord, and place all your confidence
in His merits, by which your death will be rendered
happy. Often say divine death of my sweet

:
Jesus, thou wilt bless mine, and it shall be blessed ;
I bless Thee, and Thou shalt bless me, my Jesus,

more dear to me than life. Thus St. Charles, in the
sickness of which he died, caused the attendants to
place in his sight a picture of our Lord in the sepul
chre, and another of our Lord praying on the Mount
of Olives, to console himself at that moment by the
death and passion of his Redeemer.
Sometimes reflect on what you are, a child of the
Catholic Church, and rejoice thereupon, for the chil
dren of that Mother, who desire to live according to
her laws, remain always happy and, as St. Teresa ;
says, it is a great consolation at the hour of death to

be a child of our holy Mother the Church.
End all your prayers by an act of confidence,
saying Thou,
: Lord, art my hope ; 1 have made the
Most High my refuge. (Ps. xc. 9.) my God, who
hath hoped in Thee and been confounded ? (Ecclus. ii.
11.) In Thee, Lord, I have hoped; let me never be
put to confusion. (Ps. Ixx. 1.)
In your ejaculatory prayers during the day, and
in receiving the most holy Sacrament, always use
words of love and of hope towards our Lord, such as
these : Thou art my Father, Lord, God ;
Thou
art the spouse of my soul, Thou art the king of ray

love, and the well-beloved of sweet
my heart.
Jesus, Thou dear Master, my succour, and
art my
my refuge in the day of tribulation.
Often think of the persons whom you love most,
and from whom it would distress you most to be
separated, as of persons with whom you will live
eternally in heaven for example, your husband and
:
your children, who will one day, by the help of God,

be blessed in that eternal life in which they will enjoy
your happiness and rejoice at it ; and you too will
enjoy theirs and will rejoice at it, without ever being

separated again which end you will find it the easier
:
to attain, inasmuch as all those who are most dear to
you serve God and fear Him.
CHAPTER XL.
OF PREPARATION FOR DEATH.
It is impossible for us, living in the world, al

though we only touch it with our feet, to avoid being
soiled with its dust. The old patriarchs, Abraham
and the others, usually offered their guests water to
wash their feet I think that the first thing which we
;
ought to do is to wash the affections of our soul, to

receive the hospitality of our good God in His Para
dise.
It appears to me, that always a great reproach
it is
to mortals to die without having thought about it

beforehand but it is doubly such to those whom our
;
Lord has favoured with the advantage of old age.

Those who arm themselves before the trumpet sounds,
are always in better order than those who run to take
up their arms at the moment of surprise.
We ought quite at our ease to bid farewell to the
OF PREPARATION FOR DEATH. 183
world, and little by draw off our affections from

little
creatures. The trees which the wind throws down

are not fit to be transplanted, because they leave their
roots in the earth ; but whoever wishes to remove
them to another spot, must adroitly disengage the
roots, little by little, one after the other. And since
from this miserable earth we are to be transplanted
into the land of the living, we ought to draw off and
disengage from the world our affections one after the
other. I do not say that we ought
rudely to break
all the ties we may have formed in it
(efforts should
be made for this when there is a proper occasion),
but we ought to unweave and unravel them.
They who set forth on a journey without warning
are excusable for not having taken leave of friends,
and for starting with a bad equipage but not so those
;
who know tolerably well the time of their departure ;

they ought to hold themselves ready, not to set out
before the time, but to wait for it with more tran
quillity.
For this purpose, I think that you will find un
speakable consolation in choosing an hour in each
day to think before God and your good Angel on
what is required for you to make a happy retreat.
In what order are your affairs, if it were
necessary
that this should take place soon ?
St. Bernard says, that the soul which wishes to
go to God ought first to kiss the foot of the crucifix,
purge its affections, and make a good resolution to
separate itself little by little from the world and its
vanities then to kiss the hands of our crucified
;
Lord, by the change in its actions which follows on

the change of affections; and lastly, to kiss His mouth,
uniting itself by an ardent love to that supreme
goodness.
We owe ourselves to God, to our
country, to our
relations, to our friends. To God in the first place,

then to our country but first to our heavenly, and
;
in the second place to our earthly country after :
that to our relations but no one is so nearly related

;
to you as yourself:
lastly to our friends but are you ;
not yourself the first of your friends ? Enough of

this for the present year,which is flying away and
gliding from before us, and which in the next two
months will make us see the vanity of its duration,
as all the preceding years have done, which are no
more.
CHAPTER XLI.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DESIRE TO KNOW THE STATE OF
THE DEAD.
I will tell
you that by your letter I know very
distinctly the qualities of your heart, and amongst
them all, its ardour in loving and cherishing what it
loves. This is what makes you speak so much to
our Lord of this dear departed one, and which leads
you to desire to know where he is. Now you ought
to repress these too violent desires, which proceed
from the excess of this passion ; and when you notice
your mind running on these thoughts, you ought all
at once, and even with uttered words, to return to the
side of our Lord, and say to Him this, or something
like this : how sweet is Thy providence, and
Lord,
how good is
Thy mercy How happy is this child
!
to have fallen into Thy fatherly arms, in which he

cannot but be well, wherever he may be !
Yes, for you ought carefully to avoid thinking of

him as in any place but paradise or purgatory, since,
thanks be to God there is no reason to think other
!
wise. Recall, therefore, your mind in this way, and

then employ it in acts of love towards our crucified
Lord.
WE OUGHT TO BE CONTENT. 185
When you recommend this child to the divine
Majesty, say to Him simply Lord, I recommend to

:
Thee the child of my womb, but much more the child

of the womb of Thy mercy, born indeed of my blood,
but regenerate in Thine.
After this, turn to something else ; for if you al
low your mind to amuse itself with this object suited
and pleasing to your feelings, and to that deep-seated
and natural affection, it will never be likely to quit
you ; and on pretence of pious prayers, it will extend
itself to merely natural enjoyments and satisfaction,
such as will deprive you of the leisure to employ your
self about the supernatural and sovereign object of
your love.
Tt is, no doubt, necessary to moderate ourselves
in these ardours of natural affection, which only seem
to trouble our mind and to distract our heart. Let
our spirit well in our heart, and let
us, then, settle
us command it to do the duty imposed on it, which
is to love God
very singly ; and let us not allow it
any frivolous amusement, either about what passes
in this world, or about what passes in the other.
But having assigned to creatures all we owe to them
of love and of charity, let us refer all to that first love
which we owe to the Creator, and let us conform our
selves to His divine will.
CHAPTER XLTI.
THAT WE OUGHT TO BE CONTENT WITH OUR STATE OF LIFE.
I say to you, and say it

decidedly, that you should
adhere faithfully to the will of God and His provi
dence on the subject of your old temptation ac ;
quiescing with all humility and sincerity in the good

pleasure of Heaven, by which you find yourself in
the state of life in which you are. We ought to

remain on board the ship in which we are, in order
to cross from this life to the other ;
and we ought
to remain there willingly and with affection, because,
although sometimes we have not been placed there

by the hand of God, but by the hand of man. still,
once being there, God wills us to be there, and con
sequently we ought to be there sweetly and willingly.
Oh, how many ecclesiastics have embarked in
that state of life on wrong considerations, and by
the compulsion which their parents exercised to make
them enter into that vocation, who make a virtue of
necessity,and remain from love where they entered
by compulsion !Otherwise, what would become of
them ? Where there is less of your own choice,
there is more of submission to the will of Heaven.
Acquiescing, then, in the Divine will, often say with
your whole heart :
Yes, eternal Father, I will to be
thus, because thus it is Thy pleasure I should be.
And thereupon I entreat of you to be very faithful to
the practice of this acquiescence and dependence on
the state of life in which you are placed.
And for this purpose, you ought sometimes to
take an opportunity of naming the persons you know
of, to whose very name you feel an aversion ; and
when you speak to the principal of those persons,
you ought sometimes to use words of respect among
your remonstrances. This point is of such import
ance for the perfection of your soui, that I would
willingly write it with my blood.
In what would we shew our love towards Him
who suffered so much for us, if not amidst aver
sions, repugnances, and contradictions ? We ought
to plunge our head among the thorns of these diffi
culties, and allow our heart to be transfixed by the
spear of contradiction, drink the vinegar and gall,
OF RELIGION BY COMPULSION. 187
yea eat wormwood and aloes, since it is God who

wills it.
you formerly fed this temptation,

Lastly, since
and favoured with all your heart, you ought now
it
with all your heart to feed and fortify this acquies

cence. But if you meet with any difficulty on this
subject through the fault of that person, make no
move without having first looked to eternity, placed
yourself in a position of indifference, and taken the
advice of some worthy servant of God for the enemy ;
seeing you victorious over this temptation by your

acquiescence in the good pleasure of God, will set at
work, I imagine, every kind of invention to trouble
you.
CHAPTER XLIII.
OF THOSE WHO ENTER INTO RELIGION AS IF BY COMPULSION.
As young person, I hold

for the vocation of this
it good one, although it is mixed with various
to be a
imperfections on the part of her mind, and although

it were desirable that she had come to God
simply
and purely for the blessing of being wholly devoted
to His service. But God does not draw by equal mo
tives all whom He calls to Himself; on the contrary,
but few are to be found who come to His service
entirely for the sake of being His and serving Him.
Among the daughters whose conversion is famous
in the Gospel, it was only Magdalene who came through
love and with love. The adulteress came through pub
lic humiliation, as the Samaritan woman through a
particular humiliation. The woman of Canaan came

in order to be consoled in her temporal affliction. St.
Paul, the first hermit, at the age of fifteen years re
tired into his cave to avoid persecution. St. Ignatius
and many others came by means of tribulation.
We ought not to expect all to begin by perfec

tion. consequence how one begins, pro
It is of little
vided that one is very firmly resolved to go on well
and to end well.
Those who were compelled to enter in at the
marriage-feast in the Gospel did not eat and drink
the less on that account. We ought principally to
regard the dispositions of those who come to religion
for continuance and perseverance for there are souls
;
who would never enter in if the world smiled upon

them, and whom we nevertheless see well inclined to
despise the vanity of the world.
If this daughter has a good heart, I feel assured
that she will soon find herself altogether transformed,
and that she will marvel at the sweetness wherewith
our Lord attracts her unto His couch, amidst so many
flowers and fruits of all heavenly odour. As to what
the world will say of this vocation, no attention
should be paid to that ; for neither is it for the world
that she is accepted.
CHAPTER XLIV.
OF AUSTERITIES PRACTISED THROUGH SELF-LOVE AGAINST
OBEDIENCE.
She is quite right, certainly, this good daughter,

in thinking that her humour for fasting is a real
temptation. That, indeed, it has been, it is, and it

will be, so long as she continues to use these absti
nences, by which it is true that she weakens her body
and her evil inclinations, but, by a poor exchange,
fortifies her self-love with her own will she reduces
;
her body, but she overcharges her heart with the poi
sonous excess of her own esteem and her own desires.
Abstinence done contrary to obedience removes
sin from the bodv to infuse it into the heart. Let
OF FIDELITY TO THE RULES. 189
her direct her attention to diminishing her own self-

will,and she will soon abandon these fantastic sha
dows of sanctity in which she rests so superstitiously.
She has consecrated her bodily strength to God ;
it is to destroy it, unless when it is
no longer hers
God she shall do so
s will she will never learn the
:
will of God except by obedience to the creatures

whom God has given to her to be her guides.
She must be aided against this temptation by the
advice of some true servants of God ; for more than
one person is required to root out these persuasions
of exterior sanctity, so dearly purchased by the pru
dence of self-love.
As for all your other exercises, you will continue
them in the way in which I marked them out. As
for your time of going to rest, I will not, if you
please, alter my opinion but if your bed displeases
;
you, and if you cannot remain in it so long a time as

the others, I will readily permit you to rise an hour
morning, for it is not to be imagined how
earlier in the
dangerous are long watchings at night, and how they

weaken the brain. People do not feel it in youth,
but they feel it all the more afterwards and many ;
have made themselves useless in this way.
CHAPTER XLV.
OF FIDELITY TO THE RULES.
We know not how to love the rules, if we love

not Him who made them. In proportion as we love
and value him who makes the law, we render our
selves exact in observing it. Some are attached to
the law by chains of iron, and these are they who
observe it from the fear they have of being damned ;
and others are attached to it
by chains of gold, and
these are they who observe it from love. David tells
us that God has commanded that His commandments

be kept most diligently. (Ps. cxviii. 4.) You see that
He wishes us to be punctual; and this is what all
are who observe the commandments from love. They
do not merely avoid any turning aside from the law,
they avoid even the shadow of it. For this reason
the spouse is compared to "the doves
upon brooks
of waters," which sit beside the
softly-flowing rivers,
the waters whereof are crystalline.
You know well that the dove sits in security be
side those waters, because she can see in them the
shadow of the birds of prey which she fears ; and
the moment she sees them she flies away, and can
not be taken off her guard such, our Lord would
:
say, is my beloved for so long as she flies from the

;
shadow of turning aside from my commandments,

she has no fear of falling into the hands of disobe
dience. Certainly, whoever deprives himself volun
tarily by the vow of obedience of doing his own way
in things indifferent,
sufficiently shews that he loves
to be subject in
things which are necessary and of
obligation.
We ought, then, to be extremely punctual in the
observance of the laws and rules which are
given us
by our Lord, but above all, in that point of follow
ing the community in all things. If you are strong,
I
conjure you to weaken yourself in order to be con
formable to the weak and if you are feeble, I tell
;
you, strengthen yourself to adjust yourself to the

strong.
The Apostle St. Paul
says, that he became all
tilings to all
men, that he might save all. Who is
weak, he says, and I am not weak ? (1 Cor. ix. 22 ;
and 2 Cor. xi. 29.) Who is sick, with whom I am
not sick ? With the
strong I am strong. You see
how infirm the Apostle is when he is with the in-
OF THE VIOLATION OF THE RULES. 191
firm, and how willingly he takes the indulgences ne

cessary for their infirmities, to give them confidence
in doing the same but when he finds himself with
;
the strong, he a giant in giving them courage

is like :
and he can perceive that any one is scandalised

if
with what he does, although it be permitted, never
theless he has such a zeal for the peace and tran
quillity of his heart that he willingly abstains from

it.
doing
But, you will tell me, now that it is the hour of
recreation I have a very great desire to go and medi
tate, in order to unite myself more intimately with
the divine goodness. May I not reasonably think
that the law which orders me to use the recreation
does not bind me, since my mind is of itself suffi
ciently disposed to gaiety ? Oh, no ; you have nei

ther a right to think so nor to say so. If you have
no need of recreation for yourself, you ought never
it for the sake of those who have need
theless to use
of it.
CHAPTER XL VI.
OF THE VIOLATION OF THE RULES.
Although some of the rules do not of themselves

oblige under any sin, either mortal or venial, never
theless whoever voluntarily breaks them from con
tempt, or to the scandal of others, commits without
doubt a great offence, because he lowers and dishon
ours the things of God, gives the lie to his profes
sions, fails of bringing forth fruits of good example :
all which
exposes him to some chastisement of Heaven,
or at least to the deprivation of the graces and gifts
of the Holy Ghost, which are ordinarily withdrawn
from those who abandon their good intentions, and
leave the good way in which God had placed them.
Now, he violates them from contempt who neg

lectsthem not only voluntarily, but of set purpose ;
from whence it follows, that he who so violates them

not only disobeys, but wills to disobey. For ex
ample it is forbidden to eat except at meals. If,
:
then, any one happens to eat at other times, attracted

by the pleasure of eating, then he disobeys, not from
disobedience, but from sensuality ;
on the contrary,
if he eats because he does not value the rule, and
does not choose to make account of it, then he dis
obeys from contempt and this disobedience is never
;
without some sin, at least venial, even in things which

are only counselled. For although one is at liberty
not to follow the counsels of holy things, one can
not, nevertheless, leave them from contempt with
out committing sin, because if we are not obliged
to do every thing that is good, we are nevertheless
obliged to honour it, and, a fortiori, not to despise

it.
He, moreover, who violates the rules from con

tempt considers them vile and useless, which is a
great presumption; or if he considers them all useful,
and yet does not choose to submit to them, he then
breaks his intention, in which his neighbour has a
great interest, to whom he gives scandal and bad
example.
But that you may the better discern when a per
son violates the rules from contempt and scandal, the
following are some marks of it :
1. When being corrected, he makes light of it,

and has no repentance.
2. When he perseveres, without shewing any de
sire or intention of amendment.
3. When he maintains that the rule or the com
mandment does not apply.
4. When he tries to draw others into the same
OF THE VIOLATION OF THE RULES. 193
violation, and to takefrom them the fear of that

violation, saying to them that it is nothing, and that
there is no danger.
CHAPTER XL VII.
It is, further, necessary to put you on your guard
against a temptation which may happen in this mat

ter :it is, that persons sometimes do not consider
themselves disobedient, when they only despise one

or two rules, which appear to them of little import
ance, provided they observe all the others.
But, my God, who does not see through this
deceit ? For what one person thinks of little value,
another will esteem very highly ; and vice versd. In
the same way, if one religious were to disregard one
rule, and a second another, and a third another, soon
every thing would be in disorder for when the mind
;
of man is only guided by its inclinations and aver

sions, what happens to it but a perpetual inconstancy
and variety of faults ? Yesterday I was in high spirits
silence was disagreeable to me; to-day, if I am
melancholy, recreation will be a burden to me yes :
terday, when I was in consolation, the singing gave

me pleasure ; to-day, when I am in dryness, it will
be displeasing to me and so of the rest.
:
Hence, whoever wishes to live happily and per

fectly must accustom himself to live according to
reason, the rules, and obedience, and not according
to his inclinations and aversions and he must value
;
all the rules, honour them, cherish them, at least

by
his superior will. For if he despises one of them
now, to-morrow he will despise another of them, and
the day after yet another and when once the tie of
;
o
duty broken, every thing which was bound by it,

is
little little, is destroyed and scattered.

by
God forbid that any one should ever stray so far
from the path of God s love as to go and lose himself
in contempt of the rules,
by disobedience, hardness
and obstinacy of heart !
When you feel disgust or aversion for the rules,

you ought to act as in other temptations, correcting
the disgust and aversion by reason, and
by a strong
resolution of the superior part of the soul ;
waiting
until God sends consolation, and makes the soul, cast
down by disgust, perceive, like the wearied and
fatigued Jacob, that the rules are the true ladder by
which, in imitation of the angels, we ascend to God
by charity, and descend by humility.
If it is through infirmity that a
person breaks the
rule, then he ought, at the instant, to humble himself
before our Lord, and ask His pardon,
renewing his
resolutions and he ought, above all, to take care not
;
to fall into discouragement and

disquietude, but with
new confidence in God to return to His holy love.
If it is through negligence and carelessness, he
may and ought to mention it in confession, as a thing

in which there may be sin.
If it is through forgetfulness, and the matter is
not of great importance, there is no sin at all in it,
either great or small I
say, if the matter is not of
:
for then one ought to

great importance ;
keep one s
attention awake so as not to fall into forgetfulness,
just as if the question was about attending to a sick
man danger of death.
in
We ought to believe that in proportion as the
divine love makes progress in our souls, it will render
us continually more exact and careful in the observ
ance of the rules; for if they obliged us under penalty
of death, how would we observe them !But
straitly
NOT TO GO BEYOND THE RULES. 195
love is as
strong as death ; therefore the attractions
of love are as powerful to make us execute a resolu
tion as are the menaces of death.
v
Jealousy, says the holy canticle, is as hard as hell
(Cant. viii. 6) the souls, then, that have this jealousy
:
will do as much, or more, in virtue of this

jealousy,
than they would from the fear of hell ; so that those
who are conducted by the sweet violence of love will
observe their rule, God
assisting them, as exactly as
if
they were obliged to it under pain of eternal dam
nation.
Lastly, we ought always to remember these words :
that he that keepeth the commandment

keepeth his own
soul ; but he that
neglecteth his own shall die.
way
(Prov. xix. 16.) Now the way of each one is that
state of life in which God has placed him.
CHAPTER XLVJII.
THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO GO BEYOND THE RULES.
You ask me whether a sister who is of a

strong
constitution may not use more austerities than the
others, with the permission of the superioress, but in
such a way as that the others do not it ? perceive
I
reply to this, that there is no secret that is not
conveyed secretly to another ; and thus from one to
another people end by
forming religions in religions,
and little cliques, and then all
goes to ruin.
St. Teresa describes
admirably well the evil caused
by these undertakings, which arise from the wish
little
of doing more than the law ordains and the others
do, especially if it is the superioress ; for the moment
that her daughters perceive it, will be anxious to
they
do the same ; and they will not fail of
finding out
reasons to persuade themselves that
they shall do it
well, some urged on by zeal, and others to please
her ;
and prove a temptation to those who
all this will
will not or cannot do the same.
One ought never to introduce, permit, or suffer
these particularities, except in certain cases of special
necessity ; for example, if it happened that a sister
was oppressed by some great temptation.
But if any sister were so generous and so coura
geous as to wish to arrive at perfection in a quarter
of an hour, by doing more than the others, I would
counsel her to humble herself, and to be content not
to arrive at perfection under three days time, and to
travel in company with the others.
If there are also sisters of stronger constitutions,
all very well but they must not for all that travel
;
faster than those who are weak, according to the ex
ample of Jacob, who, returning from Mesopotamia,

accommodated himself to the pace, not only of his
little children, but even of his lambs. And by so
doing, 1 assure you that you will not arrive a whit the
more slowly at perfection ; on the contrary, you will
arrive there sooner, because, not having much to do,
you will apply yourselves to do it with the utmost

perfection possible for you.
I cannot express to you sufficiently of what im
portance it is to be punctual to the least little rule,

as also not to desire to undertake any thing beyond it,
under any pretext whatever, because it is the means
of preserving the religion in its totality, and in its
firstfervour and the contrary is what destroys it,
;
and makes it fall from its original perfection.

As for communions, it is no doubt more perfect
to conform oneself to the community, unless it be in
certain cases, such as the feast of our patron saint, or
of any saint to whom we have had a devotion all our
life, or in any very pressing
necessity. But as for
those little favours which we have sometimes, and
NOT TO GO BEYOND THE RULES. 197
which, generally speaking, are merely natural effects,

which make us wish for communion, we ought to pay
no attention but conform to the community;
to that,
otherwise, when we ought to communicate, self-love
will suggest to us to abstain for the sake of
humility ;
and when it is not the time for it, self-love will lead
us to ask for communion ; and thus there would be
no end of it.
We ought not to reckon as inspiration things

which are not in the rule, unless it be in cases so ex
traordinary, that perseverance makes us know that it
is the will of God. I consider that it is a
very great
act of perfection to conform oneself in
every thing to
the community, and never, of our own choice, to de
part from it. For what reason, think you, did our
Lord and His most holy Mother submit themselves to
the law of presentation and purification, unless be
cause of the love they bore to the community ?
They
were not at all obliged to it, but they desired to con
form themselves to that which all the others observed,
and not to be singular in any thing.
But, you will say again, it is for the sake of mor
tification that you remain a longer in choir than
little
the others on festival-days, because the time has al
ready seemed very long to you for the two or three
hours together you have been there.
To this I reply, that it is not a general rule that
one ought to do every thing to which one has a re
pugnance, any more than to abstain from things to
which one has an inclination. For if a sister has an
inclination to say the divine office, she ought not to
give up assisting at it, under the pretext of wishing
to mortify herself.
To conclude : the time on festivals which is left at
liberty for you to use as you please, may be employed

by each sister
according to her devotion ; but it is
nevertheless true, that

having remained three hours,
and perhaps more, in choir with the
community,
there is much reason to fear that the of an
quarter
hour longer which you would
spend there would be a
morsel that you would give to
little
your self-love.
CHAPTER XLIX.
OF PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY IN THE MIDST OF AFFAIRS.
I remember that
you said to me how burdensome
you felt the multiplicity of your affairs; and I said to
you that it was an excellent means for the acquisition
of true and solid virtues. It is a continual
martyr
dom, that of the multiplicity of affairs. For as the
flies
weary and annoy those who travel in summer
more than the fatigue of the
journey itself, so the
diversity and multiplicity of affairs give more trouble
than the weight of the affairs themselves.
You have need of patience and I
;
hope that God
will give to you, if you
it
diligently ask it of Him,
and force yourself to practise it
faithfully, by pre
paring yourself for it every morning, by a special
application of some point in your meditation, and
resolving to settle yourself in patience throughout
the course of the
day, or as often as you feel your
self distracted with business.
Lose no occasion, however
trifling, of exercising
sweetness of heart towards
any one. Do not reckon
on being able to succeed in
your affairs by your in
dustry, but only by the assistance of God ; and con
sequently repose yourself in His bosom, thinking that
He will do what is best for you,
provided that you
use a sweet diligence on
your part.
I
say a sweet diligence, because there is a kind of
violent diligence, which
perils the heart and the busi
ness you transact. Such diligence does not deserve
PEACE IN THE MIDST OF AFFAIRS. 199
the name, but should rather be called anxiety and

trouble. My God we shall soon be in eternity,
! and
then we shall see what a little matter are all the af
fairs of the world, and of how small consequence it
was whether they were done or not done. Never
theless, we now make ourselves anxious as though
they were great things.
When we were little children, with what earnest
ness did we gather bits of tiles, wood, and clay, to
build little houses with, and when any one
destroyed
them, we were greatly distressed at it, and wept but ,
now we know right well that all that was of little

consequence.
We shall do the same in heaven one day, when
we shall see that our interests in the world were all
mere childishness.
I do not wish to take attention which
away the
we are bound to give to these little deceptions and
trifles, for God has committed them to us in this world
as exercisesbut I would be glad to abate the ardour
;
and vehemence of the pursuit. Let us pursue our

childish occupations, since we are children, but let
us not catch cold about them and if
any one throws
;
down our little houses and designs, let us not be

over-distressed ; for when night comes, I mean death,
and we must return to our homes, our little houses
will all be useless. We must return to our Father s
house.
Attend diligently to your affairs but know that ;
you have no afi airs of greater importance than those

of your salvation, and the paving of the
way to a true
and solid devotion. Have patience with all, but prin
cipally with yourself; 1 mean, do not make yourself
unhappy about your imperfections, but always have
courage to rise above them. I am very glad that you
make a fresh beginning every day; there is no better
means for achieving the spiritual life than always

to recommence, and never to suppose that you have
done enough.
CHAPTER L.
OP PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CONTRADICTIONS.
As for me, I have entrusted all these adverse winds

to the providence of God. Let them blow hard or
soft as they please, the
tempest or the calm are to
me indifferent. Blessed are ye when they shall speak
all that is evil against you,
untruly, for My sake. (St.
Matt. v. 11.) If the world could find nothing to
say against us, we should not be truly the servants
of God.
The other day, naming St. Joseph at Mass, I re
called to my mind that sovereign moderation which
he shewed when he saw his incomparable spouse
was found with child, whom he believed to be a most
pure virgin and I recommended to his prayers the
;
mind and the tongue of those worthy gentlemen, that

he might obtain for them a little of that sweetness
and benignity; and presently afterwards it occurred
to my spirit that our Lady in this perplexity did not
say a word, did not excuse herself, did not distress
herself, and the providence of God delivered her ;
and I recommended this affair to her, and resolved
to leave it in her hands, and to
keep myself tranquil.
What, indeed, does one gain by opposing the winds
and the waves, except worthless foam ?
Oh, I must not be so tender over myself! I must
be very willing to hear that people censure me. If
I do not deserve it in one
way, I deserve it in an
other. The Mother of Him who merited eternal
adoration never said one single word when she was
charged with disgrace and ignominy. To sweet and
PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CONTRADICTIONS. 201
patient hearts heaven and earth belong. You are

too sensitive about me. Must I be the only person
in the world
exempt from attacks ? I assure
you
that nothing has affected me so much on the
present
occasion as to see that you are affected. Have
peace,
and the God of peace shall be with you
(2 Cor. xiii. 11);
and He will trample underfoot the lion and the
dragon
(Ps. xc. 13) ;and nothing will trouble our peace if
we are His servants.
There is much self-love in
wishing that all the
world should love us, and that
every thing should
turn out to our glory.
Do not glory in the affection of fathers who are
in the world and of the
world, but in that of the
heavenly Father, who hath loved you, and hath given
His Son for you. (St. John in. 16.)
202
PART FOURTH.
OF DEVOTION, AND OF THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES
OF PIETY.
CHAPTER I.
OP DEVOTION.
You ask me what means you ought to use for acquir

ing devotion. This is no trifling question ; but take
good heed to what I shall say to you in reply.
The virtue of devotion is nothing else than a ge
neral inclination and promptitude of spirit in
doing
that which one knows is agreeable to God. It is that
enlargement of the heart of which David said, / have
run the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst en
large my heart. (Ps. cxviii. 32.) Those who are simply
good people walk in the way of God, but the devout
run in it and when they are greatly devout, they
;
fly
in it.
Now I shall tell you that there are some rules

that one must observe in order to be truly devout.
We must, above all things, observe the command
ments of God and of the Church, which are laid
down for every faithful Christian and without that,
;
one cannot have any true devotion in it. This every

one knows. Besides the general commandments, we
must carefully observe the particular commandments,
which regard each person s vocation ; and whoever
does not do this, he will not fail, at the resurrection,
of being culpable of sin, and of
being damned, if he
has died in it.
For example, Bishops are commanded to visit
MEANS FOR ARRIVING AT DEVOTION. 203
their dioceses, teach their flocks, defend and console

them. If a Bishop spent all the week in prayer, and
fasted all his life, but did not do this, he is lost.
Though a woman, being in the married state, were
towork miracles, and yet not obey her husband in
what regards the duties of that state, or to take no
trouble to bring up her children well, she is worse
than an infidel, says St. Paul (1 Tim. v. 8) ; and so of
other cases. Here, then, are two sorts of command
ments which necessary to observe diligently, as
it is
the foundation of all devotion and nevertheless,

;
the virtue of devotion does not consist in observing

them, but in observing them with promptitude, and
willingly.
CHAPTER II.
MEANS FOR ARRIVING AT DEVOTION.
To acquire this promptitude, in which the virtue

of devotion consists, we must avail ourselves of se
veral considerations.
The first is, that God so wills it ; and there is in
deed good reason that we should do His will, for
we are in the world only for that purpose. Alas, we
every day ask of Him that His will be done and ;
when it comes to be done, we have so much trouble !
We offer ourselves to God so often ; we say to Him

on every occasion, Lord, I am all yours, behold my
heart; and when He wills to employ us, we are so
cowardly !How can we say that we are all His, if
we will not accommodate our will to His?
The second consideration is, to think on the nature
of the commandments of God, which are sweet, gra
cious, and loving, not only those which are general,
but also the particular commandments of each one s
vocation.
204 THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OF PIETY.
is it, then, that renders them hard to you ?
What
Nothing, in truth, except your own will, which wishes
to reign in you at whatever cost ; and the things
which perhaps that will would desire, if they were not
commanded, being commanded, it rejects. Among
a thousand delicious fruits, Eve chose that which had
been forbidden her, and which, no doubt, she would
not have eaten, had she been at liberty to do so. In
one word, we like to serve God according to our own
will, and not according to His. Saul was ordered to
smite Amalec and utterly destroy all that was there
(1 Kings xv.) he;
did destroy every thing except what
was valuable, and that he reserved and made a sacri
fice of it. But God declared that He desired no sa
crifice that was contrary to obedience.
God commands me to save souls, and I wish to
remain in contemplation the contemplative life is
;
good, but not to the prejudice of obedience. It is

not for us to choose according to our will we must ;
will what God wills and if God wills that I should

;
serve Him in one capacity, I must not will to serve

Him in another. God wills Saul to serve Him in the
quality of a king and captain, and Saul wills to serve

Him in the quality of a priest and a sacrificer. There
is no doubt that the latter quality is more excellent
than the former; but nevertheless this is not the way
to please God; He wills to be obeyed.
This is remarkable. God had given manna to the
children of Israel, which was a most delicious viand,
and they would none of it, but desired and longed
for the onions of Egypt. (Numbers xi. 5.) Our feeble
nature evermore wishes its own will to be done, and
not God s will. But in proportion as we have less
of our own will, that of God will be more easily
observed.
The third consideration is, to reflect that there is no
vocation which has not its annoyances, bitternesses,

and vexations and much more, if we except those
;
who are fully resigned to the will of God, each person

would willingly change his condition for that of others.
Those who are married would wish not to be so; and
those who are single would wish to be married.
Whence comes this general disquietude of minds,
unless from a certain dislike which we all have to
constraint ? But it is all one. Whoever is not fully
resigned, he may turn to this side or to that, he will
never find repose. Those who have a fever find no
place to their mind. They have not remained a quarter
of an hour in one place, when they would be in an
other. It is not the bed that causes their restlessness,
but the fever which torments them every where. A
person who has not the fever of self-will is contented
every where, provided that God is served. Such a
one does not trouble himself about what capacity God
employs him in provided that he does His divine will,
;
it is to him all one.

But
this is not all we ought not only to do the
:
will ofGod, but in order to be devout, we ought to

do it cheerfully. If I were not a
Bishop, it may be
that, knowing what I do know, I would not wish to
be one ; but being such, not only am I
obliged to do
what that painful vocation requires, but I ought also
to do it joyously, and to be
pleased with it, and find
delight in it.
It was
St. Paul s lesson, Let
every man wherein
liemas called, therein abide with God. (1 Cor. vii.
24.)
He must not bear other people s crosses, but his own
cross and in order to bear his own, our Lord would
;
have him deny himself (St. Matt. xvi. 24), that is

to say, his own will.
"
I would like to have this or

I would be better in this
"
that;"
place or that :"
these are temptations. Our Lord knows well what

He is about let us do what He wills let us remain

; ;
where He has placed us.

You ought not only to be devout and to love
devotion, but you ought to make it amiable, profit
able, and agreeable to each person. The sick will
love your devotion, if they are charitably consoled
by it ; your family will, if they find that it makes
you more attentive to their good, more reasonable in
the management of affairs, more gentle in reproving
those who are subjected to you. Your husband will
love it,he perceive that in proportion as your de
if
votion increases, you are more cordial with regard to
him, and more kind in the affection you entertain
towards him your relatives and friends will rejoice
;
at it, they observe in you more frankness, more

if
support and compliance with their will when not

contrary to that of God. In short, you ought, as
far as possible, to render your devotion pleasing and
amiable.
CHAPTER III.
OTHER MEANS FOB ARRIVING AT DEVOTION.
Besides the considerations I have mentioned, at

tend to the following :
1.
Always add to the end of your meditation each
day a consideration of the obedience which our Lord
exercised towards God His Father, for you will find
that whatever He did, He did to please the will of
His Father and hereupon excite yourself to a great
;
love of the will of God.

of
2. Before employing
yourself in any business
your vocation that annoys you, reflect that the Saints
cheerfully did other things much greater and
more
annoying. Some of them suffered martyrdom, others
suffered disgrace in the eyes of the world ; and all
this in order to do something that was pleasing to

God. And what do we do that approaches to all that?
3. Often reflect that all that we do, derives its
true value from the conformity which we have to the
will of God so that in eating and drinking, if I do it
;
because it is the will of God that I do it, I am more

pleasing to God than if I suffered death without that
intention.
4. I would wish you frequently in the course of
the day to invoke God, that He may give you the love
of your vocation, and that you may say with St. Paul,
when he was converted, Lord, what milt Thou have
me to do? (Acts ix. 6.) Wouldst Thou have me serve
Thee in the meanest employment in Thine house?
Ah, I would still consider myself too happy pro ;
vided that I serve Thee, I do not trouble myself in

what capacity. And coming in particular to what
would give you annoyance, say Wouldst Thou have
:
me do such and such a thing ? Alas, Lord, although

1 am not
worthy of it, I will do it most willingly.
my God, what treasures you will gain in this way !
greater, no doubt, than you can conceive.

5. I would have you consider how many Saints,
men and women, have been in your vocation and in
your state, and have all accommodated themselves to
it with
great sweetness and resignation, as well in the
New as in the Old Testament, Sara, Rebecca, St.
Anne, St. Paula, St. Monica, and innumerable others :
and let this encourage you, recommending yourself

to their prayers. One ought to love what God loves :
now He loves our vocation ;

let us love it also well,
and let us not amuse ourselves by thinking about
other people s vocations. Let us do our own work.
To each one his cross it is not too much. Sweetly
;
mingle the offices of Martha and Magdalene. Fulfil

diligently the service of your vocation, and often re-
turn to yourself, and place yourself in spirit at the

feet of our Lord, and say Lord, whether I ran or
:
whether I stay, I am all Thine, and Thou art all mine.

Thou art my first and all that I do is for the
spouse,
love of Thee.
Remember what I have so often told you Do :
honour toyour devotion make it very amiable to

;
all who know you, and above all to your family and ;
act so that every person may speak well of you.
CHAPTER IV.
MAXIMS FOB LIVING CONSTANTLY IN PIETY.
In order to live in piety, we have only

to settle
mind.
strong and excellent maxims in our
The first maxim is that of St. Paul: To them that
love God, all things work together unto good. (Rom. viii.
28.) And in truth: since God is able,
and knows how,
to draw good out of evil, for whom
will He do it, if
not for those given themselves without re
who have
serve to Him ? Yes, even the sins from which God
by His mercy preserves us, are turned by
divine
Providence to the advantage of those that are His.
David would never have had such a depth of humi
lity,
if he had not sinned nor Magdalene such a
;
love for her Saviour, if He had not forgiven her so

many sins and He could never have forgiven them
;
her, if shehad not committed them. Tell me, then,

I pray you, what will He not make of our afflictions,
our sorrows, and the persecutions that are brought
sor
upon us ? If, therefore, it ever occurs that any
row touches you, on whatever side it may be, assure
if it loves God, all will turn out for
your soul that
Andalthough you cannot see the
means by
good.
which this good is to arise, remain so much the more
assured that it will arise.
MAXIMS FOR LIVING IN PIETY. 209
The second maxim is, that God is your Father ;
for otherwiseHe would not have commanded you to

say, Our Father who art in heaven. And what have
you to fear ? you are the child of that Father, with
out whose providence not a hair of your head shall
perish. (St. Luke xxi. 18.) It is a marvel that being
children of such a Father, we have or can have
any
care but that of loving and serving Him well. Have
the care which He wills you should have, and no
thing more for doing so, you will see that He will
;
have a care for you. Think of Me, He said to St.

Catherine of Sienna, and I will think of you.
The third maxim you ought to have is that which
our Lord taught to His Apostles. He had sent His
Apostles hither and thither, without money, without
staff, without shoes, without scrip, clad in a single
coat ; and He says to them afterwards, When I sent
you without purse and scrip and shoes, did you want
any thing ? But they said, Nothing. (St. Luke xxii.
35.) I
say the same to you. When you were under
affliction, even at the time when you had not so
much confidence in God, did you perish in afflic
tion ? You will tell me, No. And wherefore, then,
will you not have
courage to succeed in all other ad
versities ? God has not abandoned you so far how ;
should He abandon you now, when you are

willing
to be His more than before ?
Have no apprehensions for future evils of this
world, for perhaps they will never come ; but in any
case, if they do come, God will strengthen you. He
commanded St. Peter to walk on the waves ; and St.
Peter, beholding the wind and the storm, was fearful,
and fear made him
sink, and he asked his Master for
help. But
his Master said to him, thou of little
faith,why didst thou doubt ? (St. Matt. xiv. 31.) And
stretching forth His hand to him, He encouraged him.
IfGod wills you to walk upon the waves of adversity,

do not doubt, do not be fearful, God is with you ;
be of good courage, and you will be delivered.

The fourth maxim is that of eternity. Of little
is it to be under affliction in these pass
consequence
that I am eternally in the
ing moments, provided
glory of my God.
We are going into eternity we ;
Provided it
have, as it were, one foot there already.
it if these
is a happy eternity for us, what matters
short moments are painful? Is it possible that we
know our tribulations of three or four moments work

we are
for us so many eternal consolations, and yet
not willing to endure them ? In fine, what is not for
eternity, can
be nothing but vanity.
The fifth maxim is that of the Apostle God forbid :
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus

Christ. 14.) Plant
Jesus Christ in your heart,
(Gal.vi.
and all the crosses of this world will only seem to
you roses. Those who are wounded by the thorns
of the crown of our Lord, who is our chief, hardly
feel the smarts of other thorns.
CHAPTER V.
THAT DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE DISCREET.
It is true, as I have often told you, that

discretion
is a virtue without which, according to the testimony

devo
of St. Anthony, no virtue is virtue, not even
real devotion could exist without real
tion, if, indeed,
discretion.
her
This good lady complains wonderfully about
found a swarm of bees with
daughter, that having
their honey, she amuses herself too much
with them,
much of this to the ad
and eats too honey, contrary
vice of the Wise Man, who said, Thou
hast found
thee. (Prov. xxv. 16.)
honey; eat what is sufficient for
DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE DISCREET. 211
She will have given you all her reasons in better terms
than I could represent them to you.
Contribute, then, as much as you can to the satis
faction of this mother,
by speaking to her daughter,
that she may give up, I will not
say a little, but a
great deal of her consolations, no matter how spi
ritual they may be ; to leave a
great deal of them to
her mother.
I confess that I do not know how it can
happen
that a mother of such talents,
perfection, and piety,
and a daughter of such great virtue and devotion, do
not remain altogether united in that
great God who
is the God of union and of
charity ; but 1 know,
nevertheless, that this does happen, and that even
the angels, without
ceasing to be angels, have con
trary wills even upon the same subject, without fall
ing, for all that, into either division or dissension ;
because they have a perfect love for the will of

God,
which, the moment it appears, is embraced and adored
by them all.
Ah, my God, are there no means of helping these

two ladies to understand that holy will ? For I am
certain it would range them both under its obedi
ence.
Tospeak properly on this occasion, it would be
necessary to hear both parties at length ; but while
this is impossible, one should
speak on the side of
the mother there is
always a just prejudice in her
:
favour.
For the rest, she only wishes
you to use your in
fluence to moderate the zeal which her
good daughter
has for her retreats, which is a
thing which cannot
and ought not to be refused; moderation
being al
ways good in all exercises, except in that of the love
of God, whom we
ought not to love by measure, but
altogether without measure.
Have the goodness, then, to interest yourself about

this moderation, to which it will be very easy to bring
this good daughter, since her good mother permits
her to enjoy the devotion in peace all the great feasts
of the year, and besides that, for three days every

six weeks. This is a great deal ; this is enough.
I assure myself, that after having invoked the
Holy Ghost, He will give you light to bring about or

to advise this moderation.
CHAPTER VI.
THAT DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE SWEET, SIMPLE, AND PATIENT.
Remain firm endeavour to be, as perfectly as you

;
can, the servant of God. Take care to preserve sweet

ness. I do not tell you to love what you ought to
1
love, for I know that you do so but I teh you to

;
be even-tempered, patient, and sweet. Repress the

sallies of your somewhat too lively and ardent dis
position.
I do not know what uneasiness you can have
about your confessions, for you make very good ones.
Abide, therefore, in peace before our Lord, who hath
loved you this long time, giving you His most holy
fear, and the desire of His love. But if you have not
it well up to this time, the remedy is
corresponded to
easy; you must correspond to it well for the future.
Your miseries and infirmities ought not to astonish
you. God has seen many more of them; and His com
passion does not reject the miserable, but He exer
cises Himself in doing them good, placing the seat of
His glory in their abjection.
I wish I had a good hammer to blunt the edge of
your spirit, which is too subtle in thinking about your

advancement.
I have often said to you, that one should go on
DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE INTIMATE. 213
with devotion in good faith, and, as it were, in a
simple open-handed manner. If you do well, praise
God for it if you do ill, humiliate yourself. I am
;
sure that you would never do ill of deliberate pur

pose other evils only serve for humiliation.
;
Do not, therefore, be afraid, and do not be so

ready to argue with your conscience for you know
;
too well that after all your pains there remains no

thing more for you in the sight of our Lord except
to entreat His love, which desires
nothing of you but
yours.
Do so, and diligently cultivate sweetness and in
terior humility. I
incessantly wish a thousand be
nedictions for you ; and above all, that you may be
humble, sweet, and patient, and that you may turn
your sorrows to profit by accepting them lovingly
for the love of Him who suffered so much for the
love of you.
CHAPTER VII.
THAT DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE INTIMATE AND STRONG.
It is necessary to make it a particular

object, to
nourish in our heart an intimate and strong devo
tion. I say intimate, in such a way as to have our
willconformed to the good actions we do outwardly,
whether little or great to do nothing from custom,
;
but by choice and application of the will; and if

sometimes the outward affection anticipates the in
terior affection in consequence of habit, at least let
the latter closely follow it. If before bowing to
my
inferior, I have not made the interior inclination by
a humble act of election to be subject to him, at least
let this election accompany or
closely follow the out
ward act of homage.
It is also necessary that this devotion be strong :
1. To supporttemptations, which rarely fail those
who wish in to serve God.
good earnest
2. Strong, to support the variety of tempers
amidst which we have to live, which is a temptation
as great as can be met with for feeble souls.
3. Strong, to support our own imperfections, so
as not to disquiet ourselves at seeing ourselves sub
ject to them for as it is necessary to have a strong
;
humility, not to lose courage, but to raise our

con
fidence in God in the midst of our weaknesses, so
ought we to have a powerful courage to take in hand
the task of correcting ourselves, and bringing about
a perfect reformation of our souls.
4. Strong, to combat our imperfections.
5. Strong, to despise the words and judgments
of the world, which never fails to attempt to control
those who give themselves up to devotion, especially
at the commencement.
6. Strong, to keep ourselves independent of par
ticular affections, friendships, or inclinations, so as
not to live according to our inclinations, but accord
ing to the light of true piety.

7. Strong, to keep ourselves independent of the
tendernesses, and consolations which
sweetnesses,
come from God as from creatures, so
to us as well
as not to surrender ourselves to them.
8. Strong, to carry on a continual war against our
bad inclinations, humours, habits, and propensities.
CHAPTER VIII.
THAT DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE GENEROUS.
Devotion, moreover, ought to be generous, so as

not to be surprised at difficulties, but to augment its
courage by them. For, as St. Bernard says^
he is not
DEVOTION OUGHT TO BE GENEROUS. 215
bolder in the
very valiant whose heart does not grow
midst of pains and contradictions.
Generous, to aim at the highest point of Chris
tian perfection, in spite of all present imperfections
and weaknesses, resting with perfect confidence on
the divine mercy, after the example of her who said
to the Beloved :Draw me ; we will run after Thee in
the odour of Thy ointments (Cant. i. 3) as though she
;
would have said,

"
Of myself I am immovable ; but

when Thou drawest me I shall run."
The divine Lover of our souls often leaves us, as
itwere, entangled in our miseries, in order that we
may know that our deliverance comes from Him,
and that when we have it we may cherish it as a
precious gift of His goodness. This is the reason
why, as generous devotion never ceases to cry unto
God, "Draw me," so it never ceases to aspire, to
hope, and to promise to itself always to run cou
rageously, and to say, We will run after Thee
"
;"
and we ought never to distress ourselves if at first

we do not run after the Saviour, provided we always
say, "Draw me," and provided we have the good
courage to add, We will run after Thee." For
although we run not, it is enough that, God aiding
us, we shall run.
The communities which are in the Church are
not assemblages of perfect persons, but of persons
who aim at perfection not of persons who run, but
;
who aim at running, and who for that reason learn

first to walk step by step, then to hasten, and at
length to run.
This generous devotion despises nothing, and
causes us without trouble or disquietude to see each
one walk and run, and walk and run differently, ac
cording to the diversity of inspirations and the variety
of the measures of divine grace which he receives.
It is a great admonition which the
holy Apostle
gives us in his epistle to the Romans (xiv. 3-6) :
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not ;
and he that eateth not, let him not judge him that eateth ;
let
every man abound in his own sense. He that eateth,
eateth to the Lord ; and he that eateth not, to the Lord
he eateth not, and giveth thanks unto God. Let every "
man abound in his own sense :" that

to say, let is
him enjoy and use his liberty without
judging or
controlling others who do not do the same, or wish
ing to make them think his own way the best ; since
it
may even happen that one person eats with as
much renouncement of his own will as another ex
ercises in fasting.
Generous devotion does not wish to have compan
ions in every thing it does, but only in its aim,
which is the glory of God, and the advancement of
our neighbour in divine love and provided that it
;
goes straight to that end, it does not trouble itself

by what road provided that he who fasts, fasts for
:
God, and that he who fasts not, also for God fasts
not, it is as content with the
one as with the other.
Generous devotion, then, does not wish to attract
others to its own mode of life, but it follows its own
path simply, humbly, tranquilly.
But even if it did happen that a person ate, not
for God, but from inclination, still it would be neces
sary that those who do the contrary judge him not ;
but that without censuring him, they follow their own

path sweetly, without despising or judging to the
prejudice of the weak; recollecting that if on these
occasions those persons yield perhaps too weakly to
their inclinations, the others on other occasions do
much the same. But those also who have these
inclinations ought to be very much on their guard
against saying any thing, or giving any sign that they
OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY. 217
are displeased that others do better, for herein they

would commit a great fault ; but considering their
own weakness, they ought to regard those who do
better with a holy, sweet, and cordial reverence ; and
by so doing, they will be able to derive as much
profit from their weakness, by
the humility which
will arise from it, as the others will derive from what
they do. If this point is well understood and well

observed, it will preserve in souls a marvellous tran
quillity of mind and
a great sweetness of heart. Let
Martha be active, but let her not control Mary. Let
Mary be contemplative, but let her not despise Mar
tha ; for our Lord will take up the defence of her
who is censured.
Nevertheless, those who have aversions to pious

practices, or inclinations to practices of less piety,
will, if they take my advice, use violence, and oppose
themselves as much as they can to their aversions
and inclinations, in order truly to conquer themselves,
and to serve God by this excellent mortification, mak
ing the authority of reason reign in every thing and
every where.
Lastly, they will endeavour to have a pliable and
manageable heart, ready and easy to yield in all per
mitted things, and to shew obedience and charity on
all occasions, so as to resemble the dove, whose fea
thers reflect all the colours of the light. Blessed are

the pliable hearts, for they will never break.
CHAPTER IX.
OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY, AND OF THE MARKS BY WHICH

IT IS KNOWN.
Behold the general rule of our obedience, written
in large letters We must do every thing by love, and
:
nothing by force. We must love obedience more than

we fear disobedience. I leave you the spirit of liberty,
218 THE PRINCIPAL EXEilCISES OF PIETY.
not that which excludes obedience, for that is the

liberty of the flesh, but that which excludes con
straint, scrupulosity, or anxiety. Now I will tell you
what isthe spirit of liberty. Every good man has
the liberty or power to commit mortal sins, and does
in nowise attach his affection to this here is a liberty
:
I am not
necessary to salvation. speaking of that ;
the liberty of which I speak is the liberty of well-
beloved children. And what is that? It is a dis
engagement of the Christian heart from all things,
to follow the will of God. You will easily understand
what I mean to say, if God gives me the grace to
point out to you the marks, the signs, the effects,

and the occasions of this liberty.
We ask of God, before all things, that His name
be hallowed, His kingdom come, His will be done in
earth as it is in heaven. All this is nothing else but
the spirit of liberty for provided that His name is
;
hallowed, that His majesty reigns in us, that His will

is done, the spirit of liberty does not trouble itself
about any thing else.
First mark. The soul which has this liberty is
not attached to consolations, but receives affliction
with all the sweetness which the flesh can permit. I
do not say that it does not love and desire consolations,
but I say that it does not set its heart upon them.
Second mark. It in nowise fixes its affection
on particular spiritual exercises so that if, in conse
;
quence of sickness or any other accident, it is hin

dered, it does not distress itself about them. I again
do not say that it does not love them, but I say that
it does not set its heart
upon them.
Third mark. It rarely loses its joy of heart, be
cause no privation can sadden him who has not his
heart set upon any thing. I do not say that it never
loses it, but it is only for a little while.
EFFECTS OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY. 219
CHAPTER X.
OF THE EFFECTS OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY, AND OF THE

OCCASIONS FOR PRACTISING IT.
The a great sweetness

effects of this liberty are
of spirit,a great gentleness and readiness to yield
wherever there is not sin or danger of sin. It creates
a disposition sweetly pliable in the action of all virtue
and charity. For example, a soul that has attached
itself to the exercise of meditation; interrupt it, and
you will see it lay aside that exercise with some ex

pression of annoyance, disturbed and put out. A soul
which has true liberty, will lay aside its meditation
with an even countenance, and a heart graciously dis
posed towards the troublesome person who may have
caused it inconvenience ; for to such a soul it is all
one whether it serves God by meditating, or serves
Him by bearing with its neighbour. Both the one
and the other is the will of God but to bear with its
;
neighbour necessary at that particular moment.

is
The occasions of this liberty are all things which
occur contrary to our inclination ; for whoever has
not his inclinations fixed, is not disquieted when they
meet with opposition. This liberty has two vices
opposed to it instability of spirit and constraint.
Instability of spirit is a certain excess of liberty, by
which one would be ready to change one s exercises
and state of life without reason, or without knowing
what the will of God may be. On the least occasion
such persons change their exercises, purpose, and
rule. For the most trifling occurrence, they lay aside
their rule or praiseworthy custom and by that means
;
the heart dissipates and loses itself it becomes like

:
a garden open on all sides, the fruits of which are not

for the master, but for all the passers-by. Constraint
is a certain deficiency in liberty, by which the spirit
is overwhelmed either with weariness or anger when
it cannot do what it has determined on,
although it
might be able to do something better. For example,
I determine to make a meditation
every day in the
morning if 1 have the spirit of instability, on the
:
least occasion in the world I defer it till the evening;

for the barking of a dog that has prevented my sleep
ing ; for a letter I must needs write, though there

is no
pressing necessity for it. On the contrary, if
I have the spirit of constraint, I refuse to omit
my
meditation, although a sick person has great need of
my assistance during that hour; although I have a
despatch of great importance, and which cannot well
be deferred and so of other subjects.
;
We must nevertheless observe two rules, in order

not to fail in this.
The first is, that a person ought never to lay aside
his exercises and the common rules of the virtues,
unless he sees the will of God on the other side.
Now the will of God manifests itself in two ways,
by necessity and by charity. I wish to
preach this
Lent if, however, I fall sick or break my leg, I have
:
no business to regret and to vex myself about not

preaching for it is a certain thing, that the will of
;
God is, that I should serve Him by suffering and not

by preaching. Or again, if I am not sick, but an oc
casion presents itself for going to some other place,
where, if 1 do not go, the people will turn Protestants,
here the will of God is sufficiently evident to make
me gently change my purpose.
The second that when it is necessary to
rule is,
use liberty from a motive of charity, this must be
done without scandal and without injustice. For
example, I know that I would be more useful else
where, at a distance from my sphere of duty I ought
:
EXAMPLES OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY. 221
not to use liberty in this case, because I should give

scandal and do injustice, since I am bound to be here.
So it is a false liberty for married women to separate
themselves from their husbands without lawful rea
son, under pretext of devotion and charity. So that
this liberty never prejudices vocations on the con
:
trary, it makes each one satisfied with his own voca

tion, since each one ought to know that it is the will
of God he should remain in it.
CHAPTER XL
EXAMPLES OF THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY.
It remains for me to
give you two or three exam
ples of this liberty, which will make you understand
better what I cannot adequately express. I wish
you
to consider Cardinal Borromeo his was the most ex
:
act, the most rigid, and the most austere spirit that
can be imagined. His only food was bread, his only
drink water. So exact was he, that after he was
archbishop, in the course of twenty-four years he
only twice entered the house of his brothers, they
being sick, and only twice walked in his garden and;
nevertheless, that man, rigorous as he was (having

occasion frequently to eat in
company with the Swiss,
his neighbours, to
gain them over and induce them
to act better), made no
difficulty about drinking with
them and proposing their healths at each meal, be
sides what he drank to This was a
satisfy thirst.
trait of in the most austere man of this
holy liberty
age. A spirit without control would have done too
much of it a spirit under constraint would have
;
thought it was committing mortal sin a spirit of

;
liberty acted as I have described, from charity.

Spiridion, an ancient bishop, having received a
pilgrim almost dying of hunger in the season of Lent,
and in a place where there was nothing to be had but

salted meat, caused this meat to be cooked, and pre
sented it to the pilgrim, who refused to eat of it, not
Spiridion, who
was
withstanding his necessity.
under no necessity, ate of it first, in order, by his
the
example, to take away the scruples of the pilgrim.
St. Ignatius Loyola, on Holy Thursday, ate meat
on the simple order of the physician, who judged it
expedient for a slight
sickness he had. A spirit of
constraint would have made him pray for three days.
But I wish, after all this, to invite you to look
frank and free
upon a very sun, upon a true spirit,
from all entanglement, and which held only to God s
will. I have often thought, what was the greatest
mortification of all the saints whose lives I am ac
after many considerations, I
quainted with ? and,
think the was this. St. John the Baptist
greatest
five years, and
went into the desert at the age of
knew that our Saviour and his was born quite near
to him. God knows how the heart of St. John,
touched with the love of his Saviour from his mo
ther s womb, must have desired to enjoy His holy
presence. He, nevertheless, passed twenty-five years
in the desert without once coming to see our Lord ;
and he waited for Himself to come to him. After

not follow Him,
that, having baptised Him, he does
but remains to fulfil his duty. God, what morti
fication of spirit To be so near his Saviour, and not
!
to see Him ! To have Him so close at hand, and not

to enjoy Him !And what was this but to have his
spirit disengaged
of every thing, and even of God, in
order to do the will of God and to serve Him ? To
leave God for God, and to deprive himself of God
in
order to love Him so much the better and the more

mind with its
purely ? This example overwhelms my
greatness.
OF PROGRESS IN PIETY. 223
I forgot to observe, that not only is the will of God

made known by necessity and charity, but furthermore
by obedience in such a way, that he who receives a
;
command ought to believe that it is the will of God.
CHAPTER XII.
THAT PKOGBESS IN PIET?DOES NOT CONSIST IN MULTIPLYING

THE EXERCISES OF IT.
Some time ago, there were some holy religious
who said to me, Sir, what shall we do this year 1
"
Last year we fasted three times a week, and we took

the discipline as often what shall we do now ?
;
Surely we must do something more, as well to ren

der thanks to God for the past year, as to go on
always increasing in the ways of God."
You have said well that we ought always to go
"
forward," replied I but our advancement is not

;
"
brought about, as you think, by the multitude of

exercises of piety, but by the perfection with which
we do them, reposing ever more and more trust in
our Lord, and more and more distrusting ourselves.
Last year you fasted three times a week, and you took
the discipline three times. If you wish always to dou
ble your exercises, this year it will be the entire week ;
but next year how will you manage? You will be
obliged to make nine days in the week, or to fast
twice in the day."
Great is their folly who amuse themselves with de
siring to be martyred in the Indies, and do not apply
themselves to what they have to do in the place
where their vocation is appointed. Greatly also are
they deceived who would eat more than they are able
to digest. We have not sufficient spiritual heat to
digest well all that we take in for our perfection, and
nevertheless we are unwilling to cut off those anxie
ties which make us so desirous of
doing a great deal.
To read store of spiritual books, especially when

they are new to speak
much of God and of spiritual
things to excite ourselves, as we say, to devotion
to hear abundance of sermons and conferences to
communicate often to confess still oftener to wait
upon the sick speak copiously of all that passes

to
in our mind, in order to manifest the aim which we
have of arriving at perfection, and doing so speedily;
are not all these means very well adapted for perfect
ing ourselves ?
Yes, provided that all is done according as it is
ordered, and that it is always with dependence on

the grace of God ; that is to say, that we do not put
our confidence in all this, good as it is, but in God
fruit from
alone, who only can enable us to draw
our exercises.
Consider, I entreat you, the life of those great
saints of the desert, of a St. Anthony, who was hon
oured of God and man by reason of his very great
holiness. Tell me how did he arrive at that? Was
and frequent
itby dint of reading, or by conferences
communion, or by the multitude of sermons which he
heard ? Not so for he did not know how to read,
;
and he had no preachers to hear. How, then, did he

arrive at it ? It was by making use of the examples
of the holy hermits, copying from one his abstinence,
from another his prayer and thus he went about,
;
like a busy bee, picking and gathering the virtues of

the servants of God, to compose out of them the honey
of a holy edification. You may say the same of St.
Paul, the first hermit, of St. Pacomius, and of so many
others who were models of perfection.

What means it, then, that these holy solitaries,
viands which nourish
eating so little of those spiritual
our souls unto immortality, were nevertheless always
in such good case that is to say, so strong and so
OF MENTAL PRAYER. 225
courageous in undertaking the acquisition of the vir

tues, and in going on to perfection; whilst we, who eat
much, are always so thin that is to say, so cowardly
and languishing in the pursuit of our designs ? And
it seems as if we had no
courage and no vigour in the
service of our Lord, if we are not
supported by spi
ritual consolations.
We ought, then, to imitate those holy religious,
applying ourselves to our work, that is to say, to
what God demands of us according to our vocation,
fervently and humbly; and to think only of this,
considering that we cannot find any better means of
perfecting ourselves than this.
But perhaps some one will reply, You stay fer "
vently. My God and how can I do this, for I have no

!
fervour at all?" Not that which you mean so far as

regards sensible feeling, which God gives to whom He
thinks fit, and which it is not in our
power to have
when we please. I add also humbly; and do not say,
;
no humility, and it is not in

I^have my power to have
for the Holy Spirit, who is
it,"
goodness itself, gives
it to whosoever asks for it: bat not that
humility,
or you please, that sensible feeling of our own lit
if
tleness, which leads us to humble ourselves so

grace
fully in every thing; but that humility which makes
us know our own
abjectness, and which makes us
love it ; for that is true humility.
CHAPTER XIII.
OP MENTAL PRAYER.
The first method of mental prayer is, to

carry to it
some point wherewith to occupy one s mind, such as
the mysteries of the life, death, and
passion of our
Lord, which are the most useful and very
rarely in;
deed is it that one cannot

profit by the consideration of
what our Saviour did, said, or suffered.

He is the
whom the Eternal Father sent into
sovereign Master,
thisworld to teach us what we ought to do ; and con
the obligation we are under of form
sequently, besides
this divine model, we ought to be
ing ourselves upon
exact in considering His actions, His words, and
very
His in order to imitate them by practising
sufferings,
the virtues, because our Father and our Master prac
tised them ; and in order to comprehend
them well, it
is to weigh them, to see and con
necessary faithfully
sider them, in mental prayer.
What you say is true, that there are souls who
cannot fix themselves or occupy their minds on any
to a certain sweet simplicity,
mystery, being attracted
which holds them in great tranquillity before God,
without any other consideration except to know that
and that He is all their good.
they are before Him,
If they can thus remain profitably, it is good but,
;
all ought to manage to begin by

generally speaking,
that, method of mental prayer which
is the surest,
which leads to the reformation of life and change

and
of manners, which is the kind we speak of,
and which
of the
consists in the consideration of the mysteries
life and death of our Saviour. It is necessary, then,
to
to apply oneself in all good faith to our Master,
learn what He would have us do and those
;
who are
able to avail themselves of the imagination
even ought
to do so, but it is necessary to use
it soberly, very
simply, and briefly.

The holy fathers have left several pious and devout
considerations, of which use maybe made,
on this sub
for since these great and holy persons made
ject ;
them, who shall hesitate to make use of them, and

believe what they most piously believed ?
piously to
We ought to follow in security persons of such an
authority. But people are not content with what they
have left; some have devised abundance of other ima
ginations ; and it is these of which we ought not to

make use in meditation, inasmuch as they may prove
prejudicial.
The second method of mental prayer is, not to
make use of the imagination at all, but to meditate
purely and simply on the Gospel and the mysteries of
our faith, entertaining ourselves familiarly and in all
simplicity with our Lord, on what He has done, said,
and suffered for us, without any representation. Now
this method is much better and safer than the first.
This is
why it is
necessary to incline to it the more
easily, however little attrait one may have for it,
observing in every degree of prayer to keep one s

spirit in a holy liberty to follow the lights and move
ments which God shall give us in it ; but for the other
more elevated modes of devotion, unless God abso
lutely gives them to us, I beg of you not to urge
your mind towards them yourself, or without the ad
vice of those who direct you.
We ought to make our resolutions in the fervour
of prayer, when the Sun of Justice enlightens us and
excites us by His inspiration. I do not mean by this
to say that we must needs have great sentiments and
great resolutions, although when God gives them to

us we are obliged to turn them to our profit, and to
correspond with His love but when He does not give
:
them, we ought not to fail in fidelity on the con ;
trary, we ought to live according to reason and the

Divine will, and make our resolutions at the point of
our spirit in the superior part of our soul, not omitting
to put them into effect and to practise them, in spite
of the drynesses, repugnances, or contradictions which
may present themselves.
To make mental prayer profitable, we ought to
have a great determination never to abandon it for
any difficulty which may arise, and not to go to it

with the previous idea of being consoled and satisfied
by it for that would not be to unite and conform our
;
will to that of our Lord, who would have us, when

entering into mental prayer, to be resolved
to suffer
the distractions, the drynesses, and disgusts which we
may meet with in it, remaining as content as if we
had had a great deal of consolation and tranquillity,
since it is certain that our prayer will not be the less
less profitable, because
agreeable to God, or the
it is
made with the greater difficulty ;

for provided that
we always conform our will to that of His Divine
in a simple readiness and
Majesty, remaining always
disposition to receive the events of His good pleasure
with love, whether it is in prayer or on other occasions,
He will order it so that all things shall be profitable
to us, and, at the same time, pleasing in the eyes of
His Divine Goodness. We shall, therefore, be mak
ing our meditation well, if we keep ourselves in peace
and tranquillity near our Lord, or in His sight, with
out any other aim than to be with Him and to please
Him.
Those greatly deceive themselves
who consider that
for mental prayer there is required an abundance of
methods, and a certain art which consists, according
to them, in subtilising and refining on their medi
tation, to see how they are doing it, or how they may
do it to satisfy themselves, thinking that one must
neither cough nor move for fear the Spirit of God
should withdraw itself. A great deceit, indeed as if ;
the Spirit of God was so delicate, that it depended on

the method and the countenance of those who per
form the meditation.
I do not say that one ought not to use the me
thods I have alluded to ; but I do say that one ought
not to attach oneself to them, as those do who think
that they have not made their meditation well, if they

do not place their considerations before the affections,
which hitter are nevertheless the end for which we
make the considerations. Such persons resemble
those who, finding themselves at the place whither
they wanted to go, return again, because they had
not arrived by the road they had been told to go.
Further, it is necessary to hold oneself in great
reverence when speaking to the Divine Majesty, since
the angels, who are so pure, tremble in His presence.
But, my God, some one will say, I cannot always have
this feeling of the presence of God, which causes so
great a humiliation in the soul, nor this sensible rever

ence, which so sweetly and delightfully annihilates
me before God. But it is not of this sort of reverence
I mean to
speak, but of that which makes the highest
part and the very edge of our souls hold themselves
lowly and humbled in the presence of God, in ac
knowledgment of His infinite greatness, and of our
profound littleness and un worthiness.
CHAPTER XIV.
You have too good a courage not to do perfectly

what you ought to do for the love of Him who wills
not to be loved except wholly. Go on, therefore,
courageously in this way, with your spirit raised un
to God, and looking only at the countenance and the
eyes of the heavenly Spouse, to do all things accord

ing to His will and do not doubt but that He will
;
diffuse over you His holy grace, to give you strength
equal to the courage with which He has inspired you.

The holy gift of prayer is already in the right
hand of the Saviour, the moment that you shall be
empty of yourself, that is to say, of this love of your
body and of your own will. When you shall be

thoroughly humble, He will pour into your heart.
it
Have patience to go step by step, until you have legs

to run, or rather wings to fly with. God will fill your
vessel with His balm, when He shall see it void of the
perfumes of this world.
Often call to mind that the graces and the goods
of prayer are not waters of the earth, but of the hea
vens and that therefore all our efforts cannot ac
;
quire them, although the truth is,

that we ought to
dispose ourselves for them with diligence

: let that dili
gence be great, but humble and tranquil. We ought

to
keep our heart open unto heaven, and wait for the
holy dew.
Never forget to bring to mental prayer this con
sideration, that by it one approaches unto God, and
that one places one s self in His presence for two
principal reasons.
we may render unto God the hon
The first, that
our and homage which we owe to Him and this
;
cannot be done unless He speaks unto us, and we

unto Him for this duty is fulfilled by our acknow
:
ledging that He is our God, and we His vile

crea
tures,and by remaining before Him prostrate in spirit,
waiting for His orders. How many courtiers are
there who go a hundred times into the presence of
the king, not to speak to him nor to hear him, but
simply to be seen by him, and to testify by this as
siduity that they are his servants
And this end of
!
presenting ourselves before God, solely to lay

our
will prostrate before Him, to testify unto Him our
utter devotion to His service, is
very excellent, very
and very pure, and consequently belongs to
holy,
very great perfection.
The second is, that we may speak with Him, and
hear Him speak unto us by these inspirations and in-
terior movements and ordinarily this is done with a

;
most delicious pleasure, because it is a great good to

us to speak to so great a Lord and when He answers,
;
He diffuses a thousand balms, which give a great

sweetness to the soul. But one of these two goods
can never fail you in mental prayer. When, there
fore, you appear before our Lord, speak to Him if
you can ; if you cannot, abide there, make Him see
you, and do not be anxious about other matters.
CHAPTER XV.
Your manner of meditation is very good, and much

better than if you made in it considerations and rea
sonings, since considerations and reasonings are of
no use, except to excite the affections so that if it
;
pleases God to give us the affections without reason

ings or considerations, that is a great grace to us.
The secret of secrets in meditation is to follow the
attraits in simplicity of heart.
Take the trouble to read the seventh book of the
treatiseon the Love of God, and you will there find all
that will be necessary for you to know about mental
prayer and although you must bring one or more
;
points with you to the meditation, if nevertheless

God attracts you to some affection, you must not at
tach yourself to the point, but follow the affection :
and the more simple and tranquil it is, the better it

is ; for it attaches the more strongly the spirit to its
object.
Being once for all instructed on this point, never
amuse yourself during the meditation with wishing
to know what you are doing and how you are pray
ing ;
for the best prayer or meditation is that which
keeps us so well employed in God, that we do not

think at all of ourselves, or of what we are doing.
Lastly, we ought
to enter on prayer simply, in
good faith,and without art, in order to be near God,

to love Him, and to unite ourselves to Him. Do not
force yourself to speak in this divine love ;
suffici
ently does he speak who gazes and makes himself

seen. Follow, then, the path to which you are at
tracted by the Holy Spirit, yet without failing to pre
pare yourself for meditation for that is what you
;
ought to do on your side, and you ought not of your

self to attempt any other way but when you would
;
place yourself in that path, if God attracts you to

another, go thither with Him. We ought on our side
to make a preparation proportionate to our powers ;
and when God shall lead us higher, to Him alone be
the glory.
But if,having applied our spirit to this hum
after
ble preparation, God notwithstanding does not give
us sweetnesses and consolations, then we must abide
in patience to eat our dry bread, and fulfil our duty
without present recompense.
CHAPTER XVI.
You do nothing, you tell me, in meditation. But

what would you have yourself do, except what you
already do in it, which is to present and represent
to God your nothingness and your miseries ? It is
the most pathetic speech that mendicants address to
us, to expose to our eyes their ulcers and their ne
cessities.
But sometimes you do nothing of all this, as
still
you me, but you remain yonder like a phantom

tell
or a statue. Well, even that is not so little. In the
palaces of princes and kings they place statues which

serve only to recreate the eyes of the prince. Be con
tented, then, to serve for that purpose in the pre
sence of God. He will animate this statue when it
shall please Him.
The trees produce fruit only by the presence of
the sun, some sooner and others later; some every
year, and others once in three years, and not always
in equal quantity. We are happy to be able to re
main in the presence of God ; and let us content
ourselves, since He will make us bring forth our fruit
either sooner or later, either every day or from time
to time, according to His good pleasure, to which we
ought fully to resign ourselves.
It is a maxim of marvellous efficacy, that which
you tell me of : Let God put me in what service
"
He wills, tis all one to me, provided that I serve

Him." But take care to chew it well over and over
in your mind ; make it melt in your mouth, and do
not swallow it whole. St. Teresa, whom you love so
much, of which I am very glad, says somewhere

that we very often say such words from habit and a
certain slight idea of them, and we fancy that they
are spoken from the deep of our heart, although it
was nothing of the sort, as we afterwards discover by
our practice.
Well, you tell me that in whatever service God
puts you, it is all one to you. But you know well
in what service He has put you, and in what state
and condition and do you say to me, it is all one
;
to you ? My God, how subtlely does self-love in

trude itself amidst our affections, however pious they
appear to be !
Here is the great maxim. We must look to what

God wills, and discerning His will, we must attempt to
fulfil it
cheerfully, or at least courageously and not ;
we must and the
love this will of God,
only that, but
obligation whichfrom it, even were it to herd
results
swine all our life, and to do the most abject things in
the world. For in whatever service God puts us, that
Here is the very centre
ought to be all one to us.
of the target of perfection, at which we ought all to
is the
aim, and whoever approaches it the nearest
winner of the prize. Courage, I implore you. Ac
custom your will, little by little, to follow that of
God, to whatever place it leads you. Let your will
feel sharply goaded when your conscience shall say
to it, God wills it.
CHAPTER XVII.
Your meditation is good. Only be very faithful

to abide near in this sweet and tranquil atten
God
tion of heart, and in this sweet acquiescence with
His holy will ; for all this is pleasing to Him. Avoid
of the understanding, since
any violent application
such is injurious to you, and busy yourself
around
with the affections, in all sim
your beloved object
plicity,
and as sweetly as you can.
It cannot be helped that the understanding
now
and then makes attempts to apply itself, and there
is no occasion to be on the watch to
hinder it from
for that would only be a distraction to
doing so,
but ought to content yourself,
when you
you ; you
perceive with returning simply to the actions of
it,
the will. oneself in the presence of God,

To keep
and to place oneself in the presence of God, are, in
two for in order to place one
my opinion, things :
soul from
self there, one ought to withdraw one s
every other object,

and render it actually attentive to
elf in
this presence; but after one has placed oner
it, one always keeps oneself in it, so long as, either
by the understanding or by the will, one performs

actions towards God whether regarding Him, or :
regarding something else for the love of Him or ;
regarding nothing, but speaking to Him; or neither

regarding Him nor speaking to Him, but simply
abiding where He has placed us.
And when to this simple abiding there is added
some feeling that we are God s, and that He is our
all, we ought
to render great thanks to His good
ness for this. If a statue, which had been placed in
a niche or in the midst of a hall, had the power of
speech, and were asked the question, Wherefore art "
thou there Because," it would reply, "the statuary

"
?"
my master placed me here." Wherefore dost thou "
not move?" Because he wills that I should remain

"
in my place immovably." What use art thou of, "
then ? What advantage dost thou derive from being

thus stationary It is not for
my own service
"
?"
that I am to serve and obey the will of my

here ;
it is
master."But dost thou not see him

"
No," ?"
"
the statue would reply but he sees me, and takes ;

"
pleasure in knowing that I am where he has placed

me." But wouldst not thou be glad to have the
"
power of moving, in order to go nearer to him?"
Not unless he commanded me to do

"
so."
"
Desirest
thou, then, nothing?"
"
No; for I am where my

master has placed me, and his pleasure is the only
contentment of my being."
My God, it is indeed a good meditation, and a
good mode of keeping oneself in the presence of God,
that of keeping oneself in His will and in His good
pleasure. It is my opinion that St. Mary Magdalen
was a statue in a niche, when, without saying a
word, without moving, and perhaps without looking
at Him, she listened to what our Lord said, seated at
His feet: when He spoke, she heard;

when He ceased
to speak, she ceased to hear, and nevertheless she
was always there. little infant who is laid on the
A
bosom of its mother, is truly in its good and
sleeping
nor
though she says not a word
desirable place, to it,
itto her.
My God, how happy we are when we will to love
our Lord Let us love Him, then, well; and let us not
!
set ourselves to consider too much in detail what we

do for His love, provided that we know that we never
will to do any thing except for His love.
For myself, I think that we keep ourselves in the
for we betake our
presence of God even
in sleep ;
selves to sleep in His sight, at His good pleasure, and

we find that He is
by His will and when we wake,
;
there, nigh unto us He has not

: moved, nor have we.
We have, then, kept ourselves in His presence, though
with our eyes closed.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OF DISTINCTIONS.
You ask me how you are to act in order to bring
your spirit straight

to God, without looking either
to the right hand or to the left?
This proposition is so much the more pleasing to
me because it carries its own answer with it. You
go straight to God without
must do as look
you say,
ing to the right
hand or to the left.
I see well enough that this is not what you
ask
me but your question is, how you ought to act, so
;
be
to strengthen your spirit in God, that nothing may
able to detach it from Him.
Two things are necessary for this, death and sal
vation ; for after that, there will be no more separa-
OF DISTRACTIONS. 237
tion, and your spirit will be indissolubly attached and

united to its God.
You tell me that this, again, is not what you ask ;
but what you are to do in order to prevent the least
fly from drawing away your spirit
from God, as hap
pens but too often.
You apparently mean to say, the least distraction ;
but you ought to know, that the least fly of distrac

tion does not draw away your spirit from God, for
nothing draws us away from God but sin and the ;
resolution which we have made in the morning to keep

our spirit united to God, and attentive to His pre
sence, makes us remain there always, even when we
sleep, since we do so in the name of God, and ac
cording to His most holy will.
Even venial sins are not capable of turning us aside
from the path which conducts to God. They doubtless
stop us somewhat in our road, but they do not turn us
aside from it, and much less do simple distractions.
As for mental prayer, it is not the less profitable
or less pleasing to God for having in it many distrac
tions ; on the contrary, it will perhaps be more pro
fitable to us than if we had much consolation, because
there is thus more labour in it ; provided, neverthe
less, that we have the will to draw ourselves away
from these distractions, and that we do not volun
tarily allow our mind to rest upon them.
It is the same with the trouble which we have all
through the day in fixing our mind on God and hea

venly things, provided that we take pains to recal our
mind, and to hinder it from running after these flies,
persevering with patience, and not tiring of our toil,
which is endured for the love of God.
A careful distinction must be made between God
and the feeling of God, between faith and the feeling
of faith. A person who is
going to suffer martyrdom
for God does not always think upon God during that
time ;
and although he has not at that moment the
feeling of faith, he does not for all that fail to merit
it, or to make an act of very great love. It is the
same with the presence of God; we must be contented
with considering that He is our God, and that we are
His feeble creatures, unworthy of this honour, as St.
Francis did, who passed a whole night saying to God,
"Who art Thou, and who am I ?"
CHAPTER XIX.
OF GOOD DESIRES, AND OF UNSUITABLE THOUGHTS IN
MEDITATION.
There are two sorts of good desires one, those :
which augment the grace and the glory of the ser

vants of God the other, those which do nothing.
;
Desires of the first sort are thus expressed I would :
desire, for example, to give alms but I give them not,

;
because I have not wherewithal and these desires;
greatly increase charity and sanctify the soul. Thus

pious souls desire martyrdom, disgraces, and the
cross, which nevertheless they are unable to obtain.
Desires of the second sort are thus expressed: I would
desire to give alms, but I do not will to give them ;
and these desires are not sin by impossibility, but by

cowardice, tepidity, and defect of courage. This is
why they are useless and do not sanctify the soul, nor
give it any increase of grace a-nd of these desires St.
;
Bernard says that hell is full of them.

The souls which are tempted by unsuitable thoughts
in the meditation of the life and death of the Saviour
ought, as much as they can, to represent to themselves
the mysteries simply by faith, without making use of
the imagination. For example, my Saviour was cru
cified, is a proposition of the faith it suffices that I
:
OF DRYNESSES IN PRAYER. 239
conceive of it simply, without imagining to myself His

body extended on the cross ; and when unsuitable
thoughts occur, we ought to turn them aside by af
fections proceeding from faith. crucified Jesus, I
adore Thee I adore Thy torments, Thy pains, Thy
!
labour Thou art my salvation. As for thinking, on

!
account of these troublesome thoughts, of giving up

the meditation of the life and death of our Lord, this
would be to play the game of the enemy, who tries by
this means to deprive us of our greatest happiness.
CHAPTER XX.
OF DRYNESSES IN PRAYER.
Keep your heart at large ;

do not press it too
much by Have one of these, a
desires of perfection.
good one, thoroughly resolved and thoroughly con

stant. I mean the old one, which made you give
yourself to God with so much courage. This desire

you must diligently water with the dew of holy prayer.
You must take great pains to preserve it, for it is
the tree of life. But as for certain desires which
tyrannise over the heart, which would have nothing
oppose itself to our designs, which would have no
clouds, but insist that every thing should be in broad
noon -day ; which would have nothing but sweetness
in our exercises, no disgusts, no opposition, no dis
traction ; and the moment any interior temptation
arises, are not contented with our not consenting to
them, but would have us not feel them desires so ;
delicate, that they are not contented if we are fed

with juicy and nourishing viands, unless they are all
sugared over which would have us not even see the
;
summer-flies of August pass before our eyes these ;
are desires after too sweet a perfection we ought ;
to mistrust them. Believe me, sweet food engenders

worms in little children, and even in those who are

not little children. This is why our Saviour mingles
them for us with bitterness.
Iwish you to have a great courage, and not one
so tender a courage which, whilst it can say very
;
Live, Jesus!" without reserve, does not

"
resolutely,
trouble itself either with the sweet or the bitter, with
light or with shade.
Let us walk boldly in this love of our God, es
sential, strong, and unpliable and let us allow those
;
phantoms of temptations to run hither a:nd thither ;
let them cross our path as much as they please.

"Ah!" said St. Antony, see you; but I do not
"I
regard you." No, let us regard our Saviour, who

waits for us beyond all these flourishes of the enemy.
Let us implore His succour; for it is for this that He
permits these illusions to terrify us.
Courage have we not reason to believe that our
:
Lord loves us ? Most certainly we have. Wherefore,

then, distress ourselves about temptations ? I recom
mend to you our simplicity, which is so agreeable to
the Spouse and still more our humility, which has
;
so much credit with Him.

appears to me, more will and desire
I have, as it
to love our Saviour than I ever had. Blessed and
praised be His holy name Are we not too happy in
!
knowing that we must love God, and that all our

happiness consists in serving Him, all our glory in
honouring him? Oh, how great is His goodness over
us!
CHAPTER XXI.
No, the Lord will not suffer it ; no, I will not

trouble myself ; I will have no fears, I will have no
doubts, either for your helplessness or the pain in
your head ; because having once begotten you in

Christ Jesus, and placed you in the hands of the
Blessed Virgin, she has taken you under her pro
tection, and my chief care is removed. This is the
first reason why I have no fears.
The other reason is, that there is nothing to fear.
At the death of our sweet Jesus, He made darkness
to come upon the earth. I think that Magdalen,
who was with the Blessed Virgin, was very mortified

that she was no longer able to see her dear Lord:
she was nevertheless as near to Him as before. Let it
alone ;
all is
going on right as much darkness as :
you please, but nevertheless we are near the light; as

much helplessness as you please, but we are at the
feet of the Almighty. Live, Jesus may we never se !
parate ourselves from Him, whether in darkness or

in light.
You do not know what I think of your asking me
for remedies ;
it is, that I do not remember that our
Lord ever gave command to heal the head of the
daughter of Sion, but only her heart. No, doubt
less, He never said, Speak ye to the head of Je
"
rusalem," but Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem.

(Is. xl. 2.) Your heart is in good order, since your
resolutions in it are living.
Abide in peace you have the inheritance of the
;
children of God. Blessed are the clean of heart, for

they shall see God. (St. Matt. v. 8.) He does not
say that they do see Him, but that they shall see
Him. Ran, then, within the barriers, since they have
set them up you shall not fail to carry off the ring,
;
and with greater certainty. Do not force yourself;

do not make yourself anxious about yourself, since
you speak to me as if you did. After the rain, comes
fine weather do not be so jealous about your mind.
;
Well, on bad news a feeling of trouble does arise it ;
R
isno great wonder that the mind of a poor little wi

dow should be feeble and unhappy but what would
;
you have it be? A clear-sighted spirit, strong, con

stant, and self-dependent? Be content that your
harmony with your condition the spirit
spirit is in ;
of a widow, that is to say,

poor and abject, in all ab
jection, except
that of offending God. I lately saw a
widow following the Blessed Sacrament, and where
the others were carrying great tapers of white wax,
she carried only a little candle, which perhaps she
had made herself ; the wind extinguished even hers ;
that did not bring her nearer the Blessed Sacrament,

or remove her farther from it ; she did not on that
account miss entering the church as soon as the
others. Do not be suspicious again you are not
;
the only person who has this cross. But even though
you alone had some cross all to yourself, what of
that ? It would be so much the more valuable, and
its rarity it ought to be dearer. St. Peter would
by
not have his cross like that of his Divine Master he ;
caused it to be inverted he had his head on the

:
and his heart in heaven as he was dying.

ground
Use the light you have a light that shlneth in a
:
dark place until the day dawn. (2 St. Pet. i. 19.) They
have not yet opened to you the gate, but through the
wicket you can see the court and the front-buildings
of the palace of the heavenly King. Abide there it
is not unsuitable for widows to be a little retired.
There are a crowd of good people waiting as well as
you it is reasonable that they should be preferred.
;
However, have you not your little works to attend to

meanwhile ? Am I not too hard? At least I tell you
the truth.
CHAPTER XXII.
What you on the return of your

shall I say to
miseries, except that, at the return of the
enemy, it
is
necessary again to take up one s armsand one s
courage to combat him more strongly than ever?
But take good care not to give way to any sort of
mistrust ; for that heavenly goodness does not allow
you to fall in this way in order to abandon butyou,
to humiliate you, and to make you more
cling the
firmly to the hand of His mercy.
You do exactly as I think you ought, in continu
ing your exercises in the midst of the drynesses and
interior languors which have returned to
you; for,
since we will not serve God
except for the love of Him,
and since the service which we render Him in the
midst of the affliction of dryness is more
pleasing to
Him than that which we perform in the midst of
sweetness, we ought also on our side to acquiesce in
it more, at least with our
higher will and although,
;
according to our taste and self-love, sweetnesses are

more pleasant to us, nevertheless
drynesses remain
according to God s taste and to His love, and are
more profitable, as dry food is better for the dropsical
than watery food, although they
always are fondest
of the latter. Your fits of coldness ought in nowise
to astonish you, provided that
you have a real desire
of warmth, and that you do not cease, on account of
cold, from continuing your exercises. Alas tell me,
!
was not the sweet Jesus born in the heart of cold ?

and wherefore shall He not also remain in the cold
of the heart? I understand this cold of
which, as
I think,
you speak to me, which does not consist
in any relaxation of our
good resolutions, but simply
244 THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OF PIE1Y.
in a certain lassitude and heaviness of spirit, which

makes us walk with difficulty in the path in which
we have placed ourselves, and from which we are re
solved never to stray until we are safe in port.
However, live entirely unto God ; and for the love
which He has borne towards you, support yourself
in all your miseries. To be a good servant of God is
not to be always in consolation, always in sweetness,
always without aversion or repugnance to good for ;
at this rate, neither St. Paula, nor St. Angela, nor St.
Catherine of Sienna, served God well. To be a ser
vant of God is to be charitable towards your neigh
bour to have in the higher part of your soul an
inviolable resolution to follow the will of God to have
a most humble humility and simplicity to trust your
self with God, and to rise again as often as you fall
to bear with yourself in your abjections, and tran
quilly to endure the imperfections of others.
CHAPTER XXIII.
When will it be that we, all dead before God, shall

rise again to that new life in which we
shall no more
wish to do aught, but shall leave it to God to will all
that we must do, and allow His living will to act upon
ours, all dead? Courage! keep yourself well unto God;
consecrate to Him all your labours
wait in patience
;
for the return of sunshine. Ah ! God has not

cut off
from us for ever the enjoyment of His sweetness. He
has only withdrawn it for a little while, in order that
we may live unto Him and for Him, and not for those
consolations ;
in order that troubled hearts may find
in us a compassionate succour and a kind and loving
support; in order that, from a heart all lacerated, dead,

and wearied, He may receive the sweet odour of a
holy holocaust. Lord Jesus, by thy incomparable

sadness, by that desolation like none other which
burdened Thy divine heart in the Garden of Olives
and on the Cross, and by the desolation of Thy dear
Mother whilst she was deprived of Thy presence, be
the joy and the strength of our heart, when our spirit
is most
specially fastened to Thy cross !
Do not trouble yourself, then, at all about your

dryness and barrenness on the contrary, console your
;
self in your higher spirit, and call to mind what our

Lord said: Blessed are the poor in spirit; and, Blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after justice. (St. Matt,
v. 3, 6.) What a happiness to serve God in the de
sert without manna, without water, and without other
consolations than those we have from being under
His guidance, and from suffering for Him !
After the winter of this coldness, the holy summer

will arrive, and we shall be consoled. Alas we are!
always ready to welcome sweetness, enjoyment, and

delicious consolation but, after all, the roughness of
;
desolation is more fruitful and although St. Peter

:
loved the mountain of Thabor, and fled from that of

Calvary, the latter is nevertheless more salutary than
the former; and the blood which is sprinkled over
the one is more desirable than the light which is dif
fused over the other. Our Lord already treats you
like a beloved daughter. Better is it to eat bread
without sugar than sugar without bread.
CHAPTER XXIV.
You set your hand to the work, you tell me.

my God, how great a consolationhere for me !
is
Do this continually, and set your hand a little to the
work. Spin some portion daily, whether it be by day,
by the shining light of interior brightness, or by

night, under the gleam of the lamp, in the midst of
weaknesses and barrenness. Herein the wise man
praises the valiant woman. Her fingers, he says,
have taken hold of the spindle. (Prov. xxxi. 19.) How
willingly would I give you some instruction on this
word ! Your distaff is the accumulated work of
your
desires. Spin some portion daily draw your pur;
poses out to fulfilment, and you will doubtless ac

complish them. But take care not to be too hasty,
for so you would entangle your thread, and disar
range your spindle.
Let us continually go forward ; slowly as we may
advance, we shall get over a great deal of
ground.
Your weaknesses do you much harm for, say you, ;
they hinder you from entering into yourself, and from

drawing near to God. This is to speak wrongly,
without doubt. God leaves you these for His glory
and your great profit. He wishes that your misery
should be the throne of His mercy, and your weak
nesses the seat of His almighty power. Where did
God make the divine strength which He placed in
Samson but in his hair, the feeblest part of
reside,
the body ? (Judges xvi.) Let us hear no more such
words from a daughter who wishes to serve God ac
cording to His divine pleasure, and not according to
sensible tastes and inclinations. Although He should
kill me, said Job, / will trust in Him.
(Job xiii. 15.)
No, these weaknesses do not hinder you from entering
into yourself, but rather from being pleased with your
self. We always wish this or that and although we
;
have our sweet Jesus in our heart, we are not content ;
and nevertheless it is all that we can desire. One

thing alone is necessary for us, and that is to be near
Him.
You tell me you know it well that at the birth
OF STRENGTHENING GOOD RESOLUTIONS. 247
of our Saviour, the shepherds heard the angelical and

divine chants of those celestial spirits. Scripture says
so. It is not said, however, that our Lady and St.
Joseph, who were nearest the Child, heard the voice

of the angels, or saw those miraculous lights ; on
the contrary, instead of hearing the angels sing, they
heard the Infant cry, and saw by some borrowed light
the eyes of that divine Infant all covered with tears,
and chilled with the rigour of the cold. Now, I
ask you in good faith, would you not have chosen to
be in the stable, dark as it was, but resounding with
the cries of that divine Infant, than to be with the
shepherds, swooning with gladness and joy at the
sweetness of that celestial music, and the beauty of
that admirable light ?
Yes It is good for us, said St. Peter, to be here
;
(St. Matt. xvii. 4), to see the transfiguration ; and the

Blessed Virgin was not there, but only on the hill
of Calvary, where she saw nothing but deaths, thorns,
nails, weaknesses, marvellous darknesses, abandon
ments, and derelictions. Enough on this subject. I
pray you, love God crucified in the midst of darkness ;

abide near Him. Say, It is good for me to be here.
"
Let us make here three tabernacles one for our

Lord, another for our Lady, and another for St. John."
Three crosses only and place yourself near that of
;
the Son, or near that of our Lady, or near that of the

disciple you will be every where welcome with the
:
other daughters who are standing all around.
CHAPTER XXV.
OF STRENGTHENING OUR GOOD RESOLUTIONS.
You ask me, what you can do to strengthen tho^

roughly your good resolutions, and to make them
succeed ?
There is no better means than to put them in
practice.
But you tell me that
you remain always so fee
ble, that although you often make strong resolutions
not to fall, yet you notwithstanding lose your footing,
and fall headlong.
Shall I tell you why you remain always so feeble ?
It is because you will not abstain from food that is
bad for you. It is as if a person who wanted to be
free from indigestion asked a physician what he was
to do, and the physician were to reply, Do not eat
such and such food, because it causes crudity and sick-?
ness but the patient were nevertheless to eat of it.
;
You do the same you would wish, for example,

;
to love correction well, and yet you choose at the same

time to remain always attached to your own opinions.
Oh, this cannot be you will never be strong to en
:
dure correction, so long as you will eat of the food of

self-esteem.
You would wish to keep your soul in a state of
recollection, and yet you will not banish a crowd of
useless reflections. This cannot be.
My God, you say once more, I would willingly keep
firmly and invariably to my resolutions, but I would
like it not to cost me so much trouble to put them
into practice; that is to say, you want to find the
work all done to your hands but that cannot be in
:
this life, where we shall always have to labour. The

feast of Purification has no octave we must purify
;
ourselves every day, as long as we are in this world.

It is necessary for us to have two equal resolu
tions one, to see ill weeds grow in our garden ; the
:
other, to have the courage to see them torn up, and

to tear them up ourselves for our self-love will not
:
die so long as we live, and this it is that causes these

evil plants to
grow.
OF STRENGTHENING GOOD RESOLUTIONS. 249
For the rest, it is not being feeble to fall some-
times into venial sins,
provided that we forthwith
raise ourselves
up from them, by a return of our soul
to God, sweetly humbling ourselves. We ought not
to imagine that we can live without always commit
ting some venial sins or other, for only our Lady had
the privilege of being free from them.
Certainly,
though they may check us a little, they do not turn
us aside out of the
way; one single loving look of
God effaces them.
Lastly, we must be convinced that we ought never
to cease from
making good resolutions, although we
may see clearly that, according to our ordinary state,
we shall not practise them, nay,
though we saw that
it is
impossible for us to practise them when the oc
casion for them shall present itself; and then we
ought
to make them with more firmness than if we felt that
we had sufficient courage to succeed in our
enterprise,
saying to our Lord
"
: It is true that I shall not have

the strength to do such and such a
thing of myself;
but I am rejoiced at it, inasmuch as it will be
Thy
strength that will do it in me and resting on this
;"
support, to go to the battle courageously, and never

to doubt but that we shall win the
victory.
St. Paula, who was so
generous in disentangling
herself from the world,
quitting the city of Rome
and so much grandeur, and who could not be shaken
by the maternal affection which she felt towards her
children, so resolved was her heart to quit every
thing
for the sake of God; she, after
achieving all these
marvels, allowed herself to yield to the temptation
of her own judgment, which persuaded her that she
ought not to submit to the counsel of several holy
persons, who wished her to retrench somewhat of her
ordinary austerities in which St. Jerome declares that
:
she was reprehensible.

CHAPTER XXVI.
OF PRATERS WHICH MAY BE MADE IN SICKNESS.
As to meditation, the physicians are right; so long

as you remain infirm, you must abstain from it ;
and to make up for this deficiency, you must re

double your ejaculatory prayers, and apply yourself
wholly to God, by an acquiescence in His good plea
sure, who in nowise separates you from Himself in
giving you this hindrance to meditation but it is for
;
you to unite yourself more solidly to Him by the ex

ercise of holy and tranquil resignation.
What matters it to us that we are in God s service
in this way or in that ? Indeed, since we seek not
for aught but Him, and since we find Him not less
in mortification than in prayer, especially when He
touches us with sickness, the one ought to be as good
to us as the other; besides, short ejaculations and dart-
ings forth of our spirit are true and continual prayers,

and the suffering of evils is the most worthy offering
which we could make to Him who has saved us by
suffering. Make them read you some good book from
time to time, for that too is an assistance.
Do not distress yourself that you are not able to
serve God according to your taste for, by accommo
;
dating your self-will to your discomforts, you serve

Him according to His taste, which is better than yours.
May He be blessed and glorified for ever !
When God shall have restored your health to you,

it will be
proper to resume your meditation, at least
for half an hour in the morning, and for a quarter of
an hour in the evening, before supper ; for, since our
Lord has once given you the taste of this celestial
honey, it will be a great reproach to you if you lose
OF PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENTS. 251
the taste ofit. You must therefore take courage,
and not allow conversation to
deprive you of so rare
an advantage as that of
speaking heart to heart with
your God.
CHAPTER XXVII.
OF PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENTS.
The sacraments are channels by which God de

scends to us, as by meditation we ascend to Him.
The effects of the sacraments are different,
although
they all have but one end, which is to unite us to God.
We speak here only of that of penance and of the
Eucharist. It is very necessary to know why it is,
that, receiving so frequently thesetwo sacraments, we

do not also receive the graces which they are wont to
communicate to souls which are well prepared, since
the graces are joined to the sacraments. I will tell
you why it is, in two words : it is for want of due and

suitable preparation.
The first preparation is purity of intention, a thing
absolutely necessary, not only in receiving the sacra
ments, but moreover in every thing that we do. Now,
the intention is pure if we receive the sacraments,
or do any thing else, whatever it
may be, in the single
view of uniting ourselves to God, and of
being more
pleasing to Him.
You will know this if, when you wish for com
munion, you are not permitted to have it or, again, ;
if after communion
you do not feel consolation, and
notwithstanding do not fail to remain in peace for :
if you become
disquieted because you have not been
allowed to communicate, or because
you do not feel
consolation,who can help seeing that your intention
was not pure, and that you were seeking for some-
thing else than to unite yourself to God, since your

union with God ought to be made under the holy
virtue of obedience?
And just in the same way, if you desire perfection
with a desire full of restlessness, who can help seeing
that it is self-love, which is unwilling that people
should see imperfection in you ? If it were possible
that we could be as pleasing to God, being imperfect,
as we should be, being perfect, we ought to desire to
be without perfection, in order to nourish in us by
this means most holy humility.
The second preparation is attention. Certainly,
we ought to go to the sacraments with much atten
tion, as well to the greatness of the action, as to that
which each sacrament demands of us. For example,
in going to confession, we ought to carry thither a
heart lovingly sorrowful, and to holy communion a
heart ardently loving. I do not say, in requiring this
great attention, that we must have no distractions at
all, for that is not in our power but I say that we ;
ought to have a most particular care not voluntarily

to pause upon them.
The third preparation is humility, which is a vir
tue highly necessary in order to receive abundantly
the graces which are transmitted through the channels
of the sacraments because waters flow more swiftly
;
and more strongly when the channels are placed on

low and sloping ground.
But besides these preparations, I must tell you
that the chief of them all is the total abandonment
of ourselves to the mercy of God, submitting without
any reserve our will and all our affections to His do
minion I say without reserve, because our misery is
:
so great, that we evermore reserve something to our

selves,which is what we ought not to do for our ;
Lord, wishing to give Himself entirely to us, wishes

OF PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENTS. 253
that we in return should give ourselves entirely to
Him, in order that the union of our soul with His
Divine Majesty may be more perfect, and that we
may be able to say with truth, after that great exam
ple of perfection among Christians: / live, now not I ;
but Christ liveth in me. (Gal. ii. 20.)
The second part of this preparation consists in
emptying our heart of every thing, in order that our

Lord may fill it all Himself. Certainly, the cause why
we do not receive the grace of sanctification (since one
single communion well made is able and sufficient
to render us holy and perfect)
only arises from our
not leaving our Lord to reign in us, as His goodness
desires. This Beloved of our souls comes unto us,
and He finds our hearts all full of desires and affec
tions ;
and this is not what He seeks for He wishes
;
to find them empty, to make Himself the master of

them and to govern them and to shew how much He
;
desires this, He tells His holy spouse to place Him as

a seal upon her heart, that nothing may enter there,
except by His permission and His good pleasure.
Now, I am well aware that the inmost depth of
our heart is void; were it otherwise, it would be too
great an unfaithfulness ; I mean to say, that we have
not only rejected and detested mortal sin, but also
every kind of evil affections. But alas! all the nooks
and corners of our hearts are full of a thousand things
unworthy to appear in the presence of this sovereign
King, which bind, as it would seem, His hands, and
hinder Him from distributing those goods and graces
which His goodness would desire to bestow upon us,
if He found us prepared.
Let us, then, do on our parts what is in our power
to prepare ourselves well for receiving that bread which
is supersubstantial, wholly abandoning ourselves to
the divine Providence, not only in what concerns tern-
poral goods, but even spiritual; spreading out in the

presence of the divine Goodness all our affections, de
sires, and
inclinations, to be entirely submitted to it;
and us be assured that our Lord, on His part, will
let
accomplish the promise which He has made us to

transform ourselves into Himself, by raising our low
liness so as to be united to His greatness.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
OF THE FRUIT WHICH WE OUGHT TO DRAW FROM THE
SACRAMENTS.
You will know whether you are receiving the
sacraments profitably, by the virtues which belong
to them ; for instance, if you draw from confes
sion the love of your own abjection and humility :
for these are the virtues which belong to it, and it is

always by the measure of humility that we recognise
our own progress. Do you not see that it is written
that he that shall humble himself shall be exalted? (St.
Matt. xxhi. 12.) To be exalted, is to make progress.
If you become by means of the most holy com
munion very gentle, since that virtue is proper to this
sacramentj which is all gentle, all sweet, all
honey,
you will derive that fruit which belongs to it, and thus
will be making progress. But if, on the contrary, you
do not become at all more humble or more
gentle, you
deserve that the bread should be taken from you,
since you do not labour to make yourself worthy of it.
I would have you simply to go to communion when
you wish it, asking permission of the superioress ;
resigning yourself humbly to accept a denial, if you

are denied it, and if it be granted you, to go to com
munion with love. Although there may be some
mortification in asking permission, you must never
theless not omit to do so ; for the daughters who enter
FRUIT DERIVED FROM THE SACRAMENTS. 255
into religion, only enter into it to
mortify themselves ;
and the cross which they carry ought to remind them
of that.
But if the inspiration suggests itself to a religious,
not to communicate so often as the rest, by reason of
the knowledge which she has of her own un worthiness,
she can ask permission of the superioress, and await
her judgment with great sweetness and humility.
You ought not to be so tender about wishing to
confess so many trifling imperfections, since we are
even under no obligation to confess venial sins, unless
we choose but when we do confess them, we ought
;
to have the resolute will to amend ourselves of them,

otherwise it would be an abuse to confess them.
Nor ought you to torment yourself when you can
not recollect your faults to confess them; for it is not
to be believed that a soul which often examines itself
would not observe, in such a way as to remember
them, any faults of importance. As for all these little
and trifling defects, you can speak of them to our Lord
as often as
you perceive them: a humiliation of spirit
and a sigh suffices for that.
You ask how you can make your act of contrition
in a small space of time ? I tell
you that you require
hardly any time to make it well, since nothing more
is needed than to
prostrate oneself before God in the
spirit of humility and of repentance for having of
fended.
Lastly, it is necessary that all the prayers and
supplications which you make to God should be made
not for yourself only, but also for others ; and that
you should always take care to say "we," as our
Lord taught us in the Lord s prayer, where there is
neither "
my,"
nor "mine," nor This means
"
I."
that you should have the intention of God to praying

give the virtue or the grace which you ask of Him for
all those who have the same need of it

yourself to ;
and that it should always be with the

object of unit
ing ourselves yet more closely to Him for we ought
:
not to ask for or desire

any thing else, either for
ourselves or for our neighbour, since that is the end
for which the sacraments were instituted.
We ought, then, to correspond with this intention
of our Lord, receiving them for this same end. And
we ought not to think that in or in
communicating
praying for others, we lose any thing thereby, unless
when we offer to God this communion or this
prayer
for the satisfaction of their sins, for then we would
not make satisfaction for our own but nevertheless,
;
the merit of the communion or the

prayer would re
main our own for we cannot merit grace for each
:
other; none but our Lord could do that. We are

able to obtain by prayers graces for others, but to
merit them is what we cannot do. The
prayer which
we have made for them augments our merit, as well
for the recompense of grace in this life, as of
glory in
the other.
But if a person did not, in
doing any thing, fix his
intention on doing it in satisfaction for his sins, the
mere intention he might have of
doing all he does for
the pure love of God would suffice to make satisfac
tion for them since it is a certain maxim, that who
;
ever should make an excellent act of

charity, or an
act of perfect contrition, would make satisfaction
fully
for his sins.
CHAPTER XXIX.
OF DISPOSITIONS FOR HOLY COMMUNION.
I would not wish

you to bring your daughter so
frequently to communion as that she should not be
well aware of what this
frequent communion really is.
DISPOSITIONS FOR HOLY COMMUNION. 257
There is a difference between distinguishing commu

nion from other food, and distinguishing frequent
communion from rare communion. If this little soul
sees clearly that, in order to frequent holy communion,
one ought to have great purity and fervour ; and if she
herself with its
aspires to it, and is diligent in adorning
virtues, then I am quite of opinion that she ought to
be made to it
frequently, that is to say, once
approach
a fortnight.
But if she is strongly disposed to communion
merely, and not to the mortification of her little imper
fections of faith, I think it would be sufficient to make
her go to confession once a week, and to communion
once a month. It is true that the communion is the
great means of arriving at perfection ; but we ought to
receive it with the desire and the pains to remove from
our heart all that is displeasing to Him whom we would
lodge there.
To put yourself into such a state as to profit well
by your communions, persevere in conquering those
little
daily contradictions which you feel ; make the
great proportion of your aspirations for this end ;
know that at present God only requires this of you.

Do not amuse yourself, then, by doing any thing else.
Do not sow your desires in the garden of another ;
cultivate only your own, and do it well. Do not de

sire not to be what you are, but be content to be what
you Occupy your thoughts in perfecting your

are.
and in carrying the crosses, little or great,
self therein,
which you find there and believe me, here is the great
;
word, and the word least understood in the spiritual

life :
every one loves according to his own taste ; few
love according to their duty and the taste of our Lord.
What is the use of building castles in the air, when
we must live upon the earth ? It is my old lesson,
and you understand it well. Tell me if you practise
it well. By practising it well, you will not fail to find

in your communions greater enjoyment and greater
fruit.
You have done well in obeying your confessor,
whether he has deprived you of the consolation of fre
quent communion in order to try you, or whether he
has done it because you have not been at sufficient
pains to correct your impatience as for me, I think he
:
has done it for both these reasons, and that you ought
to persevere in this penance as long as he orders it,
since you have every reason to think that he does
nothing without due consideration and if you obey ;
humbly, one communion will be more really useful to

you than two or three made otherwise. For nothing
makes our food so beneficial to us as taking it with
appetite and after exercise. But the delay will give
you greater appetite and the exercise of mortifying
;
your impatience will give anew vigour to your spi

ritual constitution. Humble yourself sweetly, how
ever, and often make the act of the love of your own
abjection. Abide for a little time in the position of
the woman of Canaan. (St. Matt. xv. 27.) Yea, Lord,
I am not worthy to eat the bread of the children. I
am truly a whelp, who look angry and bite my neigh
bour without reason, by my words of impatience but ;
ifthe whelps eat not of the entire bread, at least they

eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their
master. Thus, my sweet Master, I ask of Thee, if
not Thy holy body, at least the benedictions which it
diffuses over those who approach it with love. This
is the
feeling which you may have on those days on
which you were accustomed to communicate, but on
which you now do not.
OF THE MOST HOLY COMMUNION. 259
CHAPTER XXX.
OF THE MOST HOLY COMMUNION.
You tell me that you feel more than

ordinarily
famished for the most holy communion. There are
two sorts of hunger one which is caused
:
by good di
gestion, and another which is caused by the derange
ment of the stomach. Humble yourself
profoundly,
and warm yourself with the holy love of Jesus Christ
crucified, that you may be able spiritually well to di
gest this heavenly viand and since whoso complains
;
of famine asks
sufficiently for bread, I say to you,
Yes communicate this Lent on
;
Wednesdays and Fri
days, and the day of our Lady, besides Sundays.
But what do you understand by spiritual
diges
tions of Jesus Christ? Those who digest material
food well, feel a new vigour through their whole
body,
by the general distribution of the food which is made
throughout it. So those who digest well spiritually,
feel that Jesus Christ, who is their food, diffuses and
communicates Himself to all the parts of their soul
and body.
They have Jesus Christ in their brain, in their
heart, lungs, eyes, hands, tongue, ears, feet. But this
Saviour, what doth He, thus circulating every where ?
He straightens all, He purifies all, He mortifies all,
He vivifies all He loves in the heart, He understands
;
in the brain, He breathes in the lungs, He sees in the

eyes, He hears in the ears, and so of the rest. He
doth all in all ; and then we
live, yet not we, but Jesus
Christ liveth in us.Oh, when shall this be, rny God,
when shall this be? but herein I shew to you what we
ought to aim at, although we must be contented with
attaining thereto little by little.
Let us keep ourselves humble, and let us commu

nicate boldly. Little by little our interior stomach
will accustom itself to this viand, and will learn to
digest it well. It is a great point to eat only one kind

of food when it is good, the stomach does its duty
;
far better. Let us desire only the Saviour, and I hope

that our food will be digested well.
Let us boldly communicate in peace, with all hu
mility, in order tocorrespond to this Spouse, who, to
unite Himself unto us, has annihilated and sweetly
abased Himself, so far as to make Himself the food and
nourishment of us of us, who are the food and nou
rishment of worms. Oh He who communicates ac
!
cording to the the Spouse, annihilates him

spirit of
self, and says to our Lord Receive me, feed on me,
:
annihilate me, and convert me into Thyself.
CHAPTER XXXI.
OF THE SPIRIT IN WHICH ONE OUGHT TO HEAD SPIRITUAL
BOOKS.
The superioress gives to one of the sisters a book

which treats extremely well of the virtues ; but be
cause she does not like it, she makes no profit by
her reading, from the negligence of spirit with which
she reads. Now I say that it is an imperfection to
wish to choose or to desire any other book than the
one given to us and it is a sign that we read rather
;
to satisfy our curiosity than for the sake of profiting.

If we read for the sake of profiting, and not to
please ourselves, we should be as satisfied with one

book as with another at least, we should accept
;
with a good heart whatever was given to us. I say

more we should take pleasure in only reading one
:
single book, provided that it was good and that it
spoke of God ;
and though there was nothing in it
HOW TO READ SPIRITUAL BOOKS. 261
but only this name of God, we should be content,

because we should always find plenty of work to do
after having read and re-read it several times.
To wish to read in order to satisfy curiosity, is a
mark that there is still somewhat of levity in our
mind, and that it does not sufficiently apply itself
to do the good which it has learned in those little
books on the practice of the virtues for they speak ;
extremely well of humility and mortification, which,

nevertheless, we do not practise, when we do not
accept them with a good heart.
Now to say, Because I do not like it, I shall de
"
rive no profit from is not good reasoning.

it,"
No
more is it to say, I have it already by heart, I can
"
not take any pleasure in reading it all over." All this

is childish talk. Do they give you a book which you
already know by heart ? Bless God for it, because
you will understand it the more easily. Do they
give you one which you have already read several
times ? Be well assured that it is God who so wills
it, in order that yourself rather to do
you may apply
than to learn what is taught in it ; and that His good
ness gives it you for the second and third time, be
cause you have not profited by the first reading.
But the evil of all this is, that we are always
seeking our own satisfaction, and not our greater
perfection.
If by chance, regard being had to our infirmity,
the superioress allows us to choose which book we
please, then we can choose one with simplicity. But
apart from this, we ought always to remain humbly
subject to whatever the superioress orders, whether
it be agreeable to us or not, without ever shewing
the feelings we may have contrary to this submis
sion.
CHAPTER XXXII.
OF THE IMPERFECTIONS WHICH ARE FOUND IN RELIGIOUS
PERSONS.
There no doubt we are never so perfect as not

is
always to commit some imperfections, according to

the occasions in which we are exercised.
It is no great thing to see a sister very gentle, and
committing very few faults, when she has nothing to

vex or to try her.
When people say to me, Look at such a sister, in
whom one sees no imperfection, I immediately ask,
Does she hold any office? If they say not, then I
make no great account of her perfection for there ;
is a great difference between the virtue of this sister

and that of another who shall be well tried, whether
interiorly by temptations, or exteriorly by contra
dictions for the virtue of strength and the strength
;
of virtue are not ordinarily acquired so perfectly in

time of peace, as they are whilst we are not tried by
the temptation of its contrary.
Those who are very gentle, but who meet with no
contradiction, and who have not acquired this virtue
sword in hand, are in truth very exemplary, and
give great edification but if you come to the proof,
;
you will findthem immediately disturbed, and they

will shew that their sweetness was not a strong and
solid virtue, but an imaginary rather than a real one.
There is a great deal of difference between the
absence of a vice and the presence of the opposite
virtue. Many appear to be highly endowed with
virtue, who, nevertheless, are not so, because they
have not acquired it by labour.
It very often happens that our passions sleep and
remain dormant and if, during that time, we do not
;
lay up provision of strength with which to combat

EXERCISES WHILE IN THE WORLD. 263
and resist them when they wake up, we shall be
vanquished in the combat.

We ought always to remain humble, and not to
suppose that we have the virtues merely because we
clo not commit, or at least do not know that we com
mit, the faults opposed to them.

Certainly, there are many persons who greatly
deceive themselves, in imagining that those who make
profession of perfection must needs never fall into
imperfections ;
and particularly persons in the reli
gious life, because they fancy that it is only required
to enter into religion to be perfect, which is not the
case :for the religious orders are not instituted to
gather together perfect persons, but persons who
have the courage to aim at perfection.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
EXERCISES OF PIETY FOB PERSONS ENGAGED IN THE WORLD.
Keep always fixed in the midst of your heart the

resolutions which God has given you of being all His ;
for if you preserve them in this mortal life, they will

preserve you in the eternal life.
And in order not only to preserve them, but to
make them happily increase, you require no other
counsels than those which are given to Philothea in
the book of the Introduction to a Devout Life, which
is in
your hands but nevertheless, to gratify you, I
;
will gladly indicate in a few words what I wish you

principally to do.
1. Go to confession once a
fortnight, in order to
receive the divine sacrament of the holy communion ;
and never go either to the one or to the other of
these heavenly mysteries, without a new and very
deep resolution of amending yourself more and more
from your imperfections, and of living with a con-
tinually increasing purity and perfection of heart.

Now Ido not say, that if you find you have a de
votion to communicate every week, you may not do
so, especially if you observe that by this sacred mys
tery your troublesome inclinations and the imper

fections of your life go on diminishing but I have
;
mentioned once a fortnight, in order that you might

not defer it longer than that.
2. Make
your spiritual exercises brief and fervent,
in order that
you may feel no difficulty in betaking
yourself to them from apprehension of their length,
and that little by little you may accustom yourself to
these acts of piety.
3. Learn to use frequently
ejaculatory prayers,
and elevations of the heart unto God.
4. Take pains to be gentle and affable to
every one,
but above all, those in the house.
5. Let the alms distributed in your house be dis
tributed by your own hand, when you are able ; for
it isa great increase in virtue to do the work with
your own hands, when that is possible.
6. Visit the sick in your parish very readily; for
that is one of the works to which our Lord will have
an eye at His judgment- day.
7. Read every day a page or two of some spiritual
book, to keep yourself in taste and devotion, and on
more.
festivals a little
8. During the day, and in the midst of business,
as often as you can, examine whether your affection
is not
engaged too far; whether it is not out of order;
and whether you are holding by one hand to our
Lord. If you find yourself embarrassed beyond mea
sure, tranquillise your soul, and bring it back to re
pose. Imagine to yourself how our Lady sweetly
busied herself with one hand, whilst she held our
Lord with the other, or on the other arm, in his in-
HOW TO ARRIVE AT PERFECTION. 265
fancy; for it was with a great reverence.

In your
time of peace multiply acts of sweetness ; for by this
means you will accustom your heart to meekness.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
WHAT A PEBSON ENGAGED IN THE WORLD OUGHT TO DO IN
ORDER TO ARRIVE AT PERFECTION.
You have a great desire of Christian perfection. It
isthe most generous desire which you can possibly
have nourish it, and make it increase day by day.
:
The means for arriving at perfection are different,

for religious,
according to the diversity of vocations ;
widows, and married people, ought all to seek this per

fection, but not by the same means for in your case, ;
who married, the means are to unite yourself

are
well with God and with your neighbour.
The means for uniting yourself with God ought
to be principally the use of the sacraments and
prayer.
As to the use of the sacraments, you ought to al
low no month to pass without communicating and ;
after some
time, according to the progress you shall
have made in the service of God, and according to
the advice of your spiritual fathers, you can com
municate oftener : but as for confession, I strongly
advise you to frequent it still more often.
As to prayer, you ought to use it assiduously,
particularly meditation. Spend, then, a short time
in meditation every day, and take good care not to
make it either after dinner or after supper, for that
would be injurious to your health. I pray of you
by no means to afflict yourself if sometimes, and even
very often, you do not feel consolation in it, but go
on sweetly, and with humility and patience, without
distressing your mind about that. Avail yourself of the
book when you see that your mind is

fatigued ; that
isto say, read a little, and then meditate, and then
read a little again, and then meditate until the end of
your hour. St. Teresa made use of a book in this
way from the commencement, and says that she found
very great advantage from it and since we are speak
;
ing in confidence, I will add, that I have made trial

of it thus, and that I found much advantage from
it. Consider it as a rule, that the grace of meditation
cannot be gained by any effort of the mind but it ;
requires a sweet and very affectionate perseverance,

full of humility.
Besides this, frequently address ejaculatory prayers
to our Lord, and do so at all hours you can, and in
all companies, regarding always God in your heart,
and your heart in God. I would wish that no day
passed without your giving half-an-hour or an hour
to the reading of some spiritual book.
As for the means which serve for uniting oneself
well with one s neighbour, there are a great number
of them ; but I will only mention a few. We ought
to consider our neighbour in God, who wills us to
love and cherish him. It is the advice of St. Paul,
who orders servants to serve God in their masters, and
their masters in God. (Eph. ought to
vi. 5.) We
exercise ourselves in this love of our neighbour by
cherishing him exteriorly; and although it may seem
at first to be against our will, we must not give it up
on that account for this repugnance of the inferior
;
part will be at last overcome by the habit and good

inclination which will be produced by the repetition
of the acts. We ought to bring our prayers and
meditations to bear upon this for after having asked
;
for the love of God, we ought always to ask for the

love of our neighbour, and particularly of those for
whom our will has no inclination.
OF THE INWARD AND OUTWARD MAN. 267
I advise you to take the trouble now and then of

visiting the hospitals ; consoling
the sick, considering
their infirmities, softening your heart by beholding
them, and praying for them, whilst you render them
some assistance. But in all this take diligent heed
that no one suffers through you, by your remaining
in church too long, and abandoning the care of your
household overmuch ; or, as sometimes happens, by
allowing yourself to criticise the actions of others, or

to be disdainful of conversations where the rules of
devotion are not so exactly observed for in all this
;
charity must govern and enlighten us, to make us

condescend to the wills of our neighbour in whatever
is not
contrary to the commandments of God.
CHAPTER XXXV.
OF THE COMBAT OF THE INWAKD MAN WITH THE OUTWABD.
You say well that you have two selves within you.
One which is somewhat tender, and is ready to fret if
it is but touched. That self is the daughter of Eve,
and consequently of an ill humour. The other self
has a very good will to be all for God; and in order to
be all for God, to be all simply humble, and humbly
sweet towards all the world. This self is the daughter
of the glorious Virgin Mary, and is of a good tem
perament.
And the two daughters of these different mothers
fight with each other ; and the worthless one is some
times so bad, that thegood one has much trouble to
defend herself against her and then it seems as if
;
she has been beaten, and as if the bad one was the
braver. But indeed not this bad daughter is not
:
braver than you, but she is more perverse, more

cross-grained and self-opinionated ; and when you go
and weep she is well pleased, because it is always so
much time lost, and she is contented with making

you lose time, since she cannot make you lose eter
nity.
Take my advice; rouse your courage strongly,
arm yourself with the patience that we ought to have
for ourselves. Often awaken your heart, that it may
be a little on its guard, so as not to allow itself to
be surprised. Be a little attentive as to this enemy.
Wherever you set your foot, think of it, if you would
not be surprised; for this bad daughter goes every
where with you and if you are off your guard, she
;
will think of some stratagem against

you.
But when it happens that she attacks you with
a start, even though she makes you stumble a little
and sprain yourself slightly, do not distress yourself,
but call upon our Lord and our Lady. They will
stretch towards you the holy hand of their succour ;
and if they leave you some time in trouble, it will be
to make you call on them again, and cry more loudly
for help.
Do not be in the least ashamed of all this, any
more than St. Paul, who confesses (Rom. vii. 22, 23)
that there were in him two selves, one of which was
rebellious to God, and the other obedient. Be sim
ple do not distress yourself humble yourself with
; ;
out discouragement, and encourage yourself without

presumption. Be well assured that our Lord, having
placed you amidst the embarrassments of a house
hold, knows well, and sees well, that you are embar
rassed with it ; but He does not fail to cherish you,
provided that you are humble and filled with confi

dence ; and if you do this, all will turn to good for
you.
WHAT TO THINK OF THE WORLD. 269
CHAPTER XXXVI.
WHAT WE OUGHT TO THINK OF THE WORLD.
You ask me whether those who desire to live with
some perfection should see so much of the world.
Perfection does not consist in not
seeing the world,
but rather in not
relishing it. The danger consists in
what the sight of the world
brings to us for who ;
ever sees it runs some risk of

loving it but whoso is
:
very resolute and determined, the sight of it does

not hurt him. In one word, the
perfection of charity
is the
perfection of life ; for the life of our soul is
charity.
The first Christians were in the world
bodily, but
not in heart, and nevertheless did not fail of
being
very perfect.
I would not wish there should be
any affecta
tion in us.
Sincerity and simplicity are our proper
virtues. If the world
despises us, let us rejoice for ;
it has reason to do
so, since we know very well that
we are worthy to be despised if it values us, let us
:
its value and

despise its
judgment, for it is blind.
Trouble yourself
very little with what the world
thinks; despise its respect and its contempt, and
leave it to say what it will,
good or bad.
I do not at all approve of one s
committing any
fault for the sake of bad opinion of oneself.
giving a
It is
always doing wrong, and making one s neigh
bour do wrong. On the
contrary, I would wish that,
keeping our eyes upon our Lord, we should do our
actions without
regarding what the world thinks of
them, or what face it puts on them.
One may avoid giving a good opinion of
oneself,
but not seek to give a bad one, above all
by faults
intentionally committed. In a word, despise almost
equally the good or bad opinion which the world may

have of you, and do not at all trouble yourself about
it. To say that you are not what the world thinks
you, when it thinks well of you, that is good for the ;
world is a charlatan it always says too much, whe

:
ther for good or for ill. You will often be amidst the
children of this world, who, according to their cus
tom, will mock at whatever they see or suppose to
be in you contrary to their miserable inclinations.
Do not amuse yourself by disputing with them ;
do not shew any sort of sadness at their attacks ;
but with joy laugh at their laughter, contemn their
contempt, make sport of their advice, modestly jeer
at their jeerings, and, without paying any attention
to all that, go on cheerfully in the service of God ;
and, at the time of prayer, recommend these poor
souls to the Divine mercy. They deserve compassion
for finding their recreation, and what they call their
innocent conversation, in laughing and joking at sub
jects worthy of respect and reverence.
Every thing passes away. After the few days of
this mortal life that remain to us, the infinite eter
nity will come. Of little

consequence is it that we
have advantages or disadvantages here, provided that
for all eternity we Let this holy eternity
are blessed.
which awaits us be your consolation, and to be a
Christian, a child of Jesus Christ, regenerated in His
blood :for in this alone lies our glory, that this
Divine Saviour has died for us.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
OF THE DEFECTS INTO WHICH WE FALL IN SPITE OF OUR
DESIRES AFTER PERFECTION.
You complain that many imperfections and many
defects trouble your contrary to the desire which
life,
you have of perfection and of the purity of the love

OF DEFECTS IN SPITE OF BETTER DESIRES. 271
of our God. I
reply to you, that it is not possible
for us entirely to get rid of ourselves, so long as we
are here below. We must needs carry ourselves about
with us, until God carries us into heaven and whilst
;
we are carrying ourselves, we carry what is nothing

worth.
We must, therefore, have patience, and not think
that we can cure ourselves in one day of such a
number of bad habits as we have contracted, in con
sequence of the little care we have taken of our spi
ritual health. There are those whom God has cured of
them thoroughly all at one stroke, without leaving
them any trace of their former malady; as He did in
the case of St. Mary Magdalene, who in one instant
was changed from a sink of corruption into a clear
fountain of perfection, and was never troubled from
that moment.
But on the other hand, the same God left in many
of His dear disciples many marks of their evil inclina
tions some time after their conversion, and all for their
: for
greater profit instance, the blessed St. Peter, who,
after his first vocation, fell several times into
imperfec
tions,and on one occasion all at once fell miserably.
Solomon says, that a bondwoman who all at once
becomes mistress is likely to be very insolent. (Prov.
xxx. 23.) There would be great danger lest a soul
which has for a long time served its own passions
and affections, should become haughty and vain, if
in a moment it obtained a complete mastery over
itself. necessary for us, little by little and step
It is
by step, to acquire this dominion, in the conquest

of which saints have spent dozens of years.
You must, if you please, have patience with every
body, but first of all, with yourself. Have a little
patience, and you will see that every thing will turn
out to admiration; for this dear and sweet Saviour
of our souls has not given us these ardent desires of
serving Him without giving us the means of doing so.
Doubtless He only retards the hour of the fulfilment
of your holy desires to make you meet with a fulfilment
more blessed; for do you see, this loving heart of pur
Redeemer measures and adjusts all the events of this
world for the advantage of souls which, without reserve,
wish to subject themselves to His Divine love. It will
come, then, that good hour that you long for, in the
day which this supreme Providence has named in the
secret of His mercy; and then, with a thousand sorts of
secret consolations, you will pour out your prayer be
fore His divine goodness, who will turn your rocks
into rivers of water, your serpent into a rod, and all
the thorns of your heart into roses ; yes, into sweet-
smelling roses, which will refresh your spirit with their
sweetness. For it is true that our faults, which, so long
as they are in our souls, are thorns, by coming out
therefrom through voluntary accusation, are changed
into rosesand perfumes; and as it is our wickedness
that keeps them within our hearts, even so it is the
goodness of the Holy Spirit that drives them forth.
Since you are strong enough to rise an hour be
fore matins, and to make a meditation, I approve of
itvery highly. What a blessing is it to be thus ah1
alone with God, without any person s knowing what
passes between God and the heart, except God Him
self and the heart that adores Him !
I approve of
jmir exercising yourself in medita
tions on the life and passion of our Lord. In the
evening, before supper, withdraw yourself for a quarter
of an hour, or a short half-hour, either in the church
or in your chamber, to rekindle the fire of the morn
ing, either by resuming the same subject you
have
meditated on before, or taking for your subject Christ
crucified; you will make a dozen fervent and loving
PERFECTION NOT ACQUIRED IN A DAY. 273
aspirations to your Beloved, always
renewing your
good resolutions of being all His.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
PERFECTION IS NOT TO BE ACQUIRED IN A DAT.
pray you, do not suppose that the work

Oh, no, I
which you have undertaken can be so soon accom
plished. Cherry-trees soon bear fruit, because the
fruit but a short time; but
lasts
palm-trees, the
princes among the trees, do not yield their dates till
long after they have been planted. A moderate virtue
can be acquired in a
year; but the perfection to which
we aim cannot be acquired under several
years time,
at least in the
ordinary way.
hope that God will strengthen you more and
I
more: and to the thought, or rather the
temptation
of sadness, or the fear that
your present fervour and
devotion will not last,
reply once for all, that
who trust in God will never be confounded and theythat
;
for your soul and
your spiritual affairs, as well as for
your body and temporal affairs, you have cast
your
care on the Lord, and that He will take
care of you.
Let us serve God well
to-day, and God will provide
for to-morrow. Sufficient for the
day is the evil
thereof. Have no disquietude for the morrow, for
God who reigns to-day will reign to-morrow, and for
all
ages of ages. If His
goodness had thought, or
rather had known that
you would have need of a more
immediate help than I can give
you at this distance,
He would have given it you, and
always will give it
you, whenever it is necessary to make up for the de
ficiency of mine. Abide, then, in peace. Godworketh
from afar off as well as near, and calleth those
things
that are not as those that are
(Rom. iv. 1
7) to the
service of those who serve
Him, without bringing them
near to each other ;

absent in body, but present in
spirit,says the Apostle. (1 Cor. v. 3.)
Avoid that word "fool and remember the saying
j"
of our Lord (St. Matt. v. 22), Whosoever shall say to

his brother) Raca (a word that means nothing, but
only signifies some indignation), shall be in danger of

the council ; that is to say, deliberation shall be held
how he must be punished.
As for that sort of lamentation about your being
miserable and unfortunate, you ought by all means
to be on your guard against it for besides such words
;
being unbecoming in a servant of God, they proceed

from a heart too depressed, and are not so much symp
toms of impatience as of anger.
Keep your courage high and elevated in that eter
nal Providence, who has named thee by thy name,
and has graven thee on His hands ; and in this great
ness of confidence and courage practise diligently hu
mility and sweetness.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
WE SHOULD DAILY CONSIDER OURSELVES AS COMMENCING
ANEW.
It appears to me that our faults universally pro

ceed from no other cause but this namely, that we
:
forget the maxim of the Saints, who have warned us

that we ought every day to consider that we are com
mencing anew our advancement in our perfection;
and if we thought well upon this, we would not be
surprised at finding misery in ourselves, and some
thing to retrench. The work is never finished; it
must always be recommenced, and recommenced with
a good heart. When the just shall have Jinished, says
the Holy Spirit, then shall he begin.
V/hat we have done up to the present time is
WE SHOULD DAILY COMMENCE ANEW. 275
good, but what we are about to begin shall be bet

ter; and when we shall have finished, we will re
commence something else, which shall be still bet
ter; and then again something else, until we go out
of this world, to commence another life, which shall
have no end, because nothing better can happen
to us.
Ought you,then, to be surprised if you find work
to do inyour soul, and ought you not to have courage
always to go farther onwards, since you must never
stand still ? and ought you not to have courage to
retrench, since the sword must reach even to the divi
sion of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and
the marrow? (Heb. iv. 12.)
Observe well the precept of the Saints, who have
all warned those who wish become like them, to
to
speak little or nothing of themselves and of the things

which concern themselves.
Do not think, because you have changed your place
of abode, that you are dispensed from the agreement
which we made, that you should be sober in speaking
of me as of yourself, unless the glory of the Master
requires it be a brief and exact observer of simpli
:
city ; self-love dazzles us. We ought to have very

steady eyes not to be deceived in looking upon our
selves for which reason the great Apostle cries out
;
:
Not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he

whom God commendeth. (2 Cor. x. 1 8.) I prayed this
morning with special fervour for our advancement
in the holy love of God. Saviour
" "
Ah," said I,
of our heart, since we are daily at Thy table to eat,

not only Thy bread, but Thyself, who art our living
and supersubstantial bread ; grant that daily we may
well and perfectly digest this most perfect viand, and
that we may live perpetually on that sacred sweetness,
5
goodness, and love. Now God gives not so much

276 THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OP PIETY.
desire to our heart, without having a will to favour us

with some corresponding effect.
Let us hope, then, that the Holy Spirit will some
day satiate us with His holy love ; and meanwhile,
let us hope continually, and let us make room for this
holy fire by emptying our hearts of ourselves as much

as is possible for us to do. How happy shall we be,
if one day we change ourselves by this love, which,
rendering us more one, will empty us utterly of all

multiplicity, so as to have at heart only the sovereign
unity of the Most Holy Trinity, to whom be blessing
for ever, world without end Amen.
!
CHAPTER XL.
SEVERAL IMPORTANT ADMONITIONS FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.
As there are no goods in this world altogether
unbalanced by evils, we ought so to adjust our will
that it
may aim at advantages, or if it
either not
does aim at them, sweetly accommodate itself to
may
the disadvantages which are undoubtedly attached to
them. We have no wine without lees in this world.
We ought, then, to ask the question Is it better that
:
there should be thorns in our garden, in order that

we may have roses in it, or to have no roses that we
may have no thorns ?
I pray of our sweet Saviour to diffuse His
gentle
and consoling sweetness over you, in order that you
may repose holily, healthfully, tranquilly in Him; and
that He may keep a fatherly watch over you, since
He is the most sovereign love of our heart. For God s
sake I recommend to you our poor heart ; comfort it,
fortify it, refresh it as well and as much as you are

able, in order that it may serve God ; for it is on this
account that we ought to treat it so. It is the lamb
of the holocaust which we must offer to God ; we must
ADMONITIONS FOR SPIJRITUAL LIFE. 277
therefore keep it in good condition if possible. It is
the bed of the Spouse, therefore we must sprinkle
it with flowers.
Console, then, this poor heart, and
give it the greatest joy and peace that you can, in
order that it may serve our Lord the better. Alas,
what else have we to wish for but this ? Live God !
either
nothing or God ; for every thing which is not
God is nothing, or is worse than nothing.
Lastly, let us be all at God s service without re
serve, without division, without any exceptions what
ever, and without any other aim but the honour of
being all His. If we have a single fibre of affection
in our heart which is not His and from Him, let us
instantaneously pluck it out. Let us, then, abide in

peace, and let us say with the great lover of the Cross :
From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me, for

I have the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. (Gal.
vi. 17.) Yes, if we knew of one single atom of our
heart which was not marked with the edge of the
crucifix, we would not wish to keep it for a moment.
Why should we disquiet ourselves t my soul, hope
in God :
why art thou sad, and why dost thou trouble
me ? (Ps. xli. 6) since my God is
my God, and my
heart a heart that is all His.
is
I cannot think how
you can admit those unmea
sured sadnesses into your heart, being, as you are, a
daughter of God long since placed in the bosom of
His mercy, and consecrated to His love. You ought
yourself to console yourself, by despising all those me
lancholy suggestions and sadnesses, which the enemy
brings upon you with the sole design of wearying and
embarrassing you.
Do not allow your mind to think too much of its
miseries allow God to work
; He will bring some
;
good out of them. Do not make many reflections

about self-love s mingling itself in your actions; these
of self-love ought to be neglected.

sallies By disa
vowing them two or three times a day one is quit of
them. One ought not to reject them by force of arms ;
"
it suffices simply to say No."
Take good care to practise the humble sweetness

which you owe to every one for that is the virtue ;
of virtues which our Lord has so much recommended

to us and if you happen to fail in this, do not be
:
troubled but with all confidence rise again, to walk

;
anew in peace and sweetness as before.
CHAPTER XLI.
OF EXCITEMENT ANJ>
DISQUIETUDE IN THE PURSUIT OF
VIRTUE.
I tell you in truth, as Book of it is written in the
Kings (3 Kings neither in the great
xix. 11,12), God is
and strong wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in those
fires of your excitement and disquietude, but in that
sweet and tranquil breathing of a gentle and almost
imperceptible air. Allow yourself to be governed by
God think not so much of yourself.
:
If you wish me to command you, I will do so
willingly and I will command you in the first place,

;
that, having a general and universal resolution of

serving God in the best way that you are able, you
do not amuse yourself with examining and subtlely
sifting out what is the best way of doing so. You
know that God wills in general that we should serve
Him by loving Him above all things, and our neigh
bour as ourselves in particular, He wills you to keep
:
a rule, enough you must do so in good

that is ;
faith, without refining and subtlety. Excitement and

agitation of mind is of no use here. Desire indeed
is
good, but let it be without agitation it is that ;
excitement which I expressly forbid you, as it is the

mother-imperfection of all imperfections.
OF EXCITEMENT IN PURSUIT OF VIRTUE. 279
Do not, then, examine so carefully whether you are

in perfection or not here are two reasons why you
:
should not. One is, that it is to no purpose our exam

ining ourselves in this way ; since, were we the most
perfect souls in the world, we ought never to know or
be aware of it, but to esteem ourselves always as im
perfect our examen, then, ought never to be di
:
rected towards knowing whether we are imperfect,

for of that we ought never to doubt. From thence
it follows that we
ought not to be surprised at finding
ourselves imperfect, since we ought never to see our
selves otherwise in this life, nor be saddened on that
account, for there is no remedy for it. I grant
you
most fully that we ought to humiliate ourselves be
cause of it for thereby we shall repair our defects
;
and sweetly amend ourselves. Such is the exercise

for which our imperfections are left to us, who are
not excusable if we do not seek to amend them, or
inexcusable if we fail of amending them completely ;
for it is not with imperfections as it is with sins.
The other reason is, that this examen, when it is
made with anxiety and perplexity, is only a loss of
time and those who make it are like musicians who
;
make themselves hoarse with practising a motett for ;
the mind wearies itself with an examen so great and

so continual, and when the time of execution arrives,
it can do no more.
This is my first commandment.
The other commandment, which is a consequence
from the first one If thy eye be single, thy whole
:
body shall be lightsome, says the Saviour. (St. Matt,

vi. 22,) Simplify your judgment do not make so
;
many reflections and replies, but go on simply and

with confidence for you there is nothing else in the
:
world but God and yourself. You have nothing to

do with aught else, except so far as God commands
it, and in the way in which He commands it to you.
Ipray of you, do not look so much hither and
thither keep your eyes fixed on God and yourself.
;
You will never see God without goodness, or yourself

without misery and you will see His goodness pro
;
pitious to your misery, the object of His goodness

and of His mercy. Therefore do not look at any
thing but this; I mean, with a fixed and settled gaze;
and look at all the rest with a transient glance.
In the same way, avoid minutely examining what
other people do, or what will become of them ; but
look on them with an eye simple, good, sweet, and
affectionate. Do not require in them more perfec
tion than in yourself, and do not be astonished at the
diversity of imperfections for imperfection is not

;
greater imperfection merely because it is unusual.

Behave like the bees, suck the honey from all flowers
and all herbs.
My third commandment is, that you should be
have as little So long as they feel that
children do.
their mother is holding them by the
leading-strings,
they go on boldly, and run all about, and are not
startled at the little falls which the feebleness of
their limbs occasions.Thus, whilst you perceive that
God holding you by the good will and resolution
is
which He has given you of serving Him, go on
boldly, and do not be startled at the little shocks
you will meet with and you must not be troubled
;
at them, provided that at certain intervals you cast

yourself into His arms, and kiss Him with the kiss of
charity.
Go on joyously, and with open heart, as much as
you can and if you do not always go on joyously,
;
at least go on
always courageously and confidently.
Do not avoid the society of the sisters, although
it
may not be to your taste rather avoid your taste,
;
when it is not according to the ways of the sisters.

HOW TO JUDGE OF OUR FEELINGS. 281
Love the holy virtue of forbearance and holy com

plaisance ;and so, says St. Paul (Gal.
vi. 2),
you
shall fulfil the law of Christ.
CHAPTER XLII.
HOW WE MAY KNOW WHETHER OUR FEELINGS COME FROM
GOD OR FROM THE DEVIL.
Feelings and sweetnesses may come from the

Friend or from the enemy of our souls that is to
; say,
from the evil one, or from Him who is All-holy. Now
we may know from whence they come, by certain
signs, amongst which are the following :
1. When we do not dwell

upon them, but avail
ourselves of them as
though by way of recreation,
thereafter to proceed with greater
constancy, it is a
good sign ; for God sometimes gives them to us for
this purpose. He condescends to our infirmity He;
sees our spiritual taste is dull ; He

gives us a little
sauce for our food, not in order that we
may eat no
thing but sauce, but that it may give us an appetite
for solid meat. It is, then, a
good sign when we do
not dwell upon feelings ; for the evil one, in
giving
feelings, wishes that we may dwell upon them, and
that by eating sauce
only, our spiritual stomach may
be enfeebled and spoilt little
by little.
2. Good feelings do not
suggest to us any thought
of pride; but on the contrary, if the evil spirit takes
occasion from them to give us such
thoughts, they
strengthen us to reject them, in such wise, that the
soul remains all humble and full of submission. On
the contrary, a bad feeling, instead of
making us think
of our weakness, makes us think that it is
given to us
by way of recompense.
3. A good feeling, when
passed, does not leave us
weakened, but strengthened nor afflicted, but con-
;
soled. A bad feeling, on the contrary, gives us some

pleasure at its coming, and on departing, leaves us
full of anguish.
4. A good feeling, at its departure, recommends
us in absence to caress, to serve, and to follow
its
virtue, for our advancement, in which it was given to

us a bad feeling makes us believe that with it virtue
;
has gone, and that we are unable to serve it.

Lastly, a good feeling does not wish us to love
itself, but only Him who gives it not that it does
;
not give us reason to love it, but that is not what it

seeks a bad feeling, on the contrary, wishes itself to
;
be loved by us above every thing.

By these four or five marks, you will be able to
know from whence your feelings come, and coming
from God, they ought not to be rejected but ac ;
knowledging that you are still a poor little child, take

the milk from the hands of your Father, who from
the compassion He bears you, still exercises towards
you the office of mother.
Receive them, then, considering yourself feeble as
to your spiritual stomach, since the physician gives
you wine, notwithstanding the fever of the imperfec

tions which are in you. But if St. Paul advised wine
to his disciple (1 Tim. v. 23) because of his bodily
infirmities, I may well advise you spiritual wine for
your spiritual infirmities ; but on condition that you
are always ready to give it up, if such were the good
pleasure of God.
CHAPTER XLIII.
WHEREBY TO RECOGNISE THE GOODNESS OF ONE S RELIGIOUS
VOCATION.
There are those who are truly called by God to
religion, and who are not faithful in corresponding
with the grace. There are others who are not so
HOW TO RECOGNISE OUR VOCATION. 283
truly called, and who, by their fidelity, rectify their

vocation. Thus we see some who come thither from
vexation and weariness, others from, some misfortune
which they have met with in the world, and others
from defect of health or bodily beauty. And although
these vocations would seem not to be good, we have
seen some, who having thus come, have succeeded
extremely well in the service of God so incompre :
hensible are the ways of God, and His designs un

searchable, and nevertheless admirable in the variety
of the means He uses to call His creatures to His ser
vice ;and all these means ought to be honoured and
reverenced.
then, amidst so great a variety of vocations,
How,
and from such different motives, shall one be able to
discern the good from the bad, so as not to be de
ceived ? This is a thing of great importance and very
difficult nevertheless, it
; is not so much so, that we
are entirely destitute of means for discovering the
goodness of a vocation. Now among several which
I might mention, I will
suggest one which is the best
of all, and that is a firm and constant will to serve
God in the manner and
in the place to which one
has been called by His divine majesty and this is ;
the best mark that one can have of having a good

vocation.
But observe, that when I say a firm and constant
will of serving do not say that one does from
God, I
the commencement all that one ought to do in one s
vocation, with a firmness and constancy so great as
to exempt one from all repugnance, difficulty, or dis
gusts, or even from committing faults, or that it is so

firm as never to waver or vary in its enterprise.
Oh, no! that is not what I mean to say; for every
one is subject to passions, changes, and vicissitudes ;
and a person will to-day love one thing, who to-mor-

284 THE PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OP PIETY.
row will love another one day does not resemble

:
another. by these different movements

It is not, then,
and feelings that we ought to judge of the firmness
and constancy of the will but rather, if amid this
;
variety of diverse movements, the will remains firm,

so as not to abandon the good which it has embraced ;
so that, to have a mark of good vocation, we do not

need a sensible constancy, but a constancy which is
in the superior part of the soul, and which is effective.
Therefore, to know whether one is called to reli
gion, one need not wait for God to speak to our senses,
or to send us an angel from heaven, or to impart re
velations to us. Nor do we require an examination to
be held by five or six doctors, to know whether the
inspiration is good or bad, whether we ought to follow
it or no but we ought to correspond to it well, and
;
to cultivate the firstmovement of grace, and then not

to distress ourselves if disgusts and coldnesses arise :
for if we always strive to keep our will very firm, in
the determination of seeking the good which is shewn
to us, God will not fail to make all turn out well to
His glory.
CHAPTER XLIV.
OF THE OBJECT AIMED AT IN ENTERING RELIGION.
The object a person ought to have in view in en
tering into religion is by far the most important, the
most necessary, and the most useful question which
can be treated of. Certainly, many daughters enter
into it without knowing why. They come into a par
lour ; they see there religious with a serene aspect, of
good mein, very modest, extremely contented. They
say to themselves, "My God how good it is to be here
! !
Let us go there the world does not smile upon us

: ;
we shall not find in it what we seek." Another will

THE OBJECT IN ENTERING RELIGION. 285
say, "My
God how well they
!
sing in that convent!"
Others come thither to find in it
peace and consola
tions, and all sorts of sweetnesses, them
saying to
My God how
"
selves,
religious are
happy
!
They !
are away from the noise of fathers and mothers who

do nothing but scold one can do
nothing to satisfy
:
them ; it is always to begin again. Our Lord

pro
mises to those who quit the world for His service
many consolations ; let us therefore enter religion."
Here are three sorts of objects which are
nothing
worth for entering into the House of God. It must
of necessity be God who builds the city.
When an architect wishes to build a house, he does
two things. First, he considers for whom the build
ing is intended for he proceeds
;
differently accord
ing as it is meant for a private person or for a prince
or for a king he also, before he
;
begins, sees whether
he has sufficient means, that
people may not mock
him for having begun what he is not able to finish.
Secondly, he pulls down the old building which is in
the place where he wishes to build the new one.
We wish to make a great edifice, to establish within
us the abiding-place of God.
Consequently, let us
consider very ripely whether we have
courage and
resolution enough to ruin and
crucify ourselves, or
rather to allow God Himself to ruin and
crucify us,
that He may make of us a
living temple to His divine
majesty.
I
say, therefore, that our only aim ought to be to
unite ourselves to God, as Jesus Christ united Him
self to Him in dying on the Cross for I am not here ;
speaking of that general union which is made by bap

tism, in receiving the character of
Christianity, and
binding ourselves to keep its commandments and those
of the Church, and to exercise ourselves in
good works
and the practice of the Christian virtues. But as for
it is not so with you for beyond that ob

yourselves, ;
ligation which you have in common with all Chris

tians, God, by an altogether special love, has chosen
you to be His dear spouses.
CHAPTER XLV.
WHAT IT IS TO BE A BELIGIOUS.
To bea religious is to be fastened and doubly

fastened to God by a continual mortification of self;
and to live only for God, our heart, our eyes, our
tongue, our hands, serving His divine majesty always
and continually.
This is why you see that religion furnishes you
with means entirely adapted to this purpose, which
are meditation, spiritual reading, continual aspirations
to our Lord, and retreats of the heart to repose one
self in God alone.
And because we cannot arrive at this state, except
by a continual mortification of all our passions, incli
nations, humours, and aversions, we are obliged to

watch continually over ourselves, in order to make
all this die. Unless, as our Lord saith, the grain of
wheat falling into the ground, die, itself remaineth
alone. But if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit.
(John xii. 24.)
This is why you who are aspiring to the habit,
and you who are aspiring to the holy profession, con
sider well, and oftener than once, whether you have
resolution enough to die to yourselves, and to live
only to God. Weigh the whole matter well for I ;
declare to you, and do not at all wish to flatter you,

that whoever wishes to live according to the senses,
ought to remain in the world; and that it is only
those who wish to live according to grace, who ought
to enter into religion, which is nothing else than a
WHAT IT IS TO BE A RELIGIOUS. 287
school of the denial and mortification of self; thus
see that it furnishes
you you with several instruments
of mortification, as well interior as exterior.
But, my God you will tell me, this is not what
!
I sought. I
thought that it was enough, in order
to be a good religious, to have the desire of medi
tating well, of partaking in visions and revelations, of
seeing angels, of being ravished in ecstasy, of loving
much to read good books but what I was so vir
: !
tuous in the world, as it seemed to me, so mortified,

so humble, every
body admired me ; and was it not
to be very humble speak sweetly to one s friends
to
on subjects of devotion, to talk over sermons at home,
to treat those in the house
kindly, especially when
they did not contradict me ?
Oh, for the world that was good but religion ;
would have one do works worthy of one s vocation,

by dying to oneself in every thing, as well in that
which is good, according to our taste, as in that which
is bad and Do you think that those
unprofitable.
good religious of the desert, who arrived at so great a
union with God, arrived at it
by following their incli
nations ? No,
assuredly, they mortified themselves in
the most holy
things and although they had great en
:
joyment in singing divine canticles, in reading, pray

ing, and other things, they did not do this to please
themselves far from it on the
; :
contrary, they volun
tarily deprived themselves of those pleasures, to give
themselves up to labour, and to the most works.
painful
It is
very true that religious souls receive a thou
sand sweetnesses and
enjoyments, in the midst of the
mortifications and exercises of holy religion ; for it
is
principally they to whom the Holy Ghost imparts
these precious gifts. In order therefore to have
them,
it is
necessary that they seek God only, and occupy
themselves with nothing but the mortification of their
humours, passions, and inclinations for if they seek ;
any thing else, they will never find the consolation at

which they aim.
It is
necessary to have an invincible courage never
to be wearied out with ourselves, because there is al
ways something to do or to retrench for we shall ;
never be perfectly healed until we are in paradise. A

sister will feel herself disposed to meditate, to say
office, to be in retreat, and they will say to her My :
"
sister, attend in the kitchen, or do something else."

This is bad news for a daughter who is very devout :
these are hard words you must die ; but they are
:
followed by very sweet words die to be united to

:
God by that death. You know that no wise person

puts new wine into old bottles ; in the same way, the
wine of divine love cannot enter where the old Adam
reigneth : it is
absolutely necessary to destroy it.
CHAPTER XL VI.
OF THE QUALITIES WHICH A NOVICE OUGHT TO HAVE IN
ORDER TO BE ADMITTED TO PROFESSION.
The first condition is, that a novice whom they

receive to profession should have a good heart ; that
is, a heart disposed to live in an entire submission
and obedience.
The second condition is, that she should have a
good understanding. Now, when I say a good under
standing, I do not mean to imply those brilliant ta
lents, which are generally vain, and full of self-will
and self-sufficiency, and which, when in the world,
were but the workshops of vanity. This sort of spirits
enter religion, not to humble themselves, but to con
duct and govern every thing, and as if they wished to
give lessons in philosophy and theology.
Now it is about these we ought to be very can-
THE QUALITIES FOR A NOVICE. 289
tious I do not say that we ought not to receive them

: ;
but do say that we ought to be very cautious about

I
them for in them, and by the grace of God, they
;
may greatly change and this will no doubt come to

;
pass, if they avail themselves with fidelity of the re

medies which are given them for their cure.
When, therefore, I speak of a good understanding,
I mean to speak of such as are rightly made, and of
right judgment ; and further, of moderate understand
ings, neither too great nor too small ; for such minds
always do a great deal, and all the time without their
knowing it.
They and devote themselves

set themselves to act,
to the solid virtues they are tractable, and one has
:
not much trouble in guiding them for they easily;
comprehend how good a thing it is to allow them

selves to be guided.
The third condition required is, for the novice
to have laboured well during her year of noviciate,
to have profited well by the remedies prescribed to
her, to have been very faithful to the resolutions she
adopted on entering the noviciate, to change her evil
humours and inclinations ; for the year of noviciate
was given her for no other purpose.
But if it be manifest that she has persevered faith
fully in her resolutions, and that her will remains
firm and constant to go forward, and that she has
applied herself to reform herself according to the
rules and constitutions, and that this determination
remains, so that she wishes continually to do better,
it is a good sign, and
you may vote for her, even
though there may have been faults in her, even of
some moment ; for it ought not to be required that
at the end of her noviciate she should be perfect.
Look at the College of Apostles, although they
were truly called, and although they had laboured
much in the reformation of their manners, how many

faults did they not commit, not only in the first year,
but also in the second and third I mean to say by
!
this, that falls ought not be the cause of your re

to
jecting a daughter, when amidst all this she

remains
with a firm determination of correcting herself, and is
willing to avail herself of the means afforded her for
that object.
CHAPTER XL VII.
HOW THE SPIRIT OF ONE S VOCATION IS TO BE PRESERVED.
The only means of preserving the spirit of one s

vocation, and of preventing it from being dissipated,
is to keep it shut up in the observance of the rules.
But you tell me that there are some so jealous of this

spirit,
that they would not even let it be known out
side of the house. There is superfluity in this jea
lousy, which ought be diminished for to what end,
to ;
I pray you, should you wish to conceal from your
neighbour what may be profitable to him ? I am not

of this opinion, for I should wish that all the good
which is in this house should be recognised and
known by every body and this is why I have always
;
thought that it would be good to have its rules and

constitutions printed, in order that several, by seeing
them, might derive some advantage from them.
God grant that many persons might be found who
would wish to practise them We
should soon see
!
great changes in them, which would turn out to God s

glory, and to the salvation of their souls.
Be extremely careful to preserve the spirit of your
vocation, but not in such a way that this care shall
hinder you from communicating it charitably and with
simplicity to your neighbour, to each one according
to his capacity; and do not suppose that it will be
OF DISGUST FOR ONE*S VOCATION. 291
dissipated by this communication ; for charity spoils

nothing ; on the contrary, it
brings every thing to per
fection.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
OF BISGUST FOB ONE S VOCATION.
The idea of quitting your state has all the true

marks of temptation that one could possibly find.
But God be praised that in this assault the citadel has
not yet surrendered, nor, as I think, is
ready to sur
render.
God take great heed against the wish to go
!
out ; for there is no middle course between your going

out and your being lost. For do you not see that
you would only go out to live to yourself, of yourself,
by yourself, and in yourself ; and that the more dan
gerously because it would be under pretext of union
with God, who nevertheless wills not to have, and
never will have union with those singular souls who
quit their vocation, their vows, their congregation,
from bitterness of heart, from chagrin, from vexa
tion, and from disgust at the society, at obedience,
at the rules, and at holy observance.
Oh, see you not St. Simeon Stylites, so ready to
quit his column at the advice of the elders ? and you,
you will not give up your abstinence at the advice of
so many good people,who have no interest in making
you give it
up, except to make you quit and exempt
of your self-love.
Sing from henceforth the canticle of love. Oh,
how good and how pleasant it is for sisters to dwell
together in unity ! (Ps. cxxxii. 1 .) Treat your tempta
tion roughly. Say to it Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
:
thy God. (Deut. vi. 16.) Go behind me, Satan, thou

shalt adore the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve. (St. Mark viii. 33 ; St. Luke iv. 8.)
I leave you to think. Yon genuflect to tiie Blessed
Sacrament, as if with a feeling of disgust and then

;
the temptation ensues what greater marks of temp

:
tation could one have? The force of inspirations

ishumble, sweet, tranquil, and holy; and how, then,
could your inclination be an inspiration, when it is
so fretful, so hard, and so morose ?
Withdraw yourself from it. Treat this tempta
tion as you would treat that of blasphemy, of treason,
of heresy, of despair do not discourse with it, do
;
not capitulate, do not listen to it cross it as much

:
as you can by frequent renewals of your vows, by
frequent submissions to your superioress. Often in

voke your good angel, and I hope that you will find
the peace and the sweetness of the love of your neigh
bour. Sing in the choir always with the greater per
severance, the more the temptation says to you Be:
silent imitating that holy blind man, of whom it is

;
said in the Gospel (St. Mark x. 48), Many rebuked

him thai he might hold his peace ; but he cried a great
deal the more. Son of David, have mercy on me.
CHAPTER XLIX.
OF THE CONVERSATION OF RELIGIOUS PERSONS WITH
SECULARS.
You ask me, whether, supposing it happened one
day that a superioress had such an inclination to be
complaisant to secular persons, under the notion of
their profitingby it, as to leave that particular care
which she ought to have of the sisters placed under
her charge, or not to have time enough to attend to
the affairs of the house, because of remaining too
long in the parlour would she not be obliged to re
;
trench this inclination, although her inclination was

good?
OF CONVERSE WITH SECULARS. 293
I reply to this, that superioresses ought to be
extremely affable to seculars, in order to be of use to

them, and to bestow on them with a good heart a por
tion of their time ;but how much, think you, ought
this portion to be ? The twelfth part, the other eleven
remaining to be employed in the house, in the care

of the family.
Bees go a good deal out of their hive but this ;
is only for the sake of necessity or profit, and they
make but a short stay before they return and above ;
all, the queen-bee rarely goes out, except, for instance,

she is making a swarm of bees, when she is all sur
rounded by her little people. Religion is a mystical
hive, all full of spiritual bees, which are assembled to
eat the honey of celestial virtues ;
and this is why the
superioress, who is among them as it were the queen-
bee, ought to be careful not to leave them, in order
to teach them the way of acquiring the virtues and of
preserving them.
Nevertheless, she ought not, on that account, to
fail of conversing with secular
persons, when neces
sity or charity requires it; but beyond this, the supe
rioress ought to be brief with seculars, unless it be
with persons of great dignity, whom she must not
displease, or persons who only come seldom, or from
a great distance ; apart from these cases, she ought
not to leave office and meditation, unless charity ab
solutely requires it.
As for the visits of persons who may be freely dis
pensed with, the portress ought to say that you are
at meditation or office ; would it please them to wait,
or to call again. But if it happens that for some
great cause you go to the parlour at those times, at
least recover time afterwards to perform your medi
you can for as for

tation as fully as ; office, nobody
doubts your being obliged to say that.
As for the sisters, they ought never to spend their

time with seculars, under the notion of gaining souls
for the house. Oh, certainly, there is no occasion for
that for if they keep themselves retired, to do well
;
what belongs to their duty, they ought to entertain

no doubt but that our Lord will provide sufficiently
for that.
CHAPTER L.
GOD ORDINARILY GIVES US AN INCLINATION FOR THE STATE

XO WHICH HE CALLS US.
The advice which was so continually given to you
to remain in the service of your father, in order to
be in a position hereafter to consecrate yourself, body
and soul, to our Lord, was based upon a great num
ber of consolations, drawn from various circum
stances of your condition ;
and for this reason, if
your mind were in a state of full and entire indiffer
ence, I should without doubt have told you to follow
that advice, as the most worthy and proper course
that could be proposed to you; for such it would
have been, without any doubt.
But since your mind is not at all in a state of in
difference, but, on the contrary, altogether bent on
choosing marriage, and since, although you have had
recourse to God, you still find yourself drawn in that
direction, it is not expedient for you to do violence
to so strong an impression, by any sort of considera
tion ;
for all those circumstances, which otherwise
would have been more than sufficient to make me
come to the same conclusion as the person who ad
vised you, have no weight whatever beside that
strong and settled inclination which you feel. If
this were slight, it would, in truth, be of little im
portance ; but being strong and decided, it ought tc
be the basis of your resolution.
LIFE AND ETERNITY. 295
If, then, the husband proposed for you is other

wise suitable, a good man, and of a kind disposition,
you may with prudence accept him. I say, if he is
of a kind disposition, because your deficiency in
personal appearance requires this; as it requires of
you to balance that defect by great sweetness, sincere
love, and a very resigned humility ; and, in fine, it
makes up generally for bodily defects, by true virtue
and perfection of mind.
The state of marriage is a state which requires
more virtue and constancy than any other. It is a
perpetual exercise of mortification : it will be so for
you perhaps more than it would be for another.
You must therefore dispose yourself for it with a par
ticular care, in order that, from this plant of
thyme,
you may, in spite of the bitterness of its juice, draw
the honey of a holy life and conversation. May the
sweet Jesus be for ever to you the honey which makes
sweet your vocation may He for ever live and reign
:
in our hearts !
CHAPTER LI.
MISTRUST THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS LIFE, AND LABOUR FOR

ETERNITY.
I perceive that you are well supplied with the
goods of the present life. Take care that your heart

does not remain attached to them. Solomon, the
wisest of men, began his miserable fall by the plea
sure he took in the greatness, the splendour, and the
magnificent apparel which he had, although it was
all in keeping with his rank.
Let us consider that what we have does not in
reality make us any thing more than the rest of the
world and that all this is nothing before God and
;
the angels.
296 THE PKINCIPAL EXERCISES OF PIETY.
Recollect to do the will of God well on occasions

that present the most difficulty. It is doing little to
please God in what pleases ourselves. Filial fidelity
requires that we should be ready to please Him in
what displeases ourselves having always before our
;
eyes what the great beloved Son said of Himself: /

came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the
will of Him that sent Me
(St. John vi. 38); for are
you not a Christian in order to do the will of Him
who adopted you to be His child, and to receive His
eternal inheritance ?
For the you are going away, and I too am

rest,
going away, without any hope of seeing you again in
this world. Let us earnestly pray God to grant us
the grace of so living according to His good pleasure
in this pilgrimage, that
being arrived in our heavenly
country, we may be able to rejoice that we saw each
other here below, and that we talked of the mys
teries of eternity. Herein alone can we rejoice that
we knew each other in this life, that it was all for the
glory of His Divine Majesty and our eternal salvation.
Keep that holy cheerfulness of heart, which nou
rishes the strength of the mind, and edifies one s
neighbour. Go in peace, and God be for ever your
protector. May He for ever hold you by His hand,

and conduct you in the path of His holy will.
CHAPTER LII.
WE MEET WITH ALL SEASONS IN OUR SOULS.
My God how well you do to deposit your de

!
sire of leaving this world in the hands of heavenly

Providence, so that it may not uselessly occupy your
mind !Let us pray to God, and let us supplicate
His will to manifest itself let us dispose our will to
:
desire nothing but through His and for His ; and let
WE MEET WITH ALL SEASONS. 297
us abide in peace, without excitement or agitation of
mind.
I perceive that
you meet with all the seasons of
the year in your soul ; that sometimes you feel the
winter of manifold barrenness, detraction, sadness,
and weariness; sometimes the dews of the month of
May, with the odour of the holy flowers sometimes ;
the summer-heats of the desire of pleasing our

good
God. There only remains autumn, of the fruits of
which, as you say, you do not see much but it very ;
often happens, that in thrashing the com and

press
ing the grapes, much greater abundance is obtained
than the harvest and the vintage seemed to promise.
You would be very glad if it were all spring and
summer; but no, there must be vicissitudes within as
well as without. In heaven, indeed, all will be spring
as to beauty, all autumn as to enjoyment, all summer
as to love ; there will be no winter. But here the
winter is required for the exercise of self-denial, and
of a thousand little virtues which are exercised in the
time of sterility.
Let us always go on in our steady pace provided :
that we have a good and resolute affection, we cannot

but go on well. No, there is no need, in order to the
exercise of the virtues, to keep one s attention always
actually fixed upon all of them : that would in truth
embarrass your thoughts and affections. Humility
and charity are the great cords all the
to which
others are fastened ; it is only necessary to hold well
to those two one of them is the lowest, and the
;
other the highest the preservation of the whole edi

:
fice depends on the foundation and the roof. Keep

ing the heart attentive to the exercise of these, one
has no great difficulty in dealing with the others.
These are the mothers of the virtues, which follow
them as infants follow their mother.
Indeed, I do strongly approve of your teaching

school. will be pleased with you for it ; for He
God
loves the little ones. And as I said the other day at
Catechism, to induce our ladies to take pains with
the girls, the guardian angels of little children love
with a particular affection those who bring them up
in the fear of God, and who insinuate holy devotion
into their tender souls as, on the contrary, our Lord
;
threatens those who scandalise them with the ven

geance of their angels. (St. Matt, xviii. 10; and St.
Mark ix. 41.)
my God how much I owe to that Saviour
Ah, !
who loveth us so much How would I wish once !
for all to embrace Him, and to clasp Him to my

heart !
May Jesus for ever be in our hearts ; may He
liveand reign there eternally Ever-blessed be His !
holy Name, and that of His glorious mother. Amen.

Live Jesus, and die the world, if it wills not to live
unto Jesus. Amen.
CHAPTER LIII.
WHAT IS MEANT BY LIVING ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT AND

ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.
To live according to the spirit, is to live, speak, and

act according to the virtues which are in the spirit,
and not according to the senses and sentiments which
are in the flesh. ought to make use of the
"We
reduce them to subjection, and not to live

latter, to
according to them but as for these spiritual virtues,

;
we ought to serve them, and to subject to them every

thing else.
What are these virtues of the spirit? It is faith,
which shews us truths raised altogether above the
senses hope, which makes us aspire to invisible
;
good; charity, which makes us love God more than

THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH. 299
all,and our neighbours as ourselves, not with a sen

sual or natural, or interested love, but with a love
pure, solid, and invariable, which has its foundation
in God.
Do yousee ? The human sense resting on the
flesh, often causes us not sufficiently to throw our
selves into the hands of God, imagining to ourselves
that, because we are worth nothing, God cannot re
gard us because men who live according to human
;
wisdom despise those who are not useful to them:

on the contrary, the spirit, resting on faith, en
courages itself in the midst of difficulties, because it
knows well that God loves, supports, and succours
the wretched, provided that they hope in Him.
Moreover sense would have a share in every thing
that passes ; and it loves itself so much, that it fan
cies nothing is
good unless it meddles in the matter.
The spirit, on the contrary, attaches itself to God ;
and says often, that whatever is not God is nothing

to it :and since, out of charity, it takes part in the
things which are imparted to it, so, from renunciation
and humility, it voluntarily gives up its part in things
which are concealed from it.
To live according to the spirit, is to love accord
ing to the spirit ; to live according to the flesh, is to
love according to the flesh. For love is the life of
the soul, as the soul is the life of the body. Suppose
a person is very amiable in disposition and pleasing
in manners, and I have an affectionate regard for
that person ; suppose a person loves me well, and
places me under great obligations, and I shew a re
turn of affection for that reason ; who does not see
that I am loving, not according to the spirit, but ac
cording to the flesh ? For even brute creatures, which
have no soul, but only flesh and sensation, love their
benefactors and those who are kind and agreeable to
them. Another person is rude, rough, and uncivil ;
but after all is very devout, and even anxious to ac

quire gentler and sweeter manners and so, not from
;
any pleasure or interest I have rn the acquaintance, I

enter into that person s society, do him services, and
shew kind feeling and friendship towards him. This
love is according to the spirit, for the flesh has no
part in it.
Ihave no confidence in myself, and I would will

ingly be allowed to live according to this inclination.
Who does not see that this is not living according to
the spirit ? Certainly it is not for when I was quite
;
young, and had no experience at all, I already shewed

that disposition. But although, by my natural tem
per, I am fearful and timid, nevertheless I wish to
try and overcome these natural failings, and, little by
little, to do well every thing appertaining to that office
which obedience, derived from God, has imposed up
on me. Who does not see that this is to live accord
ing to the spirit ?
To according to the spirit, is to do the actions,
live
say the words, and produce the thoughts which the

Spirit of God demands of us and when I say pro
;
duce the thoughts, I mean those which are voluntary.

I am sad, and
do not choose to speak parrots act
I :
in this way. am sad ; but since charity requires

I
me to speak, I will do so spiritual persons act in this
:
way. I am overlooked or despised, and I am annoyed

at it peacocks and monkeys shew this disposition.
:
I am overlooked or despised, and I rejoice at it the:
Apostles shewed this disposition. (Acts v. 41.)

To live, therefore, according to the spirit, is to
do what faith, hope, and charity teach us, whether in
things temporal or in things spiritual.
GOD S LOVE IN SPITE OF OCR WEAKNESS. 301
CHAPTER LIV.
GOD THINKS OF US, AND LOOKS ON US WITH LOVE, IN SPITE OF

OUR AVEAKNESSES.
You ask me if our Lord thinks of you, and if He
looks upon you with love ? Yes, He thinks of you, and
not only of you, but of the least hair of your head.
(St. Matt. x. 30 Acts xxvii. 34.) It is an article of
;
faith we must in nowise doubt of it. But I also know

;
well that you do not doubt of it but you only ex :
press in this way the aridity, the dryness, and in

sensibility in which the inferior part of your soul
just now finds itself. Indeed the Lord is in this place,
and I knew it not, said Jacob (Genesis xxviii. 1 6) ;
that to say, I did not perceive it, I had no feel

is
ing of it, it did not seem to me to be so.

And as to God s looking on you with love, of this
you have no reason to doubt for He lovingly be ;
holds the most horrible sinners in the world, little

true desire as they have of conversion. What tell !
me, have you not the intention of belonging to God ?

do you not desire to serve Him faithfully ? And who
gives you this desire and this intention, if not Him
self,with His loving regard ?
You ought notto examine whether your heart is
pleasing to Him but you certainly ought to examine

;
whether His heart is pleasing to you and if you look ;
upon His heart, it will be impossible for it not to

please you for it is a heart so gentle, so sweet, so
;
condescending, so loving towards frail creatures, pro

vided they acknowledge their misery, so gracious to
wards the miserable, so good towards the penitent ;
and who would not love this royal heart, so full of

tenderness for us ?
You say well that these temptations happen to
you, because your heart is without tenderness to-
wards God for it is true, that if you had tenderness,

;
you would have consolation and if you had consola

;
tion, you would not be in sorrow. But the love of

God does not consist in consolation or in tenderness,
elseour Lord did not love His Father, when He was
sorrowful even unto death, and when He cried out :
My God! My God! why hast Thou forsaken Me? (St,

Matt, xxvii. 46.) But it was, nevertheless, then that
He made the greatest act of love that it is
possible to
imagine.
No doubt we would like always to have a little
consolation and sugar on our food; that is to say,
to have the sentiments of love and tenderness, and
consequently consolation but we must submit with
:
patience to belong not to the angelic nature, but to

the human. Our imperfections ought not to please
us ; on the contrary, we ought to say with the holy
Apostle :
Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death ? (Rom. vii. 24.) But
this ought neither to astonish us, nor to take away
our courage : we even ought to derive from it sub
mission, humility, and mistrust of ourselves, but not
discouragement, nor affliction of heart, much less
mistrust of the love of God towards us ; for God in
deed loves not our imperfections and our venial sins;
but He loves us well, notwithstanding those sins.
Thus, as the weakness and infirmity of a child is not
pleasing to its mother, but for all that she not only
does not cease on that account to love it, but loves
it tenderly and with compassion so, although God ;
loves not our imperfections and our venial sins, He

does not fail to love us tenderly whence David had ;
reason to say to God Have mercy on me,

: Lord,
for I am weak. (Ps. vi. 3.)
Now, that is enough live cheerfully our Lord
; :
looks upon you, and looks upon you with love, and
HOW TO CONQUER EVIL INCLINATIONS. 303
with so much the more tenderness, because you are

weak. Never allow your mind voluntarily to nourish
contrary thoughts and when they do occur to you,
;
do not look at them themselves turn away your eyes

:
from their iniquity, and return to God with a cou

rageous humility, to speak to Him of His unspeak
able goodness with which He loveth us, poor, abject,
and weak as we are.
CHAPTER LV.
THAT WE OUGHT TO CONQUER OUR EVIL INCLINATIONS WITH
OUT DISTRESSING OURSELVES ABOUT THEM.
I see clearly that swarm of inclinations which self-
love feeds, and pours over your heart and I know
;
full well that the temper of your mind, subtle, deli

cate, and active, contributes something to this : but
for all that, they are nothing whatever but inclina
tions, and since you feel that they distress you, and
your heart bewails them, there is no appearance they
are accepted by any consent, or at least by deliberate
consent.
No, your dear soul having conceived the great
desire with which God has inspired it, of being none
but His, do not readily believe that it lends its con
sent to these contrary movements. Your heart may
be agitated by the feeling of its passions, but I think
that it rarely sins with consent. Unhappy man that I
am, said the great Apostle, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death! (Rom. vii. 24.)
He was conscious of an army composed of his
feelings, aversions, habits, and natural inclinations,
which had conspired his spiritual death: and because
he fears them, he shews that he hates them and be ;
cause he hates them, he cannot support them with

out sorrow, and his sorrow makes him break out into
that vehement exclamation, to which he himself makes

answer, that the grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord
will deliver him not from fear, not from fright, not
;
from alarm, not from the combat, but from defeat,

and will save him from being vanquished.
To be in this world, and not to feel these move
ments of passion, are incompatible things. Our glo
rious St. Bernard says, that it is heresy to say that we
can persevere in the same state here below; inasmuch
as the Holy Ghost has said by the mouth of Job, in
speaking of man, that he never continueth in the same
state. (Job xiv. 2.) This serves for an answer to what
you say of the levity and inconstancy of your soul ;
for I believe firmly that it is continually agitated by

the blasts of its passions, and that consequently it is
always in agitation but I also believe firmly that the
:
grace of God, and the resolution which it has given

you, remains continually at the point of your spirit,
where the standard of the cross is always flying, and
where faith, hope, and charity are always loudly pro
claiming, Live Jesus !
Do you see, these inclinations of pride, of vanity,

and of self-love, intermeddle every where, and intrude
their ideas, with or without our perceiving it, into
almost all our actions ? but for all that they are not
the motives of our actions. St. Bernard, feeling one
day that they w^ere troubling him whilst he was preach

ing, "Depart from me, Satan," said he; did not
"I
begin for thee, I will not end for thee."

have only one remark to make on your writing
I
to me and that is, that you foster your pride by
;
affectation in your conversation and in your letters.

In conversation certainly, affectation enters so insen
sibly that one scarcely perceives it but still, if one
;
does perceive it, one ought immediately to change

one s manner; but in letters, this fault is, in truth, a
OF THE TEARS OF PIETY. 305
little, or rather a great deal less to be tolerated, for

you see better what you are about and if in writing
;
you do perceive any notable affectation, you ought to

punish the hand which wrote it, by making it write
another letter in a different style.
To conclude, I doubt not that amidst so great a
number of turnings and windings of the heart, here
and there some venial faults will slip in ;
but for all
that, as they are of a passing nature, they do not de

prive us of the fruits of our resolutions, but only of
the sweetness which there would be in not falling into
those faults at all, if the condition of this life allowed
of it.
Furthermore, be just neither excuse nor accuse
:
your poor soul, except on ripe consideration for fear ;
that, if you excuse it without good grounds, you may

make it insolent and if you accuse it inconsiderately,
;
you may lower its courage and make it pusillanimous.

Proceed with simplicity, and you will proceed with
confidence. Do not burden your feeble body with
any other austerities but those which the rule imposes
on you. Preserve your bodily strength to serve God
in those spiritual exercises which we are often con
strained to lay aside, when we have indiscreetly over
burdened the body, which must needs unite with the
soul in performing them.
CHAPTER LVI.
OF THE TEAKS OF PIETY.
As to your not having tears, your heart is not to
blame for that for the want of them is not owing
;
to
any absence of resolution, or of lively desires of loving
God, but to the absence of sensible passion, which
does not depend upon our heart, but upon other cir
cumstances which are out of our own control. For
just as in this world it is not possible for us to make it

rain when we please, or to hinder its raining when we
wish it to be fair so in devotion it is not in our own
;
power to weep when we

please, nor to leave off weep
ing when an impetuous flood of tears comes upon us.
This arises most generally, not from any fault of ours,
but from the providence of God, which would have
us make our journey by land and through the desert,
and not by water, and would have us accustom our
selves to labour and to trouble.
Keep yourself firm in this position, that your

heart may be entirely fixed on God ; for there is none
better than that. Finally, do not wish for persecu
tions to try your faithfulness ; for it is better to wait
for those which God shall send you, than to wish for
them.
CHAPTER LVII.
OF SUSPECTED REVELATIONS.
As for the visions, revelations, and predictions of
this good daughter, they are in my opinion infinitely
suspicious, and more, they are unprofitable, vain, and
unworthy of consideration. For, on the one hand,
they are so frequent, that that of itself makes them
worthy of suspicion on the other hand, they imply
;
manifestations of certain things which God very rarely

reveals, such as the assurance of eternal salvation, the
confirmation in grace, the degree of holiness of various
persons, and a hundred other matters of the like kind,
which serve no purpose whatever. There is a case in
point afforded by St. Gregory, who being asked by a
lady of honour belonging to the court of the empress,
who was called Gregoria, concerning the state of her
future salvation, replied My daughter, you ask
"
me a question which is alike difficult and unprofit

able."
OF SUSPECTED REVELATIONS. 307
Now to say that hereafter we shall know why these

revelations are made, is a pretext which the maker of
them adopts to avoid the blame attaching to the un
profitableness of such things.
Another consideration is, that when God wills to
accomplish His purposes by means of revelations given

to His creatures, He ordinarily causes to go before
them either true miracles, or a very special holiness
in those who receive them and so the evil spirit,
:
when he wishes notably to deceive some person, before

making him utter false revelations, he causes him to
make false presages, and to carry on a course of life
of false holiness.
In the time of the blessed sister Mary of the In
carnation, there was a daughter of humble rank who
was deceived by the most extraordinary deception
which it is possible to imagine. The enemy, in the
shape of our Lord, for a very long time said the di
vine office with her, in so melodious a chant that it
kept her in a perpetual ecstacy he communicated her
;
very frequently under the semblance of a resplendent

and silvery cloud, through which he caused a false
host to come to her mouth he made her live with
;
out eating any thing ; when she carried alms to the

gate, he multiplied the bread in her apron so that
;
if she only carried bread for three persons, and there

were thirty at the gate, she had sufficient to give
abundance to all, and bread of the most delicious
taste, portions of which were sent to various places
by way of devotion.
This daughter had so many revelations, that at
last it rendered her suspected. She was sent to reside
with the blessed sister Mary of the Incarnation, at
that time a married person ;where, being a servant,
and treated rather harshly by the late Mons. , it
was discovered that she was by no means a saint, and

there was nothing in the world in her but a heap of

false visions.
you ought not to ill

Nevertheless, as I told you,
treat this poor but only shew to her a total ne
girl,
glect and a perfect contempt for all her revelations
and visions, without amusing yourself either with re
futing or combating them but, on the contrary,
;
when she wishes to speak of them, you must put her

off, that is, change the subject of conversation, and
speak to her of solid virtues and of the perfection of

the religious life, and particularly of the simplicity of
the faith, by which saints have gone forward without
visions or particular revelations.
CHAPTER LVIII.
OF SENSIBLE GRACE.
When grace makes itself felt in a soul, what is
there that soul does not do ? Her modesty appears
before all the world she gives an unequalled edifica
;
tion she makes herself admired by all those who see

;
her ; mortifications, she says, cost me nothing they :
are to me consolations; obediences are only enjoy

ments to me : I no sooner hear the first sound of the
bell than I am up ; I allow myself to neglect no prac
tice of virtue ; and all this I do with a very great peace
and tranquillity.
But the moment grace ceases to make itself felt,
that soul speaks a very different language. Now that
I have lost enjoyment in prayer, I have no heart to
improve myself ;
I feel nothing of that ardour I used
to feel in my exercises ; in a word, frost and chillness
have come over me.
Alas, so I thought. See, I pray you, how this
poor soul bemoans herself her discontent even ap
;
pears on her countenance ; she has a downcast and

OF SENSIBLE GRACE. 309
melancholy expression, and she goes about pensive

and out of sorts.
God, what is the matter with you ? one is

My
constrained to say to that soul. Oh, merely that I
am so downcast and languid, that nothing can please
me, and every thing is wearisome to me ; I have al
most lost the courage to aim at perfection any longer.
My God, what weakness consolation fails, and
!
at the same time courage fails. Now we ought not

to do so ;
but the more God deprives us of consola
tion, the more we ought to labour to shew to Him
our fidelity. One single act done in dryness of spirit
is worth more than many acts done in consolation ;
because it is done with a stronger love, though it may

not be with a love so tender or so consoling.
310
PART FIFTH.
REFLECTIONS ON THE PRINCIPAL FEASTS OF
THE YEAR.
CHAPTER I.
THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS.

BEHOLD the dear Infant Jesus, who brings with Him
these approaching feasts. And since He is born to
come and visit us on the part of His Eternal Fa
ther, and since the shepherds and kings will, in their
turn, come to visit Him in His cradle, I think you
ought to caress Him fondly, shew Him hospitality
with all our sisters, sing sweet canticles to Him, and
above all, adore Him fervently and sweetly, and in
Him His poverty, His humility, His obedience, and
His sweetness, in imitation of His most holy Mother
and of St. Joseph.
Take from Him one of those dear tears, sweet
dew of heaven, and place it on your heart, in order
that it
may never have any sadness, save such as is
pleasing to this sweet Infant. It is marvellous what
healing power those tears have over every sort of ill

that can befal the heart. I look
upon the whole
congregation of our sisters as simple shepherdesses
watching over their flocks, that is to say, over their
affections, who, warned by the Angel, come to do
homage to the divine Infant, and as a token of their
eternal servitude, offer to Him the finest of their
lambs, which is their love, without
any reserve or
exception.
CHRISTMAS. 311
Let the little Babe of Bethlehem be for ever the
delight and love of our heart. Alas, how fair He is !
I had a hundred times rather see this dear little Babe

in His crib than to see all the kings of the earth on
their thrones. God, I think Him more glorious
on than Solomon was on his throne of
this throne,
ivory. The great St. Joseph makes us share in his

consolation the sovereign Mother in her love and
; ;
the divine Infant wills for ever to diffuse His merits

over our heart.
Repose near Him as sweetly as you can ; He will
not fail to love your heart, void as you find it of ten
derness and feeling. See you not how He inhales
the breath of yon ox and yon ass, which have no
feeling or emotion at all ? How will He not receive
the aspirations of our poor heart, which though not at
this moment tenderly, nevertheless steadily and firmly,
sacrifices itself at His feet, to be for ever the invio
lable servant of Him and of His
holy Mother ? May
the joy and consolation of the Son and of the Mother
be for ever the gladness of our soul. Ah, how well
it becomes her to dandle that little Babe but above !
all I love her

charity, which allows whoever will to
see, to touch, and to kiss Him. Ask her for Him, she
will give Him
to you.
true Jesus, how sweet is this The hea
sight !
vens, as the Church singeth, drop honey on every side;

and as for me, I think that those divine angels who
make the air resound with their admirable
hymns
are coming to gather this celestial
honey on the lilies
where it is found on the breast of the most sweet
Virgin and of St. Joseph. How sweet to behold the
honey suck the milk !
What shall we give to our King, which we

little
have not received from Him and from
His divine
liberality ? I will give Him, then, our heart. Ah,
312 ON THE FEASTS OF THE YEAR.
Saviour of our souls, make it all of gold in charity,
all myrrh in mortification, and all of frankincense
of
in prayer and then receive it into the arms of Thy
;
holy protection, and let Thine heart say to it I am :
thy salvation for ever and ever. Amen.
CHAPTER II.

I
fancy I see you around the Babe of Bethlehem,
kissing His feet, and supplicating Him to be your
King. Abide there, and learn of Him how meek and
humble He is, how simple and amiable. Let your
heart, like a mystical bee, never abandon this little
King and let it make its honey round about Him,
;
inHim, and for Him and let it press Him to itself,

;
Him whose lips are all steeped in graces.

Nothing will be wanting to you, since you will be
in the presence of that holy Infant. God, how My
that Nativity makes holy affections to be born in our
soul, but above all, perfect abnegation of the goods,
the pomps, the satisfactions of this world !
I know not how it is, but I find no

mystery which
mingles so sweetly tenderness with austerity, love
with rigour, sweetness with sharpness.
Never was seen a poorer or a happier birth never ;
Certainly she who

so noble or so blessed a mother.
is the Mother of the Son of God needs not ask the
world for exterior consolations.

This is why St. Paula loved better to live a
stranger in Bethlehem, than to remain a rich lady in
Rome imagining to herself that day and night she
;
heard in her dear retreat the infantine cries of the

Saviour in the crib, or, as St. Francis says, those of
the dear Babe of Bethlehem, who incited her to the
contempt of worldly grandeurs and affections, and
THE END OF THE YEAR. 313
called her to the most holy love of abjection. You

are, then, near this holy crib, in which the Saviour of
our souls teaches us so many virtues by His silence ;
for what is there that He saith not in

keeping silence?
His little heart beating with love for us may well
inflame ours.
But you how lovingly He has written your
see
name in the depth of His divine heart,
which beats
on that couch of straw from the impassioned zeal it
has for our advancement, and heaves not one
single
sigh unto His Father in which you have not a part,
nor a single movement of the spirit except for
your
happiness.
The magnet attracts iron ; amber attracts bits
of straw and hay. Whether, then, that we are iron
because of our hardness, or straw because of our
weakness, we ought to join ourselves to this little
Infant King, who truly draws all hearts unto Him
self.
we no more to the region whence we
Yes, return
set out. Leave we for ever Arabia and Chaldsea, and
abide we at the feet of this Saviour. Let us say with
the heavenly Spouse: I found Him whom soul
my
loveth ; I held Him, and I will not let Him
go. (Cant,
iii.
4.)
CHAPTER III.
THE END OF THE TEAK.

I conclude this year with the satisfaction of being
able to present you with the wish I make for you for
the year which is coming.
They pass away, then, these temporal years. Their
months reduce themselves to weeks, the weeks to days,
the days to hours, and the hours to moments, which
are all that we possess, but which we only
possess in
proportion as they perish, and render our duration
perishable. And yet that duration ought to be more

pleasing to us for that very reason ; because this life
being full of miseries, we could not have in it any
more solid consolation than that of being assured
that it is vanishing away, to make room for that holy
eternity which is prepared for us in the abundance of
the mercy of God, and to which our soul incessantly
aspires by the continual thoughts its own nature sug
gests to it, although it cannot hope for it except by
other more elevated thoughts which the Author of its
nature diffuses over it.
Certainly I never turn my thoughts to eternity
without much sweetness. For, say I, how is it that
my soul could extend its thoughts to this infinity, if
it had not some sort of proportion with it. But when
I feel that my desire runs after my thoughts on this
same eternity, my joy takes a new and incomparable
increase ; for I know that we never entertain a real
desire for any thing except possibilities. My desire,
then, assures me that I can have eternity what : more
remains for me than to hope that I shall have it ? and
this hope is
given me by the knowledge of the infi
nite goodness of Him who would not have created a
soul capable of thinking and of aiming at eternity, if
He had not willed to give it all the means of attain
ing thereto.
Let us, then, often say, Every thing passes away ;
and after the few days of this mortal life which re

main for us, will come the infinite eternity. Little
matters it, then, to us that we have here comforts or
discomforts, provided that for all eternity we are
blessed. Let this holy eternity which awaits us be
our consolation, and to be Christians, members of
Jesus Christ, regenerated in His blood ; for in this
alone consists all our glory, that this divine Saviour
has died for us.
END AND BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. 315
A great soul reaches best thoughts, affec

all its
tions, and aims onwards into the infinity of eternity ;

and it is eternal, it reckons as too short what
since
ever not eternal, as too little whatever is not infinite;
is
and raising itself above all the delights, or rather those

poor amusements which this life can present to us, it
keeps its eyes fixed on the immensity of the goods
and of the years of eternity.
God, wherefore shall we live next year, if it be
not to love better this sovereign goodness ? Oh, how
it takes us from this world, or takes this world from
us ; how it makes us die, or makes us better love its

death than our life !
Now I wishfor your dear soul, that this next year

may be followed by many others, and they may all be
profitably employed in the conquest of eternity.
Live long, holily, happily here below, amid these
perishable moments, to live again eternally in that
immutable felicity to which we aspire.
But if our Lord hears my prayers, this year will
be to you a year of prosperity, of contentment, and
of blessings on yourself, in yourself, and on all around
you and you will see a long succession of like years,
;
which at length will terminate in the eternal year, in

which you will immortally enjoy the Author of all
true prosperity and benediction.
CHAPTER IV.
THE END AND THE BEGINNING OF THE TEAR.

Behold the year about to engulf itself in the
abyss
where all the others up to the present have been an
nihilated.
Oh, how desirable is eternity at the price of these
miserable and perishable vicissitudes Let us allow
!
time to glide away, whilst we ourselves are

gliding
away, by little, to be transformed into the glory

little
of the children of God.
Alas, when I think how I have employed the time
of God, I am much troubled that He wills not to give
me His eternity since He wills not to give it, except
;
to those who use His time well.

God, these years are going away, and run im
perceptibly in file one after another and in winding
;
up their durations, they wind up our mortal life, and

in ending they end our days.
Oh, how incomparably more desirable is eternity,
since its duration is without end, and its days without
night, and its contentments invariable May you !
possess this admirable good of the holy eternity in as

high a degree as I wish it for you What happiness
!
for my soul, if God, taking compassion on it, were to

make it see this sweetness !
But whilst waiting to see our glorified Saviour, let

us see Him with the eyes of faith all humbled in His
cradle.
Ought we not to praise God for the many graces

that we have received, and to supplicate Him to diffuse
the blood of His circumcision over the entrance of the
coming year, that in it the destroying angel may have
no access over us ?
So be it, that through these transitory years we
may happily arrive at the permanent year of the most
holy eternity !
Let us, then, well employ these little

perishable
moments in exercising ourselves in the holy sweet
ness and humility which the circumcised Babe comes
to teach us, in order that we may have part in the
efFects of His divine Name.
Might we at least for once well pronounce that

sacred Name of our heart ! Oh, what balm it would
diffuse over all the faculties of our soul !
THE CIRCUMCISION. 317
How happy we would be to have in our under

standing nought but Jesus, in our memory nought
but Jesus, in our will nought but Jesus, nought but
Jesus in our imagination ! Jesus would be every
where in us, and we every where in Him. Let us
attempt this, let us pronounce that Name as often as
we can. But if as yet we can only say it stammering, at
last we shall nevertheless be able to pronounce it well.
But what means it to pronounce this sacred Name
well? for you tell me to speak plainly to you. Alas,
I know not how, but I only know that to express it
well would need a tongue all of fire ;
that is to say,
it must be by divine love only, which, without any
other, expresses Jesus in our life, by imprinting Him

in the depths of our heart. But courage ; doubtless
we shall love God, for He loveth us.
CHAPTER V.
THE FEAST OF THE CIRCUMCISION.
Jesus, fill our heart with the sacred balm of

Thy divine Name, that the sweetness of its odour
may dilate itself over all our senses, and diffuse itself
over all our actions. But to make this heart capable
of receiving so sweet a dew, circumcise it, Jesus,
and retrench from it every thing that would be un-
pleasing to Thy holy eyes.
glorious Name, which the mouth of the hea
venly Father hath eternally named, be Thou for ever
graven on our soul, that, as Thou art a Saviour, it may
be eternally saved. holy Virgin, who wert the first
of the human race to utter this Name of salvation, in
spire us with the way of fitly uttering it, so that every
thing in us may breathe of that salvation which thy
womb has borne for us.
1 could not but write the first letter of this
year
to our Lord and to our Lady; and here is the second,

in which I wish you a good year, and dedicate our
heart to the divine Goodness. May we so live this
year, thatit
may serve as a foundation for the eternal
year At least this morning, on waking, I cried out
!
in your hearing : Live, Jesus

"
and I would that I

!"
could diffuse that holy oil over the whole face of the
earth.
When balm is closely fastened in a phial, no one
can tell what liquid it is, except him who put it there ;
but when we open the phial, and have sprinkled a few

drops, every one says, It is balm. Our dear little Jesus
was all full of this balm of salvation but they knew ;
it not till with that

sweetly cruel knife they opened
His divine flesh, and then they knew that He is all
balm, and balm of salvation. This is why St. Joseph
and our Lady, and those all who stood by, began to
cry Jesus, which means Saviour.
:
that divine Infant be pleased to steep our

May
hearts in His blood, and to perfume them with His
holy love ; so that the roses of the good desires which
we have conceived may be all
empurpled with His dye,
and all odoriferous with His balm.
A
good and most holy year be given to us, all
perfumed with the Name of Jesus, all steeped in His
sacred blood with the abundance of the
;
grace of the
Eternal Father, of the peace of the circumcised Son,
and of the consolation of the Holy Ghost, to conse
crate all the moments thereof, to make an entire cir
cumcision of our heart, and to it to receive
apply
purely and perfectly the sacred love which the hea
venly and divine Name of Jesus proclaims to us,
written with His blood on His
holy humanity.
A thousand times let us kiss the feet of this Sa
viour, and let us say to Him my God, my heart
:
hath said to Thee ; my face hath

sought Thee (Ps.
THE EPIPHANY. 319
xxvi. 8) : that is to say, let us
keep our eyes fixed on
Jesus Christ to consider Him, our mouth to
praise
Him, and in fine, let our whole face breathe nought
but the desire of pleasing our dear Jesus Jesus, for ;
whom we must humble ourselves, must endeavour,

and labour, and suffer, and, as St. Paul says, be ac
counted as sheep for the slaughter. (Rom. viii. 36.)
May no day of this year, nor even any year, nor any
day of many years, pass without being bedewed with
the virtue of this blood, and without
receiving the
sweetness of the sound of this Name, which diffuses
the height of all sweetness may also the drops of
:
the blood of our little Saviour convert themselves into

a flame of holiness, to rejoice our hearts and render
them fruitful.
CHAPTER VI.
THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY.
Our Lord loves you, and loves you tenderly. But
if He does notmake you feel the sweetness of His
holy love, it is to make you more humble and more
abject in your own eyes. But do not on that account
failto have recourse with all confidence to His
holy
goodness, above all now at this time, when we repre
sent Him as He was a little infant in Bethlehem for, ;
my God, wherefore does he take this sweet and ami

able shape of a little infant, unless to
engage us to
love Him confidently, and lovingly to trust in Him ?
Abide very near the crib this holy octave. If you
love riches, you will there find the
gold which the
Wise Men have left there if you love the odour of
;
honours, you will find there that of the frankincense;

and if you love the daintiness of the senses, you will
find there the sweet-smelling
myrrh which perfumes
the whole manger. Be rich in love for this dear
Saviour, honourable in the familiarity with which you
approach Him in prayer, and full of delights in the
joy of feeling in your mind the holy inspirations and

affections of being His
only.
As for your little fits of temper, they will pass
away ; or if they do not pass away, it will be for
your exercise and mortification. Lastly, since with
out reserve you wish to be all for God, do not
keep
your heart in any anxiety, but amidst all the dry-
nesses you may feel, be firm in remaining within the
arms of the divine mercy. And as for those appre
hensions which occur to you, it is the enemy, who
seeing you at present altogether resolved to live in
our Lord, without reserve and without exception, will
make all sorts of efforts to distress you, and to ren
der the way of holy devotion hard to you. Now
you
ought, on the contrary, to strengthen your heart by
frequent repetition of your protest, that you will never
relax yourself ; that you will persevere in your fide
lity; that you love better the hardships of the service
of God than the sweetnesses of the service of the
world ; that you will never abandon your Spouse.
Be very careful not to omit holy meditation, for if
you did, you would be the sport of your adversary ;
but continue constantly in that holy exercise, and
wait until our Lord speaks to you for He will one
:
day speak to you words of peace and consolation,

and then you will know that your trouble has been
well bestowed and your patience profitable. Let it
be your glory to be all for God, and often protest
that you are all His.
CHAPTER VII.
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD.

How sweet it was yesterday to consider the holy
Virgin, with the little Infant Jesus whomshe goes to
THE PRESENTATION. 321
present at the Temple with that pair of doves, hap

pier, as it seems to me, than the greatest princes of
the world, to have been sacrificed for the Saviour!
Ah, who will give us the grace that our hearts may
be so one day !
But is not yonder Simeon very glorious in being

permitted to embrace that divine Infant ? Let us
embrace Him also ; let us live and die in His sweet
embraces. Place this sweet Jesus in your heart, like
a Solomon on his throne of ivory make your soul
;
often approach Him, like a queen of Saba, to hear

the sacred words which He inspires, and breathes
forth perpetually,
But, mark you, this heart must be of ivory, in
purity, in firmness, in dryness ; with the humours of
the world all dried off, firm in its resolutions, pure in
its affections.
Let us leave the world yonder in its worthless-
ness. Ah, may Egypt with its garlic, its onions, and
its flesh-pots, be
always to us an object of disgust,
that we may so much the more enjoy the delicious
manna which our Lord will give us in the desert
whereinto we have entered let Jesus, therefore, live
:
and reign.
You desire to avoid falsehood ; that is a great se
cret for attracting the Spirit of God into our hearts.
Lord, who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle ? asks David.
He answers, He that speaketh truth in his heart. (Ps.
xiv. 1, 3.)
I much of your speaking little, provided
approve
that the you do speak be spoken graciously and
little
charitably, and not in a melancholy or artificial way.

Yes, let your words be few and sweet, few and good,
few and simple, few and sincere, few and amiable.
You must from time to time exercise yourself in
this abnegation and abjection, and ask it of God in
Y
322 ON THE FEASTS OF THE YEAR?
all your exercises but

;
when any other inspiration of
love, of union with God, and of confidence shall oc
cur to you, you must by all means put them in prac
to be interfered with by
tice, without allowing them
the abnegation, to which you will leave its place at
the end of the exercise.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH.
Let us keep, beseech you, at the foot of the

I
cross, quite lowly. Too happy, if any drop of that

balm which distils from every part of it fall into our
heart, and if we can gather some
of those little herbs
which grow all around. Oh, gladly would I discourse
that blessed Saint whom
to you on the greatness of
our heart loves, because he nourishes the love of our
these words Do
heart, and the heart of our love, on
:
good, Lord, to those that are good, and to the up

heart. cxxiv. 4.) true God, how good
right of (Ps.
must that Saint have been how upright of heart,
!
since the Lord did him so much good, having given

him the Mother and the Son For, having these
!
two charges, he might be the envy of the angels, and

more good than he
might defy all heaven to display
For what is there among the angels
possessed.
comparable to the Queen of Angels, and in God more
than God ? I
supplicate this great Saint,
who has so
often caressed our Saviour, to bestow on you those
interior caresses which are necessary for the advance
ment of your love towards this Redeemer, and to ob
tain for you an abundance of interior peace, giving
live, Mary;
you a thousand benedictions. Live, Jesus;
and live too the great St. Joseph, who so long nou
rished our Life Be Jesus our crown, Mary our
!
sweetness.
honey, and St. Joseph our
THE ASCENSION. 323
CHAPTER IX.
THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD.
I you joy of our Lord s ascending to heaven,

give
where He lives and reigns, and wills that we Jive and
reign with Him. Oh, what triumph in heaven, and

what sweetness on earth May our hearts be where
!
their treasure is and may we live in heaven, since

;
our Life is in heaven !
My God, how beautiful

is this heaven, now that
the Saviour serves for its sun, and His breast for a
fountain of love, of which the blessed drink and are
satisfied !
Each of them looks within it, and sees there his

name written in a character of love, which love alone
can read, and which love alone has graven.
Ah, God, shall not our names be there? They will
be there doubtless for though our heart has not love,
;
it has nevertheless the desire of

love, and the begin
ning of love; and is not the holy name of Jesus writ
ten on our hearts ? And I think that nothing can
efface it. We must
hope, then, that ours will in turn
be written on that of God.
What a blessing, when we shall see those divine
charactersmarked with our eternal happiness !
As for me, I could think of nothing else this

morning than that eternity of good which awaits us ;
but in which all would seem to me little or
nothing,
if itwere not for that love of the great God, which
reigns there eternally, inviolable, and active for ever
more.
My God, how strange a contrariety is it in me, to
have thoughts so pure and actions so defective for !
truly it seems to me, that amidst the pains of hell

there would be paradise, if the love of God could be
there ;
and if the fire of hell were a fire of love, it seems
to me that all its torments would be desirable.
I said, this morning, that all the enjoyments of
heaven are a mere nothing compared with this reign
ing love.
But whence is it that I love not well, since hence
forth I have the power of loving well ?
Oh, us pray, let us labour, let us humble our
let
selves, letus invoke this love to come to us.

Never did the earth see the day of eternity in all
its splendour until this holy feast, when our Lord,
glorifying His body, made, as I think, the angels long

to have such bodies, with the beauty of which the
heavens and the sun cannot be compared.
Ah, how blessed are our bodies in expecting one
day to participate in so much glory, provided that
they serve the Spirit well in this mortal life !
CHAPTER X.
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST.
Away from hence, north wind; and come,

south wind ; blow through my garden, and let the aro-
matical spices thereof flow. (Cantic. iv. 16.) Oh,
how I long for that gracious wind which comes from
the noonday of divine love, that Holy Spirit which
gives us the grace to aspire unto Him, and to sigh
for Him !
Ah, how
glad I should be to give you some pre
sent or other ; but besides my being poor, it is not
convenient that on the day when the Holy Spirit
bestows His gifts, we should amuse ourselves with
bestowing ours. We ought to attend to nothing but
receiving them on the day of this great largess.
My God, what need I have of the spirit of forti
tude ! For assuredly I am feeble and infirm, in which,
PP;NTECOST. 325
nevertheless, I glory : that the power of Christ may

dwell in me. (2 Cor. xii. 9.)
May the Eternal Wisdom be for ever in our hearts,
that we may taste the treasures of the infinite sweet
ness of Jesus Christ crucified.
Tell your daughter that, like me, she should glory
in her feebleness, which is the very disposition for
receiving strength for to whom should strength be
;
given but to the feeble ? May that sacred fire which

changes every thing into itself, be pleased to transform
our heart, in order that it may be no more any thing
but love and that thus we may be no more lovers,
;
but love.
May it be granted me to receive and to employ
well the gift of holy understanding, that I may pene
trate more clearly into the holy mysteries of our faith !
For this clear
comprehension wonderfully subjects
the will to the service ofHim whom the understand
ing so vividly perceives to be all good and in the;
contemplation of whom it is occupied and busied.

So that, as the understanding can no longer imagine
any thing to be good in comparison with that su
preme goodness ; in the same way the will can no
longer choose to love any goodness in comparison with
it. But since, whilst we are in the world, we cannot
shew our love except by doing good, because in the
world our love must be active rather than contem
plative, we have need of counsel, in order to discern
what we ought to practise and to do for that love
which urges us ; for there is nothing
which urges one
so to the practice of good as celestial love.
And in order that we may know how we ought to
do good, what good we ought to prefer, to what ob
ject to apply the activity of love, the Holy Spirit
gives to us His gift of counsel.
Behold, now our soul well provided with a good
share of the sacred gifts of heaven. May the Holy
Spirit which favours us be for ever our consolation :
my soul and my spirit adore Him eternally.

I pray of Him to be always our wisdom and our
understanding, our counsel and our fortitude, our

knowledge and our godliness ; and to fill us with the
spirit of the fear of the eternal Father.
CHAPTER XI.
THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI,
It is true I was a but how
little tired in body ;
could I be so in spirit and heart,

having held after
on my breast, and close to my heart, the divine Sa
viour, as I did that morning, all through the pro
cession !
if I had had
Alas !
my heart well hollowed out
by humility, and well abased by abjection, I should
without doubt have attracted that sacred pledge to
myself. It would have hidden itself within me for ;
such love does It bear for those virtues, that It vio

lently darts itself thither where It sees them.
My God, how much I was moved when they
chanted those words My Beloved to me, and I to Him
:
(Cantic. ii. 16) and those of the Spouse Put me

; :
as a seal upon Thy heart ! (viii. 6.) Alas ! yes ; but

having taken away the seal, I do not see the impres
sion of its device upon heart. my
Again, what consolation I felt on hearing them
sing: If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever (St. John vi. 52) and they repeated it frequently.
;
God yes we must hope very assuredly that we

!
;
shall live eternally.

He who receives the most holy Communion, re
ceives Jesus Christ living. This is why His body,
His soul, and His divinity are in that divine Sacra-
CORPUS CHRISTI. 327
ment ;
and inasmuch as His divinity the very same
is
as that of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, who

are but one God with Him, he who receives the most
holy Eucharist, receives the body of the Son of God ;
and by consequence His blood and His soul, and the

holy Trinity. But, nevertheless, this divine Sacra
ment is
primarily instituted that we may receive the
body and blood of our Saviour, with His vivifying
life ; as garments which primarily cover the body, in
asmuch as the soul is united to the body, do by con
sequence cover the soul, the understanding, the me
mory, and the will.
Go on very simply in this belief, and often salute
the heart of this divine Saviour, who, to testify His
love for us, has willed to veil Himself under the ap
pearances of bread, in order to abide most familiarly
and most intimately within us, and nigh to our heart.
Let us often in spirit behold the holy angels who
surround that most holy Sacrament to adore It ;
and during this holy octave diffuse more abundantly

holy inspirations on those who approach thereto
with humility, reverence, and love.
Those divine spirits will teach YOU what to do in
order to celebrate these solemn days well ; and, above
all, interior love will make you know how great is
the love of our God, who, the more to give Himself
to us, has willed to give Himself as food for the spi
ritual health of our hearts, to the end that, by receiv
ing that nutrition, they might become more perfect.
Thoughts of St. Francis de Sales regarding the Sacred Heart

of Jesus.
Oh, how I long that this heart of our Saviour may

be the King of all our hearts !
His heart is so large, He wills that ours should

have a place in it.
328 ON THE FEASTS OF THE TEAR.
I hope that you will be like the dove in the clifts
of the rock (Cantic. ii. 14), and in the pierced side of

our dear Saviour ; I will gladly try to be often there
with you. God, of His sovereign goodness, grant
you this grace. Yesterday I saw you, as I think,
when, beholding the side of our Saviour open, you
wished to take His heart to place it in your own, as
it were a
king in his little kingdom ; and although
His heart is greater than yours, nevertheless it con
tracted so as to accommodate itself to the straitened
room. How good is this Lord ! How loving is His
heart! Let us remain there in that holy abode.
May that Heart live always in our hearts ; may that
Blood always gush in the veins of our souls.
Let us lift up our heart ; let us look on that of
God, all good, all love for us. Let us adore and
bless His will in every thing let Him cut and wound
;
us all over as He pleases for His we are to eternity.

;
beautiful Sun of hearts, Thou vivifiest all things

with the rays of Thy goodness ! Behold us half-dead
before Thee we will not depart
; till we have been
warmed by Thy heat, Lord Jesus.
Often salute the heart of this divine Saviour, who,
to testify His love for us, has willed to veil Himself
under the appearances of bread, in order to abide
most familiarly and most intimately within us, and
nigh to our heart.
May our Saviour pluck out your heart to give
you His own most divine Heart, through which you
may live altogether according to His holy love. What
happiness if, some day, on coming away from holy
Communion, I found my own worthless and miserable
heart taken out of my breast, and that in its place
was fixed the precious heart of my God But at least
!
my desire is that our poor hearts may not henceforth

live any more except under the obedience and the
ST. JOHN BAPTIST. 329
commandments of the Heart of this Lord ; arid thus

we shall be sweet, humble, and charitable, since the
heart of our Saviour has no laws dearer to it than
those of sweetness, of humility, and of charity.
CHAPTER XII.
THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST.
Alas, why have I not some worthy feeling of joy

for this angelic man, or this human angel, whose na
tivity we are celebrating! God, would that I
My
might have sweetness to converse with myself upon
it! But I declare to you that the greatness of the
subject hinders me from attaining that satisfaction.
I find him more than virgin because he is virgin
;
even in his eyes, with which he never beheld aught

save the insensible objects of the desert more than ;
confessor, for he confessed the Saviour before the

Saviour had confessed Himself more than preacher,
;
for he preaches not only with the tongue, but with

the hand and finger, which is the height of perfec
tion ;
more than doctor, for he preaches without
having heard the source of doctrine, and without
having learnt from masters, but from trees and
stones, as St. Bernard says more than martyr, for
;
the other martyrs die for Him who themdied for ;
but he dies for Him who is still more than

in life ;
evangelists, for he preached the Gospel before it had

been delivered more than apostle, for he went before
;
Him whom the apostles follow more than prophet,

;
for he shews Him whom the prophets predict more ;
than patriarch, for he sees Him in whom they be

lieved lastly, more
;
than angel and more than man,
for the angels are only spirits without bodies and ;
men have too much body and too little spirit he :
has a body, and yet is nothing but spirit.

extremely in looking upon him in that

I delight
gloomy but blessed desert, every part of which he

perfumes with the odour of devotion, and in which
he scatters day and night discourses and ecstatic
converse before the great object of his heart, that
heart which, seeing itself left alone to enjoy in lone
liness the presence of its love, finds in loneliness the
multitude of eternal sweetnesses there where he
;
sucks the celestial honey, which he shall presently

go to distribute to .souls about the banks of Jordan.
He is born of a barren mother, he lives in the de
serts, he preaches to the barren and stony heart, he
dies among the martyrs and amidst all these sharp
;
nesses, he has a heart all full of grace and bene

diction.
His food is admirable ; for the honey signifies
the sweetness of the contemplative life, all collected
on the flowers of the holy mysteries. The locusts
signify the active life for the locust never walks on
;
the earth, nor does ever fly in the air, but strangely
it
mingling both, sometimes it is seen to leap, and

sometimes to touch the earth in order to regain the
air. For those who lead the active life, as it were,
leap into the air and touch the earth alternately.
The locust lives on dew, and does nothing but sing.
Now although, according to our condition as mortals,
we must needs touch the earth, to set in order the
affairs of this life, nevertheless our heart ought to
taste nothing but the dew of the good pleasure of
God in all this, and ought to refer all to the glory
of God.
But what means this terrestrial angel by being
clothed with camel s hair? The camel, hunch-backed,
and fit burdens, signifies the sinner.
to carry Alas,
good as Christiansmay be, they should remember
nevertheless that they are surrounded with sins. Ah,
ST. PETER. 331
a vesture how well-fitted to preserve holiness is the
robe of humility !
He is buried in solitude by obedience,

waiting
until he be called to come to the He keeps
people.
himself aloof from the Saviour, whom he knew and
saluted with affection, in order that he
may not keep
himself aloof from obedience, well that to
knowing
find the Saviour, from obedience, is to lose Him
apart
altogether.
His mother is barren, in order to teach us that
dry-
nesses and barrenness fail not to
produce in us holy
for the name John God!
grace ;
signifies grace.
let us eat both of the wild and the
My
let
garden honey ;
us gather this
holy love on every occasion for all ;
things cry out to the hearing of our heart Love, :
love !
holy love, come then, and do thou alone of
all
things possess our hearts.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE FEAST OF ST. PETER.

Our great St. Peter, awakened from his sleep
by
the angel, gives us his
blessing. How much sweet
ness there is in the
history of his deliverance ! For
his soul is so amazed at it, that he knows not if it be
a dream or if it be not a dream.
May our angel strike us on the side to-day, to
awaken our loving attention to God, to deliver us
from all the chains of self-love, and to consecrate us
for ever to that
heavenly love, in order that we may
be able to say, Now I know in very deed that the Lord
hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me.
(Acts xii. 11.)
Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me ? said that di
vine Saviour to him. (St. John xxi.
17.) Not that He
doubted of it, but for the great pleasure He takes in
hearing us often say, and say again, and protest that
we love Him. Love we not the sweet Saviour? Ah !
He knows well that if we love Him. not, at least we

desire to love Him.
But if we do love Him, let us feed His sheep and
His lambs; for that is the mark of faithful love.
But on what must we pasture those sheep and
those lambs? On love itself; for either they live not,
or they live on love. Between their death and love
there is no middle course ; they must either die or
love ; for he that loveth not, says St. John, abideth in
death. (1 John iii. 14.)
But know you what our Saviour says to His
dear St. Peter? When
thou wast younger, thou didst
gird thyself, and didst walk where thou wouldst ; but
when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy
hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither
thou wouldst not. (St. John xxi. 18.) The young
scholars in the love of God gird themselves ; they
take their mortifications as seems to them good ; they
choose their penance, resignation, and devotion, and
do their own will in doing the will of God. But the
old masters in that love suffer themselves to be bound
and girded by another and in submitting to the yoke
;
which is imposed upon them, they go by ways they

would not choose according to their own inclinations.
It is true that they stretch forth their hands for ;
in spite of the resistance of their inclinations, they

allow themselves to be governed willingly against
their will, and they say that obedience is better than
sacrifices (1Kings xv. 22) and you see how they
;
glorify God, crucifying not only their flesh but their

spirit.
God, may our Saviour be for ever every thing
to us Keep the heart on high, in the loving bosom
!
of the divine goodness and providence for that is ;
the place of its repose.

VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 333
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
You will see to-morrow the blessed Virgin, bear

ing within her the Son of God, about sweetly to en
gage the mind of her dear and holy spouse, to have
permission to make that holy visit to her cousin
Elizabeth.
You will see how she bids farewell to her dear
neighbours for the three months during which she
thinks to remain on the mountains. I think they all
part from her with tenderness for she was so sweet
;
and so amiable, that no one could be in her company

without love, or part from her without sorrow.
She undertakes her journey somewhat eagerly;
for the evangelist tells us that she went with haste.
(St. Luke i. 39.) Ah, the first movements of Him
whom she has within her womb cannot be made but
with fervour Oh, holy eagerness which troubles not,
!
but which hastens without hurrying us !
The angels make ready accompany her, and St.

to
Joseph to conduct her affectionately. I would gladly
know something of the conversations of those two
great souls; for you would take great pleasure in
hearing me tell you of it ;
but I think that the holy
Virgin discourses of nothing but of Him whom she
bears, and that she breathes not, but of the Saviour.
St. Joseph, in likemanner, aspires only for the Sa
viour,who, by secret rays, touches his heart with a
thousand marvellous feelings. And as wines stored
in vaults give forth, without
up being conscious of it,
the odour of the nourishing vineyards ; so the heart
of the holy patriarch gives forth, without being con
scious of it, the odour, the vigour, and the
strength
of the little babe who nourishes in his fair
vineyard.
God, how beautiful a pilgrimage !
leave you to think how good an odour this fair

I
diffused in the house of Zachary, during the three
lily
months she was there ; how each one was all occu
piedwith her, and how with few, but very excellent
words, she dropped from her sacred lips precious
honey and balm for how could she pour forth aught
;
but that of which she was full ? But she was full of
Jesus.
My God, how much I wonder at myself for being
stillso full of myself, after having so often commu
nicated Ah, dear Jesus, be the child of our womb,
!
that we may breathe of nothing every where but Thee !
Alas Thou art so often in me, wherefore am I so

!
little in Thee? Thou enterest so often within me,

wherefore am I so much without Thee? Thou art
in my heart, wherefore am I not in Thine, to gather
there that great love which inebriates hearts ? I am
all engaged with that dear visitation, in which our
Lord, as it were new wine, makes this loving affection

Mother.
to gush on every side in the heart of His holy
CHAPTER XV.
THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION.
1 was meditating this evening, as the weakness
of my sight would permit, on this queen dying of a
fever sweeter than all health I mean, the fever of
;
love, which drying up her heart, at last enkindles it,

sets it all on fire, consumes it in such sort, that she
breathes forth her holy soul, which goes straight to
the hands of her Son.
Ah, how fair is this dawn of the eternal day,
which, ascending towards heaven, goes on, as it seems
to me, increasing more and more in the benedictions
of its incomparable glory !
All the elect die in the habit of holy love but ;

THE ASSUMPTION. 335
some of them, beyond that, die in the exercise of this

holy love ; some, for this love, like the martyrs,
and
others, by this same love. But what belongs to the
supreme degree of this love is, that some die of love ;
and that is love not only wounds the soul, so
when
as to make it languish, but transfixes it, striking in
the midst of the heart, and so strongly, that it drives
the soul out of the body.
Such was the death of the holy Virgin, of whom
it is impossible to imagine that she died of any other
sort of death than that of love a death the most

;
noble of all, and consequently due to the most noble

life which was ever lived among creatures, a death
of which angels themselves would desire to die if they
were capable of death.
The holy Virgin having nothing in her which
could hinder the operation of the divine love of her
Son, united herself with Him in an incomparable
union, by sweet ecstasies, peaceful and effortless so ;
that the death of this holy Virgin was more gentle

than we can possibly imagine, her Son sweetly draw
ing her by the odour of His perfumes, and she gliding
off in this odour most gently into the bosom of His
goodness and although that holy soul loved her most

;
holy and most pure and most fair body, nevertheless

she quitted it without
pain and without resistance, to
go to reunite herself to her dear Son.
Love having, at the foot of the cross, given this
divine mother the supreme dolours of death, it was
reasonable that death should give her the sovereign
delights of love.
Ah, may it
please this holy Virgin to make us
live by her prayers in this holy love may it be for ;
ever the singular and only object of our heart. Live

Jesus ;
live Mary, the stay of my life !
CHAPTER XVI.
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
I live in hope that, if my ingratitude excludes me
not from Paradise, one day enjoy the eternal
I shall
of which you will be blessed,
glory, in the enjoyment
after having in this life holily borne the cross, which
the Saviour has imposed on you in the duty of serv
ing Him faithfully in your
own person, and in that
of those many dear sisters, whom He has willed to be
I salute them, those most
your daughters in Him.
dear daughters,in the love of the most holy Virgin,
on whose cradle I invite them to scatter flowers every
anxieties to
morning during this holy octave, holy
thoughts of serving her
imitate her well for ever,
;
and above all, lilies of roses of ardent charity,

purity,
with the violets of most sacred and most desirable
humility and simplicity.
My God, when shall it be that our Lady shall be
born in our heart? As for me, I see plainly that I
am in nowise worthy of it you will think the same
:
of yourself. But her Son was indeed born in a man

an abode for this
ger. Courage, then let us make ;
infant. She loves only places deepened by hu

holy
She
mility, abased by simplicity, enlarged by charity.
is glad to be near the crib, and at the
foot of the
cross. She is not troubled if she must go into Egypt,

that she has her
away from all refreshment, provided
dear Babe with her. No, let our Lord turn and re
turn us to the right or to the left let Him wrestle ;
with us as with Jacob let Him give us a thousand

;
falls let Him press us sometimes on one side,

some
;
times on another nay, let Him inflict on us a

thou
;
we Him for that, till He

sand ills, never shall quit
gives us His eternal
benediction. And so our good
God never abandons us except to keep us more se-
ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS. 337
curely ;
He never leavesus, except to guard us better ;
He never wrestles with us, except to yield Himself to
us and to bless us.
Let us go on, however, and let us travel
by these
lowly valleys of the humble and little virtues ; there
shall we see roses
among the thorns, charity which
shines forth amidst interior and exterior
afflictions,
the lilies of purity, the violets of mortification, and
what more can I
say ? Above all, I love those three
sweetness of heart,
little virtues,
poverty of spirit, and
simplicity of life; and those vulgar exercises, to visit
the sick, to attend the
poor, to console the afflicted,
and such-like ; but all of them without excitement,
with a true liberty. No, we have notyet armslong
enough to reach to the cedars of Libanus ; let us
content ourselves with the
hyssop of the valleys.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS AND OF ALL SOULS.
As for these good feasts which are

drawing near,
you have nothing more to do after the offices of the
day than to keep your mind in the heavenly Jerusa
lem, amidst its glorious streets, where on every side
you will hear the praises of God resounding.
Look on all that variety of saints, and inform
yourself how they have arrived there and you will
;
learn that the Apostles attained thereto

principally by
love, the martyrs by constancy, the doctors
by medi
tation, the confessors by mortification, the virgins by
purity of heart, and all in general by humility.
Look well on those fair streets of the
heavenly
Jerusalem, where so many blessed ones dwell, where
all are
rejoicing around their King, and where the love
of God, like a
heavenly living fountain, diffuses its
waters on all sides, which bedew these
glorious souls,
and make them bloom, each one according to its con

dition, with an incomprehensible beauty.
Let our hearts be there, where are these true and
desirable pleasures. Live, Jesus Is not that our !
watchword? No, nothing shall enter into our hearts

which says not in truth, Live, Jesus!
You on All- Souls day, go in spirit into
will also,
full of hope,
Purgatory, and you will see those souls
which exhort you to profit the most you can in piety,
that at your departure you may be the less retarded
from entering heaven.
LONDON:
Great New Street, Fetter Lnne
61694

Practical Piety - St. Francis de Sales

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Practical Piety - St. Francis de Sales

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Practical Piety - St. Francis de Sales

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CO

Westmon. die 11 Nov. 1851.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES,

COLLECTED FROM HIS LETTERS AND DISCOURSES,

Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

at the Castle of Sales, near

the learned languages under Genebrard, with a view chiefly to

church that, prostrated before an image of the Blessed Virgin,

Bishop of Belley, made such an

his devout biographer, the

He remained an entire month in this anguish and bit

terness of soul, which he could compare to nothing but the

church (that of Etienne-des-Gres), to implore the grace of God

Virgin, he besought that Mother of Mercy to be his advocate

verance, rendered him afterwards so skilful in the use of spiri

on which hung a thousand bucklers, all the armour of valiant

After having spent a sufficient time at Paris, his father sent

up for himself at this time is still preserved, and is full of in

tion for the Day,&quot; an exercise which the saint

and whatever depends on him, absolutely into the hands of

tinguished this great saint, on the deportment he proposed to

Loretto, at which august shrine he renewed his vow of conti

hoMness. He was appointed by Peter de Granier, Bishop of

to the hungry ; and dreading that reproach, The little ones

his reasoning and the sweetness of his manner were incompa

jutor. On accepting this dignity he went to Rome to ask for

teach, patient, with modesty admonishing them that resist

from Paris he heard the

array. The furniture and arrangements of his house, though

glaciers, and having

vinist heresy. On one occasion he boldly passed through the

giving his name at the gate as the bishop of the diocese. Al

Introduction to a Devout Life,&quot; known to almost every

duction to a Devout Life&quot; was sent by Mary of Medicis to

be asked, and receive no answer, except that Protestant writers

the author; which being told St. Francis, he exclaimed: &quot;Ah!

him of conferring with the saint, whether itwould have availed

and this was in him less a natural talent, or one acquired by

source of all the rest; let it be without bounds; make it the

science, took farewell of his Nuns of the Visitation, and

cleanse me from my sin. Still cleanse me more and more.

consoled those around him, saying Weep not, my children;

must not the will of God be done?&quot; He received extreme

It remains to say a few words respecting the selection

O God, by whose gracious will the blessed Francis thy

saving of their souls; mercifully grant that, being filled with

Collect for the Feast of S. Francis de Sales.

Of submission to the will of God . .

xn. &quot;What is meant by hoping against all hope 23. .

xin. Of the divestment of self, and of confidence in God 25

DUTIES TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOUR.

xin. Of obedience to superiors in what regards the in

terior life . . . . . . . .66

fication of the heart than that of the body . . 67

xx. Of the authority of the pope and of kings . . 78

xxiv. Of Christian simplicity 86

xxvi. That simplicity is not contrary to prudence 92 . .

prudence should be corrected . .

xxx. Of patience and resignation in lawsuits 99 . .

tion for the Day," an exercise which the saint

Introduction to a Devout Life," known to almost every

duction to a Devout Life" was sent by Mary of Medicis to

the author; which being told St. Francis, he exclaimed: "Ah!

must not the will of God be done?" He received extreme

xn. "What is meant by hoping against all hope 23. .