Letter XIX. To a Superior of the Visitation [Mother Favre]

Encouragement to renounce all for God, and to have no solicitude.

Early in 1616*

TRULY I see with my own eyes, methinks, and feel with my own heart, that you have made an exercise

• The French has " about December 1615." [Tr.]

LET. xxm,] Earlier Letters to Visitation. 135 of very great renunciation. But, 0 how blessed are the naked of heart! For Our Lord will clothe them again with graces, with benedictions, and with his special protection. Poor and wretched creatures that we are in this mortal life, we can scarcely do any thing good without suffering some evil for it; nay, we can hardly even serve him in one direction without leaving him in another; and often it is required to leave God for God, renouncing his sweetness to serve him in his sorrows and travails.

My very dear daughter — Ah! maidens who get married give up without difficulty the presence of their fathers and mothers, and of their country, to put themselves under husbands who are very often unknown to them — at least their dispositions are un known — with the object of bearing to them children for this world. Surely a greater courage than this God's daughters must have, to form in purity and sanctity of life children for his divine Majesty. But all the same, my dear daughter, we can never quit one another, we whom the very blood of Our Lord, I mean his love by merit of his blood, holds glued and joined together. Certainly, for my part, I am in truth so perfectly yours that in proportion as these two or three days of distance seem to separate us corporally, I join myself with stronger and fuller affection spiritually to you, as to my daughter most dear. You will be the first with our mother in my prayers and in my solicitudes — sweet solicitudes, however, because of the extreme confidence which I have in this celestial care of divine Providence over your soul, which will be blessed if it cast also all its apprehensions into this bosom of infinite love.

So then, my dear daughter, have your eyes lifted up high to God; increase your courage in most holy humility, strengthen it with sweetness, confirm it in equality of mind; make your spirit perpetually mistress of your inclinations and humours; allow no fears to take possession of your heart: one day will give you the knowledge of what you shall do the next* You have so far got through many hazards, and this by God's grace; the same grace will deliver you from the difficulties and perils of the way, one after the other, even if he have to send an angel to bear you up in the more dangerous passages.

Do not turn back your eyes upon your infirmities and weaknesses, unless to humble yourself; never to discourage yourself. Often behold God on your right hand, and the two Angels whom he has appointed you, one for your person, the other for your little family. Say often to them, to these holy angels: My Lords, how shall I act? Beseech them to impart habitually to you that knowledge of the divine Will which they contemplate, and the inspirations which Our Lady desires that you should receive from her own breasts of love. Do not take notice of that variety of imper fections which exist in yourself and in all the daughters whom Our Lord and Our Lady have put under your charge, except to keep yourself in the holy fear of offending God; never to alarm yourself; for we must not marvel that each herb and each flower in a garden requires its special care.

I have learnt one or two of the graces which God gave to our very dear Sister Marie-Rene'e at her de cease. She was most truly my daughter; for when I

• Day to day uttercth the word, Ps. xviii. 2.

was there she made a review of her whole life, to give me a knowledge of what she had been, with incredible humility and confidence, and without great necessity, to my extreme edification, when I think of it again. Now she is there praying for us, and for you in particular, since she passed away as your daughter and with your assistance.

Give me the consolation, my dear daughter, of often writing to me and always telling me the things which you think I may profitably know of the state of your heart, which I bless with all mine in the name of Our Lord, and am in God all yours.