Letter 475. To Sister Marie Aimée de Morville

My very dear Daughter,—Would you not rather that I told you in all sincerity that if you do not absolutely give up the ways of the world you will, by degrees, give up your good purposes and holy resolutions? For, think you that God will continue always to favour you with exceptional graces when you persist in displeasing Him and in preferring your vain inclinations to His favours, to your duty, and to all good sense? Weigh this, my daughter, I beseech you, and remember what St. Paul said to those who neglect grace. Assuredly, if you do not hold resolutely to what you have received, I greatly fear that it will not come back to you when you may desire to have it again; for God, in His mercy, often denies grace to those souls that His Providence knows would not make good use of it, so that their condemnation may not be the heavier. ‘ Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required.’ }

My dearest daughter, you know, by our sister the Superior’s correspondence, that I am aware of the sending and receiving of letters—a thing more suitable to ladies of the world than to a religious who has but lately renewed her resolution to live in accordance with her vocation. If you really love God it will be a comfort to you that these things have not been hidden from me. You ought to know that a wise superior of the Visitation will never consent to such proceedings, nor hide them from me. For, the fact is, my dearest daughter, such bad and irregular practices are too prejudicial to the honour of God and to our Institute to permit of silence any longer as to our true sentiments about them. I hope you agree with me in this, and that you are consequently glad that such sirens have been absolutely banished from your convent. In such circumstances our Blessed Father’s advice was, not to lose time in unravelling the knotty affair but to cut it right off without haggling. Follow his advice and God will bless you, but never expect to free yourself without doing violence to self. Do it then, dearest daughter, and you will be happy; for Eternal Wisdom has said, the violent bear away heaven. I beseech His infinite goodness to hold you by His sacred hand, so that you may not stumble on the way, and may arrive at that eternal felicity which my heart desires for you, my most dear and beloved daughter, whom I hope to see constant and faithful to God. May He be for ever blessed. Amen.