Letter XLIV. To a Superioress of the Visitation

A Monastery is a school of perfection: obedience is the chief virtue required; even prayer must be regulated by this.

MY DEAR DAUGHTER — I will tell you, as to the difficulty which this good sister has, that she greatly deceives

• Ps. cxxvi. I.

2

herself if she thinks that prayer perfects her without obedience, which is the dear virtue of the Spouse, in which, by which, and for which he willed to die. We know by history and experience that many religious and others have been holy without mental prayer, but without obedience, not one.

You are right, my dear daughter; there must be no reserve or condition; for should we receive souls in that way the congregation would find itself quite full of the subtlest and consequently most dangerous self-love in the world. One would stipulate for communicating daily, another for hearing three masses, another for attending the sick every day; and by this means each one would follow her humour or her own object, instead of following Our Saviour crucified.

It behoves that those who enter should know that the congregation is only founded to serve as a school and guide to perfection, and that all the sisters will be advanced towards it by the most suitable ways, and that those ways will be most suitable which they do not choose themselves. " He who is his own master," says St. Bernard, " is a scholar under a fool." Let her then remain in peace in the arms of her mother, who will carry and guide her in a good path.

Prayer must be loved, but it must be loved for love of God. Now she who loves it for God's love only wants as much of it as God wills to give -her; and God wills to give only as much as obedience permits. If then this daughter (whom, however, I greatly love on account of the good that you tell me of her) wants to perfect herself after her own fashion she must be handed over to herself; but I doubt not, if she is really devout, and has the true spirit of prayer, that she will submit to simple obedience. She looks too far in ad vance when she says that she will accommodate herself for a short time to having only half an hour's prayer, but that she could not promise it for ever. The true servant of God is not solicitous for the morrow; she executes faithfully what he wants to-day, and to-morrow what he then wants; and after to-morrow what he shall want then, without stipulating either for this or for that. It is thus that we should unite our will, not to the means of serving God, but to the serving him and to his good pleasure. Be, not therefore solicitous for the morrow; saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed?... For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore the kingdom of God... and all these things shall be added unto you* This is to be under stood of the spiritual as of the temporal.

Let then this daughter take a child's heart, a will of wax, and a spirit stripped and despoiled of all sorts of affections save that of loving God; and as to the means of loving him, they should be indifferent to her. Live sweetly and holily amid the pains which you suffer under your charge, my dear and well-beloved daughter, and I beseech God to be the life of your Boul. Amen.

• Matt. vi.

LETTER XLY.

To MOTHER FAVRE.

She is to conduct her daughters variously according to the Spirit of God: they must resist the tendency to over-emulation.

MY VERY DEAR GRAND-DAUGHTER — In my opinion there will be no harm in letting this good sister communicate; indeed you must if possible take from the sisters of the congregation that imperfection, ordinary with women, of vain and jealous imitation. They must be confirmed if possible in not wanting to do all that others do, but in simply willing what others will — that is to say, not all to do the same exercises, except those of the rule.

Yes, let each one walk according to the gift of God; but let all have that one and simple design of serving God, all having one same will, one same undertaking, one same project, with great resignation about fulfilling it, each one according to the means which the superior and the spiritual father shall deem expedient; in such sort that those who communicate more often may esteem others no less than themselves — since we oftentimes approach closer to Our Lord by withdrawing through humility than by approaching at our own choice — and those who do not communicate so often must not let themselves be carried away by a vain emulation.

It is true that we must not permit the rule to be exceeded save rarely, and for reasons like to these. My dear daughter, how happy shall we be if we are faithful! My soul cordially salutes your spirit, which may God bless with his holy hand. Amen.

LET. XLVI.] Later Letters to Visitation. 253