Letter XIV. To the Same

The pigeons and little birds at Sales: thoughts on charity and simplicity. Her manner of prayer is good: his own prayer. Reference, to the Treatise on the Love of God.

The second day of Lent ($th March] 1615.* I WROTE to you when going to Sales, my dearest mother, and now I write to you on my return. I have had three consolations, and you will be very glad to know them, for what consoles me consoles you also.

• The French says, "Second day of Lent, or 26th February 1615.* In this year Ash Wednesday was 4th March. [Tr.]

LET. xvii.] Earlier Letters to Visitation. 123

First, my dear little sister,* whom I find ever more amiable, and desirous to become greatly devout.

Secondly, yesterday, Ash Wednesday, I had my morning all alone in the gallery and in the chapel, where I had a sweet memory of our dear and desirable conferences at the time of your general confession: and I cannot describe what good thoughts and affec tions God gave me on this subject.

Thirdly, there had been a heavy snow, and the courtyard was covered with a good foot of snow. John came in and swept a small space clear of snow and threw down corn there for the pigeons to eat, who all came together into that refectory to take their refection, with an admirable peace and decorum; and I watched them with interest. You would not believe what great edification these little creatures gave me; for they never said one single little word, and those who had finished their meal first flew to one side to wait for the others. And when they had left half the space free there came round them a number of smaller birds who had been watching them; and all the pigeons who were still eating retired into a corner, leaving the greatest part of the place to the little birds, who came in their turn to the table to eat, the pigeons not minding them at all.

I admired the charity: for the poor pigeons had such great fear of distressing these little birds to whom they were giving alms, that they kept all by themselves at one end of the table. I admired the discretion of these beggars, who did not come for alms till they saw that the pigeons were near the end of their

• His brother's wife, Madame de Thorens, daughter of Mother de Chantal.

repast, and that there was sufficient left. At last, I could not keep from tears, to see the charitable simplicity of the doves, and the confidence of the little birds in their charity. I do not know whether a preacher would have touched me so sensibly. This image of virtue did me great good all the day.

But they have come to hasten me, my dear mother: my heart entertains you with its thoughts, and my thoughts most frequently entertain themselves with your heart, which is, without doubt, one same heart with mine.

Your prayer of simply committing yourself to God is extremely holy and wholesome. You must never have a doubt of it: it has been so closely examined, and always been found to be the manner of prayer in which Our Saviour wished you. So there is nothing more to be done than quiet] y continue in it.

God favours me with many consolations and holy affections, by lights and sentiments which he diffuses in the superior part of my soul; the inferior has no part therein. May he be blessed for it eternally. May God, who is the soul of our heart, my dear mother, deign ever to fill you with his holy love. Amen.

I do what I can for the book. Be sure that it is a great martyrdom to be unable to gain the time re quired; still I get on well, and I thinly that I shall keep my word to my dear mother. You are, my very dear mother, all precious to my heart. May God make you ever more and more entirely his. I salute our dear sisters.

LET. xvm.] Earlier Letters to Visitation. 125

LBTTEK XVIII. To THE SAME.

Consolations under calumny: holy indifference to be cultivated; liberty as to spiritual communications: imperfect souls to be received and borne with.

i-$th May 1615.

I PRAISE God, my dear mother, because this poor little congregation of servants of the divine Majesty is much calumniated. Alas! I regret the sins of the calum niators, but this injury received is one of the best marks of the approbation of Heaven; and in order that we may be able to understand this secret, Our Lord himself was calumniated — in how many fashions! Oh! blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake*

Your interior affliction is also a persecution for justice, for it tends to adjust your will exactly to the resignation and indifference which we love and praise so much. The more Our Lord subtracts his sensible consolations, the more perfections he prepares for us, provided that we humble ourselves before him, and cast all our hope upon him.

We must cultivate the most holy indifference, to which Our Lord calls us. Whether you are here or there, what can separate us from the unity which is in Our Lord Jesus Christ? t In fact, it is a thing which henceforth makes no difference to our souls, this being in one place or two, since our most precious unity sub sists everywhere, thanks to him who has effected it. * Matt. v. 10. t Rom. viii. 35.

How many times have I said it to you, my dear mother, that heaven and earth are not distant enough to separate the hearts which our Lord has joined! Let us remain at peace in this assurance.

I much prefer that the house should confide entirely in you, for so things will go very smoothly and sweetly, provided you are left at liberty, and they rest upon your word: but I fear that they may want to keep you there; this would be an unjust thought, and one I could not listen to. I say thought, because the thing itself must not be spoken of. You must, then, on this subject speak sweetly and justly, and declare that you will have a very sufficient care of that house.

It is necessary to guard like the apple of one's eye the holy liberty which the Institute gives as to spiritual communications and conferences. Experience tells me that nothing is so useful to the servants of God, when it is practised according to our rules.

I answer that the self-assertion of these souls nou rished in their own judgment would not prevent their being received, if there had been explained to them the general maxims of sweetness, charity, and simplicity, and the throwing off of natural humours, inclinations, and aversions which ought to reign in our Congregation: for, after all, if we would only receive souls with whom there was no trouble, Orders of religion, would be of scarcely any service to our neighbour, since these souls would almost everywhere do well.

My dear mother, live joyful, courageous, peaceful, united to Our Saviour; and may it please his goodness to bless the most holy oneness which he has made of us, and to sanctify it more and more. I salute our dear sisters. Ah! how much perfection do I wish them!

LET. xix.] Earlier Letters to Visitation. 127

This 1 3th day of May — on which I commence the twenty-third year of my life in the ecclesiastical state, full of confusion at having done so little towards living in the perfection of this state.