Letter XXIV. To a Sister of the Visitation

On the Feast of the Assumption.

AH! how lovely is this dawning of the eternal day, which, rising towards heaven, goes on, methinks, ever

• From Judges ix. 13.

LET. xxvi.] Letters for Various Festivals. 441 increasing in the benedictions of its incomparable glory! May the odours of eternal sweetness, spread over the hearts of her servants, fill those of my dearest mother, as my own heart, and may our dear little congregation, entirely devoted to the praise of her Son and of the sacred breasts that gave him suck, enjoy the blessings prepared for the souls who honour her.

Yesterday evening I had a most particular sense of the advantage which one has of being a child, though unworthy, of this glorious Mother, star of the sea, fair as the moon, bright as the sun.*

My dear mother, I had a special consolation in seeing how she gave a robe of unequalled whiteness to her servant St. Ildefonsus, bishop of Toledo; for why will she not give one to our dear heart? You see I return everywhere to my flock: let us undertake great things, under favour of this Mother; for if we are a little fervent in her love she is careful not to leave us without the object that we aspire to.

Ah! when I remember that in the Canticles t she says: Compass me about with apples, I would gladly give her our heart; for what other apple can this fair fruit-tree want of me?

I return from my sermon, in which I should greatly like to have spoken more holily and lovingly of our glorious and sacred Mistress: I beseech her to deign to pardon me.

May God give us the grace to see ourselves one day consumed with divine love. Meantime, good night, my dearest mother.

The 1 5th August, day of the glorification of our most honoured mistress. May she be for ever our love. * Cant. vi. 9. t /&. ii. 5-