Page 37 - LETTER 1826_1828

for the time being I am not allowed to do so. However, I hope
you will soon come to know. But to come back to what I was
saying: would you be willing to join me in doing some good
work for the Lord? However hard I try to drive away this
thought from my mind, there is still an inner voice saying to
1
me: – Marianna is meant to be a companion of yours . – I
spoke to my Confessor about this, but he told me to keep
silent for the time being. However, it will not be for long.
What I am writing may make some impression on you:
you may feel inclined one way or the other. In either case,
please tell me frankly what it is. You will not repent it if you do,
because I am asking this of you not out of curiosity but
because I really care for your spiritual good. Above all, keep
what I have told you absolutely secret: nobody is to know of it.
Woe to me if people come to know of it. I beg to pray
earnestly, as hard as you ever could, so that God may give
you light and also to favour the undertaking. Let this suffice for

the present, because I am afraid I will end up disobeying if I go
any further.
The month of our most gentle and dearly beloved
Mamma is close at hand. What shall we do, dear Marianna, to
honour her? I’ll tell you what to do. We shall bring her as many
souls as we can: that would be a service that Mary will be
supremely pleased with, and in order to please her, we must
do it promptly and most fervently. In my case, certain

1 She helped in preparing members for the Institute, but she herself never
formed part of it, and remained a lay person.

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