A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer. St. Peter de Alcántara

the Evangelical counsels, may I demand whether they be observable or no? For that the counsels of God cannot be but good, neither can the observance thereof seem difficult, unless to those who govern themselves according to human prudence, having less confidence in God than they ought. For he who hath given the counsel, will consequently give force

      BLESSED ALCANTARA.

      and means to accomplish the same. And if your zeal and fervor draw you to embrace the counsels of Jesus Christ, observe them with the greatest integrity and perfection that you possibly can, seeing they were equally given to both sexes. It cannot be, but the same merit and reward will be rendered unto you, as to others that have truly observed them. And if there be seen any want or necessity in the monasteries of poor religious women, it is because they are poor against their wills, and not through fault of their vow of poverty, or following of Evangelical counsels. For I ac- count not much of their simple poverty, but of their patient sufferance of the same for the love of God. But I more esteem that poverty which is desired, procured, and embraced for the same love. And, if I should think, or determinately believe otherwise, I should not hold myself a good Catholic. I believe in this, and in all other things taught by our blessed Saviour, and that his counsels are good and profitable, as proceeding from God, and though they oblige not to sin, they bind, nevertheless, that man to be more perfect that followeth them, than if he had not undertaken them at all. I hold them poor in spirit, who are poor in will, as our Saviour hath said, and myself proved; however, I believe more from God than of my own experience, that those, who by the grace of God are with all their hearts poor, lead a life most happy, as confiding, and

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      hoping in him alone. His divine Majesty give you light to understand this truth, and to practise it. Believe not those that shall tell you the contrary, for want of light and understanding, or for not having tasted how sweet our Lord is to those that fear and love him, re- nouncing for his sake all unnecessary things of this world, for they are enemies of the cross of Christ, not believing the glory which accompanieth the same. I also pray our Lord to give you this light, that you be not wanting in the belief of this truth, so much manifested; and that you take not counsel, but of the followers of Jesus Christ; although others think it sufficient, if they observe the thing they are bound unto, yet they have not always greater virtue and perfection by their work. And though the counsel be good, yet that of our blessed Saviour is much better, who knows what he counsels, and gives grace to accomplish the same, and in the end reward to those who hope in him, and not in rents and goods of the earth.

      From Avila, this 14th day of April, 1562.

      BLESSED ALCANTARA.

      CHAPTER X.

      OF HIS CONFIDENCE IN ALMIGHTY GOD'S PROVI-DENCE.

       His admirable confidence in the providence of Almighty God accompanied his rigid and Evangelical poverty, and it oftentimes miraculously appeared both at home and abroad.

       He* lived sometimes in the convent of Sancta Maria de Rosario, which is situated in a woody place, by the river Tentairis, six Italian miles remote from any company ; at all times it was difficult to come to it, as the way was very steep and crooked, ✝ nevertheless it was a place of great devotion, whither the in- habitants of the country much resorted; but now, by reason of a great snow, the like of which was not seen in the memory of man, the monastery was so environed on every side, that the friars could not go out to get their victuals, neither could any come to them to bring provision. They cried to heaven to the Father of the poor, that being destitute of all

       * Marianus in ejus vita cap. 6.

       ✝Ea est itineris ad eum ob loci solitudinem atque viarum anfractiis difficultas, ut vix accolis atque assuetis pateat. Gonzaga 3 parte Chron. ord. S. Franc, in prov. Sancti Josephi.

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      human aid, he only, out of his infinite mercy, would be pleased not to forsake them. The holy Father desired them to go into the church, and kneeling down before the blessed Sacrament, to pray to God that he would put a remedy to their hard affliction. He with great confidence animated his brethren, saying—Be courageous, brethren. Almighty God will not be long, he will come without delay. He had no sooner uttered the words, but another most violent storm of snow fell so fast, that frustrated the hopes of all human assistance. But he that containeth not his anger long, did not delay to comfort his afflicted children. Behold! a little space after the storm was over, the porter heard the bell of the gate of the convent ring; he went to open the door, but espied nobody; he returned back again, thinking it to be the wind that had stirred the bell, or that his fancy seemed to hear the noise when he heard it not; checking himself with foolishness, that he could imagine, that it was possible for any one to come to the convent in so deep a snow. Whilst he was thus discoursing with himself, it rang again so hard that all heard it, notwithstanding there was a great wind. Then returning again to the gate, and opening it, he found a basket filled with new white bread, he looked about to see if he could espy any body, but no creature appeared, for it was a deep snow, where the footing of any person could not but appear. He left the bas-