Vive ✠ Jésus!
Grenoble, 1618.
Most truly, good Father and dear son, do I long for leisure to write as my heart dictates to you, but it is impossible. My feelings towards you are those of a mother, and greatly have you consoled me by your kindness in telling me how God has made known His will to those two dear sisters who aspire to Him and find their rest in His paternal bosom. It gives me ineffable consolation, seeing that I myself have this same attraction, but I should like to know the very words that were communicated to them so that I may feed my soul upon them. This I say from my heart. Give me then this satisfaction, and do you also nourish yourself with this sacred manna. Truly having this, how can we seek elsewhere for other place of security and rest?
Alas! dear Father, how pitiable are our infirmities and imperfections! These two Sisters appear to me to be unduly observant of one another. They have this defect by nature, and I think it better that I should not tell them of it, lest they suffer from jealousy, both having so much affection for me and such a desire to please me; but if you put it before them and induce them to be more simple, cordial, and open with one another that is all that is needed to set matters right, for I plainly see that each fears to do wrong. Sister Assistant, who seems to me the least in fault, ought to divert Sister N.'s mind, and be trustful and more companionable, compassionately bearing with her, and in this way draw her out of her melancholy. That is how I should act, and by so doing I have often relieved and cured souls: warming their hearts with confidence, talking over matters with them quite openly, while consulting them as if I had need of their advice, and trusting them; yet referring neither to their state of melancholy, nor to the subjects on which they philosophize; neither to their difficulties nor to the concerns of their neighbour. In a word, let these sisters act as charity will teach them, if they but ask Our Lord. For, as our very dear Lord[A] said to me yesterday, "It is to the humble souls that the divine Goodness gives true wisdom."
Verily, if there is any lack of conformity to the teachings of our Institute it is most improper that the sister novices should know of it. This is a thing of importance, and is too serious to be dealt with merely as we may feel inclined. The Mistress should lead the Novices according to the ordinary exercises of the house, and if on some occasion she differs in opinion as to these, she should communicate with the Superior, and learn from her how to act. But for ordinary things, when the sisters who are under the charge of the Mistress come to speak to the Superior of their interior state and their difficulties she should, before answering, ask them if they have spoken to their Mistress and what she said on the subject. If their Mistress has wisely instructed, let her confirm what the Mistress has said, and encourage them to follow her direction; if, on the contrary, the Mistress has led them astray she ought not to let the novice know it, but put her imperceptibly on the right way, and then go herself to the Mistress, talk the matter over with her, instructing her, and instilling into her a desire to serve the Sisters affectionately. To me it seems always better, when necessary, to nourish the esteem and confidence of the novices for their Mistress. I should like the Superior to speak to them as far as possible only through her, except when the Rule ordains otherwise. But I have already written so much about this that I hope it will be done; for I certainly see that our Sister Assistant has an excellent heart. She must be encouraged to get out of herself, and to seek the advancement and repose of the Sisters with simplicity and integrity: only speaking to them for this end, and to console them: for sometimes for our own satisfaction we have an awkward way of teasing and worrying others by inopportunely returning to a subject which we should never do if we gave ourselves time to reflect.
I write to you as to a trusty friend. Manage it all, very dear Father, as you think best. It seems to me that if you do it as coming from yourself it will be better received than if they thought you had complained to me, or than if I said it myself.
Certainly this life is full of mortifications, therefore it is necessary to keep ourselves above it, looking for a better life in which you will clearly see how sincerely I am,
Yours, etc.
[A] St. Francis de Sales.