Letter 108. To a Religious

My Dearest Daughter,

My answer will be brief, for I know all that you wanted to say as well as if I had heard you speak. In truth it is the same as it has been in past years, and I can but answpr you as before, that you must be patient with yourself, while humbling yourself very deeply before God, without fretting or being any way discouraged.

Then next you should renew all your former resolutions of amendment, and although you have found that in spite of all these you have gone on amid the entanglement of your faults, you must none the less heartily endeavour to amend, leaning solely on God's Help. All your life long you will be full of faults; — there will always be plenty to correct in yourself, and therefore you must not grow weary of the undertaking. Thirdly, labour to attain true gentleness of heart towards others, remembering that your neighbour is the work of God's Hand, and hopes through His Goodness to share that Paradise to which you look: — surely we might bear patiently with those whom our Dear Lord bears with, and that too with real compassion for their spiritual infirmities.

Accept gratefully the little visit which His Divine

Goodness has granted you; we must strive to be faithful in little things if we would be faithful in those which are greater.

Be altogether at peace, and let your heart feed upon the sweetness of Heavenly Love, without which our hearts are lifeless, and our life devoid of happiness. Beware of giving way ever so little to sadness, the enemy of all true devotion. What ought to sadden her who serves our Dear Lord, Who is our endless joy? Nought save sin should have the power to grieve and sadden us, and even that sorrow, if sin be duly resisted, will end in joy and consolation. I am for ever, my dear child, yours, &c.

C719J CXIL