Letter II. To a Young Lady going to Live in Society

We must despise the judgments, contempt and raillery of worldly • people.

My dearest Daughter, — You will often be amongst the children of this world, who, according to their custom, will laugh at all they see or think they see in you contrary to their miserable inclinations. Do not busy yourself disputing with them, show no sort of sadness under their attacks; but joyously laugh at their laughter, despise their contempt, smile at their remonstrances, gracefully mock at their mockeries; and not giving attention to all this, walk always gaily in the service of God; and in time of prayer, commend these poor souls to the Divine mercy. They are worthy of compassion in having no desire for honourable company, except to laugh and mock at subjects worthy of respect and reverence.

I see that you abound in the goods of the present life; take care that your heart become not attached thereto. Solomon, the wisest of mortals, commenced his unspeakable misery by the pleasure he took in the grandeurs, ornaments and magnificent equipages he had, though all this was according to his quality. Let us consider that all we have makes us really nothing more than the rest of the world, and that all this is nothing before God and the Angels.

Remember, my dearest daughter, to fulfil well the will of God in the cases in which you may have the most difficulty. It is a little thing to please God in what pleases us: filial fidelity requires that we will to please him in what does not please us, putting before our eyes what the great well-beloved Son said of himself: / am not come to do my ivill, but the will of him that sent me* For you also are not a Christian to do your own will, but to do the will of him who has adopted you for his daughter and eternal heiress.

For the rest, you are going away, and I — I also am going away, without any hope of seeing you again in this world. Let us pray God earnestly to give us grace so to live according to his pleasure in this pilgrimage, that arriving at our heavenly country, we may be able to rejoice at having seen one another here below, and to have spoken here of the mysteries

• John vi. 38.

of eternity. In this alone must we rejoice to have loved one another in this life, namely, that all has been for the glory of his Divine Majesty, and our eternal salvation.

Keep that holy gaiety of heart, which nourishes the strength of the soul, and edifies our neighbour. Go thus in peace, my dearest daughter, and God be ever your protector; may he ever hold you in his hand, and conduct you in the way of his holy will. Amen, my dearest daughter. And I promise you that every day I will renew these sacred wishes for your soul, which mine will ever cherish unchangeably. And to God be ever praise, thanksgiving and benedictions. Amen.