Letters 51–55

Letter 51

To the Priests of the Seminary at Coutances. On the reopening of the

chapel(1) of the Caen seminary

Caen, May 15, 1653 J. M. J.

My dearest and beloved brethren:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation."' Alleluia! alleluia!

Our chapel is open and we are celebrating Mass in it.

Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!

It was not opened until last Tuesday, but the affair was concluded and signed on Saturday, the feast of the Apparition of Our Risen Savior to His Most Holy Mother.

Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!

It is a stroke of the incomparable power and ineffable goodness of our most bountiful Mother, who consented to defer the conclusion of this matter to the day of her greatest joy on earth, and who did so when we were no longer giving it much thought, after we and our friends had exerted all our efforts in vain.

Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!

This Mother of mercy condescended to avail herself of the good Mother Superior of the Religious of Mercy in Paris(3) to grant us this favor in order to show us that it was a result of her boundless mercy, and that we are the Missionaries of Divine Mercy sent by the compassionate Father to distribute the treasures of His mercy to the wretched, that is, to sinners, and to deal with them ina spirit of mercy, compassion and meekness. (1). The chapel of the Caen Seminary had been interdicted for two years and five months. See Letter 36, note 1. (2). Cor. 1, 3-4. (3). Mother Mary of the Holy Trinity, foundress of the Order of the sisters of Mercy, which Order was intended for girls of rank whom dowry was not sufficient for them to enter another Order.

Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!

How shall we repay this amiable Mother? And how shall we repay her beloved Son, through Whom the heavenly Father gives us all things? How shall we repay this divine Father Who is the primary source of all good?

Let all the angels and saints bless Jesus and Mary for evermore! May Jesus and Mary, together with the angels and saints, praise and glorify the eternal Father! May all the powers and perfections of the Divinity infinitely magnify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: "Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him: and his wonderful works to the children of men."(4) But that is not all; I implore you, my dear brethren:

1. In memory of and in thanksgiving for the infinite favor Our Lord has granted us, through the intercession of the Mother of mercy, in coming to visit and comfort us by His divine presence i n the Blessed Sacrament, that we resolve to celebrate annually the feast of His apparition to His divine Mother and His first visit to her after the Resurrection.

2. All of you say a votive Mass in honor of this mystery, to he followed by seven additional Masses for a devotion of your own, to thank God and ask three things of Him: the first, for all those who have opposed us, that non illis imputetur;(5) the second, for all our friends, that Our Lord may repay them a hundredfold for their charity toward us; the third, for ourselves, that He may grant us the grace to make holy use of His favors and begin seriously to love and serve Him with the perfection He asks of us, that is to say, through the practice of true humility, strict obedience, sincere charity, intense fervor for the salvation of souls, a pure love for God, and above all, perfect submission and abandonment to His divine will.

3. In the salutation to the most Holy Heart of our Mother of mercy, that we add Ave Cor misericordissimum after Ave Cor beatissimum; and that, in the salutation Ave Maria, filia Dei Patris, we also add the verse Mater misericordiae after Ave Maria, Mater admirabilis. Likewise i n the litanies of Our Lady: after Mater admirabilis, let us say Mater (4). Ps. 106,8. (2) Tim. 4, 16.

misericordiae in memory of and in thanksgiving for the mercy that God has shown to us on this occasion through this Mother of grace and mercy, in order to offer Him and His Son, through her, all those who are in some spiritual or corporal distress, but especially those in the fearful calamity of sin; and to submit ourselves to the mercy of God, that He may animate us with His spirit toward all the wretched, enabling us to pity them and do all in our power to help and relieve them.

4. Since Our Lord has given us the grace to reenter His house, and because we have the happiness of possessing Him once more in the Blessed Eucharist, we must renew our desire to pay and have others pay Him all possible honor and respect in this sacrament. Let us conduct ourselves i n church with the utmost modesty, reverence and piety, never speaking a word there except in case of necessity, and then very little, in low tones; never allowing children to play nor make noise in our churches or chapels; never permitting the poor to beg for alms in church, nor dogs to be seen there, nor people to talk, assume an unbecoming attitude nor behave irreverently there.

Give yourselves joyfully, all of you, to Our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may enter into these sentiments and put them into practice for the love of our most amiable Jesus and His most worthy Mother.

I embrace each of you individually in the sacred love of their most holy Heart, with a renewed desire to serve you in every way I can. Embrace one another in this same love, "with a great heart and a joyful spirit." I give myself wholly to them for your sake, and to you for their sake, as your most unworthy servant and devoted confrere,

of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary

Letter 52

To Father Richard Le Mesle.(1) On his persecutions.( 2 )

June 15, 1654 With all my heart I thank our most adorable Jesus and His most amiable Mother for the cross it has pleased them to send us. It is the single earthly treasure, the sovereign good of true children of Jesus and Mary, the source of all blessings, the glory and crown, the love and delight of true Christians. I speak with reference to the spirit, not the senses.

Therefore, dear brother, let us adore, bless, praise, glorify and love with all sincerity the most amiable will of our good Lord Who arranges all things for the best, and Who can gain glory from sin itself, the greatest of all evils. Let us say with all our souls: I will bless the Lord at alltimes ? ( 3 ) The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do unto me.(4) It is true that if the Lord Himself does not build the house, those who wish to construct it work in vain; but it is just as true that if the Lord Himself does not destroy the house, then those who wish to destroy it also work in vain. After all, God's will be done. He is the Lord; let what is pleasing to Him be accomplished ...

Furthermore, let us strengthen ourselves in the Lord and in the strength of His virtue , convinced that our work in Him is never useless. Let us place all our anxieties in His bosom, for He will take care of us. Those who thwart us are not dealing with us, but with the King and Queen of heaven and earth, who assuredly can frustrate all their designs when the proper time arrives. Nevertheless, we must do all in our power for the interests of our Master, and dwell in peace. Above all, let us not forget to pray for those whom God is pleased to use as instruments to chastise us, as for benefactors. (1). Set Letter 14, note I. (2). This letter was occasioned by the hostile attitude which the Saint's enemies had succeeded i n instilling in the mind of Bishop Francis Servien, then recently transferred from the see of Carcassonne to that of Bayeux. (3). Ps. 33, 2. (4). Ps. 117, 6.

Letter 53

To the Community of Our Lady of Charity at Caen. On the feast of the Assumption of the

Blessed Virgin, and zeal for the salvation of souls

(Before 1656) J. M. J.

My dearest Sisters and beloved daughters in the sacred love of the most holy Heart of Jesus and Mary:

May the grace, peace and love of this same Jesus be for ever yours.

Not having the-happiness of being able to address you personally at this time, I am availing myself of this letter to invite and exhort you to make a good preparation for the solemn feast of the glorious Assumption of our admirable Mother. It is her greatest feast, the day of her triumph and grandeurs. It is the day which ends all her works and sufferings, and inaugurates her repose and eternal happiness. It is the day which establishes her upon the throne of glory and majesty that is due the dignity of the Mother of God. It is the day on which she can say, after the manner of her Son and by virtue of her dependence upon Him: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.(1)It is the day on which she is empowered to use the sovereignty that the most Holy Trinity has given her over heaven and earth, over hell and all things. For this reason all creatures are obliged to render her respect and homage, as to their Queen and Sovereign to whom they belong and upon whom they depend and will depend for all eternity.

But you arc bound, in a very special manner, my dearest Sisters, to honor in every possible way this great Princess to whom you belong not only in the capacity of servants or slaves, as do most of the other creatures in her universal empire, but in your capacity as very dear and beloved daughters. Make ready, therefore, to fulfill your obligations to her on this great feast.

To that end, you must render her four tributes before she leaves this earth to ascend to heaven. (1). Man. 28, 18.

If a great queen had come to visit you, what should you do when she was ready to depart for home? You would do four things:

1. You would thank her for the favor she had conferred on you.

2. You would make excuses and ask her pardon for not having received and entertained her i n keeping with her station.

3. You would profess your service, respect and obedience to her.

4. If you knew that she desired something of you, such as a book of devotions, an image, a rosary or something similar, you would make her a present of it with all possible affection.

That is just what you should do with respect to the Queen of Heaven before she leaves this world. You owe her these four duties:

1. Thank her for all she has done and suffered here below, in cooperation with her Son, for our salvation and sanctification. Thank the most Holy Trinity, too, for having given her to us, and for all the graces we have received either directly from her or through her intercession.

2. Ask pardon of her and make honorable atonement for all the wrongs, offenses and outrages perpetrated against her on earth, for they occurred on our account and for our sake. As reparation and satisfaction, offer her the most amiable Heart of her Son so full of love for her, together with all the honor, glory and praises which have ever been, are now and shall yet be rendered to It in heaven and on earth.

3. Protest to her that you desire to serve, honor, love and obey her, and to imitate her virtues, and urge everyone as much as possible to do the same.

4. Consider what she asks of you, and what you can present to her that will please her; then make the offering with all your hearts.

After that, you should pray to her, as to your good Mother, to grant you her holy blessing, which she will surely do if you are firmly resolved to live as good daughters, to the best of your ability, through a conscientious imitation of her holiness.

Those are your duties on the eve of this feast.

On the day itself, there are five things you ought to do:

1. Give thanks to the most Holy Trinity and invite all the angels, saints and all creatures to give thanks with you for all the favors It has granted your most bountiful Mother during her life, at her death,

and in her resurrection and glorious Assumption into heaven, as well as for all the favors she will enjoy there throughout eternity.

2. Rejoice with her because of all the glory and happiness that is hers in heaven, and which will be hers for evermore.

3. Pay honor and respect to the moment of her establishment at the right hand of her Son, and of her appointment as sovereign Lady and Empress of the whole universe. Render her, in the name and on behalf of all creatures, the homage, respect and obedience, the offers and protestations of service, dependence and submission, which are her due; and unite yourselves to the praises given her by all the inhabitants of heaven, even to those of the King Himself.

4. Offer her your whole mind, your whole will and your whole person. Beseech her to separate and detach you from the things of earth and bear you with her to heaven; to impress upon you alively realization of her new life there, one all-holy and celestial; and to unite and associate you with the love, glory, adoration and praise which she renders and will for ever render in heaven to the most Holy Trinity.

5. Strive to find means of increasing her joy and glory.

Here are four excellent methods:

The first is to implant deep within your hearts a firm resolution and fixed intention of seeking nothing in all your actions, mortifications and exercises save the glory of her Son and the accomplishment of His most adorable will.

The second is to be strict and faithful in the obedience you owe your good Mother Superioress, whom you should regard and honor as a representative of the most holy Virgin, your true Mother and first Superioress. Be obedient also to your Rules and Constitutions.

The third is to love and cherish one another with a sincere, simple, tender and cordial love which will banish from your thoughts, words and actions everything in the least contrary to it~ and will impel you to make prompt and efficacious reparation for the slightest sins you may commit against natural charity.

The fourth is to excite a fervent desire to attain the end for which your holy Order was founded, that of laboring by your prayers, examples, instructions and every manner prescribed for you by holy obedi

ence for the salvation of the lost souls whom divine Providence may send you.

This, my dearest Sisters, is the most fitting and powerful means of augmenting the glory, joys and even the domain of our great Queen. For the conversion of a soul affords her more happiness than any other good work that can be performed in this world, and from it she alone derives greater joy than all the rest of the inhabitants of heaven combined. To help snatch a soul from the tyranny of Satan in order to bring it within her empire is to render her a greater service than if one were to present her with an earthly kingdom. Hence it is the work closest to her Heart, the labor most pleasing to her. It is by this means, Therefore, that you can truly be daughters of her Heart, and that you will be associated with her in the same vocation.

Yes, my dearest daughters, you have in a manner but one and the same vocation with the Mother of God. For, just as God chose to form His Son within her, and through her agency, in the hearts of the faithful, so also has He called you to your holy Community to have His Son dwell within you, and through your labors, to restore Him to life again in sinful souls wherein He has died. God sent her upon earth and made her the Mother of His divine Son, giving her all the graces and qualities she possesses in behalf of sinners, without which she would be not at all what she is; in like manner and for the same end has He placed you in His holy house, with many graces in readiness for you. Ah, my dearest Sisters, how holy is your vocation! How advantageous is your state in life! How immense is the goodness of God toward you in having called you to a truly apostolic Order! Ah, how blameworthy would be your ingratitude if you did not recognize your inexpressible obligation to divine mercy on this account!

But remember that the evil spirit will not fail to tempt you in regard to your vocation, since this employment is singularly displeasing to him and he hates no one so much as those who labor for the salvation of souls.

He will remind you of the troubles and difficulties you must suffer, but remember, m y dearest daughters, that there is no state in life exempt from work and suffering; that, if you do not suffer with Jesus, you

shall not reign with Him. Hence there is nothing you should fear so much as to be without a cross. Cast your eyes upon the crucifix and see what He suffered to save souls. Is it reasonable that you should be associated with Him in the greatest work for which He came into the world, which is to save sinners, which cost Him so dearly, and yet expect to be spared every trial? Alas! Where would you be, if His fear of suffering, which was so violent as to cause Him to sweat blood, had prevented Him from laboring for your salvation?

Consider, too, the sorrows, tears and anguish which the Blessed Virgin had to accept as her portion in order to cooperate with her Son in the redemption of lost souls.

Read the life of St. Catherine,(2) and you will see what frightful torments she suffered for the relief of the souls in purgatory. Remember, too, that to help one single soul to rid itself of a mortal sin, even though it were not to persevere in the state of grace, is nevertheless greater than to release all the souls in purgatory from their torments.

Place before your eyes those holy women who leave their country and cross the seas to Canada, where they live daily in the midst of a thousand dangers in order to win souls to God.

I know a person of your sex, a weak, timid, fragile girl(3) like you, who entreated God with incredible fervor, for many years, to let her suffer for a time the frightful pains Of hell, that she might preserve some wicked souls from it for all eternity. God, on that account, caused her to suffer torments so incredible that no tongue or pen could ever begin to express them, and she has been enduring these tortures for more than forty years.

After that, my dearest Sisters, should we not die of shame at the sight of our own weaknesses and cowardice? The slightest difficulties dishearten us, the feeblest temptations overcome us, the most trifling troubles discourage us, molehills become mountains in our estimation. We are saddened by the things that should cause us to rejoice; we tremble when there is no reason for fear! We wish indeed to enjoy the advantages of our holy religion, but we want no share of its crosses; (2). St. Catherine of Genes in her Treatise on Purgatory 6, 17 writes: "This P~ of purification to which I see the souls of Purgatory subjected, I feel within myself." (3). Mary des Vallées. See Letter 17, note 3.

we imagine that devotion consists of living an idle life of case. Oh, how badly do we deceive ourselves! Any devotion which is not based on renunciation of self, of one's own will and gratification, and on bearing one's cross and following the path trodden by Jesus when He was seeking lost souls, is nothing more than pure illusion and fraud, Do you not know, my dearest Sisters, that the broad road leading to heaven is the way of the cross, that it is the only one, and that the true and stable virtues necessary for us to be pleasing to God are acquired only through many trials, labors, mortifications and penances that must be self - imposed? Do you not understand when Our Lord tells us that because the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, only they,who do themselves violence can take it by force,(4) and that He Himself had to undergo an infinite number of tribulations in order to enter into the glory(5) which is rightfully His by virtue of so many claims? How can you be numbered among His members and spouses if you do not desire to conform to Him? Do you wish to have another Gospel written for you, or do you want God to send you another Messiah-a Messiah of honey and roses? Should you prefer to go to paradise by a path other than that which the Mother of God and all the saints traveled to attain it, or else is it your wish to go there all alone and leave your poor sisters on the road to hell because you are so fastidious that you are afraid to take the trouble to lend them a helping hand?

Perhaps you may say that they are traveling along a very muddy road, and that you are afraid of soiling yourselves by snatching them back; the devil is cunning enough to offer you that temptation--one all the more dangerous because it is seemingly beautiful and convincing. But I tell you, my dearest daughters, that it is impossible for Our Lord to allow anyone to fall who, out of love for Him, helps others to rise. Purity, when it is allied with true charity, can never be sullied, any more than rays of sunlight can be contaminated by mud. Cast aside, then, these vain fears, and trust in Him Who has called you to this divine employment. If you mistrust yourselves and rely wholly on Him, He will not withdraw and allow you to fall.

Finally, my dearest daughters, if you desire to increase the joy and (4). Matt. 11, 12. (5). Luke 24, 26.

glory of our worthy Princess, be faithful to her Son in your vocation; close your cars to the whisperings of the serpent; do not be daughters of Eve who listened to him and allowed herself to be seduced, but daughters of Mary who vanquished him and trampled him underfoot. I beseech her with all my heart to crush him completely beneath your own feet, and to render you worthy of being true daughters of her Holy Heart all aflame with love and zeal for the salvation of sinful souls who cost her the precious blood of her Son Jesus.

It is in the sacred love of the most amiable Heart of the Son and the Mother that I am and ever will be, my dearest Sisters and beloved daughters, Devotedly yours, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary.

Letter 54

To His Lordship Francis de Champvallon,(1) Archbishop of Rouen. On

the self-interest of bishops in protecting seminaries

(About 1655)

Indeed, my Lord, I make so bold as to state that this is the business of their Lordships the bishops, and that it is largely to their own interests to protect those engaged in the work of seminaries, since they are wholly subject to them. This is especially true of us, who profess in all sincerity to be absolutely at their service. (1). Appointed to the See of Rouen in 1651 the Archbishop was a personal friend of St. John Eudes. At the end of 1655 Archbishop Harlay de Champvallon decided to open a Seminary in his archdiocese under the direction of the Eudist Fathers. Because of opposition on the part of the Chapter he was unable to carry out the project until February 16, 1659. Boulay, op. cit., VOL 3, P. 240 ff.

Letter 55

To Father Thomas Manchon,(1) Superior of the Seminary at Lisieux.(2)

On the death of Sister Mary des Vallées.( 3 )

Caen, March 2, 1656 J. M. J.

My dearest brother:

May Jesus, the most Holy Heart of Mary, be our consolation for ever.

It has pleased God to deprive us of the creature we held most dear on earth, our beloved Sister Mary. She passed away(4) last Friday, February 25, at a quarter past twelve.

Our deepest sorrow is that her body was taken from us for interment at St. Nicholas. Almost all the canons wanted her placed in the cathedral. Others wanted her to be buried at the Jacobins, i n the Holy Rosary Chapel. But Mr. de la Foulerie, who established a St. Joseph Chapel in the Church of St. Nicholas, arranged to have her interred there. He did this with the help of Mr. d'Urville, not wishing to act solely on his own responsibility. So we find ourselves deprived of this treasure, and all our brethren in Coutances and all our friends, those in that city as well as here, are sorely grieved about it. Madame de Saint Simon and Madame de Malherbe (formerly Mademoiselle de Pleimaret) did everything they could do under these circumstances, but in vain. Even the provostmarshal offered to use his influence to have the holy body taken by these persons and brought to our church, but we declined with thanks, fearing to create too much dissension. The same motive kept us from taking possession of her heart. It would have been quite easy for us to do this, and we are very sorry now for not having done so. But it is God Who has so arranged it, for reasons unknown to us. (1). See Letter 13, note 2. (2). The Lisieux Seminary was opened on January 11, 1654. (3). She was, it would seem, a Dominican tertiary, hence the name «Sister». Cf. Joly, op. cit., P. 95. (4). Mary des Vallées was sixty-six years of age.

For three months her death was foreshadowed and foretold in several ways. She died in great interior and exterior peace, without any inward disturbance or any outward effort or struggle.

The illness which caused her death lasted only twenty hours. During that time she enjoyed, almost to the end, the use of her mind, seldom speaking, and then saying nothing more than yes, no o r so be it, to the things which were said to her, and uttering the holy name of Jesus almost continually. She received all the sacraments, and our brothers in Coutances and I never left her during those last twenty-four hours. We were all present around her bed at the time of her death, the room being filled with people.

I did not forget, my dear brother, to recommend you to her before her death, as well as all the rest of our brethren, and she assured me well that she will take care of you and never forsake you. I heard her confession three times in the course of her last week, painstakingly examining and searching into her whole life, but I can truthfully say that I did not discover the slightest venial sin in all the sixty-seven years of her life. Nevertheless, we must not fail to have the usual prayers offered up for her, in accordance with the mandate of the Church. At our place(5) we have recited the entire Office for the Dead and have sung three Masses, namely: of the Holy Spirit, the Beata and the Requiem. We shall do the same here;(6) I pray you to do likewise. Besides that, we must say sixty - seven Masses in each of our houses for the following intentions: i. in honor of all God's plans for Sister Mary and of everything He is in her; 2. in thanksgiving for all the favors He granted her and has granted us through her mediation; 3. in reparation for all our omissions in that respect; 4. for the accomplishment of all God's intents in this work; 5. to ask His Divine Majesty to let us partake of her spirit, that of extreme hatred for sin; purest love for God; complete detachment from self and all things; total submission to the most adorable will of God; burning love for the Cross; the utmost scorn of self; irreconcilable hatred for distinction; marked affection for contempt, confusion and ignominy; but most of all, incomparable charity, goodness, meekness, and forbearance toward one's neighbor, (5). The Eudist Seminary in Coutances. (6). The Caen Seminary.

which impelled her to be extremely careful never to vex or anger anyone, but rather to please and gladden people as much as possible. It is particularly in this virtue, and in her humility, simplicity and sincerity, that we should try to imitate her. I implore all our dear brethren to be most diligent in asking God for these virtues and schooling themselves assiduously in their practice. Furthermore, the above intentions of these sixty-seven Masses will not preclude their being said also for the principal intentions which are given out from the sacristy.

I did not forget Mademoiselle Obègne(7) either.

Affectionate greetings to all our dear brethren whom I embrace with all my heart.

Please write to those in Coutances. I left them very much grieved, especially Father de Montaigu, but I was forced to come here on urgent and important business of which I shall write you, perhaps soon.

My most respectful and affectionate greetings to the Promoter.(8) I remain corde magno, dearest brother, Devotedly yours, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest.

P. S. I forgot to tell you that nearly all the residents of Caen are openly proclaiming that Sister Mary is a saint, even those who held her in contempt during her lifetime. (7). This should be Mademoiselle Obègne, a benefactress of the Lisieux Seminary. Cf. Oeuvres Complètes, Vol. 10, P. 405. (8). Father Baslay, the pastor of Fontaines, promoter of Lisieux and benefactor of the Seminary.