Letter 51 of Saint-Cyran

I like order in everything and that we do everything by number, weight and measure as we do ruling our house and as God did in creating the world and the church.

   I desire that you imitate the ancient discipline of the church. It used to do nothing except in common and the bishops used to call their priests to their councils. Even Jesus Christ who is the head of the whole church does nothing except in common with the entire universal church. He distributes his graces which are his goods and his riches in a general spirit. He does not consider any prayer or any good work in particular but in general as done by the whole body of the church which he takes into account when he makes his special awards and shares his particular gifts.

   I do not do otherwise in all my own matters. I consult all those who must have a place in them before reaching any conclusion. I give a place for God’s grace whom I invoke and I call on others to invoke praying him to make the matter clear to us. For without God all the resolutions of men are vain. And I use this method whether there is a little difficulty or a lot because of the consequences that can happen as a result which only God knows. Therefore I employ delayed actions and suspensions in order to give room to the grace of God to enlighten me by this waiting period and by my submission to him.

   I grieve over the sickness of my sister N. I recommend her to God and she has every reason to trust herself to his mercy. He has given us evidence by the change he worked in her that he wished to save her. She belongs to those souls whose natural charity results in tears. But the natural workings of grace dries them by the joy it gives to her heart. She should derive all her consolation from the memory of the love that was proof to her that it came from God. God has not given so much grace to others and it is they we should pity. Our faith causes us to have compassion for those inflicted with incurable evils and that condition should make us inconsolable. She will find God peaceful towards her and ready to receive her. That does not prevent that our prayers for her be mixed with tears.

   I would be pleased if we obtain the position you wrote me about for this young man David provided that he reveal beforehand the whole depth of his soul and all his inclinations to Monsieur N. He knows very well that I do not love anyone except in order to save him and that I do not intend that he enter this house except to live there virtuously and according to God. Someone should tell him also that because I desire virtue in young people and not having found him submissive to my teachings, I had separated him for a time from my house having however always maintained for him the same affection in my heart. In that I imitated the behavior of God who abandons sometimes in appearance his chosen and then brings them back to himself when he knows that the abandonment in which he left them for a time will be useful for them  in order to better keep them doing their duty in the future.

Translated from the French by Daniel McNeill

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