Letter 1551. To Mother Marie de la Trinité

My very honoured and very dear Mother,—May the most gracious Saviour of our souls be eternally blessed, both in the sweetness of His infancy and in the sufferings of His holy Passion, for we are in the time of Lent. I received your letter only two days ago; it gave me great joy to see by it how sincere and cordial is the holy affection our good God wishes you to have for me; poor and worthless as I am, and in such pressing need of your prayers and those of your dear daughters our good sisters. I impart this secret of my heart to your heart, for I love you in Our Lord with all the power I possess for loving. Continue then in your charity to ask our divine Saviour to lead me by His holy hand in the path of the perfect and entire accomplishment of His will, and to receive me at the hour of death into the arms of His divine mercy. My good Mother, if this favour should be mine, I will indeed pray for you. Ah, my God! give to this dear Mother, Thy most worthy spouse, and to me, Thy worthless and unworthy servant, the grace to be one day united together in praising and blessing Thee in a world without end. May we, through Thy divine love, there live for ever in the company of the Blessed Virgin and Thy countless saints. When, my dear Mother, shall this happiness be ours? When shall we see once more our holy Father and Mother and that multitude of saints who have lived in our holy Congregation and in our society? Oh, how long and wearisome is this life!

Our dear Mother Superior of this monastery, Péronne Marie de Chatel, has gone to add to the number of our saints. Her death has been a sad affliction to us. She was one of our first Mothers, a soul full of goodness, charity and humility; of upright ways, and possessing every virtue. In this life she was my whole consolation and solace in my needs. But God willed it; may His holy name be blessed. Amen.

I am very glad you have had those three good servants of God. There are very few like M. Vincent; his virtue is great and solid. Thank God that our poor sisters [of Troyes] continue to be so intimately united with you. Once more I beg for the alms of your holy prayers. My God, how much I need them! His goodness knows it, and it is He who wills to make my soul suffer. I have no wish to be delivered from this trial, but I ask for grace to bear all free from guilt and in perfect accomplishment of His adorable will.

Thank you, dearest Mother, my faithful friend, for the portrait of the blessed servant of God [Marie of the Incarnation]. May He be blessed who has made her known by means of miracles. This idea of a bond of union between our houses is the outcome of your thoughtful charity towards us, and of that of our good Father the Commander de Sillery. Indeed, I long for it. But you all are our dear mothers and the elder children of the glorious and most holy Mother of God, so you should counsel us how to effect this union, that it may become to us a salutary means of strength. I await your direction and, meanwhile, pray God to fill you with His holy. love.