Letter XIV. To Madame de Chantal

Same Subject.

O Jesus! fill our heart with the sacred balm of your Divine name, that the sweetness of its perfume may spread into all our senses, and over all our acts. But to make this heart capable of receiving so sweet a liquor, circumcise it, and cut off" from it all that can be disagreeable to your holy eyes. O glorious name, which the mouth of the heavenly Father has pronounced eternally, be for ever the superscription of our souls, that, as you are Saviour, our soul may be eternally saved! O holy Virgin, who, first of all the human race, have pronounced this name of salvation, inspire us how to pronounce it fittingly, that all may breathe in us the salvation which your womb has brought us!

My dearest child, it was fitting to write the first letter of this year to our Lord and our Lady; and here is the second, by which, O my daughter, I wish you a good year, and I dedicate our heart to the Divine goodness. O that we may so live this year that it may serve as foundation for the eternal year! At least this morning I have on waking cried out unto your ears: Vive Jesus! and have longed to spread this sacred oil over all the face of the earth.

When a balm is well closed in a flask, no one can tell what liquor it is save him who has put it there; but when it is opened, and some drops have been poured out, every one says: It is balm. My dear child, our dear little Jesus was all filled with the balm of salvation; but this was not known till with that knife, lovingly cruel, his Divine flesh was opened; and then it was known that he is all balm and oil poured out, and the balm of salvation. Wherefore first St. Joseph and our Lady, then all the neighbours begin to cry Jesus, which signifies Saviour.

May it please this Divine darling (poupon*) to steep our souls in his blood, and to perfume them with his * A pretty rosy little babe.

holy name, that the roses of good desires which we have conceived may be all empurpled with its colour, and all odorous with its unction!

My God! how aptly fits in this circumcision, my child, with our little and our great abnegations! for these are properly a spiritual circumcision. Your very affectionate, &c.