Blanquerna

HOW NATANA BECAME SACRISTINE

In a short space of time Natana learned perfeftly to read, and afterwards to sing and to recite the office. All day she would be at prayer in the church, and she delighted to aid the sacriftine. The abbess took knowledge of the duty which pleased Natana moft, that her service might be moft pleasing to her. And, since Natana loved to be in the church and to help the sacriftine, therefore the abbess, with the counsel of all the sifters, made Natana sacriftine, saying these words :

2. “ Natana 1 ” said the abbess, “ It is time for thee to serve in some office ; and since thou delighteft to look upon the Cross and the Altar which call to mind our Saviour Jesus Chrift, Who is the Spouse of thy soul, and since moreover thou wilt keep the church clean, together with all that is used therein to honour Jesus Chrift in the service of the Church, therefore is it the will and the prayer of the whole community that thou be sacriftine.”

3. Natana gave hearty thanks to the abbess and to all the sifters for the honour that they desired to do her, but she prayed that they would not grant her that honour, whereof she was not worthy ; neither had she come to the convent to be honoured, nor did reason consent that she should usurp the office of the sacriftine, with whom was to be found no fault.

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4 The abbess answered Natana, saying that it was according to reason that the fitteft person should serve in each office, that the rule of the order might beft be pre¬ served ; and when any sifter had laboured well in her office then was the order wont to grant her indulgence. And -ince the sacriftine was old, and had laboured well as sacriftine, therefore they would now have her to reft, and in patience and humility to see her office given to Natana, and their will was that Natana should labour in that office and be obedient to the command of the abbess.

j. So Natana was made sacriftine and served right well in her office. With Naftasia her mother she was ever at prayer in the church, and they spake together of God, of His power, of His honour, of the Passion of Jesus Chrift, of the glory of Paradise and of the pains of Hell. “ Mother 1” said Natana, “ More seemly words by far, and more pleasing to God and to the saints in glory, are these which we use daily, than those that we used while we were in the world and spake of worldly things.” Naftasia, answering, blessed the Name of God, Who had set her in that ftate and given her the consolation and companionship of her daughter Natana.

6. “Sacriftine, my daughter 1” said Naftasia, “Well do I know that in no wise could I have had thy companion-

so well as I have it now that thou art in religion. Now see I how the eyes of my understanding were darkened, when I sought to turn thee from entering the religious life. It would be well that we should divide the temporal goods which we possess among the poor of Chrift.” Natana

answered, saying that she was considering how diftributio of the worldly possessions that her father had left her cout well be made, to the end that for a long time to come the should yield abundant fruit. “ And therefore,” she said, “ onsider daily, having regard to the condition of this convenl m what way we may enrich it with our temporal wealth.”

OF THE DEATH OF THE ABBESS