XXXIII.
To Mother Péronne Marie de Châtel, Superior at Grenoble.
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Paris, 1619.
You ask me, my dear daughter, if we are poor. Yes, indeed we are, but I hardly ever give it a thought. Heaven and earth may pass away, but the word of God remains eternally as the foundation of our hope. He has said that if we seek His kingdom and His justice all the rest shall be added unto us. I believe Him, and I trust in Him. The extreme necessity in which we sometimes find ourselves gives us opportunities of practising holy confidence in God and rare perfection. Truly we already see how wise it is to adhere to Him and to hope in Him against all human hope, for our foundation has been a thousand times more successful than we dared to anticipate.
XXXIV.
To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons.
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Paris,
September 29, 1619.
What a great consolation for you, my very dear daughter, to have the joy of a little visit from our dearest Father! It is such a relief that he is out of Paris, where the epidemic[A] is so bad that his departure was a delight to me. Although it surrounds us do not fear for us, daughter, only pray earnestly that we may accomplish the most holy will of our good God. I have every confidence that nothing will happen but what is His good pleasure, and what pleases Him pleases us. So if it is His will I shall often write to you, and I will address all my letters to his Lordship, who has desired me to keep him well acquainted with our news. I wish you could find out the best address for our letters and tell me also how you will send yours. It would be well to take advantage of M. Rousselet when he returns to this town, for he has a brother at Lyons.
I do not give you any news, dear daughter, for I have commissioned my nephew de Boisy to do it; and besides, you know it is a thing which is distasteful to me. One thing only is necessary—to possess God, and for this I have a burning desire. This alone is happiness. All the rest is mere smoke. Cling then with constancy to this holy aim. Write to me of your interior state: you will be reviewing it now.[B] O God, how I love that heart of my great and dear daughter! I long to see it generous, pure, perfect, in a word united in a holy union with the Heart of its amiable and adorable God. Adieu, my daughter, a thousand good mornings to you and to your dear flock. I do not know if his Grace of Lyons has returned: he will mayhap want to delay the change of your congregation into a monastery.[C] It is, however, expedient that it should be done before you are taken away. His Lordship will speak to you of this. But it must be managed very tactfully. One word in conclusion. Test your daughters well before their profession.