Letter XXIII. To a Young Lady

Exhortation to enter the religious life. The marriage at Cana.

I HAVE learnt then, by the mouth of our dear cousin, in how many ways our Lord had tested your heart and tried your steadiness, my dear daughter. Well now, we must holily animate and invigorate ourselves amidst all these storms. Blessed be the wind, whencesoever it come, since it makes us speed to a good port.

These, my dear daughter, are the conditions with which we should give ourselves to God; namely, that he may at once do bis will with us, with our affairs and with our plans, and may break and contravene ours, as it shall please him. Oh how happy are they whom God turns as he likes, and leads according to his good pleasure, whether by tribulation or by consolation! But still the true servants of God have always more esteemed the way of adversity, as being more conformed to that of our Head, who would only succeed in our salvation and the glorifying of his own name by the cross and ignominies.

But, my dear daughter, do you realise well in your heart what you write to me, that God by thorny ways

LET. xxiv.] Further Letters Outside Visitation. 333 conducts you to a state which had been offered to you by easier means? For if you had this knowledge you would extremely cherish this state which God has chosen for you, and would love it so much the more because he has not only chosen it but leads you to it himself, and by a way by which he has conducted all his dearest and greatest servants. Beseech him that this sentiment which he gives you may not die out, but that it may increase to perfect maturity. As for me, I bless your dear soul, which Our Lord wants for himself, and I have for you all the holy love which can be expressed. Our dear cousin is tender in this affection, and has a heart perfectly yours.

This bridegroom of Cana in Galilee makes his marriage feast, and intends to be bridegroom; but he is quite too fortunate, for Our Lord gives him an ex change, and converting the water into very good wine makes himself the Bridegroom and the soul of this poor first bridegroom his spouse. For whether it was St. John the Evangelist or some other, and not on the eve but on the day of marriage, Our Lord carries him off to follow him, draws to himself his chaste soul, and makes him his disciple; and the bride, seeing that this Saviour could have many spouses, would be of the number: and for one sole nuptial banquet, where the wine ran short, behold two excellent ones; for the souls of both one and the other are espoused to Jesus Christ.

It is so that we read that Gospel; and it has come to my heart to say this word to you: blessed are they who thus change their water into wine; but it must be by the agency of the most holy Mother. I beseech her ever to give you her sweet and maternal protection. 1 am in her your most affectionate servant, &c.