Letter 34 of Saint-Cyran

My Reverend Mother, do not concentrate on what could happen to your religious community by the exit of Mademoiselle de Chamesson and do not trouble the peace that should be there by vain fears about the future nor by useless thoughts about the past. For accomplishing this you are no longer permitted to think about the fault you committed by receiving her.

   It is not believable how greatly all religious communities, especially those with girls, deceive themselves by their choice of souls, each boasting about the reasons for their choice, But what the Son of God said to Mary Magdalene about the eternal end is true and should be followed by every means established by God to lead us there, and especially to the main end which is the religious life. We should not look for in the souls who wish to commit themselves to it anything except an interior vocation and we should say to them the words the Son of God spoke to Mary Magdalene, But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her, For if there is not a call from God, it is very difficult that the consequences be good, even when someone persists a fairly long time in the practice of good works.

   As we see that no matter how solid are walls and no matter how beautiful are the furnishings in a house, if the foundation is not good and well established, the house will necessarily fall into ruin. It is the same kind of image the Son of God used in the gospel where he wishes that we build our religious virtue on rock and not on sand to make it immovable against temptations.

Translated from the French by Daniel McNeill

The United States of the World, The End of All Beginnings, The Theater of the Impossible, Baseball Metaphysics, books and e-books by Daniel McNeill, are for sale at:
amazon.com/author/graceisall

Baseball Metaphysics shows that there are Christian themes hidden in baseball games.