Letter 340. To Sister Marnie Aimée de Blonay

My dearest Daughter,—Do not be surprised, I beseech you, at this dryness of heart. I have always told you to make progress through the highest region of your soul, and that you should value, more than all the excellent perfections attainable in this life, the will to have no other perfection than such as God wills. Attach yourself to nothing save only God, and lead your sisters by the same way. When they find Our Lord at the first point of the Mass+ or of any other exercise, let them not seek further. One thing alone is necessary: to possess God, and once we possess Him why need we leave Him to go in search of a way of finding Him? Oh! veritably, my desire that our sisters should love solitude and prayer is a strong one, for therein the soul finds her strength. Without this manna, hidden in holy prayer, what would life be? O,my daughter, inspire them with great courage in prayer, but let it be altogether steeped in mortification, for such is the true preparation for holy prayer. Everywhere methinks our sisters love solitude; at any rate here they are its friend.

The letter to enable us to obtain the money has arrived. God willing, we shall go into our house this week. We still hope to leave here, please God, at the beginning of October. Salute all our dear sisters and the good spiritual father. But do you always remember me to your former father, M. de Saint-Nizier? For, my daughter, he is truly one whom I could never forget, nor the obligation under which we are to him; so for the love of God be always most grateful to him, honouring him cordially and with great confidence. In a word, although I may, perchance, sometimes forget to name him, never fail whenever you see him to salute him on my part, assuring him that I venerate him with affectionate devotion and shall never cease to pray for his happiness; wish him heaps of blessings for me, but also remind him that he has promised to pray for me, for I trust myself to his prayers. Adieu and good morning, my daughter. I pray you let us live entirely for God. Oh! how happy is the soul whose very life is solely the will of God! Keep the hearts of your sisters in high courage and wholly abandoned to His divine will. Pray for us that we may in a very real way glorify God. Amen. May He be blessed.¹