Letter XLVII. To a Sister of the Visitation

We can avoid sins, but must not expect to conquer every evil inclination: patience and perseverance required in the practice of charity and in the struggle against self-love.

I RECALL your letter, my very dear daughter, in which with so much sincerity you describe to me your imper fections and your troubles; and I should much like to be able to correspond with the desire which you have of learning some remedy from me; but neither does leisure permit, nor as I think does your necessity require it; for doubtless, my dear daughter, the chief part of what you describe to me has no other ordinary remedy than the course of time, and the exercises of the rule under which you live: there are in the same way corporal maladies of which the cure depends on a good order of life.

Self-love, the esteem of ourselves, false liberty of spirit, these are roots which one cannot fully eradicate from the human heart; one can only hinder the production of their fruits, which are sins; for their risings, their first shocks or movements, cannot be altogether prevented so long as we are in this mortal life; though

IV. R we can moderate them and diminish their quantity and their ardour by the practice of the contrary virtues, and above all, of the love of God.;

It behoves then to have patience, and little by little to amend and cut off our bad habits, suppress our aversions and surmount our inclinations and humours as occasion requires: for at last, my dear daughter, this life is a continual warfare, and there is no one who can say, I am not attacked.

Repose is reserved for heaven, where the palm of victory awaits us. On earth, it is necessary always to fight between fear and hope; but hope should always be stronger, on account of the omnipotence of him who aids us. Do not then get tired of continually working for your amendment and perfection. Notice that charity has three parts — the love of God, affection for self, and dilection for our neighbour. Your rule assists you to practise all this well.

Many times in the day cast your whole heart, your spirit, and your solicitude upon God, with a great confidence, and say to him with David: * / am Thine, 0 Lord, save me.

Do not occupy yourself much in thinking what sort of prayer God gives you, but simply and humbly follow his grace in the affection which you ought to have for yourself. Keep your eyes well fixed on your unruly inclinations to uproot them. Never be surprised to see yourself wretched and loaded with evil humours. Treat your heart with a great desire of perfecting it. Have an indefatigable care to put it right when it stumbles.

Above all, labour as much as you can to strengthen

LET. xLvm.] Later Letters to Visitation. 259 the superior part of your spirit, not concerning your self with feelings and consolations, but with resolutions, purposes and strivings, which faith, the rule, the superior and reason will inspire you with.

Be not tender with yourself: tender mothers spoil children. Be not tearful or complaining; be not alarmed at those importunities and violences which you feel, which you find it so painful to manifest: no, my daughter, be not alarmed, God permits them to make you humble with true humility, abject and vile in your own eyes. They ought not to be combated save by yearnings for God, turning of the spirit from the creature to the Creator, with continual affections for most holy humility and simplicity of heart.

Be kind to your neighbour, and in spite of the risings and sallies of anger, pronounce very oiten on occasion these divine words of our Saviour: * 0 Lord, eternal Father, I love these neighbours, because you love them, and have given them to me as brothers and sisters, and you will that as you love them I also love them. So above all, love these good sisters, with whom the very hand of divine Providence has associated and bound you by a heavenly bond: support them, cherish them and put them in your heart, my dear daughter. Know that I have a most particular affection for your progress, God having obliged me thereto.

• From John xvii.