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English Correspondence

St Boniface, tr. Kylie, 1911

35. Letter 35: Boniface Urges a Nun to Pray for Him. 742-746

To the revered and beloved handmaid of Christ, * * *, Boniface, humble servant of the servants of God, greetings of pure love in Christ.

We beseech your loving clemency with heartfelt entreaties to intercede before God for us sinners, because we are buffeted and shaken by many turbulent storms, coming whether from the heathen or from false Christians or from adulterous clerks, or false priests, and that too, I fear, through our own deserts. But we beg that we may be consoled and rescued by your prayers. We trust in the Lord Jesus that through your loving prayers we may deserve to find pardon for our sins and rest from storms, since James, the apostle, who is true to his word has said: “Confess your faults one to another, that ye may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”¹; and John the evangelist says in his first epistle: “And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”² And I beg you not to refuse because I made this same request before; I should ask again and again, since I would have your prayers never cease. Daily tribulations make me seek divine comfort from my brothers and sisters. I fear, moreover, that the temptations of Satan are the same there as here, according to the words of the apostle: “Be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, inasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”³; and again: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.”⁴ And if want touches you, do not forget the gospel-words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”⁵ If tribulation comes, be mindful of the words of truth: “In your patience possess ye your souls,”⁶ and of the psalm: “The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever”;⁷ if infirmity of body, let there be present with you the words of the apostle Paul where he said: “When I am weak, then am I strong,” and “my strength is made perfect in weakness.”⁸

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