Chapter 1: With what devotion we ought to prepare ourselves for festivals- Advantages of recommending ourselves to the prayers of others —Our enjoyment of God corresponds to our desires and our capacity to receive it

A S the Saint was watching during the greater part of **• the night which preceded the Vigil of Christmas, before Matins, and had occupied herself entirely in medi tating on the Response De ilia occulta in which she took great pleasure, she was suddenly ravished in spirit, and in her rapture she beheld Jesus Christ reposing sweetly and peacefully in the bosom of His Father; and the desires which were addressed to Him by those who wished to spend this feast with great devotion appeared under the figure of a certain vapour. Then this beautiful and gentle Jesus sent forth from His Divine Heart a light which spread itself over this vapour, which showed them the way in which they should come to Him. As each approached to God, she perceived that those who had recommended themselves humbly to the prayers of others were led by the hand by persons who surrounded them, and thus they went direct to God in the splendour of this light, which came forth from His Heart ; whereas those who had con fided merely in their own efforts and prayers wandered from this path, but arrived at last at the term by a light which came to them from God.

As the Saint desired to know with what special grace it had pleased God to communicate Himself to each of her sisters, she immediately beheld them all reposing in the bosom of the Son of God, where each was filled with joy according to her capacity and desires. She observed that none hindered the other, but that each enjoyed God as fully as if He had given Himself to each individually; that some embraced Him lovingly, as a Child about to be born for us : that others regarded Him as a faithful Friend, to whom they could therefore disclose every secret of their hearts ; while others, pouring forth the whole joy of their souls, caressed Him as a Spouse chosen amongst a thou sand, and more beloved than all, — so that each found in Him, in a most pure and holy manner, the accomplishment of her individual desires.

Then the Saint came forward, according to her usual custom, and cast herself at the feet of her Lord, saying to Him : " 0 most loving Lord ! what should my dispositions be, and what devotion can I offer to Thy most blessed Mother at this Divine birth, since my bodily infirmity prevents Me even from reciting the Hours to which my profession obliges me ? " It appeared to her then that our Lord, moved by compassion for her poverty, gathered toge ther all that she had said for the glory of God or the good of souls during the Advent, and offered it lovingly to His sweetest Mother, who was seated in glory at His side j and to this He joined all the fruits which her words might have produced, even to the end of ages, to supply for any negli gence which she might have committed in her service. The Mother of God, having received this offering, appeared as if adorned by it; and Gertrude approached her, be seeching her to intercede for her with her Son. Then the Blessed Virgin turned towards Him with a loving coun tenance, and, after embracing Him, addressed Him thus : " My beloved Son, I beseech Thee to join Thy affection to mine, and to grant to the prayers of this soul, who loves Thee with so much fervour, all she asks of Thee." Then the Saint addressed our Lord thus : " O Sweetness of my soul ! 0 Jesus, most loving and most desirable ! 0 dearest of all who are dear ! " After having said these and many similar words, she exclaimed : " What fruit can there be in these words, uttered by one so vile ? " Our Lord replied : " What does it matter what kind of wood is used to stir up perfumes and vases of incense, since, whatever they are stirred with, they always emit the same odour? Thus, when any one says to Me, ' My sweetest Lord,' tkc., what does it matter if they think themselves utterly vile, since My goodness, like a perfume stirred up, exhales an odour in which I take extreme pleasure, and which gives to those who move it by their words a sweetness which is to them a foretaste of eternal life ? "