Letter 400. To Mother Catalina de Cristo, Prioress of Soria, and Her Nuns, Avila, December 28, 1581

Thanks for their gift of money to St. foseph’s, Avila. Consolation for their trials. Entrance of Leonor de la Misericordia as postulant at Soria.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with your Reverence and your Charities, my daughters.

OU may be sure that I should like to write to each of you personally, but such a storm of business and letters is pouring down on me that it is much for me to be able to manage these few lines. My time is the more filled up because we leave Avila to-morrow. Beg our Lord to accept all in His service, especially the foundation at Burgos.

Your letters are a great comfort to me, and it comforts me still more to realize by your a¢tions and your words how much you love me. But I believe you still fall short of returning the love I bear for you, although the help you have given me has been very great. My need was so urgent that I appreciated it very highly. Our Lord will repay you, for you evidently serve Him fervently since you have managed to give so generous an alms to these poor nuns. They all thank you sincerely and will pray to our Lord for you. I do this so incessantly that there is nothing more I can offer you.

I am glad that you get on so well in every way, and particularly glad that you are suffering from calumny without having done anything to deserve it: it is an extremely good thing, for you have had very few opportunities of gaining merit in your foundation. I will say no more of our good Father Vallejo except that our Lord never fails to repay services rendered to Him by an increase of trials, and as this priest is doing such a great work in your house, I am not surprised at his being given the occasion to augment his merits more and more.

Remember, my daughters, that when this saint? enters, it will be the duty of the Mother Prioress and all of you to receive her with kindness and affection. With such virtue as hers, there will be no need to press her in any way: it will suffice for her to see what others do, and to be under the direction of so good a father. In faé, I think you will be able to learn from her. May God watch over you, and give you the good health and the long and happy life I ask for you!

I am very glad to hear that the Mother Subprioress is better. If she cannot do without meat, there is no harm in her eating it even in Lent, which is not against the Rule when there is real need for it. Dg not be rigid in this matter. Virtue is what I beg our Lord to grant you, especially humility and love for one another: that is the essential. God grant I may see you advance in these. Pray that I may do the same.