Letter 39 of Saint-Cyran

My mother, your last letter which speaks of your sickness made me eager to let you know that you are not indifferent to me. I could hardly wait for the day of the outgoing mail to arrive and instead of as before not writing you in order to take care of more urgent business, I am leaving now all my other occupations to write you. I will be extremely relieved to learn the consequences of your sickness and whether or not  I have deceived myself in the good hope I have about them.

   But while reading your letter I discovered you fearful about what you are going through and I remembered certain things that you revealed to me before God that cause you pain. I dare to say, to console you and to make you submissive to the will of God on this occasion, that you have no cause to dread anything and you can claim for yourself with humility the promises of the Son of God.

   I will not say anything more to you now for the time is more suitable to speak to God about you than to speak to you about God. I pray that Sister N. trust in God and not fear any more than you to humbly take Holy Communion, for what you write me about her shows that she is sufficiently disposed to this grace from God. I beg her to believe me and do it. I will wait to find in the next mail arrival good news.

Translated from the French by Daniel McNeill

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