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Chronological Dictionary of Vincentian HistoryXIV: Appendix I: Vincent de Paul Speaks to the Daughters of Charity 1634-1653Translator’s Note: In this chapter and the following chapter, I have used Joseph Leonard’s four-volume translation of the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul to the Sisters of Charity, The Newman Press: Westminster, Maryland, 1952. I will cite the theme of the conference, the date, the volume and then the page. I am using this four-volume edition since it is the one that is most used by the confreres. 1634 1640 1641 1642 1643 1644 1645 1646 1647 1648 1649 1634 1. Our eyes might deceive us, but the truth that God is in all places will never deceive (Explanation of the Rule, July 31, 1634, I:3). 2. When you have been well instructed, you will have great devotion to the Mass, for it is the center of devotion (Explanation of the Rule, July 31, 1634, I:4). 3. When you leave prayer and Holy Mass to serve the poor, you are losing nothing, because serving the poor is going to God and you should see God in them (Explanation of the Rule, July 31, 1634, I;4; On Fidelity to Rising and on Prayer, August 2, 1640, I;29; Continuation of the Conference of January 22,1645, On the Observance of the Rule, I:191; On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:284-285; On the Good Use of Instructions, (no date), II:34; On the Spirit of the World, July 28, 1648, II:62-63; To Four Sisters who were sent to Sedan, July 23, 1654, III:3; On Observance of the Rule, August 1, 1655, III:83, Instructions Given to two Sisters who were sent to La Fere, July 29, 1656, III:177; To Four Sisters who were sent to Calais, August 4, 1658, IV:169; On Rising, Prayer, Examen, and other Exercises, November 17, 1658, IV:206). 4. By practicing obedience, you will learn holy humility (Explanation of the Rule, July 31, 1634, I:6; Explanation of the Rule, June 14, 1643, I:112-113). 5. Rich people may become poor, owing to accidents which frequently occur, but those who are resolved to depend utterly on Providence shall never be poor (Explanation of the Rule, July 31, 1634, I:9). 6. Now to be true Daughters of Charity, it is necessary to have given up everything.... to give up oneself.... to belong entirely to God..... to do the will of God in its entirety (On the Vocation of a Daughter of Charity, July 5, 1640, I:12) 7. To be true Daughters of Charity you must do what the Son of God did when He was on earth (On the vocation of a Daughter of Charity, July 5, 1640 I:13). 8. [Let us] love, serve and honor the life of His Son on earth (On the Vocation of a Daughter of Charity, July 19, 1640, I:17). 9. Observe, my Daughters, you may do all the good you like, but if you do not do it well, it will profit you nothing (On the Vocation of a Daughter of Charity, July 19, 1640, I:17). 10. Sisters, though it is a great thing to teach by words, example has quite another sort of power over hearts (On the Vocation of a Daughter of Charity, July 19, 1640, I:21). 11. It is enough to love God to be very learned (On Fidelity to Rising and on Prayer, August 2, 1640, I: 27). 12. No one displeases God more than a grumbler (On Fidelity to Rising and on Prayer, August 16, 1640, I:34). 13. It is not our state in life, and it is not our title which render us pleasing to God and which will save us, rather it is the manner in which we acquit ourselves of the titles we possess (On the Jubilee, October 15, 1641, I:45). 14. What do you think is the meaning of this beautiful title: Daughters of Charity? Nothing else than Daughters of the good God, because whoever is in charity is in God and God is in them (On the Faults and Failings of the Past Year, January 6, 1642, I:48). 15. It is important that Superiors should send away those who might be harmful to others (On the Faults and Failings of the Past Year, January 6, 1642, I:50). 16. Your strength is God’s Providence (On the Faults and Failings of the Past Year, January 6, 1642, I:51). 17. Speaking about the spiritual advice that he offers, Vincent says: I shall be content to do as mothers do who, when forced to wean their babies before the latter can eat properly, masticate just a little bit of bread for them at first, not much, for otherwise they would extract all the substance from it (On Tending the Sick Poor, March 9, 1642, I:54-55). 18. As long as you remain within the bounds of exact obedience to your superiors, your rules and Divine Providence, you will go straight to God (On Obedience, June, 1642, I:62). 19. In the future, instead of calling Sister Superiors, Superioresses, we should employ the title, “Sister Servant” (On Obedience, June, 1642, I:63). 20. If Providence itself had not given you the beautiful name Daughters of Charity, you should bear that of Daughters of Providence (On Obedience, June 1642, I:67). 21. A more certain sign that you are true Daughters of Charity is if you love to be despised, for you may not perhaps lack the occasion of being despised (On Imitating the Conduct of Country Girls, January 24, 1643, I:76). 22. You have a right only to food and clothing; the surplus belongs to the service of the poor (On Imitating the Conduct of Country Girls, January 24, 1643, I:81). 23. If I have ever said anything true and important to you, it is what you have just heard. You should strive to preserve the spirit of good and true country girls....practicing simplicity, humility, sobriety, modesty and obedience (On Imitating the Conduct of Country Girls, January 24, 1643 I:84-85). 24. Those who do not know how to say very much sometimes do very well, and those who easily understand... sometimes do less well..... and then there are those who both speak well and do well (On the Union that Should Exist between Members of the Community, April 26, 1643, I:86). 25. The need for unity among the sisters (On the Union that Should Exist between Members of the Community, April 26, 1643, I:91-92). 26. You should also reflect that your chief business, the one which God especially requires of you, is diligence in serving the poor, who are our lords (Explanation of the Rule, June 14, 1643, I:107). 27. When we are silent, we can hear God speaking to our hearts (Explanation of the Rule, June 14, 1643, I:108). 28. If you are really faithful in the observance of this mode of life, you will all be good Christians. I should not say anything more than that if I were to say to you that you would be good religious (Explanation of the Rule, June 14, 1643, I:113). 29. O my Daughters, what a happiness! You will have a share in the praises they [the foundlings] offer to God; they will tell God of all your charity for them and of all the trouble they gave you (On the Foundlings, December 7, 1643, I:125). 30. With regard to cordial and kind respect: Fear lest the want of those two virtues may cause people to say that you have the habit of Daughters of Charity but are not really Daughters of Charity (On Cordial Respect, January 1, 1644, I:129-130). 31. Yes, you must certainly preserve such great union among yourselves that people will be able to say of the Daughters of Charity that they are living in a little earthly Paradise (On Cordial Respect, January 1, 1644, I:134). 32. No one ever grows angry at what is said by a person he loves (On Cordial Respect, January 1, 1644, I:137). 33. Be ready, then, to please others, and do not oblige the Sister or Sisters who are with you to be always on their best behavior and to feel constrained for fear you may take their words or action in bad part.... If everybody manifested his unreasonable feelings you would see some nice countenances! (On Cordial Respect, January 1, 1644, I:141-142). 34. What would [God] say if you were to be fond of good cheer? (On Inordinate Affection for Self, December 11, 1644, I:155). 35. We must give ourselves entirely to God, and ask for the grace of self-knowledge (On Inordinate Affection for Self, December 11, 1644, I:156). 36. She [Sister Joan Dalmagne] said she had no other regret in dying save that she had not served the poor well and that, if God restored her to health and life, she would serve them better than ever (On the Virtues of Sister Joan Dalmagne, January 15, 1645, I:163-164). 37. We should not give God anything but the best (On the Virtues of Sister Joan Dalmagne, January 15, 1645, I:168). 38. One day when she [Sister Joan] learned that certain rich people had evaded their taxes and had managed to transfer them to the poor, she told them quite openly that such conduct was contrary to justice and that God would punish them for such extortions (On the Virtues of Sister Joan Dalmagne, January 15, 1645, I:170). 39. When it is a question of God’s glory and the welfare of the poor, one should never fear to speak the truth (On the Virtues of Sister Joan Dalmagne, January 15, 1645, I:170). 40. I am not just giving to the poor, I am investing in the poor (On the Virtues of Sister Joan Dalmagne, January 15, 1645 I:172). 41. An excellent means to make one’s prayer is the Passion of Our Lord (Continuation of the Conference of January 22, 1645, On Observance of the Rule, I:191). 42. I am persuaded that knowledge does not serve, and that a theologian, no matter how learned he may be, does not find his knowledge of any assistance to him at mental prayer (Continuation of the Conference of January 22, 1645, On Observance of the Rule, I:194). 43. Your rule of life also prescribes a little retreat once a year.... These eights days of silence are a time of harvest (Continuation of the Conference of January 22, 1645, On Observance of the Rule, I:195). 44. You will learn in retreat to be true Daughters of Charity and you will also learn there the best way to serve the poor (Continuation of the Conference of January 22,1645, On observance of the Rule, I:195). 45. God commands the just man not only to do good, but to do it well (Continuation of the Conference of January 22, 1645, On Observance of the Rule, I:196). 46. We are so charged with the care of one another’s souls that God will one day ask us to render an account of them (On Reconciliation, Conference given between 1634 and 1646, I:202). 47. God expects you to provide for the spiritual and bodily needs of the poor (On Holy Communion, January 22, 1646, I:212; Explanation of the Common Rules, September 29, 1655, III:100; On Serving the Sick and the Care of One’s Health, November 11, 1657, III:293; On the Service of the Sick, October 19, 1659, IV:271; On the Service of the Sick -- the Virtues of Sister Barbara Angiboust [Rules of Parish Sisters, Article 6-17], November 11, 1659, IV:274). 48. Remember this, my daughters, the principal devotion of a Daughter of Charity is to make good Holy Communions (On Holy Communion, January 22, 1646, I:212). 49. How true it is, then, that from all eternity, God intended to employ you to serve the poor (On the Love of Our Vocation and On Helping the Poor, February 13, 1646, I:215). 50. That, my daughters, was the beginning of your Company; as it was not then what it is now, there is reason to think that it is not now what it will be later on when God brings it to the state on which He has decided (On the Love of Our Vocation and On Helping the Poor, February 13, 1646, I:218). 51. Another Sister will serve the poor in a parish; she will become attached to a Lady of Charity, to one of the officials, to a Confessor. She should promptly reveal the fact, and crush the serpent’s head while it is still young. If she does not then she will be serving the parish but certainly not serving the poor (On the Love of Our Vocation and On Helping the Poor, February 13, 1646, I:222). 52. By serving the poor, we serve Jesus Christ (On the Love of Our Vocation and On Helping the Poor, February 13, 1646, I:223). 53. The poor, whom we have assisted, will be our intercessors with God (On the Love of Our Vocation and On Helping the Poor, February 13, 1646, I:224). 54. Visitors: Use your eyes and ears and don’t use your tongues (Advice on the Method of Making a Visitation of the Sisters’ Houses in Paris, July, 1646, I:231). 55. If there are a hundred aspects of any affair, we should always look at the best side (On Meekness and the Practice of Mutual Respect, August 19, 1646, I:241). 56. Charity comes first and if charity were injured by Confession, leave Confession alone for it is only the handmaid of charity, which nothing we do should ever prejudice (On Concealing and Excusing the Faults of One’s Sisters, October 22, 1646, I:254). 57. God’s cloister, a great personage has said, is charity (On Concealing and Excusing the Faults of One’s Sisters, October 22, 1646, I:259) 58. If there never were any Sisters to listen, there never would be anyone to complain (On Concealing and Excusing the Faults of One’s Sisters, October 22, 1646, I:263) 59. Go on, do what you should do, and you will see she will not allow you to do for long (On Concealing and Excusing the Faults of One’s Sisters, October 22, 1646, I:263). 60. Do not admonish anyone except by example (On Concealing and Excusing the Faults of One’s Sisters, October 22,1646, I:264). 61. It is impossible for a good person to look at herself, as God sees her, and not admit that she is the most wicked person in the world (On the Relations of Sisters with their Fellow-Sisters and with Externs, February 2, 1647, I:270). 62. You give only your time, which would be of no use without the financial and other supports of the Confraternity (On the Relations of Sisters with their Fellow-Sisters and with Externs, February 2, 1647, I:270). 63. If nature once begins to relax, it will keep on demanding more (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:275). 64. If you wish to have no difficulties, then there is nothing like acquiring a habit of doing what must be done (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:275). 65. No one has ever yet seen a person attached to the observance of the rules and lose their vocation (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:281). 66. For the consolation of those employed in hard work, I will tell you that there must be no delay in serving the poor (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:284). 67. Remember that to tend the sick is to make one’s prayer (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:290). 68. Regarding conversations with men in the street: You should cut short all such conversation (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:290). 69. The law of the Confraternity of Charity in which you were associated with the Ladies is no longer, as far as you are concerned, anything else than what the law of Moses was in regard to that of Jesus Christ (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:291). 70. If you keep [the rule], I promise you, on behalf of the same God, a thousand blessings on all your labors (On the Rules, May 30, 1647, I:292). 71. A person who makes a good Communion does everything else well (On Holy Communion, August 18, 1647, I:195). 72. A person who has made a good Communion does everything else well...she will be doing the actions of Jesus Christ (On Holy Communion, August 18, 1647, I:297). 73. As long as we love our rules, God will not permit us to lose our vocation (On Perseverance in our Vocation, September 22, 1647, I:320). 74. What do you think murmuring actually is in a Community? It is a plague which spoils everything. It is quite enough to have one who complains and another who listens to her complaints and to have everything ruined. It is the mother of division and dissension (On the Good Use of Admonitions, January 22, 1648, II:9). 75. A key to the spiritual life, is to be really willing to be admonished, to take admonitions well and to believe that, if people knew us, they would help us to see many other faults (On the Good Use of Admonitions, March 15, 1648, II:20). 76. Believe me, there is no use in fighting with your pillow; you are always bound to lose (On the Good Use of Admonitions, March 15, 1648, II:22). 77. Not only the admonitions, my Daughters, but all that is said and not only what the Superior says,.... but all that the sisters say.... it is God who speak to you and instructs you... as to what he wishes you to do (On the Good Use of Instructions, [not dated], II:25-26). 78. On the occasion of a meeting or a conference: We shall have a conference tomorrow; we shall hear from the mouth of our Superiors or our Sisters your holy word, O God. It will be your word, O my God, for you will inspire them (On the Good Use of Instructions, [not dated], II:33). 79. If you ask me what can give you strength, strength for each one of you in particular, I shall answer prayer.... But if you ask me what supports the whole Company, it is the conference (On the Good Use of Instructions, [not dated], II:36). 80. Our happiness absolutely depends on our fidelity (On the Good Use of Instructions, [not dated], II:40). 81. Pray, if you can, every hour, or even, never cease praying, for prayer is so excellent that we can never pray sufficiently (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:47). 82. Prayer is the soul of our souls — that is to say, that what the soul is to the body, prayer is to the soul (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:49). 83. A Daughter of Charity cannot persevere if she does not pray (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:49). 84. Prayer is the soul of our souls (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:49). 85. Prayer is like a mirror (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:49). 86. Prayer is a fountain of youth in which the soul grows young (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:50). 87. God spoke to Moses in prayer: “Let me alone; you want me to do what I do not wish to do (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:51). 88. You and I must resolve never to omit our daily prayer. I say daily, my Daughters, but if it were possible I would say: let us never cease praying, and let us spend no time out of prayer (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II53). 89. If you see a Sister modest in her words and actions, prudent, recollected, affable, gay, but in holy fashion; they you can say: there’s a daughter of prayer (On Prayer, May 31, 1648, II:56). 90. The obligation of hearing Mass is only of ecclesiastical institution... You should leave everything to serve the poor, for the assistance of one’s neighbor was laid down by God Himself and practiced by Our Lord Jesus Christ (On the Spirit of the World, July 28, 1648, II:63). 91. To succeed in a state of life, one should have its spirit (On the Spirit of the World, July 28, 1648, II:64). 92. You are Daughters of Charity, God is charity and therefore, as you are Daughters of Charity you are daughters of God. To be His real, true daughters, you must do His works (On the Spirit of the World, July 28, 1648, II:65). 93. A Daughter of Charity who takes a delight in speaking elegant language, in being pointed out as one who speaks beautifully, who, if there is any new and fashionable word or phrase, knows it, and takes an opportunity of using it on the most suitable occasion: the spirit of the world (On the Spirit of the World, August 25, 1648, II:74). 94. It is essential, if a vocation is to be really loved, that each one should apply herself in such a way to the acquisition of her own spirit that she becomes incapable of mingling it with that of any other (On the Love of Our Vocation, December 25, 1648, II:88). 95. I give thanks to God.... for the lights He has given you..... They are of such a nature that theologians could scarcely say more. They might perhaps say more beautiful things, but not better (On the Love of God, September 19, 1649, II:99) 96. There are two kinds of love: affective love proceeds from the heart and effective love, when we act for God without feeling these sweetnesses (On the Love of God, September 19, 1649, II:191). 97. This is the wile of the evil spirit who strives to conceal from you the good you do in doing what in you lies, although you derive no consolation from it (On the Love of God, September 19, 1649, II:103). 98 You may be certain that although you may not enjoy the consolation of feeling the sweetness of this love, you do not cease to possess it, acting as you do for the love of him (On the Love of God, September 19, 1649, II:103-104). 99 To love God is never to say anything evil, never to complain, never to murmur, never to engage in conversation to the detriment of others, either of those at home or of those abroad, to speak well of God and our neighbor, and in this way our heart will be maintained in the love of God (On the Love of God, September 19, 1649, II:104). 100 You must accustom your heart to form good thoughts (On the Love of God, September 9, 1649, II:105). 101 God did not only say: You shall labor with the powers of your mind to earn your bread, but you shall labor with the sweat of your brow (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:111-112). 102 No one has ever yet seen anyone to whom God has not given, even more than sufficiently, the means of livelihood, when he was willing to work (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:113). 103 Idleness is also the cause of petty spites, vexations and jealousies which are frequently purely imaginary and without any foundation (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:115). 104 Jesus wished to let Daughters of Charity see two sorts of occasions in which they may serve the poor; the first, when they look after their temporal needs; the second, when they speak some edifying words to induce them to make a good confession, to prepare them to die well or to take good resolutions to lead a better life, in case God restores them to health (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:116). 105 If God is pleased to grant you the grace of being able some day to earn your living and in addition to be in such a position as to be able to serve villages which are unable to support you, I do not know of anything more beautiful (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:118). 106 When our Sisters are comfortably established and have not enough to do, they will neglect the work they have and will not go to the trouble of visiting the poor. Ah! Then, one must bid good bye to the Daughters of Charity; it will be absolutely dead; its funeral must take place (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:119). 107 We should even sell ourselves to rescue our sisters and brothers from misery (On the Love of Work, November 28, 1649, II:120). 108 A Sister who loses her vocation is like a fish out of water (On How We Should Act When Difficulties Arise and We Are Living at a Distance from the Mother-House, April 19, 1650, II:127). 109 I have noticed that most of the Sisters who left did so because they did not consult others in their difficulties (On How We Should Act When Difficulties Arise and We Are Living at a Distance from the Mother-House, April 19, 1650, II:128). 110 We delude and deceive ourselves if we think we can do anything by ourselves (On Indifference, July 14, 1651 [Translator’s Note: the Spanish edition gives 1650 as the date while in English the date is 1651... I have kept the 1651 date], II:180-181). 111 Religious women have cloisters, but we do not, and if obedience does not restrain us, we will be in danger of committing many faults (On Obedience, August 7, 1650, II:134). 112 Do not imagine that because you are old, it is permissible to claim anything (On Obedience, August 7, 1650, II:139). 113 There are two kinds of obedience: one to the rules and the other to Superiors. Obedience to the rule should always take first place (On Obedience, August 7, 1650, II:141). 114 It seems to me that they (the Daughters of Charity) should obey God first of all and then their rules, Superiors and the lady officials in the parishes where they live (On Obedience, August 7, 1650, II:144). 115 [We should not try] to influence our Superiors to order us to do what we ourselves desire, but to strive that we may be ordered to do what they know God demands of us (On Obedience, August 7, 1650, II:147-148). 116 The Sister Servant.... should yield in everything and be the most humble, but she should stand fast if her Sister wished to do anything contrary to God and the rules (To Certain Sisters Who Were Being Sent into the Country, October 22, 1650, II:150). 117 Let us not be surprised at finding it hard to bear with others, for sometimes we cannot endure ourselves (To Certain Sisters Who Were Being Sent into the Country, October 22, 1650, II:151). 118 Do not waste your time by ingratiating yourselves with persons of rank, by paying them compliments and acting as if you were Court Ladies.... all would be lost (To Certain Sisters Who Were Being Sent into the Country, October 22, 1650, II:151). 119 You give yourselves to God in poverty, chastity and obedience --- some forever and others for a year (To Certain Sisters Who Were Being Sent into the Country, October 22, 1650, II:152) 120 The three principal faults that may be committed at Confession: speak too much.... speak too little.... not speak truthfully (On Confession, March 5, 1651, II:166-167). 121 It is also necessary to admonish Sister Servants as well as others, for Saints themselves need to be warned. The disciples were sent two by two.... so that they might exercise fraternal charity (On the Good Use of Admonitions, April 25, 1652, II:188-189) 122 An admonition is a medicine and a blood-letting to eliminate evil humors (On the Good Use of Admonitions, April 25, 1652, II:190). 123 When we were ill we were quite content to have our father told about it, to have the fact mentioned to the doctor and to have him fully informed about our illness? And why? ... to be consoled and to be sympathized with (On the Good Use of Admonitions, April 25, 1652, II:192). 124 I do not know of any religious Order more useful to the Church than that of the Daughters of Charity, if they really enter into its spirit and render service to the neighbor (On the Spirit of the Company, February 2, 1653, II:196). 125 Leave grandeur to religious sisters; have the highest opinion of them, but do not frequent their society.... communication with their particular spirit is not suitable for you. This holds true of men of religious Orders as well as of women (On the Spirit of the Company, February 2, 1653, II:196). 126 Mutual forbearance and graciousness are most necessary. If you do not have these virtues you will not be Daughters of Charity but daughters of discord and confusion.... little demons who rend one another (On the Spirit of the Company, February 2, 1653, II:198-199). 127 The spirit of the Company consists in giving itself to God, to love Our Lord and serve him corporally and spiritually in the person of the poor, in their own homes or elsewhere (On the Spirit of the Company, February 9, 1653, II:203). 128 The love of the Daughters of Charity is not only tender, it is effective, because they serve the poor effectively both in body and soul (On the Spirit of the Company, February 9, 1653, II:205). 129 The spirit of your Company consists in the love of Our Lord, love of the poor, love of one another, humility and simplicity. It would be far better that there were no Daughters of Charity if they had not these virtues (On the Spirit of the Company, February 9, 1653, II:207). 130 For you, your Spirit as a Company is what the soul is for the body... God Himself has given it to your Company (On the Spirit of the Company, February 24, 1653, II:211-212). 131 Marks that make it manifest that one is a Daughter of Charity: to be charitable, concerned about the neighbor, indifferent to people, places and things. And there, my dear sisters, are the three marks of charity; to love God, to make no exception of persons and to be indifferent to all places (On the Spirit of the Company, February 24, 1653, II:214). 132 God has given me such a high esteem of simplicity that I call it my Gospel (On the Spirit of the Company, February 24, 1653, II:216). 133 If ever there was a more useful conference, it is this one (On the Spirit of the Company, February 24, 1653, II:216). 134. God is the Father of the Daughters of Charity in a very special way, so that they should not even draw their breath save only to please Him (On Fidelity to God, June 3, 1653, II:233). 135 As long as a Sister has the will to amend [her life] and strives to do so as well as she can, although she may sometimes fall, wounded, she is not utterly faithless. But I mean only those who fall through weakness, because it is quite another thing in the case of those who fall willfully or maliciously (On Fidelity to God, June 3, 1653, II:239). 136. In the beginning, God, as a rule, gives great consolations and delights to those souls whom He draws to Himself, but He afterwards allows them to be deprived of them and even sometimes to fall into such discouragement that everything that is said or done causes them pain (On Fidelity to God, June 3, 1653, II:240). 137. It is of little importance whether I go to God lovingly or unlovingly, provided I go to Him faithfully (On Fidelity to God, June 3, 1763, II:242). 138. Submission brings us two things: great tranquility of mind and spirit and the grace to do the will of God (On the Practice of Asking Permission, July 27, 1653, II:251). 139. One of my greatest consolations is to know that the Company does nothing without permission, and it is the recompense which God gives, if He gives any in this world, to Superiors (On the Practice of Asking Permission, July 27, 1653, II:252). 140. If in the Company anyone wishes to live her own life, that is to say, follow her own will, she is dead and the Company cannot tolerate her; God and the angel of the Company cast her out; that is the touch-stone (On the Practice of Asking Permission, July 27, 1653, II:253). 141. It is wrong to worm out a permission (On the Practice of Asking Permission, July 25, 1653, II:259). 142. The Daughters of Charity will never be religious and woe to whoever speaks of making them religious (To Some Sisters Who Were Sent to Nantes, November 12, 1653, II:266). |
