Ms C 02r

[2r°] makes her progress in a marvelous manner. She preserves, in the bottom of her calyx, the precious drops of dew she had received, and these serve to remind her always how little and weak she is. All creatures can bow toward her, admire her, and shower their praises upon her. I don’t [5] know why this is, but none of this could add one single drop of false joy to the true joy she experiences in her heart. Here she sees herself as she really is in God’s eyes: a poor little thing, nothing at all.

I say I do not know why, but isn’t it because she was preserved from the water of praise all the time [10] her little calyx was not sufficiently filled with the dew of humiliation? Now there is no longer any danger; on the contrary, the little flower finds the dew with which she was filled so delightful that she would be very careful not to exchange it for the insipid water of praise.

I don’t want to speak, dear Mother, about the love and [15] confidence you are giving me; but do not believe the heart of your child is insensible to these. It is only that I feel I have nothing to fear now. In fact, I can rejoice in them, referring to God whatever good there is in me since He has willed to place it there. If He pleases to make me appear better [20] than I am, this is none of my affair since He is free to act as He likes.

© Washington Province of Discalced Carmelite Friars, Inc