Blanquerna

OF MEMORY

" Memory is given to the soul that it may remember the Sovereign Good, from Whom come all good things, Who has created us all, and to us that are gathered in this convent has given grace to remember Him and to forget the vanities of this world. To receive benefits from another and to forget them is in the soul a grievous sin. Now we have received benefits from God, and He to save us has taken our nature and in it has suffered great trials and grievous death ; wherefore we are bound to remember these things daily and at every hour of the day, and I desire and com¬ mand each of you to call to remembrance the goodness, greatness, eternity, power, wisdom, love and perfection of God, and likewise His Incarnation, Passion and all else that pertains to Him, and to put each other in mind thereof. For by such remembrance do ye flee from temptations, and your trials are lightened and your souls illumined by the light of benediction.”

2. “ It behoves us to have remembrance of the glory of Paradise that we may desire it; of the pains of hell, that we may fear them ; of death, that we may be prepared for it, for we know not when it will come, but only that with certainty we muft die. Let us remember whence we have come, that there may be among us no pride; let us not forget the corruption and putrefaftion of our bodies, that we may have humility; let us remember each other in charity and juft ice, that peace may be among us. If we

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learn to remember, we shall learn to forget; if we learn to forget, we shall also learn to remember; and if we learn to remember and forget, we shall learn to underhand and love. Let us remember our sins that we may remember the justice and mercy of God : let us remember the virtues that we may love them for the sake of God.”

3. “ It behoves us not to remember that which we have done in the world, left by that remembrance the will be moved to desire the world. If we suffer temptation, let us turn to remembrance of God and Our Lady and the saints in Paradise, and ask their aid. Let each of us remember the angel that God has given her to defend her from sin, and let each do some honour to her angel daily. Let each of us remember some especial saint who may be her advo¬ cate in the court of Heaven : let us remember also the lives of the saints, both men and women, that we may grow to love the lives which they led. Let us remember the un¬ believers, praying God to send them the light of underftanding and faith, that they may know it, and love it, and be led in the way of salvation. At night, after Compline, let each of us have remembrance whether in aught she have offended her Creator; in the morning, after Matins, let us remember in what ftate we have been during the night.” In each of these manners and in many besides did the abbess teach all the sifters remembrance, that they them¬ selves might be remembered in the sweet and pitiful mercy of God. And all the sifters praised and blessed God, Who had given such wisdom, love and holiness to their abbess Natana.

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