Salesian Literature

Vol. 2, CONFERENCE 10 : Advice to Sister Simplicienne

 

(Note: This conference is a collection of counsels given by St. Francis de Sales to Sister Claude-Simplicienne of the Visitation at Annecy for whom he had a special consideration because of her great simplicity.)

 

My dear Daughter, you tell me that you would do what I would do if I were in the convent. How do I know what I would do? I know nothing at all; what can I know, really? I would not do so well as you are doing, for I am not so good; I am worth nothing; but I think that with God's grace, I would pay special attention to the practise of virtues and to the smallest observances which are practised in the convent. By doing this, I would try to win the heart of Our Lord. I would keep silence well but sometimes I would also speak during silence, I mean, whenever charity required it. But not otherwise. I would always speak quite softly and in a low voice; I would pay a special attention to it because the Constitutions require it. Oh, I am sure I would do all these things. I would open and shut doors very gently, because our Mother wants us to do so. We certainly would want to do all that we know she wants us to do. In the house I would keep my eyes lowered and I would also walk noiselessly. My dear Daughter, God and His angels have their eyes fixed on us all the time and they love those who do things well.

 

I am sure that if I gave myself up once for all to our Lord, in this manner, just as we do when we make the profession, I would leave to Him all the care and everything that concerns me; I would let him do what He wants to do with me, or so it seems to me. If I were asked to do a certain work or asked to take up a certain responsibility, I would love it well and I would try to do all the tasks entrusted to me- If, however, I were not given anything to do and I would be left free, I would not interfere in anything in order to practise obedience well and show my great love for Our Lord; I have a feeling that I would love Him well with all my heart. Wherever I find myself, I would do my best to observe the Rules and Constitutions as perfectly as possible- We have to do this as best we can, for now, we have become religious only to do this, is it not true? I am very happy to know that there is a certain Sister called Claude-Simplicienne, for I love her with all my heart. She wants to take my place and always do better. Do we not, both of us, want to do everything well? Let us try to do it as best we can.

 

To do everything well, we have to endeavour to control our moods and inclinations sincerely and well, for we don't have anything else to do which would prevent us from doing it well, and nothing should ever prevent us from doing all that is written in our Constitutions perfectly well; we can and we ought to do it with the help of God's grace. We would never be surprised nor discouraged to find that we are prone to committing faults; we will always commit them, for God allows this to happen to us in order to make us practise humility: left to ourselves we cannot do anything else.

 

I think that if I were in the convent, I would be very cheerful.  I would be so happy that all my duties are clearly indicated. But I would never be over eager. Oh: No? It seems to me that I would do better. From now onwards I am never in a hurry. I am already doing that.

 

I would keep myself very humble in the practice of virtue, even of the virtue of humility itself, depending on the opportunities. And if I did not know how to humble myself I would yet humble myself because I don't know how to humble myself. And always 1 would do my best to perform all my actions in the presence of God, with as much humility and love as I can, for here we are taught to do that, is it not true? And what else are we expected to do apart from this? Nothing else. I think that I would consider myself as being quite low in comparison with others. If we have been so brave as to leave all that we had in the world, we should be braver still to renounce ourselves. What we have left behind in the world is very little, but since that was all that we could have had, it means that we left everything behind. Now we have to do nothing else except what is written for us. Let us begin each day to do better,

 

I would read often the chapters on Humility and Modesty: And what about you? Don't you read them often? Now and then? We shall do much, I am quite sure of it, and God will help us. Let us do well, we are brave enough.

 

May God Be Praised!

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