Letter XVII. To a Lady

Counsels during pregnancy.

29th September, 1620. My dearest Daughter, — I am not at all surprised that your heart seems a little heavy and torpid, for you are pregnant, and it is an evident truth that our souls generally contract in the inferior part the qualities and conditions of our bodies: and I say in the inferior part, my dearest daughter, because it is this which immediately touches the body, and which is liable to share in the troubles of it. A delicate body being weighed down by the burden of pregnancy, weakened by the labour of carrying a child, troubled with many pains, cannot allow the heart to be so lively, so active, so ready in its operations, but all this in no way injures the acts of that higher part of the soul, which are as agreeable to God as they could be in the midst of all the gladnesses in the world; yea, more agreeable in good sooth, as done with more labour and struggle; but they are not so agreeable to the person who does them, because not being in the sensible part, they are not so much felt, nor so pleasant to us.

My dearest daughter, we must not be unjust and require from ourselves what is not in ourselves. When troubled in body and health, we must not exact from our souls more than acts of submission and acceptance of labour, and holy unions of our will to the good pleasure of God, which are formed in the highest region of the spirit: and as for exterior actions we must manage and do them the best we can, and be satisfied with doing them, though without heart, languidly and heavily. And to raise these languors and heavinesses and topors of heart, and to make them serve towards divine love, you must profess, accept, and love holy abjection; thus shall you change the lead of your heaviness into gold, and into gold finer than would be the gold of your most lively gladnesses of heart. Have patience then with yourself. Lei your superior part bear the disorder of the inferior; and often offer to the eternal glory of our Creator the little creature in whose formation he has willed to make you his fellow-worker.

My dearest daughter, we have at Annecy a Capuchin painter who, as you may think, only paints for God and his temple: and though while working he has to pay so close an attention that he cannot pray at the same time, and though this occupies, and even fatigues his spirit, still he does this work with good heart for the glory of our Lord, and the hope that these pictures will excite many faithful to praise God, and to bless his goodness.

Well, my dear daughter, your child will be a living image of the Divine majesty; but whilst your soul, your strength, your natural vigour is occupied with this work, it must grow weary and tired, and you cannot at the same time perform your ordinary exercises so actively and so gaily; but suffer lovingly this lassitude and heaviness, in consideration of the honour which God will receive from your work. It is your image which will be placed in the eternal temple of the heavenly Jerusalem, and will be eternally regarded with pleasure by God, by angels and by men; and the saints will praise God for it, and you also will praise him when you see it there; and so meanwhile take courage, though feeling your heart a little torpid and sluggish, and with the superior part attach yourself to the holy will of our Lord, who has so arranged for it according to his eternal wisdom.

To sum up, I know not what my soul thinks not, and desires not for the perfection of yours, which, as God has willed and wills it so, is truly in the midst of mine. May it please his Divine goodness that both yours and mine may be according to his most holy and good pleasure, and that all your dear family may be filled with his sacred benedictions, and specially your very dear husband, of whom, as of you, I am invariably the most humble, &c.