Letter XXXII. To a Religious who had been Married

The Saint prepares her to accept with submission the death of her child.

We must await, my very dear mother, the result of this sickness as quietly as we can, with a perfect resolution to conform self to the Divine will in this loss, if absence for a little time should be called loss, which, God helping, will be made up by an eternal presence.

Ah! how happy is the heart which loves and cherishes the Divine will in all events! Oh! if once we have our hearts closely united to that holy and happy eternity! Go (we shall say to all our friends), go dear friends, go into that eternal existence, at the time fixed by the king of eternity; we shall go thither after you. And as this time is only given us for that purpose, and as the world is only peopled to people heaven, when we go there we do all that we have to do.

This is why, my mother, our old Fathers have so much admired the sacrifice of Abraham. What a father's heart! And your holy countrywoman, the mother of St. Symphorian, with whose holy act I finish my book!# O God, my mother, let us leave our children to the mercy of God,, who has left his Son to our mercy. Let us offer to him the life of ours, as he has given for us the life of his. In general, we should keep our eyes fixed on the heavenly Providence, in whose dispensations we ought to acquiesce with all the humility of our heart.

We must be strong and constant near the cross and. on the cross itself, if it please God to put us there. Blessed are the crucified, for they shall be glorified. Yes, my dearest mother, our heritage in this life is in the cross, and in the next it will be in glory.

My God! dearest mother, how I wish you perfection! And what courage have I, and what hope in that sovereign goodness, and in his Holy Mother, that your life will be all hidden with Christ in Godf — to speak with our Lord. God bless you, and mark your heart with the eternal sign of his pure love! We must become, very humbly, saints, and spread everywhere the good and sweet odour of our charity. May God make us burn with his holy love, and despise all for that! May our Lord be the repose of our heart, and of our body! Every day I learn not to do my own will, and to do what I do not want. Rest in peace in the two arms of Divine Providence, and in the bosom of the protection of our Lady.

• The Introduction. "j" Col. i 3.