Skip to the text
Ember
PT

XXI–XXIII. To a young girl; to a teaching sister; to one of his nieces, a nun

In these letters to a young girl who had confided to Dom Marmion her desire for perfection, we shall see her attempting in vain two forms of the religious life and unable to adapt herself to either. Dom Marmion shares these trials with infinite delicacy, anxious to prevent discouragement or disobedience; teaching serenity in the seeking of God's will, which is not to be founded in any one external form of life, but in our inner sanctification. The efforts, often apparently futile, which we make in the pursuit of our true and definite goal, namely, perfect union with Christ, mark, nevertheless, a progress according to the designs of Divine Providence.

To this soul eager for God, Dom Marmion teaches the prayer of contemplation in the darkness of faith, and the interior life centered on the person of Christ. In her trouble, he shows her how to suffer as a Christian should.

These letters reveal all the human sensitiveness of Dom Marmion; without any attempt to hide tt or to force it, he places it at the service of his spiritual fatherhood. The letter of May 15, 1915, illustrates this very well.

Maredsous, 27, Dec. 1913. My dear Child,

Let me call you so. Although I am fearfully busy, I must write to you, for I see you are passing through one of these terrible trials through which every soul called to close union with Jesus (& you are one of these) must pass. “Because you were pleasing to God,” said the Angel of Tobias, “it was necessary that temptation should try you.” * My child, we cannot go to God but through union with Jesus. “I am the way. No one goeth to my Father but through me.” ? Now Jesus went to His Father by passing through Gethsemani & Calvary, & every soul united to Him must pass by the same way. These temptations against Faith are a real crucifixion; & yet you really do believe, but unconsciously, & that is why your love subsists, & seems to go ahead of your Faith.

The devil is doing his best to cast you into despair, for he sees that you will one day be very, very closely united with Him whom he hates. Hence he casts darkness & trouble into your soul, & revolt perhaps in your senses, but this is the path by which all interior souls must pass, if they are to reach perfect union. “Blessed is the man who suffers

  • Tob. 12:13. *John 14:6. temptation, says St. James, for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life.” * The greatest saints passed by that path. St. Hughes, bishop of Grenoble, was tempted to blasphemy for years. St. Jean de Chantal was tempted for long years against Faith, & had to be constantly upheld & reassured by her director St. Francis de Sales. St. Vincent de Paul had such terrible temptations against Faith that he was on the point of falling into despair, but wrote out an act of Faith, placed it in a little bag over his heart, & when tempted just pressed it as a sign that he adhered to all it contained. I am quite sure you don’t offend Our Lord in all these temptations. St. Catherine of Sienna having been fearfully beset with foul temptations, felt as if she was abandoned, & on the point of falling. When the combat was won she said to Jesus, “Lord, where were your” & He answered “My daughter I was in the centre of your heart sustaining you all the time.” And so it is with you, dear child, Jesus zs in the centre of your heart; it is He who causes you to long for Him. So be in peace. I am praying for you. .

I get to London Charing Cross, Jan. 2 at 5. (Dover boat train.) From there, I go to Tyburn.* Do come & see me a moment. I must leave next morning for Ireland, but shall be back in Tyburn for the 16th. I leave here on the rst Jan.

May God bless & strengthen you. He surely calls you to union with him.

Yrs. devotedly in J.C. Columba Abb

Pax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit de Maredsous. 10. Feb. 1914. I am really ashamed of myself to have kept you so long waiting; yet I want you to feel that our dear Lord gives me a great interest in * Jas. 1:12. * Benedictine Convent in London where Abbot Marmion was known and welcome. See Section XXIV, Introduction.

  • The original of this letter is lost. The text published here was taken from a copy made by the addressee herself. you, and I wish to help you till you are at home in His own home. As regards your fears of selfishness, you know that God is “The Lord,” and that He has the first call on us. “He who loves Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me.”? Ordinarily, on entering religion, our greatest pain is the pain we cause others. The whole question is: does God call you; and I must say, unless you wait for a revelation, it would be hard to have greater evidence. You are not necessary for

Mother, and so if Jesus calls you to “leave Father and Mother and sisters and brothers, etc., and Follow Him”? He has a right to be obeyed, and your happiness, and that of those you love, may in great measure depend on your fidelity in this matter.

I don’t think you are called to Carmel; and practically you will find in a Benedictine Abbey as much austerity and contemplation as you are called to. Perhaps you might do better to enter one at home than on the Continent — in giving you this advice I am writing against my personal inclination, as I should like to have my little child near me to guide and help her — but it will certainly be easier, and less heartrending for Mother. Now there is an excellent Benedictine Abbey at |. . .]. I have given a retreat there and they have everything you could desire.

As regards your questions —

  1. You would be allowed to write often, particularly in the beginning, say once or twice a month.

  2. Your Mother, or friends, could see you alone; but there would be a grill—not a double one like in Carmel, but just a grill; you could shake hands, etc.

There is nothing selfish in seeking high perfection; as it gives such glory to God. “In this is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit” * so — “Be ye perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” ° Jesus did not die merely to save us, but above all to sanctify His Church. Our sanctification is the triumph of His precious blood, — a glory for all eternity.

Please tell Mother I pray for her, as I do for you daily. Of course

  • Matt. 10:37.

  • See Mark 10:29.

*John 15:8. ° Matt. 5:48. it is perfectly allowable to offer your entry into religion for a special intention: the conversion of your family. Don’t forget to go visit Tyburn sometimes. M[.. .] and GJ. . .] would be delighted to help you, and they are very enlightened souls. Now, my dear little child, good night, may God bless and love you. Columba, Abb.

Pax Edermine,’ Enniscorthy. 15 May 1915 My dear M[. . .] —

I was delighted to get your letter, & see that our Lord continues to draw you nearer & nearer to Himself. It is impossible to get near God, without feeling the thorn and the Cross, and even at times the agony of that S. Heart. We can’t be Spouses of a Crucified, without being crucified ourselves. St. Paul says “Those who are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with its sins & lusts.” * The Saint whose life I wanted you to read was, I think, St. Jean Perboire, Lazarist & Martyr. His life & spirit are so like those of Xt. I am so glad that you got the little vacation in that very Catholic house at 23 Park Hill. I hope dear MJ. . .| is well. A]. . .| I expect. Is]. . .] forgets me. School-girls are like that. I am very fond of her. She is so good & so affectionate. Poor Ij. . .], I often thought of her, since I heard she was ill. How fleeting & unstable is all human beauty. I. . .| is so pretty & so lovable, & yet how easily death could wrench her from those who love her. I do so wish never to get attached to anyone. (I am not at present) I am of a very loving nature, & yet I would not allow a fibre of my heart to go to anyone but through our dear Lord’s hands. I am so perfectly at home with you; for though I am very fond of you, I never felt the slightest inclination to be attached, but only to help you to follow our Lord Perfectly. You may be sure, if you give yourself to Him, He will let you know His will in His own good time. I don’t think, now that I know her & all circumstances, that you could leave Mother at present. Would it be too much to ask you, when you have a little spare money, to buy me a book

  • Sojourn in exile during World War I. * Gal. 5:24. called, Enchiridion, by Denzinger.® You will get it at Burns & Oates, or at Washburn Paternoster Row. Love to M[...], & Al. . .], also to I. . .]. Give my affectionate respects to Mother, Father, & also to Is]. . .]. Yr very sincere Friend & Father, Columba, Abb.

P.S. My health is better. Nothing yet settled about my return to Maredsous. Don’t be afraid to write. Your letters are a pleasure.

IV. a Edermine, Enniscorthy. 29. May. 1915 My dear Child,

As you write to me with such simplicity, I shall write you simply; sure not to be misunderstood. I believe that your director is excellent; & that for all that regards the ordering of your life, your time, your vocation, you could not be in better hands; but I am sure he would not understand your prayer; it is so different from what has been taught to be the only prayer. God is calling you to interior union, which is more useful to you, & more fruitful for the Church & souls than all your activity. “A soul that gives herself up unreservedly to God, allowing Him to act & operate in her & with her as He wills, does more for His glory & for souls in one hour, than others with all their activity in years.” (Blosius, one of the greatest mystics & theologians of our Order.)?

You see, my child, God has created us for Himself & we can do nothing greater than to give ourselves up to Him to carry out His wishes. To allow God to act on us in prayer is neither laziness or inactivity. At such moments, down deep in the imperceptible depths of our soul there is passing a divine activity more precious than all our own human activity. As the soul gets nearer to God, she becomes simpler; & no words, no forms can express, nor formulate, what she

® Collection of dogmatic definitions of ecclesiastical authority.

  • Blosius. 4 Book of Spiritual Instructions, trans. B. A. Wilberforce, O.P. (London,

1900), chap. 1, No. 4. An important text that Abbot Marmion quotes several times in these letters, and often in others. would say; but as the Church prays in her liturgy “Oh God to whom every heart is open, & to whom every will speaks, & for whom there is nothing hidden, purify our hearts by the infusion of the H. Spirit that we may perfectly love thee, & worthily praise thee.” *

When you feel invited to remain in silence at our Lord’s feet like Magdalene, just looking at Him with your heart, without saying anything, don’t cast about for any thoughts or reasonings, but just remain in loving adoration. Follow the whisperings of the H. Ghost. If He invites you to beg, beg; if to be silent, remain silent, if to show your misery to God, just do so. Let Him play on the fibres of your heart like a harpist, & draw forth the melody He wishes for the Divine Spouse. Souls like yours, called to interior prayer, are often greatly tempted, in all ways, by the senses; to blasphemy, pride, etc. Don’t be afraid. You can’t do anything more glorious to God, or more useful for souls than to give yourself to Him. If you can find Spiritual Doctrine of Blosius, by Wilberforce it will greatly help you at present. The Word is ever in your heart “if anyone love me, my Father will love him, & We will come & take up our abode in him.” * Yet after H. Communion, & when near the tabernacle, the S. Humanity of J.C. (which is the link between us & the Word) brings us nearer to Him, & more efficaciously.

Some nuns (O.S.B.) are opening a house just near us, under my direction, in a beautiful solitude. Come some day & see.

Write soon & say if you have understood.

Dear little M[. . .], Ever yours in J.C.

Columba, Abb. anh) Jess Edermine, Enniscorthy. 1 July 1915 My dear Child,

I am so busy, & yet it rests my head & heart to write to you, just because our Lord leads you along the same path as myself. I shall be very brief. 1st, want of time. 2nd, I shall be in London (41 Elm Park Gardens Chelsea S.W.) from the 19-22, & later on for longer; & I hope

? Roman Missal. Collect to ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit. 3John 14:23. to see you. 1) Your passive giving up of yourself to God’s action is the most pleasing thing you can do for Him, & most useful for the Church. In such prayer there is often little explicit light, or feeling, but the soul is really filled with light, & the heart with love. It is not selfish, as God created you for Himself, & you can do nothing greater than give yourself up to His will. 2) The more one approaches God, the simpler his prayer becomes, till it ends in one long sigh after God: “God heareth the desire of the poor.” * St. Francis of Assisi passed a whole night in one prayer “my God & my all”; & St. Jeanne Chantal tells St. Francis de Sales that for years her only prayer, at all times, at Communion, Mass, Meditation was de s’enfoncer de plus en plus dans la Volonté divine to bury herself deeper in the Divine Will. Don’t trouble the unity of your prayer by thinking of distinct & special intentions. God knows them all; & it suffices to remember them from time to time. While given up to God’s action in prayer, you are doing more for God’s glory & souls, than all human activity could do. God has no need of our activity. If He wants it, He will point it out to us. Vere languores nostras ipse tulit, & dolores nostros tpse portavit.” Truly hath He borne our infirmities, etc. has a very deep meaning. 1) It means that He took all actual, deliberate sin on Himself, & expiated it in His person. Poswit in eo Dominus iniquitatem omnium nostrum “The Lord hath placed on Him the iniquity of us all.” ® 2) It also means that, as Head of the Church, He accepted in our name (His members) all our miseries, our meanness, our infidelities, our sufferings, & suffered from them in our name, & sanctified & deified them in His person. No pain or suffering or weakness of His members was hidden from Him, & He took them willingly on Himself. 3) It also means that by thus taking them on Him — He took the sting out of them, & helped us to bear them. Yes, try & love Him alone,

& all others in & for Him.

May God bless & sanctify my dear little MJ. . .].

Columba, Abb.

P.S. You kindly said you would willingly send me a book if possible. I badly want a “Pontifical Canon,” a book used by prelates when cele-

*Ps, 10:17. ” “Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 54:4). *TIsa. 53:6. brating Mass. I am too poor to buy one. You will find a cheap one at Burns & Oates. Love to M]. . .], respects to Mother & I[. . .].

Pax Edermine, 29. Sep. 1915 My dear Child,

I can only send you just a line, as I am overwhelmed at present. Your letters are ever welcome as yourself. So don’t be afraid. You are just going through what all souls called to close union with the “Crucified” must suffer. God sometimes allows sufferings of all sorts — health, weariness, temptation, difficulties, etc. to swoop down at once on the soul to purify her. She must fee/ her utter dependence on Him. Souls united as yours is with our Lord, whose whole life comes from Him, suffer more than others when He leaves them. This winter is only to prepare for a more fruitful summer. All you can do is to bow your head, & accept the trial, & bear with the Lord till He comes back. Jesus gives us the example. In the Garden of Olives it is said “He began to fear, & to be weary, to be heavy, & sad.” ?

I pray for you with all my heart.

I shall be at Tyburn in Nov. & hope to see my little M[. . .].

Yrs. Columba Abb.

Pax Edermine,’ Enniscorthy. 2. November. 1915 I am laid up with the influenza, and a Doctor, who examined me lately, says my heart is very weak; so you must pray for me. I shall be at Tyburn from 10-20 Nov. and shall be delighted to see you any time. I am busy and can only just say the things which I think our Lord wants me to say. 1) No amount of exterior work is as pleasing to God, or as useful to the Church and souls, as that loving contemplation, in which the soul allows God to act as He pleases in her. It is for that He has created her. “Mary has chosen the better part which shall not be

*See Mark 14:33-34. * See Note 1 to the Letter 2 (Feb. 10, 1914). taken away from her.” * 2) When given up thus to God in prayer, it is a mistake to attend to detailed intentions. One glance at them in the beginning of prayer is enough. 3) Our activity is pleasing to God just in so far as it is the ¢rop plein * of our union with Him. 4) Your desire for union is most pleasing to Him and comes from Him.5) People whom God leads thus suffer terribly when He leaves them to themselves. He is all to them and without Him they feel their poverty more than others.

I have a thought regarding your vocation, which I will tell you about when I see you — till then pray.

The director is God’s organ for communicating His will to you. Pray and consult; but be sure it will be by him you will finally come to know God’s will.

Pax Benedictine Priory of the S. H. Ventnor, I. Wight? 24. 3. 16 My dear M[. . .| Your letter has just reached me here. I have been very ill with bronchial asthma & heart fatigue. I have suffered a lot, & hope it will be for the good of my dear Community. I was just on the point of starting for Belgium, & had taken my ticket when God intervened. I still hope to get to dear Maredsous for Easter.” I have gone through such trials out in this cold, weary world. Pray for me as I do desire to get back to my abbey-home. IJ shall say H. Mass tomorrow — Feast of the Annunciation — for your dear Mother, & beg the Word to fill her with His light. I feel He will hear our prayers, especially your aunt M|. . .|’s, for she is a most holy soul. You must not pay too much attention to the fluctuations, which are ever passing over the surface of your soul. Like the sea, it is constantly

? Luke 10:42.

  • Overflow.

  • Before leaving Ireland to return to Belgium, then occupied by the Germans, Abbot Marmion fell seriously ill in London at the end of February. Not fully recovered, he went to take several days’ rest at this priory of Benedictine nuns, which had been founded by the Abbey of Liége.

? As it turned out, he could not return until May 19. ruffled, but in its depths it is all God’s. Ask the H. Ghost to give you abundance of His gift of Fortitude. Nothing so honours God as to lean on Him in full confidence, just when we feel weak & incapable. “When I am weak, it is then that I am strong... . I glory in my infirmities that X?¢’s Strength dwell in me’ St. Paul.® May you be filled with Xt’s Strength. The spouse is never so pleasing to her beloved as when she leans all her weight on the strong arm of her beloved. I pray for you daily as you are very dear to me in J.C.

I am here with the Benedictine nuns from Liége. They have a darling little Monastery & chapel looking down on the sea. The climate is delicious & I hope soon to get better. When I come back to London before starting for Belgium, I hope to see you at my address (41 Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea)

Love to M|. . .]. Ever Yrs in J.C.

Columba Marmion Abb. P.S. Once for all, your letters are never too long. I have the greatest pleasure in reading them, in helping you to respond to God’s great love for you. How is Is[. . .]? Get Mgr. Hedley’s little book on contemplation.*

Pax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit.

Maredsous, le 27. X. 1919 Poor little M]. . .],

I do feel so much for you, & beg our dear Lord to console you. Your entering at Carmel was most pleasing to Him, for it showed Him that as far as your heart goes, you are all His. It was not His will that you should stay; & we must love His Father’s will above all. “He who doeth the will of my Father is brother, sister & mother to Me.” * I fear you have a false American view about doing good. You seem to feel that you can’t show your love, or be useful unless, by some form of external activity; & yet the absolute donation of self to Xt, so that He may dispose of us as He pleases, is above every other form of love

PUiCorat 2:10;

  • Bishop Hedley, O.S.B., Prayer and Contemplation (London, 1916). * Matt. 12:50.

& more useful to the Church than any form of human activity. Our Lady is the brightest saint in heaven, & yet what was her life? For 30 years she lead the life of a poor artisan’s wife. Her ordinary actions were insignificant, yet what holiness? Jesus also, lived as a workman, for 30 years; & it was during His 3 hours of absolute immobility on the Cross that He did most for His Father’s Glory & our redemption. If you wish peace, & joy, & absolute perfection here below, give yourself up to God’s good pleasure. Let Him dispose of you according to His divine plan. Louis de Blois (Blosius) says that a soul that gives himself up without reserve to God, allowing Him to act in her as He pleases, will do more for His glory & souls than others with all their activity in years.” Read the life of St. Thérése de Enfant Jésus. She was quite little but full of grace, & thus glorifying | five words illegible].

Yrs devotedly

Columba Abb.

P.S. 1am going to London the 4th Nov. & giving a retreat at Westminster Cathedral to Canons 6-11. I shall go see you. Or come to see me.

4-XII-19." [. . .| God expects each creature to serve and love Him according to its nature. The Angels must love God angelically, that is without heart, sentiments, affections, for they have none of these things. But He expects man to love Him Aumanly that is with all his heart, soul, strength and mind, and his neighbour in the same way. We are neither spirits nor ghosts, but human beings; and we cannot go higher than perfect humanity elevated by grace. Now Jesus is perfect humanity, perfect Deity. He loved His Mother as a child should love, not only with His head, but with His heart. He kissed her and was fondled by her, and liked it. He loved all men: a) for their souls, in view of eternity; b) for their entire persons, humanly; c) He loved some with ? A Book of Spiritual Instructions, chap 1; No. 4.

' The original of this letter is lost. The text published here was taken from Union with God, according to the letters of direction of Dom Marmion, pp. 166-68.

On a special human love. He wept when Lazarus died. Where did these tears come from? not from His soul, but from His Heart. He did not love angelically, because He was not an angel but the Son of Man; no one was ever so human as Jesus. His Father found all His delights in Him. Amongst the creatures which God has given us to lead us to Him, and to render our exile here possible, are the love and affection of those who surround us. Who implanted in the mother’s heart her love of her child? It was He; and how could He be displeased at our accepting this great gift! We must be on our guard not to let the devil deceive us by presenting something above human strength, and contrary to God’s intentions. He has said “My yoke is light and My burden easy,” * it would be unbearable if we were obliged to act as souls without bodies, being at the same time enveloped in sense, affections and human ties despite our will. Let us be content to be as perfect as the Man-God. Jesus loved Mary: 1) Because He saw in her the image of His own perfection; 2) because she was His Mother. He loved her with a child’s love raised to infinite heights by the hypostatic union, but still remaining human. 3) He loved her because of all the virtues and gifts He had placed in her; and so of others.

Now, my deal child, don’t go sublimizing too much; just act simply, and ask Jesus to give you the gift of loving with detachment; that is, so that no human affection should be necessary. “One thing is is necessary.” ° Use affections as you do other creatures. You will not rest in creatures, if you desire to use them according to God’s Will. See St. Teresa keeping her niece in the convent with her; St. Francis de Sales and St. Chantal; St. Augustine weeping for his mother .. . without a scrap of attachment. [. . .|

Abbaye de Saint-Benoit. Maredsous, le 31 XII. 1919 My dear Child, I have read your letter attentively in the presence of God, & am quite convinced that you are called by God to a high union with Him.

? Matt. 11:30. % Luke 10:42.

Your present state of soul bears all the marks of one of those interior trials, or passive purifications, through which the soul must pass before attaining to union with Infinite Purity. The H. Ghost says “Blessed is the man who is tempted,” * & St. James adds “Beloved, be filled with great joy when you pass through various temptations.” * Those against faith & hope are the most distressing, a real agony, but most salutary. The secret subconscious longing for God is a sure sign of the presence of the H. Ghost in your soul. It is a vision of God’s beauty in the darkness of faith; but just as the beatific vision, which the soul of Jesus always enjoyed, did not diminish His agony, nor prevent His soul being sad even unto death, so with yours. It is your purgatory; & our Lord is holding your soul in those flames until all selfishness & self-seeking are burned out. Then you will enter into the ineffable grandeur of God. The very nature of the trial through which you are passing is the terrible uncertainty it leaves in the soul as to her state. She seems to herself to have lost faith & love, for she feels nothing. It is pure naked faith. This longing for God is a most powerful & constant prayer; for God reads the inmost thoughts of our hearts; & this thirst of Him is a cry to His Father’s heart desiderium pauperum audivit auris tua. “Thy ear hath heard the desire of the poor,” * & no one is poorer than those who are serving God in the trials of pure faith.

So now courage, M|.. .|! You are on the right road, & all you require is great patience & absolute confidence in our Lord’s loving care. You are very dear to Him, though you may imagine the contrary. He wants you to see for yourself how really miserable & unworthy you are, & that it is His sheer mercy which thus clasps you to His heart. During all Eternity God will give Himself to you in the full & unremitting blaze of His beauty. Here below, His glory requires that He be served zn faith. Let us try & serve Him in faith, just as if we gazed on Him in vision. Blosius says that a soul who delivers herself up to God without reserve, to suffer, or do just as He pleases in her, gives Him more glory, & does more for souls in one hour than others in years. St. Chantal was tormented all her life by temptations against faith, & yet received a special gift of faith & contemplation

‘Jas. Tt. eilaser 2: @Ps! 10:17. from God. In practice Adore God profoundly; then tell Him you accept all He has revealed on His word alone; & as the Church speaks in His name you accept her voice & teaching as His. Make then acts of love, even though you feel nothing. My little child Violet, who gave me my ring,* & was converted from being a Jewess, has passed _ through all these trials, & could help you greatly if you went to see her. (35 Brompton Square) Pray for me. God bless & guide you.

Columba, Abb.

Pax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit.

Maredsous, le 20. 2. 1920. My dear M[. . .|,

As we are in Lent & I am very busy, I must be brief.

I see by your letter that you are very dear to our Lord. He is lending you by the way which is most glorious for His Father, & most advantageous for you: the way of pure faith. God intends giving Himself wholly & without reserve, in the full blaze of His light, to you in perfect love for all eternity. Here below His glory requires that we love & serve Him in faith. He gives us consolations & lights to help us go on in the darkness, but these are not essential; & when He sees a soul decided to love & serve Him despite all, He tries her by leaving her in darkness without feeling or special lights. In reality there is a deep, but invisible light in the inmost recesses of her soul. It is this invisible light which gives her the longing for God. This longing is a most efficacious prayer, & a homage to God’s beauty. St. Francis de Sales says we ought to be satisfied with God’s way of leading us, & not expect “particularities.” God loves to see a soul content to go on in the way He leads her; & you are doing this. I read your daily order. It is quite sensible, & just what suits you. Don’t follow it too rigidly but in an elastic way, yet faithfully.

When you feel a sweet calm take possession of your heart & soul, just remain there in silent love, & Jet God act. It is not surprising that what formerly filled you with devotion, as the Passion, etc., does not excite you any longer. It will all come back again, but in another way.

  • Abbot’s ring.

Louis de Blois says, “A soul which gives herself up without reserve to God’s action, allowing Him to act in her as He wills, does more for His glory, & for souls in an hour, than others by all their activity.” Ask H[. . .| to pray for me as I do for you both. How is Is[. . .]? You know I am very fond of the child; but fear she is being spoiled. St. Monica prayed for 30 years for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine, & what a magnificent answer she had at the end! Bivereeyicsey iis) Go Columba Abb.

  • Pax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit.

Maredsous, le 10 IV. 1920 Poor little M[. . .],

I do feel intense pity for you, & pray for you with all my heart, as I know what you are going through. No, dear, it is not pride —of course there is pride in us all — but that is not the reason of the loneness, of the awful isolation, & want & hunger for God’s love. No, dear, it is God’s own doing. He is purging your soul in order to prepare it for union with His Divine son. “If anyone bear fruit, my Father will purge him, that he may bear more fruit.” *, Now I want you to have confidence in me & believe my word. It is not our perfection which is to dazzle God, who is surrounded by myriads of angels. No, it is our misery, our wretchedness avowed which draws down His mercy. All God’s dealings with us are a consequence of His Mercy (Mercy is Goodness touched by the sight of misery); & that is why the great St. Paul says, let others go to God leaning on the perfection of this life (as the Pharisee, “for me, I take glory in my infirmities that my strength may be Xt’s virtue.” * Look, M|. . .| dear, if you could only once understand that you are never dearer to God, never glorify Him more than when in full realisation of your misery & unworthiness. You gaze at His infinite goodness & cast yourself on His bosom, believing in faith, that His mercy is infinitely greater than your misery.

St. Paul tells us that God has done all in laudem et gloriam gratie

*John 15:2. SIleCor 12:10. su@, for the praise & glory of His Grace.? Now the triumph of His grace is when it raises up the miserable & impure, & renders them worthy of divine union. See Mary Magdalene: She was a sinner by profession. She had 7 devils in her, whom Jesus expelled; & yet He now not only allowed her to touch His Divine feet, but it was to her that He appeared first on Easter morning.’ He is a Spouse infinitely rich & powerful, & when He chooses a poor little M[. . .] like you to be His bride, His joy is to enrich her poverty, & clothe her with His own beauty. MJ]. . .] dear, you are now passing through a period of trial, but Jesus loves you dearly. He is so happy to see you want to be loved by Him. That is not self-love; it is wishing for what God wants you to wish. If I could only get that into your head, & keep your eyes fixed on Him, on His goodness, & not on your little self. “Seek the Lord; seek His face constantly.” ®

Thanks for the book. I shall be in London for the retreat of Westminster clergy about 9-15. August. A book which will quite help you is Maxims of B. Laurence, & his other little booklets. May God bless & love you more & more. i

Your father 4 Columba

XIV. abax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit, Maredsous, 22. IV. 1920. Dearevilere|,

I have been thinking a lot, and praying for you. Here is the result of my reflections: 1. You can’t keep on in your present state. It is bad for you, body and soul; and it is too great a suffering for Mother. 2. I am quite clear that God calls you to deep and perfect union with Him in faith; and that the trials through which you are passing are preparing you for that union. But as regards your entry into Religion, it is not yet clear. The B. Thomas More was for 8 years in the Charter House at London trying to become a Carthusian, after which state he had been sighing for years, and yet he writes that God did not call him to that state, but to another which led him to the crown of martyrdom.

You must decide this once for all. Now, God ordinarily does not

  • Eph. 1:6.

*Mark 16:9; Luke 7:38. *Ps. 104:4. manifest His Will by revelation, but by circumstances: health, dispositions, character, etc. It appears to me that the state of your health and character, indicates that you could not, despite your desire, persevere in the Religious state. I fear your physical and mental strength would not bear the strain. However, let us give it a last trial. I shall be in London, at the beginning of August. I know two convents of our Order. It is possible that one or the other might suit. I propose to take you with me to visit one or other of these convents; and examine your vocation then with me and the Superioress. 1. |. ..] It is a most fervent little Abbey, in which there reigns great charity, a love of prayer and Office; and it is so beautifully situated that you would have ever before your eyes the spectacle of the sea and mountains. I am not sure that the climate would suit you. Then they take a few pupils. 2. |. . .| It is a very fervent monastery. |. . .] There is an Abbey of Monks just near, so that you would have good direction. If you came up with me, you could stay a few days, and see if God calls you. You could not endure the life of a Carmelite, or Clarisse. God does not call you to that. If any Religious Life is possible for you, it is the Benedictine. If we decide not; you must then organize your future life definitely, and unchangeably. May God bless and love you. Columba, Abb.

P.S. Just a word to say what you think of my proposition.

Pax Maredsous. 29. IV. 20. Wéar MI. Sl,

It is quite impossible at this distance to make final arrangements. But I shall let you know my possibilities at once, in order to leave you free to arrange according to your convenience.

Two possibilities: 1° I could start from London the 3rd or 4th August, so as to pass a couple of days with you at |. . .], and be back in London for the 8th, as I begin my retreat at S. Edmund’s Ware * the gth.

  • The Westminster diocesan seminary (near London), where Dom Marmion was to preach the annual clergy retreat at the personal invitation of Cardinal Bourne.

2° possibility. My retreat ends on Friday 13th (not 17th). I could leave for York on Saturday 14th, and get up to |. . .| Monday, with you and Mother. I could stay a few days then; and then get back to London. I should require a few days in London, as I must visit Haywards Heath and Ventnor; and be back about the 20th in Belgium.

Just let me know what you prefer. Then, when we get near August, I shall write to the Abbess to expect me with a wee M]. . .|; and get them to pray for you.

I know the Nuns at Talacre? quite well. They are very good; but almost all converts. I think you would be better at...

Now, M|. . .| dear, I am not at all sure that you will be able to stay there. I fear that conventual constraint is too much opposed to your physical and mental strength; but you will have done your best to settle the question; and be able henceforth to follow your way, whatever it be, in peace. St. Joseph Benoit Labre tried several times to enter an Order; but could not stay, not for want of love or generosity, but because God had other designs on him. So it may be for you. Having made trial, you must conclude that you have found your way — God’s Will.

It appears to me, you ought to remain on at the [. . .| for a couple of weeks. If you see, and that the Superior see, it is not for you, well, you will know God’s Will. If on the contrary, you think you could live there, you can fix the date of your final entrance there.

As you know the hours of trains, etc., I hope you will look it all up for me. I shall be delighted to have Mother with us.

Yours, # Columba Abb.

Ha Pax

Abbaye de Saint-Benoit. Maredsous, le 7. VII. 1920

Poor little M]. . .],

I can’t tell you what pity I feel for you, & this pity comes from His

  • Convent of Benedictine nuns, originally the Anglican convent of St. Bride’s, Milford Haven, which was reconciled to the Church at the same time as the monks of

Caldey. This reconciliation was largely the result of the efforts of Abbot Marmion. See Section XIV, Introduction. heart, for He sees & knows your love, but wants to keep you on the cross in faith. Just as the H. Spirit supported His Sacred Humanity on the cross, giving It strength to bear up in pure love, without a scrap of consolation, “My God, my God, why hast thou abandoned me” ? so it is with you. I know your heart, & I know that you do love Jesus, & would die rather than refuse Him anything in your power; but this does not take away the struggle, the awful repugnance, just as it did not take it away from Jesus’ heart in Gethsemani, nor from Teresa’s heart at the moment she was entering Carmel. I myself had been longing for 10 years to be a monk. It was my dream, my ideal. As soon as I entered, all was dark. I was like one suspended in space, deprived of all I had loved. It is this which gives merit to our “Lord, we have left all things & followed Thee.” ? Now, Mj]. . .|, I don’t know if our Lord really wants you to be His in a Cloister. He certainly does want your whole heart. It is merely a matter of detail, that you be His zm or out of a convent. Mary was all His, outside a convent, at the foot of the Cross. You must do your honest best this time to keep on at |. . .|. If it can’t be, then you have shown Jesus that you have done all in your power to be there where He seems to invite you. You will have all the merit, as, if you can’t stay, it is not your fault. In any case I want you to spend, if it were only a few weeks in contact with our Benedictine ideas. Your thoughts about Jesus are too narrow. He isn’t a bit like what you imagine. His heart is as large as the ocean, a real human heart, He wept real salt tears when Lazarus died. “See how He loved him.” * He does not expect you to be a spectre or a ghost, no, He wants you to be a ¢horough woman wanting love & giving it; & when you leave those you love, He wants you to feel it deeply. Don’t be ever scrutinizing your poor little heart in fear, but look at Him. He possesses for you His spouse, all that your poverty lacks. Pivereyirsm ine jc # Columba, Abb.

P.S. I shall be in London 3rd August (Jermyn Court Hotel, Piccadilly) for a few days. Phone there, & make appointment.

  • Matt. 27:46. * Matt. 19:27. $John 11:36.

XVII. eas Maredsous, 30. VIII. 20 ecrMioe cl, }

By entering at |. . .| despite your repugnance, you are giving our Lord the best proof of your desire to do His will at all costs. It is quite possible, even probable that it is all He wants, & that you may have the merit of the sacrifice just as if accomplished, as Abraham. I shall pray for you with all my heart. If the repugnance, etc., continues, consider the interpretation of it by the Abbess & director as a most certain manifestation of God’s will. Don’t have any scruple in following it, & never look back again. If our Lord wants you a nun He will make it possible & delightful, for He has said “My yoke is sweet, & my burden light” * He has promised the hundredfold, even here below, to those whom He calls.”

He certainly calls you to close union, & perfection, but it is for Him to determine the “how”

_Yrs. inv preatenasces

“ Columba Abb.

Pax Abbaye de Maredsous 15. X. 20 My dear Child,

Your letter was not a surprise for me; nor indeed a real pain. It is so clear that you have been and are doing God’s will, & surely He is Master & can do with us as He thinks fit. 1am glad you made the two trials. They are most meritorious and very practical proofs to our Lord of your sincere desire to stop at nothing to accomplish His will. That will is perfection. At the first moment of the union (hypostatic) of the S. Humanity with the Word, the first movement, which St. Paul says summed up all sanctity, was the acceptance of the Divine Will. “On the first page of the book it is written of me that I do Thy will. Behold I come to accomplish it” * & Mary’s whole life

  • Matt. 11:30.

  • Mark 10:30. * Heb. 10:7. is summed up in the word “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to Thy will”? & she lived not in a cloister, at least not one built of walls.

Now my dear child you must henceforth consider the question of vocation as definitely settled. Don’t go back on it. Don’t doubt. God could not make it clearer, unless by a vision or revelation, & this we may not wish. Now you must begin & organise your life in the world. For that your friend & director [. . .] is just what you require. I could give you little help in that matter; as it is not in my way. You may however always count on my prayers, & daily remembrance in H. Mass; & of course I shall always be delighted to meet you, if our paths cross each other. May God bless & love you, & lead you to His perfect love by a life of faith & fidelity.

Very rs aing) Ce Columba Marmion Abb.

P.S. Affectionate regards to Mother, M|.. .], Is|. . .], & friends.

  • Pax Maredsous, 6. 2. 21 My dear M]. . .],

How far you are from sounding the depths of our Lord’s heart, & of its love for you! There is no question of a want, or a diminution, of love. He loves you dearly & you are His dearly beloved little spouse “His strong arm encircles you, & his hand bears up your hand, as you repose on His heart.” * The fact of living in a cloister is a mere accident, & cannot affect or diminish your love, if, as in this case, it comes from His wish, from His mysterious designs on your soul. St. Joseph Labre, who is a great Saint, canonized & venerated by the Church, had a most powerful attraction for our Benedictine life. He entered several times (3 times I think) & after doing his best, was obliged to leave. He became a Saint, which he most probably would not have been in the cloister, because it was not the way Jesus had chosen for Him. A Saint’s whole life may be summed up in these words of

? Luke 1:38. * Cant. 2: and 8:3. the S. liturgy Hic vir perfecit omnia que dixit illi Deus? That is perfection.

Now M[. . .| dear, I know you perfectly now, & I assure you 1) that Jesus loves you dearly. 2) That He is quite satisfied with the efforts you made to carry out what you thought to be His will. 3) That you can attain just as high perfection, & just as close union with Him, by performing with great love, great patience with yourself, & great humility, the task which His will sets you daily. I assure you it is the demon who tries to cast darkness & distrust into your soul. There is nothing our Lord demands so much from His lovers as “hoping against hope” ® just trusting in His loyalty, His fidelity, His love; & nothing so wounds Him as any distrust or want of confidence.

Abraham is the “Father of our faith.” * And what faith! When God calls Him, his answer is ever adsum here Iam! ° At 75 years of age he is told from heaven that he will be father of an immense progeny. Credidit Abraham Deo.® Years roll on. He arrives at the age of 100 years. Again he is told he is to have a child. Everything seems against it. His body is dried up & “dead” says S. Paul. His wife is sterile.’ Still credidit Abraham Deo; or, as St. Paul puts it credidit in spem contra spem® And when Isaac is born, & the object of an immense love, God tells him to take the “boy he loves, & immolate him.” ? Abraham does not hesitate. God is so filled with admiration that He swears that he is to be the father of all believers.1° Now dear, that is what Jesus wants from you. St. Paul says of Abraham non respexit corpus suum emortuum Abraham did not consider, did not look at his decayed body;" no, he looked at God.

Now M[. . .], you look too much at your littleness, at your miseries, at your shortcomings, & too little at Jesus. He is so great, so loving,

  • «This man has accomplished all that God asked him to do.” Responsory from the Office of a Confessor not a Bishop.

Rom. 4:18.

  • Antiphon of Vespers of the Saturday before Quinquagesima Sunday.

Gene 2t1-

® Gen. 15:6.

Rom. 4:19.

® Rom. 4:18.

  • Gen. 22t.

Rom. 4:11. ™ Rom. 4:19. so faithful, so wise, so powerful. Say often “Oh S. Heart of Jesus, I have confidence in You” even though you don’t feel it — feeling makes no matter.

There is a little leaflet by Mgr. Goodier S.J. Archbishop of Bombay, called “A higher way.” It is published by the S. Heart Nuns at Roehampton. The Jesuits could get it for you. It will just suit the state of your soul, & say fifty times better than I could what I have been saying.

Pray for me. I want much prayer at present. Affectionate remembrance to Mother, H]. . .], etc., M[. . .].

Your poor devoted,

“ Columba Abb.

P.S. Neither our Lady, nor many of the holy virgins & spouses of Jesus, — Thecla, Agatha, Agnes, Cecilia lived in a convent, yet they were perfect spouses of Jesus!

Maredsous. 15. 6. 21.

I am so busy —yet I must send you a line to say you are getting on quite well. That hunger for Jesus and for His love is a continual prayer; Our Lord keeps you dry and hungry just to excite the longing, which is so pleasing to Him. You are all right. Your way is faith; faith without feeling — faith made strong in the weakness of temptation and doubt. You must accept your way. It is He who chose it for you.

I sent my 1st Vol. to Mgr. Goodier at Bombay. He wrote me such a long, lovely letter; we shall be great friends. Could you send me a couple of copies of his “Higher Way.” I shall be in London 1st April, and give a retreat to Westminster Clergy at St. Edmund’s Old Hall, 1-6 August. Then I may stay a few days in London, and then go on to Ventnor I. of Wight to rest with my brother. I am praying for you daily with all my heart, and should be delighted to meet you.

"See Note 1 to Letter 2.

  • Read the letter on this great friendship, sent to Dom Raymond Thibaut on Sept1

Pax Maredsous. 21. XI. 22 My dear Child,

If I have not written to you for a considerable time, it is not for want of interest in your soul. Two motives have prevented me. 1) I don’t like to interfere with a soul who has a director. For it only complicates the soul, & prevents her from living by faith. 2) I have been crushed by work.

Union with Jesus is consummated in faith. Sponsabo te mihi in fide.’ The sense of union with Him, is His gift, but not Himself. We must leave it to His wisdom & love to give or withhold it. We can do nothing without Him. “Without me you can do nothing.” ? This perfect detachment from creatures, & adhesion to Him must come from His grace, & is the recompense of humble prayer & patience. When Dame Gertrude More (daughter of St. Thomas More)* was dying, her director F. Baker, OSB, who had done so much for her, came to see her, the abbess told her he was there. She said “I need no man.” Jesus was all to her. Of course this is very perfect; & we must not fly till our wings are strong enough. Perfect patience under all that God permits, unites us to Xt’s Passion. Passionibus Xti. per patientiam participamus. Try to smile lovingly at every manifestation of God’s will.

I must leave you as I am very busy. I pray for you with all my heart.

Please give my love to Mother, M[. . .], I[. . .], etc., ete.

Y rssorny [1@ Columba Abb.

*“And I will espouse thee to me in faith” (Osee 2:20).

  • John 15:5.

®Tn reality, this Benedictine mystic was the great-granddaughter of the Chancellor- Martyr. She died very young in 1663. See The Inner Life and the Writings of Dame Gertrude More, revised and edited by Dom Benedict Weld-Blundell (2 vols.; London, I9IO-I1).

*“Tt is by patience we take part in the Passion of Christ.” Rule of St. Benedict, end of the Prologue.

Pes LLORAS LEAGHINGsSISGER

(Visiting card: Dom Columba Marmion O.S.B. Abbé de Maredsous)

16 June [1914 | My dear child.

I have just heard that you have been called to Bruges; and that you are to form souls for our Lord. I never write to you; though I often thought of your soul coram Domino.’ Your “way” is so simple; you need no exterior help. I shall only say: I shall pray for you that you may form souls for Xt, according to the intentions of His wisdom. For that, you must more and more place yourself in His hands; and then apply yourself actively to form your children according to the model of your order and Constitutions, according to the interior of Jesus.

[no signature | mie LOLONE OB THIS NIECES, A NUN

FIVE LETTERS

Pax Maredsous. 29 Dec. [1912] My dear Child,

I was greatly pleased to get your Jétter. All those who seek God sincerely pass, sooner or later, through a crisis. It is necessary, in order to make any real progress. “He who remaineth in Me and I in him beareth much fruit. If anyone bear fruit, my Father will prune him in order that he bear more fruit.” “Unless the grain of wheat falling on the earth die, it remains alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” ? It is just like nature which, every year, must, as it were, die,

"In the presence of the Lord.

"John 1575 and 2. *John 12:24.

QI and remain gripped in the icy grasp of winter. It seems to die, but this death is necessary before the spring-time.

I start for England next Monday week (6th), and fear it would be impossible to get to Jj. . .| before that; but I shall arrange so as to go see you, at least for a few hours, on my way back. I must be at Maredsous for the 2oth, and so will see you before that. I shall pray daily that God may give you submission and humble abandon of yourself in His hands, in order that He may carry out the designs of His love and wisdom on you.

Yours affect.

Columba, Abb.

Pax Maredsous. 26 march [1913] My dearest Child,

I cannot tell you what pleasure your letter gave me. I must say that your reserve towards me in the past did make me suffer, as I was very fond of you and I sincerely desired to do you good and form your soul for our Divine Master. The little crisis through which you have passed has ploughed the ground of your soul, has opened it up and already quite transformed it. It is a great thing to be conscious of our weakness and of the necessity of asking Our Lord’s help. He said: “Without me you can do nothing.” ? You knew this already, but now it has become a deep conviction. Our miseries are our title to God’s mercy. St. Paul was conscious of his weakness, but instead of being discouraged he said: “Gladly will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” * When one has been in the habit unconsciously of leaning on one’s own strength, and this fails, it requires a certain time to get accustomed to leaning on God alone. This is the state you are in. You have made much progress in recent months, but you have not yet learned to put your trust in God alone. In your spiritual life, avoid examining yourself

*'This letter was written in French, and translated into English by the recipient herself.

? John 15:5. VULO I DEEy

1g too much. It is enough that God knows you. Lose yourself in him, and you will find yourself in him. It is far more advantageous for you to look at God than to look at yourself. Your union with God who is immutable will give you the stability, the steady line of conduct which you seem to lack more or less at present. . . .

The conversions at Caldey are a great consolation, but also an increase of responsibility, work and correspondence for me; and I have no secretary. They are beautiful souls, very simple, and several of them are very close to God and far advanced in contemplation. I shall have a lot to do to arrange their canonical position in Rome, for there will be great difficulties. Abbot Aelred will accompany me to Rome. We shall be passing through Ancona... .

Yours very devoted in J.C. Columba Abb.

Pax 15 Feb. | 1917] My dear Child,

I have but a few minutes to tell you what pleasure your letter gave me. I am most anxious to go to J. . .|, but after my long absence in Ireland, I dare not leave here for some time, especially as I am obliged to go to Brussels this week for the marriage of Mr. Desclée our founder’s son. There is no doubt whatever that your interior sufferings are part of God’s merciful plan for the sanctification of your soul. We have all gone through that wirfter. For “If the grain of wheat falling in the ground die not, it alone remains, but if it die, it beareth much fruit.” * Your soul needed to be deepened by suffering, that the sentiment of utter abandonment by God which is the greatest of all sufferings: “My God, my God, why hast Thou abandoned me?” You would never be anything but a weak, superficial being, if you did not pass through such suffering. “Because you were

“See Peter F. Anson, Abbot Extraordinary. A Memoir of Aelred Carlyle, pp. 181-83, for details of this expedition to Rome. (MEE)

*John 12:24. ? Matt. 27:46. pleasing to God, it was necessary that temptation should try you.” ® After the winter will come the Spring and the Summer. .. . Love to all.

YoursunifiG: Columba, Abb. IV. HH Pax Maredsous. 8 . IX . 21.

My dear Child,

I assure you, you are not as anxious to see me as I am to see you, but I really don’t see how I can manage. I have just come back from Holland to see our Primate.’ I shall be at Brussels Sunday for the Congrés Marial. Monday, confessions at Liége; 13 Professions; and then I must leave immediately to be at Philippeville to consecrate the Church with the Bishop.” Our retreat begins 18th and goes on till 26th. Then I have reunions of community ° for several days, etc., etc. I can’t get away. Pray for me as I have many cares, and I am getting old and easily worn out. Your Mother is looking splendid; she is very good; and God is taking good care of her.

I should love to see dear Rev. Mother, but I must suffer this privation. God bless and love you as I do.

  • Columba, Abb.

Pax 6°. V eo My dear Child,

I quite understand that you are enraged against me. I deserve it; but I am so accustomed to be pardoned by my Heavenly Father that I know you will forgive me. I can assure you that it is not want of affection or forgetfulness; but my life has been so rushed and so crushed with work, worry and responsibility, that I gave all my time to unavoidable correspondence, and left the rest. Many of my friends are just as enraged against me as you. I do think of you and pray

“lob. 2:13,

  • Dom Fidelis von Stotzingen.

  • Bishop Heylen of Namur. ® Meetings of Chapter and Council. for you daily at my Mass that God may give you the grace, which He gave me so abundantly: that of seeing my misery in His mercy, and of taking my glory and confidence in His aid and love. I had been hoping that some thing would have brought me to Rome and to you this year; but I don’t know Pius XI, and I have nothing to treat with him. He sent me a letter to thank me for my vol. of conferences; but it was mere formality; I don’t expect he ever read it. I am going to Lourdes this year for the first time. I am to direct the pilgrimage from 12-26 Sep. I shall have to preach and pontificate. It is possible I may be able to take Mother with me. She is very anxious to come....

I have had to go to Paris and London on legal business, just a run over, all in 4 days. Our Bishop,’ when he goes away, looks on me as his auxiliary, and gets me to do all his pontifical offices for him, and as he is the president of the Eucharistic Congresses, this means a lot. So my monks, like you, are often enraged against me because I leave them; but I can’t help it. If I were to follow my attrait, I would give my resignation as Abbot, and retire for my last years as chaplain to a convent, to pray, write and rest while preparing for the last great voyage.

The dear old Abbess, O.S.B. of Liége [82] was complaining lately to one of our abbots that she had no time to look after her own soul. He answered: “Your soul! Why! a Superior has no soul. It is buried in God; and He takes care of it.”

Our poor country is in a pitiful plight. English rule was bad enough; but to be governed by a pack of lunatics is worse. . . .*

If I could see you, as I desire ardently, — for Fdo love you dearly — I would preach a sermon on our solidarity with Jesus. He has so taken our weakness and miseries on Himself, that we can all day long present ourselves to the Father in His Person. Let us look at our Father in faith, and say: “Father, what You do to the least of those who are belonging to Jesus, You do to Him.” As Jesus has refused His Father nothing, He can refuse nothing to us.

  • Bishop Heylen.

  • This was during the strange interlude of strife between left-wing “republican”

Sinn Feiners and the provisional government. See Letter 19, Note 5, and Letter 20, Note 3, of Section III (to Bishop Dwyer). (MEE)

I am giving a retreat to Gr. Séminaire® of Tournai: 29 July-6 August. Then another to clergy of Nottingham 7-12 August. Pray for me too; for I am getting old [64], and these things tire me.

May God love and bless you, as I do from my heart of hearts.

Columba, Abb.

Footnotes

  1. 14, 1933, by Archbishop Goodier, and reproduced as a preface to the book Union with God (2nd ed.; London, Sands, 1949). ↩

Chapter 18 of 27