You say you experience great difficulty in the mission. Alas! Monsieur, there is no lot in life where there is nothing to be endured.

Perfection consists in a constant perseverance to acquire the virtues and become proficient in their practice, because on God's road, not to advance is to fall back since man never remains in the same condition.

That's what our Rules engage us to do, to help poor persons, our lords and masters.

[E]ven if the whole world should rise up to destroy us, nothing will happen except that God, in whom we have put our hope, will allow.

We cannot better assure our eternal happiness than by living and dying in the service of the poor, in the arms of Providence, and with genuine renouncement of ourselves in order to follow Jesus Christ.

So, we pray well when we remain in this way in the presence of God, with no exertion of the understanding or will. Therefore, you will do well to listen to God in the urge you feel to return to us.

. . . in the final analysis, virtue is not found in extremes, but in prudence . . .