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that you would still have God? and if we had nothing save Him, is it not enough? The Son of God, our Dear Jesus, had scarcely that, when hanging on the Cross; through love and obedience He was forsaken of His Father. One with the Father, His Human Nature lost the sense of that Presence for a brief moment ;-a trial never laid on any other soul, for none beside Jesus could endure it.

If God were to take all else from us, He will never deprive us of Himself so long as we desire Him. And, moreover, all our losses and separations are but for a moment. Surely we may well be patient. . . .

As to Jeanne's burial let it be very simple.... You know that I like simplicity both in life and in death.

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TO MADAME DE CHANTAL.

ON SPIRITUAL HUNGER.

Jan. 24, 1608. You say that you hunger more than usual after Holy Communion. There are two kinds of hungerone which proceeds from a good digestion, the other from a perverted appetite. Humble yourself, and kindle your soul with the Holy Love of Jesus Christ Crucified, in order that you may be able to digest this celestial food; and, inasmuch as he who complains

of hunger surely craves for bread, I would say, communicate this Lent on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as on Lady Day and Sundays.

Do you know what I mean by rightly digesting this spiritual food? In the natural life a good digestion assimilates the food we eat, so that it invigorates the whole system. And even so those who spiritually digest the Blessed Sacrament, will find that it spreads its sacred influence throughout body and soul. Brain, heart, eyes, hands, tongue, ears, feet, all will be partakers of their Saviour. He makes all that is crooked straight, purifies all that is soiled, mortifies what is redundant, animates everything. The heart lives through Him, the brain thinks through Him, the eyes see, the tongue speaks, through Him. He is All in all, so that "it is not I that live, but Christ liveth in me." Oh, my daughter, when will that be? My God, when will it be?

Now I will tell you at what we must aim, though indeed we must be content to attain it by very slow degrees. Let us be very humble, and communicate boldly; little by little our spiritual digestion will learn to assimilate the celestial food. It is a great matter to be well supplied with good food; the digestion works better when such is the case. Let us desire our Lord only, and I trust it may be so with us.

[141.]

XXVII.

TO MADAME DE CHANTAL.

Feb. 5, 1608.

WHY do you get up so very early in the morning? Indeed it is not well to enfeeble the mind by overworking the body. S. Francis used to tell his disciples this. I do it sometimes, it is true, but only out of sheer necessity, and I would have you make the same rule. My last letter was written at midnight, but I had not been up so late for long. One must not do that sort of thing without good cause, women especially; one is good for very little all the next day.

It seems to me, my daughter, that your mind has been quite in an entanglement these first two or three days of Lent. I am not at all surprised, for your mind is so sensitive and so jealous over any resolution you have made, that whatever crosses the thread touches you deeply. I have told you a thousand times that it will not do to be so fastidious in our work. I wish that the skin of your heart was rather tougher, and less accessible to flea-bites. Faith, hope, and charity, which are very parts of ourself, are subject to gusts of wind, though they cannot be blown over; and why should we expect our resolution to be exempt from all

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such trials? I marvel, my daughter, whether you expect not only that your tree should be well and firmly planted, but that not a leaf should ever rustle in the breeze? Meet all such misgivings by definite acts of love of God and confidence in His Grace. And after all do not be afraid that these trifles will shake your resolution. These are vain fears. If Satan's minister, buffeting S. Paul with all manner of temptations, could not soil his purity, why should our good resolutions suffer from passing emotions?

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March 7.

I will tell you what you do. When some trifle disturbs your mind, you are vexed because of it, and afraid. This fear weakens your mind, and makes it limp, sad and unsteady; it displeases you, and so begets another fear lest the first be wrong, and thus you get more and more confused. You fear being afraid, and then you are afraid of fearing; you are vexed at the vexation, and then you are vexed at having been vexed. I have seen people in the same way get into a passion, and then be angry because they had lost their temper! just like the circles on water when one throws in a stone, one spreading beyond the other without end. The remedy, my daughter, is not to be so susceptible. Put aside all these entanglements, do not dwell upon them, laugh at them, distract your attention by active employment.

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XXVIII.

TO A LADY. ON INTERIOR PEACE.

MADAME,

April 8, 1608.

I have received your first letter with special satisfaction, as a good beginning of the spiritual intercourse which is to exist between us, to the advancement of God's Kingdom in our hearts. May God help me to guide you wisely.

It is not possible that you should so quickly become mistress of your own soul, or control it thoroughly at the outset. Be content if from time to time you gain some little victory over your besetting sin. It is a duty to bear with other people, but first of all we must learn to bear with ourselves, and to have patience with our own imperfection.

My dear child, are we to expect to win inward peace without going through ordinary contradiction and difficulty? Now attend to these rules.

Every morning compose your soul for a tranquil day, and all through it be careful often to recall your resolution, and bring yourself back to it, so to say.

If something discomposes you, do not be upset, or troubled, but having discovered the fact, humble yourself gently before God, and try to bring your mind into a quiet attitude. Say to yourself, "Well, I have

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