Letter XLVIII. To a Lady

A Confessor may for various reasons withdraw frequent communion from certain persons; this privation must he borne with a humble obedience, to make it advantageous.

You have by this time, my dearest daughter, my answer to the letter which N. brought me; and here

• Ps. vi. 3.

is the answer to yours of the 14th of January. You have done well to obey your Confessor, whether he has withdrawn from you the consolation of communicating often in order to try you, or whether he has done it because you did not take sufficient care to correct your impatience. I think he has done it for both motives, and that you ought to persevere in this patience as long as he orders you, since you have every reason to believe that he does nothing without proper consideration; and if you obey humbly, one communion will be more useful in its effect than two or three otherwise. For there is nothing which makes meat so profitable as to take it with appetite and after exercise: the delay will give you a greater appetite, and the exercise you will take in mortifying your impatience will reinvigorate your spiritual stomach.

Meanwhile, humble yourself gently, and often make an act of love of your own abjection. Remain somewhat in the attitude of the Chanansean: Yes, Lord, I am not worthy to eat the bread of the children* if I am truly a dog that snarl at and bite my neighbour without cause by my words of impatience. But if the dogs do not eat the bread, at least they have the crumbs from their master's table. So, O my sweet master! I beg, if not your body, at least the benedictions which it sheds on those who approach it with love. These are the sentiments you might have,

• Mat. xv. 26.

my dearest daughter, on the days when you were wont to communicate and do not.

The feeling you have of being all God's is not a deceitful one; but it requires that you should occupy yourself a little more in the exercise of virtues, and have a special care to acquire those in which you find yourself most wanting. Read again the Spiritual Combat, and give a special attention to the teachings therein: it will be very useful to you.

The sentiments we feel in prayer are good; but still we must not so delight in them as not diligently to employ ourselves in virtues and the mortification of the passions. I pray ever for the good mother of the dear daughters. And, indeed, since you are in the way of prayer, and the good Carmelite mother helps you, it is sufficient. I recommend myself to her prayers and yours; and am, without end or reserve, very perfectly yours. Vive Jesus. Amen.