Neuvième Lettre
Trusting God in Times of Loss
Brother Lawrence encourages his correspondent to place absolute trust in God, especially when navigating the pain of losing earthly attachments.
I had a lot of trouble deciding to write, and now I'm doing it purely because you and Mrs. *** want me to. Please put the address on the letter and send it to her. I am very happy about the trust you have in God; I desire that He increases it in you more and more; we can never have too much trust in such a good and faithful friend who will not abandon us in this world or the next. If Mr. *** *** benefits from the loss he has experienced and places all his trust in God; God will soon give him another friend even better. He directs hearts as He pleases. Maybe he was too attached to the one he lost. We must love our friends, but without letting it encroach on our love for God, which must come first. We should love our friends, but without letting that love interfere with our love for God, which must take priority.
The Constant Companion
The author exhorts the reader to maintain a continuous awareness of God's presence as the primary occupation of the Christian life.
Please remember what I recommended: think often of God, day and night, in your daily activities and even in your moments of relaxation; He is always near you and with you. Don't leave Him alone. You wouldn't dare leave a friend who came to visit you all alone; why, then, should God be neglected? So don't forget Him, but think of Him often, worship Him continually, and live and die for Him; this is the glorious occupation of a Christian. Moreover, this is our possession; if we don't know it, we must learn it. I will strive to help you with my prayers. I am in our Lord, yours, etc.
Read the original Latin
J'ai eu beaucoup de peine à me décider à écrire et maintenant, je le fais purement parce que vous et Mme *** le désirez. Veuillez mettre l'adresse sur la lettre et la lui envoyer. Je suis très heureux de la confiance que vous avez en Dieu ; je désire qu'Il l'augmente en vous de plus en plus ; nous ne pouvons en avoir trop dans un ami si bon et si fidèle qui ne nous abandonnera ni dans ce monde ni dans l'autre.
Si M. *** fait son profit de la perte qu'il a éprouvé et met toute sa confiance en Dieu, Dieu lui donnera bientôt un autre ami meilleur encore. Il dispose des coeurs comme il lui plaît.
Peut-être M. *** était-il trop attaché à celui qu'il a perdu. Nous devons aimer nos amis, mais sans empiéter sur l'amour pour Dieu, qui doit occuper la première place.
Rappelez-vous, je vous prie, ce que je vous ai recommandé, c'est-à-dire de penser souvent à Dieu, de jour, de nuit, dans vos occupations et même dans vos moments de délassement, Il est; toujours près de vous et avec vous. Ne Le laissez pas seul. Vous n'oseriez pas laisser seul un ami qui viendrait vous visiter : alors, pourquoi Dieu devrait-il être négligé ? Ne L'oubliez donc pas, mais pensez à Lui souvent, adorez-Le continuellement vivez et mourez pour Lui ; c'est la glorieuse occupation d'un chrétien. Au reste, c'est là notre possession ; si nous ne le savons pas, nous devons l'apprendre. Je m'efforcerai de vous aider de mes prières. Je suis en notre Seigneur, Votre, etc.
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