Letter VIII. To the Same

Advice on meditation, on sleep, on having Mass in bedrooms: further advice on the way to sanctify corporal sufferings.

April or May 1605.*

MY VERY DEAR SISTER — May Our Lord grant you his Holy Spirit, to do and to suffer all things according to his will! Your messenger urges me so strongly to despatch him that I do not know whether I shall be able to answer you fully. At any rate I will say some thing to you, according as God shall give me the grace. I was glad that N. arrived so opportunely with my letters. All your repugnances do not alarm me; they will cease one day, God helping: and if it is true that you haya given little satisfaction to this good father, I feel certain that he will not be vexed about it; for I esteem him capable of understanding the different accidents of a soul which is beginning to walk in the ways of God. As for me, my dear sister and daughter, you could not be troublesome to me: and if Our Lord had given me as much liberty and convenience for assisting you as I have desire and affection, you would never find me tired of serving you unto the glory of God; for I am completely yours, and you cannot be too fully convinced of this.

Touching meditation, I pray you not to distress yourself, if sometimes, and even very often, you do not find consolation in it; go quietly on, with humility *The French says, "Before 9th October 1604." [Tr.]

and patience, not on this account doing violence to your spirit. Use your books when you find your soul weary, that is to say, read a little and then meditate, then read again a little and meditate, till the end of your half-hour. Mother [St.] Teresa thus acted in the beginning, and said that she found it a very good plan for herself. And since we are speaking in confidence, I will add that I have also tried it myself and found it good for me. Take it as a rule that the grace of meditation cannot be gained by any effort of the mind; but there must be a gentle and earnest perseverance full of humility. Continue all your other exercises in the manner I have marked them out for you.

With regard to going to bed, I will not change my opinion, if you please; but still, if you do not like bed, and cannot stay in it as long as the rest do, I will permit you to rise an hour earlier; for, my dear sister, it is incredible how dangerous long night vigils are, and how much they weaken the brain. It is not felt during youth; but it comes to be felt so much the more afterwards, and many persons have rendered themselves useless in this way.

I come to the question of the lancing of that poor limb. This will not be without extreme pain, but, my God! what an occasion does his goodnpss here give you of exercise in his commandments! Courage, my dear sister; we belong to Jesus Christ: see how he sends us his livery; take care that the iron which will open 'your leg be one of the nails which pierced Our Saviour's feet. What an honour! He has chosen this sort of favours for himself, and has loved them so greatly that he has carried them into Paradise, and behold lie shares them with you; and you say that you leave me to think how you can serve God during the time that you will be in bed. And I am glad to think of it, my good daughter. Do you know what I think? In your opinion, my dear sister, when was it that Our Saviour chiefly served his Father? Without doubt it was when lying on the tree of the cross, with his hands and feet pierced. And how did he serve him? In suffering and in offering; his sufferings were an odour of sweetness to his Father. And here, then, behold the service which you are to do to God while on your bed of pain; you will suffer, and will offer your sufferings to his Majesty. He will certainly be with you in this tribulation, and will console you.

Here is your cross come to you; embrace it and love it for the love of him who sends it to you. David in his affliction said to Our Lord: * / have been silent and have not opened my mouth, because it is thou, 0 my God, who hast done me this evil that I suffer. As if he said: If any other but thou, 0 my God, had sent me this affliction, I should not love it, I should reject it; but since it is thou, I say no word more, I receive it, I honour it.

Have no doubt but that I will earnestly pray to Our Lord for you, that he may give you a share of his patience, since he pleases to give you a share of his sufferings. I ought to do this, I will do it, and I will be near you in spirit during all your illness; no, I will not abandon you.

And here is a precious balm to soften your pains. Take every day a drop or two of the blood which dis tils from the wounds of the feet of Our Lord, making

• Ps. xxxviii. IO.

yo it flow by your meditation; and in imagination reverently dip your finger in this liquid and spread it over your sore place, with the invocation of the holy name of Jesus, which is oil poured out, said the spouse in the Canticles,* and you will find that your pain will lessen.

During this time, my dear daughter, give up saying your Office for as many days as the doctors advise, although you may seem not to have need to do so. I ordain it thus for you, in God's name.

If these letters reach you before the painful moment, get them to look everywhere for the treatise of Cacciaguerra On Tribulation, and read it to prepare your self, or have it read quietly to you by one of your more pious daughters while you are in bed. Never have I been so much touched by any book as I was by that during a very painful malady which I had in Italy.

The obedience which you will pay to the doctor will be extremely agreeable to God, and will be placed to your advantage at the day of judgment.

I cannot send you the writing on Communion just now, because your man presses me too much. I will send it you soon, for I shall have an opportunity; but meantime you will find in Granada all that you require, and in the Spiritual Exercises.

How pleased I was to see that you have over come all difficulties in doing all that I wrote to you touching your vows and confession! My dear sister, you must always act so, and God will be glorified in you. You shall have letters from me very often and by every opportunity.

• la.

Whilst I think of you suffering in bed, I shall have for you — and, indeed, I speak in good earnest — I shall have for you a particular reverence, and shall greatly honour you as a creature visited by God, clad in his livery, and as his special spouse. When Our Lord was on the cross he was declared King, even by his enemies, and souls which are on the cross are declared queens.

You do not know what the angels envy us in? Truly in this only, that we can suffer for Our Lord, while they ha 76 never suffered anything for him. St. Paul, who had been in heaven, and amid the beatitudes of Paradise, gloried in nothing save his infirmities, and in the cross of our Lord* When the lancing is over, say to your enemies the words of the same Apostle: f From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me; for I bear the marks and signs of the Lord Jesus in my body. 0 leg, which, being well used, will carry you higher in heaven than if it were the soundest in the world! Paradise is a mountain whose summit one reaches better with broken and wounded legs than with whole and healthy ones.

It is not good to have Masses said in bedrooms. Adore from your bed Our Lord on the Altar, and be satisfied. Daniel, being unable to go to the Temple, turned towards it to adore God: J do you the same. But I certainly consider that you should communicate in bed on all Sundays and chief feasts, so far as the doctors permit. Our Lord will willingly visit you on the bed of affliction.

I have received the note which was attached to your letter. Be very sure that it was quite pleasing * Gal. vi. 14. f Ibid. 17. £ Dan. vi. 10.

to me. I accept it with all my heart, and promise you that I will take the care of you that you desire, as far as God will give me the strength and ability. I beseech his divine Majesty to load you with his graces and benedictions, and all your house. May God be eternally blessed and glorified about you, in you, and by you! Amen. I am, my very dear daughter, your most affectionate servant in our Lord, &c.

I beg you to please to get a good work which I want to see done recommended to God, and, above all, to recommend it yourself during your sufferings; for at such time your prayers, though short and only in the heart, will be extremely well received. Ask from God at this time the virtues which are most necessary to you.