the Carmel
From Sister Marie-Dosithée Guérin to her brother Isidore – July 10, 1864

DE  
GUERIN Marie-Louise, Sr Marie-Dosithée
À 
GUERIN Isidore

10/07/1864

From Sister Marie-Dosithée Guérin to her brother.
 
V+J.
                                                                                               From our Mother of Le Mans
                                                                                               the 10 July 1864
Dear brother
I will not be able to keep your portrait as you wish, but I have one that I am allowed to keep, this one is in the bottom of my heart and it will never be erased, be sure of it .
I would very much like Alphonsine (their first cousin, daughter of François Macé, who remained single) to enter the convent with her sister; I don't think you know your vocation any more than I do in medicine, so you can hardly decide whether that of your two cousins ​​is supernatural; but in any case it is up to the superiors to see, believe me my dear friend, that it is not so easy to remain in community when the good Lord does not call there, and a person to whom God does not who has not done this grace, would look twice at entering a state where one can never do one's will and where one's whole life is nothing but abnegation*[1v°]. Although they are unhappy, it is quite easy for them to extricate themselves from their Father, they are young and can easily find a good place; but would it be true that their vocation would be nothing except for the reasons you say, the good Lord can however make them good nuns, they will supernaturalize these reasons, moreover the novitiate is there which is a famous touchstone, which makes it a good step back.  
I don't think they (Mr. and Mrs. Martin) are wrong to buy property to invest their money I would hardly trust to invest it in the state we risk too much in the event of a revolution to see ourselves ruined
(In April 1864, the law was passed granting workers the right to strike. Despite this concession, for which they were primarily indebted to Napoleon III, the workers increasingly slid towards the Republicans. more demanding. A certain anxiety grips the country).
I'm going to give you some advice: when you write to me, take my last letter to answer what I'm asking you, ordinarily I don't get an answer, and you always tell me that you have nothing to write to me, if you answered me, you would have something; I keep asking you your way of life for the spiritual, but you keep a deep silence, it is perhaps out of humility not to declare the illustrations with which God illuminates you, but have no fear, I am not! I won't divulge and that will edify me because I don't [2r°] have many.
I am waiting for my dear Father who will give me the details that interest me so much, on your health and on everything that concerns you, because you cannot believe with what avidity I will receive them, with an unparalleled hunger.
Farewell my dear Brother, I will be very happy to see you, the time will seem very long to me.
I `m kissing you with all my heart.
Sr. M. Dosithee Guérin
of the Von Ste Marie
        DSB
My health is very good. 

back to the list