Detachment

Let all your affections, my daughters, be centered in this beautiful Heart, and you will always be happy; but if, instead, you foster private affections that tie you to self, or to creatures, you will always have annoyances, hours of disgust and melancholy. Free yourselves, and put on wings, I pray you, in order that you may rise above the earth.

Oh, my daughters, what an excellent thing is a pure soul detached from everything and from self! She can bury herself in God, Who is the source of all courage. Let us then become pure, simple, unpretentious, raised above all created things. When we have achieved this, we shall begin to realize that true happiness which has awaited us this long time and is in store for us if we wish it.

Let us work, day by day, in the Lord's vineyard, seeking the greater glory of God, in perfect detachment from everything, which is of very great importance to ourselves, for often without our knowing it, we are the enemies of our own souls, troubling ourselves about many things, whilst “Porro unum est necessarium.”

We also made a little meditation on the beautiful lesson of Saint Bernard, wherein he speaks of the force and power of the love of God in a soul, and how the possession of this love enables a soul not to feel further the weight of any cross, which rather becomes a great pleasure and delight.

Oh, happy the soul that lives in the true love of Christ! My daughters, detach yourselves from all persons and all things, and you will have a foretaste of the Paradise of true, solid and Heavenly love.