a contrary habit, be stedfast; and as quietly as you can, restrain your mind thereto, and to perfect simplicity in God's Presence and forgetfulness of self. As you wish that I should make use of the claims of obedience, I say, "Why would you strive to take Martha's part in prayer, when God gives you to know that He wills you to take that of Mary?" I desire you then simply to abide in His Presence, without striving to do anything, or ask anything, save that to which He may move you. Do not look within upon yourself, but abide patiently before Him.

IV. Once more, my dear father, I would ask if the soul, when thus resting upon God, ought not to leave the disposition of all things, internal and external, to Him, waiting upon His Will, without any choice or effort, or any voluntary hindrance? Oh, my God, how can I win this grace, save through the prayers of this Thy servant?

Answer. God be gracious to you, my dear daughter. The child which rests in its mother's arms needs only to cling to her, and leave all else.

V. Will not our Lord order all things specially for the needs of a soul thus given up to Him?

Answer. Such souls are as the apple of His Eye. VI. Ought one not to receive everything, even to the veriest trifle, as from His Hand, and seek His Guidance in everything?

Answer. In this respect God would have you to be as a little child; only be careful not to be fanciful or unreal.

VII. Would it not be profitable to wait patiently and without effort on God's Will in the numberless little matters which cross and trouble us? Greater things one sees from afar. I mean, for instance, the deprivation of comfort which seems desirable or necessary, hindrance in doing some good action or some mortification, while useless or dangerous things are forced upon us.

Answer. So long as you do not consent to what is wrong, you should study to attain a holy indifference in all else.

VIII. How to become dutiful and prompt in obedience to one's Rules. There are so mary opportunities (in obedience to Rule) for little mortifications. The summons comes while one is in the middle of some occupation: one's accounts, &c., &c. It is so hard to leave off, one wants but another minute to finish what one is doing, to write one word more, just to warm oneself, or what not.

Answer. Yes, it is well to make everything give way to your Rules, and unless there is some signal reason to the contrary, obey them in preference to all these trifling inclinations.

IX. Is it well to let oneself be absolutely go

verned in all that concerns the body, merely accepting whatever is given or done to one, good or ill; accepting what is too much, according to one's own judgment, without murmur or remark; submitting to any appointed infliction or indulgence as to sleep, rest, warmth, exemption from what is painful, or from mortifications, merely saying what one feels able to bear, but not persisting. This is a very difficult subject to me.

Answer. You should say honestly what you can bear, but not so as to restrain those who are set over you; and after that you should be perfectly pliable. That is what I specially wish to see in you.

X. Ought I to be very yielding to the wishes of the Sisters, and of others, as soon as I know them, when I might easily set them aside, or consider them? This is rather a difficulty, it leaves one so little time to oneself. So often one longs for a few minutes alone, or of time for one's own wants, and then some Sister comes who would fain occupy that quarter of an hour, or a visitor comes, &c.

Answer. You must secure such time as is necessary for yourself, and you will be the better able to attend to the wants of your Sisters.

XI. I think I could practise more self-denial. If my dear lord approves it, let him enjoin what he sees fit, and, God helping me, I will obey

Answer. Do So, and you "shall live." Amen.

XII. I ask you, for the love of God, help in humbling myself. I want to learn never to say anything which can tend to my own praise or glorification.

Answer. No doubt, it is a good thing to speak as little of ourselves as possible, for whether we excuse or accuse ourselves, whether we praise or blame ourselves, such words are apt to foster vanity. So that unless charity requires us to speak of ourselves it is better to be silent. You will find teaching concerning all this in the Traité de l'Amour de Dieu. May the Grace of God be with us always. Amen.

[852.

CLIX.

TO A FRIEND. ON THE NEW YEAR.

(PROBABLY PRESIDENT FAVRE.)

MY DEAR BROTHER,

I close the year with giving myself the pleasure of wishing you all good for that which is coming. These mortal years pass away, dear brother; their months melt into weeks, weeks into days, days into hours, hours into moments; and after all, these moments are all that we can really call our own!

Even these we only possess as they pass away, setting forth how swiftly we too are passing away; a fact which might be willingly accepted if we consider how full of sorrow this life is, and how when it is ended it will be merged in that blessed Eternity which God in His Merciful Goodness has prepared for us, and to which our hearts continually tend, not through our own natural instincts, but through His Gracious drawing.

Dear brother, I never dwell upon the thought of Eternity without great delight, and this because I cannot do so without feeling that my soul would not be able to reach after so mighty a thought, were there not some true affinity between them. There must be some correspondence between the soul and that to which it tends; and when my longings fix themselves upon Eternity, my satisfaction becomes exceeding, because I know that we never long intensely save for that which God wills us to attain. Therefore my longing is a proof that I may attain that Eternal life; what more need I save to hope for it? And that hope is confirmed to me through my knowledge of the Infinite Goodness of Him Who would not have created a soul capable of meditating upon and longing after Eternity, without giving it the means whereby to attain thereto. So, dear brother, we find ourselves at the foot of the Crucifix, which is the ladder by