May God diminish them for the sake of His glory. I trust to His Goodness and to the prayers that are offered for my needs.... There is no doubt that this difficulty of not being able to make considerations in prayer leads to a more simple form of prayer, and a soul thus led ought to adhere to this way to which God is undoubtedly calling her, however faint may be the call, and although the calm and facility of dwelling reverently before Him which it brings be but slight. Neither ought she to forsake it because of her indigent state nor because of her wanderings of mind, but remain patiently and tranquilly before Our Lord, not giving willing consent to distractions, but when worried by them just say from time to time words of submission, abandonment, confidence, and love of the divine will, and give up discoursing with the understanding; indeed it is useless to split our heads trying to do so, for it will be of no avail. The great secret of prayer is to follow our attraction and to go to it in good faith. A soul who wishes to live in the presence of God should be very faithful to the practice of virtue, to great purity of heart, and to an unconditional surrender of herself to the divine will. When she sees herself walking in this way she need fear nothing, but if she has great consolations and facilities in prayer without the practice of these virtues, she certainly ought to fear. Truly this manner of prayer has in its simplicity a wonderful power of leading souls to a total despoliation of themselves. Yet they usually enjoy neither relish nor sensible devotion. Yours, etc. FOOTNOTES: [A] Guy Lanier Abbé de Vaux not only put his own house at the disposal of the Sisters foundresses of the Visitation at Angers, but continued in after years to give them constant proofs of his paternal affection. He was one of the most virtuous ecclesiastics of the seventeenth century. [B] Each election in the Visitation Monasteries is for a period of three years. CIV. _To a great Servant of God._ Vive [+] Jésus! ANNECY, _December, 1637._ MY VERY DEAR MOTHER, May Our Lord fill our souls with the consolations and with the merits of His most holy Nativity.