Letter XXXI. To a Superioress of the Visitation

Directions Iww to lehwe towards a postulant whose parents had insisted on her entering into the convent: also of another postulant whose dispositions were not perfect.

About i62i.f

... Now as to the vocation of this young person, f I consider it good, though mingled with many imper fections as far as her spirit is concerned, and though it would be desirable that she should have come to God simply and purely, and because it is so good a thing to be entirely his. But God does not draw with equal motives all those whom he calls to himself; indeed few are found who come to his service solely and entirely to be his, and to serve him. Amongst the women whose conversion is illustrious in the Gospel, there was only Magdalen who came by love and with love: the adulterous woman came through public confusion, as the Samaritan woman by private shame; the Chananaean came to be relieved in her temporal necessity. St. Paul, the first hermit, at the age of fifteen, retired into his cave to avoid persecution; St. Ignatius of Loyola came through tribulation, and so with a hundred others.

• Part of this letter is given in Letters to Persons in the World, Bk.V. 17.

f The French has no date. [Tr.]

J Not the same that is spoken of in the first half of the letter. [Tr.]

LET. xxxi.] Later Letters to Visitation. 225

We must not want to have all begin with perfection: it matters little how one begins, provided that one is quite resolved to proceed well or to finish well. Lia certainly entered unfairly into Kachel's place with Jacob, but she behaved so well, so chastely, and so lovingly, that she had the blessing of being an ancestress of Our Lord. Those who were compelled to. go in to the nuptial feast of the Gospel none the less ate and drank well.

The dispositions of those who come to Eeligion are chiefly to be judged by subsequent perseverance; for there are souls which would not enter if the world looked favourably on them, and which, however, are found well disposed to despise sincerely the vanity of the world. It is quite certain, as the history of the case tells us, that this poor girl of whom we speak had not generosity enough to quit the love of him who sought her in marriage, and only the contradiction of her parents compelled her to it; but it does not matter if she has enough right understanding of things to know that the necessity which is imposed upon her by her parents is worth a hundred thousand times more than the free use of her own will and fancy (read in Flatus, On the Religious State, Chap. 36, the answer which he has given to those who say they can not tell whether they are called by God), and if she can truly say: I had lost my liberty had I not lost my liberty.

Now, my dear daughter, the way to help this soul, so as to make her know her good fortune, is to lead her as sweetly as one can to the exercise of prayer and the virtues; to display a great love for her on your own part and on that of all our sisters (taking no notice of the imperfection of the motive with which IV. p she entered); not to speak slightingly of the person whom she loved; and if she speak of him you must refer the matter to God, for instance by saying to her: God will lead him in the way which he knows to be best.

You ask me if an interview between the two can be permitted. I say that in my opinion it must not be altogether refused if it is much desired: but in the beginning you must give a sort of indirect refusal, and then when you see that the young person is quite determined to the blessed choice of God's love, you can permit two or three interviews, provided that they consent to the presence of two or three witnesses. If you are one of these you must dexterously help them to say adieu, praising their past intentions, leading them in a different direction, telling them they are happy to have stayed in the path to which reason has brought them, and that an ounce of the pure divine love which they will bear to one another in future is worth more than a hundred thousand pounds of the love with which they had begun their affection.

There is a good history on this subject in the Confessions of St. Augustine, of two gentlemen who had entered into espousals with two maidens, who all four, in imitation of one another, having given up the idea of marriage, became Religious.

And thus, without making a show of fearing their interviews too much, you must little by little conduct them from the way of love into that of a holy and pure dilection. If this young person has a reasonable spirit, as you have sent me word she has, I am sure that she will soon find herself quite transformed, and that she will admire the sweetness with which Our Lord draws

LET. xxxii.] Later Letters to Visitation. 227 her to his nuptials, with their all heaven-scented flowers and fruits.

As to what the world will say of this vocation, there is no need to make any sort of reflection; fof this is in no way the ground of her being received. I answer about this soul according to my sentiments; you will guide her as you will see best.

As to Mile. N., I likewise say that you should let her come, although the choice of place shows some imperfection of human feeling or motive mingled with her vocation; as on the other side there may be some in the dislike which Sister de N. has to her coming away from there: but take good care not to tell her this disparaging thought of her which comes to my mind, for all the same she is a very good sister, whom I love very much, because, as I am sure, she does not live according to her feelings, aversions, and inclina tions, which make her desire the greatness and glory of her monastery, but rather according to the cross of Our Lord, which makes her perpetually disown the movements of self-love.