From St. Ignatius

I’m reading the manuscript of an introduction to the writings of Ignatius of Loyala by Mark Mossa … coming out soon. It’s excellent … especially this:

Advice for Writers
I will describe what I myself do, and I trust in the Lord, will continue to do in this regard so as to avoid mistakes when writing to members of the Society. I make a first draft of the main letter, reporting things that will be edifying; then, after reading it over and correcting it, keeping in mind that it is going to be read by everybody, I write or have someone write it out a second time. For we must give even more thought to what we write than to what we say. Writing is permanent and gives lasting witness; we cannot mend or reinterpret it as easily as we can our speech. And even with all this I am sure I make many mistakes, and fear doing so in the future. I leave for the separate pages other details that are inap- propriate for the main letter or lacking in edification.1 These pages each one can write hastily “out of the overflow of the heart,”2 with or without careful organization.
LETTER TO PIERRE FAVRE