Book 3
The Revelations of Saint Gertrude.
Compiled by the Religious of Her Monastery.
Index
Chapter
1Chapter
2 Chapter
3 Chapter
4
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5 Chapter
6 Chapter
7
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8 Chapter
9 Chapter
10
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11 Chapter
12 Chapter
13
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15
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18 Chapter
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21 Chapter
22
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47 Book
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Chapter 1
St.
Gertrude, having learned by Divine revelation that
she was about to endure some trial for the
increase of her merit, began to fear through human
weakness; but the Lord had compassion on her
infirmity, and gave her His most merciful Mother,
the Empress of Heaven, for her mother and for her
dispenser, so that, when the burden of her grief
appeared beyond her strength, she might always
have recourse to this Mother of mercy, and by her
intervention obtain relief. Some time after, as
she was much grieved because a devout person
obliged her to reveal the singular favors with
which God had honored her on the preceding feast,
she had recourse to the Mother of the afflicted,
in order to learn from Her what she ought to do on
this occasion: Give freely
what you possess, She
replied; for My Son is
rich enough to repay all that you expend for His
glory. But as the Saint
desired to conceal as much as possible the great
favors granted to her, even while she partly
revealed them, she desired to know from her
heavenly Spouse how far her conduct was agreeable
to Him. Prostrating herself at His feet, she
implored Him to make known His Will to her, and to
give her the desire of accomplishing it. Her
confidence merited for her this reply, which she
received from the Divine Mercy: Give My money to the bank,
that when I come I may receive it with usury.
(CF. Luke 19:23).And thus
she learned that the reasons which she had
considered good, and even inspired by the Spirit
of God, were merely human, so that from henceforth
she imparted more freely what was revealed to her,
and not without reason; for Solomon has declared:
"It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and
the glory of kings to search out the speech"
(Prov. 25:2).
Chapter 2
As Gertrude
offered to God in her prayers all that she
suffered in body and mind, and all the pleasures
of which she had deprived herself, whether in the
flesh or the spirit, Our Lord appeared to her, and
showed her the pleasures and the pains which she
had offered to Him under the form of two rings,
enriched with precious stones, which He wore to
adorn His hands. The Saint, perceiving this,
repeated the offering frequently; and when she
suffered a corporal affliction some time
afterwards, she beheld Jesus her Lord touch her
left eye with the ring which He carried in His
left hand, and which represented corporal
afflictions and sufferings; and from this moment
she felt extreme suffering in this eye, which she
had beheld Our Lord touch in Spirit, and this pain
was never entirely removed.
She knew from
this that, as the ring is a sign of espousal, so
also sufferings in body or mind are testimonies of
the spiritual espousal of the soul with God; so
that whoever suffers may say confidently, with all
truth: "My Lord Jesus Christ has espoused me to
Him with His ring"; and if he recognizes in those
afflictions the graces which he as received, and
returns thanks, he may add: "He has adorned me
with a crown as His spouse", because thanksgiving
in tribulation is a crown of glory more brilliant
than gold, and incomparably more precious than
topaz.
Chapter 3
Gertrude received
another plain testimony, although she did not
understand it very well at first, that
contradictions and privation of consolation in
suffering greatly increase merit. On a certain
day, about the Feast of Pentecost, as she suffered
such severe pain in her side that those who were
present feared her last hour had arrived, her
Beloved, the true Consoler of her soul, retired
from her, and this increased her suffering,
although the cares and attentions of those who
surrounded her were redoubled; whereas, when she
was less carefully attended, this loving Lord
remained near her, to solace the severity of her
pain by His presence, thus making her understand,
that when we are deprived of human consolation,
the Divine Mercy regards us most favorably.
Towards evening, as the Saint was worn out
by acute suffering, she sought to obtain some
mitigation of it from Our Lord, but He raised His
right arm, and showed her the pain she had endured
all day as a precious ornament on His bosom. As
this ornament appeared so perfect and so complete
in every part, she rejoiced, hoping that her
suffering would now cease; but Our Lord replied:
What you suffer after
this will add brightness to this ornament. And certainly, although it was
garnished with precious stones, the gold appeared
dark and dull. What she suffered afterwards was
not so grievous in itself, but she was more tried
by being deprived of consolation, than by the
acuteness of the pain.
Chapter 4
About the Feast
of St. Bartholomew, Gertrude felt herself
overwhelmed with an exceeding sadness and a
temptation to impatience. This caused such
darkness in her soul that she appeared insensible
to all the pleasures which the presence which the
presence of God imparted to her and light was not
restored to her until the following Saturday
through the intercession of the Mother of God,
when they sang in Her honor the Antiphon which
commences "Mary, Star of the sea." The following
day, as she rejoiced inwardly at the sweetness and
the tenderness with which God treated her, she
began to reflect in her late impatience and her
other faults; then, feeling exceedingly displeased
with herself,s he prayed to God for her amendment,
but with such discouragement, that, beholding the
enormity and the multitude of her faults, she
cried out in despair: "God of mercy, set abounds
to my malice, since I place neither end nor
measure to it! Deliver me, O Lord, and set me
beside thee, and let any man's hand fight against
me" (Job 17:3).
Our Lord, compassionating
her extreme affliction, showed her a small narrow
garden, filled with many beautiful flowers, but
surrounded with thorns, through which a little
stream of honey flowed. He said to her: Would you prefer the pleasure
which you might enjoy here to Me? She replied: " Assuredly not, O
Lord my God". Then He showed her another little
garden, filled with mire and dirt, but covered
with some verdure, and containing a few common
flowers. Being asked likewise if she would prefer
this, she turned away from it to show her
aversion, and exclaimed "May I never prefer the
fearful illusion of an apparent good, which
conceals a real evil, to Him who is the only
sovereign, true, unchangeable, and eternal Good!"
Our Lord replied: Why
then do you mistrust, as one deprived of charity,
since the favors with which I overwhelm you are a
proof that you possess it? And why do you speak
despairingly because of your sins, since Scripture
testifies that charity covers a multitude of sins,
when you do not prefer your will to Mine, although
by following it you might live without trouble,
and in honor, in the esteem of men, and with a
reputation for sanctity? I have represented this
self- will to you under the figure of a garden
filled with flowers, and the pleasures of a
sensual life by the verdure which covered the
mire". She relied: "Oh,
would to God a thousand times that, by the
contempt of the garden of flowers, which Thou hast
shown me, I may have altogether renounced my own
will, but I fear the insignificance of the place
disposed me to do so more easily!" It is thus, Our Lord replied,
that, in guiding the consciences of My elect, I
only let them see temporal advantages to a small
extent, in order to avoid exposing their weakness
to great temptation, and to inspire them more
easily with contempt for the false pleasures of
earth.
Then
Gertrude renounced entirely all the pleasures of
Heaven and earth, and cast herself with such
constancy and fervor into the bosom of her
Beloved, that she believed no creature would now
be able to remove her for a single moment from His
arms, where she tasted with joy that life giving
draught which flowed from the wounded Side of her
Lord, and whose sweetness infinitely surpassed
that of the most precious balm.
Chapter 5
On the Feast of
the Apostle St. Matthew, Our Lord having prevented
her by the sweetness of His frequent benedictions,
she offered the chalice in thanksgiving at the
Elevation; and having reflected that her oblation
would be of little value if she did not willingly
offer to bear all kinds of suffering for the love
of Christ, she rose, in the fervor of her zeal,
from the bosom of her Spouse, in which all her
delight, and threw herself on the ground as a vile
carcass, exclaiming: I offer myself to Thee O
Lord, to endure all that may promote Thy glory."
Then the Lord hastened quickly to her, and placed
Himself on the ground beside her, as if to support
her, saying: This is
Mine. "Yes", exclaimed
the Saint, turning toward God, and animated with
fresh courage; "I belong to Thee - I am the work
of Thy hands". It is
true, replied Our Lord; but this grace is
singularly yours, that I am so closely united to
thee by love, that I would not willingly enjoy
beatitude without thee.
Being amazed at the exceeding condescension
of these words, she exclaimed: Why dost Thou speak
thus to me, O Lord, since Thou hast such an
infinite number of friends in Heaven and on earth,
with whom Thou couldst share Thy happiness, even
had I never been created?" Our Lord replied: He who has always wanted a
limb does not feel the same privation as one who
loses it in advanced years; in like manner, I have
so placed My love in thee, that I could not bear
that we should be separated from each other.
Chapter 6
On the Feast of
St. Maurice, as the celebrant pronounced the
secret words of Consecration, St. Gertrude said to
Our Lord: "Lord, the mystery which Thou dost now
operate is so tremendous and so great, that I
scarcely dare to breathe or speak; it is enough
for me to hide myself in the deepest valley of
humility which I can find, expecting my share in
the salvation which Thou dost there impart to
Thine elect". Our Lord replied: When a mother wishes to do
some work with pearls and precious stones, she
sometimes places her child in an elevated place to
hold her thread or her pearls, or to do some other
service; so I have placed you in an eminent
position to dispose of the merits of this Mass;
and if you elevate your will even to desire
willingly to suffer all kinds of labor and pain,
in order that this sacrifice, which is so salutary
for all Christians, whether living or dead, may be
fully accomplished in all its excellence, you will
then have contributed, according to the extent of
your ability, to the accomplishment of My work.
Once, when the
Saint was confined to bed, and unable to assist at
Mass, at which she had hoped to have communicated,
she said to God with a troubled spirit: "To what
must I attribute my hindrance from assisting today
at the Holy Mysteries, if not to Thy Providence,
my Beloved? - and how shall I prepare myself to
receive the Communion of Thy adorable Body and
Blood, since my intention at Mass always seemed to
me my best preparation?" Since you attribute the cause to Me,
replied Our Lord, to console you, I will make you
hear the songs of joy with which Heaven resounds
when I espoused a soul.
Hear, then, from
Me, that my Blood is your redemption; meditate on
those three and thirty years during which I
labored for you in exile, and sought only to ally
Myself with you; and let this serve for the first
part of Mass
Hear Me telling you how I
have dowered you with the riches of My Spirit, and
that even as I endured so much bodily labor during
the three and thirty years in which I sought you,
so also My soul feels an ineffable joy at the
union and spiritual marriage which we have
contracted; and let this be your consolation
during the second part of Mass.
Listen
then to Me, while I tell you how you are
replenished with My Divinity, which has the power
to make you taste the purest delights and the most
ravishing sweetness inwardly, whilst exteriorly
you are suffering the severest pain. This will
serve for the third part of the Mass.
Hear, further, how you are sanctified by
My love; know that you have nothing of yourself,
and that all which renders you agreeable to Me
comes from Me. Occupy yourself with these thoughts
during the fourth part of Mass.
Lastly,
hear that you have been united to Me in the
sublimest manner; and know that, as all power has
been given to Me in Heaven and on earth, I cannot
be hindered from exalting you, as a king exalts
his queen to his throne, and consequently renders
her an object of respect. Rejoice, then in
reflecting on these things, and do not complain
again that you have been deprived of hearing Mass.
Chapter 7
As Gertrude
prepared herself for Communion on the Feast of the
Holy Innocents, she found herself distracted by a
crowd of importunate thoughts; and having implored
the Divine assistance, Our Lord, in His exceeding
mercy, spoke thus to her; If anyone, when encompassed by temptation,
throws himself on My protection with a firm hope,
he is of the number of those whom I can say: 'One
is My dove, chosen amongst a thousand; he has
pierced My Divine Heart with one glance of His
eye; so that if I thought I could not assist him,
my Heart would be so desolate that even all the
joys of Heaven could not alleviate my grief,
because he is a part of My Body, and is united to
My Divinity; and I am ever the advocate of My
elect, full of compassion for their every need.
"Lord", replied
St. Gertrude, "how is it that Thy immaculate Body,
in which Thou never hadst any contradition,
enables Thee to compassionate our many
weaknesses?" He replied You may easily convince yourself of this.
Has not My Apostle said: 'It behooved Him in all
things to be made like unto His brethren, that He
might be able to succor them also that are
tempted?' He added: This eye of My beloved, which
pierces My Heart, is the confidence which she
ought to have in Me that I know, that I am able,
and that I am willing to assist her faithfully in
all her miseries; and this confidence has such
power over My goodness, that it is not possible
for Me to abandon her. "But, Lord," replied the Saint, "since
confidence is so great a gift that none can have
it unless Thou dost bestow it, what merit have
those who are deprived of it?" He replied: Each can at least overcome
his difference, in some degree, by the testimony
of Scripture, and say, if not with his whole
heart, at least with his lips: 'If I should be
cast into hell, Thou O Lord will deliver me' , and
again, 'Although he should kill me, I will trust
in Him'.
Chapter 8
God having
revealed to a certain person that He willed to
deliver a great number of souls from Purgatory,
through the prayers of the community, a general
prayer was enjoined for all the religious. As St
Gertrude prayed one Sunday in the manner
prescribed, she pleaded most fervently with God
for the deliverance of these souls, and being rapt
in spirit, she beheld the Lord, like a king in the
midst of His glory, occupied in distributing
rewards and gifts; not being able to discern
exactly why He was thus so greatly occupied, she
said to Him: "Most loving Lord, since you made
known to me last year, on the Feast of St. Mary
Magdalen, notwithstanding my unworthiness, that
Thine own goodness had obliged Thee to grant mercy
to those who approached Thy sacred Feet, since so
many persons prostrated themselves before Thee on
this day, to imitate the blessed sinner, Thy
faithful lover, do me the further grace to
discover to the eyes of my soul the meaning of Thy
present employment, which I do not understand".
Our Lord replied: I am distributing gifts. The Saint knew by these words that God was
applying the prayers of the community to the
souls, whom, however, she was not permitted to
see, although they were present. Then He added:
Will you not offer Me
your merits to increase My gifts? At these words she was deeply
moved: and not knowing that the community was then
occupied in the same way, she was filled with
gratitude, believing that something special was
required of her, and replied joyfully: "Yes, Lord;
I offer Thee not only my merits, which are worth
nothing, but I offer Thee all the good done by my
community, which I attribute entirely to the union
which I have, by Thy grace, with my sisters; and I
offer it to Thee of my free will, and most gladly,
for the honor of Thy majesty and Thine infinite
perfections." And the Lord graciously accepted her
offering.
Then Our Lord appeared as if
disengaged, and, covering Himself and Gertrude
with a light cloud, He inclined lovingly toward
her, and said: Listen
to Me only, and taste the sweetness of My grace.
She replied: "My God and
my Beloved, why hast Thou deprived me the favor
Thou hast bestowed on another, of revealing to her
with so much clearness the mercy which Thou didst
desire to exercise towards those souls, since Thou
hast discovered to me so many secrets? He replied:
Reflect frequently that
My graces usually serve to humble you, because you
believe yourself unworthy of them, and that you
believe that they are only given to you as a
servant who is engaged for daily labor, and as if
you could not be faithful to Me without this
reward; and hence you prefer others who serve Me
faithfully without these favors. And I have willed
to render you like them in this, so that while you
did not know more than others of the mercy which I
desired to exercise towards those souls, you
labored for them with equal zeal; therefore you
are not deprived of an advantage you value so much
for others.
At
these words she was exceedingly moved, marveling
at the amazing and ineffable condescension of the
Divine goodness toward her, in pouring forth on
her such abundant favors; and, when giving less,
acting thus to preserve that humility which is the
foundation of all graces. She learned then how God
arranges, for the good of those whom He loves, the
bestowal or the refusal of His favors; and being
ravished out of herself in an excess of adoration
and gratitude for the infinite goodness of God
toward her, she cast herself, fainting away in
utter self - annihilation, into the arms of her
Lord, saying to Him; "My God, my weakness is
unable to bear the excess of Thy mercy". Then the
Lord moderated in her a little the overwhelming
power of this great thought, and, as she recovered
her strength, she said to Him: "Since Thy
inexplicable and incomprehensible wisdom wills
that I should be deprived of this gift, I will
desire it no longer. But, my God, wilt Thou not
hear my prayers for my friends?" Then Our Lord
confirmed His words as with an oath, replying:
I will, by My Divine
power. The Saint replied:
"Here, then, my petition for the persons so often
recommended to my prayers." And immediately she
beheld a stream, pure as crystal, flowing forth
from the Heart of the Lord into the person for
whom she prayed. She then asked: "Lord, what will
this person gain by this, since she does not see
it flowing into her?" He replied: When a physician gives a
draught to a sick person, those who are present do
not see him recover his health the moment he takes
the remedy, nor does the sick man himself feel
cured; nevertheless, the physician knows well the
value of the remedy, and how salutary it will
prove to the patient. "But why, Lord, dost Thou not deliver her
from the ill-regulated habits and the other
defects from which I have implored Thee so many
times to deliver her?" He replied: It is said of Me, when I was
in my Childhood, that I advanced in wisdom, and in
age, and in grace with God and man'. So will this
person advance from hour to hour changing her
faults into virtues; and I will deliver her from
all the infirmities of nature, so that after this
she may possess the blessedness which I have
prepared for man, whom I have exulted above the
Angels.
At the
hour at which the Saint was to communicate was now
near, she prayed God to show mercy to as many
sinners as would be saved (for she dared not to
pray for the reprobate) as He had that day
delivered souls from Purgatory by the merit of the
prayers which had been offered. But Our Lord
reproved her timidity, saying: Is not the offering of My spotless Body and
My precious Blood sufficient merit to recall even
those who walk in the ways of perdition to a
better life? Then
Gertrude, reflecting on the infinite goodness
testified by these words, exclaimed: "Since Thine
ineffable charity will condescend to my unworthy
prayers, I beseech Thee to deliver as many persons
who live in sin and are in peril thereby as Thou
hast delivered souls in Purgatory, without
preferring those who are my friends with we by
consanguinity or proximity". Our Lord accepted
this petition graciously and certified its
acceptance to her. "I would know further, I Lord,"
she continued, "what I shall add to these prayers
to make them yet more efficacious?" Then, as she
received no answer, she continued: "Lord. I fear
that my unfaithfulness does not merit a reply to
this question because Thou, who seest the hearts
of all, knowest that I will not comply with Thy
command." Then Our Lord, turning towards her with
a countenance full of sweetness, replied: Confidence alone can easily
obtain all things, but if your devotion urges you
to add anything further, say the Psalm Laudate
Dominum, omnes gentes three hundred and sixty-five
times, in order to supply for those praises which
men fail in offering Me.
Chapter 9
On the Feast of
St. Matthias Gertrude resolved, for many reasons,
to abstain from Holy Communion. But as her mind
was occupied with God and herself during the first
Mass, Our Lord presented Himself to her, with such
marks of affection as a friend might manifest to
his friend. Nevertheless, as the Saint was
accustomed to such favors, she desired yet more,
and wished to pass entirely into her Beloved, so
that she might be wholly united to Him and
consumed in the fire of His love. But as she could
not obtain this, she began to occupy herself with
the Divine praises, which was one of her ordinary
exercises. First, she glorified the goodness and
mercy of the ever- adorable Trinity for all the
graces which had flowed forth from its deep abyss
for the salvation of all the elect; secondly, she
returned thanks for all the favors which had been
bestowed on the august Mother of God; thirdly, for
all the graces infused into the sacred Humanity of
Jesus Christ; imploring all the Saints in general,
and each in particular, to offer individually in
sacrifice to the effulgent and ever- peaceful
Trinity, in satisfaction for her negligence, all
the dispositions and zeal with which they were
adorned on the day of their elevation into glory,
and the consummation of their perfection, and of
their eternal reward. For this intention she said
the Psalm Laudate Dominum thrice: first, in honor
of all the Saints; secondly in honor of the
Blessed Virgin; and thirdly, in honor of the Son
of God.
Our Lord then said to her: How will you recompense My
Saints, who have made such offerings to Me for
you, since you intend to omit your usual offering
of thanks-giving for them? The Saint did not reply. At the oblation of
the Host she desired greatly to know what offering
of eternal praise she could make to God the
Father. If you prepare
yourself to approach the life giving Sacrament of
My Body and Blood today, said Our Lord, you will
obtain this triple favor which you have desired
during Mass - namely, to enjoy the sweetness of My
love, and to become united to Me by the power of
My Divinity, even as gold is united to silver, and
thus will possess a precious amalgam, which will
be worthy to offer to the eternal praise of God
the Father, and acquit yourself of the gratitude
which you owe all the Saints.
These words kindled in her so
ardent a desire for Communion, that even if she
had to force her way to it across drawn swords, it
would have appeared little to her. Afterwards,
when she had received the Body of the Lord, as she
made her thanksgiving, this Lover of men spoke
thus to her: You have
resolved of your own will to serve Me today with
others by brick, straw and stubble, but I have
chosen to place you amongst those who are
replenished with the delights of My royal table.
On the same day
another person abstained from Communion without
any reasonable cause. She said to her Lord: "Most
merciful God, why have you permitted her to be
thus tempted?" What can
I do for her, He replied: Since she has herself so
covered her eyes with the veil of her unworthiness
that she cannot possibly see the tenderness of My
paternal Heart?
Chapter 10
As the Saint
learned that an indulgence of many years was
published on condition of the usual offerings, she
said, with her whole heart: "Lord, if I were rich
I would willingly give a large sum of gold and
silver, that by this means I might be absolved by
these indulgences for the praise and glory of of
Thy name." To this the Lord replied lovingly,
saying: I grant you, by
My authority, a full remission of all your sins
and negligences" and at
the same moment she saw her soul without a spot,
and as white as snow.
But sometime after,
entering into herself and finding her soul still
adorned with the same purity, she feared what she
had seen before had been an illusion, as it seemed
impossible that it had not been in some degree
tarnished by the negligences and faults into which
her weakness caused her to fall so often. But the
Lord consoled her affliction by these words: Dost thou think that I
possess less power than I have bestowed on my
creatures? If I have given to the material sun
such virtue that if a discolored garment is
exposed to its rays it will recover its former
whiteness, and even become brighter than before,
how much more can I, who am the Creator of the
sun, by directing My looks upon sinner, remove all
his stains, purifying him, by the fire of My love,
from every spot?
On another occasion she was so discouraged
by her unworthiness and weakness, that she seemed
to have no power to praise God, nor to taste the
sweetness of contemplation. But the Lord, by a
pure effect of His mercy, so restored her courage,
by communicating to her the most holy conversation
of Jesus Christ, that all her desires were
satisfied, and she seemed to be presented to the
King of kings, her Spouse, with the same beauty as
Esther was presented to Assuerus. As she appeared
so adorned, the Savior, in loving condescension,
addressed her thus: What dost thou desire, O queen? "I beseech and implore Thee, O
Lord," she replied, "with all my heart, that Thy
adorable and Divine Will may be accomplished in
me, according to Thy good pleasure." Our Lord then
named different persons who had recommended
themselves to her prayers, and asked what she
desired for each individually. "Lord, " she
replied, "I ask that Thy most peaceful Will may be
perfectly accomplished in them". Our Lord inquired
further: And what do
you desire that I should do for you? "I have no other joy", she
answered, "than to desire that Thy amiable and
peaceful Will may always be accomplished in me,
and in all creatures; and I am ready, for this
end, to offer every member of my body to be
exposed, one after the other, to the acutest
suffering". God, who had granted her the grace to
speak these words, rewarded her for them
afterwards, saying to her: Since you have desired with such ardor to
see the designs of My Will executed, I will reward
you with this recompense, that you shall appear as
agreeable in my eyes as if you had never violated
My Will, even in the most trifling matter.
Chapter 11
While the
Antiphon In lectulo meo was chanted, in which the
words quem diligit anima mea are repeated four
times, she reflected on four different manners in
which the faithful soul may seek God.
By
the first words: "By might I sought Him who my
soul loveth," she understood the first ways of
seeking God, by the praises and blessings which
are offered to Him on the sacred court of
contemplation. Hence the words, "I sought Him, and
found Him not," follow immediately, because while
the soul is imprisoned in the flesh she can not
praise God perfectly.
She understood the
second manner of seeking God in the words, "I will
rise, and will go out about the city: in the
streets and the broadways I will seek Him whom my
soul loveth"; because the various thanksgivings
which the soul renders to God for all the gifts
with which He enriches His creatures are expressed
by the words, "the streets and broadways". And as
we cannot praise God in this world as He should be
praised for all His gifts, the words "I sought
Him, and found Him not", are added.
By
these words, "The watchmen found me" she
understood the justice and mercy of God, which
cause the soul to enter into herself, and then to
compare her unworthiness with the benefits which
she has received from God; so that she begins by
her grief and repentance for her faults to seek
His mercy, saying: "Have you seen Him whom my soul
loveth?" And thus, as she has no faith in her own
merits, she turns with humble confidence to the
Divine Mercy, and by the fervor of her prayers,
and the inspiration of grace, she at last finds
Him whom the faithful soul seeks.
This
Antiphon being concluded, she felt her heart
deeply moved by all the sweetness with which the
Divine Mercy had filled it during this time, and
with many other graces which it would be
impossible to describe, so that even her bodily
strength failed her. Then she said to God: "It
seems to me that I can truly say to Thee now,
'Behold, my Beloved Lord, not only my inmost soul,
but every part of my body is moved toward Thee!"'
- "I know and feel it
perfectly," replied Our
Lord, "because these
graces have flowed from Me and returned to Me. But
as for you who are held captive in the chains of
mortality, you can never understand all the
reciprocal sweetness which My Divinity feels
towards you. He added: Know, however, that this
movement of grace glorifies you, as My Body was
glorified on Mount Thabor in presence of My three
beloved disciples; so that I can say of you, in
the sweetness of My charity: 'This is My beloved
daughter, in whom I am well pleased.' For it is
the property of this grace to communicate to the
body as well to the mind of a marvelous glory and
brightness.
Chapter 12
It happened one
day that, in preparing for Mass, a host fell from
some fold, and all were in doubt whether it had
been consecrated or not. The Saint had recourse to
God; and having learned that the wafer had not
been consecrated, she rejoiced much that no
irreverence had been committed. Yet, as all her
care was to promote the glory of God, she said to
Him: "Although Thy infinite goodness has not
permitted that Thou shouldest receive so great an
outrage in this place, and in the Sacrament of the
Altar - nevertheless, O Lord of the Universe,
because Thou wert treated with a like indignity
and irreverence, not only by Thy enemies the
heathen and the Jews, but alas, even by Thy most
faithful friends, whom Thou hast redeemed by the
price of Thy most Precious Blood, and I weep to
say it, sometimes even by priests and religious, I
will not make it known that this host was not
consecrated, in order that Thou mayest not be
deprived of the satisfaction that will be offered
to Thee" Then she added: O Lord my God, make known
to me what satisfaction is most agreeable to Thee
for each offense which is committed against Thee,
because I will try to accomplish it for love of
Thy honor and glory, even if I consume my whole
strength in doing it." Our Lord then made known to
her that He would accept the recital of the Lord's
Prayer two hundred and twenty-five times, in honor
of His sacred Limbs; and of as many acts of
charity toward her neighbor, in thanksgiving to
Him who has said: "So
long as you did it to one of these My least
brethren, you did it to Me". (Matt.25), and in union with that love
which made God become Man for us; and that she
should deprive herself as many times of the vain
and useless pleasures of earth, and occupy herself
only with zeal and true pleasures of the Divinity.
Oh how great and effable is the mercy and
kindness of our most loving God, which accepts and
rewards as of our most loving God, which accepts
and rewards as offerings what we should deserve
most just punishment for if we omitted!
Chapter 13
The Lord, who is
ever jealous of the salvation of His elect,
sometimes makes the most trifling thing appear
full of difficulty, for the increase of our merit.
It was with this intention that He once allowed
St. Gertrude to feel the duty of Confession so
burdensome that it seemed as if she could never
perform this duty by her own strength. She
therefore addressed herself to God with all the
fervor she could command, and He replied: Why do you not confide this
Confession to Me, with such confidence that you
need think no more of your own labor or exertion
to make it perfect? She
replied: "I have full and superabundant confidence
in Thy mercy and omnipotence, my loving Lord; but
I think it is only just, as I have offended Thee
by my sins, that I give Thee some tokens of my
amendment, by reflecting on the disorders of my
life in the bitterness of my soul." Our Lord
having manifested to her that her design was
agreeable to Him, Gertrude occupied herself
entirely with the recollections of her sins, and
it appeared to her as if her skin were torn in
several places, and as if it had been pierced with
thorns; then having discovered her wounds and
miseries to the Father of Mercies as to a wise and
faithful Physician, he inclined lovingly toward
her, and said: I will
warm the bath of Confession for you by My Divine
breath; and when you have bathed yourself in it,
according to My desire, you will appear without a
spot before Me. Then she
prepared in all haste to plunge into this bath,
saying: "Lord, I renounce every sentiment of human
respect for love of Thee; and even should I be
obliged to publish my crimes to the whole world, I
am ready to do so." Then Our Lord covered her with
His mantle, and allowed her to repose upon until
this bath was prepared for her.
When the
time came for Confession, she she was more tried
than before. "Lord", she exclaimed, "since Thy
paternal love knows all I suffer about this
Confession, why dost Thou permit me to be weighed
down by this trial?" Those who take a bath, replied Our Lord,
are accustomed to have themselves rubbed, in order
to purify themselves more completely: thus the
trouble of mind which you suffer will serve to
purify you. Then, having
perceived on the right side of her Spouse a bath
which exhaled a thick vapor, she saw on the other
side a delicious garden, enameled with flowers, of
which the most remarkable were roses without
thorns, of rare beauty, which emitted a sweet and
vivifying odor, attracting all who approached
thither. The Lord made a sign to her to enter this
garden, if she preferred it to the bath which she
feared so much. "Not this, O Lord," she exclaimed,
"but the bath which Thou hast warmed for me by Thy
Divine Breath." Our Lord replied: May it avail for your eternal
salvation!
Gertrude then understood that the garden
represented the interior joys of Divine grace,
which expose the faithful soul to the south wind
of charity, water it with the loving dew of tears,
and in an instant makes it whiter than snow,
assuring it not only of a general pardon of all
its faults, but even of a new increase of merit.
But she doubted not God was better pleased that
for love of Him she had chosen what was painful
and refused what was consoling. Then, having
retired to pray after her Confession, she felt a
most powerful assistance from God in this
exercise, so that what He had formerly made so
painful to her now appeared light and easy. It
must be observed here that the souls is purified
from the stain of sin principally in two manners:
first, by the bitterness of penance, which is
represented under the figure of a bath; and
secondly, by the sweet embrace of Divine Love,
which is figured by the garden. Before Confession,
the Saint had occupied herself in contemplating
the Wound of the Left Hand, so that after this
bath she might rest therein until she could
accomplish the penance enjoined by the Priest. But
as it was such that she was obliged to defer it
for some time, she was extremely afflicted that
she could not converse familiarly and freely with
her faithful and amiable Spouse until she had paid
this debt. Therefore, during Mass, as the priest
immolated the Sacred Host, which truly and
efficaciously blots out all of the sins of men,
she offered to God thanksgiving for all that He
had done for her in the bath of penance, and in
satisfaction for her faults. This the Eternal
Father accepted and received her into His bosom,
where she learned that "this Orient from on high"
had visited her in the plenitude of mercy and
truth.
Chapter 14
On the following
day, as the Saint heard Mass, she was overcome by
weariness; but the sound of the bell aroused her,
and she beheld Jesus Christ, her Lord and King,
holding a tree in His hand, which was covered with
the most beautiful fruit, and whose leaves shone
like so many stars, shooting forth rays of
admirable brightness; and having given of these
fruits to the Saints who composed His celestial
court, they found a marvelous sweetness therein.
Soon after, Our Lord planted this tree in the
garden of her heart, that she might make it more
fruitful by cultivation, that she might repose
under it and be refreshed there. Having received
this deposit, she began to pray for a person who
had persecuted her a short time before, asking to
increase its fruitfulness, that she might suffer
again what she had already suffered, to draw down
more abundant grace on this person. At this moment
she beheld a flower, of a most beautiful color,
burst forth on the top of the tree, which promised
to change into fruit if she executed her good
intention. This tree was the symbol of charity,
which bears not only the abundant fruit of good
works, but also the flowers of goodwill and the
bright leaves of holy desires. Therefore, the
citizens of Heaven rejoice greatly when men
condescend toward their brethren and endeavor with
all their power to solace them in their needs. At
the moment of the elevation of the Host, Our Lord
adorned the Saint with various graces which He had
communicated to her on the preceding day.
On the same day, at noon, our Lord
appeared to her under the form of a beautiful
youth, and asked her to gather nuts for Him from
the tree before mentioned; and for this purpose He
raised the tree up, that she might place herself
in the branches. "But my sweet Lord," she replied,
"why do You ask me to do that which is far beyond
the weakness of my virtue and my sex, and which
Thy condescension would rather incline Thee to do
for me?" He replied: Should not the spouse act more freely in
her own house, amongst her friends and domestics,
than a respectful bridegroom who only enters
occasionally to pay her a visit? But if she grant
anything to the timidity of her bride groom while
he is with her, he will not fail to have some
consideration for her when she visits him. By this she understood what
reasonable excuses persons make when they say: "If
God wills me to do this or that He will give me
the grace necessary to do it"; whereas it is only
just that men should bend their wills entirely to
God's, and never seek their own convenience on any
occasion, and then they will enjoy hereafter an
eternal recompense.
As Gertrude now
desired to present her Divine Spouse with the nuts
for which He has asked, He ascended the tree, and
seated Himself near her, commanding her to peel
them and prepare them for eating, teaching her by
this parable that it is not sufficient for us to
overcome our aversion to do good to our enemies,
if we do not also seek to do so in a perfect
manner. He thus deigned to teach her, by ordering
her to pull and prepare those nuts, that we should
do good to our persecutors; and it is for this
reason that nuts, whose shell is hard and bitter,
were mingled with the soft and delicious fruit of
this tree, in order that we might understand that
charity toward our enemies should be seasoned with
the sweetness of Divine grace, which makes men
ready to endure death itself for Jesus Christ.
Chapter 15
While the Mass,
Salve, Sancte Parens, was said in honor of the
Mother of God, being the last day on which the
Holy Sacrifice was allowed to be celebrated, on
account of an interdict, St Gertrude addressed God
thus: "How wilt Thou console us, most kind Lord,
in our present affliction?" He replied: I will increase My joys in
you; for as a spouse entertains himself more
familiarly with his bride in the retirement of his
house than in public, so will I take My pleasure
in your retreat. My love will increase in you,
even as fire which is enclosed burns with great
force; and the delight which I find in you, and
the love which you will have for Me, will be like
a pent up ocean, which seems to increase by the
impediments placed to its progress, until at last
it breaks forth impetuously. "But how long will this interdict
continue?" inquired the Saint. The Lord replied:
The favors which I
promise you will last as long as it does. She replied: "It appears a
degradation to the great ones of earth to reveal
their secrets to those beneath them; is it not
then, unworthy of Thy Majesty, Who art the King of
kings, to reveal the secrets of Thy Divine
Providence to me, who am the shame and rebuke of
all creatures? It is on this account, doubtless,
that Thou dost not make known to me when this
interdict will terminate, although Thou knowest
the end of all things before they have commenced."
It is not so, replied
the Lord; I conceal the secret from you for the
furtherance of your spiritual welfare; for if I
sometimes admit you to My secrets in
contemplation, I exclude you from them also to
preserve your humility, that by receiving this
grace you may know what you are in Me; and by
being deprived of it, you may know what you are of
yourself.
At the
Offertory of the Mass, Recordare, Virgo Maria, as
the words ut loquaris pro nobis bona ("to speak
good things for us") were repeated, the Saint
raised her heart toward the Mother of all grace,
and the Lord said to her: Even should there be none to speak good
things for you, I am already Myself to favor you.
But as St. Gertrude
reflected on the multitude of her own faults, and
those of some others, she was doubtful whether she
was entirely reconciled with God; but He said to
her tenderly: My
natural goodness obliges Me to have regard to
those amongst you who are most perfect; and as all
are encircled by My Divinity, the perfections hide
the imperfection. "O
bountiful Lord!" inquired Gertrude, "how canst
Thou give graces so full of consolation to one so
unworthy to receive them?" He replied: My love compels Me. Where then she inquired, " are
the stains which I contracted lately by my
impatience, and which I manifested by my words?"
The fire of My love. He
replied, has consumed them entirely; for I efface
all the stains which I meet with in the souls whom
I visit by My free and loving grace.
"O God of mercy!" continued
Gertrude, "since Thou hast so often assisted my
misery with Thy graces, I desire to know if my
faults, such as my late impatience and other
similar ones, will be purified in my soul before
or after my death?" Then, as Our Lord lovingly
made as though He heard her not, she added: "If
Thy justice demanded it, I would freely and
willingly descend even into Hell, to make a more
condign satisfaction to Thee. But, if it is more
glorious to Thy natural goodness and mercy to
consume my imperfections by the fire of Thy love,
I will venture to implore Thee that this same love
may efface all the stains from my soul, and make
it purer than I could merit." And this appeared
agreeable to Our Lord in His goodness and
tenderness.
On the following day, as Mass
was celebrated for the people in the parish
church, she said to God at the time of Communion:
"Dost Thou not compassionate us, most loving
Father, for being deprived, on account of these
goods, of this most precious good, the Sacred Food
of the Body and Blood?" How can I feel it more? replied the Lord;
if I conduct My spouse to a banquet, and I
perceive, before she enters, that her attire is
disarranged, will I not draw her aside to a
retired place, and arrange it with My own hands,
that I may introduce her with honor? "But, my God," she inquired,
"how can they have this grace who suffer this evil
through us?" He replied: Do not think of them; I will settle this
matter with them.
Then, at the oblation of the Host, as she
offered It to the Lord for His eternal praise and
the welfare of her community, the Lord received It
in her, communicating to her its vivifying
sweetness, and saying: I will nourish them with this Divine Food.
"Wilt Thou not
communicate Thyself, my God, to all the
community?" She inquired. No, He replied: only to those who have the
desire of communicating, or the will to desire it;
but for the rest who belong to the community, they
shall have the advantage of feeling themselves
excited to partake of this celestial food, even as
persons who have no thought of eating are
attracting by the odor of some viand, and begin to
desire to partake of it.
On the Feast of the Assumption she heard
Our Lord say, at the elevation of the Host: "I am
going to immolate Myself to God My Father for my
members." She said: "Most loving Lord, wilt Thou
permit us, who are cut off from Thee by the
anathema of those who would take our goods from
us, to be joined to them?" The Lord replied: If anyone could take away
from you the intimate union by which you are
united to Me, then indeed you would be separated
from Me. But as for the excommunication which is
inflicted on you, it will make no more impression
on you than a blunt knife would be upon a tree,
which it could not penetrate, and at best could
but mark slightly. She
replied: "My Lord and my God, Who art the
infallible Truth, Thou hast made known to me,
although unworthy of such a revelation, that Thou
wouldest increase Thy consolations in us and
redouble Thy love: and yet there are some amongst
us who complain that their charity is becoming
cold. I contain all
good in Myself, replied Our Lord; and I distribute
to each in season what they need.
Chapter 16
On a Sunday on
which fell both the Feast of St. Lawrence and that
of the dedication of the church of the monastery,
the Saint having begun to pray during the first
Mass for some persons who had recommended
themselves to her prayers, perceived a green
vine-branch which came forth from the throne of
God, and descended to the earth; and by its
foliage, as by the steps, one could ascend from
the bottom to the top. She understood that this
mystic ladder was a symbol of faith, by which the
elect mount up to Heaven; and as she saw many of
her sisters assembled at the summit of this vine,
on the left side of the throne of God, amongst
whom Jesus Christ stood with extreme pleasure in
presence of His heavenly Father, the hour
approached at which the community would have
communicated, if they had not been hindered by the
interdict; and she desired ardently that she and
those present might receive this life - giving
Sacrament, which by an incomprehensible secret of
the Divine goodness, gives life to men, despite
all the obstacles which are opposed to it.
After this, she saw Jesus Christ holding a
Host in His hand, which He plunged into the Heart
of God His Father; and when He drew it forth, it
seemed as if colored vermilion or tinged with
blood. Gertrude was amazed at this, and marveled
much what it might signify, the more so because
red is a symbol of the Passion, and the Eternal
Father could never have any marks of suffering.
Being thus entirely absorbed in meditating on what
she saw, she forgot to ask for the accomplishment
of her desires; but soon after she knew without
perceiving in what manner it was effected, that
the Lord had chosen for the place of His dwelling
and repose the hearts and souls of all her sisters
whom she had seen assembled around the throne of
God. The Saint now remembered a person who had
recommended herself to her prayers before Mass
with great humility and devotion, and she prayed
God to grant her a share in these favors. He
replied, that no one could ascend thus unless she
was elevated by confidence, of which the person
for whom she prayed had but little. The Saint
replied: "It seems to me, my God, that the want if
confidence in this person proceeds from a
humility, on which Thou dost usually pour forth
Thy most abundant graces." Our Lord answered:
I will descend now, and
communicate Myself to this soul and to all who are
in the valley of self abasement. Then the Son of God, the Lord and Master of
all virtues, appeared to descend suddenly by a
crimson ladder, and soon after she beheld Him at
the altar of the church of the monastery, clothed
with pontifical vestments, and bearing in His
Hands pyx like those in which the consecrated
Hosts alone are reserved, and He remained seated
before the priest until the Preface of the Mass.
A multitude of Angels attended Him, so
that the whole church on the northern side, which
was to the right side of the Lord, seemed filled
with them; and these blessed spirits testified a
particular joy in visiting the place where their
fellow citizens, the religious of the monastery,
had so often addressed their prayers to God. On
the left - that is, on the south side - there was
but one choir of Angels, who were followed by a
choir of apostles, a choir of martyrs, a choir of
confessors, and a choir of virgins, each part.
Gertrude, beholding so august an assembly, and
reflecting that, according to Scripture, it is
purity which brings us nearer to God, perceived
between the Lord and the choir of virgins more
closely than the other Saints to their Spouse, by
the ravishing sweetness of His caresses and
intimacy.
She also perceived rays of a
most brilliant light, which were shed upon some
members of the community, as if there were no
obstacles between them and God; although they were
materially separated from the church where she
beheld this mysterious apparitions. And though the
Saint was filled with an extreme joy during this
rapture, she was still solicitous for the sisters,
and said to God: "Lord, since Thou hast been
pleased to pour forth on me the free gifts of
Thine ineffable love, what wilt Thou give to those
who are engaged in exterior duties?" He replied:
I will anoint them with
balsam, though they seem to sleep. Gertrude was surprised at this,
and could not understand how those who did not
give themselves to a contemplative life should
receive nevertheless the same reward as those who
were devoted to it. Then, as she began to examine
into the quality of these perfumes of which the
Son of God had spoken by comparing them to balm
and aromatic ointments - a small portion of which
will suffice to preserve the body from corruption,
whether it is embalmed before or after the sleep
of death, so that it has received this unction -
she was enlightened in her difficulty by this
familiar compassion: namely, that when anyone
partakes of food, every member of his body is
strengthened and nourished by it, although the
mouth alone perceives the delicacy of the viand;
so when God, by an excess of His mercy, grants any
special grace to one of His elect, all participate
in it; and principally those who are united by the
ties of community, where they receive an increase
and superabundance of merit; and they only are
excluded from this benefit who exclude themselves
by their jealousy or ill will.
Then, as
the Gloria in excelsis was intoned, the Sovereign
Pontiff, Our Lord Jesus Christ, breathed toward
Heaven to the honor of His Eternal Father, a
breath like a burning flame. And at the words: Et
in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis, He
breathed upon those who were present a white
light, bright as snow. At the words of the
Preface, Sursum, corda, the Son of God arose, and
by an efficacious attraction drew towards Himself
all who were present. Then turning toward the
east, assisted by an infinite number of Angels, He
stood and raised His hands, and offered to God His
Father, through the words of the Preface, the
prayers of the faithful. After this, when they
began the Agnus Dei, the Lord rose before the
altar, with all the power of His majesty;
communicating Himself, at the second Agnus Dei, by
an impenetrable effect of His wisdom, to the souls
of all the assistants; at the third Agnus Dei,
withdrawing into Himself, He offered in His own
person to God His Father all their prayers and
desires. Then pouring forth again His sweetness,
He gave the pax with His own blessed lips to all
the Saints who were present; honoring with
singular favor the company of virgins, offering
this kiss both to their lips and their hearts.
After this, pouring forth the torrents of
His love, He gave Himself to the community, with
these words: I am all
yours; therefore, let each enjoy Me as she
desires. Then Gertrude
replied to her Spouse:"Lord, now that I am
satisfied with Thy incredible delights, it seems
to me that Thou art still too far from me when
Thou reposest on the altar; therefore, for the
benediction of this Mass, unite my soul so to Thee
that I may feel it is bound to Thee." This the
Lord accomplished in such a manner that she knew
by her union with her Spouse how pleasing her
desire was to Him.
Chapter 17
As the Saint
approached to receive the Sacrament of Life - when
they sang the Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, the
Antiphon Gaude et laetare - she prostrated herself
on the ground, praying to God with her whole heart
that He would be pleased to prepare her worthily
to participate in the celestial Food, for His
glory and for the advantage of others. The Son of
God then abased Himself quickly towards her, and
embracing her soul while they sang the word
sanctus, said: At the
word sanctus, which is referred to My Person, I
will give you all the sanctity of My Divinity and
My Humanity, as a worthy preparation to approach
these Holy Mysteries.
The following Sunday, as she returned
thanks to God for this favor, she beheld the Son
of God, more beautiful than a million Angels,
presenting her condescendingly to God His Father,
clothed with His own holiness, which He had given
to her. The Eternal Father took such great
pleasure in the soul, for the sake of His only
Son, that not being able to refrain from pouring
forth His graces, He granted to her, with the Holy
Spirit, the sanctity which is attributed to Them
as holy (sanctus), as well of that which emanates
from Omnipotence as of that which emanates from
wisdom and love.
(St. Gertrude, preparing
for Communion, receives the assurance from Jesus
Christ that He will never depart from her, and
that for her sake He will do good to others)
On another occasion, when she was about to
communicate, and perceived that many were
abstaining from it for different reasons, she
rejoiced in spirit, and being touched to the
heart, said to God: "I give Thee thanks, my most
loving Love and my God, that Thou hast placed me
in this happy state, in which neither my relations
nor earthly consideration can prevent me from
approaching Thy banquet of delights" To which the
Lord replied with His usual sweetness: Since you have declared that
there is nothing which can separate you from Me,
know also that there is nothing in Heaven or
earth, neither judgment nor justice, which can
hinder Me from doing all the good for you which My
Divine Heart desires.
On another occasion, as St. Gertrude
approached the Holy Communion, and desired
ardently that the Lord would prepare her worthily,
this sweet and loving Lord consoled her by these
tender words: I will
clothe Myself with your person, in order that I
may be able to extend My Hand to do good to
sinners without being wounded by the thorns which
surround them. And I will also clothe you with
Myself, in order that all those whom you remember
before Me, and even those who are naturally like
you, may be raised to this high dignity, that I
may do good to them according to My royal
munificence.
(St.
Gertrude is presented to the Holy Trinity by Jesus
Christ. She obtains joy for the blessed, grace for
the just, repentance for sinners, and release for
the souls in Purgatory).
One day when the
Saint was about to partake of the Divine Food, she
reflected on the graces which God had bestowed on
her, and recalled this passage in the Book of
Kings: 'Who am I and what is my father's family?'
cf:(1 Kings 18:18), Then turning from these last
words, as only proper for those who had always
served God, she considered herself as a little
plant, which, on account of its proximity to the
inextinguishable fire of the Divine Heart,
received its benefits; and she saw that she saw
that she wasted it, hour after hour, by her faults
and negligences; and that being reduced as it were
to ashes, she resembled a burned out coal, which
had been cat away. Therefore she turned toward
Jesus Christ, her beloved Mediator, and besought
Him to present her to God the Father, and to
reconcile her to Him; and it appeared to her that
her dear Spouse drew her to Him by the vapor of
the love which came forth from the Wounds of His
Heart, and that He washed her in the water which
flowed from it, watering her with the life -
giving Blood which was contained therein; so that,
by degrees, she was transformed from the burned
out coal to a tree covered with verdure, whose
branches were divided into three parts, like a
lily; and the Son of God, having taken it,
presented it, with marks of honor and
thanksgiving, to the most holy and adorable
Trinity; who received it with such love and
tenderness, that the Eternal Father, by His
omnipotence, attached to the highest branches of
this tree all the fruit which the soul of the
Saint might have produced is she had corresponded
as she ought with the commands of the Divine
Omnipotence. The Son of God and the Holy Spirit,
in like manner, placed on two other parts of its
branches the fruits of wisdom and charity.
Having, therefore, received the Body of
Jesus Christ, and contemplating her Lord, as we
have said, under the similitude of a tree, whose
root was in the Wound, of the Side of Jesus
Christ, it seemed to her that a kind of sapformed
of the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ, came
forth in a miraculous manner from this sacred
Wound, and passed through the stem of this tree
into all its branches, producing flowers and
fruit, which appeared as bright, in comparison
with her ordinary life, as gold exceeds crystal in
its brightness. This gave pleasure and an
indescribable joy, not only to the Most Holy
Trinity, but even to all the blessed, who, having
risen out of respect, presented their merits to
her individually, in the form of crowns, and
suspended them on the branches of this tree, to
His praise and glory who had given them new joy
through her merits.
Then Gertrude prayed
to God that all who were in Heaven, on earth, or
in Purgatory, and who ought without doubt to have
reaped some fruit from her works, had she not been
so negligent, might at least receive some
advantage from the graces which His Divine
goodness had communicated to her. Then these good
works which were figured by the fruit tree, began
to distill a liquor of extraordinary virtue: a
part of which evaporated on high, filling the
blessed with joy; another portion flowed down into
Purgatory, soothing the pains of those who
suffered there; and part, spreading itself forth
upon the earth, augmenting the sweet ness of grace
in the just, and in sinners the bitterness of
penance.
How advantageous it is to hear
Holy Mass.
As Gertrude offered the
adorable Host to the Eternal Father, at the moment
of the Elevation, in satisfaction for all her
sins, and in reparation for all her negligences,
she beheld her soul presented before the Divine
Majesty with the same sentiments of joy in which
Jesus Christ - who is the splendor and living
image of the glory of His Father, and the Lamb of
God without spot - offered Himself on the altar to
God His Father for the salvation of the whole
world, because the Eternal Father considered her
as purified from all sin by the merit of the
spotless Humanity of Jesus Christ, and enriched
and adorned with all the virtues which, through
the same Holy Humanity, adorned the glorious
Divinity of His Son.
As the Saint returned
thanks to God for these graces with all her power,
and took pleasure in considering the extraordinary
favors which He had communicated to her, it was
revealed to her that whenever anyone assists at
Mass with devotion, occupied with God, who offers
Himself in this Sacrament for the whole world, he
is truly regarded by the Eternal Father with the
tenderness merited by the Sacred Host which is
offered to Him, and becomes like one who, coming
out of a dark place into the midst of sunlight,
finds himself suddenly surrounded by brightness.
Then the Saint made this inquiry of God: "Is not
he who falls into sin deprived of this good, even
as one who goes from light into darkness loses the
favor of beholding the light?" The Lord replied:
No; for although the
sinner hides My Divine light from him, still My
goodness will not fail to leave him some ray to
guide him to eternal life; and this light will
increase whenever he hears Mass with devotion or
approaches the Sacraments.
The spiritual vestments with
which the soul should be adorned to receive the
Holy Communion, and of the necessity of
sanctifying the tongue which has touched the Body
of Christ.
As Gertrude was about to
communicate, and feared she was not sufficiently
prepared, though the moment was at hand, she
addressed her soul thus: "Behold, thy Spouse calls
thee: and how canst thou dare to appear before Him
without being adorned as thou shouldst be?" Then,
reflecting more and more on her unworthiness -
entirely distrusting herself, and placing her
confidence in the mercy of God alone - she said to
herself: "Why defer longer, since, even had I a
thousand years, I could not prepare as I ought,
having nothing which could serve to promote the
right dispositions in me. But I will meet Him with
confidence and humility; and when my Lord beholds
me from afar, He can fill me with all grace and
the attractions with which His love desires that I
should appear before Him". And, approaching the
Holy Mysteries in this disposition, she thought
only of her negligences and imperfections. But as
she advanced, she perceived Our Lord regarding her
with an eye of compassion, or rather of love, and
sending her His innocence, that she might be
adorned therewith as with a white garment. He gave
her His humility, which made Him converse with
creatures so utterly unworthy of such a favor; and
this served her for a purple tunic. He filled her
with that hope which would make her sigh ardently
for Him Whom she loved, to add the beauty of green
to her garments. He presented her with His love of
souls for a vestment of gold. He inspired her with
the joy which He takes in the hearts of the
faithful for a crown of precious stones. And,
lastly, He gave her for sandals that confidence
with which He deigned to rest on the inconstancy
of human frailty, and which made Him find His
delights with the children of men. And thus she
was worthy to be presented to God.
After
her Communion, as she recollected herself
interiorly, Our Lord appeared to her under the
form of a pelican, as it is usually represented,
piercing the heart with its beak. Marveling at
this, she said: "My Lord, what wouldst Thou teach
me by this vision? - I
wish, replied Our Lord, that you would consider
the excess of love which obliges Me to present you
with such a gift; for after having thus given
Myself, I would rather remain dead in the tomb, so
to speak, than deprive a soul who loves Me of the
fruit of My liberality. Consider also, that even
as the blood which comes from the heart of the
pelican gives life to its little ones, so also the
soul whom I nourish with the Divine Food which I
present to it, receives a life which will never
end.
On another
occasion, after Communion, as the Saint was
considering with what circumspection she should
use that tongue, honored above all the members of
the body in being the depository of the most
precious mysteries of Jesus Christ, she was
instructed by this comparison: That one who does
not abstain from vain, idle or sinful discourse,
and who approaches the Holy Communion without
repentance, is like a person who gathers a heap of
stones at the threshold of his door to thow at his
guest when he comes to visit him, or beats him
cruelly on the head with a rod.
Of the
ineffable love of God in the Sacrament of the
Altar.
Gertrude, having one day heard a
sermon on the justice of God, was so overcome by
fear, that she dared not approach this Divine
Sacrament; but God, in His mercy, reassured her by
these words: If you
will not look with the eyes of your soul on the
many mercies which I have bestowed on you, open at
least the eyes of of your body, and behold Me
before you enclosed in a little pyx, and know
assuredly that the rigor of My justice is even
thus limited within the bounds of the mercy which
I exercise toward men in the dispensation of this
Sacrament.
On a
similar occasion, the sweetness of the Divine
goodness urged her to a participation in the Holy
Mysteries, by these words: Consider in how small a space I give you My
entire Divinity and My Humanity. Compare the size
of this with the size of the human body, and judge
then the greatness of My love. For as the human
body surpasses my Body in size - that is to say,
the quantity of the species of bread under which
My Body is contained - so My mercy and charity in
this Sacrament reduce Me to this state, that the
soul which loves Me is in some sort above Me, as
the human body is greater than My Body.
On another day,
as she received the saving Host, Our Lord
addressed her thus: Consider that the priest who gives you the
Host touches it with his hands, and the vestments
with which he is clothed, out of respect, do not
reach beyond his arms; this is to teach you, that
although I regard with pleasure all that is done
for My glory, as prayers, fasts, vigils and other
like works of piety, still (those who have little
understanding will not comprehend it) the
confidence with which the elect have recourse to
Me in their weakness touches Me far more sensibly;
even as you see My flesh is nearer to the hands of
the priest than his vestments.
That humility is more agreeable
to God than sensible devotion; and how much Our
Lord desires to give Himself to the soul who loves
Him.
Once, when Gertrude heard the bell
which called her to Communion, and the chant had
already commenced, as she felt that she was not
sufficiently prepared, she said to Our Lord:
Behold, Lord, Thou art coming to me; but why hast
Thou not granted me the grace of devotion, so that
I might present myself before Thee with a better
preparation?" He replied: A bridegroom admires the personal beauty of
his bride more than her ornaments; and in like
manner I prefer the virtue of humility to the
grace of devotion.
Once, when many of the religious had
abstained from Communion, Gertrude returned thanks
to God, saying: "I thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou
hast invited me to Thy Sacred Banquet." To which
Our Lord replied, with words full of sweetness and
tenderness: Know that I
have desired thee with My whole Heart. "Alas, Lord!" she exclaimed,
"what glory can accrue to Thy Divinity when I
touch this Sacrament with my unworthy lips?" He
replied: Even as the
love which we have for a friend makes us take
pleasure in hearing him speak, so alas the charity
which I have for My elect makes Me sometimes find
satisfaction in that which they find none.
Once, as the
Saint ardently desired to see the Sacred Host as
the priest communicated the people, but could not
do so on account of the crowd, she heard Our Lord
saying to her: A sweet
secret shall be between us, which is unknown to
those who absent themselves from Me; but thou, if
thou wouldst enjoy it, approach; and thou shalt
not see, but taste and prove, the sweetness of
this hidden manna.
That it is not wrong to abstain from
Communion through reverence.
As Gertrude
saw one of her sisters approaching the Holy
Eucharist with extreme emotions of fear, she
turned from her with a feeling of indignation; but
the Lord charitably reproved her by these words
saying: Do you not know
that I am honored by reverence as well as by love?
But as human weakness is not able to combine the
two at one moment, and all are the members of one
body, those who have less should take from those
who have more. For example, let her who is more
moved by the sweetness of My love think less of
the duty of respect, and be thankful that another
supplies for her deficiency, by being more exact
in testifying her reverence; and let that other
desire that she should obtain the joy and
consolation that a soul possesses who is full of
the Divine function.
Once also, as Gertrude prayed for a sister
under similar circumstances, Our Lord replied:
I would that My elect
should not consider Me so severe, but rather
believe that I should receive as a benefit the
least service they render Me at their own expense.
For example, she makes a sacrifice to God at her
own expense who, although she finds no sweetness
in devotion, never omits the service of God,
either by prayers, prostrations, or other acts of
devotion, still hoping, in His mercy, that He will
accept the fulfillment of these duties.
Whence it is that
we sometimes feel less fervor at the moment of
Communion than at any other time.
As
Gertrude prayed for a person who complained of
having less devotion on the days on which she
communicated than on others, Our Lord said to her:
This has not happened
by chance, but by a particular Providence, which
inspires feelings of devotion at unexpected times,
to elevate the heart of man, which is so enslaved
by the body; but on festivals and at the time of
Communion I withdraw this grace, preferring to
occupy the hearts of My elect with good desires or
humility; and this may be more advantageous to
their welfare than the grace of devotion.
God permits the
just to fall for their humiliation.
As the
Saint prayed for a person who had abstained from
receiving the Body of the Lord, fearing to be an
occasion of scandal, Our Lord made known His Will
by this comparison: As
a man who washes his hands to remove a stain,
removes at the same time not only what he has
seen, but also cleanses his hands perfectly, so
the just are allowed to fall into some trifling
faults, that they may become more agreeable to Me
by their repentance and humility; but there are
some who contradict My designs in this, by
neglecting the interior beauty which I desire to
see after their penance, thinking of the exterior,
and of the judgment of men, and this they do, when
they deprive themselves of the grace which they
might receive in the Sacrament, from the fear of
scandalizing those who do not think them
sufficiently prepared.
Jesus Christ Himself prepares the Saint for
Communion.
As the Saint was about to
receive Holy Communion, she felt herself invited
by Jesus Christ Himself. It appeared to her that
she was in the celestial kingdom, and that she was
seated in glory near the Eternal Father, to eat
with Him at His table. But as she considered that
she was neither properly attired nor sufficiently
prepared, she endeavored to withdraw. Then the Son
of God came to her, and led her to a retired place
to prepare her for this banquet. And first, He
remitted her sins by washing her hands, offering
His Passion for her amendment. Then He gave her a
necklace, bracelets and rings; and having thus
adorned her, He desired her to walk discreetly, as
one so adorned should do, and not like a foolish
person, who, even when thus attired, would be
despised rather than honored.
She
understood by these words, that they walk like
fools who, after they have been cured of their
defects, are as pusillanimous as ever, because
they have not an entire confidence that Jesus
Christ will supply for their defects.
Of
the value of communicating for the souls in
Purgatory.
One day, after Communion, the
Saint offered the Host which she had just received
for the souls in Purgatory; and perceiving the
great benefit they obtained thereby, she was
amazed, and said to her Spouse: "My God, since I
am obliged to declare for Thy glory that Thou dost
honor me continually with Thy presence, or rather,
that Thou abidest in my soul, unworthy as I am,
how is it that Thou dost not work through me as
Thou hast done today after I have received Thy
adorable Body?" He replied: It is not easy for everyone to approach a
king who remains always in his palace; but when
his love for his queen induces him to go forth,
then all may behold, through her kindness, his
pomp and magnificence; thus, when, moved by My
love, I visit one of the faithful (who is free
from mortal sin) in the Sacrament of the Altar,
all who are in Heaven, on earth, or in Purgatory,
receives immense benefits thereby.
On another occasion the Saint
humbled herself deeply before approaching the Holy
Communion, in honor and in imitation of the
humility of the Son of God in descending into
limbo. Then, uniting herself with His descent, she
found herself descending to the very depths of
Purgatory; and humbling herself still lower, she
heard Our Lord say to her: I will draw you to Me in the Sacrament of
the Altar in such a manner that you will draw
after you all those who shall perceive the odor of
your desire.
Having received this promise from Our Lord,
she desired after Communion this promise from Our
Lord, she desired after Communion that He would
release as many souls as she could divide the Host
into particles in her mouth; but as she tried to
effect this, He said to her: In order that you may know that My mercy is
above all My works, and that the abyss of My mercy
cannot be exhausted, I am ready to grant you,
through the merit of this life - giving Sacrament,
more than you dare ask Me.
Chapter 18
As Gertrude
offered herself to God during her prayer, and
inquired how He desired her to occupy herself at
this time, He replied: Honor My Mother, who is seated at My side,
and employ yourself in praising Her. Then the Saint began to salute
the Queen of Heaven, reciting the verse, Paradisus
voluptas, ect - "Paradise of delights"; and
extolling her because she was the abode full of
delights which the impenetrable wisdom of God, Who
knows all creatures perfectly, had chosen for His
dwelling; and she besought her to obtain for her a
heart adorned with so many virtues that God make
take pleasure in dwelling therein. Then the
Blessed Virgin inclined towards her and planted in
her heart the different flowers of virtue - the
rose of charity, the lily of chastity, the violet
of humility, the flexibility of obedience and many
other gifts, thus showing how promptly she assists
those who invoke her assistance.
Then the
Saint addressed her thus: 'Gaude, morum disciplina
- "Rejoice, model of discipline:"' praising her
for having ordered her desires, judgment and
affection with more care and circumspection than
the rest of mankind, and for having served the
Lord, who dwelt in her, with such respect and
reverence, that she had never given Him the least
occasion of pain in her thoughts, words or
actions. Having besought her to obtain for her
also the same grace, it appeared to her that the
Mother of God sent her all her affections under
the form of young virgins, recommending each in
particular to unite her dispositions to those of
her client, and to supply for any defects into
which she might fall. By this also she understood
with what promptitude the Blessed Virgin assists
those who invoke her. Then the Saint besought Our
Lord to supply for her omissions in devotion to
His Blessed Mother, which He was pleased to do.
The following day, as Gertrude prayed, the
Mother of God appeared to her, in the presence of
the ever - adorable Trinity, under the form of a
white lily, with three leaves, one standing
errect, and the other two bent down. By this she
understood that it was not without reason that the
Blessed Mother of God was called white lily of the
Trinity, since She contained in herself, with more
plenitude and perfection than any other creature,
the virtues of the Most Holy Trinity, which she
had never sullied by the slightest stain of sin.
The upright leaf of the lily represented the
omnipotence of God the Father, and the two leaves
which bent down, the wisdom and love of the Son
and the Holy Spirit, to which the Virgin
approaches so nearly. Then the Blessed Virgin made
known to her that if anyone salutes Her devoutly
as the white lily of the Trinity and vermilon rose
of Heaven, She will show how She prevails by the
omnipotence of the Father, how skillful She is in
procuring the salvation of men by the wisdom of
the Son, and with what exceeding love her heart is
filled by the charity of the Holy Ghost. The
Blessed Virgin added these words: I will appear at the hour of death to those
who salute me thus in such glory, that they will
anticipate the very joys of Heaven. | | | | |