Book 3
The Revelations of Saint Gertrude.
Compiled by the Religious of Her Monastery.
Index
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Book 3 Page 2
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.
From this time the Saint frequently saluted the Holy Virgin or her images with these words: "Hail white lily of the ever peaceful and glorious Trinity! Hail, effulgent rose, the delight of Heaven, of whom the King of Heaven was born and by whose milk He was nourished! Do thou feed our souls by the effusions of thy Divine influences."
Chapter 19
As St Gertrude was accustomed to refer all that was sweet and agreeable to her Beloved Virgin when she heard or read the praise of the Blessed Virgin or of the Saints, and was more than usually moved thereby, she raised her heart to God, so that she thought more of Him than of the Saint whose memory was honored; and as she heard a sermon on the Feast of the Annunciation, in which the Blessed Virgin was spoken of exclusively, and no mention was made of the Incarnation of the Son of God, she was so grieved, that as she passed the altar of the Blessed Virgin, returning from the sermon, she did not salute her with her usual devotion, but rather offered her salutation to Jesus, the blessed Fruit of her womb. But after wards she feared she had displeased this august queen, until Our Lord consoled her by these loving words:
Fear not, Gertrude, My beloved; for although you have referred the honor and praise which you usually render to My dear Mother exclusively to Me, it will not be less agreeable to Her.
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