Salesian Literature

Vol. 2, CONFERENCE 7 : Answer to different questions

 

I am always ready to speak to you, without preparation.  Before all else, let us begin with the sign of the Cross.  Prior to answering your questions, I begin by saying something which often happens to me during my preaching: in correcting some faults always I touch some particular person without ever really meaning to do so.  I anticipate the opinion which our sisters could form that I speak about a particular person touching some fault which they themselves might have committed.  Though it is not at all my intention, nevertheless I would be quite happy to do it.  This I do acknowledge.

 

The philosophers, and especially the great Epictetus, make a great difference between a barber and a surgeon even though nowadays, there seems to be scarcely any difference between the two.  First of all they draw this difference about their shops.  They tell you that if you enter the barber’s shop, you get a feeling of great pleasure since thee is always a lad playing the flute.  Besides the barber is always in the habit of perfuming his shop so much that it is all perfumes.  On the contrary, the surgeon’s dispensary stinks.  We find there only ointments and bandages.  Moreover we usually hear the poor people screaming: stop: what are you doing to me?  My God! What pain!  S the surgeon makes incisions on some, as he stitches the wounds of others, as he applies the fire to the third, all these naturally cause excruciating pain.  Everybody knows that one cannot put dislocated bones back into place without causing a great deal of pain to the poor patients. The barber as he trims the bears inflicts no pain whatsoever since it is not at all sensitive.

 

Sometimes I do the work of a barber and at other times that of a surgeon.  Haven’t you noticed that when I preach from the pulpit, I do not cause pain. I do not usually point out particular faults with as much familiarity as I do in our special conferences because of the lay people who are listening to me.  When I preach from the pulpit, I spray around only sweet-smelling perfume. I speak only about virtues and of pleasant things suitable to bring comfort to our hearts.  I play a little the flute, speaking of the praises which we should give to God.  But in our homely conferences, however, I take on the role of the surgeon bringing only poultices and plasters to nurse the wounds of my dear Daughters.  And even if they cry out a little with pain, I do not, for that matter, refrain from pressing my hand a little harder on the wound to make sure that the plaster sticks more firmly.  That is the way I heal them to make them strong and healthy.  When I make an incision it will not be without causing them pain but that will not cause me sorrow, for I am here to do just that.  Well, there you are, my dear Daughters.  I offer my excuses to those of you who may perhaps feel pained.  I assure you that if ever it happens to me to do it, I would do it most willingly.

 

 

   Antipathies

   Subject Antipathies to reason

   Take no notice of them

   Complaining

   Books distributed for reading

   Murmuring

   Surprise at the sight of imperfections

   The Attitude of the Superior

   Superior and Outsiders

   Marks of attention to the Superior

   Sharing the Spirit of the Visitation

 

 

Antipathies

Let us proceed to the first question: This question is about our Sisters who sometimes confess certain things which the confessor does not understand, such as antipathies.  What can be done about this?

 

It is true that some confessors do not at all understand that the matter you confess is merely antipathies.  If we explain to them they think that they are spiteful desires to cause harm.  As I will explain to you shortly, it is not true.  You are likely to find very leaned men, who for thirty years have been hearing confessions of lay people.  But they are not able to understand the terms used by the Daughters of the Visitation of Saint Mary, as far as confession is concerned; not even of others outside the Visitation who are considered to be deeply spiritual.  We are dealing here with such sensitive and delicate realities, that only persons of a genuine spiritual calibre really understand them as they ought to.

 

But what can be done?  I feel that it is highly advisable for the Superiors to instruct the confessors whom they think are not able to understand them well.  If this cannot be done, the Sisters who feel that their confessor misunderstands them, and thinks that the antipathies they confess are spite and hatred (they can find this out quite easily from the way the confessor rebukes them) they should make themselves better understood by telling him openly: “Father, this is not what I meant.  It seems that you misunderstand me.  The thing I am trying to say is this.”  After this, they can very well tell their Superior that the confessor does not understand them.  This is not to accuse him of any imperfection, not even of ignorance.  For it can very well happen that even thought he confessor himself is a very learned man he still may not be able to grasp fully such delicate things which are rather imperfections than sins.

 

This is what happened to me once.  A person who confessed to me accused herself of a thing which I did not fully understand.  Moreover, I could not believe that such a fault could ever be committed in a community reputed for holiness.  I told her frankly that I did not understand her and asked her to explain her accusation more clearly.  She did that and I found, that it was an insignificant thing.  I certainly would like our Sisters to take great care to confess very clearly and very simply, so as not to put their confessors in such difficulties.

 

The Superiors should in all humility enlighten the confessors as to the nature of the faults the Sisters commit through these aversions.  Antipathies, sometimes, are natural predispositions.  They create in us a certain little dislike first of all towards those persons against whom we have these feelings.  They prevent us from enjoying their conversation.  We do not take pleasure as we would normally do with people for whom we feel a natural fondness, which makes us love them with a feeling of love.  For there is a certain union and harmony between our heart and theirs.

 

Now, to explain that this is something natural, that is, to love some people with a natural attraction and not others, some philosophers have proposed the following example.  Two men enter a gambling house. There they see two other men gambling.  At first, the two men who enter will have a natural feeling that one of them win rather than the other.  From where does such a feeling come since they have never seen neither the one nor the other of the gamblers before nor ever heard about them.  They do not know whether one is more virtuous than the other.  That is why they have no reason whatever to feel attracted towards one rather than the other.  And yet, things like this happen all the time.  We have to admit, then, that this predisposition to love some more than others is natural.  We find it existing even in animals who are irrational creatures.  They, too, manifest certain natural dislikes and certain natural affinities.  Take the example of a newly born lamb.  Dangle a wolf’s skin in front of it; even though it is only a skin of a dead animal, the little lamb will run away and hide in its mother’s side and it will bleat and cause a lot of uproar in order to avoid meeting this wolf.  Btu then, show the little lamb a horse, which is much bigger animal.  The lamb will not be terrified at all at the sight of the horse.  It will not be frightened at all and play with him.  The reason behind all this is only the instinct which naturally gives attraction towards one and a repulsion towards another.

 

 

Subject Antipathies to reason

Should we give importance to these antipathies?  Certainly not: not even to the natural tendencies, provided that we subject everything to reason.

 

If I feel an aversion to speak to a particular Sister although she is a very virtuous person and I can gain a lot from her, by sharing her company, should I, then, follow my natural tendency which makes me shun her company?

 

Not at all.  I have to subject my dislike to reason, which would pressure me to seek her company, or at least to be near her in a spirit of peace and tranquillity, whenever I meet her.  There are also persons who are so apprehensive of having an antipathy towards those whom they love by a natural inclination, that they shun their company for fear of discovering some defect, which would destroy the fondness of the love they have for them and their friendship.  This love is popularly known as a “sling-bag” friendship, because it is always tilted to one side.

 

I know a gentleman who was of this temperament.  He was extremely fond of me, having been my schoolmate, and the more he became fond of me, the more he avoided meeting me.  I was quite surprised by this attitude of his since I had not done anything to cause displeasure.  At last we met each other.  He told me openly why he had avoided my company.  He said he was afraid that after meeting me, he would not be able to love me as before.  He explained this by saying that as soon as he noticed some imperfection or defect in those he loved, immediately he lost the tenderness of love he had for them even though they had not spoken any hurtful words of shown the least rudeness in their behaviour.

 

 

Take no notice of them

- What then, is the remedy against these antipathies, since no one can be immune to them, however perfect one may be either in one thing or in another?

 

Those who are by nature harsh, will have dislike to the one who is very gentle and consider this gentleness to be an extreme weakness, even though this disposition of gentleness is universally loved. We have examples, however, of some women who detest sugar so much that if they see any trace of it on some fruit, they will refuse to eat it.  None of us is immune to antipathies so long as we live in this world.  The only cure for this evil like that for all other temptations is just simply to turn away from it; what I mean is, not to think of it at all.  Have I to do some work together with a person towards whom I feel a dislike?  I must turn away my mind from the attention to my antipathy without taking any notice of it.  The problem, however, is that we always want to know whether we are right of wrong to have this aversion to this particular person.  We should not waste our time in this search looking for reasons.  Our self-love, which never dies, will make the pill so sugar-coated to convince us that it is good.  What I mean is that self-love will make us believe that the reasons we have are really good reasons.  When these reasons get the approval of our judgement, with the blessing of self-love, there will be no way of preventing us from finding them right and reasonable.

 

Indeed, we have to be extremely careful here.  I am speaking at length on this point because I feel that this is an important matter.  We never have any reason to have antipathies, and still less to wish to nurse them.  If they are simple, natural dislikes we must not pay any heed to them.  Thus we divert our attention from them taking no notice of them.  We may find that our natural inclination gets out of hand and tries to lead us astray from the submission due to our reason. T he reason will not permit us to do anything to foster our aversions or natural tendencies if they are evil for fear of offending God.

 

If, we however, do not encourage these feelings of antipathies, except perhaps to speak a little less graciously with persons for whom we bear an aversion that we normally do with people for whom we bear a deep affection, it is not something serious.  For, it is almost not in our power to do otherwise, when we are overwhelmed by the force of this passion. It would, on the contrary, be wrong on our part to demand it from us.

 

I think I have said enough on this matter.  Let us now go on to the second question.

 

 

Complaining

Would it be right for a Sister now and then to complain to another Sister about the Superior or Novice Mistress or about another Sister who has hurt her feelings or has not shown her enough attention on a certain occasion?  Or would it be better to make this complaint to the Confessor or spiritual Father if it has something to do with the Superior; or to the Superior if it has to do with the Novice Mistress or with another Sister who has hurt us rather than speaking to any individual Sister.

 

- My God!  It is always a dangerous thing to complain, for, as I have said it in the Introduction, “Usually he who complains, sins.”  The first manner of complaining to a Sister and speak about the imperfection of the one who has not given her satisfaction is entirely wrong, the second, that is, to mention it to the Superiors would be tolerable in those who are weak.  As for us, I would like that we are not so soft as to wish to complain about the least discontentment caused to us by our neighbour who, in all probability, had no intention to hurt us.  There is no need for me to say much more on this subject for it is enough to know that without bargaining we have to correct ourselves on this point since it is a matter of great importance.

 

 

Books distributed for reading

- The third question is: What should be our attitude regarding books which we have been given to read?

 

- The Superior, for instance, will ask a Sister to read the Imitation of Our Lord, but the Sister would not at all be pleased to read it; or The Mortifications by Arias; or some other book which describes well the Virtues.  Since the Sister does not like it she will not profit at all from reading them.  She will, no doubt, read it carelessly with boredom which takes away all taste and pleasure in reading it.  The reason for her dislike is that she already knows everything contained in these books at the tip of her finger and that she would prefer to read The Love of God or some other books which speak about it.  I feel that she is not wrong in desiring more the Love of God and not all the books together, for certainly, the love of God is to be preferred to all other things.

 

According to the mind of the Sister who has asked this question, I would say that it is an imperfection to desire to choose and to wish for a book than the one given to us to be read. It would be a sign that we read more to satisfy our curiosity of spirit rather than to benefit from our reading.  T he spirit is as curious as the body and the eyes.  If we read with a view to enrich ourselves and not merely to satisfy ourselves we shall be equally happy with one book s with another.  At least we would cheerfully accept all the books which our Superiors would give us to read.

 

I would say much more: we should find pleasure in reading, but just one book provided it is good and it speaks to us about happy God.  Even if we find only the name of God there, we should be happy, for we shall find enough food for thought even after reading and re-reading it several times over.  To want to read only to satisfy our curiosity is a sign that we are light-headed and that we are not prepared to practise the good that we have learned from this little book on the practice of virtues.  It will tell us much about humility and mortification which we do not practise as long as we do not accept them willingly.

 

To say: “because I do not like it I shall not profit from it” is not the right attitude; also to say: “since I know it all by heart, I cannot find any pleasure in reading it, nor could I read it willingly.”  All this is childish.  We are to be more generous than that.  You are given a book the whole content of which you know already or almost the whole by heart?  Well, thank God for it since now you will grasp more easily its teaching.  If you are given a book which you have already read several times, humble yourself and be sure to tell yourself that it is God himself who wills it so that you may enjoy yourself in doing something rather than in learning something.  It is God’s will that gives the book to you for the second or the third time, because you have not profited from it at your first reading.

 

I told you earlier about the religious who asked Saint Thomas of Aquinas to tell him what was the best way to become a learned man.  Saint Thomas answered him that he read only one book.  The evil behind all this lies in the fact that we always seek after our self-satisfaction and not after our greater perfection.  If, however, the Superior has pity on our frailty and allows us to choose any book we like, we may choose it in all simplicity according to our wish.  Apart from that, we have always to remain humbly submissive to all that our Superiors command us to do whether it suits our taste or not.  We should never show any feelings which could arise in us against this submission.  Then we shall no longer say: I really cannot enjoy this particular book which my Superior has asked me to read.

 

 

Murmuring

The next question is: Are we right in revealing the name of the Sisters who have told us the remark which the superior or a Sister made to our disadvantage?

 

For we say everything to the Superior. It may happen that she asks the name of the Sister who told us about it.  You are in doubt whether you should tell her who she is?

 

- To this question I answer by saying: No!  The Superior should not ask you to reveal the name of the Sister to her, because this report is a sin.  Its seriousness depends on the subject.  We are not allowed to reveal the hidden sins of our neighbour.  Where it is a question of a mere imperfection, you may do it, but if it is a question of a sin you should not do it.  I would, however, exempt those whose task it is to warn and supervise others, for they can inform even about things which are sinful in themselves.  But those who do not have this responsibility, have no right to do so.

 

You say it would be a good thing for the Superior to know the name of the Sisters who have committed faults so that she can correct them more with greater gentleness.

 

My answer is: it is better not to mention any names, especially, when it is a question of sin.  The Superior can make general corrections.  Even though all are not guilty of the sin, it does no harm to admonish everybody about it.  Those who are guilty ought to take their larger share of the correction.

 

This is a matter of greater importance than one thinks.  To go and say to a Sister that the Superior has said this or that about her in her absence is a sin which is called “susurration,” murmuring.  I must teach you to speak Latin: in Latin susurration means a warbling or chirping or murmur which the little streams make.  There are stones in them over which when water flows it is formed into little waves and is prevented from flowing without sound.  However, the great rivers flow ever so gently that one scarcely notices the ceaseless movement of their waters.

 

The people of the world make a big noise, not like the soft murmur of the little streams, but like very swift torrents which sweep off after them everything they come across.  The people of the world very freely calumniate; they proclaim the sins and defects of their neighbours.  They sow quarrels.  They have spite and moral hatred in their hearts.  They have scant regard for antipathies.  To them aversions are but hatreds and they never cease to afflict, or do evil to those for whom they bear these dislikes.  But the antipathies of persons who are spiritual-minded do not produce any serious fault.  They suffer because of them and thus they gain merit rather than commit sin.

 

For what reason, my dear Daughters, would you sadden a poor Sister by this murmur which you make by telling her that the Superior or another Sister has said something about her which could displease her.  We should have much more zeal and concern for the peace and tranquillity of heart of our Sisters than that and greater care to cover the faults of our neighbour.

 

By talking about other people’s sins, you commit two kinds of evil: apart from talking about the imperfection which has been committed, you deprive the Sister of her peace of mind and more so because you speak privately.  Since by God’s grace, we abstain from doing all these serious sins which people in the world commit, we should also take great care to avoid these lesser faults since it is in our power not to do them.

 

A Sister has committed a sin which is not known to others? Do what you can to make her correct it, observing faithfully the rule of fraternal correction.  But apart from that, take great care not to reveal anything unless as it is found in the article of the Constitutions entitles: On Corrections which you should do, for otherwise, there is sin in revealing it.  We can, very well speak about our own venial sins in public loud and clear especially if we wish to humiliate ourselves.  But we cannot do this as regards our mortal sins, for we are not the masters of our reputation.  So much the more reason for us not to reveal other people’s sins, especially, if they are secret.

 

There is no harm, however, in telling the Superiors about something that is seen by several persons.  For example: a Sister tells you words that betray that she is hot-tempered and that she has a tendency to impatience.  If she tells you this in the presence of another Sister, it is not a secret or a hidden sin.  You can very well mention this to the Superior so that she tries to el her to correct it.  Similarly as regards other small faults which are of small significance: slight murmurings, cold words or making sour faces to one another at times or some failures to observe the Constitutions and similar small things.  When it is a question, however, of more serious faults, you have to follow the article of the Constitutions, On Corrections.

 

 

Surprise at the sight of imperfections

The fifth question is this: Should we be surprised to see imperfections among ourselves or else should we be astonished to see them in our Superiors?

 

- As for the first part of the question: certainly not!  We should neither be surprised at all to see some imperfections existing here as well as in other Religious Houses, however, perfect they may be.  You can be sure that no community can be so perfect, not even our own community, that of the Visitation.  We shall always commit some imperfection or other, here and there, more or less as we ourselves face temptations.

 

It is not an extraordinary thing to see a Sister to be very gentle who has nothing to annoy or try her.  If somebody says to me: “Look, that Sister there, we never see her commit a fault,” I ask immediately: “Has she any duty in the community?” And if the answer is “No,” I would not make much of her perfection.  For, my dear Sisters, there is a vast difference between this Sister’s virtues and the virtues of another sister who is tried much either externally by facing opposition or fulfilling responsibilities and interiorly by temptations. Indeed the power of virtue is never acquired in times of peace and when we are not disciplined by temptation contrary to it.  Happy the Sister who, having been vain when she was living in the world, is always tortured by this same temptation now that she is in Religious Life; for, far from harming her, this will be the means by which she will become humble with a true, and profound humility.  Those who appear to be extremely gentle when they do not meet with any struggle and have not acquired this virtue sword in hand are apparently very exemplary and edifying.  But, as soon as they are tested, you will see them getting upset all of a sudden, thus showing that their gentleness was not a strong and solid virtue, but a virtue rather imaginary than real.

 

There is a great difference between getting rid of a vice and acquiring the virtue that is opposed to it.  Many people who appear to be very virtuous, do not, for that matter possess any virtues, because they have not toiled to acquire them.  It happens so often that our passions lie dormant or remain quietened.  If, during this lull, we do not gain added strength to combat and to resist them when they will wake up we will be defeated in the struggle.  We have to remain always humble.  We should not think that we posses virtues just because we do not do (at least we are not aware of) the faults contrary to them.

 

I wish very much that the Novices do not at all take notice of others' faults, but that they take great care to notice their own faults. Let them not spend their time in observing the faults of the professed Sisters, at least during the time of their Novitiate. Afterwards, at the end of their Novitiate, they will be turned away from seeing their own faults since they will no longer be corrected and their passions will lie dormant. They will not also commit very serious faults. Consequently, they will be so attentive to God that they will not be able to see the faults of the professed Sisters whom they believe to be strictly disciplined. Because of this, they will have greater compassion on those who commit faults, not surprised at seeing them making mistakes. Thus, they will esteem them as very good, seeing that they themselves are so imperfect. The professed Sisters desire to see them happy in making their profession, and to spend the rest of their life in their company.

 

People are wrong in thinking that those who make profession to seek after Christian perfection should never fall into imperfections, especially, the Religious. For it appears to them that it is only necessary to enter Religious Life to become perfect. This is not true. For the religious congregations are not meant for gathering perfect persons but people who have the courage to strive towards perfection. Perfection is quite different from having only charily, since all people living in the state of grace have it But it is to have the fervour of charity. This fervour not only urges us to uproot the vices that are in us but enables us to work consistently to acquire wholesome virtues which are opposed to them.

 

I would like to share with you what has often happened to me, I ask the lay women who come to see me here whether they would answer honestly to what I was going to ask them. When they said that they would do it, I inquired from them what they thought of the Sisters of the Visitation. Immediately some answered that they have found more good here than they thought there would be. I praised God for it. Others to whom I put the same question replied that there is a vast difference between reading the Rules and seeing them practised. The rules, however, are only honey and sugar, gentleness and perfection itself. But they could not help seeing some imperfections committed by the Sisters in this House. I felt like laughing at these remarks seeing that they thought that since the Rules are so perfect, no imperfections whatever should be committed.

 

What should we do then when we find imperfections in the Superiors as well as in others? Should that not shock us? People who are imperfect are not to be appointed Superiors, you say so.

 

— Alas! my dear daughters, if we were to appoint only the perfect as Superiors, we should have to ask God to send us his saints and angels as Superiors, for we will not find any perfect persons. Of course, we seek those who do not set a bad example, but we do not take care to find persons who have no imperfections at all to be Superiors. It is enough that they have the necessary qualities of mind and heart. Even if we find more perfect people, it does not follow that they would be more capable Superiors.

 

Tell me, my dear Daughters, did not Our Lord himself teach us that we should not give too much attention to choosing the Superiors, since he appointed Saint Peter as Superior of all his Apostles? Everybody knows that Saint Peter was the most imperfect of all the Apostles, and he gave a proof of it even after he was given this very important charge. What a blunder he made even at the Passion and Death of his Master, whiling away his time chatting with a maid-servant and so unfortunately denying his dear Lord who had always been so good to him. He was showing of and then finally he ran away. In spite of all this he was confirmed in grace by receiving the Holy Spirit. Even after that he still made so serious a mistake that Saint Paul in his letter to the Galatians informs them: "I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong" (2:11).

 

What about us? Are we to be so much astonished that our Superiors make some mistakes, after seeing how Saint Peter was in the wrong even after he had received the Holy Spirit? Why, even Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas once had a small quarrel with each other. Saint Bamabas wanted to take his cousin John Mark with those who went to pa-each the Gospel. Saint Paul disagreed with him and refused to take Mark with them.

 

Saint Bamabas would not give in. Both of them separated from each other. One group went with Saint Paul to one country and Saint Bamabas and his cousin to another (Acts 15:37-41). Our Lord, however, drew good out of this conflict, for instead of the Gospel being preached in one country alone, its seed was sown into many countries.

 

Let us not think that while we are in this life we can live without committing any imperfections, even venial sins. Whether we are superiors or inferiors we are all human beings, and by that very fact, all of us need to be certain of it so that we are not surprised to find ourselves subject to imperfections.

 

Our Lord has taught us to say each day these words of the Our Father: Forgive us our sins (Mt. 6:12). No one is exempted from this commandment: for all of us need to ask for the forgiveness. There is no logic in saying: so and so is the Superior, therefore he does not get angry and has no other imperfections. Nor is it any more than saying: so and so is Bishop. Therefore he does not say lies nor is he vain-

 

You are, perhaps surprised on speaking to your Superior, she says to you" "Oh! dear". Because she has perhaps her head full of hammers, stones, mortar due to the worries and cares she has to go ahead with the construction of the buildings. What does her exclamation mean if not: Do you not leave me in peace, I have enough other things to think of she does not say very much, but she does not think less of it. It seems to your self-love which is fully upset and makes this beautiful talk to oneself: My God! What a Superior'- She has so little virtue that she does not allow me to speak to her.

 

My God! Instead of making such a reflection, you would do much better to think of what your self-love was seeking. It expected that the Superior called you,, my dear daughter, looked at you lovingly, accepting kindly what you just told her. But in the end we are quite angry to meet with mortification where we do not expect it. Alas! We must go away praying for the Superior or praising God for this dearly loved frustration. In one word, dear daughters, remember the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: Charity does not seek evil (I Cor.l3:5). He does not say that charity does not see evil, but only that it does not look for it, that is to say, there is some doubt that what is seen is not evil. Charity does not probe into it. Thus it simply believes that there is no evil at all. Charity does not think of evil; it means, as soon as it sees evil, it turns away from it without thinking of it or wasting time thinking about it.

 

 

The Attitude of the Superior

You ask me whether the Superior or the Novice-Mistress should at all show any disgust when the Sisters notice her faults? What should she say when a Sister in all simplicity accuses herself to her of a judgement or a thought on noticing her imperfection such as if some one thinks that the Superior made some correction with anger. What should the Superior do in this situation?

 

— All one should do is to humble oneself and go back to the love of one's abjection. If, however, the Sister was somewhat troubled when she brought this to her notice, the Superior should not show any immediate reaction. Nevertheless, she should keep the abjection concealed in her heart. We have always to beware of the tricks self-love plays on us in order to make us lose the occasion to realize that we are imperfect and to humble ourselves. The Superior may refrain from making the act of exterior humility for fear of embarrassing the poor Sister who is already troubled about her thought. If so she should not neglect to make the act interiorly.  On the contrary, if the Sister was not at all troubled in pointing out her fault, I would think it quite good that the Superior admits openly that she made a mistake if it is true. If the judgement of the Sister was wrong, it is good that the Superior says it with humility. All the same, she is to cherish as precious the humiliation KSiss^sLhem^i^d^ed in the wrong.

 

You see, this little virtue of the \ov& o^ one's a\^c\\on sV\o\AA never be more than a step away from our heart for we need it at every moment of our lives, however advanced we may be in the way of perfection. As I have said before, our passions come back to life, sometimes, after we have lived the Religious Life for long and made much progress in holiness.

 

An example to illustrate this point is seen in a religious of the community of Saint Pacomius. There lived a Religious called Silvanus. In the world, Silvanus practised the profession of a juggler and comedian. He was converted and became a religious, passed his year of probation and spent many years practising very exemplary acts of mortification. Nobody ever saw him performing any act of his former profession. Twenty years later he thought that he could show some tricks under the pretext of entertaining his Brothers in Religion. He believed that his passions were so deadened by mortification that they would no longer have any power to make him overstep the limits of a simple recreation. But, the poor man was greatly mistaken; for the passion to fun arose in him so violently that after some Jokes he began telling obscene jokes to such an extent that they decided to throw him out of the monastery. This would certainly have been done, were it not for a fellow religious who gave assurance on behalf of Silvanus that he would mend his ways- So it happened and he became a great Saint.

 

So, there we are, my dear Sisters! We must forget what we were before so as not to become worse than what we were- We should never think that we are perfect just because we have not committed many serious sins.

 

We should guard against being unduly disturbed when we find that passions are still alive in us, for we shall never be completely delivered from them in this life. Those hermits who held the contrary were reproved by the Council (Ephesus 11:7) and their opinion condemned and held as an error. We will always commit some faults. But we are to try our best that such failures are rare, only two in fifty years - just as it was seen only two during the time the Apostles lived after they had received the Holy Spirit. We should not get vexed or lose heart if, we find that we commit three or four or even seven or eight in the course of many years. Rather we must renew and strengthen ourselves to do better.

 

Let me add a word here for the Superior. It is clear that the Sisters should not be surprised at some imperfection committed by their Superior or Novice Mistress, since Saint Peter himself, who was the Shepherd of the whole Church and universal Superior of all Christians, fell into some faults and deserved to be corrected as Saint Paul tells us (Gal. 2:11). Similarly the Superiors should not betray any astonishment at their defects being noticed, those of the Novice Mistress by the novices and of the Superior by all the Sisters. Both should practise gentleness and humility with which Saint Peter accepted the correction from Saint Paul, even though he was his Superior. We really do not know what is more admirable, the strength of the courage of Saint Paul to take him to task, or the humility with which Saint Peter allows himself to be corrected even though he thought that he was doing well and with a very good intention. Now let us proceed further.

 

 

Superior and Outsiders

Your question: The Superior has a great tendency to please outsiders under the pretext that they need her help and neglects special attention she owes to the members of the community. Or she does not have enough time to attend to the concerns of the House because she spends too much time in the parlour. Is she not bound to break away from this attachment she has to please lay people eventhough her intention is good? I shall answer by stating that the Superiors are persons who are not only at the service of those who live inside the monastery but also of the people outside. They have to maintain a warm relationship with lay people for their benefit, willingly spend a part of the time with them. How much of their time do you think it should be? 1 would say about one twelfth of their time. The rest of their time should be spent in the House at the service of the community. Indeed the bees leave their hives but only out of necessity or usefulness and they slay outside only for a short while.  The Queen of the bees, however, gets out very rarely and that too, when she forms a swarm of bees and is surrounded by her tiny followers. A religious congregation is like a mystical bee-hive full of heavenly bees gathered together to produce the honey of holy virtues- To do this, the Superior who is in their midst like a queen, should always be careful to keep them close in order to teach them how to acquire and preserve these virtues. That, however, does not mean that she has to leave out talking with lay people, whenever necessity or charity requires it. If, for example, a lady who is worldly, perhaps wants to change her life, give up vanities to follow truth and devotion. For this, she stands much in need of the help of the Superior, who has to give her many a advise and counsel which are necessary for her. But apart from necessity or charity, the Superior should be brief in her conversation with lay people.  V/hen I use the word "necessity" 1 mean to say that there are some respectable persons we should not displease.

 

You say that the Superior spends too much time in the parlour because she is anxious to win friends for the Congregation- Certainly it is not so necessary as we think. If the Superior remains inside the Monastery fulfilling her duties well, she must not doubt at all that Our Lord will provide enough friends necessary for the Congregation.  The Superior feels annoyed about leaving the persons for the Office. She fears that she will displease those with whom she is speaking in the parlour.

 

You are not to be too delicate. If they are not eminent persons or those who come very rarely or come from far, you should not leave out the office or the prayer unless charity requires it absolutely.  As regards usual visits of persons to whom we can freely offer excuses, we must say that our Mother is at prayer or at the Office.  Would they mind waiting a little or coming back? If the Superior knows that she will not be able to say the Office or make the prayer along with the community, then she is to find time to say the Office and make her prayer at some other convenient time- She should always take care not to miss the community exercises for unnecessary things. However, no one should think that only the Superior has to observe these points. This should be kept not only by the Superior but also by all the Sisters. They are not to fail to assist at the Office and prayer as far as possible. If it happens that due to some great necessity you set aside the community exercises, then you should find some other suitable time to make your prayer well; as for the Office, no one doubts that you are held to say it by obligation.

 

 

Marks of attention to the Superior

As regards this other question: Should we really not show some little personal marks of attention to the Superior more than to the other Sisters as regards clothes or food? This is soon solved. In one word, I say "Certainly Not". There should be no difference whatever unless it is necessary, just as it is done to all other Sisters as well.

 

You ask: At least a special chair could be placed for her everywhere?

 

Certainly not, unless it be in the Choir or in the Chapter Hall, and the Assistant should never accept it, even though she should be given the same respect in all things as the Superior (in her absence, it is understood). A chair should not be reserved for her even in the refectory. Thus she is to have only a seat like others. Though we must consider her as a special person everywhere to whom special respect is due, she should not be singled out in anything, the least in so far as it is possible. However, there is always exemption in case of necessity, for example, if she were to be quite old. For then it would be permissible to give her a chair to make her feel more comfortable. We should carefully avoid all those things which make us appear over and above others, I mean, as supereminent and conspicuous. The Superior is to be known and distinguished for her virtues and not by unnecessary distinctions particularly in our communities of the Visitation which want a special witness to great simplicity. These special honours are good for those religious Houses where the Superiors are addressed as Madame. We of the Visitation, however, do not have any such thing.

 

 

Sharing the spirit of the Visitation

What more remains to be said? What ought we to do to preserve well the spirit of the Visitation and to prevent it from getting dissipated?

 

— The only way to do it is to keep it securely enclosed with the observance of the Rules.

 

You say that some cling to this spirit so jealously that they are not at all prepared to share it with others outside the House.

 

— There is some excess in this jealousy. You must cut it off. Why should you wish to hide something which can do a lot of good to people? I am not of this opinion, for I wish that whatever good we have in the Visitation should be acknowledged and known by everybody. It is for this reason that I have been of this opinion all along that our Rules and Constitutions should be printed so that many going through them, may draw some profit from them. Please God, my dear Sisters, let there be many people who will practise them, even men! We will soon notice a profound change in them. This will redound to God's glory and their salvation. Take great care to preserve the spirit of the Visitation. But it should not be in such a way that this care prevents you from sharing it with others in charity and simplicity to each one according to his or her capacity.  Do not be afraid; this sharing will not in any way spoil this spirit, for charity never spoils anything but makes all things perfect.

 

May God Be Praised!

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