Letter XXI. To the Same (Mother de Chantal) (?). on the Feast of St. John Baptist

Is it not right, my dear sister, that not being able to see you I should at least go and wish you a happy feast in spirit? Behold what a great Saint here pre sents himself before the eyes of our mind! When I consider him in that desert, I do not know whether it is an Angel who appears to be a man, or a man who aspires to be an Angel. What acts of contemplation, what upliftings of spirit does he make there!

His food is admirable: for the honey represents the sweetness of the contemplative life, all drawn from the flowers of the sacred mysteries. The locusts re-

• Luke vii. 28. IV. 2 E present the active life; for the locust never walks on the earth and never flies in the air, but by a mysterious blending of movements is seen sometimes leaping and sometimes touching the earth in order to take breath: and those who follow the active life alternately leap and touch earth: it lives on dew and does nothing except chirrup. My dear daughter, although according to our mortal condition, it is necessary to touch the earth so as to take order for the necessi ties of this life, yet our heart ought to relish nothing save the good pleasure of God in all this, and ought to refer all to the praise of God.

And that this earthly angel should be clothed with camel's hair — what is the signification of all this? The camel with its hump, naturally fitted to bear burdens, represents the sinner. Alas! however good Christians may be, they must still remember that they are surrounded with sin; and if the sin does not touch them, at least there is always present some skin — of thoughts, temptations, and dangers. Ah! how proper a dress for preserving holiness is the robe of humility!

Behold, I pray, this holy young man buried in solitude. He is there by obedience, waiting to be called to go to the people. He keeps himself separated from the Saviour — whom he knew and kissed by affection from the womb of his mother — in order not to be separated from obedience; knowing well that to find the Saviour outside obedience is to lose him altogether. Further, he is born of a barren and aged woman, to show us that dryness and sterility can produce within us grace; for John means grace.

But particularly notice, my dear daughter, that im-

LET. xxiii.] Letters for Various Festivals. 435 mediately his father Zachary had written the name of this glorious infant on the tablets, he begins to prophesy, and to sing the beautiful canticle: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.* Without doubt, this name, well graven on our hearts, I mean, the honour and imitation of this Saint, will make us prophesy and bless God with full benedictions.

I love this beautiful woodland nightingale, who being all voice and all song, and coming forth upon the ways of Judaea, first announces the coming of the sun. I beseech him to give you of his honey, of his locusts, and to share with you his mantle.