Chapter 35: Of the bundle of myrrh, and how we should practise patience in adversity, according to the example of Christ

One night a crucifix, which the Saint had near her bed, seemed to bow down towards her, and she exclaimed : " O my sweet Jesus ! why dost Thou thus abase Thyself 1 " He replied : " The love of My Divine Heart attracts Me to you." Then she took the image and placed it on her heart, car essing it tenderly, and saying : " A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me " (Cant, i.) ; to which our Lord replied, interrupting her : " I will carry Him in my bosom ; " making her to understand by this that we ought to hide in His adorable Passion all the pains we suffer, whether of body or mind, as we would place a prop * in a bundle of sticks. Thus those who are tempted to impatience by ad versity should recall to mind the adorable patience of the Son of God, who was led like a meek lamb to the slaughter for our salvation, and never opened His mouth to utter the least word of impatience. And when any one is disposed to revenge the ill that has been done to him, either in word or deed, he should endeavour to recall to himself with what peace of heart his beloved Jesus suffered, not render ing evil for evil, nor testifying the least resentment by His words, but, on the contrary, rewarding those who made Him suffer by redeeming them by His sufferings and His death : and thus let us endeavour, according to the ex ample of our Lord, to do good for evil So also, if any one entertains a mortal hatred towards those who have offended him, he ought to remember the exceeding sweetness with

•"Sudem.' winch the Son of God prayed for His executioners, even when enduring the very torments of His Passion, and in the agony of death praying for His crucifiers with these words : " Father, forgive them," &c. (Luke xxiii.); and, in union with this love, let us pray for our enemies. Our Lord then said : " Whosoever hides his sufferings and adversities in the bouquet of My Passion, and joins them on to such of My sufferings as they seem most to resemble, he truly reposes in My bosom, and I will give him, to augment his merits, all that My singular charity has merited by My patience and by My other virtues."

The Saint inquired : " How, 0 Lord, do You receive the special devotion which some have for the image of Your cross ? " Our Lord replied : " It is very acceptable to Me ; nevertheless, when those who have a special devotion to these representations of My cross fail to imitate the example of My Passion, their conduct is like that of a mother who, to gratify herself and for her own honour, adorns her daughter with different ornaments, but refuses her harshly what she most desires to have. While this mother de prives her child of what she wishes for, the child cares little for all else that is given to her, because she knows it is done through pride, and not from affection. So all the testimonies of love, respect, and reverence which are offered to the image of My cross will not be perfectly acceptable V) Me unless the examples of My Passion are also imitated."