Letter 91. To a Novice. on her Profession

Annecy, yan, 22, 1622.

Well, my dearest child, so at last you are in spirit laid upon the altar, ready to be sacrificed and consumed as a burnt offering to the Living God I Surely this day is one to be counted among those ‘‘which the Lord hath made.” May it be one of those hours which God hath blessed from all Eternity; may it have its beginning in the humility of the Cross, and its end in a glorious immortality 1 How many wishes I shall make on that happy day for my dear child’s soul; how many aspirations and auguries of blessedness; how many invocations to the Blessed Virgin, the Saints, and Angels, that they may take part in the consecration of that dear child. In all this I include my beloved child.

Sister N I am greatly comforted to think that the words spoken to you,* “ Thou art dead, and thy life is hid with Christ in God,” will be most true to you, for, dearest child, on the truth of these words

In the profession of a nun of the Visitation the celebrant says to her, “ My sister, thou art dead to thyself and to the world; henceforth live only to God.” The other nuns chant, “ Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; ” and the newly-professed Sister lies down and is covered with a palL A nun reads a lesson from the Book of Job, and the “De profundis” is chanted. After a prayer the celebrant sprinkles the pall with holy water, saying, “ Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” » The nun having risen he gives her a taper, saying, “ The path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” ** Then the nun chants the words, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom then shall I fear? the Lord is the Strength of my Life, of whom then shall 1 be afraid? ” ® And after another prayer the celebrant gives her a crucifix, saying the words quoted

• Eph. V. 14. ^ Prov. iv. 18. * Ps. xxvil i.

must hang the truth of those which follow; *‘\Vhen Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” *

Dearest child, I salute your soul and that of Sister N., and am, for ever. Yours in God, &c.

C597.] XCIV.