Letter 11. To Mother Eleonor of St. Gabriel

A Barefooted Carmelite of Seville

The holy father and the council command hey to accept the office of siibprioress in the newly founded convent at Cordova

JESUS

Be in your soul, my daughter in Christ. Your letter was very welcome to me, and I thank God that He has been pleased to make use of you in this foundation, which His Majesty has made for your greater profit ; for the more He gives, the more does He enlarge our desires, till He leaves us empty that He may fill us with blessings. You shall be well repaid for those which, for the love of your sisters, you forgo in Seville ; for the immense benefits of God can only be received and contained by empty and solitary hearts; and, therefore, our Lord will have you to be alone, and He really wills it, for He desires to be your only companion. Your reverence must therefore apply your mind to Him alone, and in Him alone content yourself, that in Him you may find all consolation, for if the soul were in heaven, but the will without love, that soul would be still unsatisfied. So also though God be ever with us, if our heart be attached to other things and not fixed on Him alone.

I well believe that those in Seville will be very lonely without your reverence. But, perhaps, you have al ready done all the good there which you were intended to do, and God wills that you should now work here, for this is one of our principal foundations. To this end 1 pray your reverence to afford all the assistance you can to the mother prioress, with great love and union of heart in all things. I know that I need not say this to you, for you have been so long in the order and so experienced that you know all that is usually done in these foundations. For this reason, we chose your reverence. There are religious enough here, but not fitted for this work. Be pleased to remember me particularly to sister Mary of the Visitation, and to sister Juana of St. Gabriel, to whom I return thanks for her letter. May God give your reverence His Holy Spirit.

FR. JOHN OF THE CROSS.

From SEGOVIA : the 8th of July, 1589.