Page 13 - APPENDIX

Indeed, let this poor life of mine soon be consumed so that I
may go and see in all the splendour of his glory, my most
beloved Spouse, my one-and-only Good: When shall I come
and see the face of God? I long to be dissolved, and be with
1
Christ . - It is a thing that I crave for, that I long and pine for,
and the more this desire consumes me, the more it comforts
me. But you, dear Sister, don’t be anxious about me. Let me
be consumed that I may soon fly to the Centre of my being,
and there be at rest for all eternity. I myself shall pray for you,
too, that the Lord may make you perfect and holy. But is there
anything else you want from me? - Tell me, don’t you feel, as a
first reaction, a certain dislike towards those who wrong you? -
No, Sister dear. For many years now I have never felt anything
of that sort. In fact, by God’s grace, I enjoy a deep peace that
puts me at rest in God, and makes me love those who offend
me even more tenderly. I acknowledge this as a very special
grace that God grants me; I could never deserve to have it.

But do remember: the only means to acquire all the virtues is
to attend to a sustained dying to yourself, never paying heed
to that poisonous beast of self-love that is always lurking
around to spoil all the virtues; in short, remember that in the
measure that you die to yourself, you live in God. This explains
why in mortifying oneself lies true joy.
A genuine, ardent love is never, never tired; it burns ever more
ardently as it tends towards the infinite, as the object of her
love Himself is infinite.

1 Original in Latin “Quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Domini? - Cupio
dissolvi, et esse cum Christo”.

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