2 July 1982
Paris, France

Mother Rogé, Father Lloret and my dear Sisters,

The instruction which St. Vincent gave to the three Sisters setting out for Nantes on the 12 November 1653 (Conf. Eng. ed., pp. 585-88) reveals him, not only as a man who placed great confidence in the power of God's grace, but who recognized that the grace of God must struggle with human wills that are so often stubborn and imperfect. St. Vincent's remarks to the Sisters are masterly. He barely conceals from them the difficulties which they are going to experience with those who administer the hospital and even with the Bishop of the locality. It is easy to read between the lines that the Sisters were going into a hornet's nest. But St. Vincent alludes to all these difficulties in such a way that he does not allow the Sisters to lose heart, even before they set out. He stresses for them the importance of "the spiritual weapons of humility, meekness and deference." "When you are armed with those virtues," he remarks, "you will be armed from head to foot and prepared to go out and wage war against the enemy." He stresses, too, the importance, quoting as he did so often, "our blessed Father, the Bishop of Geneva," that we should try to comply with the will of others rather than seek to make others comply with ours. The instruction concludes with the imperatives which are printed on the program of today's Mass. There are six of them: "Go....Work for Our Lord.... Have a high opinion of....Respect our dear Sisters....Be very much on your guard against conceiving a bad opinion of anybody....Make it apparent that you have the true spirit which God wishes you to have."

In asking you to reflect on these final imperatives of St. Vincent, I am not suggesting that you are going back to your seminaries to find a situation similar to that which was to be found in Nantes in 1653. At the same time I recognize that as Directresses you do face difficulties which arise from the diversity of characters which you find, not only among the young Sisters, but among the Sisters of the community in which you yourselves are placed. The most important of St. Vincent's imperatives is the second one, "Work for Our Lord." That is an appeal for simplicity, an appeal that your eye be single. We can sustain much difficulty in our daily lives if we are intent on working only for the living Person of Jesus Christ. If I might be permitted to add something to St. Vincent's words, I would say: "Labor for Our Lord; yes, and labor with Him." Reflect often, my dear Sisters, on the words of today's Gospel: "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." (Jn 15:16). He has chosen you through the authorities of our Community to do the work you are presently doing. Draw strength from the knowledge that ultimately your appointment as Directresses comes not from the General Curia here in Paris, but from Our Lord Himself.

Three of St. Vincent's imperatives can be grouped together: "Have a high opinion of.... Respect our Sisters.... Be very much on your guard against conceiving a bad opinion of anybody...." These three imperatives reveal the strength of St. Vincent's conviction that, if we are to change people, we must respect and love them for what they already are. There are no exceptions to the rule to which we've listened in today's Gospel. "This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 15:12). Our Lord does not say that we should show our love to others only when they show signs of accepting and responding to His love. The Sisters in our seminaries must first feel accepted by us before they will accept from us the formation which the Community asks us to give them.