Chapter 14: The different effects of charity are explained by the comparison o! a tree covered with leaves, flowers, and fruit

ON the following day, as the Saint heard Mass, she was overcome by weariness ; but the sound of the bell aroused her, and she beheld Jesus Christ, her Lord and King, hold ing a tree in His hand, which appeared to have been jnst cut from the root, but which was covered with the most beau tiful fruit, and whose leaves shone like so many stars, shooting forth rays of admirable brightness ; and having given of these fruits to the Saints who composed His celestial court, they found a marvellous sweetness therein. Soon after, our Lord planted this tree in the garden of her heart, that she might make it more fruitful by cul tivation, that she might repose under it and be refreshed there. Having received this deposit, she began to pray for a person who had persecuted her a short time before, asking, to increase its fruitfulness, that she might suffer again what she had already suffered, to draw down more abundant grace on this person. At this moment she be held a flower, of a most beautiful colour, burst forth on the top of the tree, which promised to change into fruit if she executed her good intention. This tree was the symbol of charity, which bears not only the abundant fruit of good works, but also the flowers of good-will, and the bright leaves of holy desires. Therefore, the citizens of heaven rejoice greatly when men condescend towards their brethren, and endeavour with all their power to solace them in their needs. At the moment of the elevation of the Host, our Lord adorned the Saint with the various graces which He had communicated to her on the preceding day.

On the same day, at noon, our Lord appeared to her under the form of a beautiful youth, and asked her td gather nuts for Him from the tree before mentioned ; and for this purpose He raised the tree up, that she might place herself in the branches. " Bat, my sweet Lord," * she replied, " why do You ask me to do that which is far beyond the weakness of my virtue and my sex, and which Thy condescension would rather incline Thee to do for me 1 " " By no means," He replied ; " should not the spouse act more freely in her own house, amongst her friends and domestics, than a respectful bridegroom who only enters occasionally to pay her a visit ? But if she grant any thing to the timidity of her bridegroom while he ia with her, he will not fail to have the same consideration for her when she visits him." By this she understood what un reasonable excuses persons make when they say : " If God wills me to do this or that, He will give me the grace necessary to do it ; " whereas it is only just that men should bend their wills entirely to God's, and never seek their own convenience on any occasion, and then they will enjoy here after an eternal recompense.

As Gertrude now desired to present her Divine Spouse with the nuts for which He had asked, He ascended the tree, and seated Himself near her, commanding her to peel them, and prepare them for eating ; teaching her by this parable, that it is not sufficient for us to overcome our aversion to do good to our enemies, if we do not also seek to do so in a perfect manner. He thus deigned to teach her, by ordering her to pull and prepare those nuts, that we should do good to our persecutors ; and it is for this reason that nuts, whose shell is hard and bitter, were mingled with the soft and delicious fruit of this tree, in order that we might understand that charity towards our enemies should be seasoned with the sweetness of Divine grace, which makes men ready to endure death itself for Jesus Christ.