Salesian Literature

Vol. 1, CONFERENCE 2 :  Doing God’s will and Condescendence or Adaptability to Others

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I begin my talk by answering the question given to me on this piece of paper.  The question is: What is and in what consists the perfect determination to know and to follow God’s will in all things?  And can we find it and follow it in the will of the Superiors or inferiors, which we see clearly proceeding from their natural and habitual tendencies?

 

Let us begin with the first part of the question. You ought to know that the determination to follow God’s will in all things without exception is found in the Lord’s Prayer, in these words which we say every day: “Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Mt. 6:10).  In heaven, there is no opposition to the divine will, everything is submissive and obedient to it.  This is what we pray should happen to us and this is what we promise Our Lord to do, never to oppose His Will, but to remain totally docile to it in all circumstances.  I have spoken about this, I think, very clearly in the book, The Love of God (Book 8 and Book 9).  Nevertheless, in reply to the question I have been asked, I shall say something more.

 

I.  God’s Declared Will

 

God’s will can be understood in two ways:  there is God’s declared will and there is His permissive will.  God’s declared will has four parts: His Commandments, His Counsels, the Commandments of the Church, His Inspirations.  Regarding the COMMANDMENTS of God and of His Church, each one has necessarily to comply with and submit in total obedience; for in these commandments God’s Will is absolute, wanting us to obey if we wish to be saved.  God wants us to follow the COUNSELS, but He does not want it with an absolute will, only as a desire.  And so we do not fail in charity and separate ourselves from God if, we lack courage to take up the practice of the counsels.  Also we are not obliged to practise all of them, but only those which better correspond to our vocation.  For there are counsels which are so opposed to each other, that it would be absolutely impossible to take up the practice of one without depriving oneself of the means of practising the other.  For instance, it is a counsel to renounce everyone one has in order to follow Our Lord in his destitution; and it is equally a counsel to lend and give alms.  Tell me now, how can one who has left everything that he had lend or give alms, since he has nothing?  We have, then, to follow the counsels which God wants us to follow, and not imagine that He has given them all in order that we accept and practise all.  The counsels which we have to practise ourselves are our Rules.  I mean to say, that all the counsels are included in our Rules.

 

I have said that God makes His Will known to us by His INSPIRATIONS.  He does not, however, want us to attempt to discern on our own whether what He has inspired is His will, and still less that we follow them at random.  He does not want us to expect Him to make His will known to us in person, nor to send His Angels to teach us.  God wants us to seek, in doubtful and in important things, the advice of those He has placed over us to guide us.  We are to remain totally docile to their counsels and opinion in all that pertains to our perfection.  You see, then, how God makes known His will which we call His DECLARED WILL.

 

II. God’s Permissive Will

 

Moreover, there is GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL.  We have to find this will in all the events, I mean, in all that happens to us: in sickness, in death, in trouble, in consolation, in failure and in success, in short, in all that is unexpected.  We have to be ever ready to submit to this will, in all circumstances, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, in sorrow as in joy, in death as well as in life, in everything that does not go clearly against His declared will which always takes the first place.  It is in connection with declared will that I answer the second part of the question.

 

A Model of extraordinary condescension or adaptability

You will understand me more easily when I tell you about what I found recently in the life of the great Saint Anselm.  Throughout the years he was Prior and Abbot of his monastery, Anselm was greatly loved by one and all, because he was always very accommodating, yielding to the wishes of everybody, not only of Religious, but even those of outsiders.  If someone came to him and said: “Father, you should take some hot soup, it will do good to your stomach”, Anselm would take the hot soup immediately.  “With pleasure, my son”, he would say.  If after that, somebody else would come and say, “Father, that hot soup will do you harm, you should not take it,” Anselm would leave the soup at once.  Thus he would yield to the wishes of his Brothers, so long as nothing went plainly against God’s declared will.  His Brothers quite often followed only their natural and habitual tendencies.  But more especially lay people took advantage of him as they wished.

 

However, not everybody approved of this extraordinary condescension and adaptability of the Saint, in spite of his being greatly loved by all.  One day, a few of his Brothers decided to complain to him that, in their judgement what he was doing was not right.  They came to him and said: “Really, Father, you are esteemed and loved by every one of us in your care; but may we tell you, since we are the ones who love you more specially than the others, that you appear to us to be too simple, condescending and yielding to everybody’s wishes.  It seems to us that you should be more exacting and make those who are subject to you submit to your wishes, and not do as you are doing, giving in to everyone.”

 

“Oh, my good children,” said the great Saint Anselm, “you, perhaps, do not know the reason why I behave in this way.  Understand, my Brothers, that remembering the command of Our Lord to do for others what you want others to do for you (Mt. 7:12, Lk. 6:31), I say that I cannot do anything else.  I desire that God would do my will.  Hence, I willingly comply with the wishes of my Brothers and of my neighbours, so that God, in His goodness, may sometimes do my will.  Besides, I have another reason for doing what I am doing, and that is, that apart from God’s declared will, I have no means of knowing God’s permissive will, except through the voice of my neighbour.  God does not speak to me and still less send me Angels to tell me what is His permissive will.  The stones, the animals, the trees, the plants do not speak at all.  Only man can show me what is the will of my God and hence I cling to it as closely as I can.  God insists that I show concern to my neighbour. It s a great act of charity to maintain union with one another.  I find no better means to do that than to be extremely gentle and condescending, that is, considerate.  This gentle and humble condescension should always float on top in all our actions.  But the main reason is that I believe that God makes known His will to me through the wishes of my Brothers.  Hence I obey God each time I yield to them in any thing.  Apart from this, has not Our Saviour said (Mt. 18:23): “Unless you become like a little child you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven?  So do not be surprised to see me so flexible and compliant in condescending like a little child, since by doing so, I am only doing what has been ordered by my Saviour.  It makes little difference whether I go to bed or stay awake, whether I take some soup or leave it aside, whether I stay here or go somewhere else.  But there certainly would be an imperfection, if I were to refuse to submit myself n these matters.”

 

You see, my dear Sisters, the great Saint Anselm subjects himself in everything that does not go against the Commandments of God and of the Church, or the Rules, for obedience always comes first.  I do not think he would have done anything that would go counter to these if someone wanted him to do so.  Certainly not!  But apart from that, his general principle was to be always condescending, that is accommodating, in everything and to all.

 

Becoming one with everybody

The great apostle St. Paul, after saying that nothing will separate him from the love of God, continues, neither death, nor life, not even Angels, nor hell, if it were to oppose him, would have the power (Rom. 8:35, 38).  I can find no finer attitude, says he, than to make myself “All things to all men” (1 Cor. 9:22) to laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15), to drink with those who drink, so as to become one with everybody. When I say that you have to weep with those who weep, I do not mean that you have to weep with people who cry from self-pity.  I do not also mean that you should get drunk with drunkards.  For even if I were to accept a drink when someone insists that I do so, still, respecting God’s will in this matter, I should take care not to exceed the bounds of decency and sobriety.

 

But, you will ask me, should I believe that God has inspired this man to offer me a drink? – The answer is, no.  But yes, God does inspire me to comply with his desire that I should have a drink.  God’s will for me is that I have a drink, even if it was not His will that I should be offered a drink.

 

Another example of adaptability

One day, St. Pachomius was weaving mats.  There was little boy there, for in those days even little children were admitted by him to be trained to the Religious life.  This boy, watching the way Pachomius was working, said to him: “Father, you are not doing it right; that is not the way to do it.”  Even though the great Saint was making the mats properly, still he got up at once and went and sat close to the boy, who showed him how he thought he should weave the mat.  There were some Religious there who said to St. Pachomius: “Father, you are making two mistakes in condescending to the wish of this boy.  You are exposing him to the danger of being proud, and secondly you are spoiling your mat, for it was better the way you made it.”  To this, the Saintly Father replied: “Brothers, if God permits this boy to become vain, may be he will give me in return the gift of humility.  And when he has given it to me, then I shall be able to give it to the boy.  There is not much harm done in twisting the canes this way or that to make mats; but there would be great danger, if we were not to take to heart these well-known words of Our Lord (Mt. 18:3): “If you do not become like a little child in simplicity, humility and adaptability, you will not have any part in the Kingdom of my Father.”  How great a good it is to be flexible and simple in this way to let oneself be handled easily by everyone.

 

III.  Obeying God’s will in all things

 

It is not only the Saints who have taught us the practice of the surrender of our will, but also Our Lord himself, as much by example as by words.  The counsel to renounce oneself (Mt. 16:24; Lk. 9:23) is nothing else than to abandon one’s own will at every opportunity, one’s own personal judgement, in order to follow God’s will, and to make ourselves available to all and in everything, always with the exception of actions by which we would offend God.  but you say to me: “I see clearly that what people want me to do proceeds from a human will and natural tendency.  Hence God has not inspired Mother Superior, or a Sister to ask me to do a certain thing.  In fact, it is the result of a natural or habitual tendency or even some passion.”  Without doubt, God has not inspired this person with it, but it is for you to do it.  If you do not, you will go against the decision you have made to obey God’s will in all things.  And as a result, you will neglect the concern you ought to have for your perfection.  We have, then, to remain constantly submissive, to do everything that is asked of us, in order to do God’s will.  It is understood, of course, that nothing is done against God’s declared will as manifested to us in the four ways I mentioned before.

 

The will of others can present itself in three ways: in a way that causes suffering, in one that brings satisfaction, and in one that is unreasonable and untimely.  With regard to the first, one has to be very strong to welcome gladly this will so opposed to ours, while ours never wants to be resisted.  However, generally speaking, we have to suffer a great deal in this practice of following the will of our Superiors, and, what is more, that of our subjects or equals.  Usually, their will goes against our own.  Hence, we ought to accept by way of suffering and trouble the carrying out of this will.  When the will of others brings us satisfaction, there is no need of encouragement to make us follow it.  For we very gladly obey with regard to things which are pleasant.  Rather, we anticipate such wishes in order to offer them our obedience.  I am sure that I am not asked whether we should obey this kind of will, because we have no doubts about it.  But it is regarding wishes which seem to have no rhyme nor reason and of which we have no ideas at all as to why such demands are made on us.  It is here that there is good indeed.  For, why should I do the will of my Sister than my own?  Is not my will as much in conformity with God’s will, in this insignificant matter, than hers?  For what reason should I believe that what she asks me to do is an inspiration from God, rather than the desire I have to do something else?

 

Doing God’s will by doing my neighbour’s will

It is precisely here, my dear Sisters, that God’s goodness wants us to earn the reward of obedience.  For, if we always understood that it was right to give us an order, or to ask us to do a certain thing, we would not have much merit in obeying.  In fact, we would have no great dislike because surely our whole heart would gladly accept it.  But when the reasons are hidden from us, our will is reluctant and our judgement revolts sometimes.  We have to learn to overcome all this so that with childlike simplicity we begin work without too much talk and discussion.  I know that God’s will is that I do rather my neighbour’s will than my own, hence I set myself to do it without too many reflections.  In fact, it is God’s will that I submit myself to do things which arise from passion and natural tendencies, as well as from movements of reason and inspiration.  In small matters we must walk in simplicity.  There is little sense in making an hour’s meditation to know whether it is God’s will that I should take a bowl of soup or not take it, that I accept a drink when I am offered one or refuse it for reasons of penance or sobriety, and other small things like these, which are in no way worth considering.  What is important is that I give some pleasure to my neighbour in doing things even though small.

 

We should also not spend too much time in reflections even in important matters.  We are to consult our Directors to find out from them what we should be doing.  After that we are not to think about it any more, but accept their opinions fully, since God has given them to us to lead us to the perfection of his love.

 

Doing the will of my Superiors

But if we have to condescend, that is to yield, to the will of everyone, we ought to do so much more to the will of our Superiors, whom we have to consider among us as the person of God himself.  They are indeed His representatives.  And though it happens that they have natural or habitual tendencies, passions even, through whose impulses they give orders or correct the faults of their subjects, we should not in any way be surprised.  They are human beings like the others and consequently subject to natural tendencies and passions.  And even if we are not allowed to make the judgement that what they command us to do comes from passion, nevertheless, even if we know clearly that it is so, we should not refuse to obey, very gently and lovingly, and to accept humbly the correction given.

 

You will tell me that it is very hard for self-love to have to face all these situations.  My Superior is sad by nature and so when she sees me laughing heartily she asks me: “Why are you laughing?”  A good question, and the answer is that I laugh because I feel joyful.  If, however, my Superior is cheerful by nature, as soon as she sees me that I do not laugh, she will ask me: “Why are you sad?”  Is this not unbearable?  Those who are sad cannot be upset more than by being asked why they are sad.  In fact, usually they would not be able to give any reason that was acceptable.

 

IV.  Matters Regarding Confession

 

I proceed further to say a few words on confession.

 

A great respect for our confessors

To begin with, I would like you to have a great respect for your confessors.  We are greatly obliged to honour the priesthood, and so I say that you should show a great respect towards your confessors when you go for confession.  You should consider them as Angels whom God sends us to reconcile with His goodness.  And not only this, but we are to consider them as God’s representatives on earth.  And so, even if you find that they show their human frailties in confession, committing some imperfections, such as asking certain questions from curiosity, which do not concern confession, like your name, how you live, if you practise mortification, if you practise virtues and which virtues, if you have any particular temptations, even things pertaining to your prayer.  I would like you to answer the questions in all simplicity, as they are asked even though you are not bound to answer them.  You should not reply: “I am not allowed to tell you that.”  Avoid that kind of evasion.  You may say all you wish concerning yourself, but about the Sisters, their virtues and mortifications, you should answer that you know nothing.  If they ask more, and want to know whether we practise external mortifications, you should say, yes, but not mention any which may not edify.

 

Answering questions in confession

I come back to what I was saying.  In case you hesitate to say something in reply to what they ask, for fear of feeling ashamed as when asked if you have any temptations, and you feel uneasy to speak about these things, in case they want all the details, you can make a mental reservation and say, no, meaning: “I have nothing to tell you.”  Or you could answer: “Yes, I have temptations, but by God’s grace, I do not think I have offended Him.”

 

When the confessor asks you, after the confession of your sins, whether you have anything else to say, it would certainly be very wrong for you to reply: “Father, I do have something, but my Superior has ordered me not to mention it in confession.”  Those who do this are at fault.  They would make the confessor believe that her Superiors win the confidence of their subjects and suppress their freedom to confess properly.  But this is not at all true.  If the Superior really tells you, when you speak to her about your confession, that you should not confess about such or such a matter, it is not meant to be an order but only a simple counsel.  The Sisters who do this with simplicity, remain in peace and submit their judgement.  They accept that, since the Superior has told them there is no matter for confession, they are not to mention it when they confess.  They do very well in not confessing it.  And when these Sisters are asked whether they have anything else to say, they readily answer “no”.  or if they do not do so, they should do so without being scrupulous.  But other Sisters will not be satisfied unless they confess what they have been told is not matter for confession.  If they like to please their self-love, rather than follow timely guidance, let them confess it but without mentioning that the Superior has ordered them not do so.  For the confessor who does not know the reason why the Superior has told you not to confess this, and who knows nothing of your way of going about or of the state of your soul, might think that there is sin.  Not having taken into account the circumstances of the state of your soul, he would accuse the Superior of ignorance, and find very wrong this way of administration.

 

This point about having confidence to speak to the Superior in order to learn how to confess properly, is of very great importance.  We would not wish to give up this practice, especially as persons joining us are likely to come with muddled and ignorant consciences altogether unpleasant.  It is necessary that the Sisters do not commit the fault I have mentioned, of saying that they are forbidden to confess one thing or another, as this can certainly cause scandal.  Tell your confessor in good faith all that troubles you, if you wish, but take care not to say anything concerning a third party or even a fourth.  This is very important.

 

We have to show condescension with our confessors, gladly telling them the little things they are keen to know.  Besides that, we are to take great care to hide their imperfections.  We have some mutual obligation towards them to keep to ourselves all that they tell us during confession.  First of all, we are to conceal their imperfections, if they have shown any to us.  We are not to repeat what they have told us, unless, it is something very edifying.  Apart from that we are not to say anything.

 

Receiving advice from our confessors

If it happens that they give you any advice which goes against your Rules and your way of life, listen to them humbly and respectfully but after that you are free to do nothing about it.  The confessors do not always have the intention of binding us under sin regarding whatever they tell us, just like the Superiors.  Accept their counsels as simple guidance, and do not take the trouble to practise them, if, as I have said, they go against your Rules.  But, apart from that, you have to respect all that is told to you in confession.  You will never appreciate enough the great benefit that there is in this Sacrament, for those who come with due preparation and humility.  If the confessor advises you to do something which you can do easily, you ought to do so, like the practice of some mortification, but with permission.  You are to tell him humbly: “Father, I shall ask permission to do this mortification.”  But in case he wanted to give you as penance to do something against the Rule, then you are to tell him very gently: “Father, I humbly ask you to please give me another penance, since what you give me goes against the Rule, and I am afraid of scandalising my Sisters if I were to do it.”  Or else, if he asks you to say so many prayers form the Divine Office everyday, or so many Offices during he year or for some time, you are to say: “I could not very well do it, since we are strictly regulated in the use of our time.”

 

Openness to our Superiors

You should not complain about your confessors.  If anything happens to you in confession, because of the fault of the confessor, you can say to your Superior quite simply: “Please, Mother, I would prefer to go to another priest for confession,” without saying anything else.  By doing this, you are not revealing any fault of your confessor, and you will have the facility to confess as you wish.  But you should not do this lightly, for reasons that are flimsy and of no importance.  Extremes have to be avoided.  Just as it is not a good thing to tolerate evident defects in your confessions, so too, you should not be too soft, not able to bear up with a little difficulty.

 

For instance, the confessor takes long hearing your confession and you need time to do other things.  Or else you will be mortified by the Superior because you took long, and perhaps she will ask you what you had to say for so long, without wanting to know, but only to mortify you.  And for this you will be greatly annoyed with the confessor.  But surely, we are not to be so easy-going and lacking in desire for mortification that we want to avoid it as much s we can.  My dear daughter, you tell me that it is only because you are afraid to upset the Superior.  Excuse me, it is not so but it is only a defect of self-love.  We are not to imagine that Superiors are so sensitive; they are certainly not.  They will not insist or even suggest that you should tell them what you do not want to, except by way of a confidential sharing.  No, the Superior will not think that you are not telling her everything, as you fear she will.  And even if she were to think so, she is not going to be greatly troubled.

 

Even though you are not bound to tell everything to the Superior, it is nevertheless a very suitable means to keep one’s heart peaceful and calm.  Very often the religious who are not open to their Superiors are mistaken, for they leave God’s representative among them in order to seek elsewhere what they cannot find.  In fact, what they are looking for has been attached by God to submission and voluntary subjection to the authority of their own Superiors.  As long as what is good is close to us, it is not to be looked for far away.  Remember always what I have said, that you are never to feel troubled or obliged to tell everything to your Superior, and also you may say whatever you wish to your confessor, provided you speak always only of yourself.

 

Confessing what is matter for absolution

Let me continue and say what I had decided to tell you.  I would greatly wish that our Sisters take great care to explain their sins clearly in confession.  I mean to say, there are Sisters who live so well in God’s presence, that they cannot find anything to mention in confession; or some Sisters are naturally so simple that even though they do many things which would be a matter for confession, they are not aware of them at all.  They go to confession in good faith and in all simplicity of heart and how happy they are!  I know a person like this, of my age, who I am sure never committed a mortal sin.  Nevertheless, even though she was a very good person, I saw her committing quite big venial sins in my presence.  And later when she came for confession, she could not find any sins she could mention, for she had done these so casually that she was not aware at all of having done anything wrong.  And so, I would like those who have not noticed anything which could be a matter for absolution, to accuse themselves of some particular sin.  To say, “I accuse myself in general of telling lies” is not a proper accusation, if you do not add: “by vanity,” or “to do harm to my neighbour.”  There are lies which are not sinful.

 

To say “I accuse myself of having had several impulses of anger” is not good enough either.  It would not be very different from saying: “I accuse myself of having several impulses of joy.”  In fact, anger is as much a passion as joy or sadness.  We should not think that all feelings of anger are sinful, since it is not in our power to prevent these attacks.  We shall always be liable to passions, whether we like it or not.  The monks who taught the opposite have been condemned by the Church, as well as by the Doctors and Councils.  To be sinful, anger should be immoderate and lead us to uncontrolled behaviour.  You should not, then, accuse yourself of feelings of anger.  If the confessor was discerning enough, he would say to you: “go in peace if you do not have anything else to say.”  You have to come down to details about an act that is sinful.  For example: “I accuse myself, of having done this particular thing, when I was in the world.”  You should not say simply: “I have disobeyed.”  You have to say in what you disobeyed, in a small matter or in an important one.  I would very much like you to keep this in mind because it is necessary to practise it.

 

Being truthful and charitable in confessing our sins

I would also like very much that you pay great attention to being truthful, simple and charitable whenever you make your confession.  I say this with a purpose.  To be truthful and simple is one and the same thing.  You have to learn to speak about matters clearly, without pretence or deception, always being conscious that it is to God that you are speaking, from whom nothing can be concealed.  You have above all to be charitable, never referring to other people in your confessions.  If you have to accuse yourself of having grumbled to yourself or with other Sisters about your Superior’s anger, do not say you complained that she got angry, but only: “I accuse myself of having grumbled about one of the senior Sisters,” or quite simply, “I complained”, without adding anything more, except whether you did that by yourself or with someone else.  You do not realise the dangers and the evil that referring to persons involves.  Speak about the wrong you have done, and not the cause of it, that is, the person who has led you to do it.  Do not say that it had to do with some correction, if you think that this would harm even a little reputation of the person who made the correction.  Even though the harm done to Superiors is a little more serious, still it is not necessary for you to say that it is to the Superior you have done harm, specially in matters of little importance.

 

In short, you should never reveal, either directly or indirectly, the evil which others have done, in confessing your own, nor give any occasion to the confessor to suspect the person concerned with your sin.  I said indirectly, because sometimes people say: “I accuse myself of resentment when the superior corrected me in a fit of anger.”  That would be confessing like the maid-servants, who say that they were impatient every time their mistress got angry with them for no reason at all.  But to say quite gently: “I accuse myself of the uncharitable thoughts I entertained by thinking that the Superior corrected me in a fit of temper,” without adding: “even though I did not have any reason to think it to be true.”  You should not do that, for you would, then, be confessing the sin of your Superior and not acknowledging your own guilt.  Thoughts which are not entertained deliberately are not sins, nor are the feelings of passions, if they are not followed by evil words and actions.  And what I say about the Superior applies to everybody else.

 

Avoiding useless accusations in confession

You should not make useless accusations in your confession. In case you have had thoughts of dissatisfaction, of vanity, even more evil ones, mention clearly whether you entertained them deliberately; similarly, if you have had voluntary distractions; or if you were distracted during Office because you did not prepare yourself properly at the beginning.  If this is not the case, then do not tell your confessor that you have been seriously negligent in keeping yourself recollected during the time of your prayers.  What will the confessor understand by this accusation?  And you would also be deceiving yourself in this, since it is not always through our fault that we are not attentive in prayer.  We have to do our best to be attentive in prayer.  And when we fail let us very gently humble ourselves.  Let us not be scrupulous about sin when there is none.  Were you careless in turning away from a distraction?  This is a different matter.  Confess it with simplicity, without mentioning a continual negligence on your part to keep yourself in the presence of God.  Such accusations are of no use in confession.

 

Respect for our preachers

I would also like to remind you, my dear Daughters, that in this House, we should show great honour and reverence to those who proclaim the word of God, that is, the preachers.  Certainly we are greatly obliged to do so.  We have to consider them as heavenly messengers sent by God, to teach us the way of salvation.  We have to see them in this light and not just as ordinary men.  Even though they do not speak as well as heavenly messengers.  Still we should not lessen the humility and reverence with which we should welcome the word of God.  This word of God is always the same, as holy and pure as it would be if it was preached by Angels.  I notice that when I write to a person on poor quality paper and hence with a smudgy handwriting, I am thanked with as much love as when I write on good quality paper and with a very beautiful handwriting.  Why is this so?  Because the person is not interested in the paper which is not good nor in the bad handwriting, but only in that it is I who have written to him.  We are to do the same with the word of God: not to look at the person who brings it to us and who addresses it to us.  It is enough hat God makes of this preacher to teach it to us.  And since we see that God honours him so much as to speak with his mouth, how could we fail to show him honour and respect?

 

Eagerness to accept mortification

What else is left to be said?  Dear Mother, it is unbelievable that our Sisters have become so much attached to the person attentions of the Superior that, as soon as she ceases to speak to them gently, they immediately rush to the conclusion that the Superior is no longer fond of them!  Excuse me, dear Mother, our Sisters, love humility and mortification with such a special love, that they could hardly become sad over a slight suspicion, which probably has no basis, that they are not loved enough, at least not as much as their self love would desire.  But, I commit a fault with regard to the Superior, and so I feel a certain anxiety that she will be unhappy and displeased with me.  In brief, she will no longer esteem me as before and it is a very important matter to be esteemed by our Mother.

 

My dear Sisters, all these difficulties come through the order of a certain spiritual father, called self-love, who says: “How did you make this mistake?  What will Mother say or think of you now?  No more good can be expected from you, a poor wretched woman.  You can never do anything that will please our Mother.”  - and such other beautiful and suitable lamentations!  But nobody ever says: “I have offended God, so I have to seek His mercy and trust that He will make me stronger.”  People also say: “I know that God is good.  He will not pay attention to my infidelity.  He knows our weaknesses very well.  But OUR MOTHER! …”  We always come back to the same point and continue our lamentations.

 

You certainly have to take care to please your Superiors.  The great Apostle St. Paul indicates this and encourages us to do this, speaking to servants (and it can be applied also to children): “Serve your masters to please their eyes,” meaning “Take great care to please them.”  But he also adds: “Do not serve your masters to please their eyes,” meaning to say, they should not do something more when they are seen by the masters which they would not do when the masters are absent (Eph. 6:5-6; Col. 3:22).  God’s eyes are always upon us and we should have great reverence for Him so as not to do anything that would displease Him.  And having done that, we should not bother too much about wanting to please men always, for that is not in our power.  Let us do all that we possibly can, not to displease anybody.  But, if it still happens that due to our frailty we annoy people sometimes, let us take refuge in the teaching I have so often spoken to you about and which I greatly desire to engrave upon your hearts: We are to humble ourselves immediately before God, and become once more aware of our frailty and our weakness and then repair the fault, if need be, by an act of humility toward the person we have offended.  After this, we are not to be disturbed anymore.  The other spiritual father we have, that is, the love of God, forbids us to do it.  He teaches us that, after we have made the act of humility, which I have mentioned, we are to enter into ourselves and there welcome fondly this joyful abjection coming to us from our having failed, as well as the displeasure our Superior may show us.

 

We have two loves in ourselves, two judgements and two wills.  Hence, we should not pay any attention to the promptings of self-love, self-judgement or self-will.  We are to make God’s love reign supreme over our self-love.  The judgement of our Superiors and even that of subjects should reign over our own, giving ours little importance.  We should not rest satisfied with merely submitting our will to do all that we are asked to do.  We are to submit our self-judgement and believe we have no reason to think that everything we are commanded to do is just and reasonable.  In this way we absolutely reject the reasons presented by our self-judgement which makes us believe that what we are ordered to do can be better done differently than in the way we are asked to do it.  In all simplicity, we are to present our reasons, if they seem good to us on one occasion.  But after that we are to accept without further discussion what we are told.  Thus, we are to put to death our self-judgement, which we consider to be so wise and prudent, and far better than any other.

 

Dear Mother, our Sisters are so determined to love mortification that it will be a joy to see them.  Consolation will be nothing to them in comparison with trouble, aridities, revulsions, so eager are they to become like their Spouse.  Help them effectively in their undertaking: mortify them well and boldly, without sparing them, for this is what they ask.  They will not be attached any more to signs of affection, for that would be opposed to the generosity of their vocation.  This calls them to attach themselves henceforth totally to the desire to please God.  They will no longer look at anything else, except what will lead them to the fulfilment of this desire.  To get entangled in the little difficulties we encounter is the sign of a heart that is too sensitive and of a devotion that is too sentimental.  Do not be afraid so that these foolish things resulting from sadness and arrogance are seen no more among us.  Thank God, we have plenty of firm courage.  We shall strive to do so much good in the days to come that it will be a delight to watch us.

 

However, my dear Daughters, let us purify well our intention, so that, doing everything for God, for his honour and glory, we expect our reward from Him alone.  His love will be our only reward in this life and He himself will be our reward in eternity.

 

LIVE Jesus

HIS GLORIOUS MOTHER, OUR LADY AND SAINT JOSEPH.

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