Letter XLV. To a Mistress of Novices of the Visitation

She must do her best with simplicity, and confidently leave the rest to God.

GOD will inspire you, my dear daughter, as to all he wants from you, if in the innocence and simplicity of your heart, with an entire resigning of your inclina tions, you often ask him in your heart: Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? * And I am glad that you have already heard his voice, and that you serve him in the feeding of these daughters.

Nor was it a good excuse to say: I have no breasts, I have no milk; for it is not with our own milk or our own breasts that we feed the children of God; it is with the milk and the breasts of the divine Spouse; and we do no more than point them out to the children, and say: take, suck, draw and live. Keep your heart thus then open and large, to do well all the ser vice that shall be laid upon you.

In proportion as you undertake, in virtue of holy obedience, many things for God, he will assist you with his help, and will do your work with you if you will do yours with him; now his is the sanctifi cation and perfection of souls. Labour humbly, simply and confidently at this; you will never receive from it any distraction which will be hurtful to you. That peace is not good which flies the labour required for the glorification of God's name.

Live wholly for this divine love, my dear daughter, * Acts ix. 6.

and know that it is with all my heart that I cherish your well-beloved soul, and never cease to recommend it to the eternal mercy of our Saviour, to whom I conjure you reciprocally to recommend me very often. I am all yours, my very dear daughter, &c.