To a Parish Priest, Forlì

E VI, 2876

Thanking him for his donation, he encourages him to continue his parish work

Turin, 25 October 1878

My dear friend in the Lord,

I received your kind letter and the 18 francs enclosed therein. Thank you. God will reward you. It is manna that falls to relieve our hardships.

You can rest assured. Don’t talk about leaving the parish. Is there work to do? I will die in the field of labour sicut bonus miles Christi. Am I good for nothing? Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat. Are there thorns? With thorns turned into flowers, angels will weave a crown for you in heaven. Are these difficult times? They were always like that, but God never failed to help. Christus heri el hodie.

Need some advice? Here it is. Take special care of children, the elderly and the sick, and you will win the hearts of everyone. Anyway, when you come to visit me, we’ll talk about it at length.

Yours affectionately in the Lord

Fr John