Page 11 - UNDATED LETTERS

Letter 259

TO BARTOLOMEA N.
She makes manifest to her the high standards of holiness God is calling
her to.

HAIL TO THE CRUCIFIED LOVE

Beloved Sister and Friend in Jesus Christ,

Though I am rather tired, I cannot go to bed without
openly telling you, through this letter, what I have in my heart.
For a long time now I have been keeping certain thoughts of
you in my heart, nor could I set them aside for a moment, but I
never dared mention them to you because I supposed they
were prompted by my pride rather than inspired by God.
However, I now feel I cannot keep from you any longer what
my heart holds about you. Be it as it may, I feel something
within me urging me to speak out quite frankly ... Beloved
Bartolomea, Jesus wants you to be a Saint, a great Saint ...
He has chosen you as his dearly beloved Bride. He has
formed over you the loftiest designs; He has called you to a
particular holiness. He is not satisfied with a mediocre virtue
from you; He expects you to kick out every hint of human
respect, and that you embrace a way of life that is woven of
the most heroic virtues. He desires that the sweet odour of

- 587 -