Letters - Direction - Chantal 6

LETTERS OF St. FRANCIS DE SALES

Staying in God’s presence

January 16, 1610[1]

[…] In regard to your coming here, do not hurry because of my anticipated trip to Paris, because, having heard nothing more about that beyond what I showed you, I doubt if it will take place; also it seems to me that to take your three little daughters on a trip during Lent would be rather difficult; besides, your nephew told me that your father and your brother had settled on the time immediately after Easter. Your heart may be saying by now, “Look how this man keeps on postponing!” O my daughter, believe that I am waiting for your day of joy with as much longing as you are; but I am forced to act this way for reasons it is not expedient that I write you about. So wait, my very dear sister, “Wait,” I say, using words of Scripture, “while you wait” (cf. Ps. 40:1). Now to wait while we wait means not to worry while waiting, for many persons do not really wait while waiting, but are anxious and restless.

So we’ll be all right, dear daughter, with God’s help. All the little complications and hidden contradictions that come up unexpectedly to disturb my peace actually fill me with an even more serene peace and, it seems to me, are a sign that my soul will soon be settled in God. This really is the greatest and, I believe, the only ambition of passion of my heart. When I say my heart I mean my whole heart, including the person to whom God has united me indissolubly.

While I am on the subject of my soul, I want to give you some good news about it: I am ding and shall continue doing for it all that you asked me to do – have no doubt about this. Thank you for your concern for its welfare, which is undivided from the welfare of your own soul (if we can even use the terms “yours” and “mine” when speaking on this subject). And I’ll tell you something else: I am a little happier than usual with my soul in that I no longer see anything in it which keeps it attached to this world, and I find it more in tune with eternal values. How happy I should be if I were as deeply and closely united to God as I am distanced and alienated form the world! And how delighted you would be, my daughter! But I’m speaking of my inner dispositions and my feelings; as for the exterior and, what is worse, my actions, these are full of all kinds of contrary flaws, for “I fail to carry out the good things I want to do” (cf. Rom. 7:15). Yet I know very well, without pretence and without swerving, that I really want to do them. But, my daughter, how can it be that even with such good will, I still see so many imperfections growing in me? Surely, these come neither from my will nor by my will, although they appear to form part of it. It seems to me that they are like mistletoe which grows and appears on a tree though it is not part of it – on it but not of it. Why am I telling you all this? It’s because my heart always expands and pours itself out spontaneously when it is near yours.

Your way or praying is good. Just be very faithful about staying near God, gently and quietly attentive to Him in your heart, sleeping in the arms of His providence, peacefully accepting His holy will; for all this pleases Him.

[…] I’d like to say more about your prayer, for I reread your letter late last night. Go on doing as you described. Be careful not to intellectualise, because this can be harmful, not only in general, but especially at prayer. Approach the beloved object of your prayer with your affections quite simply and as gently as you can. Naturally, every now and then, your intellect will make an effort to apply itself; don’t waste time trying to guard against this, for that would only be a distraction. When you notice this happening, be content simply to return to acts of the will.

Staying in God’s presence and placing ourselves in God’s presence are, to my mind, two different things. In order to place ourselves in His presence we have to withdraw our soul from every other object and make it attentive to that presence at this very moment, as I have explained in the book.[2] But once we are there, we remain there, as long as either out intellect or our will is active in regard to God. We look either at Him or at something else for love of Him; or, not looking at anything at all, we speak to Him; or again, without either looking at Him or speaking to Him, we just stay there where He has placed us, like a statue in its niche. And if while we are there, we also have some sense that we belong to God and that He is our All, then we must certainly thank Him for this.

If a statue that had been placed in a niche in some room had the ability to speak and were asked “Why are you there?” it would answer, “Because my master, the sculptor, has put me here.” “Why don’t you move out?” “Because he wants me to be perfectly still.” “What use are you there? What do you gain by staying like this?” “I’m not here for my own benefit, but to serve and obey the will of my master.” “But you don’t see him.” “No, but he sees me and is pleased that I am here where he has put me.” “But wouldn’t you like to be able to move about and to get closer to him?” “No, not unless he ordered me to.” “Isn’t there anything at all that you want then?” “No, because I am where my master put me, and all my happiness lies in pleasing him.”[3]

Dear daughter, what a good way or praying, and what a fine way of staying in God’s presence: doing what He wants and accepting what pleases Him! It seems to me that Mary Magdalene was a statue in her niche when, without saying a word, without moving, and perhaps even without looking at Him, she sat at Our Lord’s feet and listened to what He was saying. When He spoke, she listened; whenever He paused, she stopped listening; but always, she was right there (Lk. 10:39).[4] A little child who is at its mother’s breast when she has fallen asleep is really where it belongs and wants to be, even though neither of them makes a sound.

O my daughter, how I enjoy talking with you about these things! How happy we are when we want to love Our Lord! Let’s really love Him, my daughter, and let’s not start examining in detail what we are doing for love of Him, as long as we know that we never want to do anything except for love of Him. For my part, I think we remain in God’s presence even while we are asleep, because we fall asleep in His sight, as He pleases, and according to His will, and He puts us down on our bed like a statue in its niche; when we wake up, we find Him still there, close by. He has not moved, nor have we; evidently, we have stayed in His presence, but with our eyes closed in sleep.[5]

Well, your baron is here, telling me to hurry up. Good night, my dear sister, my daughter. You will have news of me as often as I can write. Believe me that the very first note I wrote you was absolutely true – that God had given me to you.[6] I am more convinced of this in my heart every day. May this great God even be our All.

I send greetings to my dear little sister[7] and all your household. […] Stand fast, dear daughter, and do not doubt: God holds us in His hand and will never abandon us. Glory be to Him for ever and ever. Amen.

Live Jesus and His most holy Mother! Amen. And praise be to our good father, Saint Joseph! May God bless you with countless blessings.

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[1] Oeuvres, XXI, 89-98: Letter DXL and DCCCXXXVIII. What had been treated as two separate letters since the first publication of letters (1626) appeared in a single manuscript which surfaced in Lisbon in 1911 and was printed as such in the supplementary volume of letters.

[2] I.e., Oeuvres, III, 73-76: Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 2.

[3] Cf. Oeuvres, IV, 339-343: Treatise on the Love of God, Book VI, chapter 11.

[4] Cf. Oeuvres, IV, 332: Treatise on the Love of God, Book VI, chapter 8.

[5] Cf. Oeuvres, IV, 342: Treatise on the Love of God, Book VI, chapter 11.

[6] Cf. supra, note 49.

[7] Marie-Aimée, Madam de Chantal’s oldest daughter, who had recently married Francis’s brother Bernard, was a favourite of the bishop.

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