Letter XV. To Mother de Chastel, at Grenoble

On receiving young postulants or aspirants, and the way of treating them: also on the rules for Associated Sisters.

\6th May 1620.

MY VERY DEAR DAUGHTER — The girl of whom you write to me, as she is of such great consequence, can very well be received, provided that she is about twelve years old. It is true that these young people give trouble, but what of that? I find no blessing without burden in this world. We must so adjust oui will that it should either not aim at things that please, or if it do aim at them and desire them, that it should also willingly accommodate itself to things that displease, which are inseparably joined with those that please. We have no wine without dregs in this world. So you must choose: is it better that there should be thorns in our garden in order to have roses, or that there should be no roses in order to have no thorns? If this IV. N girl bring more good than harm, it will be good to receive her; if she bring more harm than good, you should not receive her.

And speaking of young girls, Sister N. (Jeanne-Marie, daughter of the woman who keeps the gate), who was received so young, is ill with a malady which is painful, and, according to M. Grandis, mortal; for she is consumptive. I went to see her the other day, and I had an unspeakable consolation in seeing so quiet an indifference as to death or life, so sweet a patience, and a smiling countenance under a burning fever and amid many sufferings, she asking as her only consolation to be allowed to make her profession before her death.

Now, if you receive the one whom you speak of, you must certainly not oblige her to the exercises, for this might disgust her at such a tender age, which cannot ordinarily relish that which is of the spirit. As to the habit, you must not give it to her before the age, but you will do well to provide her a very simple dress, and a little kerchief to wear on her head, so that she may in some way resemble a religious, and it will be good to have it black or dark, without ornament, as I saw at Saint Paul's at Milan, where there were about a hundred and fifty sisters, and twenty or twenty-five novices, and quite as many postulants (pr&endantes), who were there at school and waiting: these last were all clothed alike in blue, and wore a uniform dress. I say the same of the little girl, Lambert; and it will be a slight preparation for the habit; this latter can be given to girls of good disposition a few months before the time, but not the position of novice, as was done with Sister Jeanne-Marie; nor should this ever be done except for urgent causes. A little habit, dark or white, or of whatever colour you choose, with some thing of the shape of the religious dress, which would show that they are aspiring and waiting till the age, should satisfy them.

That subjects should go to Lyons or elsewhere does not matter at all; and do not trouble yourself about it. When you have got into our monastery, its advan tages will have their attractions like the others, and maidens will come there as doves come to fresh white dove-cots. Meanwhile, my dear daughter, he who seeks only the glory of God finds it in poverty as in abundance. Those good daughters do not love a poverty that pinches, neither are we ourselves violently in love with it. Those then that want to go to Lyons, quietly and peaceably let them go; God takes better care of you than that all this should matter. You will excuse me, my dear daughter.

I hope that God will help us that the great Office may never be introduced into this congregation; and the Pope himself has given some instruction about it. It is good, moreover, that there should be Associated sisters, for the sake of those who could not say the Office, either from having weak or short sight, or from some weakness of chest or other infirmity. It is for this reason that the exercises which should be given them instead of the choir Office have not been marked; for these must be selected according to their infirmity. If their sight is bad they can say the Rosary. If they suffer from the chest and not from the eyes they can say their Hours, and the superior can put them to some duty not incompatible with their infirmity. I have lately been reading the I st Constitution, where it is clearly enough stated that Associated sisters, like the domestic sisters, shall say Paters and Aves instead of the Office: this is at pages 1 18, 1 19. So there is no obligation to say the Hours, but it will be enough for them to do what is said in this article of the constitu tions, the superior for the rest employing them according to what she sees they can do.

It will be good that our mother from Lyons [Favre] should call at Grenoble to see you; you will both receive consolation from it. And do not distress your self about the little touch of joy which your heart feels at this; for it is nothing, and only serves to make us humble ourselves quietly, to discover the misery of our nature, and to make us wholly desire to live according to grace, according to the Gospel, according to the spirit of our Lord. Always speak freely to me, for I protest before God and his Saints that I am yours, my very dear and truly beloved daughter. I salute our sisters tenderly, and also those good ladies.