Letter 1707. To a Superior of the Visitation

My very dear and beloved Daughter,—This cordial and general union of the sisters one with another, with your Charity, and with good Sister Défosée, is a great subject of thanksgiving. Such peace and good understanding ought to be jealously preserved. It is a mark of the children of God. You tell me also that all that pertains to the Institute is practised to the letter. Herein is to me another subject of thanksgiving. Continue to keep your sisters, I beseech you, in this good way, and let it be by means of heartfelt humility—the blessed virtue that makes you pleasing to God.

My daughter, I have always had very tangible proofs of the goodness of our Sister , and God has manifestly blessed her government. Do not allow the sisters to disapprove of her, for if—as there is no one perfect save God—she fails somewhat by being too quick, learn from this to act with more deliberation. If she has corrected too frequently and for slight faults, do you be more considerate. The superior ought certainly to be careful not to importune the minds of the sisters upon every little minute failing from which no evil consequence ensues and out of which they soon rise up again. She should likewise see that they do not cause annoyance to one another by admonitions for things that are not of the observance nor in the writings. This is a point to which we have begged our sisters, the superiors, to attend, and not to add to the subjections for their daughters, but keep them to the loving observance of all that is of obligation. Our community here is large, and admonitions seldom last the length or half the length of the time it takes to say a Miserere. It is, of course, true that by the grace of God the house is very regular in observance, and the sisters, though faithful to do each other this charity, neither bicker about trifling things nor watch one another. You know, my dear daughter, that three or four words to the point are enough when correcting faults; more than that discourages, and besides, that is not the time to say them.

If the sisters at second table have finished dinner or supper before the quarter of an hour’s reading is over, they are not obliged to wait till it is. However, it seems to me that a quarter of an hour is not time enough for one’s meal if we partake of it with the tranquillity and modesty that should in every action distinguish our deportment.

When advancing Compline on feast days we try to say the Ave Maria, or Deus in adjutorium, as the clock strikes five. Compline and the Litany ought only to last about half an hour, so that, usually, prayer on these days is over when it strikes six o’clock. You must not be too long at the Office, or make too many quivers and trills in chanting the Litany; or perhaps you double the invocations after the Sancta Maria, when the sister who chants ought to say one invocation and the other sisters the next. It isnot contrary to the ‘ Book of Customs’ to curtail a little the quarter of an hour between prayer and supper on feast days, though usually we have the full quarter here. These little things for the better order of the house ought to be left to the judgment of the superior.

I hardly know how to answer you in regard to that good lay sister. From your description of her mind and conduct I cannot but think that my Sister is somewhat lacking in spiritual discernment, or she would not, as you lead me to believe, have approved of and confirmed by her advice this sister’s manner of acting. I have a little difficulty in understanding and digesting it. Such sisters ought to be kept to solid practice, and they should learn how to humble themselves. You have done admirably in letting her know that it is all nothing but playing with her pride and self-love, and that she must keep herself in her place, and devote herself to the duties of her state. All these highflown and beautiful spiritual things are usually very doubtful, and, when they are not steeped in humility, one may make sure of their emptiness. The Spirit of God dwells only with the humble, and only takes possession of souls who generously eradicate all self-seeking. Try to inculcate thoroughly this truth to your daughters. I salute them affectionately, and wish them the plenitude of the sacred gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the like good wishes I send to your spiritual Father.

To conclude, my dearest daughter, I must tell you I am somewhat anxious about your fever. You ought certainly to follow the advice of my Sister and not take all these remedies. When, through abstraction of mind, depression and physical weakness come upon you, what can remedies that only ruin the health avail? At such times nothing can be done to relieve one. You must absolutely divert your mind, for, not being able then to take nourishment, you remain weak. Experience in the care of others has taught me this. The regimen, these baths and medicines, have, if I am not deceived, brought on this slow fever, it being quite likely to inflame the blood by increasing the temperature. When these abstractions and extraordinary heavenly allurements come upon a soul, she must simply have patience till they pass, for they do not last long, and then one can pick up one’s strength again. Keep to this rule: when corporal ailments cause the body to be overheated, let the fire within take its course without medicine.

I forgot to tell you that, although you may sometimes shorten the quarter of an hour, you must not make a custom of doing so. Our litanies and all else that we sing should be adjusted to the time appointed by the Institute for such actions, so that we may always, as far as we can, keep exactly to the hours set down for each exercise. Adieu, etc.