Salesian Literature

Letters on:

Prayer, Faith, and Accepting Your Vocation

1. Thy Will be done   ::    2. Do the will of God joyfully  ::    3. Serve God where you are  ::    4. Let us be what we are, and let us be it well 

5. Our faith should be naked and simple  ::    6. There are two principal reasons for prayer  ::    7. Little virtues prepare for contemplation of God

8. We must remain in the presence of God  ::    9. Never does God leave us save to hold us better

​

2. Do the will of God joyfully

To a woman, on obtaining true devotion and peace of soul

 

Madame,

 

It has been an extreme pleasure to me to receive and read your letter.  I should like mine to give you a return of pleasure, and particularly to remedy the disquietudes that have arisen in your spirit since our separation.  God deign to inspire me.

  

I told you once, and I recall it very well, that I had found in your general confession all the marks of a true, good, and solid confession, and that I had never received one that had contented me so entirely.  It is the truth, Madame, my dear sister, and be sure that on such occasions I speak very exactly.

 

If you have omitted to mention something, reflect whether this has been with knowledge and voluntarily; for in that case you must certainly make your confession again, if what you omitted was a mortal sin, or if you thought at the time that it was.  But if it was only a venial sin, or if you omitted it through forgetfulness or lack of memory, do not be afraid, my dear sister.  You are not bound – and I say this at the hazard of my soul – to make your confession again, but it will do to mention to your ordinary confessor the point you have left out.  I answer for it.

  

Again, do not be afraid of not having as much diligence as was required for your general confession; for I tell you again very clearly and confidently, that if you have made no voluntary omission you have no need at all to make again a confession that has really be very sufficiently made, so be at peace about that matter.  And if you will discuss the matter with the Father Rector, he will tell you the same about it; for it is the sentiment of the Church our Mother.

  

The rules of the Rosary and the Cord[1] oblige one neither under mortal nor under venial sin, directly or indirectly; and if you do not observe them, you no more commit a sin than by omitting to do any other good work.  Do not then distress yourself at all about them, but serve God joyfully with liberty of spirit.

 

You ask me what means you must use to gain devotion and peace of soul. My dear sister, you ask me no little thing; but I will try to tell you something about it, because my duty to you requires it.  But take good notice of what I say.

 

The virtue of devotion is nothing other than a general inclination and readiness of the soul to do what it knows to be agreeable to God.  it is the enlargement of heart of which David said, “I have run the way of Your commandments, when Thou didst enlarge my heart” (Ps. 118:32; RSV Ps. 119:32).

  

Those who are simply good people walk in the way of God; but the devout run, and when they are very devout they fly.  Now, I will tell you some rules that you must keep if you would be truly devout.

  

Before all it is necessary to keep the general commandments of God and the Church, which are made for every faithful Christian.  Without this there can be no devotion in the world.  That, everyone knows.

 

Besides the general commandments, it is necessary carefully to observe the particular commandments that each person has in regard to his vocation, and whoever does not observe this, if he should raise the dead, does not cease to be in sin and to be damned if he die in it.  For example, it is commanded to bishops to visit their sheep – to teach, correct, console.  I may pass the whole week in prayer; I may fast all my life; if I do not do that, I am lost.  If a person, does miracles while in the state of marriage, but does not render the debt of marriage to his spouse (1 Cor. 7:3-5) or does not concern himself with his children, “he is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8); and so with persons in other states of life.

 

These are the two sorts of commandments that we must carefully keep as the foundation of all devotion, and yet the virtue of devotion does not consist merely in observing them, but in observing them with readiness and willingly.  Now, to gain this readiness we must consider several points.

 

The first is that God will it so; and it is indeed reasonable that we should do His will, for we are in this world only for that.  Alas!  Every day we ask Him that His will may be done and when it comes to the doing, we have such difficulty!  We offer ourselves to God so often; we say to Him at every step, “Lord, I am yours, here is my heart”; and when He wants to make use of us, we are so cowardly!  How can we say we are His, if we are unwilling to accommodate our will to His?

​

The second consideration is to think of the nature of the commandments of God, which are mild, gracious, and sweet, not only the general commandments but also the particular ones of our vocation.  And what is it, then, that makes them burdensome to you?  Nothing, in truth, save your own will, which desires to reign in you at any cost.  And the things that perhaps it would desire if they were not commanded, once they are commanded, it rejects.

 

Of a hundred thousand delicious fruits, Eve chose that which had been forbidden to her (Gen. 3:1-6); and doubtless if it had been allowed, she would not have eaten of it.  The fact is, in a word, that we want to serve God, but after our will, and not after His.

 

Saul was commanded to spoil and ruin all he found in Amalek.  He destroyed all, except what was precious; this he reserved, and offered in sacrifice.  But God declared that He would have no sacrifice against obedience (1 Kings 15:3-23; RSV 1 Sam. 15:3-23).  God commands me to help souls, yet I want to rest in contemplation.  The contemplative life is good, but not in opposition to obedience.  We are not to choose at our own will.  We must wish what God wishes; and if God wishes me to serve Him in one thing, I ought not to wish to serve Him in another.  God wishes Saul to serve Him as king and as captain, and Saul wishes to serve Him as priest (1 Kings 13:9-13; RSV 1 Sam. 13:9-13).  There is no doubt that the latter is more excellent than the former; yet God does not care about that: He wants to be obeyed.

 

Just look at this!  God had given manna to the children of Israel (Ex. 16:14-31), a very delicious meal, and lo!  They will none of it, but in their desires, seek after the garlic and onions of Egypt (Num. 11:4-5).  It is our wretched nature that always wishes its own will to be done and not the will of God.  now, in proportion as we have less of our own will, that of God is more easily observed.

 

We must consider that there is no vocation that has not its irksome aspects, its bitterness, and disgusts.  And what is more, except for those who are fully resigned to the will of God, each one would willingly change his condition for that of others; those who are bishops would like not to be; those who are married would like not to be, and those who are not married would like to be.  Whence comes this general disquietude of souls, if not from a certain dislike of constraint and a perversity of spirit that makes us think that each one is better off than we?

 

But it all comes to the same: whoever is not fully resigned, let him turn himself here or there, he will never have rest.  Those who have fever find no place comfortable; they have not stayed a quarter of an hour in one bed when they want to be in another.  It is not the bed that is at fault, but the fever that everywhere torments them.  A person who has not the fever of self-will is satisfied with everything, provided that God is served.  He cares not in what capacity God employs him, provided that he does the divine will.  It is all one to him.

 

But that is not all: we must not only will to do the will of God, but in order to be devout, we must do it joyfully.  If I were not a bishop, knowing what I know, I should not wish to be one; but being one, not only am I obliged to do what this trying vocation requires, but I must do it joyously, and I must take pleasure in it and be contented.  It is the saying of St. Paul: “Let each one stay in his vocation before God” (1 Cor. 7:24).

 

We do not have to carry the cross of others, but our own; and so that each may carry his own, Our Lord wishes him to renounce himself – that is, his own will (Mt. 16:24).  “I should like this or that”; “I should be better here or there”; those are temptations.  Our Lord knows well what He does.  Let us do what He wills; let us stay where He has placed us.

 

But, my good daughter, allow me to speak to you according to my heart, for so I love you.  You would like to have some little practice to regulate yourself by.

 

Besides what I have told you to reflect upon, every day – either in the morning before dinner, or an hour or two before supper – meditate on the life and death of Our Lord; and for this purpose use Bellintani the Capuchin[2], or Bruno the Jesuit[3].  Your meditation shall last only a good half hour, and not more.  At the end of it add always a consideration of the obedience that Our Lord showed toward God His Father.  For you will find that all He has done, He did to fulfil the will of His Father, and by reflection on this try to gain for yourself a great love of the will of God.

 

Before doing, or preparing to do, things in your vocation that are trials to you, recall that the saints have joyfully done things far greater and harder: some have suffered martyrdom, others the dishonour of the world.  St. Francis and many religious of our age have kissed and kissed again a thousand times those afflicted with leprosy and ulcers; other have confined themselves to the deserts; others to the galleys with soldiers’ and all this to do what pleases God.  And what do we do that approaches in difficulty to this?

 

Think often that all we do has its true value from our conformity with the will of God, so that in eating and drinking, if I do it because it is the will of God for me to do it, I am more agreeable to God than if I suffer death without that intention.

 

I would wish you often, during the day, to ask God to give you love of your vocation, and to say like St. Paul when he was converted, “Lord, what will You have me to do?” (Acts. 9:6)  Will you have me serve You in the vilest ministry of Your house!  Ah!  I shall consider myself too happy.  Provided that I serve You, I do not care in what it may be.  And coming to the particular thing that troubles you, say, ”Will You that I do such a thing?  Ah! Lord, although I am not worthy to do it, I will do it most willingly,” and thus you greatly humble yourself.  Oh my God!  What treasure you will gain!  One greater, without doubt, than you can imagine.

 

I would wish you to consider how many saints have been in your vocation and state, and how they have accommodated themselves to it with great sweetness and resignation, both under the New and the Old Testaments.  Sara, Rebecca, St. Anne, St. Elizabeth, St. Monica, St. Paula, and a hundred thousand others; and let this encourage you, recommending yourself to their prayers.

 

We must love what God loves.  How, He loves our vocation; so let us also love it, and not occupy ourselves with thinking on that of others.  Let us do our duty; each one’s cross is not too much for him.

 

Mingle sweetly the office of Martha with that of Magdalene; do diligently the service of your vocation, and often recollect yourself, and put yourself in spirit at the feet of Our Lord, and say, “My Lord, whether I run or stay, I am all Yours and You mine; You are my first spouse; and whatever I do is for love of You, both this and that…”

 

I think that, making half an hour’s prayer every morning, you should content yourself with hearing one Mass a day, and reading during the day for half an hour some spiritual book, such as Granada[4] or some other good author.

 

In the evening make an examination of conscience, and all the day long, spontaneous prayers.  Often read the Spiritual Combat; I recommend it to you.[5] On Sundays and feasts, you can, beside Mass, hear Vespers (but not under obligation) and the sermon.

 

Do not forget to confess every week, and also when you have any great trouble of conscience.  As for Communion, if it is not agreeable to Monsieur your husband, do not exceed, for the present, the limits of what we fixed at Saint Claude: keep steadfast, and receive Communion spiritually.  God will take, as sufficient for the present, the preparation of your heart.

 

Remember what I have often said to you: do honour to your devotion; make it very amiable to all those who may know you, especially to your family; act so that every one may speak well of it.  My God!  how happy you are to have a husband so reasonable and so compliant!  You should indeed praise God for this.

 

When any contradiction comes upon you, thoroughly resign yourself unto Our Lord, and console yourself, knowing that His favours are only for the good or for those who put themselves in the way of becoming so.

 

For the rest, know that my spirit is all yours.  God knows if ever I forget you, or your whole family, in my weak prayers; I have you deeply graven in my soul.  May God be your heart and your life!

 

Francis

​

​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] This refers to a type of confraternity, or pious society, whose members wore a cord or sash to honour some saint, from whom they hoped to receive a grace or favour.

[2] Mattia de Salo Bellintani (1534-1611), a Capuchin preacher and spiritual writer, author of a book on the practice of mental prayer.

[3] Bruno Vincent (1532-1594), Italian Jesuit, author of Meditations on the Mysteries of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Our Lord.

[4] Luis de Granada (1504-1588), Spanish Dominican, author of the very popular Guide for Sinners and other books.

[5] The Spiritual Combat, a favourite book of St. Francis, first appeared anonymously in Venice in 1589.

​

​

Back to Top

​