L-001. Take time for
prayer, and ask God to let his holy will be done in you. I will often ask this of him too. |
L-002. Often recollect
yourself in order to renew and strengthen in your mind the remembrance of the presence of
God. The more you try to achieve this, the easier you find it to perform your actions and
carry out your duties well. |
L-003. Take care not to
strike the students with your hand or with anything else. |
L-004. Take as your rule
never to speak of the failings of others
|
L-005. If you ought to
speak to your Brothers with humility and gentleness, you ought to be no less careful to
act in the same way toward people outside the community. Saint Paul requires this of all
Christians. |
L-006. You must be on
your guard against speaking too freely with your students, for this takes away all
respect. |
L-007.
Please, do not make a great fuss over such trifles as you do. |
L-008. You must be
assured that I will not fail to pray to God for you. |
L-009. You have to be led
by the spirit of God and motivated by great zeal. |
L-010.
You must be always be prudent in what you say
Take care never to tell untruths;
that would certainly be a great fault. And don't give way to curiosity, for it is quite
harmful. |
L-011. Do not have any
anxiety about the future. Leave everything in God's hands, for he will take care of
you
|
L-012. You must make it
your concern to overcome your thoughtless behavior
It is a failing you need to be
especially on your guard against because it is very harmful to you. |
L-013. You must take care
not to be disheartened by the trials you experience
|
L-014. The spirit of faith is a sharing
in the Spirit of God who dwells in us, which leads us to regulate our conduct in all
things by the sentiments and truths that faith teaches us. You should, therefore, be
wholly occupied in acquiring it
|
L-015. Surely you see
that it is very wrong to get angry and to harbor resentment. You also see that it is bad
to lose your temper and follow your feelings; that is to act more like an animal than a
reasonable being. Take care not to let yourself be carried away by impatience in class,
for that is not the way to establish order or silence. |
L-016. As you can see,
Providence comes to your aid. Rest assured that it will not fail you so long as you serve
God well. |
L-017. Exercise restraint
when you are administering punishment, and don't do it when you feel moved to impatience. |
L-018. Often pray that
God will bless this work of his. |
L-019. Take care not to
let yourself give way to impatience and to outbursts of anger. There must be
genuine courtesy toward lay people, and great patience with your students. |
L-020. It is impossible
to please God if you do not live amicably with others, nor will you have peace of soul
unless you show consideration for those for whom you ought to be a source of edification. |
L-021.
Be careful never to strike the children; it is a serious fault. |
L-022.
One of your main preoccupations should be to apply yourself to prayer and to your class
work, for there are
principal occupations and the ones for which you will have to
give an account to God. |
L-023. You will get
nowhere if you allow yourself to give way to discouragement. |
L-024. It would have been
very distressing if you had abandoned your school, since it has appeared up to now that
God wanted it. |
L-025. Supervise the
children carefully, for there will be no order in the school except insofar as you are
watchful over them. That is what assures their progress. |
L-026.
The remembrance of God's presence will be a great advantage in helping you and inspiring
you to do all your actions well. |
L-027. When you feel
yourself giving way to impatience in class, remain still and silent for a short time until
the feeling has passed. |
L-028. Do not let
yourself give way to curiosity, which is a great obstacle to progress in virtue. For the
love of God be faithful to the practice of obedience. |
L-029. Carry out your
work quietly without precipitous action; otherwise, I think that you will not have God's
blessing. |
L-030.
It is your duty to edify people. |
L-031. Dislike for our
neighbor and resentment for wrongs done to us prevent our prayers from reaching God. If
our hearts are torn by anger or hatred, it is impossible for us to maintain union with
Jesus Christ
|
L-032. It is a very
useful practice to apply yourself to the remembrance of God's presence. Be faithful to it.
Nothing will draw down on you the blessings of God so much as fidelity in carrying out
small matters. |
L-033. Be careful
not to be led by your self-will. That is not right, and God will not bless you if you act
this manner. |
L-034. You must be
particularly careful not to be lax with regard to your spiritual exercises. That is not
the way to draw down God's blessing
Your virtue must be solid. It is not by taking
your ease and seeking your comfort that you acquire virtue. |
L-035. You should be most
careful not to speak so haughtily, as you tell me you sometimes do. The spirit of God does
not allow that sort of talk. So let humility and gentleness be always evident in what you
say. "A sort answer," breaks down the hardest nature." Nothing will make
you more pleasing to God
than these two virtue. |
L-036.
You should apply yourself to prayer as well as you can, for this is the exercise that
ordinarily draws down graces on the others. |
L-037.
Ask God in prayer to do with you as he wishes. You must abandon yourself completely to his
guidance and you must do nothing without seeking advice. |
L-038. The anxiety you
have concerning your faults cannot do you any good. The only thing to do is to consider
before God what means you can use to overcome them. |
L-039. You may suffer for
a while, but it will not be for long
You may rest assured that God will always
provide you with what you need if you serve him well. |
L-040. Take care never to
get into arguments with anybody, for in doing so you can offend against charity, which
should be outstanding among you. |
L-041.
You are well aware that we must have a great love for one another, and for that purpose we
must bear with one another in the mistakes into which we often fall through human
weakness. |
L-042. I am delighted
that you have a good number of student at present. Make sure that you keep them. Keep an
eye on that Brother who slaps the students, and see to it that he stops doing it. This is
most important. |
L-043. It is because of
your zeal for the instruction of children that you understood this enterprise and that you
have continued to carry it out in spite of the difficulties it has caused you. |
L-044. Take care not to
give way to impatience in carrying out your ministry, otherwise it will be quite
unproductive. |
L-045.
Offer yourself every day to God with all your sufferings, so that he may accomplish by
them whatever he wishes. |
L-046. Take the means to
see that there is among you a great love for seeking the salvation of your neighbor, and
that all is done with kindness and propriety as among Brothers who should have mutual love
for each other and bear with each others faults. |
L-047. I do not know if
you fear putting yourself in the hands of Providence. Never think that I will abandon you. |
L-048. Do not forget to
thank God for all the blessings he bestows for all the blessings he bestows on you, for
ingratitude for favors is most displeasing to him. |
L-049. For the love of
God, do not slap your students. It is not by dint of blows that people are drawn to good
or to God. |
L-050. You must
expect to have troubles all through your life, wherever and in whatever situation you may
find yourself. That is why you need to be disposed to bear calmly all those that God sends
you
|
L-051. Take care that you
often recall the presence of God, for this is the principal fruit of prayer; it will be of
little benefit to you if you do not take pains to practice mortification but rather seek
your own comfort. |
L-052. With regard to the
teaching of catechism, it seems to me that the right thing and the important thing is to
teach it in your school. I do not like our Brothers teaching catechism in church. However,
if it is forbidden to do so in the school. It is better to do it in the church than not at
all. |
L-053.
It is disgraceful to call [the student] hurtful names. Be careful not to let human respect
prevent you from doing good. It is really disgraceful to call your pupils by insulting
names, and it also gives them bad example. |
L-054. Take care not to
get upset over trivialities. It is neither wise nor sensible to allow your mind to be
disturbed over mere trifles. |
L-055. Apply
yourself often to remember the presence of God
Look upon this practice as your
greatest happiness. |
L-056. Take
care not to slap your students; you know that is forbidden in the rules. |
L-057. Be careful not to give way to impatience
This is very important, for
it could bring the disfavor of God
|
L-058. You
will do well to work hard at your lessons in religious instruction
To give them
well you must begin courageously, even giving them poorly, for no one does anything well
the first time. |
L-059. Writing is necessary, but religious studies are surely more in keeping
with your profession. It must be the first of your daily occupations, since you first care
is to instill a Christian spirit into your students. |
L-060. Be
watchful that you do not give way to impatience in class, for far from bringing order to
the class, it prevents you from achieving it |
L-061. I
assure that I have a great tenderness and affection for you and often pray to God for you.
I have been greatly encouraged by your last letter, and the assurance of your wholehearted
affection gives me much joy. |
L-062. Be
sure to be warmly affable toward everyone, to speak to and to answer everyone with a very
great gentleness and deference, keeping in mind the way Our Lord spoke and replied to
others, even when he was most harshly treated. |
L-063.
Writing is necessary, but religious studies are surely more in keeping with your
profession. It must be the first of your daily occupations, since you first care is to
instill a Christian spirit into your students. |
L-064. Be
watchful that you do not give way to impatience in class, for far from bringing order to
the class, it prevents you from achieving it |
L-065. I
assure that I have a great tenderness and affection for you and often pray to God for you.
I have been greatly encouraged by your last letter, and the assurance of your wholehearted
affection gives me much joy. |
L-066. Be
sure to be warmly affable toward everyone, to speak to and to answer everyone with a very
great gentleness and deference, keeping in mind the way Our Lord spoke and replied to
others, even when he was most harshly treated. |