Letter XLIII. To a Superioress of the Visitation

One religious Order is not to despise another: the excellence of littleness.

MY DAUGHTER — Take good care not to respond in any way to those good sisters or their foundress, save by a quite invariable humility, sweetness, and simplicity of heart. Defend not yourselves, my dearly beloved: — these are the very words of the Holy Spirit, written by St. Paul.* There are sometimes human temptations amongst the servants of God; if we are animated by love we shall support them in peace.

If these good souls despise our Institute, because it seems to them less than their own, they go against charity, in which the strong do not despise the weak * Eom. xii. 19. So the French, and the Vulgate. [Tr.]

nor the great the little. It is true they are more than you; but do the Seraphim despise the little Angels? And in heaven, wherein is the image on which we should form ourselves, do the great Saints despise the less? But apart from all this, in brief, he who most loves will be most loved, and he who shall have most loved shall be the most glorified. Love God dearly, and for God's sake love all creatures, particularly those who despise you; and then trouble yourself not.

The evil spirit exerts his efforts, because he sees that this little Institute is useful to the service and glory of God, and he specially hates it because it is little and the least of all; for he is an arrogant spirit and hates littleness, because it serves towards humility — he who has always loved pride, haughtiness, and arrogance, and who, because he would not stay in his littleness, lost his greatness. Labour in humility, in abjection; let people talk and act as they will. Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it* and if God build it, they labour in vain that would destroy it. God knows when and with what souls he will fill your monastery. Remain at peace; and I am your, &c.