Letter XXX. To a Religious Sister

On struggling with perseverance against, the prevailing faults of impatience and hastiness.

ANOTHER time you must keep your heart quite open and have no kind of apprehension; for it will be much more useful to confer mouth to mouth than by writing.

These inclinations which you have are precious

• Gal. ii. 20.

occasions which God gives you of nobly showing your fidelity towards him, by the care which you will have to repress them. Make efficacious prayers and affec tions contrary to them; and immediately you feel you have gone astray, repair the fault by some contrary action of sweetness, humility, and charity towards the persons whom you have a repugnance to obey, submit to, wish well to, love cordially: for, in a word, since you know on what side your enemies press you the most, you must steady yourself and well fortify and guard yourself there. You must continually lower the head and charge against your customs or inclina tions, must recommend this to Our Lord, and in every thing and everywhere calm yourself down, scarcely thinking of anything else than the effort after this victory. For my part, I will by Our Lord to give you it and the triumph of his holy Paradise. He will do it, my dear daughter, if you persevere in the pursuit of his holy love, and take care to live humbly before him, amiably towards your neighbour, and sweetly towards yourself. And I will ever be cordially, your, &c.