134

Francis Appiani (7)

Orbetello

February 19, 1737

Dear Son,

Shortly after I arrived from Rome, I received your welcome letter, and I rejoice that your heart is always more resolved to belong entirely to God. May Jesus live, who has prepared infinite treasures of grace and blessing for you, if you are faithful in holding to your holy resolution to flee the air of the world and withdraw in holy solitude in order to sense and taste the words of life that the Sovereign Good speaks in the midst of sacred solitude to devout hearts.

So courage, dearest one! The Retreat is completed, the cells are finished. There is nothing more to do than to furnish the church a bit in order to make it better equipped to house the Divine Sacrament.

Oh, true God! it seems 1,000 hours before I will see my sacramental Lord in our church so that I can take myself for hours to be alone at the foot of the sacred altar, who will give the wings of a dove to make flights of love to His Divine Heart! Around the Feast of the Annunciation we will make our solemn entry. Right now it seems we cannot do it sooner, for we await the assent of the king. If that is delayed a bit longer, we will enter at Easter. I have spent days in conferences or with pen in hand to give the last push to everything.

The devil is making an uproar and makes use of another one to cause us torment. May Jesus live, who, I hope, will give us the victory.

About the middle of Lent I will try to begin to take up your departure from your home to come to the house of the Lord with the embrace of Jesus and Mary. Now the devil is arming himself against you with greater rage. Oh, how many fears. Oh, how much sorrows for your parents he causes you! Oh, how many traps he will lay! What tricks! You must spurn them all. He who will overcome these difficulties and the other assaults of the enemy will be seated forever at the table of the great King of Heaven.

Arm yourself, therefore, dear one, with great trust in God. Be faithful to prayer and often feed on the divine sacramental Lamb. It may be that God will try your fidelity by permitting desolation, melancholy, and other anguish, which are the jewels God gives his dear ones.

Take heart, dear one, take heart; Jesus awaits you, Mary invites you, all in paradise encourage you and tell of the throne and the royal crown already prepared for you. You will be rewarded by His Sovereign Good for having abandoned this little bit of earth. I must end, for I am very busy. We will write again, but you should not talk over your status or your resolution with anyone whomsoever, but only with your spiritual director. Greet him in my name, and I believe he should have received my letter with a book. A letter was directed to him and to your father, along with yours.

I end and hope that in a short time I will embrace you in the Heart of Jesus, and that together we will praise his Holy Name and sing his divine mercies forever. Do not show yourself indulgent toward your parents in order not to cause them more affliction, but show yourself happy, constant, and generous, like someone who is being sent into the service of the Sovereign King.

I urge you to flee scruples and ask you to take legitimate recreation, but with holy people. Eat what is necessary and take due sleep, and in all this be at peace with God.

Goodbye, dear one. I embrace you in Jesus, and I am always without end.

I add that Father John Baptist is well and serves God with much fervor. And I hope I will not have to leave you too soon, as you are newly planted. However, may the Will of God always be done.

Greet the cleric Gemelli for me. I cannot write him, for I have too much to do. Goodbye.

Your affectionate servant in Jesus,

Paul Danei of the Holy Cross