CHAPTER 14
Chapter XIV Treats of the great importance of not professing anyone whose spirit is contrary to the things aforementioned. |
I feel sure
that the Lord bestows great help
on anyone
who makes good resolutions, and
for that reason it is necessary
to enquire into the intentions
of anyone who enters [the life of religion].
She must not come,
as many nuns [now] do,
simply to further her own interests,
although the Lord can perfect
even this intention
if she is a person of intelligence.
If not intelligent,
a person of this kind
should on no account be admitted;
for she will
- not understand
her own reasons for coming,
- nor will she understand others
who attempt subsequently
to improve her.
For, in general, a person
who has this fault
always thinks she knows better
than the wisest
what is good for her;
and I believe
this evil is incurable,
for it is rarely unaccompanied by malice.
In a convent where there are
a great many nuns
it may be tolerated,
but it cannot be suffered
among a few.
When an intelligent person
begins to grow fond
of what is good,
she clings to it manfully,
for she sees
that it is the best thing for her;
this course may not bring her
great spirituality
but it will help her
- to give profitable advice, and
- to make herself useful in many ways,
without being a trouble to anybody.
But I do not see
how a person lacking in intelligence
can be of any use in community life,
and she may do a great deal of harm.
This defect, like others,
will not become obvious immediately;
for many people are
good at talking and
bad at understanding,
while others speak
in a sharp and
none too refined a tone, [43]
and yet they
have intelligence and
can do a great deal of good.
There are also simple, holy people
who are quite unversed in
business matters and
worldly conventions
but have great skill
in converse with God.
Many enquiries, therefore,
must be made
before novices are admitted,
and the period of probation
before profession
should be a long one.
The world must understand
once and for all
that you are free to send them away again,
as it is often necessary to do
in a convent
where the life is one of austerity;
and then if you use this right
no one will take offence.
I say this because
these times are so unhappy, and
our weakness is so great,
that we are not content to
- follow the instructions
of our predecessors and
- disregard the current ideas about honour,
lest we should give offence
to the novices' relatives.
God grant that those of us
who admit unsuitable persons
may not pay for it in the world to come!
Such persons are never without a pretext
for persuading us to accept them,
though in a matter of such importance
no pretext is valid.
If the superior
is unaffected by her personal
likings and prejudices, and
considers what is for the good
of the house,
I do not believe God will ever allow her
to go astray.
But if she considers
other people's feelings and
trivial points of detail,
I feel sure she will be bound to err.
This is something which
everyone must think out for herself;
she must commend it to God and
encourage her superior
when her courage fails her,
of such great importance is it.
So I beg God
to give you light about it.
You do very well not to accept dowries;
for, if you were to accept them,
it might happen that,
in order not to have to
give back money
which you no longer possess,
you would keep a thief in the house
who was robbing you
of your treasure;
and that would be no small pity.
So you must not receive dowries
from anyone,
for to do so
may be to harm the very person
to whom you desire to bring profit.
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Foot Notes: [43] An untranslatable play upon words: corto y no muy cortado-- as though "sharpened" could be used in the sense of "refined". |
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End of Chapter 14 |
