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618 CITY OF GOD
abysses (Matth. 16, 18). Among all these blessings be
stowed and still to be bestowed upon his beloved Church,
not the least one was, that he left me in it after his
wonderful Ascension in order that it
might be spread
and governed by my merits and my presence. From
that time on and forever I hold this Church as my pos
session; for the Most High has consigned
it to me as
a gift and has commanded me to take care of it as its
Mother and Mistress.
731. These, my dearest, are the greatest reasons and
motives for my past and present love of the holy Church,
here made known to thee; and I desire that they rouse
and enkindle thy heart to an ardent performance of all
that pertains to thee as my disciple, as my daughter and
that of the holy Church. Love it, respect and esteem it
from thy whole heart, enjoy
its treasures, gather in the
riches of heaven, deposited together with its Author, in
his Church. Seek to unite it with thee and to unite thy
self with it ;
for in it thou findest thy refuge and thy sal
vation, consolement in thy labors, hope in thy banish
ment, light and truth to guide thee in the darkness of
this world. For this holy Church I desire thee to labor
during all the rest of thy life since this is the ; purpose
for which thou hast been called into existence ;
thus shalt
thou imitate and follow me in my
tireless solicitude for
the Church on earth; this is thy greatest good fortune,
for which thou owest eternal gratitude. I wish thee, my
daughter, to be mindful of the fact, that with this desire
and intent I have applied to thee a great portion of the
treasures of the Church for the writing of my life; and
the Lord has chosen thee as an instrument and as secre
tary of its mysteries and hidden sacraments for purposes
of his greater glory. Do not conceive, that by having
labored somewhat in this work, that thou hast made even
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