My Rev. Father,
May the love of our Divine Saviour be the life of your soul....
I am very incompetent to give a useful answer to your letter in reference to my Sister the Superior of Montargis:[A] I beg of Our Lord to enlighten me that what I say may be in accordance with His good pleasure. In the spiritual life of this Sister I have always seen many traits of special communication from God. Her humility is genuine, her charity towards her neighbour practical, her manner of treating with her Superiors straight and simple, and she has a real love of mortification, and of the practice of virtue. These are solid dispositions and such as are usually favoured by God. He has, I see, given your Reverence so clear and discerning a light in regard to the workings of grace in this soul and so much wisdom and counsel in guiding her that we can but look on with silent admiration. All I have to say is that I have never seen anything clearer, more simple, humble, and artless, than the terms, in which, with such lucidity, she manifests the operations of God in her, and the activities of her own soul. To me it is impossible to believe that she is moved by any other than the Spirit of God. It is said that we know the tree by its fruit, and as her tree brings forth the fruit of solid virtue there is nothing, I think, to fear. With your approval, my very dear Father, I venture to say that the suitable accompaniment to such great favours is interior recollection and self-humiliation. She writes to me somewhat fully of her feelings. I reply briefly, but, as I think, sufficiently. Let her pay little attention to what passes in her, and fix the eyes of her mind on the unity and simplicity of the presence of God, leaving it to do its own work. As to communion, your Reverence will allow it to her as your prudence and discretion dictate. I am told that the Bishop of Sens is a man of a very interior spirit and of great piety. If he visits this convent it would be well, I have been thinking, subject to your approval, to let him know what passes in this dear soul: this would give us much light, or at any rate it would give us confidence. I am quite of your opinion that it would be well for her to write what passes within her.
[A] Mother Anne Marguerite Clément.
LXXXIV.
To the Same.
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Annecy,
August, 1630.
My Rev. Father,
My dear Sister, the Superior, is very happy to be privileged to receive so many graces in such a spirit of deep humility and detachment. This is the touchstone by which to prove that they are from God, and which keeps in security the soul of the recipient. She serves truly a good Master; yet I am always of the same opinion that she ought not to be too much carried away by these affections for fear that in weakening the body they might unfit her for the duties of her charge. It would be well for her to restrain her emotions so as to keep them in the superior part of her soul and thus prevent an overflow on the body: this is a safer way. To hear from time to time of what passes within her would, my very dear Father, be an immense consolation to me: say, for instance, towards the end of the year, or as your Reverence judges best.