Ms C 30r

[30r°] I saw only the bricks of our austere cloister, hardly visible in the faintly glimmering light. I cannot express in words what happened in my soul; what I know is that the Lord illumined it with rays of truth which so surpassed the dark brilliance of earthly feasts that I could not [5] believe my happiness. Ah! I would not have exchanged the ten minutes employed in carrying out my humble office of charity to enjoy a thousand years of worldly feasts. If already in suffering and in combat one can enjoy a moment of happiness that surpasses all the joys of this earth, and this when simply considering that God has withdrawn us from this world, what will this happiness be in heaven when one shall see [10] in the midst of eternal joy and everlasting repose the incomparable grace the Lord gave us when He chose us to dwell in His house,336 heaven’s real portal?

It wasn’t always in such transports of joy that I practiced charity, but at the beginning of my religious life Jesus wanted to [15] have me experience how sweet it is to see Him in the souls of His brides. When I was guiding Sister St. Pierre, I did it with so much love that I could not possibly have done better had I been guiding Jesus Himself. The practice of charity, as I have said, dear Mother, was not always so sweet for me, and to prove it to you [20] I am going to recount certain little struggles which will certainly make you smile. For a long time at evening meditation, I was placed in front of a Sister who had a strange habit and I think many lights because she rarely used a book during meditation. This is what I

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Ms C 30r