From the Office of Readings today, this is a conference St. Elizabeth Ann Seton gave her spiritual daughters:
I will tell you what is my own great help. I once read or heard that an interior life means but the continuation of our Savior’s life in us; that the great object of all his mysteries is t omerit for us the grace of his interior life and communicate it to us, it being the end of his mission to us into the sweet land of promise, a life of constant union with himself. And what the first rule of our dear Savior’s life? You know it was to do his Father’s will. Well, then, the first end I propose in our daily is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner her wills; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.
I know what his will is by those who direct me; whatever they bid me to do, if it is ever so small in itself, is that will of God for me. Then do it the manner he wills it, not sewing an old thing as if it new, or a new thing as if it were old; not fretting because the oven is to hot, or in a fuss because it is too cold. You understand-not flying and driving because you are hurried, not creeping like a snail because no one pushes you. Our dear Savior was never in extremes. The third object is to do his will because God wills it, that is, to be ready to quit at any moment and to do anything else to which you may be called…
You think it very hard to lead a life of such restraint unless you keep your eye of faith always open. Pereverance is a great grace. To go on gaining and advancing every day, you must be resolute, and bear and suffer as our blessed forerunners did. Which of then gained heaven with a struggle?…
What are our real trials? By what name shall we call them? One cuts herself out a cross of pride ; another, one of causeless discontent; another, one of restless impatience or peevish fretfulness. But is the whole any better than children’s play if looked at with the common eye of faith? Yet we know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life, that he give us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.
But we lack courage to keep a continual watch over natura, and therefore, year after year, with our thousand grace, multiplied resolutions, and fair promises, we run around in a circle of mistery and imperfections. After a long time in the service of God, we come nearly to the point from whence we set out, and perhaps with even less ardor for penance and mortificaitons than when we began our consecration to him.
You are not in your first setout. Be above the vain fears of nature and efforts of your enemy. You are children of eternity. Your immortal crown awaits you, and the best of Fathers waits there reward your duty and love. You may indeed sow in tears, but you may be sure there to reap in joy.
It’s a pity her order, the Sisters of Charity, have but one potential vocation in this whole country and one woman in formation.
