Treats of the Presentation of the Princess
of Heaven In the Temple, the Favors She Received at the Hand of God,
the Sublime Perfection with which She Observed the Rules of the Temple,
the Heavenly Excellence of Her Heroic Virtue and Visions, Her Most Holy
Espousal and other Events up to the Incarnation of the Son of God.
CHAPTER 1.
OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE MOST HOLY MARY IN
THE TEMPLE AT THE AGE OF THREE YEARS.
413. Among the types
which foreshadowed the most holy Mary in the written Law, none was more
expressive than the ark of the covenant, not only on account of the material
of which it was constructed, and its contents, but also on account of the
purposes for which it served and the effects which the Lord wrought through
it and in connection with it in the ancient synagogue. It was all a
prototype of this Lady and of what She was to do in the new Church of the
Gospel. The, incorruptible cedar, of which it was made, not by chance, but
by divine disposition (Exod, 25, 10), typified clearly our mystical Ark
Mary, free from the corruption of actual sin and from the secret worminess
of original guilt with its inseparable ferment of disorderly passions. The
finest and purest gold (Exod, 25, 11), which covered it on the outside and
inside, certainly indicated the most perfect and exalted graces and gifts,
which shone forth in her heavenly thoughts, in her works and activities, in
her habits and the operations of her faculties; so that in no exterior or
interior part of this mystical Ark could be discerned ought, which at any
moment of time was not entirely covered by the gold of the most exquisite
and finest carat.
414. The stone tablets
of the law, the vase of the manna and the miraculous staff (Heb. 9,4), which
that ancient ark contained and preserved, cannot be surpassed in expressive
significance of the eternal and incarnate Word, enclosed within that living
Ark the most holy Mary, for He was her Onlybegotten Son, the living
foundation-rock of the evangelical Church (I Cor. 3, 11). In this virginal
ark of Mary was placed the key-stone which was to join the Gentiles and the
Jews, and was torn from the mountain of its eternal generation (Ephes, 2,
20) in order that on it might be written by the finger of God the new Law of
grace. Thus in the old ark Mary was foreshadowed as the great Queen, who was
to be the depositary of all that God provided and operated for his
creatures. She also enclosed within Herself the manna of the Divinity and of
grace, and the wonder-working staff of miracles and prodigies, so that this
heavenly and mystical Ark alone contained the fountain of grace, namely God
himself, overflowing into the rest of mankind and forming the nucleus of all
the miracles and prodigies of God. In Mary therefore all that the Lord
desired to operate and manifest is contained and deposited.
415. Accordingly the ark
of the testament (not in itself, but on account of the truth which it
foreshadowed) served as the seat and foot-stool of propitiation, where the
Lord was seated in the tribunal of his mercies, to listen to his people. to
answer them and distribute his gifts and favors; for the ancient ark
typified most holy Mary, the throne of grace and the true mystical
propitiatory which He had expressly made for his indwelling. Thus it seems
that the tribunal of the divine justice remains set up in God himself, while
the propitiatory and the tribunal of his mercy was set up in Mary, in order
that to Her, as a throne of grace, we might approach in assured confidence
to present our petitions for those benefits, graces and mercies, which
outside of the Queen Mary, are unheard of and unattainable by the human
race.
416. Such a sacred and
mysterious Ark, constructed by the hands of the Lord himself for his
habitation and as the propitiatory of his people, could not remain with
propriety outside of his temple, where was preserved that other material
ark, which was only a figure of this spiritual and true Ark of the new
covenant. Therefore its Author ordained that She be placed in his house and
temple as soon as the first three years of her infancy should be completed.
But I am astonished to find a wonderful difference in regard to that which
happened with the primitive and figurative ark and that which came to pass
with the second and true ark of the covenant. For, though the ancient ark
had no other importance than that of presignifying Mary and the mysteries
connected with Her, when the king David transferred it to different places,
and when afterwards Solomon his son placed it in the temple, as in its
proper place of rest, all was done with great festivities and rejoicings of
that ancient people, as is shown by the solemn processions arranged by David
from the house of Abinadab to the house of Obededom (II King 6, 10), and
thence to the tabernacle of Sion, his own city (Ibid. 12); likewise, when
Solomon transferred it from Sian to the new temple, which he had built as
the house of God and of prayer by command of the Lord.
417. On all these
occasions the ancient ark of the Testament was borne along in public
veneration and most solemn celebrations, amid the strains of music, dancing,
sacrifices, the rejoicings of the kings and of the whole people of Israel,
as is related in the sacred history of the second and third book of the
Kings and the first and second of Paralipomenon. But our true and mystical
Ark, the most holy Mary, although She was the most precious, the most
estimable and worshipful of all the creatures, was not brought to the temple
with such solemn show and public ostentation; during the transferring of
this mysterious Ark, the sacrifice of animals, the royal pomp and the royal
majesty were wanting. She was carried from the house of her father Joachim
in the arms of her humble mother Anne, who, though she was not very poor,
wished to heal, her beloved Daughter on her arms in order to present Her in
the temple without ostentation of riches, alone and unnoticed by the people.
The glory and majesty of this procession, according to the wishes of the
Most High, was to be divine and invisible. All the sacraments and mysteries
of the most holy Mary are so exalted and hidden that according to the
inscrutable decrees of the Lord many of them are concealed to this day. He
it is that holds in his hands the time and the hour for the revelation of
all things, and of each one in particular.
418. Lost in admiration
of this wonder, prostrate in the presence of the Most High and in the praise
of his high judgments, I was favored by his Majesty with the following
explanation: "Understand my soul, that if I provided that the ark of the
old Testament be venerated with so much festivity and outward show, it was
because it was an express figure of Her, who was to be the Mother of the
incarnate Word. The first ark was material and irrational, and this
ostentation and celebrity could be arranged for it without difficulty; but
during her life on earth in mortal flesh, I would not permit such
celebration in connection with the true and living ark, Mary; for thou and
the rest of the souls are to look upon Her as an example during your
pilgrimage. I do not desire those who are written in my memory for eternal
election to expect honors and the inconsiderate praise and applause of men
as a part of their reward for working in my honor and service during mortal
life. Nor must they be put in danger of dividing the love of their God, who
justifies them and makes them saints, with those who merely proclaim them as
such. The one and only Creator has made them and sustains them, illumines
and defends them; therefore their love and attention must be single and
undivided, and it must not be diverted even by a thankful regard for those
who honor them as just. The love of God is most sensitive, the human will is
most frail and limited; if it is divided, it can only be small and very
imperfect in its activity, easily coming to nought. Therefore I did not wish
Her, who was to be the example of all holiness and who was free from all
danger of a fall through my protection, to be renowned, or specially honored
during her life, nor was She to be brought to the temple amid the outward
show of honor."
419. "Moreover, I have
sent my Onlybegotten from heaven and have created Her, who was to be his
Mother, for the very purpose of drawing the world from its error and of
undeceiving mortals, who have established the unjust and sinful law, that
the poor are to be despised and the rich esteemed. That the humble are to be
humiliated and the proud to be exalted, the virtuous to be maligned and the
sinful applauded, that the timorous and modest are to be considered as fools
and the arrogant to be held as valiant, that poverty should be considered as
shameful could be arranged for it without difficulty; but during her life on
earth in mortal flesh, I would not permit such celebration in connection
with the true and living ark, Mary; for thou and the rest of the souls are
to look upon Her as an example during your pilgrimage. I do not desire those
who are written in my memory for eternal election to expect honors and the
inconsiderate praise and applause of men as a part of their reward for
working in my honor and service during mortal life. Nor must they be put in
danger of dividing the love of their God, who justifies them and makes them
saints, with those who merely proclaim them as such. The one and only
Creator has made them and sustains them, illumines and defends them;
therefore their love and attention must be single and undivided, and it must
not be diverted even by a thankful regard for those who honor them as just.
The love of God is most sensitive, the human will is most frail and limited;
if it is divided, it can only be small and very imperfect in its activity,
easily coming to nought. Therefore I did not wish Her, who was to be the
example of all holiness and who was free from all danger of a fall through
my protection, to be renowned, or specially honored during her life, nor was
She to be brought to the temple amid the outward show of honor."
419. "Moreover, I have
sent my Onlybegotten from heaven and have created Her, who was to be his
Mother, for the very purpose of drawing the world from its error and of
undeceiving mortals, who have established the unjust and sinful law, that
the poor are to be despised and the rich esteemed, that the humble are to be
humiliated and the proud to be exalted, the virtuous to be maligned and the
sinful applauded, that the timorous and modest are to be considered as fools
and the arrogant to be held as valiant, that poverty should be considered as
shameful and unfortunate, while riches, pomp, ostentation, splendor, honors,
perishable pleasures should be sought and prized by foolish and carnal men.
All this the incarnate Word and his Mother, in coming among them, were to
reprove and condemn as deceitful and false, so that mortals might perceive
the terrible danger of loving and entertaining so blindly the deceitful
sensible pleasures, in which they live. Through this insensate love it
happens that they so persistently fly from humility, meekness and poverty
and evade all that pertains to the true virtue of penance and abnegation of
self. And yet these virtues are truly acceptable in my eyes and according to
my justice; for the holy, the honorable, the just actions, are to be
rewarded with eternal glory, whereas the contrary ones are to be visited by
everlasting punishment."
420. "This truth earthly
and carnal eyes do not see, nor do they care to attend to the light which
teaches them. But thou, soul, observe it and write it in thy heart, taking
an example from the incarnate Word and from his Mother, and imitating Them
closely therein. She was holy and, in my estimation, most acceptable to
Christ; to Her was due all the veneration and worship of men, and even more
than they could give; yet I provided and ordained in her regard that She
receive no honor or recognition at that time, so that She, as the Mistress
of truth, might be the most shining example of all that is holy, perfect,
estimable and safest for the instruction and guidance of my elect. She was
to be the shining example of humility, of retirement, of contempt and horror
for the dreadful vanity of the world, of love for sufferings, tribulations,
insults, afflictions and dishonors inflicted by creatures. All holiness is
adverse and contrary to the applause, honors and estimation of the world,
and I decreed that the most pure Mary should not be burdened by them, nor do
I desire that my friends should enjoy or be pleased with them. If for my
glory it sometimes happens that they become known to the world, it is not
because they have desired it or looked for it; but because they, always
remaining in the humility and in the sentiment proper to their state, resign
themselves to my Providence. For themselves and as far as they are
concerned, they seek and love that which the world despises and which the
incarnate Word and his most holy Mother strove after and have taught." This
was the answer which the Lord gave to my wondering inquiry and thus did He
instruct me in regard to what I should seek and strive after.
421. The three years'
time decreed by the Lord having been completed, Joachim and Anne set out
from Nazareth, accompanied by a few of their kindred and bringing with them
the true living Ark of the covenant, the most holy Mary, borne on the arms
of her mother in order to be deposited in the holy temple of Jerusalem. The
beautiful Child, by her fervent and loving aspirations, hastened after the
ointments of her Beloved, seeking in the temple Him, whom She bore in her
heart. This humble procession was scarcely noticed by earthly creatures, but
it was invisibly accompanied by the angelic spirits, who, in order to
celebrate this event, had hastened from heaven in greater numbers than
ordinary as her bodyguard, and were singing in heavenly strains the glory
and praise of the Most High. The Princess of heaven heard and saw them as
She hastened her beautiful steps along in the sight of the highest and the
true Solomon. Thus they pursued their journey from Nazareth to the holy city
of Jerusalem, and also the parents of the holy child Mary felt in their
hearts great joy and consolation of spirit.
422. They arrived at the
holy temple, and the blessed Anne on entering took her Daughter and Mistress
by the hand, accompanied and assisted by saint Joachim. All three offered a
devout and fervent prayer to the Lord; the parents offering to God their
Daughter, and the most holy Child, in profound humility, adoration and
worship, offering up Herself. She alone perceived that the Most High
received and accepted Her, and, amid divine splendor which filled the
temple, She heard a voice saying to Her: "Come, my Beloved, my Spouse, come
to my temple, where I wish to hear thy voice of praise and worship." Having
offered their prayers, they rose and betook themselves to the priest. The
parents consigned their Child into his hands and he gave them his blessing.
Together they conducted Her to the portion of the temple buildings, where
many young girls lived to be brought up in retirement and in virtuous
habits, until old enough to assume the state of matrimony. It was a place of
retirement especially selected for the first-born daughters of the royal
tribe of Juda and the sacerdotal tribe of Levi.
423. Fifteen stairs led
up to the entrance of these apartments. Other priests came down these stairs
in order to welcome the blessed child Mary. The one that had received them,
being according to the law one of a minor order, placed Her on the first
step. Mary, with his permission, turned and kneeling down before Joachim and
Anne, asked their blessing and kissed their hands, recommending herself to
their prayers before God. The holy parents in tenderest tears gave Her their
blessing; whereupon She ascended the fifteen stairs without any assistance.
She hastened upward with incomparable fervor and joy, neither turning back,
nor shedding tears, nor showing any childish regret at parting from her
parents. To see Her, in so tender an age, so full of strange majesty and
firmness of mind, excited the admiration of all those present. The priests
received Her among the rest of the maidens, and saint Simeon consigned Her
to the teachers, one of whom was the prophetess Anne. This holy matron had
been prepared by the Lord by especial grace and enlightenment, so that She
joyfully took charge of this Child of Joachim and Anne. She considered the
charge a special favor of divine Providence and merited by her holiness and
virtue to have Her as a disciple, who was to be the Mother of God and
Mistress of all the creatures.
424. Sorrowfully her
parents Joachim and Anne retraced their journey to Nazareth, now poor as
deprived of the rich Treasure of their house. But the Most High consoled and
comforted them in their affliction. The holy priest Simeon, although he did
not at this time know of the mystery enshrined in the child Mary, obtained
great light as to her sanctity and her special selection by the Lord; also
the other priests looked upon Her with great reverence and esteem. In
ascending the fifteen stairs the Child brought to fulfillment, that, which
Jacob saw happening in sleep; for here too were angels ascending and
descending: the ones accompanying, the others meeting their Queen as She
hastened up; whereas at the top God was waiting in order to welcome Her as
his Daughter and Spouse. She also felt by the effects of the overflowing
love, that this truly was the house of God and the portal of heaven.
425. The child Mary,
when brought to her teacher, knelt in profound humility before her and asked
her blessing. She begged to be admitted among those under her direction,
obedience and counsel, and asked her kind forbearance in the labor and
trouble, which She would occasion. The prophetess Anne, her teacher,
received Her with pleasure, and said to Her: "My Daughter, Thou shalt find
in me a helpful mother and I will take care of Thee and of thy education
with all possible solicitude." Then the holy Child proceeded to address
Herself with the same humility to all the maidens which were then present;
each one She greeted and embraced, offering Herself as their servant and
requesting them, as older and more advanced than She in the duties of their
position, to instruct and command Her. She also gave them thanks, that
without her merit they admitted Her to their company.
INSTRUCTION GIVEN ME BY THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN
MARY.
426. My daughter, the
greatest happiness, which can befall any soul in this mortal life, is that
the Almighty call her to his house consecrated to his service. For by this
benefit He rescues the soul from a dangerous slavery and relieves her of the
vile servitude of the world, where, deprived of true liberty, she eats her
bread in the sweat of her brow. Who is so dull and insipid as not to know
the dangers of the worldly life, which is hampered by all the abominable and
most wicked laws and customs introduced by the astuteness of the devil and
the perversity of men? The better part is religious life and retirement; in
it is found security, outside is a torment and a stormy sea, full of sorrow
and unhappiness. Through the hardness of their heart and the total
forgetfulness of themselves men do not know this truth and are not attracted
by its blessings. But thou, O soul, be not deaf to the voice of the Most
High, attend and correspond to it in thy actions: I wish to remind thee,
that one of the greatest snares of the demon is to counteract the call of
the Lord, whenever he seeks to attract and incline the soul to a life of
perfection in his service.
427. Even by itself, the
public and sacred act of receiving the habit and entering religion, although
it is not always performed with proper fervor and purity of intention, is
enough to rouse the wrath and fury of the infernal dragon and his demons;
for they know that this act tends not only to the glory of the Lord and the
joy of the holy angels, but that religious life will bring the soul to
holiness and perfection. It very often happens, that they who have received
the habit with earthly and human motives, are afterwards visited by divine
grace, which perfects them and sets all things aright. If this is possible
even when the beginning was without a good intention, how much more powerful
and efficacious will be the light and influence of grace and the discipline
of religious life, when the soul enters under the influence of divine love
and with a sincere and earnest desire of finding God, and of serving and
loving Him?
428. Before the Most
High reforms or advances those, who for any reason enter the religious
state, it is no more than right, that in turning away from the world they
avert also their eyes from it and blot out from their memory all its images,
forgetting all that they have in so praiseworthy a manner left behind. Those
that neglect this requirement and are ungrateful and disloyal toward God,
will doubtlessly fall under the punishment of the wife of Lot (Gen. 19,26),
and if on account of the goodness of God they do not suffer this punishment
in an equally open and visible manner, they nevertheless undergo it
interiorly, remaining congealed and full of dryness, without fervor or
advance in virtue. Forsaken by grace they thus do not attain the end of
their vocation, make no progress in religion, nor find any spiritual
consolation in it, and do not merit to be visited by the Lord as children,
but to be left to their own resources like unfaithful and fugitive slaves.
Remember, Mary, that for thee all the world must be crucified and dead; that
thou must have for it no memory, retain none of its images, pay it no
attention, nor have any inclination toward any of its creatures. If
sometimes it is necessary to exercise charity with thy neighbors, see that
thou ordain it well and that thou safeguard beforehand the good of thy soul,
its security and quiet, its interior tranquillity and peace. In these
points, as far as is possible without sin, I admonish and command thee to go
to the greatest extremes, if thou wishest to remain in my school.
CHAPTER II.
CONCERNING A SINGULAR FAVOR, WHICH THE
ALMIGHTY CONFERRED ON MOST HOLY MARY AS SOON AS SHE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE
TEMPLE.
429. When the heavenly
child Mary had dismissed her parents and entered upon her life in the
temple, her teacher assigned to Her a place among the rest of the maidens,
each of whom occupied a large alcove or little room. The Princess of heaven
prostrated Herself on the pavement, and, remembering that it was holy ground
and part of the temple, She kissed it. In humble adoration She gave thanks
to the Lord for this new benefit, and She thanked even the earth for
supporting Her and allowing Her to stand in this holy place; for She held
Herself unworthy of treading and remaining upon it. Then She turned toward
her holy angels and said to them: "Celestial princes, messengers of the
Almighty, most faithful friends and companions, I beseech you with all the
powers of my soul to remain with me in this holy temple of my Lord and as my
vigilant sentinels, reminding me of all that I should do; instructing me and
directing me as the teachers and guides of my actions, so that I may fulfill
in all things the perfect will of the Most High, give pleasure to the holy
priests and obey my teacher and my companions." And addressing in particular
those whom I mentioned above as the twelve angels of the Apocalypse, She
said: "And I beseech you, my ambassadors, if the Almighty permit you, go and
console my holy parents in their affliction and solitude."
430. While the twelve
angels executed her command, Mary remained with the others in heavenly
conversation. She began to feel a supernal influence of great power and
sweetness, spiritualizing Her and elevating Her in burning ecstasy, and
immediately the Most High commanded the seraphim to assist in illumining and
preparing her most holy soul. Instantly She was filled with a divine light
and force, which perfected and proportioned her faculties in accordance with
the mysteries now to be manifested to Her. Thus prepared and accompanied by
her holy angels and many others, in the midst of a refulgent host, the
celestial Child was raised body and soul to the empyrean heaven, where She
was received by the holy Trinity with befitting benevolence and pleasure.
She prostrated Herself in the presence of the most mighty and high Lord, as
She was wont to do in all her visions, and adored Him in profound reverence
and humility. Then She was further transformed by new workings of divine
light, so that She saw, intuitively and face to face, the Divinity itself.
This was the second time that It manifested Itself to Her in this intuitive
manner during the first three years of her life.
431. By no human tongue
or any sensible faculty could the effects of this vision and participation
of the divine Essence ever be described. The Person of the Father spoke to
the future Mother of his Son, and said: "My Dove, my beloved One, I desire
thee to see the treasures of my immutable being and of my infinite
perfections, and also to perceive the hidden gifts destined for the souls,
whom I have chosen as heirs of my glory and who are rescued by the
life-blood of the Lamb. Behold, my Daughter, how liberal I am toward my
creatures, that know and love Me; how true in my words, how faithful in my
promises, how powerful and admirable in my works. Take notice, my Spouse,
how ineffably true it is, that he who follows Me does not walk in darkness.
I desire that thou, as my chosen One, be an eye-witness of the treasures
which I hold in reserve for raising up the humble, enriching the poor,
exalting the downtrodden, and for rewarding all that the mortals shall do
and suffer for my name."
432. Other great
mysteries were shown to the holy Child in this vision of the Divinity, for,
as the object presented to the soul in such repeated intuitive visions is
infinite, that which remains to be seen will always remain infinite and will
excite greater and greater wonder and love in the one thus favored. The most
holy Mary answered the Lord and said: "Most high, supreme and eternal God,
incomprehensible Thou art in thy magnificence, overflowing in thy riches,
unspeakable in thy mysteries, most faithful in thy promises, true in thy
words, most perfect in thy works, for Thou art the Lord, infinite and
eternal in thy essence and perfections. But, most high Lord, what shall my
littleness begin to do at the sight of thy magnificence? I acknowledge
myself unworthy to look upon thy greatness, yet I am in great need of being
regarded by it. In thy presence, Lord, all creation is as nothing. What
shall I thy servant do, who am but dust? Fulfill in me all thy desire and
thy pleasure; and if trouble and persecutions suffered by mortals in
patience, if humility and meekness are so precious in thy eyes, do not
consent, O my Beloved, that I be deprived of such a rich treasure and pledge
of thy love. But as for the rewards of these tribulations, give them to thy
servants and friends, who deserve them better than I, for I have not yet
labored in thy service and pleasure."
433. The Most High was
much pleased with the petition of the heavenly Child and He gave Her to
understand that He would admit Her to suffering and labor for his love in
the course of her life, without at the time revealing to Her the order and
the manner in which He was to dispense them. The Princess of heaven gave
thanks for this blessing and favor of being chosen to labor and suffer for
the glory of God's name. Burning with desire of securing such favor, She
asked of his Majesty to be allowed to make four vows in his presence: of
chastity, of poverty, of obedience, and of perpetual enclosure in the temple
whither He had called Her. To this petition the Lord answered and said to
Her: "My Spouse, my thoughts rise above all that is created, and thou, my
chosen one, dost not yet know what is to happen to thee in the course of thy
life, and thou dost not yet understand why it is impossible to fulfill thy
fervent desires altogether in the manner in which thou now dost imagine. The
vow of chastity I permit and I desire that thou make it; I wish that from
this moment thou renounce earthly riches. It is also my will that as far as
possible, thou observe whatever pertains to the other vows, just as if thou
hadst made them all. Thy desire shall be fulfilled through many other
virgins in the coming law of grace; for, in order to imitate thee and to
serve Me, they will make these same vows and live together in community and
thou shalt be the Mother of many daughters."
434. The most holy Child
then, in the presence of the Lord, made the vow of chastity and as for the
rest without binding Herself, She renounced all affection for terrestrial
and created things. She moreover resolved to obey all creatures for the sake
of God. In the fulfillment of these promises She was more punctual, fervent
and faithful than any who have ever made these vows or ever will make them.
Forthwith the clear and intuitive vision of the Divinity ceased, but She was
not immediately restored to the earth. For, remaining in the empyrean
heaven, She enjoyed another, an imaginary vision of the Lord in a lower
state of ecstasy, so that in connection with it, She saw other mysteries.
435. In this secondary
and imaginary vision some of the seraphim closest to the Lord approached Her
and by his command adorned and clothed Her in the following manner. First
all her senses were illumined with an effulgent light, which filled them
with grace and beauty. Then they robed Her in a mantle or tunic of most
exquisite splendor, and girded Her with a cincture of vary-colored and
transparent stones, of flashing brilliancy, which adorned Her beyond human
comprehension. They signified the immaculate purity and the various heroic
virtues of her soul. They placed on Her also a necklace or collar of
inestimable and entrancing beauty, which contained three large stones,
symbolic of the three great virtues of faith, hope and charity; this they
hung around her neck letting it fall to her breast as if indicating the seat
of these precious virtues. They also adorned her hands with seven rings of
rare beauty whereby the Holy Ghost wished to proclaim that He had enriched
Her with his holy gifts in a most eminent degree. In addition to all this
the most holy Trinity crowned her head with an imperial diadem, made of
inestimable material and set with most precious stones, constituting Her
thereby as his Spouse and as the Empress of heaven. In testimony whereof the
white and refulgent vestments were emblazoned with letters or figures of the
finest and the most shining gold, proclaiming: Mary, Daughter of the eternal
Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the true Light. This last
name or title the heavenly Mistress did not understand; but the angels
understood it, of the Divinity ceased, but She was not immediately restored
to the earth. For, remaining in the empyrean heaven, She enjoyed another, an
imaginary vision of the Lord in a lower state of ecstasy, so that in
connection with it, She saw other mysteries.
435. In this secondary
and imaginary vision some of the seraphim closest to the Lord approached Her
and by his command adorned and clothed Her in the following manner. First
all her senses were illumined with an effulgent light, which filled them
with grace and beauty. Then they robed Her in a mantle or tunic of most
exquisite splendor, and girded Her with a cincture of varycolored and
transparent stones, of flashing brilliancy, which adorned Her beyond human
comprehension. They signified the immaculate purity and the various heroic
virtues of her soul. They placed on Her also a necklace or collar of
inestimable and entrancing beauty, which contained three large stones,
symbolic of the three great virtues of faith, hope and charity; this they
hung around her neck letting it fall to her breast as if indicating the seat
of these precious virtues. They also adorned her hands with seven rings of
rare beauty whereby the Holy Ghost wished to proclaim that He had enriched
Her with his holy gifts in a most eminent degree. In addition to all this
the most holy Trinity crowned her head with an imperial diadem, made of
inestimable material and set with most precious stones, constituting Her
thereby as his Spouse and as the Empress of heaven. In testimony whereof the
white and refulgent vestments were emblazoned with letters or figures of the
finest and the most shining gold, proclaiming: Mary, Daughter of the eternal
Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the true Light. This last
name or title the heavenly Mistress did not understand; but the angels
understood it, who, lost in wonder and praise of the Author, were assisting
at this new and strange ceremony. Finally the attention of all the angelic
spirits was drawn toward the Most High and a voice proceeded from the throne
of the blessed Trinity, which, addressing the most holy Mary, spoke to Her:
"Thou shalt be our Spouse, our beloved and chosen One among all creatures
for all eternity; the angels shall serve thee and all the nations and
generations shall call thee blessed" (Luc. 1, 48).
436. The sovereign Child
being thus attired in the court dress of the Divinity, then celebrated a
more glorious and marvelous espousal than ever could enter the mind of the
highest cherubim and seraphim. For the Most High accepted Her as his sole
and only Spouse and conferred upon Her the highest dignity which can befall
a creature; He deposited within Her his own Divinity in the person of the
Word and with it all the treasures of grace befitting such eminence.
Meanwhile the most Humble among the humble was lost in the abyss of love and
wonder which these benefits and favors caused in Her, and in the presence of
the Lord She spoke: "Most high King and incomprehensible God, who art Thou
and who am I, that thy condescension should look upon me who am dust,
unworthy of such mercy? In Thee, my Lord, as in a clear mirror seeing thy
immutable being, I behold and understand without error my lowliness and
vileness, I admire thy immensity and deprecate my nothingness. At the sight
of Thee I am annihilated and lost in astonishment, that the infinite Majesty
should stoop to so lowly a worm, who can merit only oblivion and contempt of
all the creatures. O Lord, my only Good, how art Thou magnified and exalted
in this deed! What marvel dost Thou cause through me in thy angelic spirits,
who understand thy infinite bounty, magnificence and mercy in raising up
from the dust her who in it is poor, and placing her among the princes (Ps.
112, 7) I accept Thee, O my King and my Lord, as my Spouse and I offer
myself as thy slave. Let not my understanding attend to any other object,
nor my memory hold any other image, nor my will seek other object or plea
sure than Thee, my highest Good, my true and only Love. Let not my eyes look
upon human creature, nor my faculties and senses attend upon anything beside
Thee and whatever thy Majesty shall direct. Thou alone for thy spouse, my
Beloved, and she for Thee only, who art the immutable and eternal Good."
437. The Most High
received with ineffable pleasure this consent of the sovereign Princess to
enter into the new espousal with her most holy soul. As upon his True Spouse
and as Mistress of all creation, He now lavished upon Her all the treasures
of his grace and power, instructing Her to ask for whatever She desired and
assuring Her that nothing would ever be denied Her. The most humble Dove at
once proceeded to beseech the Lord with the most burning charity, to send
his Onlybegotten to the world as a remedy for mortals; that all men be
called to the true knowledge of his Divinity; that her natural parents,
Joachim and Anne, receive an increase of the loving gifts of his right hand;
that the poor and afflicted be consoled and comforted in their troubles; and
that in Herself be fulfilled the pleasure of the divine will. These were
some of the more express petitions addressed by the new Spouse on this
occasion to the blessed Trinity. And all the angelic host sang new songs of
admiration in praise of the Most High, while those appointed by his Majesty,
midst heavenly music, bore back the holy Child from the empyrean heaven to
the place in the temple, from which they had brought Her.
438. In order to
commence at once to put in practice what She had promised in the presence of
the Lord, She betook Herself to her instructress and offered her all that
her mother, saint Anne, had left for her comfort and sustenance, with the
exception of a few books and clothes. She requested Her to give it to the
poor or use it for any other purpose according to her pleasure, and that She
command and direct Her what She was to do. The discreet matron, (who was, as
I have already said, the prophetess Anne) by divine impulse accepted and
approved of the offering of the beautiful Child and dismissed Her entirely
poor and stripped of everything except the garments which She wore. She
resolved to take care of Her in a special manner as one destitute and poor;
for the other maidens each possessed their spending money and a certain sum
assigned and destined for their wearing apparel and for other necessities
according to their inclinations.
439. The holy matron,
having first consulted the high priest, also gave to the sweetest Child a
rule of life. By thus despoiling and resigning Herself the Queen and
Mistress of creation obtained a complete freedom and detachment from all
creatures and from her own Self, neither possessing nor desiring anything
except only the most ardent love of God and her own abasement and
humiliation. I confess my great ignorance, my vileness and insignificance,
which make me entirely unworthy to explain such supernal and hidden
mysteries. For where the expert tongues of the wise, and the science and the
Jove of the highest cherubim and seraphim are compelled to be mute, what can
a useless and abject woman say? I know how much such an attempt would offend
against the greatness of these mysteries, if obedience furnished no excuse.
But even in obeying I tremble, and I fear that what I omit and am ignorant
of, is the greater, and what I know and say is the more insignificant part
of all the mysteries and the doings of this City of God, the most holy Mary.
INSTRUCTION OF THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY.
440. My daughter, among
the great and ineffable favors of the Omnipotent in the course of my life,
was the one which thou has just learned and described; for by this clear
vision of the Divinity and of the incomprehensible essence I acquired
knowledge of the most hidden sacraments and mysteries, and in this adornment
and espousal I received incomparable blessings and felt the sweetest
workings of the Divinity in my spirit. My desire to take the four vows of
poverty, obedience, chastity and enclosure pleased the Lord very much, and I
merited thereby that the god fearing in the Church and in the law of grace
are drawn to live under these vows, as is the custom in the present time.
This was the beginning of that which you religious practice now, fulfilling
the words of David in the forty-fourth psalm: "After Her shall virgins be
brought to the King;" for the Lord ordained that my aspirations be the
foundation of religious life and of the evangelical law. I fulfilled
entirely and perfectly all that I proposed to the Lord, as far as was
possible in my state of life ; never did I look upon the face of a man, not
even on that of my husband Joseph, nor on that of the angels, when they
appeared to me in human form, though I saw and knew them all in God. Never
did I incline toward any creature, rational or irrational, nor toward any
human operation or tendency. But in all things I was governed by the Most
High, either directly by Himself or indirectly through the obedience, to
which I freely subjected myself.
441. Do not forget, my
dearest, that the religious state is consecrated and ordained by the Most
High for maintaining the doctrine of Christian perfection and the close
imitation of the life of my Son, and that therefore the souls, who in
religious life are sunk in sleepy forgetfulness of their high blessing and
lead a life more listless and lax than many worldly men, are objects of
great wrath of the Lord, and a severer judgment and chastisement await them
than others. The demon also, ancient and astute serpent as he is, uses more
diligence in his attempts to overcome religious men and women, than to
conquer all the rest of worldly men; and if one of these religious fall, all
hell exerts the greatest solicitude and care to prevent his using the many
means which religion affords for rising from a fall, such as obedience and
holy exercises and the frequent use of the Sacraments. To make all these
remedies miscarry and be of no use to the fallen religious, the enemy
applies so many cunning snares that it would fill with terror anyone who saw
them. However, much of this is recognized in the actions and artifices by
which a lax religious soul tries to defend its remissness, excusing it by
specious arguments, if it does not break out in disobedience and yet greater
disorders and faults.
442. Be careful therefore, my daughter,
and fear so dreadful a danger; by divine assistance of grace raise thyself
above thyself, never permitting thy will to consent to any disorderly
affection or movement. I wish thee to consume thyself in dying to thy
passions and in becoming entirely spiritualized, so that having extinguished
within thee all that is of earth, thou mayest come to lead an angelic life
and conversation. In order to deserve the name of spouse of Christ, thou
must pass beyond the limits and the sphere of a human being and ascend to
another state and divine existence. Although thou art earth, thou must be a
blessed earth, without the thorns of passion, one whose fruit is
all for the Lord, its Master. If thou hast for thy Spouse that supreme and
mighty Lord, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, consider it
beneath thy dignity to turn thy eyes, and much more thy heart, toward such
vile slaves, as are the human creatures, for even the angels love and
respect thee for thy dignity as spouse of the Most High. If even among men
it is held to be a daring and boundless insolence in a plebeian to cast
longing eyes upon the spouse of a prince, what a crime would it be to cast
them on the spouse of the heavenly and omnipotent King? And it would not be
a smaller crime if she herself would receive and consent to such
familiarity. Consider and assure thyself that the punishment reserved for
this sin is inconceivably terrible and I do not show it to thee visibly,
lest thou perish in thy weakness. I wish that for thee my instructions
suffice to urge thee to the fulfillment of all I admonish and to imitate me
as my disciple, as far as thy powers go. Be also solicitous in recalling
this instruction to the mind of thy nuns and in seeing that they live up to
it.
443. My Mistress and my
most kind Queen, in the joy of my soul I listen to thy sweetest words, so
full of spirit and of life, and I wish to inscribe them in the interior of
my heart together with the graces of thy most holy Son, which I beseech thee
to obtain for me. If Thou give me permission I will speak in thy presence as
an ignorant disciple with her Mistress and Teacher. I desire, O my Mother
and Protectress, though I am so unworthy and remiss, to fulfill the four
vows of my profession according to thy commands and according to my
obligation, though I am so unworthy and remiss therein; yet I beseech Thee,
give me a more full instruction, which may serve me as a guide and direction
in the fulfillment of this duty and as a complement of these vows, which
Thou hast placed in my heart.
CHAPTER III.
INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME
CONCERNING THE VOWS OF MY PROFESSION.
444. My dear daughter, I
will not deny thee the: instruction thou askest of me with the desire of
putting it into practice; but do thou receive it with an appreciative and
devout mind, ready to follow it in deed. The wise man says: "My son, if thou
be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,
thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own
words" (Prov. 6, 1). Accordingly he who has made vows to God has bound his
own will; so that he has no freedom of acting except according to the will
and direction of Him to whom he has bound himself; for he is chained down by
the words of his own mouth uttered in the profession of his vows. Before
taking his vows, the choice of his ways was in his own hands; but having
once bound and obliged himself, let him know that he has entirely lost his
liberty and had delivered himself up to God in his superiors. The whole ruin
or salvation of souls depends upon the use of their free will; but since
most men use it ill and damn themselves, the Most High has established
religious life under the sacred vows. Thus the creature, by once using its
liberty to make a perfect and prudent choice, can deliver up to his Majesty
that very liberty, which so many pervert, if it remains free and unhampered
in its choice.
445. By these vows the
liberty to do evil is happily lost, and the liberty for doing good is
assured. It is like a bridle, which leads away from danger and directs into
the smooth and sure road. The soul is freed from the slavery and subjection
of the passions, and acquires a new power over them, resuming her place as
mistress and queen in the government of her kingdom and remaining subject
only to the law of grace and the inspirations of the Holy Ghost. If she thus
applies her whole will solely to the fulfillment of all that she has
promised to God, the holy Spirit will govern and direct all her operations.
The creature thereby passes from the condition and state of a slave to that
of a child of the Most High, from an earthly to an angelic life, while the
corruption and evil effects of sin cannot exert their full power. It is
impossible that thou ever be able in this earthly life to calculate or
comprehend, what and how many are the blessings and treasures those souls
gather for themselves, who with all their powers and affection strive to
fulfill perfectly the vows of their profession. For I assure thee, my
dearest, that those who are perfect and punctual in their religious
obligations can equal and even surpass the martyrs in merit.
446. My daughter, thou
didst happily begin to gather these blessings on the day when thou didst
choose the better part; but remember well that thou hast bound thyself to
the eternal and mighty God, to whom the inmost secrets of thy heart are
manifest. If it is so base and detestable to deceive and disappoint men in
just promises, how vile is it to be unfaithful to God in the most just and
holy promises? As thy Creator, Preserver and Benefactor, He claims thy
gratitude; as Father, thy reverence; as Spouse, thy fidelity; as a Friend,
amicable intercourse; as the most Faithful, He should excite thy faith and
hope; as the highest and eternal Good, He should possess thy love; as the
Almighty, thy entire subjection; as the most just Judge, He should rouse thy
humble and holy fear. Against all these allegiances and many others thou
committest perfidious treason, in failing or hesitating to fulfill what thou
hast promised according to thy profession. And if in all the nuns who have
obliged themselves to a spiritual life and conversation, it is such a
monstrous and terrible abomination to call themselves spouses of Christ,
while living as members and slaves of the devil, how much more abominable
will it be in thee, who hast received more than they all, and therefore
shouldst exceed them in loving and exerting thyself to make a return for
such incomparable blessings and benefits.
447. Consider, O soul,
how detestable this fault would make thee in the sight of the Lord, of
myself, and of the angels and saints. For we all are witnesses of the love
and fidelity, which He has shown toward thee as a generous, loving and
faithful Spouse. Strive then with all thy heart to avoid offending Him
either in great or in small things; do not force Him to relinquish thee and
to deliver thee over to the beastly disorders of sin; for thou knowest that
this would be a greater misfortune and punishment than if He consign thee to
the fury of the elements, or to the wrath of all the wild animals, or even
to the rage of the demons. If all these were to execute their anger upon
thee, and if the world were to heap upon thee all its punishments and
insults, all would do thee less damage than one venial sin against the God
whom thou art obliged to serve and love in all things and through all
things. Any punishment of this life is less dreadful than sin; for it ends
with mortal life, but the guilt of sin, and with it punishment, may be
eternal.
448. In this life any
punishment or tribulation fills mortals with fear and dread, merely because
it affects the senses and brings them in close touch with it through them,
but the guilt of sin does not affect them nor fill them with dread. Men are
entirely taken up by that which is visible, and they therefore do not look
upon the ultimate consequences of sin, which is the eternal punishment of
hell. Though this is imbibed and inseparably connected with sin, the human
heart becomes so heavy and remiss that it remains as if it were stupefied in
its wickedness, because it does not feel it present in its senses. Though it
could see and feel it by faith, this itself remains listless and dead, as if
it were wanting entirely. O most unhappy blindness of mortals O torpid
negligence, that holds so many souls, capable of reason and of glory,
oppressed in deceit! There are not words or sentences sufficient to describe
this terrible and tremendous danger. My daughter, haste away, and fly with
holy fear such an unhappy state, and deliver thyself up to all the troubles
and torments of life, which pass soon, rather than incur such a danger; for
nothing will be wanting to thee, if thou do not lose God. To be convinced
that there are no small faults for thee and for thy state, is a powerful
means of saving thyself; fear greatly the small things, for in despising
small faults the Most High knows, that the human heart invites other greater
ones. That is not a blameless love, which does not avoid all displeasure of
the beloved one.
449. The order which
religious souls should maintain in their desires should be: that they strive
to be punctual in fulfilling the obligations of their vows and all the
virtues, which are connected with them. Afterwards and secondarily they may
engage in voluntary practices, such as are called supererogatory. This order
some of the souls, who are misled by the devil to entertain an indiscreet
zeal for perfection, are wont to invert; thus, while they fail seriously in
the obligations of their state, they are eager to add other voluntary
exercises and practices, which are usually of small use or benefit, or arise
from a spirit of presumption and singularity. They secretly desire to be
looked upon as distinguished in zeal and perfection, while in truth they
are very far even from the beginning of perfection. I do not wish to see in
thee a fault so reprehensible: but first fulfill all the duties of thy vows
and of community life, and then thou mayest add what thou canst, according
to thy ability and the inspiration of divine grace. This together will
beautify thy soul and will make it perfect and agreeable in the eyes of God.
450. The vow of
obedience is the principal one in religion; for it implies a total
renunciation and denial of one's will. By it the religious renounces all
jurisdiction or right to say for himself: I will or I will not, I shall or I
shalt not act: all this he throws aside and renounces by obedience,
delivering himself into the hands of his superior. In order to fulfill this
obligation it is necessary for thee not to be wise in thy own conceit, not
to imagine thyself still mistress of thy likings, thy desires, or thy
opinion; for true obedience must be of the quality of faith, so that the
commands of the superior are esteemed, reverenced and put into execution,
without any pretense of examination or criticism. Accordingly, in order to
obey, thou must consider thyself without opinion, without life of thy own,
without right of speech; but thou must allow thyself to be moved and
governed like a corpse, alive only in order to execute devotedly all that
the superior desires. Never discuss within thyself whether thou shouldst
fulfill his commands or not, but only consider how thou canst best execute
that which is commanded. Sacrifice thy own inclination and repress all thy
appetites and passions; and when by this efficacious determination thou art
dead to all the movements of self, let obedience be the soul and the life of
thy works. To the will of thy superior thou must conform all thy own, with
all its activity in all thy words and works; let it be thy prayer, to be
able to quit thy own being and receive another new one, so that nothing be
thine and all in thee be of obedience without contradiction or resistance.
451. Remember that the
most perfect manner of obeying is to avoid offending the superior by showing
that you disagree with him. He should find a willing obedience, convincing
him that his commands are obeyed promptly, without objection or murmur,
either in words or by any other signs. The superiors take the place of God,
and he who obeys his superiors, obeys the Lord himself, who is in them and
governs them and enlightens them, so that their commands will be for the
salvation of souls. The contempt shown to superiors passes on to God
himself, who through them manifests and makes known his will (Luke 10, 16).
Thou must persuade thyself, that the Lord moves them to speak, and that it
is the word of the Omnipotent himself. My daughter, strive to be obedient in
order that thou mayest speak of victories (Prov. 21, 28) ; do not fear to
obey. for that is the secure path; so secure, that God will not bring to
account the errors of the obedient on the day of judgment, but He will
rather blot out other sins in consideration of the sacrifice made in
obedience. My most holy Son offered his precious sufferings and death in
special love for the obedient, and procured for diem special rights in
regard to mercy and grace, and special privileges toward the success and
perfection of all that is due under obedience. Even now, in order to appease
Him, He reminds the eternal Father of his obedience unto death and unto the
cross (Phil. 2, 8), and so the Father is placated toward men. Because He was
pleased with the obedience of Abraham and his son Isaac, He held Himself
obliged not only to save Isaac from death, who showed himself so obedient,
but to make him the ancestor of the incarnate Word and to designate him as
the head and beginning of the great blessings.
452. The vow of poverty
is a generous renunciation and detachment from the heavy burden of temporal
things. It is an alleviation of the spirit, it is a relief afforded to human
infirmity, the liberty of a noble heart to strive after eternal and
spiritual blessings. It is a satiety and abundance, in which the thirst
after earthly treasures is allayed, and a sovereignty and ownership, in
which a most noble enjoyment of all riches is established. All this, my
daughter, and many other blessings are contained in voluntary poverty, and
all this the sons of the world are ignorant and deprived of, precisely
because they are lovers of earthly riches and enemies of this holy and
opulent poverty. They do not consider, although they feel and suffer, the
heavy weight of riches, which pins them to the earth and drives them into
its very bowels to seek gold and silver in great anxiety, sleeplessness,
labors and sweat, as if they were not men, but wild beasts that know not
what they are suffering and doing. And if they are thus weighed down before
acquiring riches, how much more when they have come into their possession?
Let the countless hosts that have fallen into hell with their burden,
proclaim it; let their incalculable anxieties of preserving their riches,
and much more, let the intolerable laws, which riches and those that possess
them have foisted upon the world, testify what is required to retain them.
453. If, on the one
hand, possessions throttle the spirit and tyrannically oppress it in its
weakness, if they suppress the soul's most noble privilege of following
eternal goods and God himself: it is certain on the other hand, that
voluntary poverty restores to man the nobility of his condition and,
liberating him from vile servitude and reinstating him his noble freedom and
mastery of all things. The soul is never more a mistress than when she
despises them, and only then has she the more firm possession and makes the
more excellent use of riches, when she gives them away or leaves them of her
own free will; only then her appetite for them is best satiated, when she
does not care to possess them. Then above all is the heart set free and made
capable of the treasures of the Divinity, for which it is furnished by the
Creator with almost infinite capacity.
454. My daughter, I wish
thee to study diligently this divine philosophy and science, which the world
forgets, and not only the world, but also many religious souls, who have
promised it to God. Great is the divine wrath on account of this fault, and
suddenly will the infringers of this vow receive heavy and unexpected
punishment. By setting aside their voluntary poverty, they have alienated
from themselves the spirit of Christ, my most holy Son, and all that We have
come to teach men in abnegation and poverty. Although they do not now feel
it, because the Judge delays and they enjoy the abundance which they desire,
yet in the judgment they will find themselves overwhelmed and dismayed by
the rigor of their punishment, greater than they ever expected, considered
or imagined in their forgetfulness of divine justice.
455. The temporal goods
are created by the Most High for the sale purpose of sustaining life; having
attained this end, the need of them ceases. And as this need is limited,
soon and easily satisfied, there is no reason that the care for the immortal
soul should be only fitful and temporary, while the hunger after riches
should be so perpetual and unintermitting, as it has come to be among men.
It is the height of perverseness for man to mix up the end and the means in
an affair so important and urgent, that he devote all his time, all his
care, all the exertion of his powers and all the alertness of his mind to
the life of his body, of which he knows not the duration nor the end, and
that on the other hand, in many years of his existence he spare for his poor
soul only one hour, and that very often the last and the worst one of his
whole life.
456. Make use therefore,
my dearest daughter, of the true enlightenment, by which the Most High has
undeceived thee in regard to such a dangerous error. Renounce all affection
or inclination for earthly things; even under the pretext of the necessity
and poverty of thy convent do not be over solicitous to procure the things
used for the sustenance of life. In exerting ordinary care, let it be such
as will not disturb thee, when thou failest to obtain what thou desirest,
and let it be without inordinate affection, even when thou seekest it for
the service of God: for thou must know, that thy love of God shall be so
much the less, as the number of things thou lovest together with Him is
greater. Great possessions thou must renounce as superfluous; thou dost not
need them and it is a crime to keep them for no purpose; the little thou
standst in need of should also be esteemed but little; for it would be a
great error to embarrass the heart with that which is of no account and can
hinder it much. If thou hast all that according to thy judgment is necessary
for human wants, thou art not in reality poor; for to be poor properly and
strictly means to have less than what is necessary. Those, to whom nothing
is wanting, call themselves rich. To possess more than is necessary creates
unrest and affliction of spirit; to desire and look for what is not used
will be a. poverty without quiet or satisfaction.
457. I require of thee
such a freedom of spirit, as not to attach thyself to anything, be it great
or small, superfluous or necessary. Of the things that are necessary for
human life, accept only so much, as is needed to prevent death or indecency.
Let this latter be of the poorest and of such as is patched up sufficient to
cover thee, and in thy nourishment seek what is most coarse, without
satisfying thy particular whims of taste, but asking for what is insipid and
tasteless, so that on purpose thou mayst be served with what is disagreeable
and be deprived of what the appetite craves, thus seeking in all things the
greatest perfection.
458. The vow of chastity
includes purity of body and soul; this is easily lost, and it is difficult,
sometimes, according to the manner of losing it, even impossible to repair.
This great treasure is deposited in a castle, which has many portals and
openings, and if these are not all well guarded and defended, the treasure
is without security. My daughter, in order to preserve perfectly this vow,
it is necessary to make an inviolable pact with thy senses, not to use them,
except for what is according to the dictates of reason and for the glory of
the Creator. After once the senses are mortified, it will be easy to
overcome thy enemies, for only through them can they conquer thee; for no
thoughts can recur, or be awakened to activity, unless fomented and excited
by the images and impressions admitted through the exterior senses. Thou
shouldst not touch, nor look upon, nor speak to any person of whatever
condition, whether man or woman, so as to let their images or resemblances
find entrance into thy imagination. This carefulness, which I enjoin, will
be the guard of the purity, which I require of thee. If on account of
charity or obedience thou must converse with them (for only these virtues
are sufficient causes for conversing with creatures), do it with alt
gravity, modesty and reserve.
459. In regard to thy
own person live as if thou wert a pilgrim and stranger in this world; be
poor, mortified, laborious, loving the hardship connected with temporal
things, without expecting alleviation or enjoyment, as one who is absent
from her home and her country, enlisted to work and battle against powerful
foes. Since the flesh is the center of weakness and danger, it is proper
that thou carefully resist thy natural likings, and through them the
temptations of the demons. Raise thyself above thyself, and seek a
habitation far above all that is earthly in order that thou mayest live
under the shadow of Him, whom thou desirest (Cant. 2, 3) and in his
protection thou shalt enjoy tranquillity and true refreshment. Deliver
thyself over with thy whole heart to his chaste and holy love, without
attending to any creatures, except in so far as they may help and oblige
thee to love and serve thy Creator; in all other respects abhor them.
460. Although no virtue
should be wanting in her, who professes herself, and is entitled to call
herself, a spouse of Christ; yet it is the virtue of chastity which makes
her most worthy and like to her Spouse. For it is chastity, which makes her
spiritual and withdraws her from earthly corruption, elevating her to
angelic life and to a certain resemblance of God himself. This virtue
beautifies and adorns all the rest, raises the body to a higher existence,
enlightens the mind and preserves in the soul a nobility above all that is
corruptible. Because this virtue was in an especial fruit of the Redemption,
merited by my Son on the Cross, where He paid for the sins of the world,
therefore holy Scripture expressly mentions that virgins accompany and
follow the Lamb (Apoc. 14,4).
461. The vow of
enclosure is the wall of chastity and of all virtues, they preserve where
they are nourished and expanded: it is a privilege granted by heaven to the
spouses of Christ in religion, dispensing them from the burdensome and
dangerous tribute, which the freedom of the world pays to the ruler of its
vanities. By this vow the religious live as in a secure port, while other
souls navigate and are tossed about in the storms of a dangerous sea. With
so many advantages enclosure cannot be considered as a confinement in a
narrow space, for in it are offered to the religious the spacious fields of
virtue. of the knowledge of God, of his infinite perfections, of his
mysteries, and of his benefits conferred on man. On such spacious grounds
can a nun, recreate and enjoy herself; and only when she fails in this
enjoyment, does she begin to feel narrow confinement in this, the greatest
freedom. For thee, my daughter, let there be no other playground, nor do I
wish to see thee confine thyself to so narrow limits as even the whole
visible world. Rise up to the height of the knowledge and love of God, where
there are no limits or confines to hold thee, and where thou canst live in
unbounded liberty. From that eminence thou wilt see how small, vile and
despicable is all that is created, and how much too narrow it is to hold thy
soul.
462. To the necessary
enclosure of the body add also the restrictions of the senses, in order
that, imbued with fortitude, they may preserve for thee interior purity, and
through it keep ablaze the fire of the sanctuary (Lev. 6, 12) which thou
must continue to nourish and watch lest it be extinguished. In order to
better guard the senses and profit from the vow of enclosure, do not
approach the portals, nor the speaking-grate, nor the windows, and do not
even remember that the convent is furnished therewith, unless it is required
by some particular office or by obedience. Desire nothing, and therefore
strive after nothing, and do not exert thyself for that, which is not
allowed thee to desire. In retirement, solitude and circumspection wilt thou
find thy peace. Thereby wilt thou give me pleasure, and merit for thyself
copious fruit and the reward of love and grace, which thou desirest.
CHAPTER IV.
OF THE PERFECTION IN WHICH MOST HOLY MARY
PASSED HER DAYS IN THE TEMPLE, AND OF THE EXERCISES WHICH SHE WAS ORDERED TO
UNDERTAKE.
463. Let us now return
to our heavenly narrative. After the most holy Child had begun to consecrate
the temple by her holy presence and daily life, She grew from day to day in
wisdom and grace, before God and before men. The understanding which was
given me of that, which the powerful hand of God proceeded to work in the
heavenly Princess during these years, place me as it were at the shore of a
vast and unmeasured sea, leaving me lost in astonishment and doubt as to how
I am to embark on such an immense ocean for the destined port. For I am
forced to leave much unsaid, and it is difficult to describe even the
smallest part. I will relate that, which the Most High explained to me on
one occasion in his own words:
464. "The works of Her,
who was to be the Mother of the Godman, were altogether and in every way
most perfect, and even to understand them exceeds the capacity of all human
creatures and of the angels. Her interior acts of the virtues were so
precious and of such great merit and favor, that they surpass all that the
seraphim can do; and thou, my soul, wilt much better understand, than be
able to explain them with words of thy tongue. But it is my will, that
during thy pilgrimage in thy mortal body thou place most holy Mary as the
beginning of thy joy, and that thou follow Her through the desert of
renunciation and abnegation of all that is human and visible. Follow Her by
a perfect imitation according to the measure of thy strength and of the
light which thou receivest. Let Her be thy guiding star and thy Directress:
She will manifest to thee my will and will let thee find my holy law which
is written in Her by the power of my right hand: meditate upon it day and
night. She by her intercession will strike the rock of Christ's humanity
(Num. 20, 11), in order that in this desert may abound the waters of divine
grace and light, so that thy thirst may be quenched, thy understanding
enlightened, and thy will inflamed. She will be a pillar of light to
illuminate thy path (Exod, 13,21) and a cloud to afford thee shade and
refreshment against the ardors of thy passions and the fierceness of thy
enemies."
465. "Thou wilt have in
Her an angel, who will guard and guide thee, and (Exod. 23,21) lead thee
away from the dangers of Babylon and of Sodom, so that my punishment shall
not reach thee. Thou wilt have in Her a Mother to love thee, a Friend to
counsel thee, a Mistress to direct thee, a Protectress to shield thee and a
Queen whom thou canst serve and obey as a handmaid. In the virtues, which
this Mother of the Onlybegotten exercised in the temple, thou wilt find a
summary of all the highest perfections according to which thou shouldst
arrange thy life; an exact and reliable copy of all her sanctity; the beauty
of virginity, the loveliness of humility, the utmost promptness in devotion
and obedience, the steadfastness of faith, the certitude of hope, the fire
of love and the most complete outline map of all the wonders of my right
hand. According to this rule thou must regulate thy life, by this mirror
thou must arrange and adorn it, adding to the beauty and grace of a bride
that wishes to enter into the chamber of her Spouse and Lord.
466. "If the nobility
and condition of the teacher are a spur to the disciple and tend to make his
doctrine more acceptable, who can attract thee more powerfully than thy
Instructress, who is the Mother of thy Spouse, chosen as the most pure and
holy among women, and without blemish of sin, being at the same time a
Virgin and the Mother of the Onlybegotten of the eternal Father, the
splendor of his Divinity in his own essence? Hear then this sovereign
Mistress; follow Her in close imitation, and meditate without ceasing upon
her admirable excellence and virtues. Remember, that the life and
conversation She led in the temple is the original, which all the souls,
that consecrate themselves after Her as spouses of Christ, must copy within
themselves." The above is the explanation and instruction, which the Most
High gave me in outline concerning the life and conduct of the most holy
Mary in the temple.
467. But let us proceed
now to a more particular description of her actions. After the vision of the
Divinity, described in the second chapter, after She had offered Herself
entirely to the Lord and delivered up to her instructress all that She
possessed, being thus deprived of all, entirely bound over to obedience, and
hiding, beneath the veil of these virtues, treasures of grace and wisdom
greater than that of the seraphim, She requested the priest and her teacher
to prescribe for Her an order of life and to direct Her in the occupations,
which She was to assume. The priest and her instructress, having together
considered her petition with the aid of a special enlightenment from on high
and desiring to regulate from now on the exercises of this heavenly Child of
only three years, called Her to their presence. The Princess of heaven
remained kneeling before them during this interview and, although they bade
Her rise, She begged most humbly to be allowed to remain in this reverent
position in the presence of the minister and priest of the Most High and of
her teacher, on account of their office and dignity.
468. The priest spoke to
Her and said: "My Daughter, as a very young Child the Lord has drawn Thee to
his house and holy temple; be thankful for this favor and seek to profit by
it by striving hard to serve Him in truth and with an upright heart.
Acquire all the virtues, in order that thou mayest return from this holy
place prepared and fortified against the troubles and the dangers of this
world. Obey thy Mistress Anne and commence early to bear the sweet yoke of
virtue, in order that thou mayest find it more easy to bear during the rest
of thy life" (Thren. 3, 27). The sovereign Child answered: "Do thou, my
master, who art the minister and priest of God and holdest his place, and
thou my Mistress together with him, command and instruct me in whatever I am
to do so that I may not commit any fault: this I beg of you, wishing to obey
you in all things."
469. The priest and her
teacher Anne felt within themselves a great enlightenment and a divine
impulse to attend especially to this heavenly Child and to care for Her more
than the other maidens. Conferring with themselves about this great esteem,
with which they had been inspired, though ignorant of the mystery by which
it came to them, they resolved to devote particular attention to her
guidance and assistance. But as their care could extend only to the exterior
and visible actions, they were far from suspecting the interior acts and
inspirations of her heart, for over these the Most High watched with
singular protection and favor. Thus the pure heart of the Princess of heaven
remained free to advance and grow in interior vision, without losing one
instant, in which She did not reach what is highest and most excellent in
virtue.
470. The priest also
gave Her a rule for her occupations and said: "My Daughter thou wilt assist
at the exercises of divine praise and song in honor of the Lord with all
reverence and devotion, and always pray to the Most High for the necessities
of his holy temple and of his people, and for the coming of the Messias. At
eight o'clock thou wilt retire for sleep and at the beginning of dawn thou
wilt arise in order to praise the Lord until the third hour (this hour
corresponds to our nine o'clock in the morning). From the third hour until
evening thou wilt occupy thyself in some manual works, in order that thou
mayest be instructed in all things. At meals, of which thou wilt partake
after thy exercise, observe befitting moderation. Then thou wilt go to hear
the instructions of thy teacher; the rest of the day thou wilt engage
thyself in the reading of holy Scriptures, and in all things be humble,
affable, and obedient to the commands of thy instructress."
471. The most holy Child
remained on her knees, while She listened to the words of the priest and
then asked his blessing; having kissed his hand and the hand of her
mistress, She proposed in her heart to observe the order of life assigned
Her during her stay in the temple and as long as they should not command her
otherwise. And She, who was the Mistress of sanctity, fulfilled their orders
as if She were the least of all the scholars. Her desires and her most
ardent love impelled Her to many other external exercises, which they had
not included in their orders; but with regard to these She subjected Herself
to the minister of the Lord, preferring the sacrifice of a perfect and holy
obedience to the high dictates of her own fervor. She knew, as Mistress of
all perfection, that the divine will is more surely fulfilled by the humble
acquiescence of obedience, than in following the highest aspirations to
other virtues. By this rare example let souls, and especially those in the
religious state, learn not to follow their own effervescences and whims
contrary to obedience and the will of their superiors; for in the latter God
makes known to us his desire and pleasure, whereas in the former we seek
only our own fancies; in the superiors God himself operates, in ourselves
(if we work contrary to their orders), temptations, blind passion and deceit
is active.
472. In the performance
of works not commanded Her our Queen and Lady distinguished Herself from
other maidens by asking her teacher to be allowed to serve them all and be
engaged in the humble occupation of scrubbing and cleaning the rooms and of
washing the dishes. Although this seemed extraordinary, especially in one of
the firstborn children, who were treated with greater consideration and
respect, yet the incomparable humility of the heavenly Princess could not be
restrained or confined by any consideration of what was due to her position,
but reached out for the most humble occupations. With such an eager humility
She knew how to gain time and opportunity for doing such work, that She was
beforehand in assuming the tasks of others. By means of her infused science
She understood all the mysteries and ceremonies of the temple; but She was
anxious to learn them also by study and practice, as if She were ignorant of
them, nor did She ever fail in any ceremony or duty, no matter how small.
She was most eager for humiliation and most submissive in her self contempt;
every morning and evening She asked the blessing of her teacher and kissed
her hand, and the same She did whenever She was ordered or was permitted to
perform works of humility. Sometimes, when it was allowed Her, She kissed
her feet with profound humility.
473. The sovereign
Princess was so docile, so sweet and friendly in her actions, so ready to
serve and so eager and diligent in humbling Herself, so anxious to show
kindness and esteem toward all the maidens in the temple, obeying them as if
each had been Her Mistress, that She ravished all the hearts. By Her
ineffable and heavenly prudence She proceeded in all her actions in such a
manner, that She never lost an occasion for engaging in lowly work, in
humble service of her companions, and in the fulfillment of the divine
pleasure.
474. But what shall I,
most vile creature, and what shall all faithful children of the Catholic
Church think, when describing and considering such a vivid example of
humility? It seems to us great virtue, when the inferior obeys the superior,
the lowly yields to the exalted; and we esteem it a great humility, that the
equal submit to his equal. But when the inferior commands and the superior
obeys, when the Queen humbles Herself before her slave, when the most holy
and the most perfect of all creatures submits to a mere wormlet, the Queen
of heaven and earth to the least of women, and when this is done with all
her heart and in all sincerity: who is not astonished and confounded in his
vapid pride? Who will not see, as in a clear mirror, his unhappy
presumption? Who can convince himself, that he knows what true humility is,
much less exercise it, when he sees it exhibited, in its reality and in its
own element, the most holy Mary? Let us souls, who live under the vow of
obedience, approach this light in order to perceive and correct the
disorders, which show themselves, whenever obedience to our God-given
superiors requires renouncement of our whims and therefore becomes hard and
troublesome. Here let our hardness be crushed, let the proudest humiliate
herself and be confounded in her shameful pride; let her banish all
presumption and let her not account herself obedient and humble, because on
certain occasions she has yielded to the superiors, for she is yet far from
thinking herself inferior and beneath her companion, as Mary did, who is
superior to all.
475. The beauty, grace,
elegance and courteousness of our Queen were incomparable; for all the
natural graces and gifts, which were hers in a most perfect degree, were
re-enforced by the splendor of supernatural or divine grace, and effected a
marvelous union of grace and beauty in all her being and activity,
enthralling all in love and admiration of Her. Divine Providence moderated
the outward demonstrations of this affection, which those who conversed with
Her, would have shown, if they had been left to the natural force of their
spontaneous love of the Queen. In eating and in sleep, as in all other
virtues, She was most perfect: She observed the measure dictated by
temperance; never did She exceed, nor could She, rather She deducted from
the necessary. Although her curtailed sleep did not interrupt her high
contemplation, as I have said before (No. 352), yet She would have gladly
omitted it altogether; in virtue of obedience however, She retired to rest
at the time appointed, and on her humble and poor couch, strewn with the
flowers of virtue (Cant. 1, 15) and surrounded by the seraphim and the
angelic host who guarded and assisted Her, She enjoyed more exalted
contemplation (outside of beatific vision), and more ardent ecstasies of
love, than all of them together.
476. She divided her
time and applied it with rare prudence so as to give to each of her actions
and occupations its proper share. She read much in the sacred writings of
the ancients and, by means of her infused science, She was so well versed in
them and in all their profound mysteries, that none of them was unfamiliar
to Her; for the Most High made known to Her all their mysteries and
sacraments; She treated and conversed about them in her conferences with the
holy angels of her guard, familiarizing Herself with them and asking about
them with incomparable intelligence and great acuteness. If this sovereign
Mistress had written what She understood, we would have many other additions
to the sacred Scriptures; and we would be able to draw out of them a perfect
understanding of those writings and the deep meanings and mysteries of all
those preserved in the Church. All the plenitude of this science She
utilized for the worship, praise and love of God: to this She applied all
knowledge without allowing one ray of her divine enlightenment to remain
sterile or idle. She was most subtle in discourse, most profound in her
intelligence, most exalted and loving in her thoughts, most prudent in her
choice and arrangement, most efficacious and sweet in her operations, and in
all things She was a most perfect example and an object of admiration for
men and angels, and even, in a way, for the Lord himself, who had formed Her
altogether according to his heart and pleasure.
INSTRUCTION OF THE SOVEREIGN MISTRESS.
477. My daughter, human
nature is imperfect and remiss in practicing virtue, and easily weakens in
its exercise; for it continually seeks rest and evades labor with all its
might. When the soul listens to and extemporizes with the animal and carnal
part of its nature this latter will engross and overcome the forces of
reason and of the spirit, and will reduce them to a dangerous and shameful
slavery. This disorder is abominable and much to be feared by all ; but God
abhors it without comparison more in his ministers and in religious: they,
as a matter of course, are supposed to be perfect, and therefore are injured
so much the more seriously, if they do not come out victorious in the
conflict of the passions. By remissness in battle and by their frequent
defeats they live themselves into a paralyzing and self-satisfied conviction
of false security, content with the performance of certain easy outward
practices of virtue, at the same time imagining (without the least real
advancement) that they are moving mountains. The demon then introduces other
distractions and temptations, and on account of their small appreciation of
the rules and practices of religion, they begin to weaken in all of them,
esteem them as light and unimportant matter, and, living on in their false
security, come to lose the very perception of true virtue.
478. I desire that thou,
my daughter, guard against this error. Remember, that a voluntary remissness
in regard to one imperfection prepares and opens the way for others: these
facilitate the commission of venial sins, these again of mortal sins. Thus
the descent is from one abyss to another, until the bottom is found in the
disregard of all evil. In order to prevent such a misfortune it is necessary
to intercept from afar the current of sin, for the practice or ceremony,
which seems but small, is an outwork which keeps the enemy at a distance,
while the precepts and laws concerning more important matters are the
fortress walls of conscience. If the demon can break through and gain the
outer defenses, he is in better position to gain the inner ones. If then an
opening is made in the bulwarks by the commission of sin, although it may
not be a very grievous one, he already has a better opportunity to make an
assault on the interior reign of a soul. As the soul finds herself weakened
by vicious acts and habits and without strength of grace, she does not
resist the attack with fortitude, and the devil, acquiring more and more
power over her, begins to subject and oppress her without opposition.
479. Consider therefore
now, my dearest, how great must be thy watchfulness, and how great is the
necessity of not falling asleep in the midst of so many dangers. Remember
that thou art a religious, a spouse of Christ, a superior, taught and
enlightened, favored with so many singular blessings. By these privileges
and many others, which thou wilt find connected with them, thou shouldst
gage thy solicitude, for thou owest a return and correspondence in all of
them to the Lord. Exert thyself to be punctual in the fulfillment of all the
rules and practices of religion; let there be no rule, no command, and no
exercise of perfection, which ever will seem small to thee; despise or
forget none of them; observe them all with rigor, for in the eyes of God all
is precious and of great import when practiced according to his pleasure. It
is certain, that He finds pleasure in seeing his commands fulfilled, and is
offended in seeing them set aside. Therefore in all things consider, that
thou hast a Spouse, whom thou must please, a God, whom thou must serve, a
Father, whom thou must obey, a Judge, whom thou must fear, and a Mistress,
whom thou shouldst imitate and follow.
480. In order that thou
mayest fulfill all this, thou must renew in thy soul the strong resolution
not to listen to thy inclinations, not to yield to the negligence and
weakness of thy nature; do not omit any practice or exercise on account of
its difficulty, as for instance kissing the ground, as thou has been
accustomed to do according to the custom of the religious. Both small and
great perform with a loving constancy and thus thou wilt be pleasing in the
eyes of my Son and myself. In the works of supererogation, after praying for
a holy alacrity, ask advice of thy confessor and superior, and perform them
with a spirit entirely free of any predilection or self-love, That which
they direct, accept and write in thy heart, never resting in its punctual
fulfillment. If it is possible to avail thyself of obedience and counsel,
never decide for thyself on anything, how good so ever it may appear to
thee; for the true will of God is always manifest in holy obedience.
CHAPTER V.
OF THE PERFECTIONS OF THE MOST HOLY MARY IN
THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUES IN GENERAL, AND OF HER ADVANCE IN THEM.
481. Virtue is a habit,
which ennobles and adorns the rational powers of the creature, and inclines
it toward doing good. It is called a habit, because it is a quality which is
permanently connected with the faculties from which it is not so easily
separated, thereby differing from a virtuous act, which does not remain, but
passes away. It creates an alertness and facility of action tending toward
the good; this quality is not inherent in the faculty itself, for these
faculties are indifferent toward good or evil. Most holy Mary was adorned
from the first instant of her life with all virtues in a most eminent
degree, and they were continually augmented by new graces and by new
perfection in practice. All the virtues and merits, which the hand of the
Lord had showered upon Her, She brought to their fullest perfection.
482. Although the
faculties of this Lady and sovereign Princess were in no sense subject to
disorder, nor to any of the repugnance, which other children of Adam must
first overcome (for sin had not touched Her, nor the leaven of sin, which
draws toward evil and resists the good) ; yet, by virtuous habits, these
already well ordered faculties were capable of being inclined more and more
to what was most perfect, holy and praiseworthy. Moreover She was a mere
creature capable of suffering, and as such She was also subject to pain, to
the inclination toward licit repose, and to the inertia, disinclining Her
toward the performance of some supererogatory works, which without sin She
could have omitted. In order to overcome this natural disinclination and
repugnance habits of the most exalted virtues assisted Her, so that this
Queen of heaven vanquished them without any weakness and was in no way
hindered in pursuing the utmost perfection in all her works.
483. On account of this
beauty and harmony regarding the habits of virtue, the soul of the most holy
Mary was so enlightened, ennobled and entirely bent on the highest Good and
last End of all creation; so alert, prompt, efficient and joyful in the
practice of virtue, that, if it were possible for our weak insight to
penetrate into the interior of her sacred soul, we would there find a more
wonderful beauty than that of all creatures combined and inferior only to
that of God himself. All the perfection of creatures were in purest Mary as
if in their own sphere and center, and all virtues reached in Her the
highest perfection, so that in no manner could it ever be said of Her: this
or that is wanting in order to make Her altogether beautiful and perfect.
Besides the infused virtues, She possessed all the acquired ones, which She
augmented by practice and exercise. In other souls, one single act cannot be
called virtue, because many repeated acts are necessary to constitute
virtue; but in the most holy Mary each act was so efficacious, intense and
consummate, that each one was superior to the virtues of all the other
creatures. Accordingly, as her acts of virtue were so frequent and did not
fall short in the least point of the highest degree of perfection, how
incomparably excellent were not the habits of virtue, which the heavenly
Mistress attained by her personal exertion? The end for which something is
done is that which makes an act virtuous as being well done. In Mary, our
Mistress, this end was God himself, highest possible end of all activity;
for She did nothing through which She was not certain to advance the greater
glory and pleasure of the Lord and She looked upon this as the motive and
ultimate end of all her actions.
484. The two kinds of
virtues, the infused and the acquired, are founded upon a third kind, called
natural virtue; this is born within us as part of our rational nature and is
called synteresis. It is a certain knowledge of the first foundations and
principles of virtue, perceived by the light of reason, and a certain
inclination in the will, corresponding to this light. Such for instance is
the sentiment, that we must love those who do us good, or that we should not
do unto others, what we do not wish to be done to ourselves, etc. The most
holy Queen possessed this natural virtue or synteresis in the most
superlative degree, so that from the natural principles She drew all their
consequences and relations up to the universal Good, though ever so remote;
for She reasoned from these first principles with profoundest insight, and
incredible swiftness and accuracy. To arrive at these conclusions, She
availed Herself of her infused knowledge of created things, especially of
the more noble and vast ones, of the heavens, the sun, the moon and stars,
the arrangement of all the heavenly bodies and of the elements. Taking in
their whole scope from beginning to end, She invited these creatures to
praise their Creator and commanded them, as far as was in them, to raise and
draw men toward their God until they should arrive at the knowledge of the
Creator and Author of all.
485. The infused virtues
are divided into two classes. To the first belong only those, that have God
himself for their immediate object; therefore they are called theological
virtues, being faith, hope, and charity. To the second class belong all
those other virtues, which have as their proximate object some means or some
honorable good, which advances the soul toward its last end, namely God.
These are called the moral virtues, because they are intimately connected
with established customs, and, although they are many in number, they can be
reduced to four, which are called the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice,
fortitude and temperance. Of all these virtues and their different species I
will say farther on as much as I can in order that I may make clear, how all
of them and each one in particular adorned the faculties of the most holy
Mary. At present I only mention in general, that none of them was wanting in
Her, and that all were possessed by Her in the most perfect manner; moreover
they were supplemented by the gifts of the Holy Ghost, the fruits of the
Spirit, and the Beatitudes. God did not fail to infuse into Her from the
first moment of her Conception, all of the graces and gifts conducive to the
highest beauty of the human soul and faculties; and this was true of the
will as well as of the understanding, so that She had as well the knowledge
as the habit of the sciences. In order to say it all in one word: all the
good, which the Most High could give Her as the Mother of his Son and as a
mere creature, He conferred upon Her in the most exalted degree. In addition
to all this her virtues continually augmented: the infused virtues, because
She added to them by her own merits, and the acquired virtues, because She
nurtured and multiplied them by the intensity of her meritorious acts.
INSTRUCTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD AND MOST
HOLY VIRGIN.
486. My daughter, the
Most High communicates to all mortals without distinction the light of the
natural virtues; to those who dispose themselves by means of them and by his
graces, He concedes also the infused virtues at the time of their
justification. As He is the Author of nature and of grace, He distributes
these gifts with greater or less abundance, according to his equity and
pleasure. In Baptism He instills the virtues of faith, hope and charity, and
with these, other virtues, by which the creature is to co-operate and exert
itself toward the pursuit of Good, not only preserving within itself those
received in the sacraments, but acquiring others by its own merits and
exertions. This will be the greatest happiness and blessedness of men, that
they correspond to the love, which the Creator and Redeemer shows them,
adorning their soul and, by the infused habits, familiarizing themselves
with the virtuous exercise of their own will. But the failure to correspond
to those inestimable benefits brings on their greatest misfortune, because
in this disloyalty consists the first great victory of the demon over man.
487. Of thee, my soul, I
require that thou exercise thyself and co-operate with the natural and the
supernatural, gifts of virtue with an unceasing diligence, and that thou
acquire the habits of other virtues, which thou. shouldst augment by the
frequent exercise of those, which God so liberally and graciously has
communicated to thee. The infused gifts, joined to the virtues nurtured and
attained by the soul itself, are an adornment and acquisition of marvelous
beauty, and very pleasing in the eyes of the Most High. I remind thee also,
my dearest, that the Almighty has been so generous in conferring these
blessings on thy soul and has enriched it with such great treasures of
grace, that if thou shouldst fall into disgrace, it would be thy fault, and
thou wouldst incur a greater guilt, than many generations of men. Consider
and always remember the great nobility of virtue, how it so enlightens and
beautifies the soul, that even if there were no other gain or object, the
desire of possessing it for its own sake would be entirely justifiable. Now,
that which exalts virtue beyond all comparison is, that its final end is God
himself, for whom truth and perfection, which are its constituents, must be
primarily intended; and as soon as virtues attain this their end, namely God
himself, they will be the foundation of the happiness and blessedness of the
creature.
CHAPTER VI.
OF THE VIRTUE OF FAITH, AND HOW MOST HOLY
MARY PRACTICED IT.
488. In few words the
holy Elizabeth described the greatness of the faith of most holy Mary, when,
as reported to us by the evangelist Luke, She exclaimed: "Blessed art thou
for having believed, because the words and promises of the Lord shall be
fulfilled in Thee" (Luke 1,45). The faith of this great Lady must be
estimated from the greatness of her good fortune and beatitude, and from her
ineffable dignity; for her faith inspired Her with so great and so excellent
a belief in God, that it merited a place inferior only to God himself. She
believed that Sacrament of all sacraments and mysteries, which was to be
fulfilled in her own Self. So great was the prudence and the divine light in
Mary our Mistress, in believing this new and unheard of mystery of the
Incarnation, that it surpassed all human and angelic understanding, and that
it could be properly estimated and understood only in the divine Mind, the
workshop of the Most High, where in the power of his right hand all the
virtues of this Queen had their origin and completion. I always find myself
taken aback and stupefied, whenever I speak of these virtues, and more
particularly of the interior ones; for though great is the light and
intelligence, which were given to me concerning them, yet too limited are
human terms to describe the concept and acts of faith, which were engendered
in the mind and spirit of Her, who was the most faithful of all creatures,
or rather, of Her, who was greater in faith than all of them taken together.
I will say what I can, acknowledging my inability to say what I desire, and
much more, what is due to the reality.
489. The faith of the
most holy Mary was an image of the whole creation and an open prodigy of the
divine power, for in Her the virtue of faith existed in the highest and the
most perfect degree possible; in a certain manner and to a great extent, it
made up for the want of faith in men. The Most High has given this excellent
virtue to mortals so that, in spite of the carnal and mortal nature, they
might have the knowledge of the Divinity and of his mysteries and admirable
works: a knowledge so certain and infallibly secure, that it is like seeing
Him face to face, and like the vision of the blessed angels in heaven. The
same object and the same truth, which they see openly, we perceive obscured
under the veil of faith.
490. One glance at the
world will make us understand, how many nations, reigns and provinces, since
the beginning of the world, have lost their claims to this great blessing of
the faith, so little understood by the thankless mortals: how many have
unhappily flung it aside, after the Lord had conferred it on them in his
generous mercy, and how many of the faithful, having without their merit
received the gift of faith, neglect and despise it, letting it lie idle and
unproductive for the last end to which it is to direct and guide them. It
was befitting therefore, that the divine equity should have some recompense
for such lamentable loss, and that such an incomparable benefit should find
an adequate and proportionate return, as far as is possible from creatures;
it was befitting that there should be found at least one Creature, in whom
the virtue of faith should come to its fullest perfection, as an example and
rule for the rest.
491. All this was found
in the great faith of the most holy Mary and on account of Her and for Her
alone, if there had been no other creature in the world, it would have been
most proper, that God should contrive and create the excellent virtue of
faith; for according to our way of understanding, Mary by Herself was a
sufficient pledge to the divine Providence, that He would find a proper
return on the part of man, and that the object of this faith would not be
frustrated by the want of correspondence among mortals. The faith of this
sovereign Queen was to make recompense for their default and She was to copy
the divine prototype of this virtue in its highest perfection. All the other
faithful can measure and gage themselves by the faith of this Mistress; for
they will be more or less faithful, the more or less they approach the
perfection of her incomparable faith. Therefore She was set as Teacher and
example of all the believing, including the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles
and Martyrs and all that have believed or will believe in the Christian
doctrines to the end of the world.
492. Some one might ask
the question: how can it be possible, that the Queen of heaven exercised
faith, since She had clear visions of the Divinity many times, and many more
times was favored with abstract visions, which likewise make evident that
which is perceived by the understanding, as was said above (No. 229, 237)
and will be said over and over again later on. On account of its
uncertainty, the Apostle says, that faith is the substance of the things
that appear not; by which is meant, that we have no other presence or
evidence of the real existence of the things we hope for as the ultimate
realization of our happiness, than that which is obscurely and as in a
mirror presented to us by faith. It is the force of this infused habit,
drawing us to believe what we do not see, and the infallible certitude of
what is believed, which present those strong motives for prompting the will
to strive after what it desires and hopes. According to this doctrine, it
seems, that, if the most holy Virgin had ever enjoyed the vision and
possession of God (for these two are one) She was deprived of the obscurity
necessary for the existence of faith in the things, which She had seen face
to face; especially if her understanding retained the images of what She had
seen in the intuitive or open vision of the Divinity.
493. But this experience
was not only no hindrance to the faith of the most holy Mary, but augmented
and raised it to its highest excellence. For the Lord wished, that his
Mother should be so wonderfully distinguished in this virtue of faith (and
likewise in the virtue of hope), that She should therein surpass all that is
given to ordinary wayfarers. He wished, that her understanding, in order to
befit her position as the Mistress and Artist of these great virtues be
embellished at one time by the most perfect acts of faith and hope, at
another enraptured with the vision and the possession (even if only
temporary) , of the very End and Object of faith and hope. Thus She was
prepared by her personal experience and fruition to teach the faithful to
believe what She had herself seen and enjoyed. To join these two things in
the most holy soul of Mary was easy to the power of the Almighty; it was due
to her dignity as his most pure Mother, and so it must be done: no
privilege, however great, was unbecoming to Her; and in Her none must be
wanting.
494. It is true that the
clear vision of a mystery is incompatible with the obscurity of the faith by
which we believe it, and the possession of a thing excludes the hope of it.
So most holy Mary, whenever these high mysteries were shown to Her by
evident intuition or intellectual abstractions did not exercise the obscure
acts or habits of faith; for on those occasions She could make use only of
her infused science. But the theological virtues of faith and hope did not
therefore remain idle all the time of her life; for the Lord, in order to
afford Her the possibility of exercising them, suspended the influx and
activity of the clear and evident vision, thereby causing a cessation of the
effects of infused knowledge, and making room for the obscurity of faith and
the Lord hid himself from Her by taking away all clear evidence of Himself
from her mind. This happened in the most high mystery of the Incarnation, as
I shall relate in its place (Part II, 119, 133).
495. It was not proper,
that the Mother of God should be deprived of the reward of the infused
virtues of faith and hope; yet in order to gain this reward, it was
necessary to merit it; and in order to merit it, She must have practiced
these virtues in proportion to the reward. Just as her merits were great
beyond comparison, so the faith in each and everyone of the acts of this
exalted Lady were correspondingly great; for She perceived and accepted
explicitly all the truths of the Catholic religion with the deepest and most
perfect faith as a wayfarer. Manifestly the understanding, as soon as it
sees the proper evidence for that which it perceives, does not wait for the
consent of the will in order to believe, for before it can receive the
command of the will, it has already been compelled to accept the truth by
its evidences. Therefore the act of believing what cannot be denied, is not
meritorious. When most holy Mary assented to the message of the archangel,
She merited an ineffable reward on account of the act of faith necessary to
believe such a deep mystery; and the same was true of other acts of faith,
whenever the Most High gave Her an opportunity for its exercise by
withdrawing the infused knowledge. But even when She applied infused
knowledge, She gained great merit, on account of the love with which She
utilized it, as I have said in another place (Supra 232, 381, 384).
496. Just as little did
She use the gift of infused science, when She lost the divine Child, at
least not in order to find the place where He tarried, though this was
possible to Her in many other things. She did not then make use of the clear
images of the Divinity; also not at the foot of the Cross, because the Lord
restricted those visions and operations of her most holy soul which would
have prevented sorrow. It was becoming, that She should feel it and be left
to the strength of her faith and hope alone. The joy occasioned by any of
her visions or intelligences of the Divinity (even if only abstractive),
would naturally prevent pain, unless God wrought a new miracle to unite pain
with joy. It was not proper that God should work this miracle, since on the
sorrows of the Lady depended her merits, and the imitation of her divine Son
was to be commensurate with the graces and excellences of the Mother.
Therefore She sought the Child sorrowfully, as She herself says, in faith
and lively hope; and the same virtues were also active in witnessing the
Passion and Resurrection of her beloved Son. During those times She depended
upon Catholic faith, which then became as it were restricted and confined to
Her, as its Mistress and Foundress.
497. Three qualities or
excellences must in particular be mentioned in speaking of the faith of the
most holy Mary: its continuity, its intensity and the intelligence with
which it was exercised. The faith of Mary as mentioned above, was suspended
only during those times, in which She enjoyed the clearness of the
intuitive, and the evidence of the abstractive visions of the Divinity.
Although only the Lord himself, who dispensed them, could know when She put
into operation the one or the other kind of acts, yet the most holy Queen,
in making use of the different kinds of spiritual activity, never allowed
Her understanding to remain idle for one instant of her life, and from the
first moment of her Conception She never lost sight of God. For when She
suspended faith, it was because She was enjoying the clear vision of God
through the highest kind of infused knowledge, and as soon as the Lord
interrupted this clear vision, She renewed the memory of his presence by her
faith. The interchange and succession of these acts produced in the mind of
the most holy Mary an exquisite harmony, to which the Most High called the
attention of the angels, when He said in the eighth chapter of the
Canticles: "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the friends hearken: make me
hear thy voice."
498. In regard to the
intensity or efficacy of the faith of this sovereign Princess, it is
certain, that it exceeded that of the Apostles, Prophets and Saints taken
together and reached the highest degree possible in a creature. It not only
exceeded the faith of all true believers, but She supplied the faith that
was wanting in all those that have not believed and She could by Her faith
enrich them all. Thus Her faith remained firm, immovable and constant, when
the Apostles in the hour of the Passion fell away; and if all the
temptations, deceits, errors, and falsehoods of the world were joined
together, they could not prevail or disturb the invincible faith of the
Queen of believers. She, its Foundress and Instructress, would overcome them
all and issue forth victorious and triumphant.
499. The intelligent
love, with which She explicitly believed all the divine truths, cannot be
expressed in words, without misrepresenting its intensity. The most holy
Mary knew all that She believed and believed all that She knew; for the
infused theological knowledge of the credibility of faith's mysteries, and
the understanding of this credibility, existed in the wisest Virgin Mother
in the highest degree possible in a mere creature. Her knowledge was kept in
a constant actuality, and by means of her memory, like that of an angel, She
never forgot, that which once She had learnt. This gift and faculty of the
understanding She kept in constant operation in order to exercise her deep
faith; only at times, as already said, God suspended faith by other acts of
the mind (No. 492, 465). Except that She was not yet a comprehensor, nothing
was wanting in regard to her intelligence of the matters of faith and in
regard to the clear knowledge of the Divinity. In this regard She held a
position far above that of all the wayfarers and She by Herself constituted
a class of such high degrees, as cannot be attained by any other wayfarer to
heaven.
500. And if the most
holy Mary, while She exercised the acts of faith and hope, was in what might
be called her most ordinary and therefore the lowest degree of activity, and
if in that state She excelled all the angels and saints in merits by her
faith and love, what must we say of the excellence of her acts, her merits
and her affections, during the time in which She was exalted by the divine
power to the blessed state of highest intuitive vision and clear knowledge
of the Divinity? If this is beyond the comprehension of the angelic mind,
how can an earthly creature ever hope to find words to describe it? I
therefore can only express the mere wish, that all mortals might come to a
knowledge of the precious value of faith, by learning it from this heavenly
Original, in whom faith attained its ultimate perfection and where it
completely fulfilled the end for which it was created. Let the infidels, the
heretics, the pagans and idolaters approach this Mistress of faith, most
holy Mary, in order to be enlightened in their falsehoods and darksome
errors and in order to find the sure way toward the last end of their being.
Let also Catholics approach and learn to understand the copious rewards of
this virtue; let them ask the Lord with the Apostles to increase their faith
(Luke 7, 5). Not that they ever can reach the faith of most holy Mary, but
let them ask for the desire to imitate Her and follow Her, for by her faith
She teaches us, and by her merits She helps us to obtain this virtue.
501. Saint Paul calls
the patriarch Abraham the father of all the faithful (Rom. 6, 11), because
he first received the promise, hoping against hope (Rom. 4, 18). He wishes
to extol the excellence of the Patriarch's faith, because he believed the
promise of the Lord, that Sarah, his wife, would bear him a son though she
was sterile, and, according to the laws of nature, incapable of conception;
moreover, in offering his son as a sacrifice at God's command, he
relinquished at the same time the prospect of the countless offspring, which
the Lord had promised to Him. This all, and many other sayings and promises
of the Lord were made impossible of fulfillment according to the laws of
nature, yet Abraham believed, that the divine power could execute them in a
supernatural manner. Therefore he merited to be called the Father of all the
believers and to receive the seal of his faith which justified him, namely
circumcision.
502. But our
supereminent Lady, Mary, possesses much greater rights and titles to be
called the Mother of faith and of all the faithful. In her hand is hoisted
the standard and ensign of faith for all the believers in the law of grace.
First indeed, according to the order of time, was the Patriarch and
consequently he was ordained to be the father and head of the Hebrew people:
great was his belief in the promises concerning Christ our Lord, and in the
works of the Most High. Nevertheless incomparably more admirable was the
faith of Mary in all these regards and She excels him in dignity. Greater
difficulty and incongruity was there that a virgin should conceive and bring
forth, than that an aged and sterile woman should bear fruit; and the
patriarch Abraham was not so certain of the sacrifice of Isaac, as Mary was
of the inevitable sacrifice of her most holy Son. She is the One, who
perfectly believed and hoped in all the mysteries, and She shows to the
whole Church, how it must believe in the Most High and in the works of his
Redemption. Having thus understood the faith of Mary our Queen, we must
admit Her to be the Mother of the faithful and the prototype of the Catholic
faith and of the holy hope. And in order to conclude this chapter, I will add,
that Christ, our Redeemer and Teacher, as He was a comprehensor and as his
most holy soul enjoyed the highest glory and the beatific vision, had no
necessity or occasion for faith, nor could He in his own actions give us an
example of this virtue. But what the Lord could not do in his own Person, He
did in the person of his most holy Mother, constituting Her as the
Foundress, the Mother and the example of faith in his evangelical Church.
And thus on the day of universal accounting this sovereign Mistress and
Queen shall in an especial manner assist her most holy Son in the judgment
of those, who, in spite of such an example, have not believed during their
stay on earth.
INSTRUCTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, OUR LADY.
503. My daughter, the
inestimable treasure of the virtue of divine faith is hidden to those
mortals who have only carnal and earthly eyes; for they do not know how to
appreciate and esteem a gift and blessing of such incomparable value.
Consider, my dearest, what the world was without faith and what it would be
today if my Son and Lord would not preserve faith. How many men whom the
world has celebrated as great, powerful and wise have precipitated
themselves, on account of the want of light of faith, from the darkness of
their unbelief into most abominable sins, and thence into the eternal
darkness of hell! How many kingdoms and provinces, being blind themselves,
follow these still more blind leaders until they together fall into the
abyss of eternal pains, and they are followed by the bad Christians, who
having received the grace and blessing of faith, live as if they had it not
in their hearts.
504. Do not forget, my
dear friend, to be thankful for this precious jewel which the Lord has given
thee as a dower and a wedding gift of thy espousal with Him, in order to
draw thee to the bridal chamber of his holy Church and afterwards to have
intercourse with Him in the eternal beatitude. Continually exercise this
virtue of faith, for it places thee near to thy last end, after which thou
strivest, and brings thee near to the object of thy desires and thy love.
Faith teaches the sure way of eternal salvation, faith is the light that
shines in the darkness of this mortal life and pilgrimage; it leads men
securely to the possession of the fatherland to which they are wayfaring. If
they do not allow it to die out by infidelity and sinfulness. Faith enlivens
the other virtues and serves as a nourishment of the just man and a support
in his labors. Faith confounds and fills with fear the infidels and the lax
Christians in their negligence; for it convinces them in this world of their
sin and threatens punishment in the life to come. Faith is powerful to do
all things, for nothing is impossible to the believer; faith makes all
things attainable and possible. Faith illumines and ennobles the
understanding of man, since it directs him in the darkness of his natural
ignorance, not to stray from the way, and it elevates him above himself so
that he sees and understands with infallible certainty what is far above his
powers and assures him of it no less than if he saw it clearly before him.
He is thus freed from the gross and vile narrow-mindedness of those who will
believe only what they can experience by their own limited natural powers,
not considering that the soul, as long as it lives in the prison of this
corruptible body, is very much circumscribed and limited in its sphere of
action by the knowledge drawn from the coarse activity of the senses.
Appreciate, therefore, my daughter, this priceless treasure of the Catholic
faith given thee by God, watch over it and practice it in great esteem and
reverence.
CHAPTER VII.
OF THE VIRTUE OF HOPE, AND HOW THE VIRGIN OUR
LADY PRACTICED IT.
505. The virtue of hope
naturally follows upon that of faith, since it is ordained as its
complement. For if the Most High instills in us the divine light of faith,
and if He wishes us, without regard to differences of position and of age,
to come into the infallible knowledge of the Godhead and of his mysteries
and promises, it is for no other reason than that each one of us, knowing
Him as our last end and object, and learning of the means of arriving at it,
may engender within himself the vehement desire to reach that goal. This
desire, which naturally carries with it the inclination to attain this
highest Good, is called hope and is infused into our will or natural
appetite in Baptism. For it belongs to the proper activity of the will to
strive after eternal felicity as its greatest good and blessing, to make use
of divine grace for obtaining it and for overcoming the difficulties which
will occur in its pursuit.
506. How excellent the
virtue of hope is, may be learned from the fact that its ultimate object is
God himself, our highest Good. Although it perceives and seeks Him as
something that is absent, yet at the same time it seeks Him also as
something that is attainable through the merits of Christ and through the
proper activity of the one that hopes for it. The acts and operations of
this virtue are regulated by the light of divine faith and by the prudent
reliance on the infallible promise of the Lord. Thus hope, by means of the
reasoning powers, maintains the middle road between despair and presumption,
not permitting man to presume on his own powers for the attainment of
eternal glory or to set aside meritorious activity on his own part, nor
allowing fear or despondency to hinder Him from exerting himself toward it
on account of the Lord's promises and assurances of final success. In this
security, guaranteed by divine faith in all that pertains to these things
and applied in prudent and sound reasoning, man hopes without fear of being
deceived and yet also without presumption.
507. From this it can be
seen that despair may arise both from a want of believing what faith
promises and also from a failure to apply to one's own self the security of
the divine promises, in which one believes, but which one falsely supposes
unattainable in one's own regard. Between these two dangerous extremes hope
directs us in the safe way, maintaining us in the confident belief on the
one hand that God will not deny to ourselves what He has promised to all,
and on the other, that the promise was not made unconditionally and
absolutely, but requires our exertion and effort to merit its fulfillment as
far as it is possible with the help of divine grace. For if God has made man
capable of the vision of eternal glory, it was not just that anyone should
attain to such felicity by sinful abuse of the very faculties with which he
is to enjoy it; but that he use them in such a way as to befit the end for
which he received them. This proper use of the faculties consists in the
exercise of the virtues, which prepare man for the enjoyment of his highest
good, and in seeking it already in this life by the knowledge and love of
God.
508. Now, in most holy
Mary this virtue of hope reached the highest degree possible both in regard
to itself and in regard to all its effects, circumstances and qualities; for
the desire and the striving after the last end, which is the vision and the
fruition of God, was in Her more active than in all other creatures;
moreover this most faithful and prudent Lady did nothing to impede these
aspirations, but followed them up with all the perfection possible in a
creature. Not only did She possess the infused virtue of faith in the
promises of our Lord and its concomitant intensity of hope; but over and
above all this She enjoyed beatific vision, in which She learnt to know by
experience the infinite truth and fidelity of the Most High. And although
She did not have occasion to make use of hope, while enjoying the vision and
possession of the Divinity; nevertheless, after again resuming Her ordinary
state, She was impelled by the memory of what She had enjoyed, to hope and
strive after it with so much the greater force and avidity. Thus the
longings of the Queen of all virtues constituted a certain kind of new and
particular kind of hope.
509. There was another
reason why the hope of the most holy Mary excelled the hope of all the other
faithful joined together: namely the greatness of the prospective reward and
glory due to this sovereign Queen, for reward is after all the real object
of hope and in Her it was to be far above all the glory of the angels and
saints; that is, proportionate to the knowledge of this glory assured to Her
in God was also her expectation and desire to acquire it. Moreover in order
that She might attain the highest summit of this virtue, and that She might
worthily hope for all that the powerful arm of God would work in Her, She
was befittingly furnished with the light of a supreme faith and all the
helps and gifts pertaining thereto, and with an especial assistance of the
Holy Ghost. What we have said of the virtue of hope in the blessed Virgin in
regard to its principal object must also be affirmed in regard to its
secondary objects, for the gifts and mysterious blessings enjoyed by this
Queen of Heaven were so great that they could not be amplified even by the
arm of the Almighty God in a mere creature. Now as the great Lady was to
receive these favors through the medium of faith and hope, these virtues
were proportionately great, and therefore the greatest that could possibly
fall to the lot of a handiwork of God.
510. Moreover if, as has
already been said of the virtue of faith, the Queen of heaven was endowed
with an explicit knowledge and faith of all the revealed truths and of all
the mysteries and operations of tile Most High, and if the acts of hope
corresponded to these acts of faith, who, except the Lord himself could ever
comprehend how many and how excellent were the acts of hope, which the
Mistress of virtues elicited, since She was aware of her own eternal glory
and felicity and of that, which was to be wrought in the rest of the
evangelical Church by the merits of her most holy Son? For the sole sake of
Mary, as we have before said of her faith, God would have created this
virtue, and for her sake He would have conferred it, as He really did, on
the whole human race (No. 491).
511. On this account the
holy Spirit calls Her the Mother of beautiful love and holy hope (Eccli, 25,
24) ; for just as She became the Mother of Christ because She furnished Him
with the flesh of his body, so the holy Spirit made Her the Mother of hope,
because by her especial concurrence and cooperation She conceived and
brought forth this virtue for the faithful of the Church. Her prerogative of
being the Mother of holy hope was connected with and consequent upon Her
being the Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord, for She knew that in her Son She
would lay the foundation of all the security of our hope. On account of
these conceptions and births of the most holy Queen, She obtained a certain
dominion and sovereignty over those graces and the promises of the Most
High, which depended upon the death of Christ, her Son, for their
fulfillment. When She of her own free will gave conception and birth to the
incarnate Word She turned them all over to us and thereby gave birth to our
hope. Thus was accomplished in its legitimate sense that which the Holy
Ghost said to Her: "Thy plants are a paradise" (Cant. 4, 13); for all that
came forth from Mary, the Mother of grace, was to constitute our happiness,
our paradise, and our certain hope of being able to attain them.
512. The Church has a
celestial and true father in Jesus Christ, for He engendered and founded it
by his merits and labors, and enriched it with his graces, his example and
his doctrines, as was to be expected from the Father and Author of such an
admirable work. Therefore it was befitting that the Church should have also
a loving and kind Mother, who with sweet regalement and caresses, and with
maternal solicitude and assistance, should nurse the little children at her
breast (1. Cor. 3, 2), nourish them with tender and delicious food as long
as they cannot in their infancy bear the food of the robust and strong. This
sweet Mother was most holy Mary, who since the beginning of the Church,
when the law of grace was born in her yet tender children, began to give
forth the sweet milk of her enlightened teaching as a merciful Mother; and
who will continue to the end of the world thus to assist and intercede for
the new children, which Christ our Lord engenders every day by his merits
and at the petitions of this Mother of mercy. She it is for whom they are
born who raises and nourishes them. She is our sweet Mother, our life and
our hope, the original of the blessings, which are ours, She is the example
which we are to imitate, She is our assurance in the pursuit of the eternal
happiness, merited by her most holy Son, She furnishes the assistance
necessary for its final attainment.
INSTRUCTION OF THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY.
513. My daughter, as
with two indefatigable wings, my spirit raised its flight by means of faith
and hope toward the endless and the highest good, until it rested in union
with God through intimate and perfect love. Many times I tasted and enjoyed
the clear vision and fruition of Him; but as these blessings were not
continuous in my state of pilgrimage, I supplied their place by the exercise
of faith and hope. They remained with me during my visions and fruitions and
immediately became active during their absence, preventing any cessation in
my high aspirations. The effects of these virtues, the love, the efforts and
the desires which they excited in my soul toward the possession of the
eternal fruition of God, cannot be adequately comprehended by the created
mind in its present limited state, but they shall be known in God and cause
eternal praise in those who will be worthy to see Him in heaven.
514. Thou, my dearest,
having received such great enlightenment concerning the excellence of this
virtue and the works which I practiced by its help, shouldst work without
ceasing to imitate me according to the assistance of divine grace. Renew
continually and confer within thyself the promises of the Most High and,
with unshaken confidence in their divine truthfulness, raise thy heart to
ardent desires and longings for their attainment. In this firm hope thou
canst assure thyself of arriving through the merits of my most holy Son, at
the blessed cohabitation in the celestial fatherland and at the
companionship of all those who there see in immortal glory the face of the
Most High. With its help thou canst raise thy heart above earthly things and
fix thy mind upon the immutable Good, to which thou aspirest; all visible
things will appear to thee burdensome and disagreeable, and thou wilt esteem
them as vile and contemptible; nothing wilt thou strive after except that
most lovable and delightful object of thy desires. In my soul there was an
ardor of hope, such as is possible only to those who have apprehended its
object in faith and tasted it by experience; no tongue and no words can
describe or express its intensity.
515. Besides, in order
to spur thee on still more, consider and deplore with heartfelt sorrow the
unhappiness of so many souls who are images of God and capable of his glory,
and who through their own fault are deprived of the true hope of enjoying
it. If the children of the holy Church would pause in their vain occupations
and would take time to consider and weigh the blessings of unerring faith
and hope, which separates them from darkness and which, without their merit,
distinguishes them from the followers of blind unbelief, they would without
doubt be ashamed of their torpid forgetfulness and repudiate their vile
ingratitude. But let them be undeceived, for most terrible punishments await
them; they are most detestable in the sight of God and the saints, because
they despise the blood shed by Christ for the very purpose of gaining them
these blessings. As if all were only a fiction they treat with contempt the
blessings of truth, hastening about during their whole life without spending
even one day, and many of them not even an hour, in the consideration of
their duties and of their danger. Weep, O soul, over this lamentable evil,
and according to thy power work and pray for its extirpation through my most
holy Son. Believe me that whatever exertion and attempt thou makest toward
this purpose shall be rewarded by his Majesty.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE VIRTUE OF CHARITY IN THE MOST HOLY
MARY, OUR LADY.
516. The most excellent
virtue of charity is the Mistress, the queen, the mother, the life and
beauty of all the other virtues; charity governs, moves and directs them to
their ultimate and true end, charity leads them on to their ultimate
perfection, preserves them and makes them grow, enlightens them and
beautifies them, gives them life and efficacy. If the other virtues confer
each their measure of perfection on creatures, charity gives them perfection
itself and brings them to their full complement. Without charity all is of
small value, obscure, languid, lifeless and unprofitable, not being endowed
either with the essence or the appurtenances of true vitality. Charity is
kind, patient, meek, without emulation, without envy, without offensiveness,
desires not to acquire, but readily distributes all, is the cause of all
good and consents not to evil; as far as it is concerned (1 Cor. 13, 4) it
is the fullest participation in the true and ultimate Good. O Virtue of
virtues and greatest treasure of heaven! Thou alone hast the key of
paradise! Thou art the dawn of eternal light, the sun of eternity's day, the
fire which purifies, the wine which inebriates with new delights, the nectar
which rejoices, the sweetness which satiates without surceasing, the chamber
of rest for the soul, a bond so intimate that it makes us one with God (Joan
17, 21), with the same bond that unites the eternal Father to the Son, and
Both to the holy Spirit.
517. On account of the
nobility of this most excellent of all virtues, our God and Lord, according
to the Gospel of St, John, wished to honor Himself or wished to honor it, by
calling Himself Charity (I John 4, 16). There are many reasons why the
Catholic Church attributes the divine perfections of omnipotence to the
Father, of wisdom to the Son, and of love to the Holy Ghost. For the Father
is the beginning, the Son is engendered of the Father through the divine
intelligence, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from Both through the will. But
the name of Charity and the perfection which it implies is attributed to the
Lord himself without distinction of Persons, since the Evangelist says
indiscriminately: "God is charity." This virtue in the Lord has the
distinction of being the terminus or end of all his operations ad intra and
ad extra. For on the one hand all the divine processions (which are the
operations of the Godhead with Himself or ad intra), terminate in the
reciprocal union and love of the three divine Persons, and thus they
constitute an indissoluble bond of unity over and above the indivisibility
of the divine Essence, proper to it as being one and the same God. On the
other hand the works ad extra, namely the creatures, are an offspring of
divine charity and are ordained towards it, so that, issuing from that
immense sea of divine bounty, they also return by charity and love to the
source from whence they sprang. It is peculiar to the virtue of charity in
opposition to all the other virtues and gifts, that it is a perfect
participation of a divine virtue; it is born of one source, is directed back
to the same, and is more adapted to that eternal source than all other
virtues. If we call God our hope, our patience, or our wisdom, it is because
we receive them from his hand, and not because these perfections are in God
as they exist in ourselves. But we call God our charity, not only because
we receive it from the Lord, and because He communicates it to us, but
because He himself is essential charity, and the overflow of this divine
perfection, which we represent to ourselves as a form and attribute of his
Divinity, redounds in our souls, transforming it more perfectly and
abundantly than any other virtue.
518. Other admirable
qualities of charity are manifested in the relation between God and
ourselves; for as this virtue is the source of our being, and afterwards our
highest end, God himself, it is also the spur and the ideal of our affection
and love of the Lord. For, if the knowledge that God is in Himself the
infinite and highest good is not sufficient to move and incite us to love
Him, at least the knowledge that He is our own greatest good, should draw
and oblige us toward his love. If we could not know how to love Him before
He gave his Onlybegotten for us (1 John 4, 10), we certainly cannot have an
excuse for not loving Him after that sacrifice. For although we might be
exonerated for not being able to merit such a benefit, yet now, after we
have received this sacrifice without our merit, we can certainly not be
excused for not acknowledging the favor.
519. The example which
divine Charity furnishes for our own, manifests still more the excellence of
this virtue, although it is difficult for me to explain my perception of
this excellence. When Christ Our Lord founded his most perfect law of love
and grace, He exhorted us to be perfect imitators of our heavenly Father,
who allows his sun to rise over the just and the unjust without distinction
(Matth. 5, 45). Such doctrine and such an example only He himself, the Son
of the eternal Father, could give to men. Among all the visible creatures
there is none like the sun to compare with divine charity and to show us how
to imitate it; for this most noble star, from its very nature, without
hesitation and entirely according to its own innate tendency, distributes
its light in all directions, and without distinction to all who are capable
of receiving it, and on its part never denies or suspends its benevolent
activity. And this it does without desiring acknowledgment, without imposing
any obligation on anyone, without asking for benefits or requiring any
return, without finding in the objects of its enlightening bounty any
previous goodness to move and draw it towards them. Nor does it expect any
profit in the communication of its own blessed light, in which all
participate and share.
520. At the
consideration of the noble attributes of this created charity, who will not
recognize the signature of the uncreated Charity which it follows? And who
is not ashamed of failing to imitate it? Who can claim to have true charity
in himself without copying its prototype? It is true our charity and love
cannot create goodness in the object of its affection, as is done by the
uncreated Charity of the Lord; nevertheless, even if by charity we cannot
make good those whom we love, we can offer the goods of love to all without
looking for the advancement of ourselves and without proceeding to
deliberate and study whom we are to love and benefit in the hope of being
repaid. I do not wish to be understood as saying that love is not free, nor
that God was in any way forced to create through natural necessity. All the
works ad extra, which are those of Creation, are free acts of God. The
example contained for us in divine Charity points in another direction,
namely, that the free will must not twist or do violence to the inclination
and the impulse of charity; but in imitation of the highest Good, which in
no way hinders the divine will in its inclination to do good, the human will
must allow itself to be moved and impelled by the inclination of charity to
communicate its goodness. For in this manner the divine Will is impelled to
distribute the rays of its inaccessible light to all creatures according to
the capacity of each one, without any preceding goodness, service or benefit
on their side, and without hope of such return afterwards, as the divine
Goodness stands in need of nothing.
521. This is in part the
nature of Charity in its divine original, God. Outside of God himself,
however, we will find it in the fullest perfection possible to a mere
creature in none other than most holy Mary, and in Her we find the model
after which we are more immediately to copy our own charity. It is evident
that the light proceeding from the uncreated Sun of charity, where it is
contained without limit or circumscription, communicates itself to all
creatures even the most remote according to an order and measurement
adjusted in proportion to the proximity or distance of each from the divine
source. And this order manifests the fullness and perfection of the divine
Providence; for without it, this Providence would show a certain defect,
confusedness and discord in the creatures as far as the participation of his
goodness and love is concerned. The first place after God himself, in the
distribution of divine Charity, was due to that Soul and that Person, who
was at the same time uncreated God and created man; for the highest grace
and participation of love naturally was to be found where existed the
closest and most intimate union with God, as it existed and as it will exist
forever in Christ our Lord.
522. The second place is
due to his most holy Mother Mary, in whom charity and divine love found its
resting place in an especial manner. For, according to our way of
apprehending, the uncreated Charity could not be quieted until It should
find a creature to which It could communicate Itself in such great
plenitude, that the love and affection of the whole human race should in its
entirety be reproduced in that Creature alone. It was intended that this
chosen Creature should in Herself be endowed with the gifts of charity,
without the shortcomings and defects common to the rest of mortals infected
with sin, so that She by Herself would be able to supply the balance of
creation and make for it the greatest possible return of love. Mary alone
was chosen among all creatures to imitate the Sun of justice in charity
(Cant. 6,9), and faithfully to copy this virtue from its Original. She by
Herself knew how to love more ardently and perfectly than all the rest of
creatures combined, to love God entirely for his own sake, purely, intensely
and without defect, and also loving creatures for God's sake and in a manner
similar to Him. She alone adequately followed the impulse of charity and her
generous inclination of loving the highest Good as highest Good, without any
side intentions; and of loving the creatures on account of their
participation in God, without the thought of a return or reward of her love.
And in perfect imitation of the uncreated Charity, Mary by her charity was
able and knew how to love in such a way as to make better that which is
loved; for by her love She made better heaven and earth and all things that
exist outside of God.
523. If the charity of
this great Lady were put in the balance with that of all the men and angels,
hers would outweigh theirs by far; for She by Herself exceeded them all in
her knowledge of the essence and qualities of the divine Charity and
consequently only Mary knew how to imitate It with adequate perfection and
above all the powers of intellectual creatures. In this excess of love and
charity She repaid and satisfied the debt of infinite love due to the Lord
from creatures, as far as He could demand a return of them, for their return
was not to be infinite in value, that being impossible. Just as the love and
the charity of the most holy soul of Jesus Christ was in its greatness
proportionate to the hypostatic union, so the love of Mary was great in
proportion to the excellence conferred upon Her by the eternal Father, when
He appointed Her as the one, who as Mother was to conceive and bear his Son
for the salvation of the world.
524. Thence we
understand that all the gifts and the blessings of creatures depend in some
manner on the love and charity of the blessed Virgin toward God. In Her
alone it was possible that divine Charity could exist in this world in its
highest and ultimate perfection. She paid the whole debt of charity at a
time when all men were unable to payor even to understand the greatness of
their debt. She, by her most perfect charity, obliged the eternal Father to
sacrifice his most holy Son for Herself and in Redemption of the whole
world; for if Mary had loved less and if her charity had been defective, the
proper preparation for his Incarnation would have been wanting. But as soon
as any creature was found, which resembled God so closely as She, it was, so
to say, but a natural consequence that He should descend to Her as He did.
525. All this is the
meaning of the words of the Holy Ghost when He calls Mary the mother of
beautiful love (Eccli, 24, 24), as has already been explained
correspondingly in regard to hope. These words to Mary signify: Mary is
the Mother of Him, who is our sweetest love, Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer,
who became the most beautiful among men by a divine, infinite and uncreated
beauty, and by a human nature which was to be without guilt or blemish and
to which no beauty of grace that could be communicated by the Divinity, was
wanting (I Pet. 2, 22). She is also the Mother of beautiful love, for She
alone engendered in her soul the perfect love and charity and the most
beautiful affection. All the rest of the creatures combined could not attain
the beauty and faultlessness of her Charity for theirs was not worthy to be
called absolutely beautiful. She is the Mother of our love; for She drew it
toward the earth for us; She cultivated it for us; She taught us to know and
practice it; there is no other creature in heaven or on earth that could be
such a teacher of this beautiful love for men or angels. Therefore all the
saints are but rays of this sun, and streamlets flowing from this ocean; so
much the better will they know how to love, the more they participate in
this love and charity of most holy Mary, and in as far as they succeed in
imitating and copying it more exactly.
526. The sources of this
charity and love of our princess Mary were her profound knowledge and
wisdom, derived as well from her infused faith and hope, as also from the
gifts of science, intellect and wisdom given to Her by the Holy Ghost; but
the greatest of all the sources of her love were the intuitive and
abstractive visions of the Divinity. Through all these mediums She reached
the highest knowledge of the uncreated Charity and drank of it at its very
fountain, and as She thus learned, how God was to be loved for his own sake
and the creature for the sake of God, also how to practice and execute this
love with the most intense and fervent desire. Moreover, as the power of God
found no impediment or hindrance, no inadvertence, ignorance or
imperfection, nor any tardiness of the will in this Queen, it could operate
in Her according to his pleasure. This was not possible in other creatures,
since in none of them it found the same disposition as in most holy Mary.
527. In Her was the
fulfillment of that great natural and divine precept: "Thou shalt love thy
God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole
strength." Mary alone satisfied this obligation and debt for all men, which
in this life and before seeing God they neither knew nor could ever fulfill
entirely. This Lady fulfilled it more perfectly during her pilgrimage than
the saints even in the state of beatitude. Moreover She also satisfied the
intentions of God in regard to this precept, namely that it remain not
unfruitful and as it were frustrated on the part of wayfaring men; for most
holy Mary by Herself sanctified and fulfilled it entirely for all of them,
supplying by her charity all that was wanting in the fulfillment of this
precept among men. And probably if God had not foreknown that Mary our Queen
would be among the number of the mortals, He would not have given this
command in this form. But on Her account He was pleased to give it; to Her
we owe not only this command of perfect charity, but also the adequate
fulfillment of it among men.
528. O most sweet and
most beautiful Mother of beautiful love and charity! Let all the nations
know Thee, let all generations bless Thee, and let all the creatures magnify
and praise Thee! Thou alone art the perfect One, the beloved One, the chosen
Mother of uncreated Charity. It formed Thee and selected Thee to shine like
the sun in thy most beautiful and most perfect love (Cant. 6, 9)! Let all us
miserable children of Eve approach this sun in order to be enlightened and
inflamed. Let us approach this Mother in order to be born again in love. Let
us approach this Teacher in order to be taught the love, affection and
charity which is without defect. Love is a disposition which is pleased and
satisfied with the thing loved. Affection is a selection and separation of
the beloved from other of the same kind, and charity implied in addition to
these, a high appreciation and esteem for the goodness of the beloved. All
this we will learn from the Mother of true love, who is called by that name
precisely because her love possesses all these qualities. In Her we learn to
love God for his own sake, resting satisfied in Him with all our heart; to
give Him a separate place in all our love from all that is not God, for
loving Him, together with other things, only diminishes our love of God. We
learn to appreciate Him and esteem Him above gold and above all precious
things, for in comparison with Him all precious things are of no value, all
beauty is ugliness, and all that is great and estimable in carnal eyes,
becomes contemptible and valueless. Of the effects of this love of the most
holy Mary, this whole history treats and of them heaven and earth are full.
Therefore I will not stay to describe more particularly what no human
tongue, nor words of men or angels can convey.
INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN ME BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
529. My daughter, if I
desire in maternal affection, that thou follow me and imitate me in all the
other virtues, then more especially do I make known and declare to thee my
desire to see thee follow me in the virtue of charity, for this is the end
and the crowning glory of all other virtues. I desire that thou exert thy
utmost powers to copy in thy soul, with the greatest perfection, all that
thou hast learnt of my charity. Light up the lamp of thy faith and reason in
order to find this drachm of infinite value, and after thou hast (Luke 15,
8) found it, forget and despise all that is earthly and corruptible. In thy
own mind consider again and again, ponder and take heed of the infinite
reasons and causes that make God lovable above all other things. In order
that thou mayest be sure that thou lovest Him perfectly and truly, search
within thyself for the following signs and effects of that love; whether thy
thought and meditation dwell continually on God, whether his commands and
counsel find in thee no repugnance or remissness, whether thou fearest to
offend Him, whether thou seekest immediately to appease Him after having
offended Him, whether thou grievest to see Him offended and rejoicest to see
Him served by all creatures, whether thou desirest and art delighted to
speak continually of his love; see whether thou delightest in the memory of
his presence, whether thou grievest at thy forgetfulness of Him and at his
absence from thee, whether thou lovest what He loves, and abhorrest what He
abhors, whether thou seekest to draw all men towards his friendship and
grace, whether thou prayest with confidence; see whether thou receivest with
gratitude his benefits, whether thou dost not waste them but rather turnst
them to good account for his honor and glory, whether thou strivest to
extinguish in thyself all the movements of the passions, which retard thee
or hinder thee in thy loving aspirations and in thy works of virtue.
530. All these and many
more are the signs of greater or less charity in the soul. When charity is
ardent and strong, it will be especially careful not to suffer the forces of
the soul to remain idle, nor to consent to any blemish, because it will
immediately consume and wipe it out. It will not rest until it can taste the
highest Good of its love. For without it, this love droops, is wounded and
dies. It thirsts after that wine which inebriates the heart, causing a
forgetfulness of all that is corruptible and passing (Cant. 5, 1). And as
charity is the mother and the root of all virtue, its fecundity will
immediately show itself as soon as it has found a place in the soul; it will
fill it and adorn it with the habits of the other virtues, and engender them
one after another by establishing the practice of them, as the Apostle says
(I Cor. 13, 4). The soul that is in charity not only feels the effects of
charity in itself, but through charity it is secure of being loved by God;
through this divine love, it enjoys the reciprocal effect of God's
indwelling, so that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost will come and
live in it as their temple, and this is a blessing which no words and no
example can properly express in this mortal life.
531. The right order of
this virtue is to love God above all the creatures, then to love oneself,
and him who is nearest to oneself, namely, our neighbor. God must be loved
with the whole understanding, without deceit, with the whole will, without
reserve or division, with the whole mind, without forgetfulness, without
diminution, without negligence or remissness. The motive of charity in
loving God is none else than God Himself; for He must be loved for his own
sake, being the highest Good and most perfect goodness and holiness. Loving
God for such motives causes the creature to love itself and the neighbor and
itself; for both belong to one and the same God, from whom they derive their
origin, their life and activity. He that loves God truly for Himself will
also love all that is of God and all that in some way participates in his
goodness. Therefore charity looks upon the neighbor as a work and a
participation of God and makes no distinction between friend or enemy.
Charity looks only upon that which is of God and which pertains to Him in
others, no matter whether the neighbor is friendly or hostile, a benefactor
or a persecutor. It attends only to the difference in the participation of
the divine and infinite goodness and according to this standard it loves all
in God and for God.
532. All other kinds of
love, such as loving creatures for less exalted motives, hoping for some
kind of reward, advantage or return, or loving them under cover of
disorderly concupiscence, or with a mere human and natural love, even if it
should spring from naturally virtuous and well ordered motives, are not
infused charity. As it is usual in men to be moved by these partial
excellences and for selfish and earthly ends, there are few who embrace and
appreciate the nobility of this generous virtue and who exercise it with
proper perfection. For they seek even God and pursue Him, for the sake of
temporal blessings, or for spiritual benefits and pleasures. I desire that
thou, my daughter, drive out of thy heart all these disorderly loves, and
that thou live only in well ordered charity, to which the Most High has
inclined thy desires. If thou so many times reaffirmest that this virtue is
so beautiful, so pleasing and so worthy of being sought and esteemed by all
creatures, apply thyself to know it in its full excellence; and having come
to understand its value, set thyself to purchase this incomparable gem by
forgetting and extinguishing in thy heart all love that is not the perfect
love. Love no creatures except for God, and for what thou seest in them as
coming from God and belonging to Him, in the same manner as a bride loves
all the servants and connections of the house of her bridegroom because they
are his. Forget to love anything not referable to God or not lovable on his
account, nor love in any other way except as I have asked thee or the Most
High has commanded thee to love. Thou wilt also know whether thou lovest
with pure charity, by thy behavior towards friends and enemies, the
naturally agreeable and disagreeable, the polite and the impolite, those
that possess or do not possess natural advantages. All this sort of
distinction does not come from pure charity, but from the natural
inclinations and passions of the appetites, which thou must govern,
extinguish and eradicate by means of this sublime virtue.
CHAPTER IX.
OF THE VIRTUE. OF PRUDENCE AS PRACTICED BY
THE MOST HOLY QUEEN OF H£AVEN.
533. As the acts of the
understanding go before the acts of the will and direct them on the way, the
virtues pertaining to the exercise of the understanding also precede those
of the will. Although the proper sphere of the intellect is to recognize the
truth and comprehend it, thereby perhaps causing a doubt whether it can be
classed as a virtue (for virtue of its very nature consists in tending
toward and practicing the good) ; yet it is certain that there are also
intellectual virtues, the practice of which is praiseworthy in proportion as
they conform to reason and truth; for these are the proper good of the
intellect. When therefore it proposes truth to the will and instructs the
will to follow its guidance, then this act of the intellect is theologically
good, when matters of faith are concerned, and morally good when, as for
instance in the exercise of prudence, the operations of the appetites are
regulated. On this account the virtue of prudence comes first as pertaining
to the proper use of the understanding. It is as it were the root of the
other cardinal and moral virtues; for these others are praiseworthy when
accompanied by prudence, and faulty and reprehensible when devoid of it.
534. The sovereign Queen
Mary possessed this virtue of prudence in supreme excellence and in
proportion to the height of her other virtues already described and yet to
be described. On account of her wonderful prudence the Church calls her the
"Virgin most prudent." As this virtue governs all the others and as this
whole history treats of the exercise of these virtues in the most holy Mary,
all of what little I can say and manifest of this sea of prudence will be
nothing else than a continual implied reference to her prudence, and all her
works will show the splendor of this virtue. Therefore I will speak here
more in general of the prudence of the sovereign Queen, exhibiting the
different parts and qualities of prudence as taught us by teachers and
saints, in order that we may thereby obtain a better understanding of it in
her regard.
535. Of the three kinds
of prudence called political, purgative and that of a soul already purified
or perfect, none was wanting in our Queen and they were hers in the highest
degree. For, although all her faculties were most pure and perfect, or in
other words, had no need of being purified from any faultiness or opposition
to virtue, yet they could be improved as regards the natural knowledge and
in as far as the progress from goodness and holiness to greatest goodness
and holiness was concerned. This must be understood of course only of her
own works, as far as they are compared with each other, and not in as far as
they are brought into comparison with the works of others. For in comparison
with the works of other saints there was no great or small in this City of
God, whose foundations are above the holy mountains. But in her own works,
since they grew in charity and grace from the first moment of her
Conception, some of them, though in themselves most perfect and superior to
all the works of the saints, were less perfect in comparison with other acts
of a later period in her life.
536. Political prudence
in general is that which ponders and weighs all that is to be done and
reduces it to the dictates of reason, eschewing all that is not just and
good. The purgative or purifying prudence is that which disposes and selects
all things in such a way as to rectify the heart by divine contemplation
toward all celestial things. The prudence of the purified or perfect soul is
that which directs and centres all the affections upon the highest Good, as
if no other object existed. All these kinds of prudence existed in most holy
Mary in order that She might distinguish and know without fail, direct and
accomplish without remissness or tardiness, whatever is most perfect and
excellent in the fulfillment of her works. Never did the judgment of this
sovereign Lady in the whole range of her activity, dictate or attach itself
to anything which was not the best and most proper. No one ever equaled Her
in disposing and directing all visible or worldly matters so as to make them
useful for divine contemplation. Therefore having perceived them so
intimately and in so many different lights of knowledge, She was united in
such a manner to the highest Good by divine love that no preoccupation or
hindrance ever prevented Her from resting completely in the centre of her
love.
537. It is manifest also
that all the component parts of prudence existed in their entirety in our
Queen. The first is memory, which retains in the mind things already
experienced in the past. From past experiences are drawn many rules for
proceeding and acting in the present and in the future; because prudence
concerns itself with particular actions, and as there cannot be a general
rule for all of them, it is necessary to draw special rules from many past
examples and experiences stored up in the memory. Our Sovereign was so
endowed with it that She never experienced the natural defect of
forgetfulness; for that which once She had understood and learnt, was ever
present and immovable in her memory. In regard to this blessing most pure
Mary transcended the whole human and even the angelic order, because God
made Her a summary of all that was most perfect in both of them. She
contained in Herself all the essential goodness of the human nature and all
that was most perfect and the farthest removed from blemish in the
accidental qualities of man; and many of the natural and many of the
supernatural gifts of the angelic nature She possessed by special privilege
and in a higher degree than the angels themselves. One of these gifts was a
fixed and constant memory, incapable of forgetting what She had learnt. In
regard to her memory She excelled the angels in the same proportion as She
excelled them in the virtue of prudence.
538. Only in one respect
this blessing was limited in a mysterious manner by the humble purity of the
most holy Mary: if the images of all things were to be fixed in the memory,
it was unavoidable, that also much that springs from the vileness and
sinfulness of creatures, should fill its sacred precincts. Therefore the
most humble and pure Princess besought the Lord that the full gift of memory
should not extend itself toward the preservation of these images, but only
in so far as was necessary for the exercise of fraternal charity towards her
neighbor and for the practice of other virtues. The Most High granted this
petition more in testimony of her most humble purity than on account of any
danger, to which these images could expose Her; for the sun is not harmed by
the impurities which it may shine upon, nor are the angels disturbed by our
vileness, since to the pure all things are pure (Tit. 1, 15). But in this
regard the Lord of the angels wished to privilege his Mother more than them;
He wished to tolerate in her memory only those images which pertain to the
highest sanctity, honesty, cleanliness and the most amiable purity, and what
was most pleasing to Himself. Thus her most holy soul, in regard to these
things, was without blemish, and her memory was adorned with the
representations of all that is most pure and desirable.
539. Another component
part of the virtue of prudence is the intelligence which principally
concerns itself with what is to be done in the present moment. It is a
correct and profound understanding of the reasons and the principles,
according to which virtuous actions are to be performed. It reduces this
understanding into action, not only in so far as to give a comprehensive
knowledge of the excellence of virtue in general, but also in so far as to
direct our activity in the proper channel for performing there and then each
particular work in a virtuous and perfect manner. Thus when I have a deep
understanding of the precept: "Do nothing unto others what thou wishest not
to be done unto thyself," I will at once know that I shall not do this or
that particular injury, because it would seem a wrong if done to me or some
one else. This kind of intelligence most holy Mary possessed in so much the
higher degree than all the rest of creatures, as She exceeded them in
knowledge of the moral virtues, in profound penetration regarding infallible
rectitude, and in participation of the divine righteousness. In the light of
this intelligence, derived from the splendors of the Divinity itself, there
could be no deceit, no ignorance, no doubt, no mere opinions, as is the case
with other creatures. For She understood and penetrated all the truths, both
in their general and their particular bearings, and especially as far as
their practical application in the matter of virtue is concerned, seeing
them as they are in themselves. Thus it must be held that this part of
prudence was hers in an unequalled fullness and plenitude.
540. The third component
part of prudence is called providence. It is the most important of all the
parts of prudence, for in human actions it is most important that the
present be well ordered toward the future, so that all things may be rightly
adjusted. This is effected by providence. Our Lady and Queen practiced this
part of prudence in a degree even more excellent (if possible) than all the
other parts of prudence; for besides the vivid memory of the past and the
profound understanding of things present, She had an unerring knowledge and
understanding of things to come, to which her providence extended itself.
With this knowledge and infused science She so arranged all happenings that
they were a preparation for the future and nothing could come upon Her
unawares or by surprise. All things were by Her foreseen, considered and
weighed beforehand in the sanctuary of her mind, illumined by infused light.
Thus without a shade of doubt or uncertainty, such as is the lot of other
men, She awaited the events before their arrival with unerring certitude, so
that for all things She found a place, a time and opportune circumstances
directing them all toward the Good.
541. These three parts
of prudence comprehend the activity of the intellect in the practice of this
virtue, for they secure the good order of our actions in regard to past, the
present and the future. However, when we consider this virtue under another
aspect, namely in so far as it perceives the proper means for the practice
of virtue and directs the will to employ them rightly, the teachers and
philosophers mention five other points or different kind of activities of
prudence, namely; docility, reasonableness, cleverness, circumspection and
caution. Docility is the good judgment and readiness of the creature to be
taught by others better informed than itself, and a disposition not inflated
by its own knowledge, and not resting unduly on its own insight and wisdom.
Reasonableness, or the power of drawing correct inferences, consists in
reasoning without error from generally understood principles to the
particular course of action in each single case. Cleverness is a diligent
attention and practical application of our activity to that which happens,
enabling us to judge rightly and follow the best course of action, just as
docility is attention to the teachings of others. Circumspection is a just
consideration of the circumstances connected with each good work; for it is
not sufficient that the end of our actions be good, but it is necessary to
consider the opportuneness of the circumstances. Cautiousness is a discreet
attention to the dangers or impediments, so that when they occur under cover
of virtue or unexpectedly, we may not be found rash or unprepared.
542. All these
complements of prudence existed in the Queen of heaven without any
faultiness and in their fullest perfection. Docility belonged to Mary as the
legitimate daughter of her incomparable humility; for though She had
received the plenitude of science from the moment of her Immaculate
Conception, and though She was the teacher and the mother of true wisdom,
She nevertheless allowed Herself to be taught by her elders, by her equals
and by those below Her, esteeming Herself as lower than all of them and
seeking to be a disciple of those who in comparison to Her were most
ignorant. This docility She exhibited during all her life like a most simple
dove, disguising her wisdom with a greater prudence than that of the serpent
(Matth. 10, 16). As a Child She accepted instruction from her parents, from
her teacher in the temple, from her companions, and later on from her spouse
saint Joseph, from the Apostles; from all creatures She wished to learn,
being a prodigy of humility, as I have said in another place (No. 406, 472).
543. The reasonableness
or prudent judgment of most holy Mary can be easily inferred from what saint
Luke says of Her: that She kept and pondered in her heart the mysterious
events in the life of her most holy Son. This pondering was the reasoning
which She employed, comparing cause with cause in the order in which they
occurred and happened, and by this comparison She formed for Herself most
prudent counsels, which enabled Her to act with the perfection peculiar to
Her. Although She very often understood many things without the discourse of
reasoning by a simple intuition and intelligence which exceeded all human
understanding; yet, as far as the actual exercise of the virtues was
concerned, She applied this process of reasoning from the abstract
principles of virtue to her own practice of them.
544. In regard to
cleverness and diligent application of the rules of prudence the sovereign
Lady also was highly privileged; for She was not weighed down by the heavy
load of human passion and corruption, and thus She felt not our languors and
tardiness in her faculties, but She was always alert, ready and very
skillful in noticing and attending to all that was necessary to come to a
correct and wholesome conclusion in the performance of virtuous actions, and
in striking, readily and quickly, the happy medium of virtue in her doings.
Equally admirable was most holy Mary in her circumspection; for all her
works were so accomplished that no point of perfection was missing, and all
of them stand forth in the highest perfection possible. And as the greater
part of her actions were works of charity towards the neighbor, and all of
them most opportune; therefore in all her teaching, admonishing, consoling,
beseeching and correcting of her neighbor, the efficacious sweetness of her
reasonable and pleasing-manners met with its full success.
545. The last complement
of prudence, called cautiousness, which meets and evades the impediments of
virtue, was necessarily also possessed by the Queen of angels in a greater
perfection than by these spirits; for her exalted wisdom and the love which
accompanied it, incited Her to such caution and foresight, that no event
which might be an impediment in the exercise of the most perfect virtue,
found Her unprepared and un-provided with a counter remedy. And since the
enemy, as will be described later on, not being able to find any hold in her
passions, exerted himself so much in placing elaborate and unheard of
obstacles in her way, the most prudent Virgin had occasion to practice this
caution many times, thereby exciting the wonder of the Apostles. On account
of the cautious discretion of the most holy Mary the demon pursued Her with
a terrified wrath and envy, burning with a desire to know by what power She
foiled such powerful machinations and cunning snares as he devised in order
to hinder or draw Her away. For in every instance he was vanquished and had
to be witness of the most perfect exercise of all that is virtuous in all
her undertakings and works.
546. After having
mentioned and described the parts and complements of prudence, let us also
examine the different species or kinds, into which it can be divided,
according to the object or the ends to which it is applied. Prudence can be
used either in our own actions and affairs, or for the affairs of others,
and thus arise two kinds of prudence, directing the activity which concerns
ourselves, and that which concerns our neighbors. That which governs one's
own particular activity is called enarchic prudence, and in reference to the
Queen of heaven, it is not necessary to say more in proof of her having
exercised this kind of prudence, than what has already been said above about
the manner in which She regulated her own life. The prudence which regulates
the government of others is called pollyarchic ; this is subdivided into
four kinds, according to four different ways of governing others. The first
kind is that which facilitates the government of countries by just and
useful laws; it is proper to kings, princes and monarchs and of all those
whose authority is supreme. The second kind is called the political
prudence, which has its name from the fact that it teaches the right
government of cities or republics. The third is called economical prudence,
which shows how to govern and manage domestic affairs of the family or
particular homes. The fourth is military prudence, which is adapted to
prosecution of wars and management of armies.
547. None of these
different kinds of prudence was wanting in our great Queen. All were given
to Her as habits in the instant of her Conception and of her sanctification
so that no grace, no virtue, no perfection which might exalt and beautify
Her above all creatures, might be wanting in Her. The Most High made Her an
archive and depositary of all his gifts, an example to all the rest of
creation thus giving an exhibition of his power and greatness, so that in
the whole heavenly Jerusalem it might be known what He could and would do
for a mere creature. And in Mary these sublime habits of virtue did not lie
idle, for all of them She exercised in the course of her life on many
occasions as they offered themselves. As regards economical prudence it is
well known how incomparable was the government of her domestic affairs,
when living with her
spouse Joseph and with her most holy Son; for in his education and service
She acted with such prudence as was befitting the most occult mystery which
God entrusted to men, as I shall show in another place, according to my
understanding and ability.
548. She exercised also
the governing or monarchical prudence as the sole Empress of the Church,
teaching, advising and directing the sacred Apostles in the primitive
Church, thus helping to lay its foundation and to initiate the laws, rites
and ceremonies most necessary and useful for its propagation and
establishment. Though She obeyed the Apostles in particular matters, and
consulted especially saint Peter as the vicar of Christ and the head of the
Church, and saint John as her chaplain, yet they and all the Christians
asked her advice and followed it in the general and particular matters
relating to the government of the Church. She also taught the Christian
kings and princes who approached Her for counsel; for many of them sought to
know Her after the Ascension of her most holy Son into heaven. Among them
especially can be mentioned the three Kings of the East, when they came to
adore the Child. She explained and instructed them in all that they must
do for their states, with such light and clearness that She was their star
and guide on the way to eternity. They returned to their country
enlightened, consoled and astonished at the wisdom, prudence and sweetness
of the words which they had heard from the mouth of a tender Maiden. In
witness of all the high praise which this Queen deserved in this regard, it
is enough to hear her own words: "By me, kings reign, and law-givers decree
just things, by me princes rule" (Prov.8, 13).
549. Neither was the
political prudence wanting in Her; for She taught the republics and nations,
and the primitive Christians in
particular, how to proceed in public acts and government of their country,
how they must obey kings and secular princes, their prelates and bishops,
how they are to convoke councils, issue the definitions and decrees resolved
upon. Even military prudence found a place in the sovereign Queen, for also
in this direction She was consulted by some of the faithful, and She
instructed and taught them what was required to carry on a just war with
their enemies, so as to conduct them according to the justice and pleasure
of the Lord. Here can also be mentioned the courage and prudence with which
this powerful Lady vanquished the prince of darkness, teaching us thereby
how we must battle with him; for She overcame him by an exalted wisdom and
prudence, greater than that shown by David in his combat with the giant, or
by Judith with Holofernes, or by Esther with Aman (I Kings, 17, 50, Judith
13, 10, Esth. 7, 6). Even if all these kinds of prudence had not been needed
for the actions mentioned, yet it was proper, that this Mother of wisdom,
aside of their being befitting ornaments of her most holy soul, should
possess them on account of her being the Mediatrix and sole Advocate of this
world. For as She was to procure by her intercession all the blessings,
which God would bestow upon the human race, and since none of them were to
be granted without her intercession, it was necessary, that She should know
perfectly all the virtues, which She was to obtain for men, and that these
blessings, next to God, their uncreated beginning, should flow from Her as
from an original source.
550. There are other
helps, which are attached to the virtue of prudence and which are called
potential parts, being as it were instruments with which prudence works.
They are, synesis, or the aptitude and readiness to form sane judgments;
eubulia, the faculty of giving and suggesting good counsel; gnome, which
teaches what exceptions can justly be made to general rules; and this latter
is necessary for the use of epikeia, which enables us to judge what
particular cases are to be decided by rules higher than the ordinary. All
these perfections and excellences adorned the prudence of most holy Mary, so
that no one could give such unerring counsel in all possible contingencies,
nor could anyone, not even the most exalted angel, form such correct
judgment in all things as She. Above all was our most prudent Queen skilled
in the higher principles and rules of action, and such as were above the
ordinary and common laws; but it would require a long discourse even to
mention the instances here: many of them will be understood in the sequel of
this history of her most holy life. In order to conclude this chapter on the
prudence of the blessed Virgin, it is only necessary to say, that the rule
by which it is to be measured, is none else than the prudence of the soul of
Christ, our Lord; for it was conformed and assimilated entirely to his,
since She was to be the Coadjutrix in all the works of wisdom and prudence,
performed by the Lord of all creation and Savior of the world.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY THE QUEEN OF
HEAVEN.
551. My daughter, I
wish, that all that thou hast written and that thou hast understood in this
chapter, be to thee an instruction and a reminder of what, I have taught
thee for the government of thy actions. Write in thy heart and fix in thy
mind the memory of all that thou hast learnt of my prudence in all that I
have thought, desired and executed. Let this light guide thee through the
midst of the darkness of human ignorance, so that thou mayst not
be disturbed or confounded by the luring passions, nor especially by the
malice and snares laid thee by the watchful malice of thy enemies, seeking
to infect thy understanding. Not to be endowed with all the perfections of
prudence, is not culpable in the creature; but to be negligent in learning
the rules of prudence after having been instructed how to attain this
knowledge, is a serious fault and the cause of many mistakes and errors in
the conduct of affairs. On account of this negligence the passions
countermand, impede, and obstruct the dictates of prudence. This is
especially the case with disorderly sorrow and excessive enjoyment, which
are apt to pervert the just estimation of good or bad. Thence arise two
dangerous vices: precipitation in our actions, impelling us to undertake
things without considering the proper means of success, and inconstancy in
our good resolutions and in the works once begun. Ungoverned anger or
indiscreet fervor, both cause us to be precipitate or remiss in many of our
exterior actions, because they are performed without proper moderation and
counsel. Hasty judgment and want of firmness in pursuing the good, cause the
soul imprudently to desist from its laudable enterprise; for it gives easy
admittance to that, which is opposed to the true good, and is highly
pleased, now with the true goodness, then again with what is but apparent
and deceitful or is presented by the passions or by the demon.
552. Against all these
dangers I wish to see thee watchful and provident; and thou wilt be so, if
thou attend to the example, which I gave thee in my life, and if thou obey
the instructions and counsels of thy spiritual guides; for without them thou
must do nothing, if thou wishest to proceed with docile discretion. Be
assured, that the Most High will give thee plentiful wisdom; for a pure submissive and
docile heart will draw from Him superabundant aid. Keep in mind always the
misfortune of the imprudent and foolish virgins, who, in their thoughtless
negligence, rejected wise counsel and cast aside fear, instead of being
solicitous; and when afterwards they sought to make up for it, they found
the portal of salvation closed against them (Matth. 25, 12). See to it,
therefore, my daughter, that thou unite the simplicity of the dove with the
prudence of the serpent, and then thy works shall be perfect.
CHAPTER
X.
OF THE VIRTUE OF
JUSTICE, AS PRACTICED BY MOST HOLY MARY.
553. The great virtue of
justice is most necessary for the exercise of the love of God and man, and
therefore also for all human conversation and intercourse. It is a habit by
which the will is urged to give to each one what belongs to him, and its
object matter is the just and equitable dealing, which must be observed
toward God. And as there are so many occasions in which man can exercise or
violate this equity, and in so many different ways, the range of application
of this virtue is very wide and diffused, and there are many different
species or kinds of justice. In as far as it concerns the public and common
good, it is called legal justice; in so far as it influences all the other
virtues, it is called a general virtue, although it does not partake of the
nature of the rest. In so far however as justice is employed for one
determined object and by individuals to preserve the rights of each, it is
called particular or special justice.
554. This virtue, in all
its parts or kinds, the Empress of heaven exercised toward all creatures in
an eminent degree; for She alone knew by her greater enlightenment, all its
obligations and comprehended them perfectly. Although this virtue does not
directly have anything to do with the natural passions, as is the case with
fortitude and temperance, yet in many instances, precisely on account of the
failure to moderate and regulate the passions, justice toward the neighbor
is set aside. This happens with those, who
out of disorderly covetousness or lust usurp what does not belong to them.
But as in the most holy Mary there were no disorderly passions nor any
ignorance of proper measure to be maintained according to justice, She
fulfilled all justice toward each person, and showed the way of justice to
all who were privileged to hear from her mouth the words and doctrine of
eternal life. As far as legal justice is concerned, She not only observed it
to the letter by obeying the common laws, as She did in the purification and
other prescriptions of the old Law, although, on account of being the Queen
and free from sin, She was exempt from them; but no one except her most holy
Son, ever advanced so much as She the public and common good of mortals. For
toward this end She directed all her virtues and operations, earning thereby
the divine mercy for mankind and benefiting her neighbor in many other ways.
555. Also the
distributive and commutative justice belonged to most holy Mary in a heroic
degree. Distributive justice regulates the distribution of the common goods
to individual persons. This justice her Highness observed in many affairs,
which were left to her authority and management in the primitive Chuch: as
for instance in the distribution of the common property for the sustenance
and other necessities of each person. Although She never distributed money,
(for that She never handled), yet She gave her orders and at other times her
counsel for its just application. On these and similar occasions, She always
acted up to strict equity and justice, according to the necessities and the
circumstances of each one's condition. The same She also observed in the
distribution of offices and ministerial dignities among the Apostles and the
first children of the Church in their meetings and assemblies.
All these things this most wise Teacher ordered and arranged with perfect
equity; for besides her ordinary knowledge and insight into the dispositions
of each of her subjects, She made use of prayer and of the divine
enlightenment. On this account the Apostles and others, whom She governed,
had recourse to Her for direction and counsel, and whatever was done under
her direction, was disposed of in perfect equity and without acceptation of
persons.
556. Commutative justice
procures reciprocal equality in that which is given and received by
individuals; as for instance observing the rule: to offer gift for gift,
etc., or value for value. This kind of justice the Queen of heaven had fewer
opportunities of exercising, than other virtues; for She never bought or
sold anything for Herself. If it was necessary to buy or commute any
article, it was done by the patriarch saint Joseph, while he lived, and
afterwards by saint John the evangelist, or some of the Apostles. The Master
of sanctity, who came to destroy and eradicate avarice (I Tim. 6, 10) the
root of all evil, wished to remove from Himself and from his most holy
Mother all those negotiations and transactions, in which the fire of human
covetousness is enkindled and preserved. Therefore his Providence ordained,
that neither his own hand nor that of his purest Mother should be soiled by
the transactions of human commerce in buying and selling, even if only of
things necessary for the preservation of human life. However the Queen did
not omit to teach men this virtue of commutative justice, directing in the
way of perfect justice all those, who in the apostolate and primitive Church
were engaged in such affairs.
557. This virtue of
justice comprises also other kinds of activity in regard to the neighbor,
such as judging others in the public and
civil courts, or in private. Our Savior refers to the contrary vice, when he
says in saint Matthew: "Judge not that you may not be judged" (Matt. 7, 1).
These judgments are formed by each one according to the estimate which is in
his own mind: therefore they are just judgments, if they are conformable to
reason, and unjust, if they disagree with it. Our sovereign Queen never
exercised the office of a public or civil judge, although She had the power
to be the judge of all the universe; but by her most equitous counsels
during the time of her life, and afterwards through her intercession, She
fulfilled what was written about Her in the proverbs: "I walk in the paths
of justice and through me the mighty decree justice" (Prov. 8,20, 16.)
558. As regards
particular judgments no injustice ever could find a place in the most pure
heart of most holy Mary; for She could never be imprudent in her suspicions,
or rash in her judgments, nor was She troubled by doubts; nor, if She had
any, would She ever decide them unkindly for the worse part. These vices of
injustice are proper and natural as it were to the children of Adam, who are
dominated and enslaved by the disorderly passions of hate, envy, illnatured
emulation, and other evil inclinations. From these bad roots sprout unjust
suspicions with slight foundations, rash judgments and prejudiced solution
of doubts; for each one easily presumes in his brother his own faults;
Because they are filled with hate and envy at the prosperity of their
neighbor, and rejoice at his misfortune, they lightly give belief, where
there are no grounds, only yielding to their bad desires, and allowing their
judgments to drift in accordance with their wishes. From all these
consequences of sin our Queen was free, as She had no part in sin: all was
charity, purity, sanctity and perfect love, whatever entered or came from the
sanctuary of her heart: in Her was all the grace of truth and the way of
life (Eccli. 24, 25). In the plenitude of her sanctity and science She
doubted nothing, She suspected nothing; for She was aware of all the secrets
hidden in the hearts of men and searched their souls with the light of
truth and mercy, not suspecting evil and never attributing blame, where none
was due. On the contrary She was solicitous to excuse the sins of men, in
justice and equity yielding to each and every one his dues. Her most earnest
desire was to fill all men with the sweetness and the graciousness of her
virtues.
559. In the two
different kinds of commutative and distributive justice there are contained
many other kinds or species of virtues, but I will only refer to them in so
far as to say, that all of them, both as habits and as acts, were possessed
by the most holy Mary in the highest and most excellent degree. Some of
these virtues are related to justice, because they are exercised in our
intercourse with our neighbor and partake to a certain extent, though not in
all their bearings, of the nature of justice; either because we are unable
to pay fully what we owe, or because, if we are able, the debt or obligation
is not so strict as that which is incurred by commutative or distributive
justice. I will not enter upon a full explanation of these virtues, since
they are various and numerous; but in order not to pass them over entirely,
I will give a short summary, so as to show how our Sovereign and most high
Princess was adorned with all of them.
560. It is a just
obligation to give worship and reverence to those, who are placed above us.
According to the greatness of their excellence and their dignity and
according to the benefits which we receive at their hands, varies also our
obligation and the reverence which we owe them, although no return on our
part can equal the benefit or the dignity. The first virtue of this kind is
that of religion, by which we give to God due worship and reverence, though
his magnificence and his gifts exceed infinitely all that we will ever be
able to return in thanks or praise. Among the moral virtues this one is the
most noble on account of its object, namely the worship of God, and its
subject matter is as extensive as there are ways and means of directly
praising and reverencing God. In this virtue of religion are comprehended
all the interior acts of prayer, contemplation and devotion, with all their
parts, conditions, causes, effects and purposes. Among exterior actions,
latria, which is the supreme outward adoration due only to God, falls under
this head, and with it also all its different kinds of parts, namely:
sacrifices, oblations, tithes and vows, oaths, exterior and vocal offering
of praise. For in all these actions, if they are performed in the proper
manner, God is honored and reverenced by the creatures, just as He is very
much offended in the contrary vices.
561. The second virtue
falling under the above class is piety, by which we are inclined to honor
our parents, to whom after God we owe our being and our education. By it we
also show proper regard for those, who participate in a manner of the
quality of parents, such as for instance our relatives, or our country,
which sustains and governs us. This virtue is so important, that we must
prefer its dictates to the acts of supererogation in the virtue of religion.
So Christ the Lord teaches us in saint Matthew, when He reprehended the
pharisees for setting aside piety toward their parents under the pretext of
the worship of God. In the third place must be mentioned veneration, which
inclines us to give honor and reverence to those,
who possess some superior excellence or dignity of a different kind from
that of our parents or fatherland. This virtue the doctors divide into two
kinds: dulia and obedience. Dulia is the veneration due to those who
participate to a certain measure in the majesty and dominion of the highest
Lord God, to whom is due, as we said above, the worship of adoration or
latria, Therefore we honor the saints by the reverence called dulia, and
likewise those in the higher dignities, to whom we subject ourselves as
servants. Obedience is the subjection of our will, inducing us to do the
will of our superior in preference to our own. Our free will is so
estimable, that this virtue is admirable and excellent above all the moral
virtues; for the sacrifice is greater than in any other.
562. These three virtues
of religion, piety and veneration (observantia) were possessed by Mary in
such great plenitude and perfection, that nothing possible pertaining to
them was wanting. What intellect can ever comprehend the honor, veneration
and worship with which this Lady served her most beloved Son, adoring Him as
true God and Man, as Creator, Redeemer, Glorifier, the Highest, the
Infinite, the Immense in essence, in goodness and in all attributes? She
knew more of Him than any other creature and more than all of them together;
and according to her knowledge She rendered due honor, teaching even the
Seraphim how to reverence Him. In this virtue She was so great a Teacher,
that merely to see Her was sufficient to rouse, urge and incite all by a
secret force to worship the supreme Lord and Author of heaven and earth; and
without any other effort on her part She induced many to praise God. Her
prayers, contemplations and devotions, together with the wonderful effects
and the power of her intercession, are known to all the angels and saints, but
cannot be comprehended by them, exciting their endless admiration. To Her
all the intellectual creatures are indebted, since She satisfied and made
recompense not only for that which they have culpably neglected in this
regard, but also for that which they could never attain, or execute, or
merit. This Lady outraced the salvation of the world, and if She had not
been in it, the eternal Word would not have issued from the bosom of the
Father. She excelled the seraphim from her first instant in contemplation,
in prayer, in petition, and in devout promptitude for the service of God.
She offered the proper sacrifice, gave oblations and tithes; and all this in
such a perfect manner, that nothing on the part of men was more acceptable
next to that of her most holy Son. In the ceaseless praise, hymns, canticles
and vocal prayers, which She offered, She was above all the Patriarchs and
Prophets; and if in the Church militant Her doings were known as in the
Church triumphant, they would be the admiration of the world.
563. The virtues of
piety and veneration her Majesty exercised in proportion as She knew how to
estimate better her obligation toward her parents and their heroic sanctity.
The same was true in regard to her relations. For instance, She procured
special graces for John the Baptist and his mother, for holy Elisabeth and
some others in the apostolate. Certainly, if her fatherland had not been
made unworthy of favor by the ingratitude and hardheartedness of its
inhabitants, She would have made it the most fortunate country on earth;
nevertheless, in as far as the Most High permitted, She conferred upon it
great benefits and favors, both spiritual and material. In reverence toward
the priests She was admirable, for She alone knew and could set proper value
on the dignity of the annointed of the Lord. She has taught us all in this
matter, and also how to
honor the Patriarchs, Prophets and Saints, as well as the temporal masters
and those in authority. She omitted no act pertaining to these virtues,
being solicitous according to time and opportunity to instruct others in the
exercise of them, especially the first faithful in the establishment of the
evangelical Church. There, obeying not any more the verbal commands of her
most holy Son, or of her husband, but submitting to her Son's substitutes,
She became an example to the world of a new kind of obedience; for in those
times, not She owed obedience to any creature, but the whole earth, in an
especial manner, owed obedience to Her, since She was staying upon it as its
Queen and Mistress for the very purpose of governing it.
564. There are other
virtues, which can also be classed under the head of justice; for they
dispose us to yield to others that which we owe them on account of some
moral obligation, founded upon an honest and just title. These virtues are:
gratitude or thankfulness, truth or veracity, vindication, liberality,
friendship or affability. By gratitude we create a certain equality of
ourselves with those from whom we have received benefits giving them thanks
in return, according to the nature of the benefits and the kindness, with
which they were bestowed (which after all is the most valuable part of the
benefit). The grateful also take into account the position and dignity of
the benefactor. Gratitude bears in mind all these elements and can be manifested in different ways. Veracity inclines us to be truthful in all our
intercourse, as is proper in human life and conversation, avoiding all
lying, (which is never allowed), deceitful simulation, hypocrisy,
boastfulness and irony. These vices are all opposed to truth; and though it
is possible and even advisable to minimize when we are speaking of our own
excellence or virtue in order not to
offend by boasting, yet it is not right to do so by telling a falsehood,
imputing vice to ourselves untruthfully. Vindication is a virtue, which
teaches us to recompense or make up for damage done by ourselves or by the
neighbor, satisfying for it by some punishment. Among mortals the practice
of this virtue is difficult; for they are so much moved by immoderate anger
and dislike of their brethren, and so tardy in charity and justice, this
vindication of the particular or general wellbeing is no unimportant virtue.
Christ our Lord made use of this virtue, when He expelled from the temple
those, who desecrated it by their irreverence (John 2, 15) ; Elias and
Eliseus drew down fire from heaven in order to chastise some sins (IV King
1, 20) ; and in the Proverbs it is said: "He that spareth the rod hateth his
son" (Prov. 13, 24). Liberality or generosity serves to distribute in a
reasonable manner money or other goods, without falling into the vices of
prodigality or niggardliness. Friendship or affability consists in
conversing and acting in a decent and becoming manner toward all, without
quarreling or flattery, which are the vices opposed to friendship.
565. None of these
virtues, nor any others which might be related to justice, were wanting to
the Queen of heaven; of all these She had the habit and practiced them as
occasion offered. Moreover as the Teacher and Mistress of all sanctity She
instructed and enlightened many souls how they were to exercise and practice
them with the greatest perfection. The virtue of gratitude toward God She
exercised by acts of religion and worship, as we have already described: for
this is the best way to show our gratitude toward Him: and as the dignity of
the most pure Mary and her concomitant sanctity was exalted above all
created understanding, this eminent Mistress gave a return of gratitude
proportionate to his benefits within the measure
possible to a creature. The same holds true in regard to her piety toward
her parents and her country, as mentioned above. To her fellowmen this most
humble Princess returned thanks for each favor as if She deserved no
consideration from anyone; and, although all favors were due to Her in
justice, She nevertheless gave thanks for them with gracious affability. She
alone knew and practiced this virtue to such an extent, as to return thanks
for injuries and offenses as if they were great benefits; for in her
incomparable humility She never recognized anything as an injury and
considered Herself under obligation for what really were such. Moreover, as
She never forgot any benefit, She also never ceased in her gratitude.
566. About the
truthfulness of Mary our Lady, little need be said, since She who was so
superior to the demon, the father of lies and deceit, could not tolerate
even the shadow of that despicable vice. The standard, by which the virtue
of truthfulness is to be measured in our Queen, is her dove-like charity
and simplicity, which excluded all duplicity or deceit in her intercourse
with creatures. And how could the guilt of deceit be found in the mouth of
that Lady, who with one word of truest humility falling from her lips drew
down to her womb that One, who is essential truth and holiness? In regard to
the exercise of the virtue called vindication the most holy Mary likewise
was proficient: not only instructing others as a Teacher during the time of
the first beginnings of the evangelical Church; but zealously advancing the
honor of the Most High and trying to convert many sinners through fraternal
correction, as was the case in regard to Judas many times, and commanding
the creatures, (which were obedient to her wishes), to punish some of the
sinners in order that they might be converted and be saved from the eternal
punishment due to their sins. Although on these
occasions She was most sweet and kind in her punishments, yet She did not
remit them, whenever necessary to secure an effective cleansing from sin.
Most of all however did She exercise retribution toward the demon, in order
to free the human race from his slavery.
567. The sovereign Queen
practiced also the most exalted liberality and friendliness. Her generosity
in giving and distributing was on a scale befitting the Empress of all
creation and one who knows the proper value of all invisible and visible
things. This Lady never possessed anything of her own that She did not
consider just as much the property of her neighbor as hers nor did She ever
deny anything to anybody, not even waiting till they should pay the price of
asking for it, whenever She could be beforehand in giving. The poverty and
miseries which She alleviated, the benefits which She bestowed, the mercies
which flowed from Her, even as regards only temporal matters, could not be
recounted in an immense volume. Her amiable friendliness toward all
creatures was so singular and admirable, that, if She had not concealed it
with rare prudence, She would have drawn to Herself all the world, entranced
by her most sweet intercourse; her mildness and kindness, though tempered by
a divine seriousness and wisdom, displayed in her intercourse the marks of
superhuman excellence. The Most High himself regulated this perfection in
Her, allowing at times some of the signs of the sacrament of the King to
show themselves, but taking care, that the veil should fall immediately and
again conceal the mystery beneath earthly labors, thus forestalling the
applause of men. All their honors were far below that which She deserved,
and men would never be able to attain, and would fall either below or
exceed, the correct measure of honor due to One who was at the same time a
creature and the Mother of God. This was reserved for the time when as
children of the Church,
men should be enlightened by the Catholic faith.
568. For the adequate
and perfect exercise of this great virtue of justice the doctors point out
another part or aid to it, which they call epikeia, which guides us in some
affairs, that are above the common and ordinary rules and laws. For not all
affairs, with their varying circumstances, can be covered by the ordinary
laws, and therefore it is necessary to proceed on certain occasions by the
light of a superior and extraordinary reasoning. This part of justice the
sovereign Queen practiced on many occasions during her life, both before,
and especially after the Ascension of her onlybegotten Son. In order to
regulate the affairs of the primitive Church, as I will say in its place,
She often made use of epikeia, as required by the interests of the Most
High.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED
BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
569. In this extensive virtue of
Justice, my daughter, although thou hast been taught much of its value, thou
still art ignorant of the greater part of it on account of thy condition in
this state of mortality; and therefore also this thy account of it is
insufficient for a full understanding of its excellence. Nevertheless thou
hast in it a copious summary to direct thy intercourse with creatures and
thy worship of the Most High. In regard to this latter I remind thee, my
dearest, that the supreme majesty of the Omnipotent is highly indignant at
the offenses of mortals, who forget the veneration, adoration, and reverence
due to Him. If some of them do render it, it is so coarse, inattentive and
discourteous, that they do not merit reward but chastisement. They revere
and adore profoundly the princes and magnates of the earth; they ask favors
and seek to obtain them with the utmost diligence; they are effusive in
their thanks, when they succeed, protesting their lifelong
gratitude. But the supreme Lord, who gives them being, life and activity,
who preserves and sustains them, who has redeemed them and raised them to
the dignity of sons, who wishes to confer upon them his own glory, who is in
Himself the infinite and the highest Good; Him, the highest Majesty, they
forget, because they cannot see Him with their corporal eyes. As if not all
good came from Him, they return, at the highest, merely a sluggish
remembrance and a hasty thanksgiving. I will not even mention at present,
how much those offend the most just Ruler of the universe, who wickedly
break through and overturn all the order of justice toward their neighbor,
perverting the whole natural order in wishing to their brothers, what they
would not wish for themselves.
570. Abhor, my daughter,
such execrable conduct, and as far as thy forces will allow, make up by thy
works for this want of acknowledgment in the service of the Most High. And
as by thy state of life thou art consecrated to the divine worship, let that
be thy principal occupation and delight, striving to imitate the angelic
spirits in their ceaseless fear and worship of the Lord. Preserve reverence
for holy things, including also the ornaments and sacred vessels used in
divine service. During divine office, prayer, and sacrifice see that thou
remain on thy knees; implore with faith and receive his favors with humble
thanksgiving; the same consideration thou shouldst show also to all men,
even if they offend thee. To all be kind, affable, meek, simple and
truthful; without deceit or double-dealing, without detraction or illwill,
without rash judgment of thy neighbor. And in order that thou mayst fulfill
all justice, revive the memory of it constantly and desire to do to thy
neighbor that which thou wishest done to thyself. Especially remember how my
most holy Son, and I in imitation of Him, acted toward all men.
CHAPTER XI.
THE VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE,
AS PRACTICED BY THE MOST HOLY MARY.
571. The virtue of
fortitude, which is the third of the four cardinal virtues, serves to
moderate the personal activity of each one's choleric affections. Although
it is true that concupiscence precedes irascibility, and therefore
temperance which regulates concupiscence, might seem to precede fortitude,
because the resistance pertaining to fortitude is exerted against that which
opposes concupiscence; nevertheless we must first treat of the activity of
the choleric affections and their moderation through fortitude. For in the
pursuit of that which is desired, success ordinarily depends upon the
intervention of the irascible faculties for overcoming the obstacles that
present themselves. Therefore fortitude is a more noble and excellent virtue
than temperance, of which we shall treat in the following chapter.
572. The moderation of
the irascible passions by the virtue of fortitude is made up of two elements
or kinds of activity: to give way to anger in conformity with reason,
propriety and honor, and to repress unreasonable anger and passion, whenever
it is more useful to restrain than to allow them to act. For as well the one
as the other can be praiseworthy or blamable according to the end in view
and the circumstances of the affair in hand. The first of these two kinds of
operations of this virtue is properly called fortitude, being called by some
teachers pugnacity (bellicositas). The second is called patience, which is the more noble
and excellent kind of fortitude, and is possessed and exercised principally
by the saints: the worldly-minded, throwing aside good judgment and usurping
a false term, are apt to call patience pusillanimity, and miscall
inconsiderate and rash presumption, fortitude. Thus it comes, that they
never attain the true practice of the virtue of fortitude.
573. In most holy Mary
there were no inordinate movements, which could call to activity the
irascible affections for the exercise of fortitude; for in the most innocent
Queen all the passions were well ordered and subject to reason, and her
reason was subject to God, who governed Her in all her actions and
movements. But She was in need of this virtue in order to overcome the
obstacles placed by the devil in diverse ways, seeking to prevent Her from
attaining what She most prudently and most properly desired for Herself and
her most holy Son. And in this most valiant resistance and conflict none of
the creatures ever showed more fortitude. For no one ever encountered such
conflicts and opposition as She from the demon. But whenever it became
necessary to make use of this kind of fortitude or pugnacity with human
creatures, She was equally sweet and forcible, or rather, She was just as
irresistible as She was most sweet in her activity. For this heavenly Lady
alone among all creatures was able to copy so faithfully in her operations
that attribute of the Most High, which unites irresistible power with
heavenly sweetness (Wisdom 8, 1). Thus our Queen proceeded in her actions
with fortitude, knowing no disorderly fear in her generous heart, as She was
superior to all creation. Neither was She rash, or audacious, or immoderate,
being alike removed from all these vicious extremes; for in her great wisdom
She knew what terrors were to be vanquished, and what rashness was to be avoided. Thus She was
the chosen Woman, clothed in the strength of fortitude and beauty (Prov, 31,
25).
574. That part of
fortitude which consists in patient endurance, most holy Mary practiced in a
still more admirable manner, for She alone participated in the excellent
patience of her most holy Son, who bore punishment and suffered innocently
without guilt, and in a greater measure than all those who had contracted
the guilt. The whole life of the sovereign Queen was a continual suffering
and tribulation, especially during the life and passion of our Redeemer,
Jesus Christ. Her patience during this time exceeds the comprehension of all
creatures; and only the Lord who imposed this suffering upon Her, could
worthily understand its greatness. Never was this most pure Dove excited to
the least impatience against any creature, nor did any of the immense
tribulations and sorrows of her life seem great to Her, nor was She ever
dejected on account of them, nor did She fail to accept them all with joy
and gratitude. If, according to the Apostle, the first requisite of charity,
and as it were its firstborn, is patience (I Cor. 13,4) ; and if our Queen
was the Mother of love (Prov. 24, 24), then She was also the Mother of
patience, and her love is the measure of her patience. For in the degree in
which we love and esteem the eternal good, (and we should esteem it above
all visible things), in that degree will we be ready, in order to obtain it
and avoid the loss of it, to suffer all hardships in patience. Hence most
holy Mary in her love was patient beyond all that is created and She was the
Mother of patience for us. Flying to her protection we shall find the tower
of David with its thousand shields of patience pending from it (Cant. 4, 4),
with which the brave ones of the Church and of the militia of Christ our
Lord arm themselves for battle.
575. Our most patient
Queen was never affected by the caprices of feminine inconstancy, nor
indulged in outward signs of anger; all this She restrained by the aid of
divine light and wisdom, although these latter did not do away with pain,
but rather augmented it; for no one could recognize the infinite misfortune
of sins and offenses against God as this Lady. But even so her invincible
heart could not be disturbed: neither the malice of Judas, nor the injuries
and insults of the pharisees could ever cause signs of anger in her
exterior. Although at the death of her most holy Son all the insensible
elements and creatures seemed to have lost patience toward mortals, not
being able to suffer the injuries and offenses done to their Creator, Mary
alone remained unmoved and ready to receive Judas, all the pharisees and
high-priests who crucified Christ, if they had chosen to return to this
Mother of piety and mercy.
576. It is true that,
without thereby passing the bounds of reason or virtue, the most meek Queen
could justly have been indignant and angry at those who delivered over her
most holy Son to such a frightful death; for the Lord himself punished this
sin in his justice. While following up this thought, I was informed, that
the Most High provided against these movements and kept Her free from all
motions and affections of anger, though they would not have been unjust; for
He wished to prevent Her from being the accuser of these sinners, because He
had chosen Her as the Mediatrix and Advocate, the Mother of mercy. Through
Her were to flow all the mercies which He wished to grant to all the
children of Adam. He wished Her to be the one Creature, that could worthily
intercede for sin and temper the wrath of the just Judge. Solely against the
demon the anger of this Lady was given free scope. Also in so far as this
passion was necessary to
exercise patience and forbearance and to overcome the impediments with which
this enemy and ancient serpent obstructed her beneficent course.
577. To this virtue of
fortitude belong also magnanimity and magnificence because they in a manner
partake of the nature of this virtue by giving firmness to the will in
matters relating to fortitude. Magnanimity consists in pursuing great things
and thus striving after the great honors of virtue. Its subject matter is
therefore great honorableness, from which arise many qualities peculiar to
the magnanimous; as for instance to abhor flattery and the pretenses of
hypocrisy, (for to love these is the part of small and mean souls), not to
be covetous, selfishly looking only for usefulness, but rather to seek
honorable and great things; to speak little of one's self, not to brag, and
not to be easily taken up by small things, and not to avoid the greater
undertakings, to be more inclined to give than to receive; for all these
things are worthy of honor. But this virtue is not on this account opposed
to humility, for one virtue cannot be opposed to another. Magnanimity causes
us to use our gifts and virtues in such a way as to merit the greater honor,
without at the same time seeking honor anxiously and unreasonably. Humility
on the other hand teaches us our relation to God and the smallness of our
desert caused by our defects and our own lowly nature. On account of the
special difficulties connected with great and noble undertakings, fortitude,
especially the fortitude called magnanimity, is necessary. This proportions
our forces to the execution of great works, neither allowing us to desist
from them in pusillanimity, nor to attempt them with presumption, disorderly
ambition, or vainglory; for all these vices magnanimity abhors.
578. Magnificence
similarly points to the execution of great deeds, and in this
signification it may enter into the perfection of every virtue, for in all
virtues great things may be undertaken. But as there is a special difficulty
in great outlays or sacrifices, magnificence more particularly is that
virtue, which inclines us to make great sacrifices in the prudent manner, so
that there be neither niggardliness, where much is required, nor profuseness
where there is no need, wasting and destroying without necessity. Although
this seems to be the same virtue as liberality, yet the philosophers
distinguish one from the other. Magnificence regards only the greatness of
the cost, without attending to other circumstances, whereas liberality
regulates the temperate love and use of money. One can therefore be liberal
without being magnificent, as liberality may stop short of its course, when
there is question of great and important favors.
579. These virtues of
magnanimity and magnificence were possessed by the Queen of heaven in a
manner, unattainable by others capable of these virtues. Mary alone found no
difficulty or hindrance in accomplishing great things; and She alone did
everything on a grand scale, even though the matter was small in itself. She
alone understood the full bearing of these virtues, as She did of all the
rest. She could give them their full perfection, without gaging them by any
contrary inclinations, nor was She ignorant of the perfect manner of
exercising, nor of making them dependent upon the assistance of other
virtues. For this is wont to happen with most holy and prudent men, who,
when they cannot attain entire perfection in all virtue, choose that which
seems to be the best of them. In all her practice of virtues this Lady was
so magnanimous, that She always performed that which was most excellent and
worthy of honor and commendation. Yet though She deserved honor and praise
from all creatures, She was
nevertheless most magnanimous in despising it and referring it to God alone,
and She preserved her humility while practicing the highest perfection of
virtue. The acts of her heroic humility stood as it were in heavenly rivalry
with the magnanimous excellence of all her other virtues and were like
richest jewels set in contrast with the beauteous variety of excellences
that adorned the Daughter of the King, whose glory, as David, her father,
had said (Psalm 44, 14), is all from within.
580. Also in
magnificence our Queen greatly excelled. For although She was
poor and without any affection toward earthly things, nevertheless She
dispensed most freely those things, with which the Lord furnished Her, as
happened with the precious gifts, which the Magi offered to the Child Jesus,
and many times afterwards in the course of her life after the Lord had
ascended to heaven. As Mistress of all creation She also showed her great
magnificence by willingly yielding the whole of it for the common benefit
and for the honor and the worship of God. Many She instructed in this
doctrine and virtue, which, on account of their vile customs and
inclinations mortals practice with so much difficulty, and in which they
never reach the proper perfection of prudence. Commonly mortals follow their
inclinations and desires, seeking only the honor and emoluments of virtue,
and to be esteemed as great and extraordinary. The honor and glory of virtue
is thus diverted from the Lord by their wrongful hankering; and
consequently, when any occasion presents itself for the performance of a
magnanimous and generous deed, they shrink back and fail to execute it, on
account of the littleness and meanness of their sentiments. As their desire
of seeming great, excellent and worthy of admiration nevertheless remains,
they have recourse to
other measures, proportionably deceitful and really vicious, such as getting
angry, showing arrogance, impatience, haughtiness, dislike and boastfulness.
However, these vices are not a part of magnanimity, but of smallness and
meanness of heart. Hence, as such conduct and sentiments repel rather than
attract honor, they do not gain the honor and esteem of the wise, but
contempt and abhorrence.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED
BY THE QUEEN 0F HEAVEN.
581. My daughter, if
thou seekest attentively to obtain a full understanding of the excellence
and the propriety of the virtue of fortitude, as is my wish, thou shalt come
into the possession of a most efficient check for the guiding of thy
irascible affections; for these are the passions, which are most easily
moved to action and are most apt to overstep the bounds of reason. Thou
shalt also have the means of attaining to the utmost greatness and
perfection of virtue, which thou desirest, and of resisting and overcoming
all the machinations of thy enemies, who seek to intimidate thee in the
pursuit of what is hard in perfection. But understand, my dearest, that the
irascible in thy nature assists the concupiscible by opposing what is
hostile to the object sought after by the concupiscible powers. On this
account the irascible will deteriorate much faster than the concupiscible as
soon as the concupiscible affections become disordered and begin to love
what is only apparently good or what is vicious. In place of a virtuous
fortitude many execrable and deformed vices will then result. This will also
teach thee that disorderly love of one's own excellence and distinction, and
vainglory, which are the sources of pride and vanity, will breed many vices
peculiar to the irascible passions, such as discords, contentions, quarrels,
boasting, strife, impatience, obstinacy; moreover also vices peculiar to the
concupiscible passions, such as hypocrisy, lying, vain strivings, curiosity
and the desire to appear more than is befitting to a creature, and to
conceal the meanness which truly belongs to one who has committed sins. From
all these contemptible vices thou shalt keep thyself free, if thou wilt
earnestly mortify and restrain the inordinate movements of concupiscence by
virtue of temperance, which I will now teach thee. For when thou strivest
after that which is just and useful, although thou must make use of
fortitude and of the wellordered irascible passions, it must always be done
in such a way as not to pass the proper bounds; and there is continual
danger of allowing oneself to be carried away by inordinate zeal for virtue,
when one is subject to selflove or any disorderly love. Sometimes this vice
disguises itself and hides under the cloak of a pious zeal, and its victims,
anxious to appear zealous for God and the good of their neighbor, are in
reality deceived and ensnared into anger by selfish motives. On this account
the patience, which is founded in charity and which is accompanied by
generosity and magnanimity. is very honorable, estimable and necessary; for
he that really loves the highest and truest Good, easily bears the loss of
apparent honor and glory, despising it with magnanimity as vile and
contemptible. Even when it is freely given by his fellow creatures, the
magnanimous will set no value on it: he will show himself invincible and
constant in all his undertakings. Thus he will advance, according to his
opportunities, in the virtues of perseverance and patience.
CHAPTER XII.
THE VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE
AS PRACTICED BY THE MOST HOLY MARY.
583. In regard to good
and evil man possesses two tendencies: namely that of striving after the
good and of repelling the evil; the latter is regulated by fortitude, which,
as already demonstrated, serves to strengthen the will against the
immoderate exercise of the irascible faculties and inspires it with bold
daring rather to suffer all possible afflictions of the senses than to
desist from the attainment of the good. The other tendency, founded on the
concupiscible faculties, is regulated by temperance, and this is the last
and the least of the cardinal virtues; for the good which it procures is not
so universal as that attained by the practice of other virtues, since
temperance directly is concerned only with the particular advantage of its
possessor. The doctors and teachers treat of temperance in another aspect:
namely in so far as it can regulate the action of all the natural appetites
of man; in this respect temperance is a general and universal virtue which
comprises within its scope the proper exercise of all the virtues according
to reason. We do not at present speak of this general virtue of temperance,
but only of that temperance which serves to regulate the concupiscence of
touch and other pleasurable concupiscences indirectly related to the touch,
but not presenting such powerful attractions as the concupiscence of the
flesh.
584. In this regard
temperance holds the last place among the virtues, its aim being less noble
than that of others; yet in other
regards it may be said to have greater excellence, namely in as far as it
preserves man from viler and more contemptible transgressions, namely from
the immoderate indulgence of those pleasures which are cornmon to men and
the irrational brutes. Referring to this David says that man has become like
unto the beast (Psalm 48, 13,21), allowing himself to be carried away by the
pleasure of the senses. Intemperance is rightly called a puerile vice; for,
just as a child is not guided by reason, but by the spur of fancy, and does
not restrain itself, except through fear of chastisement, so also
concupiscence cannot otherwise be checked in the indulgence of its desires.
From this dishonor and vileness man is freed by the virtue of temperance,
which teaches him to govern himself not by his desires, but by reason.
Therefore a certain decorous honorableness and comeliness distinguish this
virtue, by which the reason is enabled to preserve its rule, although the
indomitable passions are hardly ever inclined to listen or yield to it
willingly. On the other hand, the subjection of man to beastly pleasures is
a great dishonor, degrading him to the position of an irrational animal or
of an unreasoning child.
585. Temperance includes
the two virtues of abstinence and sobriety; the former being opposed to
gluttony and the latter to drunkenness. Abstinence also includes fasting.
These virtues take the first place in treating of temperance; for
nourishment, being necessary for the preservation of life, is among the
principal objects coveted by the appetites. After these follow others which
regulate the use of the faculties for reproduction of the species, such as
chastity and susceptibility to shame, with their concomitant virginity and
continence, opposed to the vices of lust and incontinence and their species.
Besides these virtues, which are the principal ones belonging to temperance, there are
others that regulate the appetite in the less important desires. Those that
regulate the sensations of smell, hearing and sight, may be classed under
those referring to the proper use of the sense of touch. But there are still
other kinds of virtues which resemble some of the above, though their object
is entirely different, such as clemency and meekness, which are set to
govern anger and wrath in the administration of punishment, lest they turn
into bestial and inhuman cruelty. Then there is modesty, which includes four
virtues; the first one is humility, which keeps down pride, lest man seek in
a disorderly manner his own exaltation and honor before men; the second is
studiousness, by which one preserves the proper measure in seeking
information, being opposed to vain curiosity. The third is moderation or
frugality, by which one avoids superfluous expense and ostentation in regard
to clothing and exterior living; the fourth is the restraint of
overindulgence in pleasurable entertainment, such as playing, bodily
exercise, dancing, jesting and the like. Although this virtue seems to have
no special name, it is of the greatest importance. It goes under the generic
name of modesty or temperance.
586. It always seems to
me when I describe the excellence of these and of the other virtues when
applied to the corresponding virtues of the Queen of heaven, that the terms
at my disposal and commonly used in order to describe these virtues in other
creatures, fall far below the truth. The graces and gifts of the most holy
Mary were in closer correspondence with those of the divine perfections,
than all the virtues and the holiness of the saints are with those of the
sovereign Queen of virtues. Thence it no doubt happens that whatever we can
say of her virtues by using the terms fit for describing the virtues of the saints,
seems to fall far short of the truth; for the latter, as great as they may
have been, existed in persons disordered and subject to imperfections and
the distempers of sin. When therefore Ecclesiasticus says (Eccli, 26, 20),
that we can have no true conception of the excellence of the continent man,
what shall we say of the virtue of temperance in the Mistress of all
virtues, and what of the beauty of that soul which contained the perfection
of all virtues? All the domestics of this strong Woman were doubly clothed
(Prov. 31, 21) because all her faculties were clothed in two vestments or
perfections of incomparable beauty and strength; the one, that of original
justice, which subjected all the appetites to reason and grace; the other
that of the infused habits, which supplied new beauty and strength for the
attainment of highest perfection in her works.
587. All the saints that
have signalized themselves in the beauty of temperance, obtained the full
conquest over the indomitable concupiscences by subjecting them in such a
manner to the rule of reason, as not to allow their desires to reach out
after anything that might afterwards occasion them sorrow for having desired
it. They advanced so far, that they denied themselves all indulgence in
those concupiscences, which could be withdrawn without destroying human
nature. Nevertheless in all these exercises of the virtue of temperance they
felt a certain opposition within themselves, which retarded the perfect
assent of the will, or at least a certain resistance preventing them from
reaching the plenitude of perfection in their actions. They complained with
the Apostle of the unhappy burden of this body of sin (Rom. 7,24). In most
holy Mary no such dissonance could be traced; for without a murmur of the
appetites and without a shadow of repugnance of the
dictates of her will, all her powers acted in such harmony and concert that,
like armies marching in well ordered squadrons (Cant. 6, 3), they moved on
in heavenly unison. As She had no rebellious passions to overcome, She
exercised such great temperance in all her actions, that not even the
suggestion of disorder ever entered her mind. On the contrary her activity
so closely imitated the divine operations that they seemed originated and
drawn directly from this supreme Source, turning toward it as the only rule
and ultimate end of all her perfections.
588. The abstinence and
sobriety of most holy Mary was the admiration of the angels; for though
being the Queen of all creation and experiencing the natural affections of
hunger and thirst, She never sought after the delicacies that would have
suited her high estate, nor ever indulged in nourishment merely for the sake
of the pleasures of taste, but only in order to supply her natural wants.
Even these She satisfied with such moderation as never to exceed, or ever
being capable of exceeding, the exact measure necessary to preserve the
radical humors of life. Moreover She partook of nourishment in such a way as
to allow room for hunger and thirst and so as to make allowance for the
effects of grace on the natural process of bodily nourishment. She never
experienced the changes of corruption arising from superfluous eating or
drinking; nor did her needs in this regard grow greater on one day than on
others; nor was She more subject to these changes on account of the want of
food; for if at any time She detracted from the food necessary to keep up
the natural warmth, She was supplemented in her activity by divine grace, in
which the creature lives, not in bread alone (Matth. 4, 4). The Lord could
have sustained Her without food or drink, but He did not do it;
for it was not right that She should lose the merit of virtuously using
these things, thus affording us the benefit of her example and merits. As to
the kind of food and the time in which She partook of it, we will mention
these circumstances in different parts of this history (Part II, 196, 424,
898). Of Her own choice She never ate meat, nor did She eat more than once a
day, except when She lived with her husband Joseph, or when She accompanied
her most holy Son in his travels; for in such circumstances, in order to
conform Herself to others, She imitated the mode of living followed by the
Lord, although at all times She was wonderful in her temperance.
589. Of the virginal
purity and modesty of this Virgin of virgins not even the seraphim could
speak worthily, for in this virtue, though to them it is co-natural, they
were inferior to their Queen and Mistress. By the privilege and power of the
Most High She was more free from the contrary vice than the angels
themselves, who by their very nature could not be touched by impurity.
Mortals will never in this life be able to form a proper idea of this virtue
as it existed in the Queen of heaven; for we are much weighed down by the
earthliness, and the pure and crystalline light of chastity is much obscured
in our souls. Our great Queen possessed this virtue in such a degree that
She might justly have preferred it even to the dignity of being the Mother
of God, if this dignity had not been the very source of her great purity.
Measuring this virginal purity of Mary by the esteem in which She held it,
and by the dignity to which it raised Her, we can partly estimate how great
was that virtue in her virginal body and soul. She resolved upon this purity
from the moment of her Immaculate Conception, She vowed it at her nativity,
and She guarded it in such a manner that She never offended against it, or
against the utmost modesty in any of her actions or movements, nor in any
attitude of her body or soul. Accordingly She never spoke to any man except
at the command of God; nor did She ever look into the face of a man, and not
even in the face of a woman; and this not on account of any danger to Her,
but for the sake of gaining merit, and for our example, and in order to
exercise the superabundance of her heavenly prudence, wisdom and charity.
590. Of her clemency and
meekness Solomon says that the law of clemency is on her tongue (Prov. 31,
26). She never moved it except in order to let flow the grace poured out on
her lips (Psalm 44, 3). Meekness regulates wrath, and clemency moderates
punishment. There was no anger in our most mild Queen, nor did She use the
faculty of it except, as we have said above, in order to lend fortitude to
her activity against sin and the devil or the like. But against men and the
angels She made no use of anger for the purpose of punishing them, nor was
She moved to anger by any event, nor did She ever on any account interrupt
her most perfect practice of meekness, preserving inimitable and
imperturbable equanimity both interiorly and exteriorly; neither did She
ever show outward signs of inward anger in her countenance, in her voice or
in her movements. Her mildness and clemency the Lord made use of as an
instrument peculiarly his own, and through it He wished to scatter all his
benefits of his ancient and everlasting mercies; on this account it was
necessary that the clemency of Mary should imitate so closely his own as to
make it a fit channel for the overflow of his divine clemency toward the
creatures. When we consider attentively and once have understood well the
works of the divine mercy toward sinners and when we see that the most holy
Mary was a fit instrument of their distribution and application, we will
then partly understand the clemency of this Lady. All her corrections were
undertaken more by pleading, teaching and admonishing than by chastisement;
She herself besought the Lord, and He ordained that this be her course of
action; for this incomparable Creature was to be the fountain of clemency
and the depositary of the law of clemency, of which his Majesty should avail
Himself, and from which mortals should draw this virtue as well as all the
others.
591. To discourse
worthily of the other virtues, especially of the humility and of the
frugality and of the poverty of most holy Mary, many books and the tongues
of angels would be required. Of these ineffable virtues of Mary this history
is replete, for in all the actions of the Queen of heaven her incomparable
humility shines forth beyond everything else. I fear extremely to understate
the greatness of this singular virtue in the blessed Virgin by trying to
encompass in the limited terms at my disposal, that ocean of humility which
was able to contain and embrace the Incomprehensible and the Immense
himself. All that the angels and the saints themselves could comprehend and
practice of the virtue of humility, cannot equal even the least part of that
which our Queen attained therein. Which of the saints or angels could ever
merit the title of Mother of God? And who, beside Mary and the eternal
Father, could ever address the incarnate Word as Son? If then She, who in
this regard attained to a dignity like that of the eternal Father and
possessed the graces and gifts befitting such a state, reputed Herself as
the last of all creatures and all the rest as her superiors, what fragrance
and odor of virtue did this humble spikenard exhale for the delight of God,
while She bore in her womb the King of kings? (Cant. 1, 11).
592. That the pillars of
heaven, the angels (Job 26, 11), should quake and tremble in the presence of
the inaccessible light of the infinite Majesty, is not to be wondered at;
for they had before their eyes the ruin of their companions, while they
themselves were confirmed in the advantages and favors common to all. That
the most valiant and invincible of the saints should humiliate themselves,
embracing contempt and reproach, and acknowledging themselves unworthy of
the least favors of grace, and even of the service and succor of the
creatures outside themselves; all this was most just and only according to
the natural order of things. For all of us have sinned and infringe on the
glory of God (Rom. 3, 23) ; and no one is so holy that he cannot increase in
sanctity; nor so perfect that some virtue is not wanting in him; nor so
innocent, that the eyes of God find nothing to reprehend. And if anyone
should be of consummate perfection, he nevertheless would still remain
within the sphere of the common graces and benefits, since no one is
superior to all in all things.
593. But just on this
account the humility of the most pure Mary was without example and without
equal. For though She was the dawn of grace, the pure beginning of all
creatures, the superior over them all, the prodigy of the divine
perfections, the centre of his love, the sphere of the omnipotence of God,
who called God her Son and was called by Him his Mother, She nevertheless
humbled Herself to the lowest place in all creation. She, who enjoyed the
highest position, exalted above all the works of God, so that no higher
position was left for a mere creature, humiliated Herself so far as to judge
Herself unworthy of the least estimation, distinction or honor, not even of
such as would befit the most insignificant of the rational creatures, and
sought neither honor nor exaltation. Thus Mary, holding worthily the dignity
of Mother of God, annihilated Herself, and by this very humility deserved
anew and in justice to be raised to the dominion and sovereignty of all
creation.
594. In proportion to
this incomparable humility most holy Mary possessed also all the other
virtues, which belong to modesty. The desire of knowing more than is
necessary, ordinarily arises from the want of humility and charity. This is
a fault not only of no use, but of great hindrance in the advancement of
virtue, as happened with Dina (Gen. 34, 1), who, going out to see what was
no benefit to her, suffered such great damage to her honor. From the same
root of proud presumption usually also springs superfluous ostentation and
finery in outward dress, and also the disorderly behavior in gesture and
carriage, which serves sensuality and vanity, testifying to the levity of
the heart according to the saying of Ecclesiasticus (19, 27) : "The attire
of the body and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, show
what he is." All the virtues opposed to these vices were in most holy Mary
in their entirety, void of all disinclination or feebleness in the exercise
of them. They were like companions of her profound humility, charity and
purity, that revealed the certain tokens of a nature more heavenly than
earthly.
595. She was most
studious without being curious; for though She was replete with a wisdom far
above that of the cherubim, She studied and allowed Herself to be taught as
if ignorant of all things. Whenever She made use of her divine science or
sought to learn the will of God, She was so prudent and attended so
carefully and exactly to all circumstances that her efforts always wounded
the heart of God and drew and inclined Him to fulfill her most well-ordered
wishes. In poverty and frugality She was most admirable; for being the
Mistress of all creation and having full right to dispose of it, She yielded
all right of possession to the Lord in imitation of her most holy Son;
namely, just as the Father gave all things into the hands of the incarnate
Word, so the Word put all into the hands of his Mother, and She, similarly
offered all things, as well in desire as in fact, for the glory of her Son
and Lord. Of the modesty of her behavior and sweetness of her intercourse,
and of all her exterior actions, it is sufficient to repeat what is asserted
by the wise man of Athens, saint Dionysius, that She would have deserved to
be looked upon as more than human, if faith did not teach that She is a mere
creature.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN
596. My daughter, thou
hast said something of the virtue of temperance and of my practice of it, so
far as thou hast understood its dignity and excellence. Yet thou hast
omitted much that belongs to a full understanding of the necessity of
temperance in human actions. It was a punishment of the first sin that man
lost the perfect use of reason, and that the passions should rise in
rebellion against him, because he rose up against God in contempt of his
most just command. In order to repair this damage, temperance became
necessary; by it man restrains his concupiscences within proper bounds; he
perceives the perfect medium in that which is desirable and he is taught to
follow once more the dictates of reason, bringing him near to the Divinity
and declining to follow his concupiscences like irrational beasts. Without
this virtue it is not possible for man to divest himself of the spoiled
human nature, nor to dispose himself of the graces and wisdom of God; for
they will not enter into a soul subject to the body of sin (Wisdom 1, 4). He
that knows how to moderate his passions by denying them their immoderate and
bestial desires, will be able to say and experience in truth, what is said
of the Canticles (2, 4) : that the King has introduced him into the cellars
of his delicious wine, and into the treasurehouse or his wisdom and
spiritual gifts; for this virtue is a storehouse of most beautiful and
fragrant virtues for the delight of the Almighty.
597. Although of course
I wish thee to labor much in acquiring all virtues pertaining to temperance,
I desire nevertheless that thou consider especially the beauty and fragrance
of chastity, the strength which abstinence and sobriety in eating and
drinking will give, the sweet influence of modesty in words and actions, the
exalted nobility of poverty in the use of created things. With the help of
these virtues, thou wilt attain the divine enlightenment, the peace and
tranquillity of thy soul, the serenity of thy faculties, the right
government of thy inclinations: thou wilt be entirely illumined with the
splendors of the divine graces and gifts; from an animal and sensual way of
living thou wilt be raised to a heavenly intercourse and an angelic life;
and that is what I seek in thee and what thou thyself by divine assistance
art striving after. Be careful therefore, my dearest, and watch for the
divine light in all thy actions, and let not any of thy powers be induced to
activity merely by pleasure and inclination; but always act according to
reason and for the glory of the Most High in all things necessary for the
conduct of thy life; in eating, in sleeping, in dressing, in speaking, in
hearing, in desiring, in correcting, in commanding, in speaking: let all be
governed in thee by the light and the pleasure of the Lord God, and not by
thy own.
598. And in order that
thou mayest so much the more be captivated by the beauty and loveliness of
the virtue of temperance, consider the vileness of its contrary vices and
let thyself be deeply impressed according to the divine light given thee;
consider assiduously how ugly, abominable, horrible and monstrous the world
is in the sight of God and the saints on account of the enormous
abominations, which men commit against this lovable virtue. Look how some
follow like brutes after the horrors of sensuality, how gluttony degrades
others, how some follow after pleasures of play and vanity, how others are
dominated by pride and presumption, how many are entangled in avarice and
the desire of gain, how they all follow the impulse of passions, seeking in
this life only pleasure, while in the life to come they pile up for
themselves eternal torments and incur the loss of the beatific vision of
their God and Lord.
CHAPTER XIII.
OF THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST AND HOW
THE MOST HOLY MARY MADE USE OF THEM.
599. The seven gifts of
the Holy Ghost, according to the light given to me on this subject, seem to
me to add something to the virtues to which they refer; and because they
superadd to them, they must also differ from them, although they pursue the
same object. Every benefit conferred by the Lord can be called a gift
flowing from his hand, although it may only be a natural benefit; but here
we do not speak of the gifts of God included in this wide sense of the word,
not even of the infused virtues and gifts; for not all persons, who possess
one or more virtues, have the gifts pertaining to those virtues, or at least
they do not reach that degree of virtue that they can be called perfect
gifts, such as those mentioned by Isaias and referred to by the doctors of
the Church. Isaias says the Holy Ghost rested upon Christ our Lord (Is. 11,
2), enumerating seven graces, which commonly are called gifts of the Holy
Ghost, namely: the spirit of wisdom and intellect, the spirit of counsel and
fortitude, the spirit of science and piety, and the fear of God. These gifts
were in the most holy soul of Christ, overflowing from the Divinity to which
it was hypostatically united, just as the water is in the fountain, flowing
from it and communicating itself to other places. For we all partake of the
waters of the Savior (Is: 12, 3), grace for grace, gift for gift (John 1,
16); and in Him are hidden the treasures of divine wisdom and science (Co
loss. 2, 1).
600. The gifts of the
Holy Ghost correspond to the virtues to which they are related. And although
not all teachers agree in their doctrines about their correspondence, there
can be no difference of opinion in regard to the end or purpose of these
gifts, which is none else than to give a special kind of perfection to the
faculties for the performance of exalted and heroic acts of virtue. The
excellence of these gifts must principally include and consist of some
specially strong inspiration or influence of the Holy Ghost, which overcomes
with greater efficacy the impediments and moves the free will with greater
force, so that man be not remiss in his actions, but may proceed with great
fortitude and with all perfection in those things to which that particular
gift pertains. All this the free will cannot attain without being illumined
and sustained by a specially efficacious and powerful influence of the Holy
Ghost, which impels him, sweetly and pleasingly (Sap. Wisdom 8, 1) to follow
the enlightenment, and freely to execute and accomplish what the will under
the efficacious influence of the Holy Ghost, undertakes (Rom. 8). Therefore
this impulse is called instinct of the Holy Ghost; for although the will
acts freely and without compulsion, yet in these operations it is much like
a voluntary instrument and seems to be one, because it acts less under the
guidance of common prudence, as in other virtues, although it does not act
with less intelligence or liberty.
601. I will try to make
myself understood to a certain degree by referring to two different
faculties of the will that are called into action in drawing the will to
pursue virtue. The one is its own inclination or attraction toward the good,
moving or stirring it in the same way as gravity causes the stone to fall or
tightness makes the fire ascend toward its centre. This inclination of the
will is increased more or less by the custom or habits of virtue (and the
same is to be said in their degree about the habits of vice), for being
drawn by love, the will moves freely and of its own accord. The other
faculty is that of the intellect, which is an enlightenment in regard to
virtue by which the will directs itself in determining its course of action,
and this enlightenment is proportionate with the habits and the operations
of the will. For the ordinary acts, prudence and whatever deliberation it
inspires, are sufficient; but for the more exalted operations it requires a
higher and a superior enlightenment and incitement, that of the Holy Ghost,
such as is given by the seven gifts. Since charity and grace is a
supernatural habit, which depends on the divine Will in the same way as the
ray depends upon the sun, therefore charity is accompanied by a particular
influence of the Divinity, by which it is moved to pursue the rest of the
virtues and good habits of the will, and much more so, when this charity is
re-enforced by the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
602. Therefore it seems
to me that I perceive in the gifts of the Holy Ghost a certain special
enlightenment in which the intellect remains to a large extent merely
passive as far as moving the will is concerned. In the will at the same time
there is a certain perfection of its habits, which inclines it to most
heroic acts in a manner far above the ordinary forces of virtuousness. As
the movements of a stone, if another impulse beside gravity is added, are
much accelerated, so the impulse of the will toward virtue is stronger and
more excellent, if it is acted upon by the gifts. The gift of wisdom
communicates to the soul a certain kind of taste by which it can distinguish
the divine from the human without error, throwing all its influence and
weight in all things against those inclinations which arise from human
ignorance and folly; this gift is related to charity. The gift of intellect
serves to penetrate into the understanding of divine things and gives a
knowledge of them overwhelmingly superior to the ignorance and slowness of
the natural intellect; while that of science searches the most obscure
mysteries and creates perfect teachers to oppose human ignorance; these two
gifts are related to faith. The gift of counsel guides, directs and
restrains man within the rules of prudence in his inconsiderate activity. It
is closely related to this its own virtue. That of fortitude expels
disorderly fear and gives strength to human weakness; it is superadded to
the cardinal virtue of that name. Piety makes the heart kind, takes away its
hardness and softens it against its own impiety and stubbornness; it is
related to religion. The fear of God lovingly humiliates the soul in
opposition to pride, and is allied to humility.
603. In the most holy
Mary were all the gifts of the Holy Ghost as in one who was undoubtedly
capable of and entitled to them; for She was the Mother of the divine Word,
from whom the Holy Ghost, the Giver of them, proceeds. Moreover, since these
gifts were to correspond to her dignity of Mother of God, it follows, that
they were in Her in a measure proportionate to that dignity, and as
different from that of all the rest of the creatures as her position of
Mother of God excels that of ordinary creatures. This was necessary also
because She enjoyed at the same time impeccability, while the other
creatures stand in such a distant relation to the Holy Spirit, not only on
account of their common sin, but on account of their place in creation,
having no such proximity to the Holy Ghost. If these gifts existed in
Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, as in their fountainhead, they were in Mary
as in a lake or ocean, from whence they are distributed over all creation:
for from her superabundance they overflow into the whole Church. This is
referred to by Solomon in the book of Proverbs, when Wisdom is made to say:
that She builds for Herself a house on seven pillars, etc., and in it She
prepares the table, mixes the wine, and invites the little ones and the
uninstructed ones drawing and raising them up from their childhood to teach
them prudence (Prov. 9, 1, 2). I will not stop to expatiate on this, but
every Catholic knows, that most holy Mary was this magnificent mansion of
the Most High, built up in strength and beauty on these seven pillars of the
gifts, so that in this mystic palace might be held the banquet of the whole
Church. In Mary was prepared the table, at which all we uninstructed little
ones, children of Adam, may become satiated with the activities and gifts of
the Holy Ghost.
604. When speaking of
these gifts as acquired by the discipline in the exercise of virtue and the
conquest of the contrary vices, the first place must be assigned to fear of
God. In regard to Christ, Isaias begins by mentioning the gift of wisdom,
the highest one, because Christ received them as the Master and as the Head,
and not as a disciple. In the same order we are to consider them in the most
holy Mary, for in gifts She was made more similar to her most holy Son, than
other creatures. The gift of wisdom confers a certain enlightenment, like a
second taste, by which the intellect as it were tastes the hidden truth and
searches into the highest and ultimate causes of things, while the will,
with this same taste of truth in the highest good, distinguishes the real
good from the apparent good without fail. For he is truly wise, who
perceives without mistake the true good in order to taste of it, and who
tastes it in perceiving it. This taste of wisdom consists in rejoicing in
the highest good by an intimate union of love, upon which follows the
savoring and relishing of the particular good gained and realized by the
exercise of the virtues inferior to love. Therefore he is not called wise,
who merely perceives truth in a speculative manner, although he may find his
delight in that pursuit: nor is he called wise, who practices virtue merely
for the sake of obtaining a knowledge of it, and still less he who practices
it for other reasons. But he, that perceives the highest and the true good,
and in it and for it also the minor truths, and who, on account of the
relish of this truth, acts with a sincere and unitive love of that good, is
the one who will be truly wise. This perception or knowledge is supplied to
wisdom by the gift of intellect, which precedes and accompanies it, and
which consists in an intimate penetration into the divine truths, and in the
perception of all that can be reduced and pave the way toward them; for the
Spirit searches the profound things of God, as the Apostle says (I Cor. 2,
10).
605. This same spirit
will be necessary in order to understand and in order to explain to a
certain extent the gifts of wisdom and intellect possessed by Mary, the
Empress of heaven. The impetus of the river, which was withheld by the
highest Goodness for so many eternal ages, rejoiced this City of God by its
flow, and through inhabitation of the Onlybegotten of the Father and
Herself, completely filled her most holy soul; so that it seemed, (according
to our way of speaking), as if the infinite oceans of the Divinity were
drained into this sea of wisdom as soon as She was capable of invoking the
Spirit of wisdom. And in order that She might invoke Him; He came to Her,
that She might learn wisdom without guile and communicate it without envy
(Wisdom 7, 13). This She also did; for by means of her wisdom, the light of
the world, the eternal incarnate Word manifested Itself to the world. This
most wise Virgin knew in her wisdom the arrangement of the whole world and
the powers of the elements (Wisdom 7, 17), the beginning, the middle, and
the end of time with its mutations, the course of the stars, the natures of
the animals, the fury of the wild beasts, the powers of the winds, the
dispositions and thoughts of men, the virtues of plants, herbs, trees,
fruits and roots, the hidden and occult things beyond all thoughts of men,
the mysterious ways of the Most High: all this Mary, our Queen, knew and She
delighted in it through the wisdom, which She drew from its original
fountain and which was embodied in all her thoughts.
606. Thence did She
receive that vapor of the power of God and the bright emanation of his pure
charity, which made Her immaculate and preserved Her from the pollution,
which stains the soul; and on this account She remained a mirror without
blur reflecting the Majesty of God. Thence did She draw the spirit of
intelligence, belonging to wisdom, a spirit holy, single, manifold, subtle,
eloquent, active, undefiled, sure, sweet, loving the good without
impediment, beneficent, gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having all
power, overseeing all things and understanding all things with clearness and
with a subtlety reaching from one end to the other (Wisdom 7, 22). All these
qualities, which the wise man mentions as belonging to the Spirit of Wisdom,
were in a singularly perfect manner the property of Mary most holy,
secondary only to the manner in which they were possessed by her
Onlybegotten. Together with wisdom came to Her all good (Wisdom 7, 11) and
in all her works She was led on by these high gifts of wisdom and intellect.
By them She was governed in the exercise of all the rest of her virtues,
being as it were saturated with this incomparable wisdom.
607. Something has
already been said of Her other gifts, when speaking of the gifts in general;
but since all that we can understand and say is so far beneath that which is
really to be found in this mystical city of Mary, there always remains much
to add. The gift of counsel, in the order given by Isaias, follows that of
the intellect; it consists in a supernatural illumination, by which the Holy
Ghost touches the interior, enlightening it beyond all human and ordinary
intelligence and thereby inclining the soul to choose all that is most
profitable, most decent and just, and to reject all that is of the contrary
kind. It leads back the will by the immaculate and eternal laws of God to
the standard of one single love, conforming it to perfect desire of the
highest Good. Thus divinely instructed, the creature lays aside the
multitude of the diverse inclinations, and the foreign and the inferior
affections and movements that may retard or hinder the human heart from
listening to or following the divine impulses and counsels, or that may
prevent man from conforming to the living example of Christ our Lord, who
in highest council has said to the eternal Father: "Not my will be done,
but thine" (Matth. 26,39).
608. The gift of
fortitude is the participation of influence of a divine virtue, which the
Holy Ghost communicates to the created will, in order that it may be happily
encouraged to raise itself above all that is passing and all that is wont to
inspire human weakness with fear in temptations, sorrows, tribulations and
adversities. Overcoming and vanquishing them all, the will acquires and
maintains in itself all that is most arduous and excellent in virtue; it
transcends and surpasses all the virtues, graces, spiritual and interior
exaltations, revelations, sensible ecstasies of love; no matter of what
degree and excellence, it leaves all behind and soars upward in divine
flight, until it reaches the highest and the most intimate union with the
supreme Good after which it longed with the most ardent desire. Then in
truth flows the sweetness from strength (Judges 14, 14), having conquered
all things in Him that strengthened it (Philip. 4, 13). The gift of science
is an intelligent and unerring knowledge of what must be believed and done
in regard to the virtues, and it differs from counsel, in so far as science
selects, while counsel decides; science forms a correct judgment and counsel
makes the wise choice. Science differs also from intelligence, because
intelligence penetrates into the divine truths of faith and virtues by means
of a simple intuition, while science knows authoritatively all that can be
deduced from the principles of faith, conforming the outward operations of
the faculties to the perfection of the virtues and being as it were the
mother and the root of discretion.
609. The gift of piety
is a divine virtue or influence by which the Holy Ghost softens, or as it
were smoothens or melts the human will, moving it to embrace all that
pertains to the service of the Most High and to the welfare of the neighbor.
By means of this softening and sweet mildness of the mind, our will is ever
ready, and our memory always attentive, so that in all times and places and
circumstances we are ready to praise, bless, thank and honor the highest
Good; and likewise we are moved to act with a tender and loving compassion
toward creatures, without failing them in their troubles and necessities.
This gift is not hindered, when it meets envy and it overlooks hate,
avarice, and spurns weakness, or littleness of mind; for it causes in man a
strong and delightful inclination by which it proceeds sweetly and lovingly
to fulfill all the works of the love of God and the neighbor, making him
benevolent, ready to do a service, kind and diligent. On that account the
Apostle says, that the exercise of piety is useful for all things (I Tim. 4,
8) and that it has the promise of eternal life, being a most noble
instrument of charity.
610. In the last place
comes the gift of fear, so highly praised, exalted and recommended in many
places of the holy Scriptures and by the holy teachers, as the foundation of
Christian perfection and as the beginning of true wisdom; for the fear of
God before all other things resists, banishes and destroys the arrogant
foolishness of men. This important gift consists in a loving heedfulness and
a most noble modesty and restraint, by which the soul withdraws within
itself making it conscious of its own lowly condition, comparing its
lowliness with the supreme majesty and greatness of God, not attending
merely to its own sentiments, preventing it to be wise in its own conceit,
and thus filling it with awe, as the Apostle teaches (Rom. 11, 21). This
gift of fear has its different degrees; in the beginning it is called
initial, and afterwards it becomes filial fear; for first the soul commences
to flee from guilt, as contrary to the highest Good; and then it proceeds
still farther in its self-abasement and self contempt, comparing its own
littleness with God's majesty, its ignorance with his wisdom, its poverty
with his infinite riches. Thus, finding itself in all things dependent on
God's divine will, it humiliates and subjects itself beneath all creatures
for the sake of God, acting toward Him and towards them with a sincere love.
It finally reaches the perfection of the sons of God and arrives at the
intimate union of its powers with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
611. If I should dilate
still more in the explanation of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, I would far
exceed the limits which I have set, and I would have to extend
disproportionately this discourse: that which I have said of these gifts
seems to me sufficient for the understanding of their nature and their
qualities. This understanding will enable us properly to consider, how these
gifts of the Holy Ghost were possessed by the sovereign Queen of heaven not
only in an ordinarily sufficient degree, such as is commonly possessed by
other saints: but that they were in this Lady in such an excellent and
privileged a degree, as would not fall to the lot of the saints, nor be
proper to anyone inferior to Her in sanctity. Having then understood, in
what holy fear, piety, fortitude, science and counsel consist and in how far
they are gifts of the Holy Ghost, let the human estimation and angelic
understanding dilate, let them soar in thought to the noblest, the most
excellent, the most perfect and the most divine: greater than all this, and
above whatever else creatures in their entirety can conceive, will be the
gifts of Mary, and the lowest of the perfections of Mary will scarcely be
within reach of the highest that can enter the thoughts of man; just as in
the same manner the highest perfections of our Lady and Queen attain only in
a certain sense the lowest of Christ and the Divinity.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY MARY THE MOST HOLY
QUEEN.
612. My daughter, these
most noble and excellent gifts of the Holy Ghost, which thou hast come to
understand, are the emanations of the Divinity communicating themselves to
and transforming the holy souls: on their own part they do not admit of any
limitation but only on the part of the subject upon which they act. If the
creatures would empty their hearts of earthly love and affections, although
their heart is limited, they would participate without measure in the
torrent of the infinite Godhead through the inestimable gifts of the Holy
Ghost. The virtues purify the creature from the ugliness and guilt of its
vices, and thereby they begin to restore the disconcerted order of its
faculties, which was first lost by original sin and afterwards increased by
actual sins; they add beauty to the soul, strength and joy in doing good.
But the gifts of the Holy Ghost raise these same virtues to a sublime
perfection, adornment and beauty, by which they dispose, beautify and fill
the soul with graces and introduce it to the chamber of its Spouse, where it
remains united with the Divinity in a spiritual bond of eternal peace. From
this most blessed condition it proceeds faithfully and truthfully to the
practice of heroic virtues; and laden with them it returns to the same
source from which it issued forth, namely God himself. In his shadow it
rests and is satiated, freed from the impetuous fury of the passions and
their disorderly appetites. Such a happiness however is the lot of few, and
only by experience can it actually be known, who does attain it.
613. Take heed
therefore, my dearest, and study profoundly how thou canst ascend to the
height of these gifts; for it is the will of the Lord and mine, that thou
ascend higher up as a guest in the feast (Luc, 14, 10) which is prepared for
thee in all the sweetness of his blessed gifts (Ps. 20, 4) and to which thou
hast been invited for this very purpose by this excess of liberality.
Remember that there are only two ways to eternity: the one, which leads to
eternal death by contempt of virtue and ignorance of the Divinity; the
other, which leads to eternal life by the profitable knowledge of the Most
High; for this is eternal life (Jno. 17, 3), that men know the way to Him
and to his Onlybegotten, whom He sent into the world. The way of death is
trodden by innumerable wicked ones (Eccles. 1, 14), who are unaware of their
own ignorance, presumption and insipid pride. To those, whom his mercy calls
to his admirable light (1 Pet. 2, 9), and whom He engenders anew as sons of
light, God gives by this regeneration a new being in faith, hope and
charity, making them his own and heirs of an eternal and godlike fruition.
Having been made sons they are endowed with the virtues accompanying the
first justification, in order that as sons of light, they may perform
corresponding works of light; and over and above they receive the gifts of
the Holy Ghost. And just as the material sun denies its light and warmth to
nothing that is capable and fit for its influence, so also the divine
Wisdom, emitting its voice on the high mountains, on the royal highway and
in the most hidden paths, invites and calls out to all, and hides itself or
denies itself to no one (Prov, 8,1). But the foolishness of men makes them
stupid and deaf, their impious malice makes them scoffers, and their
unbelieving perversity turns them away from God, whose Wisdom finds no place
in the malevolent heart (Wisdom 1, 4), nor in a body subject to sin.
614. Thou however, my
daughter, remember thy promises, thy vocation and thy aspirations; for the
tongue which lies to God, is an abominable murderer of the soul (Wisdom 1,
11, 12) : see that thou do not pursue death in the error of this life, nor
draw upon thyself ruin by the work of thy hands (Cant. 2, 4), as by divine
light, thou hast seen the sons of darkness do. Fear the powerful God and
Lord with an humble and a well-ordered fear, and in all thy works be
governed by that Master. Make thy heart gentle, yielding and docile to
discipline and works of piety. Judge of things according to the true value
of virtue and vice. Animate thyself with an invincible fortitude to strive
after the most arduous and exalted, and to endure the most adverse and
exacting labors. By discretion choose the means for attaining to these
results. Give way to the force of the divine light, by which thou canst
transcend all sensible things, rise to the highest knowledge of the hidden
secrets of divine wisdom and distinguish between the things of the new and
of the old man. Then wilt thou be made capable of partaking of this wisdom;
for then thou wilt enter into the wine-cellar of thy Spouse and be
inebriated with his love, and his eternal charity will be well ordered in
thee.
CHAPTER XIV.
EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DIVINE
VISIONS ENJOYED BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND THE EFFECTS WHICH THEY WROUGHT IN
HER.
615. The grace of divine
visions, revelations and raptures, (I do not speak here of the beatific
visions), although they are operations of the Holy Ghost, must be
distinguished from justifying grace and from virtues, which sanctify and
perfect the soul in their operations. As not all the just, nor all the
saints, necessarily have visions or divine revelations, it is evident that
sanctity and virtuousness can exist without these gifts. It is also evident,
that revelations and visions are not dependent upon the sanctity and
perfection of those, that are thus favored, but upon the divine will. God
concedes them according to weight and measure for the ends which He wishes
to attain in his Church (Wisdom 11, 21). God can without doubt grant great
and the most exalted visions to those, who are less holy, and only inferior
revelations to those, who are of exalted sanctity. The gift of prophecy and
the other gifts freely given (gratis data) He can give to those even, who
are not saints; some of the raptures moreover can arise from causes, which
have nothing to do with moral virtues. Therefore if any comparison is made
between the Prophets, their sanctity does not enter into calculation, for
that can be estimated only by God; but the divine light of prophecy and the
mode of receiving it, must be made the basis of the comparison as to its
being more or less exalted in its different aspects. Thus it happens, that
charity and virtue, which make their possessors holy and perfect, depend
upon the will, while visions and revelations, and likewise some of the
raptures, affect the understanding of the intellectual part of man, the
perfection of which does not in itself sanctify the soul.
616. Nevertheless,
though the gift of divine vision is distinct from holiness and separate from
it, the divine will and providence very often joins them according to the
end and object in the gratuitous gifts of special revelation; for sometimes
God ordains them for the public benefit (I Cor. 12, 7) and for the common
good of the Church, as the Apostle tells us. Thus the Prophets, inspired by
the Holy Ghost and not filled with their own imaginations (II Pet. 1, 21),
spoke and prophesied to us the mysteries of the Redemption and of the
evangelical Law (I Pet. 1, 10). When the revelations and visions are of this
kind, they are not necessarily joined with sanctity; for Balaam was a
prophet and no saint. But generally it suited divine Providence, that the
prophets should at the same time be saints, preferring not to deposit, at
least not easily and frequently, the spirit of prophecy and of divine
revelations in impure vessels. In some instances He, as the Allpowerful, did
choose to act in this manner, yet (not to mention many other reasons) He did
not ordinarily wish to derogate from the power of his divine truths and
teachings by the bad life of the instrument.
617. At other times the
divine revelations and visions do not pertain to things of so general an
import and they do not concern so much the common good, but only the
particular advantage of the one who receives them; just as the former are
the effects of God's love toward his Church, so the latter, the special
revelations, are the results of the special love of God toward the
particular soul. He communicates them in order to instruct his chosen ones
and in order to raise them to the highest grade of love and perfection. In
this kind of revelations the spirit of wisdom transcends through successive
generations of holy souls, making them successively prophets and friends of
God. Just as the efficient cause of the revelations is the love of God shown
to some particular souls, so also their final cause or object is the
holiness, the purity and the charity of these very souls; God chooses this
means of divine revelation and vision in order to gain this end.
618. 1 do not therefore
say here, that revelations and visions are the indispensable and necessary
means for the making of the saints and the perfect; many are such by other
means, irrespective of these benefits. But, even supposing this truth, that
the concession or denial of these particular gifts depends solely upon the
divine will, it is nevertheless also a fact that on our part and on the part
of God there may be certain reasons of propriety which induce God to
communicate them more frequently to his servants. The first among several
is, that the most proper and convenient means of rising to eternal things,
entering into them, becoming spiritualized, and arriving at the perfect
union of the soul with the highest Good, is the supernatural light
concerning the mysteries and secrets of the Most High, which comes from
revelation and vision granted to it in solitude and in its excesses of mind.
For this purpose the Lord himself invites the soul with many promises and
caresses, as is often times shown in holy Scripture and especially in the
Canticles of Solomon.
619. The second of these
reasons of propriety concerns the Lord: for love is impatient to communicate
its favors and its mysteries to the beloved and to the friend. "I will not
now call you servants, nor treat you as servants," our Lord, the Master of
truth said to the Apostles, "for I have manifested to you the secrets of my
Father," (John 15, 15). And Moses says of himself, that God spoke to him as
a friend with a friend (Exodus 23, 11). The holy Ancestors, Patriarchs and
Prophets, received from the Holy Ghost not only general revelations, but
many other private and particular ones, and these were tokens of the love in
which God held them, as is seen from the petition of Moses to allow him to
see the face of God. (Exod, 23, 13). The same is shown by the names, which
the Almighty applies to the chosen soul in calling it spouse, friend, dove,
sister, perfect, beloved, beautiful, etc. (Cant. 4, 8, 9; 2, 10; 1, 14 et
passim). All these titles, though betokening much of the force of divine
love and its effects, yet fall far short of that which the supreme King
operates in those whom He wishes thus to honor; for the Lord is mighty to do
all that He desires; and He alone knows how to desire as a Spouse, as a
Friend, as a Father, as the highest and infinite Good, without limit or
measure.
620. The truth loses
nothing of its force by its not being intelligible to carnal wisdom: nor by
the deceptions of carnal prudence, through which some souls have been led
into false visions and revelations forged by the devil in the garb of light.
This deception has been more frequent in women on account of their ignorance
and their passions; however, it fell also upon many men, who sought to
appear virtuous and wise. In all of them it has arisen from an evil root. I
do not speak of those who with diabolical hypocrisy have feigned false and
apparent revelations, visions and raptures; but I speak of those who have
been deceived by lying visions through the agency of the devil, although
such things do not happen without sin in consenting thereto. Of the former
it can be said, that they deceive, and of the latter, at least in the
beginning, that they are deceived; for the ancient serpent, knowing them to
be little mortified in their passions and little practiced in the interior
perception of the divine things, implants into them with astute subtlety a
proud presumption, that they are much favored by God. The devil robs them of
their humble fear and inspires them with vain curiosity to know high things
by revelation, to be favored with visions, and to be distinguished in such
things above other men. Thereby they open the gates for the entrance of
satan, he fills them with deceitful and false illusions, far distant from
divine truth, yet having the appearance of truth in order to conceal his
poison and deceive the soul.
621. The way to avoid
such dangerous deceit is to live in humble fear and not to aspire to high
things (Rom. 11, 20) ; not to judge of our advance in the tribunal of our
inclinations and not to trust to our own prudence; to leave judgment to God,
his ministers, and well informed confessors, who will search into the
intention of our acts. Then it will soon become known, whether the soul
desires these favors as a means of virtue and perfection or in order to
obtain honor among men. The most secure path will always be not to desire
them, and always to fear the danger which at all times is great and more so
in the first beginnings. For the sensible sweetness of devotion, even when
it comes from the Lord and when it is not an imposture of the devil, is not
given because the soul is already capable of the solid food of his greater
favors and secrets; but it is given as the food of the little ones, in order
to draw them away with greater earnestness from the faults and induce them
to greater self-denial in sensible things; not at all in order to make them
imagine that they are advanced in virtue. Even raptures, which spring from
admiration, suppose ignorance rather than special love. As soon as our love
becomes ecstatic, fervent, yearning, quickened, full of activity and
inaccessible, impatient of any other presence except that of its Beloved,
and if besides all this, it has a full command over all the affections of
the heart; then the soul begins to be rightly disposed to receive the light
of mysterious revelations and of divine visions; and so much the better will
it be disposed toward receiving them, the more it esteems itself unworthy of
the reception of even much smaller favors. Wise men will not be surprised
that women have been so much favored in these gifts; for besides being more
fervent in their love, God also favors them for being the weakest among
creatures and so much the more appropriate witnesses of his power. Women
also are more wanting in the acquired science of theology than learned men,
except when the Most High infuses that science in order to illumine their
weak and uninformed judgment.
622. Having established
these principles, we must acknowledge that in most holy Mary, even if there
were no other special reasons, the revelations and visions of the Most High
were more exalted, more wonderful, more frequent, and more divine than those
of all the rest of saints. These favors, just like all the gifts, must be
measured by her dignity, her holiness, purity, and also by the love, which
her Son and the blessed Trinity cherished towards Her, who was the Mother of
the Son, the Daughter of the Father, and the Spouse of the Holy Ghost. In
proportion to the greatness of these prerogatives were also the influxes of
the Divinity: Christ and his Mother being infinitely more beloved than all
the rest of the angels and men. The divine visions enjoyed by our sovereign
Queen can be divided into five grades or kinds, and I will describe each one
of them, as far as has been revealed to me.
MOST HOLY MARY'S CLEAR VISION OF THE
DIVINITY.
623. The highest and
most excellent of all her visions were those of the beatific vision of the
divine Essence, for in her state of pilgrimage She many times enjoyed the
unveiled vision of the Divinity. I shall mention all these visions in the
course of this history according to the time and occasion in which She
enjoyed this supreme privilege of a creature. Some doctors are in doubt,
whether the other saints have reached this state of seeing the Godhead
clearly and intuitively while yet in mortal flesh; but whatever may be their
uncertainty about such visions in regard to other saints, no such doubt can
be entertained in regard to the Queen of heaven, and it would be an injury
to Her, if we were to measure her favors with the common measure of the
saints. Many more favors and graces than were even possible in them actually
were consummated in the Mother of grace, and it is at least possible that
beatific vision can take place in men yet in their pilgrimage, whatever may
be the mode in which this happens. The first requisite of a soul, which is
to see God face to face, is a degree of sanctifying grace most exalted and
far above the ordinary. Now the degree of sanctifying grace, which Mary
reached from the first moment of her existence, was superabundant and of
such perfection, that it exceeded that of the highest seraphim. In addition
to sanctifying grace, there must be great purity of all the faculties,
without a shadow of guilt or the least inclination to sin. Just as a vessel,
which has contained any impure liquid and which is to be filled with another
pure substance, must be cleansed, washed and purified until not a taste or
odor of the former remains so as not to infect the new substance: so all
traces of sin (and much more of actual sin) contaminate and infect the soul.
And because all these effects make the soul unfit for divine bounty, it must
be prepared before it can be united with God by the intuitive vision and
beautifying love. It must be cleansed and purified, so that not a vestige of
the odor, or the taste of sin remains, nor any traces of vicious habits or
inclinations consequent thereon. This applies not only to the effects and
stains of mortal, but also of venial sin, all of which cause in the soul a
special turpitude, like to that, which, according to our way of
understanding such things, ensues, when a foul breath covers and obscures
the clearness of crystal: all its brightness and purity must first be
restored to the soul before it can see God face to face.
624. Moreover, besides
this purity which is as it were the negative cleansing of the nature of him
who is to enjoy the vision of God, it is necessary to cauterize the
infection of original sin, so that it is entirely extinct and neutralized,
as if it had never existed in the creature. Thus all trace or inward cause
inclining it to any sin or imperfection must first be done away with, and
the entire free will must, as it were, be made incapable of everything,
which in any way is opposed to highest sanctity and goodness. Hence, on
account of what I shall mention afterward, it will be easily understood, how
difficult it is for the soul to attain the necessary condition for the clear
vision of God in mortal flesh; and that it can be conceded to the creatures
only with great circumspection, for most important reasons, and after great
preparation. According to my understanding there are two kind of
incongruities and divergences of the sinful creature in regard to the divine
nature. The first consists in this, that God is invisible, infinite, a pure
and simple act, while man is a corporeal, earthly, corruptible and coarse
substance. The other incongruity is caused by sin, which is immensely
distant from the divine goodness, and this entails a greater divergence and
alienation than the first. But both of them must be done away with before
such extremes can be united, and before the creatures can rest in this
supreme manner in the Deity and before it can assimilate itself with God so
as to see and enjoy Him as He is (I John 3, 2).
625. All the requisites
of immaculate purity and transparency, excluding all sin and imperfection,
were possessed by the Queen of heaven in a much higher degree than even by
the angels; for She was touched neither by original nor by actual sin, nor
by any of their consequences. In this regard divine grace acted more
powerfully in Her, than was merited by the impeccable nature of the angels,
and in Mary there was no disproportion nor any obstacle of sin, which could
retard the vision of God. On the other hand, besides being immaculate, the
grace given to Her in the first instance exceeded that of the angels and
saints, and Her merits were in proportion to that grace. By her first act
She merited more than all the others, even by their most perfect and
consummate acts, which they have performed in order to reach beatific
vision. Therefore, if it is just, that in the other saints the reward of
glory merited by them be deferred until the end of their mortal life: it
does not seem against justice, that this law was not followed so strictly in
regard to most holy Mary and that the most high Ruler should and really did
proceed differently with Her during Her mortal existence. The most blessed
Trinity would not suffer such a long delay in regard to Her, and manifested
Itself to Her many times: since She merited it above all the angels,
seraphim and saints, who, having less grace and merits, are enjoying the
supreme beatitude. Moreover, there was another reason why the Divinity
should manifest Itself dearly to Her: namely, since She was elected to be
the Mother of God, it was appropriate, that She should know by fruition and
experience the treasure of the infinite Deity and see Him face to face as
her God, whom having enjoyed, She was to clothe in mortal flesh and bear
about in her virginal womb, and whom She was afterwards to treat as her Son
and as her God.
626. Even with all the
aforesaid purity and sinlessness and with the addition of sanctifying grace,
the soul is not yet worthy or capable of the beatific vision, since still
other dispositions and divine operations are required. With these the Queen
of heaven was furnished whenever She enjoyed this vision and hence they are
much more necessary to any other soul, that is to be thus favored in mortal
flesh. After the soul has reached the state of purity and sanctification
above described, the Lord adds a finishing touch as of a most spiritual
fire, which refines and chases it as fire does the gold, or as Isaias was
purified by the seraphim (Isaias 6, 7). It has two effects in the soul:
first it spiritualizes and separates in it (according to our mode of
understanding) the dross and earthliness connected with its present
existence and its union with the bodily matter. Secondly it fills the soul
with a new light, which scatters, I do not know what obscurity and darkness,
just as the light of the morning scatters the darkness of night. This light
takes possession, leaves the soul clarified and replenished with new
splendors of a divine fire, producing still other effects in the soul. For
if it is guilty or has been guilty of any sins, the soul deplores these sins
with incomparable sorrow and contrition, with a sorrow, that cannot be
equaled by any other human sorrow, for all are very little in comparison
with it. At the same time it feels another effect of this light: it purges
the understanding of all the images impressed upon it by the sensible and
visible things of earth. For all impressions and images, acquired by the
senses distort the intellectual vision and serve only as a hindrance to the
clear vision of the supreme spiritual essence of God. Therefore it is
necessary to clear and evacuate from the faculties all these earthly idols
and images. Not only is this necessary, in order that the soul may see God
clearly and intuitively, but equally so, in order to see Him abstractively.
627. In the soul of our
most pure Queen, there was no fault to deplore, no after-effects of the
sensible operations, no dependence upon the body, and therefore these
illuminations and purifications immediately wrought the other effects,
beginning to elevate her nature to a condition not so far removed from the
ultimate supreme End. In addition to this they caused in this most pure soul
new sentiments and movements of humility and knowledge of the nothingness of
the creature in comparison with the Creator and his blessings. Thus her
inflamed heart was incited to many other heroic acts of virtue. Like effects
are produced in a corresponding degree in other souls, who are to be
prepared for the visions of the Deity.
628. Our curtailed
insight might well hold that the foregoing preparations are sufficient for
being admitted to the beatific vision; but they are not: still another
quality is wanting, a divine emanation or light, the light of glory. This
new cleansing, though it is similar in nature to those already spoken of, is
altogether different from them in its effects. For it raises the soul to a
very high and serene state, where, in greatest tranquillity, it enjoys the
sweetest peace, which is not felt in connection with the first mentioned
purifications, For in those the pain and bitterness of sin is still felt, if
the soul was guilty of any, and if not, then there remains still the earthly
weight of our lower nature. These effects are not compatible with the close
approach and assimilation to the supreme blessedness. It seems to me that
the first purifications serve to mortify, and that, which I am now referring
to, serves to revivify and heal nature. God proceeds in these things like
the painter, who first delineates the image, then applies the ground colors,
and at last puts on the finishing touches, so that the picture comes to
light well defined.
629. Over and above all
these purifications, preparations and their admirable effects, God adds
still a last one, which is the light of glory by which the soul raises
itself to attain and enjoy the beatific vision of God. In this light the
Godhead manifests Itself, for without this light God cannot be seen by any
creature. Since the natural powers of the creature cannot attain to this
light and these preparations, therefore it is impossible to see God by the
natural faculties alone, for all this far exceeds the forces of nature.
630. With all this
beauty and adornment the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, the Daughter of the
Father, and the Mother of the Son, was furnished for Her entrance into the
chamber of the Divinity in order to enjoy from time to time the beatific
vision and intuitive fruition. And as these favors were given to Her
according to the measure of her dignity and grace, therefore it is
impossible to encompass the godlike proportions of her enlightenment by the
reasoning powers, or the thoughts of a creature, and much less of an
ignorant woman. Still less can the joys of her soul be estimated or
calculated, when it was thus exalted above all that is most supreme in the
highest seraphim and saints. If in regard to all the just, even the lowest
of those who enjoy God, it is infallibly true, that neither eye has seen,
nor ears heard, nor mind conceived, what God has prepared for his elect (I
Cor. 2, 9), what must be the enjoyment of the greater saints? And if the
same Apostle who says this confesses that he cannot repeat, what he had
heard (II Cor. 12, 4), what shall we, in our narrow limitation of powers, be
able to say of the Saint of the saints, the Mother of Him, who is the glory
of the saints? Next to the Soul of her most holy Son, who was man and true
God, She was the one, who knew and saw the greatest mysteries and sacraments
in those infinite and hidden immensities of the Divinity. To Her more than
to all the blessed in their entirety were thrown open the infinite
treasures, the expanding vastnesses of that inaccessible Being, unlimited by
any beginning or end. She, as the City of God, was inundated by the ecstatic
torrents of the supreme Being, overwhelming Her with the impetuous waves of
wisdom and grace, spiritualizing and impregnating Her with the spirit of the
Divinity.
ABSTRACTIVE VISIONS OF THE DIVINITY ENJOYED
BY MOST HOLY MARY.
631. The second kind of
divine visions enjoyed by the Queen of heaven was the abstractive, which is
very different and much inferior to the intuitive; it was more frequent in
Her, though not daily or continual. This kind of knowledge or vision is
communicated by the Most High without unveiling Himself directly to the
created mind, but through a certain veil or species, by means of which He
becomes manifest. Because of this intervening medium between the faculty and
its object, this kind of vision is very much inferior to the clear and
intuitive vision. It does not involve the real presence, though it
presupposes it intellectually in an inferior way. Although the creature
knows that it is nigh to the Divinity and discovers the attributes,
perfections and mysteries, which as in a mirror of the will, God wishes to
show and manifest, yet it does not feel and is not aware of his presence so
as to enjoy Him with complete satiety.
632. Nevertheless this
is a great, rare and, next to the clear vision, a more excellent favor than
any other. Although it does not require the light of glory, but only the
light appropriate to the species themselves, and not even the ultimate
disposition and purification proper to the light of glory; yet all the other
preparations antecedent to the intuitive vision, must go before it; for by
them the soul enters into the antechambers of the house of the eternal God
and Lord (Psalm 45, 5). The effects of this kind of vision are admirable,
for besides the exalted state which it presupposes in the soul and which
raises it above itself (Thren. 3, 28), it inebriates the soul (Psalm 35, 9)
with an ineffable and an inexplicable delight and sweetness, inflaming it
with divine love, transforming it and causing a forgetfulness of and an
aversion toward all earthliness and toward itself, so that already the soul
does not any more live in itself, but in Christ and Christ in it (Gal. 2,
20). Besides all this there remains after this vision in the soul a light,
which, if not lost by negligence and carelessness, or by some sin, will
always accompany it to the highest pinnacle of perfection, teaching it the
most secure paths to eternity and resembling the perpetual fire of the
sanctuary (Lev. 6, 12) or the beaconlight of the citadel of God (Apoc. 22,
5).
633. These and other
effects were caused in our sovereign Queen by abstractive vision and to such
an eminent degree, that I cannot give an explanation of my concept in words.
But some idea will be obtained, if we consider the condition of that most
pure soul, in which there was not the least hindrance, either of
lukewarmness, nor of the least defect, no indolence or forgetfulness, no
negligence or ignorance, nor the least inattention; but in which on the
contrary was the fullness of grace and of ardent love, unfailing diligence,
perpetual and unceasing praise of the Creator, the utmost solicitude and
readiness to give Him glory, and a preparation which allowed the powerful
hand of God to operate without opposition or hindrance whatever. She was
favored with this kind of blessed vision in the first moment of her
Conception, as I have already related before (Supra, No. 228, 236, 311, 382,
388; infra, 731, 739; Part II 6-101; Part II 537), and will relate
afterwards many times in the course of her most holy life.
INTELLECTUAL VISIONS AND REVELATIONS OF THE
MOST HOLY MARY.
634. The third kind of
divine visions and revelations enjoyed by the most holy Mary were the
intellectual ones. Although abstractive visions or the visions of the
Divinity may be called intellectual visions, yet for two reasons I have
mentioned them especially and placed them in a higher order. First, because
the object of the abstractive visions is altogether supreme among
intellectual things, whereas the range of these more ordinary intellectual
visions extends to many various objects, since they include the material and
the spiritual things, and the entire field of intellectual truths and
mysteries. The second reason is, because the abstractive visions of the
divine Essence are brought about by the most exalted and supernaturally
infused species or images of the being of God; whereas the common
revelations and the intellectual visions take place in diverse ways;
sometimes the intellectual images of the objects revealed are all infused;
at other times not necessarily all the subject-matter of the revelations is
infused; because then the same species or images, which the imagination or
phantasy already possesses are sufficient for the revelation. For the
understanding, endowed with a new light and a supernatural power, can
apprehend the mysteries of God from imaginary images, as happened with
Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 40, 41), and with Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 1, 24). This
kind of revelation was given to David; and next to the knowledge of the
Essence of the Deity, it is the most noble and secure. For neither the
demons nor the angels can infuse this supernatural light into the
understanding, since they can only cause images and phantasies in the
imagination.
635. This form of
revelation was common among the holy Prophets of the old and the new
Testaments; for the light of perfect prophecy which they possessed,
terminated in the understanding of some hidden mystery; and without this
intelligence, or intellectual light, they would not have been perfect
prophets, nor would they have spoken prophetically. Therefore, they that do
or say something prophetical, as for instance Caiphas and the soldiers
refusing to divide the garment of Christ our Lord (John 11,49; 19, 24),
although they are urged to these things by divine impulse, are not prophets
in the perfect sense; for they do not speak prophetically, that is with
divine intelligence and light. It is even true that the holy Prophets, who
are prophets in the real sense, and who call themselves seers on account of
the interior light by which they see secret things, can perform some
prophetic actions without knowing all the mysteries included therein, or
even without knowing any of the mysteries; but in such cases they are not to
be called prophets in the same sense, as when they prophesy with a
supernatural understanding of things. This kind of revelation is of many
different grades, which cannot here be explained; and although the Lord can
communicate it irrespective of charity, of grace and virtue; yet ordinarily
it is accompanied by them, as in the Prophets, Apostles and the just, and
this happens both when He manifests his secrets to them as friends, and also
when the intellectual visions or revelations are given for the advantage and
greater advancement of those who receive them, as I have said above (No.
616). Therefore these revelations demand a very excellent predisposition in
those souls who are to be raised to them, and ordinarily God does not
communicate them, except when the soul is in the state of quiet and peace,
withdrawn from the earthly things and well ordered in its faculties for the
workings of the divine light.
636. In the Queen of
heaven these intelligences or revelations were vastly different from those
which are proper to the Saints and Prophets; for her Highness enjoyed them
continually, both in habit and in act, whenever She was not enjoying other
more exalted visions of the Divinity. Moreover the clearness and the extent
of this intellectual light and all its effects were incomparably greater in
most holy Mary. For of the truths, mysteries and sacraments of the Most
High, She knew more than all the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and
more even than all the angels combined; and She understood more profoundly
and clearly, more unerringly and securely all that She did know. By means of
this intelligence She penetrated to the very being of God and to his
attributes as manifested in the very smallest of his works and creatures.
Not one of them existed in which She did not perceive the participation of
the greatness of the Creator and his divine foresight and providence. Most
holy Mary alone could in the fullest sense say of Herself that the Lord had
manifested to Her the uncertain and occult things of his wisdom (Psalm 50,
8) as recorded by the Prophet. It is impossible to describe the effects of
this intelligence in the sovereign Lady; this whole history must serve in a
manner to declare them. In other souls they are of wonderful advantage and
efficacy, for they illumine in the highest manner the understanding, inflame
the will with incredible ardor, they undeceive, disentangle, elevate and
spiritualize the creature, and at the same time they seem to lighten and
subtilize even the gross and emburdened earthly body in holy emulation with
the soul. The Queen of heaven enjoyed in these visions also another
privilege, of which, however, I will speak in the following chapter.
IMAGINARY VISION OF MOST HOLY MARY, THE QUEEN
OF HEAVEN.
637. In the fourth place
must be mentioned the imaginary visions, which are produced by sensible
visions, raised or set in motion in the imagination or phantasy. They
represent the object in a material or sensitive manner, in the same way as
are represented those things we see, hear, touch or taste. By means of this
kind of vision the Most High manifested to the Prophets of the old Testament
great mysteries and sacraments. Such happened especially with Ezechiel,
Daniel and Jeremias, and under the influence of similar visions the
evangelist saint John wrote the Apocalypse. Since these visions partake so
much of the sensible and corporal element, they are much inferior to the
ones spoken of under the preceding heading. On this same account the demon
can reproduce them in appearance by exciting phantasms of the imagination;
he does not, however, reproduce them in reality, being the father of lies.
Therefore it is necessary to beware of these kind of visions and to examine
them in the light of the teachings of the saints; for if the demon perceives
any cupidity toward them in the soul during prayer or devotions, and if God
permits, he can easily work deception. Even some saints, though dreading the
dangers of such visions, were nevertheless entangled in them by satan in his
assumed light, as is related in their lives for our instruction and warning.
638. The one in whom
these imaginary visions and revelations were without any danger and entirely
secure and divine, was most holy Mary, whose interior light could not be
obscured or invaded by the astuteness of the serpent. Our Queen was favored
with many such visions, for of this kind were those which manifested to Her
many of the actions of her most holy Son while absent, as we shall see in
the sequence of her life (Part II, Chap. 23, 24, 25, Book V). She also
perceived in imaginary visions many creatures and mysteries, whenever the
Most High so dispensed it according to his will and providence. And since
this and many benefits received by the sovereign Princess of heaven were
ordained for most high ends, not only for the advancement of her own
sanctity, purity and merits, but also for the advantage of the Church, of
which this great Mother of grace was to be a Teacher and a Cooperatrix in
Redemption, the effects of these visions and her understanding of them were
admirable and they were invariably accompanied by incomparable proofs of the
glory of God, and of new and increasing gifts and graces in the soul of most
holy Mary. Of the effects of these visions in other creatures I will speak
immediately below; for of these and the next kind of visions, the same can
be said as far as their effects in other souls are concerned.
CORPOREAL VISIONS OF DIVINE ORIGIN ENJOYED
BY MOST HOLY MARY.
639. The fifth and
lowest order of visions and revelations are those which are perceived by the
corporeal and exterior senses, and that is the reason why they are called
corporeal, although they can be brought about in two different ways. The one
kind are truly and properly called corporeal visions, when in a visible and
quantitative body some supernatural being appears to the sight or touch, be
it God, a saint, or the demon, or a soul and the like; such body being
formed for that very purpose by the ministry and power of good or of bad
angels from the ether or from the phantasms, which, though it is no true or
natural body of the thing represented by it, yet is truly a quantitative
body constructed from the ether in external dimensions. The other kind of
corporeal visions are such in an improper sense, rather an illusion of the
sense of sight; for they are only an image of the object, its coloring,
etc., which an angel can make visible by an alteration of the intervening
air. The one that sees it thinks that he looks upon a real body actually
present, though there is no such body, but only an empty image, by which the
senses are imperceptibly fascinated. This kind of illusory visions of the
senses is not proper to the good angels nor to divine revelation, although
they are possible to God and the angels; such might have been the voice
which Samuel heard. But they are a favorite ruse of the demon, on account of
their deceptiveness, especially in regard to the sight. Therefore, and
because the Queen never had these kind of visions, I will speak only of the
truly corporeal visions, such as She really enjoyed.
640. In the holy
Scriptures are many instances of corporeal visions granted to the saints and
Patriarchs. Adam saw God represented in the form of an angel (Gen. 3,8) ;
Abraham saw three angels (Gen. 17, 1); Moses saw a bush, (Exod. 3, 2) and
many times the Lord himself. Likewise others, who were sinners, have had
corporeal or imaginary visions: as for instance Cain (Gen. 4, 9), Baltassar
(Dan. 5, 5), who saw the hand on the wall: then imaginary images, as for
instance Pharao (Gen. 41, 2) in the vision of the cows; Nabuchodonozor, that
of the tree and the statue (Dan. 4, 12, 2, 1) and other recorded in the holy
Scriptures. These instances prove that in order to see corporeal and
imaginary visions sanctity is not required in the subject. But it is true
nevertheless, that they who obtain such an imaginary or corporeal vision,
without receiving therefrom any light or intelligence, cannot be called
Prophets; nor can they be said to receive a true revelation, but only those
who receive the necessary understanding of the vision, as Daniel says (Dan.
10, 1). Thus Joseph and Daniel were Prophets, not however Pharao, Baltassar,
Nabuchodonosor. Moreover those are the more important revelation and
visions, which are accompanied by a higher intelligence, although, to judge
from outward appearances, others may be called higher, namely, those which
represent God or the Mother of God, and the saints according to their
station.
641. It is certain that
in order to receive corporeal visions it is necessary that the senses should
be prepared. The imaginary ones are often sent by God in sleep, as for
instance in the vision of Joseph, the husband of most holy Mary (Matth.
1,,20), of the Magi Kings (2, 12) of Pharao (Gen. 41,2), etc. Others can be
perceived while the senses are in their full natural activity, this not
being repugnant. But the ordinary and co-natural manner of receiving the
corporeal as well as the intellectual visions, is during some rapture or
ecstasy of the external senses; for in such a state the interior faculties
are more collected and prepared for the perception of high and divine
things. Yet the exterior senses are apt to be a hindrance less to the
intellectual visions than to the imaginary ones, the latter having more
affinity for exterior things than the acts of the intellect. Therefore it
often happens, whenever the intellectual revelations are not infused
species, or when the affections do not suspend the action of the senses,
that most high intelligences of great and supernatural mysteries are
conferred without the cessation of the activity of the senses.
642. In the Queen of
heaven this happened many times and even frequently. For, though She was
enraptured during many of the beatific visions, (which in ordinary mortals
is always required), and also during her intellectual and imaginary visions;
yet, even while She was in the full use of her senses, She received higher
revelations and intelligences than all the saints and Prophets in their
greatest ecstasies. Nor in any way did her exterior senses disturb her
imaginary visions. For the great heart of Mary, so full of wisdom, was not
embarrassed by the sentiments of admiration and love, which are wont to take
away the sensible activities of the other saints and Prophets. This was true
of her corporeal visions, as is evident from the Annunciation of the message
by the archangel Gabriel (Luc. 1, 18), and although the Evangelists give no
other instance in the course of her most holy life, prudent and Catholic
judgment cannot doubt that they did happen at other times, for the Queen of
the heavens and of the angels was to be served by her vassals, as we shall
relate later on (No. 758) when we describe the continuous service of her
angelic guard, and of other angels appearing in corporeal and visible form.
It happened also in another way, as we shall see in the following chapter.
643. Other souls must be
very circumspect and careful in regard to these corporeal visions, since
they are subject to dangerous deceptions and illusions coming from the
ancient serpent. Those who never seek them avoid a great part of this
danger. If the soul is free from such desire and from other disorderly
affections, and if then any corporeal or imaginary visions should happen, it
must be very cautious before performing and executing that, which is
enjoined by those visions: for it is a very bad sign and savoring of the
devil's influence, if, without any deliberation or counsel, it immediately
believes and obeys; since the good angels, who are our teachers in matters
of obedience, truth, prudence and holiness, do not urge such a course of
action. There are also other indications and signs, generally accompanying
the causes and the effects of such visions, which will securely guide souls
as to their truthfulness or their falsity. But I will not enter into these
matters, in order not to be led away from my purpose; and besides, I submit
myself in these things to the doctors and teachers of the spiritual life.
INSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
644. My
daughter, in the enlightenment, which thou hast received in this chapter,
thou hast a certain rule of action in regard to the visions and revelations
of the Lord, and it inculcates two precautions. The one consists in thy
subjecting these relations to the examination and the judgment of thy
confessors and superiors, asking the Most High with a lively faith, that He
give them light to understand his divine will and truth to instruct thee
fully therein. The other consists in questioning thy own heart and observing
the effects of these revelations and visions, prudently trying to assure
thyself against any error. For the divine influence, which accompanies them,
will urge and draw thee on, inflaming thy heart to chaste love and reverence
of God to acknowledgment of thy littleness, to abhorrence of the earthly
vanities, to desire of being despised by creatures, to joyful suffering, to
love of the cross and an earnest and generous acceptation of it; it will
move thee to seek the last place, to love those that persecute thee, to fear
and abhor sin, even the slightest, to aspire to the purest, the most perfect
and refined in virtue, to deny thyself thy own inclinations, and to unite
thyself to the highest and truest good. When He thus teaches thee the most
holy and perfect things of the Christian law and excites thee to imitate Him
and me, then thou wilt have infallible signs of divine truth revealed to
thee by the Most High in these visions.
645. And in order that
thou, dearest, mayest execute this doctrine, which thou hast received
through the kindness of the Most High, do not ever forget it, and do not
lose sight of the blessing of having been instructed by Him in these things
with so much loving caresses; renounce all human esteem and consolation, all
the delight and pleasure of the world. All that thy earthly inclinations
demand, refuse to thyself, although it may be small and licit in itself;
turn thy back on all sensible things, seeking only to love and to suffer.
This is the science and divine philosophy taught thee by the visits of the
Most High and in it thou wilt feel the force of the divine fire, which
should never through thy fault and thy negligence, be allowed to become
extinguished in thy bosom. Be alert, dilate thy heart, gird thyself with
fortitude in order to be commissioned with great undertakings and be able to
accomplish them. Be constant in thy faith regarding these admonitions,
believing in them, esteeming them and writing them in thy soul with a
humble and loving affection of thy heart, as being sent in faithful
solicitude by thy Spouse and transmitted to thee by me, thy Teacher and
Mistress.
CHAPTER XV.
DESCRIPTION OF ANOTHER KIND OF VISIONS AND
COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH THE MOST HOLY MARY ENJOYED WITH THE HOLY ANGELS OF HER
GUARD.
646. Such is the force
and efficacy of God's grace, and of his love excited in the creature, that
it can blot out in it the very images of sin and the earthly nature of man,
(I Cor. 15,49) and form in it a new being and celestial image, whose
conversation is in heaven (Philip 3, 20), understanding, loving and
operating not any more as a creature of earth, but as a being celestial and
divine; for, the force of love ravishes the heart and soul by which the
creature lives, sacrificing and transforming them to that, which it loves.
This Christian truth, believed by all, understood by the learned, and
experienced by the saints, must be conceived as fulfilled in our great Queen
and Lady in so privileged a manner, that neither by the example of what was
experienced by the saints, nor by the intellect of the angels, can it ever
be comprehended or explained. Most holy Mary as being the Mother of the
Word, was Mistress of all creation; but being a faithful representation of
her onlybegotten Son, She in imitation of Him made so little use of
creatures, of which She was Mistress, that none ever used them less than
She, for She excluded all that was not absolutely necessary for the service
of the Most High and for the natural life of her most holy Son and of
Herself.
647. To this
forgetfulness and withdrawal from all earthly things corresponded her
intercourse with heaven; this again was proportionate to her dignity of
Mother of God and Queen of heaven, all earthly intercourse being thus
transformed into the heavenly. It followed as a natural consequence, that
the Queen and Mistress of the angels enjoyed singular privileges in regard
to the attention paid to Her by the heavenly courtiers, her vassals, and She
treated and conferred with them in a more exalted manner, than all the other
human creatures, how holy so ever they may be. In the twenty-third chapter
of the first book I have said something of the diverse ordinary visions in
which the holy angels and seraphim, who were destined and selected for her
guard, manifested themselves to our Queen and Mistress. And in the foregoing
chapter I explained in general the manner and form of the divine visions
conceded to Her, having been careful to keep in mind that in all their wide
range and sphere they were supremely exalted and divine in their nature,
their manner, and their effects upon her most holy soul.
648. In this chapter I
will treat of another kind of vision, more singular and privileged still,
which the Most High granted to most holy Mary and by which She communicated
with and visibly treated with the holy angels of her guard and with the
rest, who, in behalf of the Lord, visited Her on diverse occasions. This
mode of vision and intercourse was of the same kind as that by which each
one of the supernal spirits knows the others as they are in themselves,
without any other image to move the intellect than the very substance and
nature of the angel thus known. The superior angels illumine the inferior,
making known to them the hidden mysteries which the Most High reveals and
manifests immediately to the higher angels for transmission to the lowest;
for this manner of communicating with them is befitting to the greatness and
infinite majesty of the highest King and Governor of all creation. From this
it can easily be seen, that this most orderly illumination and revelation is
a favor which is superadded to the essential glory of the holy angels. For
the essential glory they obtain immediately from the Divinity, each one
receiving the vision and fruition of God according to the measure of his
merits. One angel cannot create essential happiness in another by
illuminating him or revealing to him a mystery; for the one who is
illuminated would not thereby see God face to face, without which he cannot
be in beatitude or attain to his last end.
649. But since the
Object is infinite and is like a voluntary mirror, there are infinite
secrets and mysteries, (besides those which pertain to beatific knowledge),
which God can reveal to the saints and which He reveals to them especially
in the government of his Church in the world; in these revelations He
follows the course, which I am explaining. As these revelations are outside
of the essential glory, the want of these revelations cannot be called
ignorance in the angels or a privation of knowledge; but it is called
nescience or negation; while revelation is called illumination, or a
purgation or purification of that nescience. According to our mode of
understanding it might be compared to the process which takes place, when
the rays of the sun pass through many crystals in succession, making all
partake of the same light from the first to the last, and reaching first
those that are more immediately neighboring to the light. Only one
difference must be noted in this comparison; that the prisms or crystals are
entirely passive in this process in respect to the rays, without having any
more activity than that given by the sun, which illumines all by one
operation; but the holy angels are passive in receiving the enlightenment
and active in communicating it to their inferiors; and moreover they
communicate their light with praise, admiration and love, all derived from
the supreme Sun of justice, the eternal and immutable God.
650. Into this admirable
and divine order of revelation the Most High introduced most holy Mary, so
that She might enjoy these privileges, which the courtiers of heaven
possessed as becoming their nature. For this purpose He appointed the
seraphim, whom I have mentioned in the fourteenth chapter of the first book,
because they were supreme and nearest to the Divinity; also other angels of
Mary's guard performed the same office, whenever, according to the divine
will, it seemed befitting and necessary. The Queen of angels and men knew
all these angels and others as they are in themselves, without dependence
upon the senses or the phantasy, and without any hindrance from the mortal
or earthly body. Through this vision and knowledge the seraphim and other
angels of the Lord illuminated and purified Her, revealing to their Queen
many mysteries, which for that very purpose they had learned from the Most
High. And although this kind of illumination and intellectual vision was not
continual in most holy Mary; it was very frequent, especially when, in order
to give Her opportunity for more merits and divine movements of love, the
Lord hid or absented Himself from Her, as shall be described afterwards
(Infr. 725, Part II 719,720). On such occasions He made use of the mediation
of the angels, allowing their enlightenment to proceed in its order until it
was communicated to their Queen.
651. This mode of
illumination did not derogate from the dignity of the Mother of God and of
the Mistress of the angels; for in the conferring of these benefits, the
mode of their participation was not to be determined by the dignity and
sanctity of our sovereign Queen, since in that She was superior to all the
angelic orders; but it was determined by the present state and condition of
her nature in which She was inferior; for She was yet a wayfarer and of a
human, bodily and mortal nature. By these illuminations She was to be raised
to the angelic operation and estate though yet living in mortal flesh and
subject to the natural use of the senses, and it was a great privilege, yet
entirely proper to her sanctity and dignity. I believe that the hand of the
Most High has extended this favor to other souls in mortal life, although
not so frequently as to his most holy Mother, nor with such a plenitude and
under such exalted conditions as in Her. If many doctors (not without good
reason) conceded that saint Paul, Moses, and other saints have enjoyed
beatific vision, it is credible, that other earthly wayfarers have shared
this kind of knowledge of the angelic nature; for this favor is no more than
to see intuitively the angelic substance. In regard to clearness, this
vision corresponds to the one which I have first mentioned in the foregoing
chapter, and in regard to the intellectual qualities it corresponds to the
third mentioned in the same place, although it does not proceed by means of
imprinted images.
652. The truth is, this
privilege is not ordinary or common but very rare and extraordinary; and
therefore it demands in the soul a great preparation and purity of
conscience. It is incompatible with earthly affections, voluntary
imperfections, or any leaning toward sin: for in order that the soul may
enter into the angelic order it must lead a life more angelic than human;
since if this supernal assimilation and sympathy is wanting, the union of
such extremes would imply a monstrous disproportion. With the divine grace,
however, the creature (although yet in earthly and corruptible body) can
deny itself all that is demanded by its passions and inclinations, die to
all visible things, eject from its memory all images of them, and live more
in the spirit than in the flesh. And when it arrives at the enjoyment of
true peace, tranquillity and quiet of spirit, which cause in it a sweet and
loving serenity in the possession of the highest Good, then it is less
incapable of being raised to the vision of the angelic spirits by intuitive
clearness, of receiving the divine revelations, which they communicate to
each other, and of experiencing the admirable effects of this kind of
vision.
653. If those which our
sovereign Queen received, correspond to her purity and love, their value
cannot be estimated by men. The light communicated to Her in these visions
of the seraphim is beyond human comparison; for to a certain extent the
image of the Divinity is flashed from them, as from most pure spiritual
mirrors, in which most holy Mary perceived it in all its infinite attributes
and perfections. Also the glory, which the seraphim themselves enjoyed, was
manifested to Her in an admirable manner by some of its effects; for as She
saw intuitively the essence of the angels, She knew much of its secrets. By
the insight into these things She was entirely inflamed and enkindled with
divine love and many times wrapt in wonderful ecstasy. Hence in union with
the seraphim and the angels She broke forth in canticles of praise,
celebrating the incomparable glory of the Divinity, so that She excited the
admiration of the heavenly spirits themselves. For though She was
enlightened by them as regards the intellect, yet by her own acts of the
will She left them far behind, and with a much greater force of love did She
quickly ascend and arrive at union with the ultimate and the highest Good,
whence She immediately received new impulses of the torrent of the Divinity
(Psalm 35, 9) by which She was inundated. And if the Seraphim had not been
enjoying the presence of the infinite Object, which was the beginning and
the end of their beatific love, they might well have been the pupils of
their most holy Queen in divine love, just as She was theirs in regard to
the illumination of the mind derived from them.
654. Next to the
immediate vision of the spiritual and angelic substance, the more inferior
intellectual vision of the same by infused species is more common, as we
said also of the abstractive vision of the Divinity. This kind of vision the
Queen of heaven enjoyed sometimes, but it was not so common with Her as the
one mentioned; for though in other just souls the privilege of seeing the
angels and saints by means of intellectual images is very rare and precious,
yet in the Queen of angels it was not necessary, because She had a more
exalted intercourse and knowledge of them. She, therefore, enjoyed this
inferior kind of visions only when the Lord ordained that the angels should
hide themselves and when the more exalted communion with them was to be
interrupted for her greater merit and practice in virtue. In such time, She
saw them by intellectual or imaginary species, as mentioned in the foregoing
chapter. Divine effects are produced in other souls by these visions of
angels through intellectual images; for these celestial beings become known
to the mind in their quality as executors and ambassadors of the supreme
King, and with them the soul holds sweet colloquy concerning the Lord, and
concerning all celestial and heavenly things. The whole soul is illumined,
taught, directed and governed, led on and urged onward in its ascent to the
perfect union of divine love, and in its efforts to practice that which is
the most consummate, refined and holy in spiritual life.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY THE QUEEN OF
HEAVEN.
655. Admirable, my
daughter, is the love, the fidelity and the solicitude with which the
angelic spirits assist mortals in their necessities; and most horrible is
the forgetfulness, ingratitude and grossness on the part of men in failing
to acknowledge this debt. In the bosom of the Most High, whose face they see
(Matth. 8, 10) in beatific clearness, these heavenly spirits perceive the
infinite paternal love of the Father in heaven for earthly men, and
therefore they appreciate and estimate worthily the blood of the Lamb, by
which men were bought and rescued, and they know the value of the souls thus
purchased with the treasures of the Divinity. Thence arises their
watchfulness and attention in securing the interests of the souls, which, on
account of the value set upon them by the Most High, have been given into
their charge. I wish thee to understand well, how by the ministry of these
angels, mortals would receive great enlightenment, and incomparable favors
from the Lord, if only they did not hinder them by their sins and
abominations, and by their oblivion of this inestimable blessing. But as
they block up the way, which God in his ineffable Providence has opened up
for conducting them to eternal felicity, the greater part of them damn
themselves, whereas, with the protection of the angels and with a proper
estimate of his blessing, they could save themselves.
656. O my dearest
daughter, since many men are so indifferent in attending to the paternal
works of my Son and Lord, I seek in thee a special gratitude for this
blessing. Since He has dealt with thee liberally in his appointment of
angels for thy guard, be attentive to their intercourse and listen to their
injunctions with reverence; give thyself over to their guidance, honor them
as the ambassadors of the Most High, seek their favor, in order that, having
been cleansed of thy sins and freed from imperfection, inflamed with divine
love, thou mayest become so spiritualized, as to be fit to treat with them
as their companion in the participation of the divine illuminations. These
He will not withhold from thee, if thou on thy part dispose thyself in the
manner I desire.
657. Since thou hast
desired to know in the spirit of obedience, what was the reason that the
holy angels communicated with me in so many kinds of visions, I will respond
to thy desires, explaining more clearly, what thou hast understood and
written with the aid of divine light. The cause of this privilege was, on
the part of the Most High, his most liberal love, with which He pursued me,
and on my part, it was the state of pilgrimage, in which I then found
myself. For it was neither possible nor befitting, that this life should be
altogether uniform in regard to the acts of virtue, by which the divine
Wisdom wished to raise me above all creation. As this pilgrimage was to be
performed by me as a human wayfarer, subject to the use of the senses with
all its various coincidences of life in the practice of virtue, I sometimes
acted altogether in a spiritual manner and without the hindrance of the
senses, when the angels communicated with me as they do among themselves; at
other times it was necessary for me to suffer and to be afflicted in the
lower part of my soul or in my sensitive faculties; at other times again I
suffered want, loneliness and interior dereliction. According to the
vicissitudes of these different effects and conditions I received the favors
and the visits of the holy angels. Many times then did I speak to them by
intelligence, at others in imaginary species, at others in corporeal and
sensible vision, according as my state and necessities demanded and the Most
High ordained.
658. By all these means
my faculties and senses were illumined and sanctified through the divine
influences and blessings, in order that I might experience in reality all
these operations and through all of them receive the influx of supernatural
grace. But in regard to these favors, my dearest daughter, I wish thee to
remember, that although God acted with such magnificent mercy toward me, He
nevertheless followed his intention of conferring them upon me so lavishly
not only because of my dignity as his Mother, but because He took into
account my cooperation and disposition by which I concurred with his graces
on my part. I withdrew all my faculties and senses from intercourse with
created things, and rejecting all that was merely sensible and created,
turned to the highest Good and centered all the powers of my will on his
holy love. In this disposition of my soul I sanctified all my faculties by
co-operation with these favors, visions and illuminations, having evacuated
them of all human and terrestrial pleasures. So great was the reward of my
works in mortal flesh, that thou canst not understand it, nor describe it
with mortal tongue. The liberality of the Highest at once makes an advance
payment of the blessings in this life as a pledge of those He has reserved
for the eternal.
659. And although the
powerful arm of God by these means wished to prepare me worthily from my
Conception for the incarnation of the Word in my womb, and to sanctify and
form my faculties and senses for the intercourse and communication with my
Son: nevertheless, if other souls would dispose themselves in imitation of
me, living not according to the flesh but according to the spirit, free and
untouched by the earthly contagion, the Most High would show his fidelity to
these souls as well and would not deny them his blessings and favors
according to the equity of his divine Providence.
CHAPTER XVI.
CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE MOST HOLY
CHILD MARY IN THE TEMPLE; THE LORD PREPARES HER FOR TROUBLES, AND JOACHIM,
HER FATHER, DIES.
660. We left our
sovereign Princess, most holy Mary, passing the years of her childhood in
the temple, while we made a diversion to speak of the virtues, gifts and
divine revelations, which She, a child in years but an adult in supreme
wisdom, received from the hand of the Most High and which She put to
practical use in her life. The most holy Child grew in age and grace before
God and men: but always in such a proportion, that zeal exceeded the powers
of nature, and that grace was measured not by her age, but by the beneficent
designs and high purposes of the Divinity, whose impetuous currents sought
their gathering-place and resting-place in this City of God. The Most High
continued his gifts and favors, renewing every hour the marvels of his
powerful arm, as if all its activity were reserved solely for most holy
Mary. And so well did her Majesty correspond in her tender age to this
divine influx, that She filled the heart of the Lord with a perfect and
adequate complacency, and all the angels of heaven with admiration. The
celestial spirits were witnesses of something like a wonderful strife and
competition between the Most High and the child Princess: the divine power,
in order to enrich Her, daily drawing from his treasures new and old
blessings reserved solely for the purest Mary, and She, as blessed earth,
not only causing the seed of the divine word to sprout and God's gifts and
favors to yield fruit a hundredfold, as was the case with the saints; but
exciting the admiration of all the heavens that She, a tender child, should
exceed in love, thanksgiving, in praise and all virtues, the highest and
most ardent seraphim, without losing time, place, occasion, or any service,
in which She did not practice the highest possible perfection.
661. Even in the years
of her tender infancy it was noticeable that She understood the Scriptures
and She spent much time in reading them. As She was full of wisdom She
conferred in her heart what She knew from the divine revelations made to
her own self, with what is revealed to all men in the holy Scriptures; and
therefore in her reading and private meditation She sent up continual and
fervent prayers and petitions for the Redemption of the human race and for
the incarnation of the Word. She read more ordinarily from the prophets
Isaias and Jeremias and from the Psalms, because the mysteries of the
Messias and the law of grace are more plainly expressed and repeated in
these writings. In addition to what She herself understood and comprehended,
She extended her knowledge by asking deep and wonderful questions, and
proposing difficulties to the angels, and many times She spoke of the
mystery of the humanity of the Word with incomparable tenderness, lovingly
wondering, that He was to become an infant, that He was to be born of a
Virgin Mother, come to manhood, as other men, suffer, and die for all the
children of Adam.
662. In these
conferences and questionings the holy angels and seraphim gave their
answers, illuminating Her, confirming and inflaming Her virginal heart with
new ardors of divine love. But they always concealed from Her her own most
high dignity, although She many times offered Herself in profoundest
humility as a slave to the Lord and to the happy Mother, whom He was to
select for his birth into the world. At other times, interrogating the holy
angels, She spoke full of admiration: "My princes and lords, is it possible
that the Creator himself is to be born of a creature and shall call her
Mother? That the Omnipotent and the Infinite, He that has made the heavens
and is not encompassed by them, should be enclosed in the womb of a woman,
and should clothe Himself with the limited human nature? He that vested in
beauty the elements, the heavens and the angels is to become subject to
suffering? Is it possible, that there should be a Woman endowed with our
human nature, who shall be so fortunate as to be able to call Him Son, who
has made Her out of nothing, and that She should be called Mother by Him,
who is uncreated and who created the whole universe? O unheard of wonder!
If the Author himself would not have declared it, how could earthly frailty
conceive a thing so magnificent? O miracle of all his miracles! O happy eyes
that shall see it and happy times that shall merit it!" To these sentiments
and exclamations the angels would on their part respond, explaining these
divine sacraments, in as far as they did not involve and affect her own
Self.
663. Each of these high
and ardent affections of humility in the child Mary was as one of those
locks of the Spouse, or darts of love, with which She so wounded the heart
of God, that, if it had not been befitting to wait until She had arrived at
the competent and opportune age for conceiving and bringing forth the
incarnate Word, his delight could not (according to our way of thinking)
contain itself and would have assumed humanity at once in her womb. But
although She was fit for this mystery from her childhood, as far as merits
and grace were concerned, He waited in order to conceal and disguise more
effectively the sacraments of the Incarnation, and in order to protect and
safeguard the honor of his most holy Mother by postponing her virginal
parturition to the age approaching that of married women. During this delay
the Lord (according to our concept) entertained Himself with the
affectionate discourses and love-canticles of his Daughter and Spouse, who
was soon to be the worthy Mother of the divine Word. These canticles and
hymns of our Queen and Lady, as has been shown to me by special
enlightenment were so many and so exalted, that, if they were written, the
holy Church would possess many more than all the Prophets and Saints have
left behind; for She expressed and comprehended all that they have written,
and over and above understood and expressed much more than they ever could
attain. But the Most High has provided, that the Church militant should
possess abundantly sufficient matter of that kind in the writings of the
Apostles and Prophets; while his revelations to his most holy Mother, are
preserved and written in his divine mind, afterwards to be made known to the
triumphant Church in as far as shall serve for the accidental glory of the
blessed.
664. Moreover the divine
condescension yielded to the holy wish of Mary our Mistress that, for the
increase of her prudent humility and for an example of her great virtues to
mortals, the sacrament of the King should remain concealed (Tob. 12, 7),
and, whenever it became necessary partly to reveal it for the service of his
Majesty and the welfare of the Church, the most holy Mary proceeded with
such heavenly prudence, that though She was the Teacher, She never ceased to
be the most humble Disciple. In her infancy She consulted the angels and
followed their counsels; after the incarnate Word was born, She looked upon
the Onlybegotten as her Teacher and example in all her actions and at the
close of his mysterious life and after his Ascension into heaven, the great
Queen of the universe obeyed the Apostles, as we shall relate. This is one
of the reasons why, in the Apocalypse, saint John the evangelist disguised
the mysteries of the Lady, beneath such enigmatic words, that they can be
interpreted and applied just as well to the Church militant as to the
triumphant.
665. The Most High
resolved, that the plenitude of the graces and virtues of the princess Mary
should, as it were, anticipate the time set for reaching the apex of her
merits, and that they should extend to the most difficult and magnanimous
undertakings, as much as possible, even in her most tender years. In one of
the visions in which the Majesty of God manifested Itself to Her, He said:
"My Spouse and my Dove, I love thee with an infinite love and I desire of
thee what is most pleasing in my eyes and the fulfillment of all my desires.
Thou art not unaware, my Daughter, of the hidden treasure, which is
contained in hardships and tribulations, so much dreaded by the blind
ignorance of mortals, nor is it unknown to thee that my Onlybegotten, when
He shall clothe Himself in human nature, shall teach the way of the cross as
well in words as in deeds; that He shall leave it as a heritage to my chosen
ones; and that He shall choose it for Himself and establish upon it the law
of grace, making humility and patience in suffering the foundation of the
firmness and excellence of that law. For this is best suited to the present
condition of human nature, and much more so, after it has been depraved and
evilly inclined by so many sins. It is also conformable to my equity and
providence, that the mortals should attain and merit for themselves the
crown of glory through hardships and the cross, since my Onlybegotten Son is
to merit it by the same means in human flesh. Therefore, my Spouse, thou
wilt understand, that, having chosen thee by my right hand for my delight,
and having enriched thee with my gifts, it would not be just, that my grace
should be idle in thy heart, nor that thy love should want its fruit, nor
that thou shouldst be excluded from the inheritance of my elect. Hence I
wish that thou dispose thyself for tribulations and sorrows for love of Me."
666. To this proposal of
the Most High the invincible Princess Mary answered with a more courageous
heart than all the saints and martyrs have ever shown in the world; and She
said: "Lord God and my highest King, all my faculties and their operations,
and my being itself, which I have received of thy infinite bounty, I hold in
readiness as a sacrifice to thy divine pleasure, wishing that it be
fulfilled entirely according to the desires of thy infinite wisdom and
goodness. And if Thou give me any freedom of choice in regard to anything, I
wish only to chose suffering unto death in love for Thee; and I beseech
Thee, my only Good, that Thou make of thy slave a sacrifice and holocaust of
suffering acceptable in thy eyes. I acknowledge, Lord, powerful and most
liberal God, my debt, and that no creature owes to Thee so great a return,
nor are all of them together so much indebted to Thee as I alone, who am so
entirely unequal to the task of discharging this indebtedness to thy
magnificence. But if Thou wilt admit suffering as a sort of return, let all
the sorrows and tribulations of death come over me. I will only ask for thy
divine protection, and, prostrate before the throne of thy infinite Majesty,
I supplicate Thee not to forsake me. Remember, O my Lord, the faithful
promises, which Thou hast made to our Ancestors and Prophets, that Thou wilt
favor the just, stand by those who are in tribulation, console the
afflicted, be a protection and a defense to them in their tribulations. True
are thy words, infallible and certain are thy promises; the heavens and the
earth shall sooner fall to pieces than that thy words should ever fail. The
malice of the creature cannot extinguish thy charity toward those that hope
in thy mercy; fulfill in me thy holy and perfect will."
667. The Most High
accepted this morning offering from his tender Spouse and holy child Mary,
and with a most benign countenance He said to Her: "Beautiful art thou in
thy thoughts, Daughter of the Prince, my Dove, my beloved and chosen One. I
accept thy desires as highly pleasing to me and I wish that as a beginning
of their fulfillment thou take notice, that according to my divine
ordainment, thy father Joachim must pass from this mortal to the eternal and
immortal life. His death will happen shortly and He will pass in peace and
shall be placed among the saints in limbo, to await the Redemption of the
human race." This announcement did not disturb the royal heart of the
Princess of heaven, the blessed Mary; but as the love of children for their
parents is a just debt of nature, and as in this most holy Child this love
had attained its highest perfection, the natural sorrow for the loss of her
father Joachim could not be wanting, for She loved him with a holy love. The
tender and sweet Child therefore felt, that this sorrowful compassion was
perfectly compatible with the serenity of her magnanimous heart, and,
working in all things with grandeur, giving nature and grace each their due,
She offered an ardent prayer for her father saint Joachim. She besought the
Lord to give him grace to depend upon Him as his powerful and true God in
his transit through a blessed death; and asked Him to defend Joachim against
the demon especially in that hour, preserve him for and constitute him among
the number of the elect, since during his life He had confessed and
magnified his admirable and holy name. And in order to oblige his Majesty
the more, the most faithful Daughter offered to suffer all that the Lord
might ordain.
668. The Lord accepted
this petition and consoled the heavenly Child by assuring Her, that He would
assist her father as a most merciful and kind Rewarder of those that love
and serve Him, and that He would place him among the Patriarchs Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. At the same time He prepared Her anew for the acceptance
and endurance of troubles. Eight days before the death of the patriarch
Joachim the most holy Mary received another notice from the Lord, advising
Her of the day and hour in which He was to die. His death took place only
six months after Her entrance into the temple. Having received this notice
from the Lord, She requested the twelve angels, mentioned by saint John in
the Apocalypse, to assist her father Joachim and to comfort and console Him
in his sickness, which they did. For the last hours of his life She sent all
the angels of her guard asking the Lord, to make them visible to him for his
greater consolation. God conceded this favor and confirmed all the wishes of
his chosen and only One; and the great patriarch, most happy Joachim, saw
the thousand angels which guarded Mary. In response to her prayer and wishes
the Almighty allowed his graces to overflow, commanding the angels to
address Joachim as follows:
669. "Man of God, may
the Most High and powerful Lord be thy eternal salvation and may he send
thee from his holy place the necessary and opportune help for thy soul. Mary
thy Daughter has sent us in order to assist thee in this hour, in which thou
must pay the debt of mortality to thy Creator. She is a most faithful and
powerful Intercessor before the Almighty, in whose name and peace thou wilt
now pass consoled and joyous from this world because He has made thee the
father of such a blessed Daughter. Although his incomprehensible Majesty, on
account of his hidden decrees, has not as yet revealed the sacraments and
dignity, in which He shall invest thy Daughter, He wishes thee to know it
now in order that thou mayest magnify and praise Him, and in order that the
pain and sorrow of natural death may be relieved by the joy of thy spirit at
this news. Mary, thy Daughter, is chosen and ordained by the Almighty as the
One, in whom the divine Word shall vest Himself with human flesh and form.
She is to be the happy Mother of the Messias and the Blessed among women,
the most exalted among all creatures, and only inferior to God himself. Thy
most fortunate Daughter is to restore what the human race lost by the first
sin, and She is the high mountain on which is to be established and
constructed the new law of grace. Since thou leavest to the world a
Daughter, through whom God will restore it and prepare a full remedy, do
thou part from it in the joy of thy soul, and may the Lord bless thee from
Sian (Psalm 127, 5) and constitute thee in the inheritance of the saints and
bring thee to the vision and enjoyment of the blessed Jerusalem."
670. During these words
of the holy angels to Joachim, his spouse, holy Anne, stood at the head of
his bed and by divine disposition She heard and understood what they said.
In the same moment the holy patriarch lost the use of speech and, treading
into the path common to all flesh, he commenced his agony in a marvelous
struggle between his joy at this message and the pain of death. In this
conflict of the interior powers of his soul he made many fervent acts of
divine love, of faith, of admiration, of praise, of thanksgiving, of
humility and heroic acts of many other virtues. Thus absorbed in the
knowledge of so divine a mystery, he arrived at the term of his natural life
and died the precious death of the saints (Psalm 115, 15). His holy soul was
carried by the angels to the limbo of the Patriarchs and just souls; and,
for a new consolation and light in the protracted night in which they lived,
the Most High sent the soul of Joachim as the last messenger and legate of
the Lord to announce to the whole congregation of the just: that the dawn of
the eternal day was at hand; that the morning light was breaking upon the
world in most holy Mary, the Daughter of Joachim and Anne; that from Her was
to be brought forth the Sun of the Divinity, Christ, the Redeemer of all the
human race. This great news the holy fathers and the just in limbo heard and
received with jubilee and in their exultation they sang many hymns of
thanksgiving to the Most High.
671. This happy death of
the patriarch saint Joachim happened as I said about a half year after his
most holy Daughter Mary had entered the temple. Hence She was three and a
half years old, when She was left without an earthly father. The age of the
patriarch was sixty-nine years, divided as follows: at the age of forty-six
years he accepted saint Anne as his spouse, in the twentieth year of his
marriage, they were blessed with most holy Mary; and the three and a half
years of the age of her age at his death complete the sixty-nine and a half
years, a few days more or less.
672. After the death of
the holy Patriarch and father of our Queen the angels of her guard at once
returned to the presence of Mary and related to Her what had happened in the
passing away of her father: and immediately the most prudent Child turned in
solicitous prayers to the Lord, asking Him to console, govern and assist her
Mother Anne with fatherly kindness in her solitude after the death of her
husband. Saint Anne also sent notice of the death of Joachim to the
instructress of the heavenly Princess, asking Her to console the Child in
breaking this news to Her. The teacher acted accordingly and the most wise
Child listened to her thankfully, concealing her own knowledge. However it
was with the patience and modesty of a Queen, and of one who was not
oblivious of the possibility of the event, which her instructress related to
Her as new. Acting in all things according to the highest perfection, She
betook Herself at once into the temple, reiterating her sacrifice of praise,
humility, patience and of other virtues, and progressing always with more
accelerated and beautiful steps in the eyes of the Most High (Cant. 7, 1).
As a climax of these exercises, She, as usual, requested the holy angels to
concur and assist in blessing God.
INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE
ME.
673. My daughter,
renovate many times in the secret of thy heart thy esteem for the blessing
of tribulations, which the hidden providence of God dispenses for the
justification of mortals. These are the judgments justified in themselves
(Psalm 18, 10, 11) and more valuable than precious stones and gold, more
sweet than the honeycomb, to those who know how to hold them in proper
esteem. I wish thee to remember, my beloved, that to suffer and to be
afflicted with or without one's fault is a benefit of which one cannot be
worthy without special and great mercy of the Almighty; moreover to be
allowed to suffer for one's sins, is not only a mercy, but is demanded by
justice. Behold, however, the great insanity of the children of Adam
nowadays in desiring and seeking after emoluments, benefits, and favors
agreeable to their senses, and in sleeplessly striving to avert from
themselves, that which is painful or includes any hardship or trouble. It
would be to their greatest benefit to seek tribulations diligently even when
unmerited, yet they strive by all means to avoid them even when merited, and
even though they cannot be happy and blessed without having undergone such
sufferings.
674. When gold is
untouched by the furnace-heat, the iron by the file, the grain by the
grinding stone or flail, the grapes by the winepress, they are all useless
and will not attain the end for which they are created. Why then will
mortals continue to deceive themselves, by expecting, in spite of their
sins, to become pure and worthy of enjoying God, without the furnace or the
file of sorrows? If they were incapable and unworthy of attaining to the
crown and reward of the infinite and eternal Good when innocent, how can
they attain it, when they are in darkness and in disgrace before the
Almighty? In addition to this the sons of perdition are exerting all their
powers to remain unworthy and hostile to God and in evading crosses and
afflictions which are the paths left open for returning to God, in rejecting
the light of the intellect which is the means of recognizing the
deceptiveness of visible things, in refusing the nourishment of the just
which is the only means of grace, the price of glory, and above all in
repudiating the legitimate inheritance, selected by my Son and Lord for
Himself and for all his elect, since He was born and lived continually in
afflictions and died upon the cross.
675. By such standards,
my daughter, must thou measure the value of suffering, which the worldly
will not understand. Since they are unworthy of heavenly knowledge, they
despise it in proportion to their ignorance. Rejoice and congratulate
thyself in thy sufferings, and whenever the Almighty deigns to send thee
any, hasten to meet it and welcome it as one of his blessings and pledges of
his glorious love. Furnish thy heart with magnanimity and constancy, so that
when occasion of suffering is given thee thou mayest bear it with the same
equanimity as the prosperous and agreeable things. Be not filled with
sadness in executing that which thou hast promised in gladness, for the
Lord loves those that are equally ready to give as to receive. Sacrifice
thy heart and all thy faculties as a holocaust of patience and chant in new
hymns of praise and joy the-justification of the Most High, whenever in the
place of thy peregrination He signalizes and distinguishes thee as his own
with the signs of his friendship which are no other than the tribulations
and trials of suffering.
676. Take notice, my
dearest, that my most holy Son and myself are trying to find among those who
have arrived at the way of the cross, some soul, whom We can instruct
systematically in this divine science and whom We can withdraw from the
worldly and diabolical wisdom, in which the sons of Adam, with blind
stubbornness, are rejecting the salutary discipline of sufferings. If thou
wishest to be our disciple enter into this school, in which alone is taught
the doctrine of the cross and the manner of reaching true peace and
veritable delights. With this wisdom the earthly love of sensible pleasures
and riches is not compatible; nor the vain ostentation and pomp, which
fascinates the blear-eyed worldlings, who are so covetous of passing honors,
and so full of ignorant admiration for costly grandeur. Thou, my daughter,
choose for thyself the better part of being among the lowly and the
forgotten ones of this world. I was Mother of the Godman himself, and, on
that account, Mistress of all creation conjointly with my Son: yet I was
little known and my Son very much despised by men. If this doctrine were not
most valuable and secure, We would not have taught it by word and example.
This is the light, which shines in the darkness (John 1, 7), loved by the
elect and abhorred by the reprobate.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE PRINCESS OF HEAVEN BEGINS TO SUFFER
AFFLICTION; GOD ABSENTS HIMSELF FROM MOST HOLY MARY: HER SWEET AND AMOROUS
SIGHS.
677. The Most High, who
in his infinite wisdom dispenses and regulates the welfare of his beloved
ones according to weight and measure, resolved to exercise our heavenly
Princess with some afflictions adapted to her age and state of childhood.
Though She was always great in grace, He wished by this means to increase
her glory. For entirely filled with grace and wisdom was our Child Mary;
nevertheless it was befitting, that She should learn by experience and thus
make advancement and understand better the science of suffering, which only
experience can bring to its ultimate perfection and thoroughness. During the
brief course of her tender years She had enjoyed the delights of the Most
High and his caresses, and of the angels and of her parents, and in the
temple, the tender love of her teachers and of the priests, because in the
eyes of all of them She was most gracious and amiable. It was now time that
She should commence to know all the good She possessed in another light and
by another knowledge; namely, the one which is acquired by the absence and
privation of the good, and that She make use of it for the practice of those
virtues, which arise from comparison between the state of favors and
caresses with the state of dereliction, aridity and tribulation
678. The first
affliction, which our Princess suffered, was that the Lord suspended the
continual visions, which He had so far vouchsafed Her. So much the greater
was the sorrow occasioned Her thereby, in proportion as it was a new and
unaccustomed experience and in proportion as the treasure thus withdrawn was
high and precious. Also the holy angels concealed themselves from Her, and
at the withdrawal from her sight of so many, so excellent and heavenly
beings, which took place all at once (although they did not cease to
surround Her invisibly for her protection), that most pure Soul seemed to
Herself entirely forsaken and left alone in the dark night occasioned by the
absence of her Beloved.
679. It was a great
surprise to our little Queen; for the Lord, though He had in general
prepared Her for the coming of tribulations, had not specified their nature.
And as the innocent heart of the most simple Dove harbored no thoughts, and
entertained no practical conclusions except such as were conformable to her
humility and incomparable love, She explained all according to this same
light. In her humility She began to think, that She had not merited the
further presence and possession of the lost Good on account of her
ingratitude; and in her inflamed love She sighed and yearned after It with
such great and loving affection and sorrow, that there are no words to
express them. She turned with her whole soul to the Lord in this new state
and said to Him:
680. "Highest God and
Lord of all creation, infinite in bounty and rich in mercies, I confess, my
Lord, that such a vile creature cannot merit thy favors and my soul in
utmost sorrow reproaches itself with its own ingratitude and with the loss
of thy friendship. If my ingratitude has eclipsed the Sun, which vivified,
animated and illumined me, and if I have been remiss in giving thanks for
the great benefits, I acknowledge, my Lord and Shepherd, the sin of my great
negligence. If, like an ignorant and simple little sheep, I did not know how
to be thankful and do what is most acceptable in thy eyes, see me prostrate
on the earth, adhering to the dust, in order to be raised from my poverty
and destitution by Thee, my God, who dwellest on high. Thy powerful hands
have formed me (Job 10, 8), and Thou canst not be ignorant of our
composition (Psalm 102, 14) and in what kind of a vase Thou has placed thy
treasures. My soul wastes away in bitterness (Psalm 30, 11) ; and in thy
absence, since Thou art its sweetest life, only Thou canst restore its
drooping life. To whom shall I go in thy absence? Whither shall I turn my
eyes without having light to direct them? Who shall console me, when all is
affliction? Who shall preserve me from death, when there is no life left?"
681. She also turned
toward the angels and continued without ceasing in her loving complaints,
saying to them:
"Celestial Princes,
ambassadors of the great and highest King and most faithful friends of my
soul: why have you also left me? Why do also you deprive me of your sweet
countenances and deny me your intercourse? But I do not wonder, my lords, at
your displeasure, if through my unthankfulness I have merited to fall into
the disgrace of your and my Creator. Lights of the heavens, enlighten me in
my ignorance in this matter, and if I have been at fault, correct me and
obtain again for me the pardon of my Lord. Most noble courtiers of the
celestial Jerusalem, have pity on my sorrow and dereliction: tell me where
is my Beloved; tell me where He has hidden Himself (Cant. 3,3). Tell me
where I can find Him without wandering about, (Cant. 1, 6) and without going
through the gatherings of all the creatures. But woe to me, for you do not
answer, though you are so courteous and well know the hiding-place of my
Spouse, since He never withdraws his face and his beauty from your sight!"
682. Thereupon She
turned toward all the rest of creation and in continual anxieties of her
love She spoke to them and said: "Without doubt you also, being thankful,
and being armed against all the ungrateful, are exasperated against her, who
was ungrateful. But even if by the goodness of the Lord you permit me to
remain in your midst, although I am so vile, you cannot thereby satisfy my
longings. Very beautiful and extensive are ye, O heavens; beautiful and
refulgent are the planets and all the stars; great and mighty are the
elements, the earth is adorned and clothed in the perfumed plants and herbs,
innumerable are the fishes of the waters, admirable are the elevations of
the sea, (Psalm 92, 4), swift are the birds in their feathery weight, hidden
are the minerals, courageous are the animals in their strength, and all of
these together serve as a gradual ascent and in a sweet harmony teach the
way to my Beloved; yet they are but circuitous paths for one that loves Him,
and if I course swiftly over them I find myself at the end absent from my
blessedness. For with the measured approach of these creatures to his
immeasurable bounty, my flight is not content, my sorrow is not allayed, my
pains are unrelieved, my anguish increases, my desires are augmented, my
heart is more inflamed and faints away in the unsatiating love of mere
earthly things. O sweet death in the absence of my life! O sorrowful life
in the absence of my very soul and of my Beloved! What shall I do? Whither
shall I turn? How can I live, yet how can I die? Since my life is wanting,
what force sustains me? O all you creatures, that with your ever renewed
existence and perfections give me such tokens of my Lord, attend and see
whether there is a sorrow like unto my sorrow!" (Thren. 1, 12.)
683. Our heavenly Lady
indulged her sorrow in many other discourses, expressing them in spoken
words, such as cannot be conceived by other created understanding; for She
alone possessed the wisdom and love properly to estimate the meaning of the
absence of God in a soul, since She alone had known and enjoyed his presence
in its highest beatitude. But if even the angels, in a holy and loving
emulation, were filled with admiration to see a mere creature and so tender
a Child exercising such a variety of acts of the most prudent humility, of
faith, of love, of affection, and such flights of a loving heart, who can
ever explain the pleasure and delight, which the Lord himself took in the
soul of the chosen One and in its aspirations, of which each one wounded the
heart of his Majesty and which proceeded from a greater and more loving
graciousness than He had given to the seraphim? And if they altogether,
being in the continual presence of the Divinity could not exercise or
imitate the example given by the most holy Mary, nor fulfill the laws of
love so perfectly as She in the absence and concealment of her God, what was
the complacency of the most holy Trinity in this Creature? This is a mystery
hidden to our littleness; but it is meet, that we worship it in wonder and
admire it in all reverence.
684. Our most innocent
Dove found no peace for her heart nor any footrest for her affections (Gen.
8, 9) while thus with incessant sighing She took her flight through all the
range of creation and beyond. Many times She sought to approach the Lord in
tears and loving complaints, She turned to the angels of her guard and
addressed all the creatures as if they were capable of reason; then She
would ascend to that highest habitation by her penetrating intellect and her
most ardent affections, where the highest Good had met Her and where She
reciprocally with It had enjoyed ineffable delights. But the most high Lord,
her beloved Spouse, who allowed Her to possess and yet not enjoy Him as
before, inflamed by this possession of Him only more and more her most pure
heart, increasing her merits and showering upon Her continually new, though
hidden gifts, in order that, in possessing Him the more, She might love the
better, and being more loved and possessed, She seek Him with ever greater
anxiousness and contrivances of her fiery love. "I seek Him," said the
heavenly Princess, "and I do not find Him (Cant. 2, 2) ; again I was
awakened and, running through the streets and squares of the city of God, I
renewed my anxieties. But alas for me! that my hands distilled the myrrh
(Cant. 5, 5) ; my diligence is of no avail, any exertions serve only to
increase my sorrow (Cant, 6,7). My Beloved absents Himself: I call Him and
He does not answer me, I turn my eyes to seek Him, but the guards and the
sentinels of the city, and all creatures were an annoyance to me and
offended my sight. Daughters of Jerusalem, holy and just souls, you I
beseech, you I supplicate, if you meet my Beloved, tell Him that I am faint
and that I am dying with love."
685. In these sweet and
loving lamentations our Queen continued for several days, like the humble
spikenard giving forth most fragrant odors of sweetness. But the Lord
remained unmoved by her anxieties and secreted Himself in the hidden
recesses of her most faithful heart. The divine Providence, for its greater
glory and for the superabundant merit of his Spouse, protracted this
conflict in such a manner, that it continued for some time, though not very
long; in the meanwhile our heavenly Lady suffered more spiritual torments
and anxieties than all the saints together. For She gradually began to be
alarmed by the fear of having lost God and fallen into disgrace on account
of her own faults; and no one can estimate or know, except the Lord himself,
what and how great was the grief of that burning heart, which had known how
to love so much. To weigh this grief belongs to God alone, and in order that
She might feel it in its fullest extent, She was left by God to the
overwhelming anxiety and fear of having lost Him.
INSTRUCTION WHICH MY
LADY AND QUEEN GAVE ME.
686. My daughter, all goods are estimated according
to the appreciation in which creatures hold them: in so far they value them,
as they know them to be good. But since there is only one true Good, and all
the others merely fictitious and apparent, it follows, that only the highest
Good is to be appreciated and recognized. Then only shalt thou give Him true
appreciation and love, when thou shalt enjoy and esteem Him above all
created things. By this appreciation and love will also be measured the
sorrow of losing Him and from this thou canst understand somewhat my
sentiments, at the time when the eternal God absented Himself from me,
leaving me in my fears lest perhaps I had lost Him through my own fault.
There is no doubt, that many times the sorrows of this anxiety and the force
of love would have deprived me of life, if the Lord himself had not
preserved it.
687. Imagine then, what
ought to be the grief of losing God really by sin, if, without the bad
effects of sin, the absence of our true Good could cause such terrible
suffering to the soul, knowing at the same time, that it has not lost Him,
but still possesses Him, though hidden and disguised to its present
consciousness. But this wisdom seems far from the mind of carnal men: with a
most perverse blindness they continue to make much of the visible and
fictitious good, and they torment themselves and are disconsolate, whenever
it fails them. Because they never taste or recognize the highest and truest
Good, they take no thought or reckoning of It. And although my most holy Son
has brought a remedy for this dreadful ignorance contracted by the first
sin, by meriting for men faith and charity, thereby affording them the
possibility of knowing and experiencing to a certain extent the Good, which
they never have experienced; yet, O sorrow, how easily charity is wasted and
set aside for any kind of pleasure, and how often faith remains without any
fruit and is involved in death! The sons of darkness live as if they had
only a counterfeit or doubtful connection with eternity.
688. Fear, my soul, this
so slightly accounted danger; rouse thyself and live always in watchfulness
and preparation for the attacks of the enemies, who never sleep. Let thy
meditation day and night be, how thou canst provide against losing the
highest Good, which thou lovest. It is not befitting that thou sleep or
slumber in the midst of invisible enemies. If sometimes thy Beloved hides
Himself from thee, hope in patience and seek Him solicitously without
ceasing, since thou knowest not his secret judgments. For the time of his
absence and temptation provide thyself with the oil of charity and good
intention, so that it fail thee not in time of necessity and that thou
mayest not be rejected with the foolish and negligent virgins.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OTHER AFFLICTIONS OF OUR QUEEN, SOME OF WHICH
WERE PERMITTED BY THE LORD THROUGH THE AGENCY OF CREATURES AND OF THE
ANCIENT SERPENT.
689. The Most High
continued to hide and conceal Himself from the Princess of heaven; and to
this affliction, which was the most severe, his Majesty added others in
order to increase her merit, her grace and her reward, thus inflaming more
and more the most pure love of the heavenly Lady. The great dragon and
ancient serpent was not unwatchful of the heroic works of the most holy
Mary: although he could not attain to the knowledge of her interior acts,
since they were hidden from his view, yet he scrutinized the exterior ones
which were so high and so perfect as to arouse the pride and indignation of
that envious fiend; for the purity and the sanctity of the Child Mary
tormented him beyond all calculation.
690. In his restless
fury he called a conventicle of the infernal leaders in order to consult
about the matter with the higher powers of hell. He addressed them as
follows:
"The great triumph which
we have until now obtained in the world by the possession of so many souls
who are altogether subject to our wills, is, I am afraid and anxious, about
to be undone and counteracted by a Woman; we cannot make light of such a
danger, for we have been warned since our creation, and afterward heard the
sentence confirmed against us, that the Woman shall crush our head (Gen. 3,
15). Therefore we must be watchful and discard all carelessness. You have
already been notified of a Child, which was born of Anne, and is growing in
age and is at the same time distinguishing Herself in virtue: I have paid
careful attention to all her actions and movements, and I have not been able
to discover in Her the effects of the seeds of malice, which usually begin
to show themselves at the dawn of reason and at the beginning of the
activity of the passions in the rest of the children of Adam. I have always
seen Her composed and most perfect, without being able to incline or induce
Her to fall into the slightest human imperfections, which are so natural in
the other children. On this account I fear, lest She be the one chosen as
Mother of Him who is to become Man."
691. "Yet I cannot
convince myself of this; for She was born as the rest of women, and subject
to the common laws of nature, her parents offered prayers and sacrifices in
atonement for Her and their own sins, and brought Her to the temple just
like other women. Even if She is not the one chosen as our enemy, her
childhood points to great things and her exquisite virtue and holiness gives
promise of still greater things later on; nor can I bear the prudence and
discretion with which She acts in all her affairs. Her wisdom enrages me,
her modesty irritates me, her humility annihilates me and oppresses me, and
her whole behavior provokes me to unbearable wrath. I abhor Her more than
all the children of Adam. There is in Her a special power, which often makes
it impossible for me to approach Her; if I assail Her with suggestions, She
does not admit them, and all my efforts in her regard until this hour have
been entirely fruitless. Hence it is important for us all that we find a
remedy; and we must make the greatest exertions, lest our power be ruined. I
desire the destruction of this soul more than that of all the world. Tell me
then, what means and what contrivances must we use in order to overcome Her.
I will certainly offer high and liberal rewards to anyone who shall
accomplish her downfall."
692. The matter was
ventilated in that confused synagogue, convoked solely for our ruin, and one
of the chiefs of the horrible council said: "Our chief and Lord, do not
allow thyself to be tormented by such a small matter, for a weak little
Maiden cannot be so invincible and powerful as all of us that follow thee.
Thou hast deceived Eve, (Gen. 3, 4), dragging her down from the high
position which she held, and through her thou didst also conquer her head
Adam; then why shouldst thou not be able to overcome this Woman, her
descendant, who was born after the first fall? Promise thyself even at this
moment such a victory; and in order to obtain it we will persist in tempting
Her though She resist many times, and, if necessary, we will not stop at
yielding some of our greatness and haughtiness, in the hope of finally
deceiving Her. If that does not suffice, we will try to destroy her honor or
her life."
693. Other demons added
their advice and said to Lucifer: "By experience we know, O powerful chief,
that to bring about the downfall of many souls, the most effective way is to
make use of other creatures, and by their means we often succeed where we
otherwise fail. Let us then plan and contrive the ruin of this Woman in this
way, first finding out the best time and the most favorable opportunity.
Above all it is necessary, that we apply all our sagacity and astuteness to
make Her lose grace by some sin. As soon as this mainstay and bulwark of the
just is lost to Her, we can persecute and ensnare Her in her forsakenness,
and there will be no one to snatch Her from our grasp, and we must exert
ourselves to reduce Her to despair of all remedy."
694. Lucifer expressed
his thanks for these encouraging counsels of his followers and co-operators
in crime. He commanded and exhorted the most astute in malice among them to
accompany him as leader in this arduous enterprise; for he did not wish to
trust it to other hands. Although the demons assisted him, Lucifer himself
in person was always at the fore in tempting Mary and her most holy Son in
the desert, as well as during the whole course of their lives, as we shall
see later on.
695. In the meanwhile
our heavenly Princess continued to sigh and grieve over the absence of her
Beloved, and thus the infernal squadron found Her, when they rushed forward
to begin their temptations. But the divine power, which overshadowed Her,
hindered the assaults of Lucifer, so that he could not approach very closely
to Her, nor could he execute all that he had intended. By permission of God
the hellish host excited in her faculties many suggestions and various
thoughts of highest iniquity and malice; for the Lord did not judge it to be
alien to the Mother of Grace, that She should be tempted in all things,
although She was to be without sin in temptation, as was afterwards her most
holy Son.
696. It cannot easily be
conceived how much in this new conflict the most pure and innocent heart of
Mary suffered, seeing Herself assailed by suggestions so foreign and so
distant from the ineffable purity and nobility of her heavenly mind. When
the ancient serpent perceived the affliction and tears of the great Lady, he
imagined that he had on this account more power over Her, being blinded by
his own pride and not knowing the secrets of heaven. Therefore, animating
his infernal helpers, he said to them: "Let us persecute Her now, let us
persecute Her; already it seems we are gaining our end, for She feels
sorrowful, which is an opening for discouragement. In this mistaken
conviction, they suggested new thoughts of dejection and despair, and they
assailed Her with terrible imaginations, but in vain; for as this flawless
stone was struck by occasions of more exalted virtues, so also it gave forth
more generously the sparks and flames of divine love. Our invincible Queen
was so superior to this infernal battery, that her interior showed no signs
of change nor even of an understanding of such terrible suggestions, except
in so far as to concentrate Herself the more in the exercise of her
incomparable virtues and allow the flames of divine love, which burned in
her breast, to ascend so much the higher.
697. The dragon, though
seeing her courage and constancy, and though feeling the force of the divine
assistance, knew nothing of the hidden wisdom and prudence of our sovereign
Queen. Nevertheless he persisted in his pride and besieged the City of God
in diverse ways and several kinds of warfare. The astute enemy during this
warfare often changed his engines of war, but his machinery was like the
sting of a weak hornet against a diamond, or adamantine wall. Our Princess
was that strong woman (Prov. 31, 11) on whom the heart of her husband
confidently relied, without the least anxiety lest his desires should be
frustrated in Her. Her adornments were fortitude (Prov. 31, 25) which filled
Her with beauty, and her vestments were purity and charity, which served Her
as a helmet. The unclean and proud serpent could not look upon this Creature
without being blinded anew in the fury of his confusion; therefore he
resolved to take away her life, and the horde of malignant spirits began to
exert their utmost powers toward this end. In this attempt they spent some
time, but with just as little success.
698. The knowledge of
this hidden mystery caused in me great wonder, especially when I considered
the extremes, to which the fury of Lucifer was allowed to proceed against
the most holy Mary in her tender years and when I beheld the hidden and
vigilant defense and protection of the Most High. I saw how attentive the
Lord was toward his chosen and only One among creatures; and I saw at the
same time all hell lashed into fury against Her and exerting against Her in
fullest indignation such a wrath as had never till then been exerted against
any other creature; and I saw the facility with which God neutralizes the
infernal power and astuteness. O more than unhappy Lucifer !How much greater
is thy pride and arrogance than thy strength! (Isaias 16, 6.) Very weak and
helpless art thou in spite of thy high-flown pretensions; begin to confide
less in thyself and expect no such great triumphs; for a tender Child
crushes thy head and sends thee back conquered in all things and altogether
vanquished. Acknowledge now that thou canst do and knowest but little, since
thou wast even ignorant of the sacrament of the King. Acknowledge that his
power has humiliated thee by the instrument thou hadst despised, by a feeble
Woman, by a Child in its natural weakness. O how evident would thy ignorance
also become in regard to men, if they would avail themselves of the
protection of the Most High, and of the example, the imitation and the
intercession of that victorious and triumphant Mistress of angels and men!
699. During these
varying temptations and combats the fervent prayers of most holy Mary never
ceased, and She spoke to the Lord: "Now, O my most high God, while I am in
tribulation, be with me (Psalm 90, 15); now that I call to Thee with my
whole heart and seek thy justifications, (Psalm 118, 14) let my prayers come
to thy ears; now that I suffer such violence, wilt Thou answer for me
(Isaias 38, 14). Thou, my Lord and Father, be my strength and my refuge
(Psalm 30, 4), and because of thy holy name Thou wilt deliver me from
danger; thou wilt lead me the sure way and nourish me as thy Daughter." She
repeated also many mysteries of the holy Scriptures, especially passages
from the Psalms, to invoke his aid against the invisible enemies. With these
invincible arms, losing not an atom of interior peace, equanimity and
resignation, but rather confirming Herself more therein, She raised her
spirit on high, battled with, resisted, and conquered satan to the
inexpressible delight of the Lord and for her greater merit.
700. After the most holy
Virgin had successfully fought these secret temptations and battles, the
serpent instituted a new conflict by means of creatures. For this purpose he
secretly kindled the sparks of envy and emulation against the most holy Mary
in the hearts of her maiden companions of the temple. This contagion was
much the harder to counteract, as it arose from the punctuality with which
our heavenly Princess distinguished Herself in the practice of all virtues,
growing in wisdom and grace before God and man. For where the prodding of
ambition is, the very light of virtue darkens and blinds the judgment, and
at last enkindles the flames of envy. The dragon through his secret
suggestions persuaded these simple maidens, that the light of this sun, most
holy Mary, would obscure them and cause them to be little noticed; that on
her account their own negligences were more clearly apparent to the priests
and their teacher; and that Mary alone was preferred in the estimation and
judgment of all.
701. The companions of
our Queen allowed the devil to sow this bad seed in their bosoms; for they
were heedless and little experienced in spiritual ways. They allowed it to
increase until it grew into a sort of interior abhorrence of the most pure
Mary, and this into anger. Filled with this anger, they began to look upon
and treat Her with hatred, not being able to endure the modesty of that most
innocent Dove. For the dragon had incited them and had already imbued the
incautious girls with some of his own wrath. The temptation continuing, its
effects became manifest and the temple maidens began to plot among
themselves, ignorant of the spirit that moved them. They agreed among
themselves to molest and persecute the unknown Princess of the world, until
She should be forced to leave the temple. Accordingly they called Her aside
and spoke to Her very sharp words, treating Her at the same time very
haughtily. They called Her a hypocrite and reproached Her with scheming to
obtain the favor of the priests and of their teacher, while seeking to
discredit all the other girls by her complaints and her exaggerations of
their faults, whereas She was the most useless of them all and therefore
deserved their hatred as an enemy.
702. These contumelies
and many other accusations the most prudent Virgin bore without disturbance
and with equable humility. She answered: "My friends and my mistresses, you
are right no doubt in saying, that I am the least and the most imperfect
among you; but then you, my sisters, being better informed, must pardon me
my faults and must teach me in my ignorance. Direct me therefore, that I may
succeed in doing better and act according to your pleasure. I beseech you,
my friends, not to deny me your good will, which, though I am so imperfect,
I sincerely wish to merit; for I love you and reverence you as a servant,
and I will obey you in all things, in which you desire to make a trial of my
good will. Command me then, and tell me what you wish of me."
703. These humble and
sweet reasonings of the most humble Mary did not soften the hardened hearts
of her associates and companions, for they were infected by the poisonous
fury of the dragon against Her. Precisely on account of her sweet humility
he became so much the more infuriated, and thus turned this sweet antidote
against the poisonous bite into a means of inflaming them with open wrath
against Her who was the great sign in heaven (Apoc. 12, 15). For many days
this persecution continued, during which the heavenly Lady sought in vain to
appease the hate of her companions by her humility, patience, modesty and
tolerance. On the contrary the demon was emboldened to inspire them with
many thoughts full of temerity, urging them to lay violent hands on the most
humble lamb and maltreat Her, even so far as to take away her life. But the
Lord did not permit the execution of such sacrilegious suggestions; and the
farthest which they were allowed to proceed, was to insult Her by words or
to inflict some blows. This quarreling remained concealed from the teacher
of the maidens and from the priests, and during this time most holy Mary
gained incomparable merits in the sight of the Almighty, because She took
occasion to exercise all the virtues, as well in regard to God as also in
regard to the creatures, which were persecuting and hating Her. She
performed heroic acts of charity and humility, yielding good for evil,
blessings for curses, prayers for blasphemies (I Cor. 4, 13), fulfilling in
all things the most perfect and the highest requirements of the divine law.
Before the Lord She exercised the most exalted virtues, by praying for his
creatures who were persecuting Her; and She excited the admiration of the
angels, by humiliating Herself as if She were the vilest of mortals
deservedly treated in that way. In all these things She surpassed the
conceptions of men and the highest merits of the seraphim.
704. It happened one
day, that, impelled by the diabolical suggestions, these girls brought Mary
to a retired room, where they could act with more safety. Here they began to
heap unmeasured injuries and insults upon Her, in order to excite Her to
weakness or anger and to entrap Her imperturbable modesty into some hasty
action. But as the Queen of virtues could not even for a moment be subject
to vice, She showed Herself immovable, and She answered them with great
kindness and sweetness. Being enraged beyond bounds on account of not
succeeding in their purpose, her companions raised their voices in
discordant strife, so that they were heard in the temple and by such
unwonted noise caused great astonishment and confusion. The priests and the
teacher hastened to the place whence the noise proceeded, and the Lord
permitted a new humiliation of his Spouse, for they asked with severity,
what was the cause of this strife. While the most meek Dove remained silent,
the other maidens angrily answered and said: "Mary of Nazareth brings us all
into strife and quarreling by her horrid conduct: for in your absence, She
irritates and provokes us in such a manner, that if She does not leave the
temple, it will be impossible to keep any peace with Her. When we allow Her
her own way, She becomes overbearing; if we reprehend Her, She makes fun of
all of us by prostrating Herself at our feet with feigned humility, and
afterwards She quarrels anew and throws all into uproar."
705. The priests and the
instructress brought the Mistress of the world into another room, and there
they severely reprehended Her, giving full credit at that time to all the
accusations of her companions, and, having exhorted Her to reform and behave
as one living in the house of God, they threatened to expel Her from the
temple, if She would not mend Her conduct. This threat was the most severe
punishment, which they could have given Her, even if She had been guilty; so
much the more severe was it, when She was altogether innocent of any of the
faults imputed to Her. Whoever will obtain from the Lord some understanding
of a part only of the profound humility of the most holy Mary will also
understand somewhat of the effects of these mysteries in her most innocent
heart; for She judged Herself to be the most vile of the womanborn, the most
unworthy to live among them and to burden the earth with her presence. This
threat cruelly lacerated the heart of the most prudent Virgin, and in tears
She answered and said to the priests: "My masters, I acknowledge the favor,
which you do me in correcting and teaching me, the most imperfect and
despicable of creatures; but I beseech you, pardon me, you who are the
servants of the Most High, and overlooking my defects, direct me in all
things so that I may reform and from now on give pleasure to his Majesty and
to my sisters and companions. With the grace of the Lord I will resolve this
anew and will commence from today."
706. Our Queen added
other words full of sweetest innocence and modesty; and therewith the
instructress and the priests dismissed Her, enjoining anew upon Her that
doctrine, of which She herself was the most wise Teacher. Immediately She
betook Herself to her companions, and prostrating Herself at their feet, She
asked them pardon, as if the faults, with which they had charged Her, could
ever have been shared by the Mother of all innocence. They received Her this
time with more good will, because they thought that her tears were the
effect of the punishment and the warning of the priests and the
instructress, whom they had induced to act thus in pursuance of their badly
governed passions. The dragon, who was secretly contriving this
entanglement, urged the incautious hearts of all these girls to still
greater haughtiness and presumption, and as they had now made headway in the
estimation of the priests themselves, they proceeded to greater audacity in
discrediting and lowering the good name of the most pure Virgin. Accordingly
by instigation of the devil, they fabricated new accusations and lies; but
the Most High never permitted them to say anything very grave and
dishonorable of Her, whom He had chosen as the most holy Mother of his
Onlybegotten. He merely allowed the indignation and deceit of the maidens to
go so far as to exaggerate very much some small faults, which were even in
themselves altogether fictitious, but which they accused Her of. Moreover
they were permitted to practice many feminine intrigues, to which their own
restlessness drove them. In these different ways and in the reprehensions of
her instructress and of the priests our most humble Lady Mary found many
occasions of exercising virtues, of increasing the gifts of the Most High,
and of exalting Her merit.
707. In all this our
Queen acted with the plenitude of perfection in the eyes of the Lord, who
regaled Himself with the sweetest odor of that humble spikenard (Cant. 1,
18), maltreated and despised by the creatures, who did not know Her. She
repeated and continued her clamors and her sighs on account of the absence
of her Beloved; and on one of these occasions She said: "My highest Good and
Lord of infinite mercies, if Thou who art my Lord and my Maker, hast
forsaken me, it is not strange, that all the creatures abhor me and rise up
against me. All this my ingratitude to thy benefits well merits;
nevertheless I will always acknowledge and confess Thee as my refuge and my
treasure. Thou alone art my God, my Beloved and my rest: If then Thou art
this to me, how can my afflicted heart come to rest? The creatures do only
that with me, which they should; but they do not go so far in this as I
merit, because Thou, my Lord and Father, in punishing, art so sparing, and
in rewarding art so generous. Discount, O Lord, my negligences by my sorrow
of having lost thy interior presence, and pay back with a liberal hand the
benefits, blessings, which thy creatures gain for me in forcing me to
acknowledge thy goodness and my meanness. Raise, Lord, the needy one from
the dust of the earth (1 Reg. 2, 8) and renew her, who is poor and the most
abject of the creatures, and then may I see thy divine face and be saved."
(Psalm 79, 5).
708. It would not be
possible, nor is it necessary, to relate all that happened to our Queen in
this test of her virtues. But leaving Her at present therein, and
considering Her behavior, we will have in Her a living example, teaching us
to bear with exultation all the troubles, pains and strifes, which are so
necessary in order to satisfy for our sins and subject our necks to the yoke
of mortification. There was no sin nor any deceit in our most innocent Dove,
yet, in humble silence and patience, She suffered ungrounded hate and
persecution. Let us then be confounded in her presence, that we should deem
slight injuries irreparable offenses which must be avenged; whereas all
offenses, of whatever kind, are to be held but slight by those, who have God
for their enemy. The Most High was mighty to preserve Her from all
persecution, but then He could not have shown his power in leading Her out
of it unharmed, nor would He have given Her such dear pledges of his love,
nor would She have reaped the sweet fruit of loving her enemies and her
persecutors. We make ourselves unworthy of such great blessing in raising an
outcry against creatures whenever we are injured and our proud heart rises
up against God himself, who arranges all things; for it refuses to subject
itself to its Creator and Justifier, who knows what is necessary for our
salvation.
INSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, MOST
BLESSED MARY.
709. Take notice then,
my Daughter, that the example of these events of my life should serve thee
for thy instruction and direction. Treasure up this example lovingly in thy
bosom and allow it to dilate thy heart, so as to receive with joy the
persecutions and calumnies of creatures, whenever thou art made partaker of
such happiness. The sons of perdition, who serve vanity, are ignorant of the
treasure of suffering injuries and of pardoning them, and they make a boast
of vengeance, which even according to the requirements of the natural reason
is reprehensible and arises from a heart brutal and beastly, rather than
from a human. On the other hand, he who pardons injuries magnanimously and
forgets them, although he may not have divine faith nor the light of the
Gospel, becomes noble and excellent, and does not pay vile tribute to the
fierce and irrational brutality of revenge.
710. And if the vice of
revenge is so contrary even to the dictates of nature, consider, my
daughter, how much it is opposed to grace and how hateful and abominable the
vengeful are in the eyes of my most holy Son, who made Himself man, suffered
and died for no other purpose than to forgive and to obtain the pardon of
the Almighty for the injuries committed by the human race. Against this
tendency of his whole life and against his whole nature and infinite bounty,
vengeance is arrayed; as far as in him lies, the vindictive man destroys
entirely, as well God himself as all his works. And for this attempt he well
merits, that God should destroy him with all his might. Between the person
who pardons and suffers injuries, and the vindictive, there is the same
difference as between the one and only heir and the deadly enemy; this one
provokes all the wrath of God and the other merits and obtains all
blessings; because in this virtue he exhibits a most perfect image of the
celestial Father.
711. I wish thee, O
soul, to understand, that to suffer injuries with equanimity and to pardon
them entirely for the Lord, will be more acceptable in his eyes, than if
thou choose of thy own will to do the most severe penance and shed thy own
blood for Him. Humble thyself before those who persecute thee, love them and
pray for them from thy true heart; thereby shalt thou turn toward thee in
love the heart of thy God and rise to the perfection of holiness, and thou
shalt overcome hell in all things. That great dragon, who persecutes all
men, was confounded many times by my humility and meekness, and his fury
could not tolerate the sight of these virtues. From them he fled more
swiftly than the sun's rays. I gained great victories for my soul and won
glorious triumphs for the exaltation of the Divinity. When any creature rose
up against me, I conceived no anger toward it, for I knew in reality it was
an instrument of the Most High, directed by his Providence for my special
good. This knowledge and the consideration, that it was a creature of my
Lord, capable of grace, excited me to love it truly with a greater fervor,
and I did not rest until I could reward this benefit of persecution by
obtaining for it eternal life, as far as was possible.
712. Strive after,
therefore, and labor for the imitation of that, which thou hast understood
and written; show thyself most meek, peaceful and agreeable toward those,
who molest thee; esteem them truly in thy heart, and do not take vengeance
of thy Lord by taking vengeance on his instruments, nor despise the
inestimable jewel of injuries. As far as lies in thee always give good for
evil, (Rom. 12, 14) benefits for injuries, love for hate, praise for blame,
blessings for malediction. Then wilt thou be a perfect daughter of thy
Father (Matth. 5, 43), the beloved spouse of thy Lord, my friend and my most
cherished daughter.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MOST HIGH ENLIGHTENS THE PRIEST
CONCERNING THE SPOTLESS INNOCENCE OF MOST HOLY MARY; SHE HERSELF IS INFORMED
OF THE APPROACHING DEATH OF HER MOTHER, SAINT ANNE, AND IS PRESENT AT THIS
EVENT.
713. The Lord did not
sleep, nor did He slumber (Psalm 120, 4) during the clamors of his beloved
spouse Mary, although He pretended not to hear them, delighting in the
prolonged exercise of her sufferings, which occasioned so many glorious
triumphs and the admirations and praises of the supernal spirits. The
smoldering fire of the persecution already mentioned continued unabated, in
order that the Phoenix, Mary, might many times renew Herself from the ashes
of her humility, and in order that her most pure heart be regenerated over
and over again to new estates and conditions of divine grace. But when the
opportune time arrived for putting an end to the blind envy and jealousy of
those ensnared maidens, and in order that their petulance might not
altogether discredit Her who was to be the excellence of nature and grace
itself, the Lord spoke to the priest in his sleep and said to Him: "My
servant Mary is pleasing in my eyes, and She is my perfect and my chosen
One: She is entirely innocent of anything of which She is accused." The same
revelation was given to Anne, the instructress of the maidens. That morning
the priest and the instructress conferred with each other about the message,
which both had received. Being now certain, they repented of the deceit,
into which they had been led, and called the Princess Mary, asking her
pardon for having given credit to the false report of the girls and offering
Her all the reparation necessary to defend Her from the persecution and the
sufferings consequent upon it.
714. She that was the
Mother and origin of humility, after listening to their words, answered the
priest and the instructress: "My superiors, I am the one that deserves your
reprehensions and I beseech you do not hold me unworthy of undergoing them,
since I ask for them as most necessary to me. The intercourse with my
sisters, the other maidens, is most highly prized by me, and I do not wish
to be deprived of it through my fault, since I love them so much for having
borne with me; and as a return for that benefit, I desire to serve them more
faithfully; nevertheless if you command me anything else, I stand prepared
to obey your will." This answer of the most holy Mary still more comforted
and consoled the priest and the instructress; and they approved of her
humble petition, but from that time on they attended to Her and observed Her
with new reverence and affection. The most humble Maiden begged to kiss the
hand of the priest and of the matron, asking for their blessing according to
her custom; with this they dismissed Her. Just as the parched desire of the
thirsty for drink is increased at the sight of clear water withdrawn beyond
their reach, so was the heart of Mary our Mistress filled with yearning
regret for the exercise of suffering. Thirsting and burning for the divine
love She feared lest through the watchful care of the priest and of the
instructress, She should from thenceforward be deprived of the treasure of
affliction.
715. Seeking solitude
and speaking with God alone, She addressed Him: "Why, O Lord and most
beloved Master, such severity with me? Why such a long absence and such a
forgetfulness of her, who cannot live without Thee? And if in the protracted
solitude and separation from thy sweet and loving presence, I was consoled
by the pledges of thy affection, given to me in the afflictions and
sufferings for thy sake, how shall I be able to live now in my dereliction
without this solace? Why, O Lord, dost Thou so soon withdraw thy beneficent
hand from me in refusing me this favor? Who besides thyself could have
changed the sentiments of the priests and of the instructress? But I do not
merit the benefit of their charitable reprehensions, nor am I worthy to bear
affliction; for I am equally unworthy of thy most loving visit and
delightful presence. If I have not been able to please Thee, my Father and
Lord, I will make amends for my negligence. There can be no relief from the
depression of my spirit as long as the joy of thy presence is wanting to my
soul. But I continue to hope that thy divine pleasure, O my Spouse, be
fulfilled in all things."
716. The enlightenment
of the priests and the instructress concerning Mary abated the persecutions
of the maidens. The Lord also restrained them and prevented the demon from
inciting them thereafter. But the time, during which He absented Himself and
during which He hid Himself from this heavenly spouse, lasted (wonderful to
related) ten years; although the Most High interrupted this absence a few
times by allowing the veil to fall from his face for the relief of his
Beloved; but it was not often that He dispensed this favor during that time,
and He did it with less lavishness and tenderness than in the first years of
her childhood. This absence of the Lord was ordained for our Queen in order
that She might, by actual exercise of all perfection, be made worthy for the
dignity to which She was destined by the Most High. For if She had
continually enjoyed the vision of his Majesty in the manner described by us
in the fourteenth chapter of this book, She could not have suffered
according to the common order of a mere creature.
717. But during this
retirement and absence of the Lord, although most holy Mary missed the
intuitive and abstractive visions of the divine Essence and of the angels as
mentioned above, her most holy soul and her faculties enjoyed more gifts of
grace and more supernatural enlightenment, than all the saints ever attained
or received. For in regard to this the hand of God never withdrew from Her.
But in comparison with the frequent visitations of the Lord in her first
years, I call the state of her privation of his presence for such a long
time, an absence and withdrawal of the Lord. It commenced eight days before
the death of her father, saint Joachim, and afterwards the persecution of
hell began, followed by the persecutions on the part of creatures. They
lasted until our Princess reached the age of twelve years. Having passed
this age, the holy angels on a certain day, without manifesting themselves,
spoke to Her as follows: "Mary, the end of the life of thy holy mother Anne
as ordained by the Most High, is now about to arrive, and his Majesty has
resolved to free her from the prison of her mortal body and bring her labors
to a happy fulfillment."
718. At this unexpected
and sorrowful message the heart of the affectionate Daughter was filled with
compassion. Prostrating Herself in the presence of the Most High, She poured
forth a fervent prayer for the happy death of her mother saint Anne in the
following words: "King of the ages, invisible and eternal Lord, immortal and
almighty Creator of the Universe, although I am but dust and ashes and
although I must confess, that I am in debt to thy greatness, I will not on
that account be prevented from speaking to my Lord (Gen. 18, 17), and I pour
out before thee my heart, hoping, O my God, that Thou wilt not despise her,
who has always confessed thy holy name. Dismiss, O Lord, in peace thy
servant, who has with invincible faith and confidence desired to fulfill thy
divine pleasure. Let her issue victoriously and triumphantly from the
hostile combat and enter the portal of thy holy chosen ones; let thy
powerful arm strengthen her; at the close of her mortal career, let that
same right hand, which has helped her to walk in the path of perfection,
assist her, and let her enter, O my Father, into the peace of thy friendship
and grace, since she has always sought after it with an upright heart."
719. The Lord did not
respond expressly in words to this petition of his Beloved; but his answer
was a marvelous favor, shown to Her and to her mother, saint Anne. During
that night his Majesty commanded the guardian angels of the most holy Mary
to carry Her bodily to the sickbed of her mother and one of them to remain
in her stead, assuming for this purpose an aerial body as a substitute for
hers. The holy angels obeyed the mandate of God and they carried their and
our Queen to the house and to the room of her holy mother Anne. Being thus
brought to the presence of her mother, the heavenly Lady kissed her hand and
said to her: "My mother and mistress, may the Most High be thy light and thy
strength, and may He be blessed, since He has in his condescension not
permitted me in my necessity to remain without the benefit of thy last
blessing; may I then receive it, my mother, from thy hand." Holy Anne gave
her last blessing to Mary and with overflowing heart also thanked the Lord
for the great favor thus conferred upon Herself. For She knew the sacrament
of her Daughter and Queen, and she did not forget to express her gratitude
for the love, which Mary had shown her on this occasion.
720. Then our Princess
turned toward her mother and comforted her against the approach of death;
and among many other words of incomparable consolation, She spoke also the
following: "Mother, beloved of my soul, it is necessary that we pass through
the portal of death to the eternal life, which we expect; bitter and painful
is the passage, but also profitable. For it is instituted by the divine
Goodness as the beginning of our security and rest; it satisfies by itself
for the negligences and shortcomings of the creature in fulfilling the
duties. Accept death, O my mother; through it pay the common debt with joy
of spirit, and depart in confidence to the company of the holy Patriarchs,
Prophets, the just and the friends of God, who were our ancestors. There
await with them the beatitude, which the Most High will send to us through
our Savior and his Redemption. The certainty of this hope will be thy
consolation until we attain to the full possession of that which we expect."
721. Saint Anne answered
her Daughter with a retum of love and in a spirit of joy worthy of herself
and of such a Daughter on such an occasion. In maternal tenderness she said:
"Mary, my beloved Daughter, fulfill now thy obligation by not forgetting me
in the presence of our Lord God and Creator and reminding Him of the need I
have of his protection in this hour. Remember what thou owest to her, who
has conceived Thee and bore Thee in her womb nine months, who afterwards
nourished Thee at her breast and has always held Thee in her heart. Beseech
the Lord, my Daughter, that He extend a hand of mercy toward me, his useless
creature, who has her beginning only through his mercies, and that I may
receive his blessing in this hour of my death; for I place my confidence and
have always placed it altogether in his holy name. Do not leave me, my
Beloved, before Thou hast closed my eyes. Thou wilt be left an orphan and
without the protection of man; but thou wilt live under the guardianship of
the Most High; confide in the mercies which He has shown of old. Daughter of
my heart, walk in the path of the justifications of the Lord and ask his
Majesty to govern thy aspirations and thy powers and to be thy Teacher in
the holy law. Do not leave the temple before choosing thy state of life, and
let it be done only with the sound advice of the priests of the temple, and
continue to pray to the Lord that He dispose of thy affairs according to his
own pleasure. Pray that, if it be his will to give Thee a spouse, he may be
of the tribe of Juda and of the race of David. The possessions of thy father
Joachim and of myself, which shall belong to Thee, share with the poor, with
whom thou shouldst deal in loving generosity. Keep thy secret hidden within
thy Bosom and ask the Omnipotent without ceasing to show his mercy by
sending his salvation and redemption through his promised Messiah. Ask and
beseech his infinite bounty to be thy protection, and may his blessing come
over Thee together with mine."
722. In the midst of
such exalted and heavenly colloquies the blessed mother saint Anne felt the
throes of death approaching and, reclining upon the throne of grace, that
is, in the arms of her most holy Daughter Mary, she rendered her most pure
soul to her Creator. Having closed the eyes of her mother, as saint Anne had
requested, and leaving the sacred body in position for burial, the Queen
Mary was again taken up by the holy angels and restored to her place in the
temple. The Most High did not impede the force of her filial love, which
naturally would cause a great and tender sorrow at the death of her mother
and a sense of loneliness at being deprived of her assistance. But these
sorrows were most holy and perfect in our Queen, governed by the graces of
her most prudent innocence and purity. In the midst of them She gave praise
to the Most High for the infinite mercies, which He had shown to her mother
both in life and in death, while her sweet and loving complaints on account
of the absence of the Lord continued unabated.
723. However this most
holy Daughter could not I know the full extent of the consolation afforded
her mother in having Her present at her death. For the Daughter was not
aware of her own exalted dignity and the sacrament connected with Her, as
was known to the mother. This she had always kept secret, as the Most High
had commanded her. But finding at her bedside Her, who was the light of her
eyes and of the whole world, and having the privilege of expiring in her
arms, all the desires of her mortal life were fulfilled, making its end more
happy than that of all the mortals up to that hour. She died, not so much in
the fullness of years as in the fullness of merits, and her most holy soul
was placed by the angels in the bosom of Abraham, where she was recognized
and reverenced by all the Patriarchs, Prophets and the just, who were in
that place. This most holy matron was naturally endowed with a great and
generous heart, with a clear and aspiring intellect fervent and at the same
time full of tranquillity and peace. She was of medium stature, somewhat
smaller than her Daughter, most holy Mary; her face was rather round, of a
suffused whiteness, her countenance was always equable and composed, and
finally She was the mother of Her, who was to be the Mother of God himself;
this dignity in itself included many perfections. Saint Anne lived fifty-six
years, portioned off into the following periods; at the age of twenty-four
she espoused saint Joachim and she remained without issue for twenty years;
then in the forty-fourth year she gave birth to the most holy Mary, and of
the twelve years which she lived during the lifetime of Mary, three were
passed in her company and nine during her absence in the temple, which
altogether make fifty-six years.
724. Concerning this
great and admirable woman, as I have been informed, some grave authors
assert, that saint Anne was married three times and that in each one of
these marriages she was the mother of one of the three Mary’s; others have
the contrary opinion. The Lord has vouchsafed to me, solely on account of
his goodness, great enlightenment concerning the life of this fortunate
saint; yet never was it intimated to me that she was ever married except to
saint Joachim, or that she ever had any other daughter besides Mary, the
Mother of Christ. Perhaps because it does not pertain to nor was necessary
for the history which I am writing, information was not given to me whether
the other Mary’s who are called her sisters, were or were not her cousins,
that is daughters of the sister of saint Anne. When her spouse saint Joachim
died, she was in the forty-eighth year of her age, and the Most High
selected and set her apart from the race of women, in order to make her the
mother of Her, who was the Superior of all creatures, inferior only to God,
and yet his Mother. Because of her having such a Daughter and of her being
the grandmother of the Word made man, all the nations may call the most
fortunate saint Anne blessed.
725. My daughter, the
most valuable science of man is to know how to resign himself entirely into
the hands of his Creator, since He knows why he has formed him and for what
end each man is destined. Man's sole duty is to live in obedience and in the
love of his Lord. God will charge himself most solicitously with the care of
those that thus confide in Him; He will take upon Himself the management of
all the affairs and all the events of this life in order to draw blessings
and benefits for those that thus trust in his fidelity. He afflicts and
corrects the just by adversities, He consoles and rejoices them with his
favors, He inspires them with hope in his promises, and threatens them and
inspires them with fear by his threats; He absents Himself in order to
attract their love, He shows Himself to the souls in order to reward and
preserve them in fervor, and in all these things He makes the lives of the
chosen ones more delightful and beautiful. All this happened to me in that
which thou hast written of me; He visited me and prepared me in his mercy
with many different kinds of blessings, difficulties and labors,
persecutions of creatures, and the separation from my parents and from all
men.
726. In the midst of
these various trials the Lord did not forget my weakness, for with the
sorrow for the death of my mother, holy Anne, He combined the consolation
and comfort of permitting me to be present at her death. O my soul, how many
blessings do men lose by not attaining to this wisdom! They hold themselves
aloof from the divine Providence, which is powerful and sweet and unfailing,
which measures the orbs of heaven and the elements; which counts the
footsteps, discerns the thoughts, and disposes everything for the benefit of
the creatures. Instead of all this men are given over to their own
solicitudes, which are inefficient and weak, blind, uncertain and
inconsiderate. From this false beginning originate and follow irreparable
evils for man; for he deprives himself of the divine protection and falls
from the dignity of having his Creator as his Helper and Defender. What is
still worse, if by his carnal wisdom and by diabolical astuteness to which
man resigns himself, he succeeds sometimes in obtaining what he seeks, he
deems himself fortunate on account of this, his own misfortune! And with
sensible pleasure he imbibes the poison of eternal death in the deceitful
delight, which he has gained, while incurring the alienation and abhorrence
of his God.
727. Mind well, then, my
daughter, this danger, and let thy whole solicitude be to cast thyself
securely into the arms of thy provident God and Lord. He being infinite in
wisdom and power, loves thee much more than thou lovest thyself, and He
knows and desires for thee greater goods, than thou ever canst learn to
desire and request. Confide in his goodness and in his promises, which do
not admit of failure; remember what He says through his Prophet to the just:
that it is well with man (Is. 3, 10) since God takes upon Himself his
desires and cares, and charges Himself with them in order to deal with them
according to his generosity. By means of this most secure confidence thou
wilt even in this mortal life enjoy the blessedness of a tranquil and
peaceful conscience; and although thou mayest find thyself surrounded by the
tempestuous waves of trial and adversity which cast over thee the sorrows
of death (Psalm 17, 5), and although the terrors of hell may surround Thee,
suffer thou and hope in patience, so that thou err not from the portal of
the grace and the good will of the Most High.
CHAPTER XX.
THE MOST HIGH MANIFESTS HIMSELF TO HIS
BELOVED MARY, OUR PRINCESS, BY CONFERRING ON HER AN EXTRAORDINARY FAVOR.
728. Already our
heavenly Princess felt that the day of the clear vision of the Divinity was
approaching and that like the harbingers of early dawn, the rays of the
divine light were breaking upon her soul. Her heart began to be inflamed by
the nearness of the invisible fire, which illumines but does not consume;
and made attentive by this new clearness, She questioned her angels and said
to them: "My friends and lords, my most faithful and vigilant sentinels,
tell me: what hour is it of my night? And when will the bright light of the
day arise, in which my eyes shall see the Sun of justice which illumines
them and gives life to my affections and my soul ?" The holy princes
answered Her and said:
"Spouse of the Most
High, thy wished-for light and truth is near; it will not tarry long, for
already it approaches." At these words the veil which hid the view of these
spiritual substances was slightly lifted; and the holy angels became
visible, showing themselves as during her first years in their own essence,
without hindrance or dependence of the bodily senses.
729. With these hopes
and with the vision of the heavenly spirits the anxieties of most holy Mary
concerning the sight of her Beloved were somewhat allayed. But this kind of
love seeks after the most noble Object, and without It, although enjoying
the presence of the angels and saints, the heart, wounded by the arrows of
the Omnipotent, will not come to rest. Nevertheless, our heavenly Princess,
rejoiced by this alleviation, spoke to her angels and said to them:
"Sovereign Princes and flames of that inaccessible light, in which my
Beloved dwells, why have I for so long a time been unworthy of your sight?
Wherein have I been displeasing to you and failed to satisfy you? Tell me,
my lords and teachers, wherein I have been negligent, in order that I may
not again be forsaken by you through my own fault." “O Lady and Spouse of
the Almighty," they answered, "we obey the voice of our Creator and are
governed by his holy will, and as his spirits, He commissions us and sends
us out in his service. He commanded us to conceal ourselves during the time
in which He himself withdrew from sight. But though hidden we remained
present, solicitous for thy protection and defense, fulfilling his command
by remaining in thy company without being visible."
730. "Tell me then,
where is my Lord at the present time, my highest God, my Maker. Tell me,
whether my eyes shall see Him soon, or whether perhaps I have displeased
Him, in order that I may, as a most insignificant creature, bitterly bewail
the cause of this punishment. Ministers and ambassadors of the highest King,
be moved by my afflicted love and give me tokens of my Beloved." "Soon, O
Lady," they answered, "Thou shalt see Him whom thy soul desires, let thy
sweet sorrows turn to hope; our God will not withhold Himself from those that
seek Him so truly; great, O Mistress, is his loving Goodness with all those
that cling to Him and He will not be niggardly in satisfying thy wishes."
The holy angels openly called Her Mistress, as they were sure of her most
prudent humility and as they could conceal the full meaning of this title
under pretense of her position as Spouse of the Most High; for She knew that
they had been eye-witnesses of the espousal, which his Majesty had
celebrated with their Queen. And as his wisdom had ordered, that in all
else, except in the title and dignity of Mother of the Word, which was to
remain concealed to Her until the proper time, the holy angels were to show
Her great reverence; so they were solicitous to give Her many tokens of
respect, although they covertly honored Her much more for what they knew in
secret, than for that which they manifested to Her openly.
731. During these
conferences and loving colloquies the heavenly Princess awaited the approach
of her Spouse and her highest delight, while the seraphim, who attended Her,
commenced to prepare Her by new enlightenment of her faculties; a sure
pledge of the beginning of the Good for which She hoped. But as these favors
augmented the fire of her love without allowing Her as yet to reach the
desired end, they only augmented the heartrending anguish of her love, and
with sighs She spoke to the seraphim, saying: "Most exalted spirits, who
stand close to my highest Good, ye clear mirrors, whence reflected I was
wont to see Him in the joy of my soul. Tell me, where is the light which
illuminates you and fills you with beauty? Tell me, why does my Beloved
tarry so long? Tell me, what hides Him, and why my eyes cannot see Him? If
it is through my fault, I will amend my ways; if I do not merit the
fulfillment of my wishes, I will conform myself to his will; and if He seeks
his pleasure in my sorrow, I will suffer in the joy of my heart; but tell
me, how can I live without having my own life? How shall I direct myself
without light?"
732. To her sweet
complaints the holy seraphim answered: "Lady, thy Beloved is not absent when
for thy good He tarries and withholds Himself; in order to console his
beloved, He afflicts them, in order to give so much the more joy, He
aggrieves them, in order to be sought after, He withdraws from them. He
wishes that Thou sow in tears (Psalm 125, 5), and so gather afterwards the
sweet fruits of sorrow. If the Beloved did not hide Himself, He would not be
sought after with that anxiety which is caused by his absence, nor would the
soul renew its affections, nor increase in the appreciation due to that
Treasure."
733. They transmitted to
Her that light, of which I have spoken (No. 625), in order to purify her
faculties; not because there were any defects to be remedied, for She could
not be guilty of any defects. On the contrary all her actions and operations
during the absence of the Lord had been meritorious and holy. Nevertheless
it was necessary that She be endowed with new gifts, in order to tranquilize
her spirit and her faculties, which had been moved by affectionate labors
and anxieties during the absence of the Lord, and also in order to withdraw
Her from her present state and raise Her to a position, where She could
enjoy new and different favors, for in order that her faculties might again
be proportioned to the high Object and to the manner of enjoying It, they
must necessarily be renewed and predisposed. All this the holy seraphim
proceeded to do with Her in the manner already described in book second,
chapter fourteenth. When the Lord conferred upon Her the final adornment and
the quality necessary for the immediate vision about to take place.
734. As far as I can
explain, this successive elevation of the faculties of the heavenly Queen
engendered those particular affections and sentiments of love and virtues
which the Lord desired, and in the midst of these elevations his Majesty
withdrew the veil. Then after his long concealment He manifested Himself to
his only Spouse, his beloved and most holy Mary, by an abstractive vision of
the Divinity. Although this vision was given through abstractive images and
not intuitive, yet it was most clear and exalted in its kind. By it the Lord
dried the continual tears of our Queen, rewarded her affection and her
loving anxiety, satisfied all her desires and overwhelmed Her with delight
as She reclined in the arms of her Beloved (Cant. 8, 5). Then was renewed
the youth of that aspiring Eagle, winging its flight into the impenetrable
regions of the Divinity (Psalm 102, 5), and by the after-effects of this
vision She ascended whither no other creature can ascend, or no other
intellect can reach outside of God's.
735. The joy which
filled the most pure Mistress on the occasion of this vision must be
measured as well by the extreme sorrow through which She had passed as by
the accumulation of merits which She had gained. I can only say that, in so
far and by how much sorrow had abounded, so also now overflowed her joy; and
that her patience, her humility, her fortitude, her constancy, her loving
anxieties were the most remarkable and the most exquisite that ever until
that time or ever after could have existed or can exist in any creature.
This most unparalleled Lady alone could understand the excellence of that
wisdom and could appreciate the greatness of the loss sustained in being
deprived of the vision of God and in being far from his presence. She alone
having suffered and measured this great loss in humility, and with
fortitude, to make it conducive to her sanctification by ineffable love, and
afterwards to appreciate the blessings and the joy of its recovery.
736. Being then elevated
to this vision and having prostrated Herself in the divine presence, the
most holy Mary said to his Majesty: "Lord and most high God,
incomprehensible and highest Good of my soul, since Thou raisest up such a
poor and worthless worm as myself, receive, O Lord, in humble thankfulness
of my soul, the homage due from me to thy goodness and glory, together with
that which thy courtiers render unto Thee; and if any of the service which
came from me, so low and earthly a creature, has displeased Thee, reform
that, which in my works has been unsatisfactory to Thee, my Lord. O Goodness
and Wisdom incomparable and infinite, purify my heart and renew it, in order
that it may be pleasing, humble, penitent and acceptable in thy sight. If I
have not borne the insignificant troubles and the death of my parents as I
should, and if I have in anything erred from that which is pleasing to Thee,
perfect my faculties and all my works, O most high God, as my powerful Lord,
as my Father and as the only Spouse of my soul."
737. To this humble
prayer the Most High answered: "My Spouse and my Dove, the grief for the
death of thy parents and the sorrow occasioned by the other troubles is the
natural effect of human nature and no fault; and by the love with which Thou
has conformed Thyself to the dispositions of my Providence in all things,
Thou hast merited anew my graces and my blessings, I am the One that
distributes the true light and its effects by my wisdom; I am the Lord of
all, that calls forth the day and the night in succession; I cause
tranquillity and I set bounds to the storms, in order that my power and my
glory may be exalted and in order that through them the soul might steer
more securely with the ballast of experience and hasten more expeditiously
through the violent waves of tribulation, arriving at the secure harbor of
my friendship and grace, and obliging Me by the fullness of merit to receive
it with so much the greater favor. This, my Beloved, is the admirable course
of my wisdom and for this reason I concealed Myself during all that time
from thy sight; for from Thee I seek whatever is most holy and most perfect.
Serve Me then, my beautiful One, who am thy Spouse, thy God of infinite
mercy and whose name is admirable in: the diversity and variety of my great
works."
738. Our Princess issued
from this vision altogether renovated and made godlike; full of the new
science of the Divinity and of the hidden sacraments of the King, confessing
Him, adoring Him, and praising Him with incessant canticles and by the
flights of her pacified and tranquilized spirit. In like proportion also was
the increase of her humility and of all the other virtues. Her most ardent
prayer was to penetrate more and more deeply into that which is most perfect
and most pleasing to the will of the Most High, and to fulfill and execute
it in her actions. Thus passed a number of days, until that happened, which
is to be related in the next chapter.
INSTRUCTION GIVEN ME BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
OUR MISTRESS.
739. My daughter, many
times I shall repeat to thee the lesson containing the greatest wisdom for
souls, which consists in the knowledge of the cross, in the love of
sufferings, and in putting this knowledge into practice by bearing
afflictions with patience. If the condition of mortals were not so low, they
would covet sufferings merely for the sake of their God and Lord, who has
proclaimed them to be according to his will and pleasure; for the faithful
and loving servant should always prefer the likings of his lord to his own
convenience. But the worldlings in their torpidity are moved neither by the
duty of conforming to their Father and Lord, nor by his declaration that all
their salvation consists in following Christ in his sufferings and that his
sinful children must reap the fruit of the Redemption by imitation of their
sinless Chief.
740. Accept then, my
dearest, this doctrine and engrave it deeply into thy heart. Understand that
as a daughter of the Most High, as a spouse of my Son, and as my disciple,
even if from no other motive, thou must acquire the precious gem of
suffering and thus become pleasing to thy Lord and Spouse. I exhort thee, my
daughter, to select the sufferings of his Cross in preference to his favors
and gifts and rather embrace afflictions than desire to be visited with
caresses; for in choosing favors and delights thou mayest be moved by
selflove, but in accepting tribulations and sorrows, thou canst be moved
only by the love of Christ. And if preference is to be given to sufferings
rather than to delights, wherever it can be done without sin, what
foolishness is it, when men pursue so blindly the deceitful and vile
delights of the senses, and when they abhor so much all that pertains to
suffering for Christ and for the good of their soul?
741. Thy incessant
prayer, my daughter, should be always to repeat: here I am, Lord, what wilt
Thou do with me? Prepared is my heart, I am ready and not disturbed; what
dost Thou wish me to do for Thee? These sentiments should fill thy heart in
their full and true import, repeating them more by sincere and ardent
affection, than by word of mouth. Let thy thoughts be exalted, thy
intentions most upright, pure and noble, desiring to fulfill in all things
the greater pleasure of the Lord, who with measure and weight dispenses both
sufferings and the favors of his graces. Examine and search within thyself
without ceasing, by what sentiments, by what actions, and in what occasion
thou mayest guard against offense and in what thou canst please thy Beloved
most perfectly, and thus learn what thou must strive to correct or what thou
must aspire to within thyself. Every disorder, be it yet so small, and all
that may be less pure and perfect, see thou curtail and expunge immediately,
even though it seem allowable or even of some profit; all that is not most
pleasing to the Lord, thou must consider as evil, or as useless for thyself;
and no imperfection must appear small to thee, if it is displeasing to God.
With this anxious fear and holy solicitude thou shalt walk securely; and be
certain, my dearest daughter, that it cannot enter into the mind of man,
what copious reward the most high Lord reserves for those souls that live in
this kind of attention and solicitude.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MOST HIGH COMMANDS THE MOST HOLY MARY TO
ENTER THE STATE OF MATRIMONY AND HER RESPONSE TO THIS COMMAND.
742. At the age of
thirteen and a half years, having grown considerably for her age, our most
charming Princess, most pure Mary, had another abstractive vision of the
Divinity of the same order and kind as those already described. In this
vision, we might say, happened something similar to that which the holy
Scriptures relate of Abraham, when God commanded him to sacrifice his
beloved son Isaac, the only pledge of all his hopes. God tempted Abraham,
says Moses (Gen. 12, 2), trying and probing the promptness of his obedience
in order to reward it. We can say the same thing of our great Lady, that God
tried Her in this vision, by commanding Her to enter the state of matrimony.
Thence we can also understand the truth of the words: How inscrutable are
the judgments of the Lord and how exalted are his ways and thoughts above
our own (Rom. 11, 33)! As distant as heaven is from earth, were the thoughts
of most holy Mary from the plans which the Most High now made known to Her,
by commanding Her to accept a husband for her protection and company; for as
far as depended upon her will She had desired and resolved during all her
life not to have a husband (433, 586) and She had often repeated and renewed
the vow of chastity, which She had taken at such a premature age.
743. As already
mentioned, the Lord had celebrated his solemn espousal with the Princess
Mary (435) when She was brought to the temple, confirming and approving her
vow of chastity, and solemnizing it by the presence of the glorious hosts of
angels. The most innocent Dove had withdrawn Herself from all human
intercourse, relinquishing entirely all that might be called worldly
interest and attention, or love and desire of creatures. She was altogether
taken up and transformed by the pure and chaste love of that highest Good
which never fails, knowing that She would be only more chaste in its love,
more pure in its contact, and more virginal in its acceptance. When
therefore, without any other explanation, the command of the Lord reached
Her, that She now accept an earthly spouse and husband, what surprise and
astonishment was it to this heavenly Maid, who, in her fixed confidence was
living so secure in the possession of God himself as her Spouse and who now
heard from Him such a command? Greater was this trial than that of Abraham
(Gen. 22, 1, etc.), for he did not love Isaac in the same degree as most
holy Mary loved inviolate chastity.
744. Nevertheless at
this unexpected command the most prudent Virgin suspended her judgment, and
preserved the calmness of her hope and belief more perfectly than Abraham.
Hoping against hope (Rom. 4, 18), She made answer to the Lord saying:
"Eternal God and incomprehensible Majesty, Creator of heaven and earth, and
of all things contained therein, Thou, O Lord, who weighest the winds (Job
28, 25), and by thy commands set test bounds to the sea and subjectest all
creation to thy will, canst dispose of me, thy worthless wormlet, according
to thy pleasure, without making me fail in that which I have promised to
Thee; and if it be not displeasing to Thee, my good Lord, I confirm and
ratify anew my desire to remain chaste during all my life and to have Thee
for my Lord and Spouse; and since my only duty as a creature is to obey
Thee, see Thou to it, my Spouse, that according to thy Providence I may
escape from this predicament in which thy holy love places me." There was,
however, some uneasiness in the most chaste maiden Mary, as far as her
inferior nature was concerned, just as happened afterwards at the message of
the archangel Gabriel (Luke 1, 8) ; yet, though She felt some sadness, it
did not hinder Her from practicing the most heroic obedience which until
then had fallen to her lot, and She resigned Herself entirely into the hand
of the Lord. His Majesty answered her: "Mary, let not thy heart be
disturbed, for thy resignation is acceptable to Me and my powerful arm is
not subject to laws; by my disposition that will happen, which is most
proper for Thee."
745. Consoled only by
this vague promise of the Lord, most holy Mary recovered from her vision and
returned to her ordinary state. Left between doubt and hope by the divine
command and promise, She was full of solicitude, for the Lord intended that
She should multiply Her tearful sentiments of love and confidence, of faith,
humility, of obedience, of purest chastity and of other virtues, impossible
to enumerate. In the meantime, while our great Lady applied Herself to
vigilant prayer, and to her resigned and prudent sighs and solicitude, God
spoke in sleep to the high priest, saint Simeon, and commanded him to
arrange for the marriage of Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anne of
Nazareth; since He regarded Her with special care and love. The holy priest
answered, asking what was his will in regard to the person, whom the maiden
Mary was to marry and to whom She was to give Herself as Spouse. The Lord
instructed Him to call together the other priests and learned persons and to
tell them that this Maiden was left alone and an orphan and that She did not
desire to be married; but that, as it was a custom for the firstborn maidens
not to leave the temple without being provided for, •it was proper She
should be married to whomever it seemed good to them.
746. The high priest
obeyed the divine order and, having called together the other priests, he
made known to them the will of the Most High, informing them of the favor in
which his Majesty held this Maiden, Mary of Nazareth, according as it had
been revealed to him. He told them that as She was an inmate of the temple
and was now without parents, it was their duty to provide for Her and find a
husband worthy of a Maiden so modest, virtuous and of such unimpeachable
conduct as was hers in the temple. Moreover, as Mary was of noble lineage
and as her property and other considerations made this marriage particularly
important, it was necessary to consider well to whom She was to be
entrusted. He added also that Mary of Nazareth did not desire to be married;
but that at the same time it would not be proper to dismiss Her from the
temple unmarried, since She was an orphan and a firstborn daughter.
747. Having conferred
about this matter among themselves the priests and learned men, moved by
divine impulse, concluded that, in a matter where so much was involved and
where the Lord himself had favorably interfered, it would be best to inquire
farther into his holy will and to ask Him to designate in some manner who
should be the most appropriate person to be the spouse of Mary. Knowing that
her spouse must be of the house and of the race of David in order to comply
with the law, they appointed a day, on which all the free and unmarried men
of that race, who then might be in Jerusalem, were to be called together in
the temple. It happened to be the very day on which our Princess completed
her fourteenth year. As it was necessary to notify Her of the result of
their conference and to ask Her consent, the highpriest Simeon called Her
and informed her of their intention to give Her a spouse before dismissing
Her from the temple.
748. The most prudent
Virgin, with a countenance betokening virginal modesty, answered the priest
with great composure and humility: "Sir, as far as my inclinations are
concerned, I desire to preserve perpetual chastity during all my life; for I
wished to dedicate myself to God in the service of this holy temple in
return for the great blessings which I have received in it; I never had the
intention or the desire to enter the state of matrimony, since I consider
myself incapable of fulfilling the duties connected with it. This was my
inclination, but thou, my master, who art to me in place of God, wilt teach
me what is according to his holy Will." "My Daughter," answered the priest,
"thy holy desires are acceptable to the Lord; but remember, that no maiden
of Israel abstains from marriage as long as we expect the coming of the
Messias conformably to the divine prophecies. Therefore all who obtain issue
of children among our people, esteem themselves happy and blessed. In the
matrimonial state Thou canst serve God truly and in great perfection; and in
order that Thou mayest obtain a companion according to the heart of God and
who will be conformable to thy wishes, we will pray to the Lord, as I have
told Thee, asking Him to single out a husband for Thee, who shall be
pleasing to Him and of the line of David; do Thou also pray continually for
the same favor, in order that the Most High may favor Thee and may direct us
all."
749. This happened nine
days before the one appointed for the execution and realization of their
resolve. During this time the most holy Virgin multiplied her prayers,
beseeching the Lord with incessant tears and sighs, to fulfill his divine
pleasure in that which She had so much at heart. On one of those nine days
the Lord appeared to Her and said to Her: "My Spouse and my Dove, let thy
afflicted heart expand and let it not be disturbed or sad; I will attend to
thy yearnings and to thy requests, I will direct all things, and will govern
the priests by my enlightenment; I will give Thee a spouse selected by
Myself, and one who will put no hindrance to thy holy desires, but who, by
my grace will prosper Thee in them. I will find for Thee a perfect man
conformable to my heart and I will choose him from the number of my
servants; my power is infinite, and my protection and aid shall never fail
Thee."
750. The most holy Mary
answering said: "Highest Good and Love of my soul, Thou well knowest the
secret of my bosom and my desires, which Thou hast excited in me from the
first moment of the existence received from Thee; preserve me, then, my
Spouse, pure and chaste, as I have desired for Thee and through Thee. Do not
despise my sighs and deprive me not of thy countenance. Remember, my Lord
and God, that I am but a useless wormlet, weak and despicable on account of
my insignificance; and if I should fall away from virtue in the state of
matrimony, I shall disappoint Thee and my desires; provide Thou for my
security and be not deterred by my demerits. Although I am but useless dust
(Gen. 18, 27), I will call on thy greatness, O Lord, trusting in thy
infinite mercies."
751. The most chaste
Maiden also approached her holy angels, whom She surpassed in sanctity and
purity, and conferred with them many times concerning her anxieties in
regard to the new state, which She was expected to enter. One day the holy
spirits said to Her:"Spouse of the Most High, since Thou canst not ignore
this title, nor much less the love which He, who is almighty and unfailing
in his truth, has shown Thee, let thy heart, O Mistress, be at peace; for
sooner will the heavens and the earth fail, than the fulfillment of his
promises (Matth. 24, 27). All the events of thy life succeed each other
according to the foreknowledge of thy Spouse; and his powerful arm, which
governs the elements and all creatures, can suspend the forces of the
impetuous waves and temper the vehemence of the elements, so that neither
fire will burn nor the earth show its weight. His high judgments are secret
and holy, his decrees are most just and wonderful, nor can creatures
comprehend them; though they must revere them. If his Majesty wishes that
Thou serve Him in matrimony, it will be better for Thee to please Him
therein, than to displease Him in some other state of life. He will no doubt
provide for Thee the most holy and perfect; trust Thou securely in his
promises." This advice of the angels quieted somewhat the anxieties of our
Princess. She asked them anew for protection and assistance, and that they
present to the Lord in her name her entire subjection to that which his
divine pleasure should ordain in her regard.
INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO ME BY THE PRINCESS OF
HEAVEN.
752. My dearest
daughter, most high and venerable are the judgments of the Lord, and they
should not be scrutinized by mortals, since they are impenetrable. His
Majesty commanded me to enter the state of matrimony and at the same time
concealed from me the sacrament dependent upon entering it. Matrimony was
required, in order that my parturition might be respectable in the eyes of
the world, and that the Word, made incarnate in my womb, might be reputed as
the son of my husband, since at the same time the world was to remain
ignorant of this mystery. It was also a suitable means to conceal this
mystery from Lucifer and the demons, who in such rage were bent on wreaking
their fury upon me. When they saw me enter the married state as other women,
their fury was appeased, not thinking it compatible, that She should have a
husband, who was to be the Mother of God himself; Lucifer himself was
somewhat quieted by this means and made a truce with his malice. The Lord
had also other ends in view, which have become manifest, although, on
account of circumstances, they were hidden to me at that period of my life.
753. I wish Thee to
understand, my daughter, that the certain prospect of being espoused to any
man, without at the same time knowing the mystery concealed from me by the
Lord, was the greatest sorrow and affliction, which until then I had ever
experienced; and if the divine power had not strengthened me in this pain,
and had not given me some kind of confidence, although it was only obscure
and undetermined, I would have lost my life in this suffering. But from this
event thou shouldst learn how complete must be the resignation of the
creature to the will of the Most High, and how it must restrict its
shortsighted judgment and guard against scrutinizing the secrets of a
Majesty so exalted and mysterious. If any danger or difficulty seems to
present itself in that which the Lord commands, let man confide in Him and
firmly believe that he was not placed therein in order to be forsaken, but
in order that he may come forth victorious and triumphant, if he cooperates
on his own part with the assistance given by the Lord. Whenever the soul
seeks to scrutinize the decrees of his wisdom and satisfy itself before it
obeys and believes, let it be convinced that it defrauds the Creator of its
glory and honor, and at the same time loses for itself the merit of its
works.
754. I was aware that
God is superior to all creatures and that He had no need of our foresight;
for He seeks only the subjection of our will, since the creature cannot give
Him counsel, but only obedience and praise. And although, on account of not
knowing what He wished of me and ordained for me in the state of matrimony,
the love, which I had for chastity caused me much affliction; yet that
grievous sorrow did not make me curious and inquisitive, but served to make
my obedience more excellent and pleasing in his eyes. By this example thou
thyself must regulate the subjection to that which thou perceivest to be
according to the pleasure of the Lord thy Spouse, resigning thyself entirely
to his protection and confiding in the firmness of his promises. And
wherever thou hast the approbation of thy priests and superiors, allow
thyself to be governed without any resistance to their commands and to the
divine aspirations.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE ESPOUSAL OF MOST HOLY MARY WITH THE MOST CHASTE SAINT
JOSEPH.
755. On the day on
which, as we have said in the preceding chapter, our Princess Mary completed
the fourteenth year of her life, the men, who at that time in the city of
Jerusalem were descendants of the tribe of Juda and of the race of David,
gathered together in the temple. The sovereign Lady was also of that
lineage. Among the number was Joseph, a native of Nazareth, and then living
in Jerusalem; for he was one of the descendants of the royal race of David.
He was then thirty-three years of age, of handsome person and pleasing
countenance, but also of incomparable modesty and gravity; above all he was
most chaste in thought and conduct, and most saintly in all his
inclinations. From his twelfth year he had made and kept the vow of
chastity. He was related to the Virgin Mary in the third degree, and was
known for the utmost purity of his life, holy and irreprehensible in the
eyes of God and of men.
756. All these unmarried
men gathered in the temple and prayed to the Lord conjointly with the
priests, in order to be governed by the holy Spirit in what they were about
to do. The Most High spoke to the heart of the high priest, inspiring him to
place into the hands of each one of the young men a dry stick, with the
command that each ask his Majesty with a lively faith, to single out the one
whom He had chosen as the spouse of Mary. And as the sweet odor of her
virtue and nobility, the fame of her beauty, her possessions and her
modesty, and her position as being the firstborn in her family was known to
all of them, each one coveted the happiness of meriting Her as a spouse.
Among them all only the humble and most upright Joseph thought himself
unworthy of such a great blessing; and remembering the vow of chastity which
he had made and resolving anew its perpetual observance, he resigned himself
to God's will, leaving it all to his disposal and being filled at the same
time with a veneration and esteem greater than that of any of the others for
the most noble maiden Mary.
757. While they were
thus engaged in prayer the staff which Joseph held was seen to blossom and
at the same time a dove of purest white and resplendent with admirable
light, was seen to descend and rest upon the head of the saint, while in the
interior of his heart God spoke: "Joseph, my servant, Mary shall be thy
Spouse; accept Her with attentive reverence, for She is acceptable in my
eyes, just and most pure in soul and body, and thou shalt do all that She
shall say to Thee." At this manifestation and token from heaven the priests
declared saint Joseph as the spouse selected by God himself for the maiden
Mary. Calling Her forth for her espousal, the Chosen one issued forth like
the sun, more resplendent than the moon, and She entered into the presence
of all with a countenance more beautiful than that of an angel, incomparable
in the charm of her beauty, nobility and grace; and the priests espoused Her
to the most chaste and holy of men, saint Joseph.
758. The heavenly
Princess, more pure than the stars of the firmament, with tearful and
sorrowful countenance and as the Queen of majesty, most humble yet uniting
all perfections within Herself, took leave of the priests, asking their
blessing, and of her instructress and her companions, begging their pardon.
She gave thanks to all of them for the favors received at their hands during
her stay in the temple. The humility of her behavior enhanced the prudence
and aptness of her words for the performance of these last duties in the
temple; for on all occasions She spoke in few and weighty words. She took
leave of the temple not without great grief on account of the sacrifice of
her inclinations and desires. In the company of attendants who were some of
the more distinguished laymen in the service of the temple, She betook
Herself with her spouse Joseph to Nazareth, the native city of this most
fortunate married couple. Joseph, although he had been born in that place,
had, by the providential disposition of circumstances, decided to live for
some time in Jerusalem. Thus it happened that he so improved his fortune as
to become the spouse of Her, whom God had chosen to be his own Mother.
759. Having arrived at
their home in Nazareth, where the Princess of heaven had inherited the
possessions and estates of her blessed parents, they were welcomed and
visited by their friends and relatives with the joyful congratulations
customary on such occasions. After they had in a most holy manner complied
with the natural duties of friendship and politeness, and satisfied the
worldly obligations connected with the conversation and intercourse of their
fellowmen, the two most holy spouses, Joseph and Mary, were left at leisure
and to their own counsel in their house. Custom had introduced the practice
among the Hebrews, that for the first few days of their married state the
husband and wife should enter upon a sort of study or trial of each others'
habits and temperament, in order that afterwards they might be able to make
reciprocal allowance in their conduct one toward the other.
760. During this time
saint Joseph said to his spouse Mary: "My spouse and Lady, I give thanks to
the Lord most high God for the favor of having designed me as your husband
without my merits, though I judged myself unworthy even of thy company; but
his Majesty, who can raise up the lowly whenever He wishes, showed this
mercy to me, and I desire and hope, relying on thy discretion and virtue,
that Thou help me to make a proper return in serving Him with an upright
heart. Hold me, therefore, as thy servant, and by the true love which I have
for thee, I beg of thee to supply my deficiencies in the fulfillment of the
domestic duties and of other things, which as a worthy husband, I should
know how to perform; tell me, Lady, what is thy pleasure, in order that I
may fulfill it."
761. The heavenly Spouse
heard these words with an humble heart, and yet also with a serene
earnestness, and She answered the saint: "My master, I am fortunate, that
the Most High, in order to place me in this state of life, has chosen thee
for my husband and that He has given me such evident manifestation of his
will, that I serve thee; but if thou givest me leave I will speak of my
thoughts and intentions, which I wish to manifest to thee for this purpose."
The Most High forestalled the sincere and upright heart of saint Joseph with
his grace and inflamed it anew with divine love through the word of most
holy Mary, and he answered Her, saying: "Speak, Lady thy servant hears." On
this occasion the Mistress of the world was surrounded by the thousand
angels of her guard, in visible form. She had asked them to be present in
that manner, because the Lord, in order that the most pure Virgin might act
with greater grace and merit, had permitted her to feel the respect and
reverence, with which She was bound to speak to her husband and left her to
the natural shyness and dread, which She always felt in speaking to men
alone; for She had never done this, except perhaps by accident with the high
priest.
762. The holy angels
obeyed their Queen and, visible only to Her, stood in attendance. In this
glorious company She spoke to her spouse saint Joseph, and said to him: "My
lord and spouse, it is just that we give praise and glory with all reverence
to our God and Creator, who is infinite in goodness and incomprehensible in
his judgments. To us, who are so needy, He has manifested his greatness and
mercy in choosing us for his service. I acknowledge myself among all
creatures as more beholden and indebted to Him than all others, and more
than all of them together; for, meriting less, I have received from his
liberal hand more than they. At a tender age, being compelled thereto by the
force of this truth, which, with the knowledge of the deceitfulness of
visible things, his divine light made known to me, I consecrated myself to
God by a perpetual vow of chastity in body and soul; his I am and Him I
acknowledge as my Spouse and Lord, with fixed resolve to preserve for Him my
chastity. I beseech thee, my master, to help me in fulfilling this vow,
while in all other things I will be thy servant, willing to work for the
comfort of thy life as long as mine shall last. Yield, my spouse, to this
resolve and make a like resolve, in order that, offering ourselves as an
acceptable sacrifice to our eternal God, He may receive us in the odor of
sweetness and bestow on us the eternal goods for which we hope."
763. The most chaste
spouse Joseph, full of interior joy at the words of his heavenly Spouse,
answered Her: "My Mistress, in making known to me thy chaste and welcome
sentiments, thou hast penetrated and dilated my heart. I have not opened my
thoughts to Thee before knowing thy own. I also acknowledge myself under
greater obligation to the Lord of creation than other men; for very early He
has called me by his true enlightenment to love Him with an upright heart;
and I desire Thee to know, Lady that at the age of twelve years I also made
a promise to serve the Most High in perpetual chastity. On this account I
now gladly ratify this vow in order not to impede thy own; in the presence
of his Majesty I promise to aid Thee, as far as in me lies, in serving Him
and loving Him according to thy full desires. I will be, with the divine
grace, thy most faithful servant and companion, and I pray Thee accept my
chaste love and hold me as thy brother, without ever entertaining any other
kind of love, outside the one which Thou owest to God and after God to me."
In this conversation the Most High confirmed anew the virtue of chastity in
the heart of saint Joseph, and the pure and holy love due to his most holy
spouse Mary. This love the saint already had in an eminent degree, and the
Lady herself augmented it sweetly, dilating his heart by her most prudent
discourse.
764. By divine operation
the two most holy and chaste Spouses felt an incomparable joy and
consolation. The heavenly Princess, as one who is the Mistress of all
virtues and who in all things pursued the highest perfection of all virtues,
lovingly corresponded to the desires of saint Joseph. The Most High also
gave to saint Joseph new-purity and complete command over his natural
inclinations, so that without hindrance or any trace of sensual desires, but
with admirable and new grace, he might serve his spouse Mary, and in Her,
execute his will and pleasure. They immediately set about dividing the
property inherited from saint Joachim and Anne, the parents of the most holy
Virgin; one part they offered to the temple, where She had stayed, another
they destined for the poor, and the third was left in the hands of the holy
spouse saint Joseph to be disposed of according to his judgment. Our Queen
reserved for Herself only the privilege of serving Him and of attending to
the household duties. For from intercourse with outsiders and from the
management of property, buying or selling, the most prudent Virgin always
kept aloof, as I will mention farther on (552, 553).
765. In his former life
saint Joseph had learnt the trade of carpentering as being a respectable and
proper way of earning the sustenance in life. He was poor in earthly
possessions, as I have said above. He therefore asked his most holy Spouse,
whether it was agreeable to Her, that he should exercise his trade in order
to be able to serve Her and to gain something for distribution among the
poor; since it was necessary to do some work and not to remain idle. The
most prudent Virgin approved of this resolve, saying that the Lord did not
wish them to be rich, but poor and lovers of the poor, desirous of helping
them in as far as their means would allow. Then arose between the two
Spouses a holy contest, who should obey the other as superior. But She, who
among the humble was the most humble, won in this contest of humility; for
as the man is the head of the family, She would not permit this natural
order to be inverted. She desired in all things to obey her spouse saint
Joseph, asking him solely for permission to help the poor, which the saint
gladly gave.
766. As saint Joseph
during these days by divine enlightenment learnt to know more and more the
qualities of his spouse Mary, her rare prudence, humility, purity and all
her other virtues exceeding by far his thoughts and estimates, he was seized
with ever new admiration and, in great joy of spirit, continued to praise
and thank the Lord again and again for having given him a Companion and
Spouse so far above his merits. And in order that this work of the Most High
might be entirely perfect (for it was the beginning of the greatest, which
He was to execute by his Omnipotence) He ordained that the Princess of
heaven, by her mere presence and intercourse, should infuse into the heart
of her spouse a holy fear and reverence greater than words could ever
suffice to describe. This effect was wrought upon saint Joseph by an
effulgence or reflection of the divine light, which shone from the face of
our Queen and which was mingled with an ineffable and always visible
majesty. So much the more was this due to Her than to Moses descending from
the mountain, (Exod. 24, 30) as her intercourse and conversation with God
had been more extended and intimate.
767. Soon after most
holy Mary had a vision of the Lord, in which God spoke to Her: "My most
beloved Spouse and Chosen one, behold how faithful I am to my promises with
those who love Me. Correspond therefore now to my fidelity by observing all
the laws of a spouse, in holiness, purity and all perfection and let the
company of my servant Joseph, whom I have given Thee, help thee thereto.
Obey him as thou shouldst and listen to his advice." The most holy Mary
responded: "Most high Lord, I praise and magnify Thee for thy admirable
disposition and providence in my regard, though I am so unworthy and poor a
creature; I desire to obey Thee and please Thee as one having greater
obligation to Thee than any other. Bestow upon me, my Lord, thy divine
favor, in order that I may be assisted in all things and governed according
to thy pleasure, and also in order that I may attend to the duties of the
state, in which Thou hast placed me, never as Thy slave erring from thy
commands and wishes. Show me thy good will and blessing and with it I will
strive to obey and serve thy servant Joseph, in such a manner as Thou, my
Lord and Maker, commandest."
768. On such heavenly
beginnings was founded the home and the married life of the most holy Mary
and saint Joseph. From the eighth of September, when they were espoused,
until the twenty-fifth of March following, when the Incarnation of the
divine Word took place (as I will say in the second part), the two Spouses
thus lived together, being prepared in the meanwhile for the work designated
for them by the Most High.
769. But I cannot at
this juncture withhold my words of congratulation at the good fortune of the
most happy among men, saint Joseph. Whence is it, O man of God, that thou
among all sons of Adam, shouldst have the happiness and good fortune of
possessing God himself in such a manner, that He conducted Himself and was
reputed as thy only Son? The eternal Father gives to Thee his Son, and the
Son gives to thee his true and real Mother, and the Holy Ghost entrusts to
thee his Spouse, while the whole blessed Trinity in its turn yields and
espouses to thee as thy legitimate wife its chosen One, its only One, elect
as the sun? Dost thou realize, O Saint, thy dignity? Dost thou know thy
excellence? Dost thou understand, that thy Spouse is the Queen and Lady of
heaven and earth and that Thou art the depositary of the inestimable
treasures of God himself? Be mindful, man of God, of thy entrusted pledge
and know, that if thou art not envied by the angels and seraphim, thou hast
certainly filled them with wonder and astonishment at thy good fortune and
at the sacramental mystery connected with thy matrimony. Accept the
congratulations for such great happiness in the name of the whole human
race. Thou art the archive of the history of the divine mercies, the master
and spouse of Her, who is inferior only to God himself; thou findest thyself
enriched and prosperous in the sight of all men and of the angels
themselves. Remember our poverty and misery, and remember me the most
worthless worm of the earth: for I desire to be thy client, blessed and
favored by thy powerful intercession.
INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
770. My daughter, in the
example of the matrimonial life wherein the Most High placed me, thou
findest a reproof for those souls, who allege their life in the world as an
excuse for not following perfection. To God nothing is impossible, and
nothing is likewise impossible to those, who with a lively faith, hope in
Him, and resign themselves entirely to his divine Providence. I lived in the
house of my spouse with the same perfection as in the temple; for in
changing my state of life I altered neither my sentiments nor the desire and
anxiety to love and serve God; on the contrary I added to my solicitude lest
the obligations of a spouse should hinder me in God's service. On this
account God favored me and disposed and accommodated powerfully all things
in conformity to my desires. The Lord will do the same for all men, if on
their part they correspond. They however blame the state of matrimony,
deceiving themselves; for the hindrance to a holy and perfect life, is not
the state, but the vain and superfluous cares and anxieties, in which they
involve themselves forgetting the sweetness of the Lord and seeking and
preferring their own.
771. And if there is no
excuse for not living a perfect life in the world, still less will the
duties and obligations of the religious state be an excuse. Never imagine
thyself exempt from the pursuit of perfection on account of being a
superioress; for since God has placed thee in office by obedience, thou must
not despair of his assistance and protection; He himself will each day
assume the responsibility of strengthening thee and helping thee to fulfill
thy duties, without relaxing in the pursuit of a perfect love due to God.
Oblige Him by the sacrifice of thy own will, submitting in humble patience
to all that his divine Providence may ordain. If thou dost not hinder the
course of his Providence, I assure thee of his protection and of the power
of his divine arm to direct thee and guide all thy actions toward perfection
.
CHAPTER XXIII.
AN EXPLANATION OF CHAPTER XXXI OF THE
PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, TO WHICH THE LORD REFERRED ME REGARDING THE LIFE OF
MOST HOLY MARY IN MATRIMONY.
772. As soon as the
Princess of heaven, Mary, found Herself so unexpectedly in the new state of
matrimony, She raised her pure soul to the Father of light for illumination
and direction in the fulfillment of all its obligations according to his
pleasure. In order to give me some insight into her holy thoughts at this
time, the Lord referred me to the last chapter of the Proverbs, in which
Solomon outlined the virtues of our Lady in describing the qualities and
doings of a valiant woman. Discoursing on this chapter I will say as much as
I can of what I was made to understand regarding Her. The chapter begins
with the words: "Who shall find a valiant woman? The price of Her is as of
things brought from afar off and from the uttermost coasts." This question
is one implying admiration in regard to our great and valiant woman Mary and
a doubt in regard to all other women, when compared with Her; for none other
as valiant can be found in the whole range of the human and natural
existence. All the others are weak and wanting, not one being exempt from
tribute to the demon through the guilt of sin. Who then will find another
woman? Not the kings and monarchs, nor the princes of the earth, nor the
angels of heaven, nor the divine power itself will find another, since it
had not created another like Her: She is the only one, without a peeress or
one resembling Her, who was exalted in dignity according to the measure of
his own Omnipotence. For He could not have given Her more than his own
eternal Son, consubstantial, equal to Him in immensity, uncreated and
infinite.
773. Accordingly the
price of this Woman is as something coming from afar, since upon earth and
among creatures there was none like to Her. The price of a thing is the
value for which a thing is bought or at which it is estimated; then is its
price known, when it is known at what value it is held or estimated. The
price of this valiant woman Mary was set in the council of the most blessed
Trinity, when God himself claimed or purchased Her for Himself in advance of
all the other creatures, having received Her in real purchase as a sort of
return for the creation of the whole human nature. The price and payment,
which He gave for Mary, was the incarnate Word itself and the eternal Father
(according to our way of speaking) considered Himself sufficiently repaid by
Mary. For finding this valiant Woman in his divine mind, He set such a value
on Her, that He devoted his only Son to be at the same time his Son and
Hers: and the Son himself took from Her human flesh and chose Her as Mother.
Thus this purchase price by which the Most High acquired and appropriated
Her, included his wisdom, goodness, omnipotence, justice and all other
attributes, and all the merits of his Son, releasing beforehand the whole
human race from debt; so that, if all men were to be lost as Adam had lost
himself, He would still have left Mary and her Son. Hence truly She was
estimated at a price so distant, that all creation would not be able to
reach an estimate and appreciation of it. This is meant by the saying "that
She came from afar."
774. By this term "afar"
are also to be understood the ends of the earth; for God is the last end and
the beginning of all creation, from which all things proceed and to which
all things return, as the streams return to the sea (Eccles. I, 7). Also the
empyrean heaven is the final material end of all corporeal matter; and it is
called in an especial way the footstool of the Divinity (Isaias 66, 1) .
Yet, in another sense, the end of natural life and the full perfection of
virtue might be called the ends of the earth, for in these is fulfilled the
purpose of man's natural existence; being called forth by the Creator for
the knowledge and love of God, He himself is the ultimate and most apparent
end of life and action. All this is included, when the price of most holy
Mary is said to come from the farthest ends. Her graces, gifts and merits
came and commenced from the ultimate regions. They began where those of the
other saints, the Virgins, Confessors, Martyrs, Apostles and Patriarchs
ended: they in all their lives and all their sanctity did not arrive at the
point where Mary merely commenced. And if Christ, her Son and our Lord,
calls Himself the end of the works of Abraham, so can it be said with equal
justice, that the price of most holy Mary is as from the farthest ends; for
all her purity, innocence and sanctity came from her most holy Son as the
exemplary, anteceding and principal cause of Her alone.
775. "The heart of her
husband trusteth in Her, and he shall have no need of spoils." (Prov. 31,
11). It is certain that the heavenly Joseph is called the husband of this
valiant Woman, as he had legitimately espoused Her; and it is also certain,
that his heart confided in Her, believing that on account of her
incomparable virtues all true blessings would come to him. But especially
did he trust in Her when he perceived her pregnancy and yet was ignorant of
its mysterious origin; for then he believed and hoped against hope (Rom. 4,
18); all indications being adverse and having no other foundation for his
hopeful belief, than the holiness of such a Spouse and Wife. And although he
resolved to leave Her (Matth. I, 19) as he saw the outward tokens of
pregnancy with his own eyes without the slightest knowledge of the cause;
yet he never ventured to distrust her honor and modesty, nor did he ever
diminish in his holy and pure love, with which his most upright heart was
bound to such a Spouse. Nor was he disappointed in anything, nor was he in
need of spoils; for if spoils are things that are superfluous, then this man
was abundantly supplied with them, as soon as he knew who was his Spouse and
what belonged to Her.
776. But this heavenly
Mistress had another Man, who confided in Her, and to Him principally does
Solomon refer; and this Man was her own Son, the true God and Man, who
confided in this Woman to the extent of his own life and honor in the face
of all creation. In this confidence was included the greatness of both
these, his life and his honor; for neither God could confide more to Her,
nor could She correspond better so as to assure Him of superabundant return.
O what a miracle of the infinite power and wisdom! That God should trust
Himself to a mere creature and a woman, assuming flesh in her womb and of
her very substance! To all her Mother with unchangeable confidence, and She
to call Him Son, nurse Him at her breast and have Him subject to her
commands! That She should be his Coadjutrix in the rescue and restoration of
the world, the Depositary of the Divinity, the Dispensatrix of his infinite
treasures and of the merits of his most holy Son, and of all the merits of
his life, his miracles, his preaching, his death and of all the other
mysteries! All this He confided to most holy Mary. But our wonder increases,
when we find that He was not frustrated in his confidence; for we see that a
mere Creature recognized and could adequately fulfill such a trust, without
failing in the least point, and in such a manner, that She could not act
with greater faith, love, prudence, humility and perfection of all holiness.
Her Man found Himself in no need of spoils, but rich, prosperous and well
supplied with honor and renown. Therefore Scripture adds:
777. "She will render
him good, and not evil, all the days of her life." That for which most holy
Mary makes a return to her Man, I understand to be the blessing, which
Christ, her true Son, rendered unto Her; for what, She herself rendered is
already mentioned. The equity, which the Lord observes in remunerating with
the greatest blessings and favors even the smallest good deed, will enable
us to form some idea of those which flowed from the divine power upon our
Queen during her life. They commenced from the first instant of her
existence and were showered upon Her more abundantly than upon the highest
angels as a fitting adjunct of her preservation from original sin; She
corresponded with these favors in an adequate manner and co-operated with
them to the utmost limit, and all the deeds of her life were without
remissness, negligence or tardiness. What wonder then, that only her most
holy Son was superior to Her and that all the rest of the creatures were
left behind as it were at an infinite distance?
778. "She hath sought
wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands." A well
beseeming praise and worthy of a valiant woman: that she should be
industrious and diligent within her home, spinning flax and weaving linen
for the shelter and comfort of her family, providing these things for the
inmates and for others, who may be benefited thereby. This is profitable
counsel, which is put in practice by hands industrious and not idle; for the
idleness of a woman, who lives from hand to mouth, is a proof of base
foolishness and of other vices, which cannot be imputed without shame. In
this exterior virtue, which in a married woman is the foundation of good
domestic management, most holy Mary was a valiant woman and a worthy example
to all the womankind. For She was never idle, but was diligently engaged in
preparing linen and wool for her spouse and for her Son and for many poor,
whom She aided by the labor of her hands. Nevertheless, since She joined in
the most perfect manner the works of Martha with those of Mary, She was more
busy with the counsels of her heart in regard to interior works than in the
works of her hand. Preserving the memory of the divine visions and the
sayings of the holy Scriptures, She was never interiorly at leisure, but
continued to utilize and increase the gifts and virtues of her soul.
Accordingly the text continues:
779. "She is like the
merchant ship, she bringeth her bread from afar." As this visible world is
called an unquiet and stormy sea, those that live upon it and are tossed
about upon it, can appropriately be called ships. All are engaged in this
navigation in order to earn their bread. namely the sustenance and the
maintenance of this life, which is meant by bread. That vessel brings its
bread from the farthest distance. which is farthest from what it is to
procure; and that, which spends more labor upon it gains the more, since it
brings it from afar by so much the greater difficulty. There is a sort of
agreement between God and man, that while they, as servants cultivate the
earth and work upon it in the sweat of their brow, making use of the
secondary causes by which the Lord of all succors them, the earth in return
should sustain man and pay him for his perspiration and labor. What happens
in regard to this temporal contract, happens also in regard to the
spiritual, namely, that he who does not work shall also not eat.
780. Among all the
children of Adam most holy Mary was the rich and prosperous merchant ship,
which brought her own and our bread from afar. No one ever was so discreetly
diligent and zealous in the government of her house; no one so solicitous
for that, which in divine prudence She deemed necessary for its support and
for succoring the needy. She merited and earned all this by the most prudent
solicitude, by which She brought it from afar; for She was far removed from
our vicious nature and from all its doings. How much She thus acquired,
merited and distributed to the needy ones is impossible to conceive. But
still more estimable and admirable was the spiritual and living Bread, which
She drew down from heaven for us; for She not only drew It from the bosom of
the Father, whence It would not have descended, if It had not been drawn by
this valiant Woman, but It would never have come to this world, so greatly
unworthy of It, if It had not been brought in the ship of Mary. Although She
could not, as a mere creature, merit the advent of God into the world, yet
She merited the hastening of his advent, and She merited, that He should
come in the rich ship of her womb; for, since God could not take abode in
any other inferior to Her in merit, She alone induced Him to become visible
and to communicate Himself, and to nourish those who were so far off.
781. "And She hath risen
in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her
maidens." Not less laudable is this activity of the valiant woman, that she
deprived Herself of the repose and sweet rest of the night in order to
govern her family, directing her domestics, her husband, her sons and
relations, and also her servants to perform their duties and all that is
necessary for the welfare of the family. This kind of valor and prudence
does not look upon night as the time for disengaging itself and forgetting
in sleep its duties and obligations; withdrawal from work should not be
sought merely to satisfy a whim, but as a necessary means for returning to
it so much the more ardently. Our Queen was truly admirable in this prudent
kind of economy; although She had no servants in her family, because her
love of obedience and humility did not permit her to charge anyone but
Herself with the servile duties of the house; nevertheless, in the care for
her most holy Son and for her spouse Joseph, She rendered the most vigilant
service and never was She guilty of any remissness, forgetfulness,
tardiness, or inadvertency in providing what was necessary for them, as I
shall have occasion to relate in the whole of the succeeding discourse.
782. But what tongue
could ever describe the untiring watchfulness of this valiant Woman? She
arose and was on her feet in the night, when divine secrets were still
withheld from her heart; and in the hidden darkness of the mystery of her
matrimony She lived in vigilant hope of its unravelment, attentive to
execute humbly and obediently, whatever was commanded to Her. She provided
all the necessary nourishment for her domestics and servants, namely her
interior faculties and her exterior senses, and distributed to each one its
sustenance in the labor of the day, so that while they were engaged in the
outward service, the spirit might not find itself needy and unprovided. She
commanded the faculties of her soul to follow the inviolable rule of seeking
its sustenance from the light of the Divinity, of being incessantly occupied
in the ardent meditation and contemplation of the holy law day and night,
never allowing it at any time to be withdrawn therefrom by exterior work or
occupation of her state of life. This was the government and the nourishment
of the servants of her soul.
783. Also to the other
servants, the exterior senses, She distributed their legitimate occupation
and nourishment; making use of the jurisdiction, which She possessed over
these faculties, She commanded, that, as servants, they serve the spirit ;
that, though in the world, they be dead to it and ignore its vanities and
live solely in as far as was necessary for nature and grace; that they be
not taken up with sensible delights, except in so far as the superior part
of the soul should allow and communicate by its overflowing influence. She
placed boundaries and limits to all their operations, so that without the
slightest imperfection they were appropriated to the sphere of divine love,
all of them serving and co-operating with it without resistance,
unwillingness or tardiness.
784. In another way also
She arose and governed Her Domestics. For there was another kind of night in
which this valiant Woman rose and other servants for which She provided. She
arose in the night of the ancient Law, in the obscure dawn of the future
light: She came into the world at the decline of that night and with
ineffable foresight She proffered and distributed the nourishment of grace
and of eternal life to all her domestics and to the servants, namely her own
people, to the rest of the human race, to the holy Fathers and the just of
her own nation, and to the sinners, slaves and captives of all the world.
And She gave it so truly and so fully, that the nourishment was taken from
her own substance and from her own blood, since it originated in her
virginal womb.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED: THE REST OF THE
THIRTY-FIRST CHAPTER OF THE PROVERBS IS EXPLAINED.
785. No quality of a
valiant woman could be wanting in our Queen, for She was the fountain of
virtue and of grace. Our text continues in the sixteenth verse: "She hath
considered a field and bought it: with the fruits of her hand She hath
planted a vineyard." The field of highest perfection, where the abundant and
fragrant fruits of virtue are reared, was the one which most holy Mary
considered; and as She was inspecting and taxing it by the clearness of the
divine light, She recognized the treasure, which was buried in it. In order
to buy this field She exchanged for it her property rights' in all the
earth, of which She was truly the Queen and Mistress, preferring the
possession of this field to all other things and abdicating in favor of it
the use and right of all her possessions. This Mistress alone could dispose
of all creation, for She alone had the full possession of it, and She alone
could buy the whole field of holiness. She alone could examine and estimate
its full value and She alone, next to God, appropriated to Herself, the
field of the Divinity and its attributes, while the other saints could
appropriate only a part. "With the fruits of her hands She hath planted a
vineyard." She planted the holy Church, not only by giving us her most holy
Son to form and constitute it, but by being Herself his Coadjutrix, and
after his Ascension, remaining the Mistress of the Church, as will be
related in the third part of this history. She planted the vineyard of the
paradise, which that fierce beast Lucifer had ruined and devastated, thus
restoring it to fruitfulness by her solicitude. She planted the vineyard of
her most great and magnanimous heart, setting in it the sprouts of virtue
and the most fertile vines, from which Christ in the winepress of the Cross
distilled the most sweet wine of his love to inebriate his beloved and
nourish his friends (Cant. 5, I).
786. "She hath girdled
her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm." The greatest
strength of those who call themselves strong is in their arm, with which
they perform hard and difficult works: and the most difficult work of
earthly men consists in restricting their passions and inclinations and
subjecting them to reason. Therefore the holy text says of this valiant
Woman, that She both girds her loins and strengthens her arm. Our Queen was
subject to no passions or disorderly inclinations, which She would have to
suppress in her most innocent person; but this did not hinder Her from being
more courageous in restricting Herself than all the children of Adam, whose
interior is thrown into disorder by the consequences of sin. Without having
need thereof her virtues and her love urged Her to practice greater
mortification than the most wicked inclinations could ever have required.
None of those, who were infected by sin and who were bound to satisfy for
it, ever exerted such strength in mortifying their disorderly passions, as
our Princess Mary exerted in governing and mortifying more and more all her
faculties and senses. She chastised her most innocent and virginal body by
incessant penances, watchings, fasts, prostrations in the form of the cross,
as we shall say later on (Part II, 12, 232, 442, 568, 898, 990, 991 ; Part
III, 581); She denied to her senses all rest and indulgence, not because
they were in disorder, but so as continually to perform what was most holy
and acceptable before God, being never weak, never remiss or negligent in
bringing all her works to the full measure and efficacy of grace.
787. "She hath tasted
and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the
night." The Lord is so kind and faithful with creatures, that, when He
commands us to gird ourselves with mortification and penance, (since the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence and must be gained by force (Matth. 12,
12), on account of this violence to our inclinations, He rewards our efforts
with a joy and consolation, that fill our heart with delight. By this joy we
know how good is this exchange of the highest good for those works of
mortification by which we restrain our hankering after temporal pleasure;
for as a prepayment we receive the joys of the Christian truth and in it a
pledge of eternal life. And the more we engage in this kind of commerce, the
more we will gain and the greater will be our esteem for this commerce.
788. If we, who are
subject to sin, experience this truth, how much more intimately did most
holy Mary understand and appreciate it? And if in us, in whom the night of
sin is so dense and persistent, the divine light of grace can be preserved
by means of penance and mortification of our passions, how must this light
have burned in the heart of that most pure Creature? She was not oppressed
by the infection of our gross and corrupted nature; She had not been
scorched by the tinder of disobedience; She was not stung by the reproaches
of a bad conscience, nor by the fear of actual sin; and besides all this She
was enlightened beyond all conception of angels or men: She understood well
and enjoyed this kind of commerce, without extinguishing, in the troubles
and dangers of this life, the light-giving lamp of the Lamb (Apoc. 31, 19).
789. "She hath put out
her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle."
The valiant Woman, who with the exertion and the labor of her hands
increases her virtues and the goods of her family, who girds Herself with
fortitude against her passions, who recognizes the delights of the commerce
of virtue, could well extend and reach out her hand toward great things.
Most holy Mary, did this unhindered by her state and its obligations; for,
elevating Herself above Herself and above all earthly things, She enlarged
her aspirations and extended her operations to what was greatest and
mightiest in the spheres of divine love and knowledge, rising above all
human and angelic natures. And as with her espousal She approached nearer
and nearer to the dignity and state of Mother, She continued to expand her
heart and extend her hand to new works of holiness, until She fitted Herself
to co-operate in the most arduous and sublime work of the divine
Omnipotence, namely the Incarnation of the Word. Of all this I will say more
in the second part, when explaining the preparation of our Queen for this
great mystery (Part II, 1 to 160). And because the mere resolve or
determination to do great things and without their fulfillment is futile and
of no practical consequence, therefore it is said: "And her fingers have
taken hold of the spindle," which means to say, that our Queen really
executed all the great, arduous and difficult works, exactly as She had
intended and proposed in her most well ordered mind. In all things She was
found true, and far from the exaggeration and mere outward show of a woman,
who carries the distaff at her girdle, but does not take hold of the
spindle. Therefore it is added:
790. "She hath opened
her hand to the needy and stretched out her hand to the poor." The prudent
woman and housewife shows great courage in being liberal with the poor,
never yielding to weakness of mind, or cowardly diffidence, lest, on account
of her alms, her family should suffer; for the most powerful means of
increasing all possessions is to part liberally with them for the poor of
Christ, who even in this life knows how to give a hundredfold in return
(Marc. 10, 30). Most holy Mary distributed to the poor and to the temple the
inheritance of her parents, as I said above (761) ; besides this She gave
the labor of her hands to assist in the works of mercy; for without
contributing her personal exertion and labor, She could not have satisfied
her pious and generous love of the poor. It is no wonder, that the
avaricious world of today should feel want and poverty in temporal things,
since men are become so deficient in kindness and pity for the poor: they
use that, which God created for the sustenance of the needy and for the
salvation of the rich, only for satisfying their vanities.
791. Our most kind Queen
and Lady, however, did not extend only her own hands to the poor: She also
drew forth the Almighty hand of the omnipotent God; for as yet He had not
extended the helping hand of his divine Word towards mortals, who did not
merit, or rather, who were making themselves unworthy of such a favor, this
valiant Woman gave Him hands, hands extended and opened for the benefit of
us poor captives afflicted by the misery of sin. Because this neediness and
poverty was the lot of all men, Scripture uses the word "poor" in the
singular; for all the human race was like one poor person, capable of
providing for itself no more than if all men had been only one single poor
person. The hands of our Savior, Christ our Lord, extended for our
Redemption and opened for the distribution of his gifts and merits, were
none other than the very hands of most holy Mary; for He, as her Son, had
them from Her and without Mary the unfortunate race would never have seen
them opened for their relief. They were hers also in many other respects.
792. "She shall not fear
for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed in
double garments." Having lost the Sun of Justice, the warmth of grace and
original justice, our nature was buried under the frozen snow of sin, with
all its power for doing good restricted, impeded and congealed. Thence arise
the difficulties in the performance of holy works, the slowness of our
actions, our inattention and negligence, our instability and numerous other
defects in the practice of virtue; thence it comes, that we find ourselves,
after the commission of sin, deprived of the love of God, without shelter or
covering against temptations. Our heavenly Queen was free from all these
impediments and defects in body and soul; for all her domestics. that is her
interior and exterior faculties, were sheltered from the frost of sin by
double vestments. On the one hand She was protected by original justice; and
the infused virtues, together with the virtues acquired by her own exertions
from the first moment of her activity. On the other hand She was also
protected by the double vestment of the common graces, which She received on
her own account, and those, which She received in an especial manner on
account of her dignity as Mother of God. I will not detain myself in
describing her provident care for her own household; for in other women the
care which they bestow in this matter, may be praiseworthy because it is
necessary; in the house of the Queen of heaven and earth, most holy Mary, it
was not necessary to multiply the garments: not for Her Son, since He
possessed but one; not for Herself, nor for her spouse Joseph, since their
poverty was their greatest adornment and shelter.
793. "She hath made for
herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering." This
metaphor likewise indicates the spiritual adornments of this Woman; it was a
garment variegated and strong, serving completely as a covering and
defending Her from the inclemencies and rigors of the rainstorms; for this
is the purpose, for which strong blankets, raincoats and the like are woven.
The long cloak of virtue and gifts of Mary was impenetrable to the powerful
streams of temptation and assault, which the great red and sanguinary dragon
poured out against Her and which saint John saw in the Apocalypse (Apoc. 1,
15). Greater than the strength of this vestment was the beauty and variety
of her virtues, woven into it and not merely apparent; for they had, so to
say, become a part of her flesh and blood, and of the substance of her
nature from the very moment, in which She obtained her existence in grace
and original justice. In Her were the purple of charity, the white of
chastity and purity, the azure of hope, with all the other variety of gifts
and graces, which clothed Her about entirely and adorned Her in all their
beauty. Also the white and the red, which the Spouse designates as the
special tokens of the humanity and the Divinity of the Son, adorned Her
(Cant. 5, 10); for as She gave to the Word the red of his most holy
Humanity, He in return gave her the splendor of the Divinity, not uniting
both these natures in her. virginal womb, but leaving in his Mother
emanations and rays of the Divinity more excellent than in all the other
creatures together.
794. "Her husband is
honorable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land."
Just as in the olden times judgment was held under the city gates, so at the
portals of eternal life, judgment is pronounced separately over each one;
whereas on the last day we are to expect the general judgment of the whole
world. In the universal judgment saint Joseph, one of the men of the most
holy Mary, will take his seat among the nobility of the kingdom of God; for
he will sit in judgment with the Apostles over the world, enjoying this
privilege as the spouse of the valiant Woman, the Queen of all, and as the
putative father of the supreme Judge. The other Man of this Lady is her Son,
as I have already said (774), and He is acknowledged and recognized as the
supreme Lord and true Judge both in the particular judgment, and in that,
which is to be held over the angels and all men. This supreme power devolves
in part also upon most holy Mary; for it was She, who gave Him the flesh,
with which He redeemed the world.
795. "She made fine
linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Canaanites." In this
solicitous labor of the valiant Woman are pointed out two excellences of our
great Queen. First She made a linen so pure, so spacious and large, that the
eternal Word, although He had to constrain and limit his greatness, could
descend and clothe Himself in it, and She sold it to no one else than the
Lord himself, who gave Her in return his own Son. For there was nothing in
all creation, which was of sufficient price to buy this linen sheet of the
purity and sanctity of Mary, nor could any man merit to be her son, except
the Son of God himself. She also gave, not sold, most graciously, a cincture
to the Canaanite, cursed by his father (Gen. 9, 25); for all those that
participated in the first malediction and were despoiled and subjected to
disorderly appetites and inclinations, could now gird themselves anew by the
cincture which most holy Mary procured for them through her only and
firstborn and only Son and through the law of grace. Thereby being able to
reform themselves and gird themselves with new strength. No excuse remains
for the foreknown and the damned, angels and men, since all of them had the
means to restrain themselves against their disorderly passions, equally with
the predestined. For they can avail themselves of the graces gratuitously
obtained for them by most holy Mary and no payment is required for them.
796. "Strength and
beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day." Another new
adornment and vestment of the valiant Woman are strength and beauty:
strength makes Her invincible in suffering and in operating against the
infernal powers; beauty gives her exterior grace and admirable decorum in
all her actions. On account of these two prerogatives our Queen was amiable
in the eyes of God, and of the angels, and of the world. She was not only
free from all reprehension of sin and defect, but She possessed that double
grace and beauty; which pleased and charmed so much the holy Spirit, when He
said, that She was entirely beautiful and pleasing to Him (Cant. 4, 7). And
where there is no fault to be deplored, there also is no cause of mourning
on the last day, when none of the mortals shall be without such cause except
this our Lady and her most holy Son. All others were tainted with some
defect, for which they must grieve, and on that day the damned will weep for
not having properly wept over their sins before. On that day this valiant
Woman shall be full of delight and joy, returning thanks for her own
incomparable felicity, as also for the execution of the divine justice
against the wicked and rebellious by her most holy Son.
797. "She hath opened
her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue." This great
Excellency of the valiant Woman is not to open her mouth for ought except to
teach the fear of the Lord, or in pursuance of some work of clemency. This
our Queen and Lady fulfilled in the highest perfection. She opened her mouth
as the Mistress of wisdom, when She said to the holy archangel: "Fiat mihi
secundum verbum tuum" (Luke 1, 38) and whenever She spoke, it was as the
most prudent Virgin and as one filled with the knowledge of the Most High,
as a Teacher to all, and as one interceding for the miserable children of
Eve. The law of clemency was always on her lips, as a most kind Mother of
mercy and her intercession and prayer is by itself an inviolable law, on
which our deliverance depends in all our necessities; we are safe, if only
we know how to induce Her to open her mouth and move Her tongue for our
intercession.
798. "She hath looked
well to the path of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle." It is no
small honor for the mother of a family to keep a strict watch over all the
ways of augmenting most unfailingly its property and happiness; but in this
divine prudence none except Mary gave an altogether perfect example to
mortals. She alone knew how to investigate and search all the ways to
justice and to find the straight roads by which with greater security and
speed the Divinity can be reached. She attained to this knowledge so
expeditiously, that She outstripped all mortals and even the cherubim and
seraphim themselves. She recognized and detected good and evil, the height
and the depth of sanctity, the extent of human weakness, the astuteness of
our enemies, the dangers infesting the world and all that is terrestrial. At
the same time She put all her knowledge into practice, never eating her
bread idle, and receiving neither her soul nor divine grace in vain (Psalm
23, 4). And thus She merited what follows.
799. "Her children rose
up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised Her." Great and
glorious things have the true sons of this Woman said of Her in the Church
militant, calling Her most blessed among women; and let not those, that have
not risen up and praised Her, call themselves Her children, nor learned, nor
wise, nor devout. Yet although all the saints of the Church have spoken,
being inspired and moved by her Man and Spouse, Christ and the Holy Ghost,
nevertheless it seems as if He has as yet only kept silence and has not yet
risen to publish the countless and exalted mysteries concerning his most
holy Mother. I was given to understand, that they are so great as to be
reserved for revelation only in the triumphant Church after the last
judgment; for it would not be opportune to manifest them now to this world,
which is unworthy and incapable of understanding such wonders. There Christ
will speak, the Man of Mary, in order to manifest his and her glory, and for
the joy of the saints, the prerogatives and the excellences of that Lady;
there shall we know them in full. Here it is sufficient, that we reverently
recognize them under the veil of faith, and that we live now in the hope of
fully understanding these great blessings in the future life.
800. "Many daughters
have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all." All the souls,
that have come to the attainment of the grace of the Most High, are called
his daughters; and all the merits, gifts and graces, which they gained or
could gain, are true riches; for earthly possessions have unjustly usurped
the name of riches. Great will be the number of the predestined:
He that has enumerated
the stars by their names knows it (Psalm 144, 4). But Mary has gathered more
riches than all who are children of Adam and of Herself; She alone attained
such a position, not only so as to be called their Mother, and they, her
children; but so as to become the Mother of God himself; for in this She far
surpasses all the glory that the entire number of the predestined ever
possessed or will possess. And because, in comparison with these riches and
gifts of interior grace and their corresponding glory the exterior and
apparent outward appearance of women, which is held in so high esteem by
them, is but vanity, Solomon adds and says:
801. "Favour is
deceitful, and beauty is vain; therefore the woman that feareth the Lord,
shall be praised. Give her of the fruits of her hands; and let her works
praise her in the gates." The world falsely esteems as gracious many things,
that are not so, and that have no more of beauty and grace in them than what
they derive from the erroneous judgment of the ignorant; as for example the
outward appearance of virtue in our works; the pleasure excited by sweet and
eloquent words; wit and elegance in our speech or behavior; the benevolence
of superiors, or popularity. All this is deceitful and fallacious, no less
than the beauty of a woman, which vanishes in so short a time. She who fears
God and teaches others to fear Him, merits truly the praise of men and of
the Lord himself. And because God him- self wishes to praise Her, Scripture
says: "Give her of the fruit of her hands :" He proportions his praise also
to the excellence of the deeds publicly known to Her, I and intimates, that
these deeds themselves proclaim Her praise. The praise of men is of small
value to one who degrades herself by her own conduct. Accordingly the Most
High wishes that the deeds of his most holy Mother shall become manifest in
the portals of his holy Church in so far as is possible and opportune, as I
said above; while the greater glory and praise is reserved for Her in the
heavenly Church and will endure through all the ages and ages. Amen.
INSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
802. In this chapter of
holy Scriptures thou hast at thy disposal many points of information for
thy proper guidance; and although thou hast not touched upon all that it
contains, yet I wish, that thou write in thy innermost heart, as well that
which thou hast declared, as also that which thou hast omitted, and I wish
that thou put it into practice. For this purpose it is necessary, that thou
live retired within thyself, forgetful of all the visible and terrestrial
things, most attentive to the divine light, which assists thee and protects
thy sensible faculties with double vestments against the influences of
lukewarmness and coldness on the way of perfection; and it is necessary,
that thou resist the incitements of thy unruly passions. Gird them and
restrict them by the powerful means of the fear of God. Withdrawn from the
deceitful outward appearances, raise thy mind to the contemplation and the
understanding of thy interior condition and of the paths, which the Lord has
shown thee for seeking Him in secret and for finding Him without danger of
error. Having once tasted the intercourse with heavenly things, do not allow
thy negligence to extinguish in thy mind the divine light, that illumines
and enlightens thee in darkness. Eat not thy bread in idleness; but work
without relaxing in solicitude, and then thou shalt eat of the fruit of thy
diligence. Strengthened by the Lord, thou wilt perform works worthy of his
regard and complaisance and thou wilt run after the odor of his ointments
until thou arrive at their eternal possessions. Amen.
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