The house by the basilica of St. Ambrose was the property of Countess Torelli (see Letter 4, Introduction). Here she gathered her religious recruits, the first Angelics, until they all moved in the Torelli-built convent on October 1535 (see Letter 5, Introduction). The vacated house, promptly donated by Torelli to Anthony Mary, became the second residence of Anthony Mary's community of men. It was located only a block away from their first residence, a cluster of three cottages by the little church of St. Catherine. By the time this letter was written, the house by St. Ambrose numbered eighteen religious, mostly young new recruits.

The occasion for the letter is spelled out by Anthony Mary: "...there reigns confusion in our house. In fact nothing there goes on in an orderly fashion."

Twice Anthony Mary and his men survived trials by the Inquisition, in 1534 and 1536-37. Now the trouble was within: insubordination. "It seems that some among you..." Anthony Mary writes, "are not complying with the intentions of their Superiors." These Superiors did not include the most prominent leaders, namely, Anthony Mary, Bartolomeo Ferrari, and Giacomo Antonio Morigia. Anthony Mary says as much: "... since none of us is present in the community…" Anthony Mary, as Torelli's legal advisor, was still in Guastalla following the just concluded sale of her county to the governor of Milan. Ferrari was in Vicenza (see Letter 6). As for Morigia, mentioned by name in the letter's address, he was indeed the community Superior but was unable to spend much time there because he was replacing Anthony Mary as spiritual director of some forty Angelics at St. Paul Convent. The other addressee mentioned by name is Battista Soresina. The twenty-four-year old Soresina lacked both the prestige of age and the authority of the priesthood.

At thirty-six Anthony Mary was younger than both Ferrari, thirty-nine, and Morigia, forty-one, and held no canonical position. However, as the leading founder and on account of his indisputable outstanding holiness, he was given pride of place. He could speak with the authority of a commonly venerated father. And this he did when presumably tipped off by Morigia and/or Soresina. Because the letter is addressed to all members of the community, "to the children of Paul the Apostle and ours too," it may be viewed as the first circular letter to the Barnabite Order.

By turn, or rather, simultaneously diplomatic and outspoken, Anthony Mary speaks from the heart: "...I want to open my heart to you." As apparently there were complaints about the lack of written rules and regulations, he quickly comes to the point. Granting that "it would be a good thing indeed if our Superiors were to write down on paper all rules and regulations," he pointedly asked: "what good would they be if they were not also written in our minds?" Thus Anthony Mary identifies what is fundamentally and inescapably needed: a right attitude, a mature personal attitude, an attitude grounded on spiritual motivations. He states that one must be ready to seek, not so much one's own will, but Christ's in oneself. "In this way you will easily put on Christ." Then he appeals to the fresh and stirring memory of Fra Battista by adding: "You will... accomplish the wish of our holy Father, who, as you may recall, wanted us to be foundation and pillars in the renewal of Christian spirit."

St. Paul is next. "I entreat you, children and offspring of Paul, to open wide your hearts," well beyond all manner of peevishness. "For those who have nurtured, and still nurture, you, have hearts larger than the ocean!" Unquestionably, Anthony Mary is the first of them. So he does not hesitate to play the ultimate card of his personal prestige: "See, then, that you please me, and keep in mind that, whether I am present or absent, you owe it to me to make me happy."

The extant autograph of this letter is kept in the General Archives in Rome (N,b,II,4).

Guastalla, November 3, 1538

To the children of Paul the Apostle and ours too:
Mr. Giacomo Antonio [Morigia], Mr. Battista [Soresina], and all the others.
At St. Ambrose's.

In Milan

My sweetest children in Christ,

It seems that the devil is sowing doubts in me about what is going on among you. Yes, he is suggesting to me that, since none of us is present in the community, among all other evils that he has sown and is still sowing in your hearts, there reigns confusion in our house. In fact nothing there goes on in an orderly fashion. I certainly do not want to believe this, but, just the same, I want to open my heart to you. And do not believe that it is my habit, as it seems to you, to send you harsh letters. No, they are prompted by my extreme love, which makes me worry about you.

My suspicion, then, does not lead me to conclude, but at least to doubt very much, that the devil is telling me the truth. In fact, it seems that some among you, as if dozing or sleeping, are not complying with the intentions of their Superiors.

As you know, my dearly beloved, it would be a good thing indeed if our Superiors were to write down on paper all rules and regulations. But what good would they be if they were not also written in our minds? If, for instance, there were someone, not a disciple of ours, who nonetheless would take delight in interpreting our intentions carefully and in carrying them out faithfully, always keeping them before his eyes - this one, indeed, would be a far better and more genuine disciple of ours than the one who had our intentions written on paper, but not in his heart, even if he loved to call himself our disciple.

Do not believe it to be a small evil to forget or to neglect our Superiors' intentions. For what else would that look like but lose interest in our initial resolutions, or having our Superiors clearly understand that, should they pass away or, for some reason, absent themselves, we would soon leave aside their directives? Is it possible that those who possess greater fervor than their teachers may be inclined to dismantle the foundations established by the latter? Does not just the opposite happen: that far from abolishing them, they would add some more, not, of course, to contradict the former, but to bring them to greater perfection and to consolidate them?

Thanks be to God for blinding us so as to enable you to see better and to beget your own children as legitimate children, since your parents begot you as bastards! If your eyes are blind and adulterous, can you imagine what the rest of your body will be?

I am not making these remarks to shame you, but only because I would like you to show your Superiors the same attachment that they show you. But shouldn't your virtuous hearts, because of the natural knowledge engraved in them, sustain you so that you may no longer need written laws? And if you are generous, you will learn to conduct yourselves with the law engraved in your hearts, rather than with external laws. Thus you will move forward to fulfill not so much the word of the law but its spirit. If you then do not want to obey like slaves, but like family children, that is the way you should act.

Thus, if you have a Superior, you will let him direct you, as if there were an angel for that task, without caring who the Superior is - this or that person. And whether the Superior is present or absent, you will always safeguard the union of the body with its head and never cause divisions. You will be careful in the future not to stick rigidly to your Superiors' words and guidelines, but you will learn to be flexible in each circumstance by interpreting their intentions for the best.

And, again, you will not foolishly try to be equal to others by aping their way of behaving and talking because, if it is all right for an immature person like a child to say "mommy" and "daddy", it is not so for an adult. It is quite the same in spiritual matters.

Likewise, let us suppose that one meddles in things which somebody else is already concerned with; the latter should not take offense at that. What do you think our life is all about? Do we, by chance, aim to become lords and masters of this world, rather than to help each other make progress and humble ourselves more and more? If this is the case, as indeed it is, why do some tear down that which others build?

Please, take care lest favors weaken your spirits, and praises cloud your minds; rather let us encourage ourselves and others in Christ. Let none of you disobey orders, and if anyone would do that, you must instead observe them with greater fidelity. In the absence of the Superior, be your own Superiors and work for victory over yourselves.

Vie with one another to become humbler, simpler, and readier to seek not so much your own will but Christ's in you. In this way you will easily put on Christ. You will avoid doing things routinely, and will accomplish the wish of our holy Father, who, as you may recall, wanted us to be foundation and pillars in the renewal of Christian spirit.

If you only knew how many promises of this blessed renewal have been made to several holy men and women, you would see that all of them are certainly to be fulfilled in the sons and daughters of our holy Father, unless Christ had wanted to deceive them, which is impossible because He faithfully keeps His promises.

O Father dear, you have constantly sweated and suffered and we enjoy the fruits of your zeal. The cross was your dowry, and we will inherit abundant rest. In other words, by always carrying and, as it were, eating up crosses, we will yield fruits, both yours and ours.

I entreat you, children and offspring of Paul, to open wide your hearts. For those who have nurtured, and still nurture, you, have hearts larger than the ocean! And be no less worthy of the vocation to which you have been called! If you really mean it, you will be here and now heirs and legitimate children of our holy Father and of the great saints; and Jesus Crucified will extend His arms over you. I am not lying to you! Who of us could do this? See, then, that you please me, and keep in mind that, whether I am present or absent, you owe it to me to make me happy. That's all.

May Christ Himself write our greetings in your hearts.
From Guastalla, November 3, 1538.

Fathers and Guides,
Anthony Mary, Priest,
Priest of Paul the Apostle,
and Angelic P[aola] A[ntonia Negri].