Letter 15. To Madame Brulart

ON SUBMISSION TO HER HUSBAND.

.... You must yield to their will (her father and husband) and bend to the utmost without breaking through your good rules, — ^such submission is acceptable to Our Lord. I have told you before, the less we live according to our own taste, the less we choose for ourselves, the better and more solid our devotion will be. There are times when we must leave our Lord to please others for love of Him. My dear daughter, I must tell you all I think, and you will appreciate my sincerity. Perhaps you have given your good husband and father some grounds for being annoyed at, and interfering with, your religious practices? Perhaps you have been rather too eager and busy, and have sought to press or to restrain them? If so, that is why they react upon you now. We must strive, if possible, that our devotion should be troublesome to no one. I will tell you what to do now. When you can communicate without annoying them, do so, according to your confessof s advice; but when you fear to cause vexation, be content with a spiritual communion, and believe me, this spiritual mortification, this privation, will be highly acceptable to God, and will strengthen His hold upon your heart “ II faut quelqurfois reculer pour mieux sauterJ^ I have often admired the intense resignation of S. John Baptist, in remaining so long near our Lord, without eagerly seeking or following Him; even after His Baptism letting Him go without cleaving to His bodily Presence. Surely it was because the Baptist knew that He was really serving the Lord by bearing this

So privation of His Presence. And so you will serve God if, in order to win those who are set over you, you endure the privation of actual Communion. It will be a great comfort to me to know that you are not distressed at this advice. Believe me, this resignation, this abnegation, will be extremely useful to you.... Mortify yourself cheerfully, and in proportion as you are hindered in doing the good you wish, be more diligent in doing that which you do not wish. You do not wish to give up these things, but something else. But those sacrifices which you do not want t^ make are worth most, be sure.... Keep your heart open, ready to receive all manner of crosses, sacrifices, and abnegations, for the love of Him Who bore so many for us. His Holy Name be ever blessed.