Chapter 9: For the Feast of the Purification

ON the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, as the Saint rejoiced in spirit at the first sound of the bell for Matins, and said to our Lord, " My heart and my soul salute Thee, 0 loving Saviour, at the sound of the bell which announces the Feast of the Purification of Thy most holy Mother," He replied condescendingly : " And the bowels of My pity knock at the gates of Divine Mercy for you, to obtain the full remission of all your sins." As the bell for Matins ceased to ring, our Lord wished to recom pense her salutation a thousandfold, and said to her : "0 joy of My Heart, My Divinity salutes thee ; and I

HOW CHKIST UNITES OUJi WORKS TO HIS. 335 send you all the merits of My holy Humanity, to enable you to pass this festival in a manner pleasing to Me."

Some months after, as she desired to hear what was chanted in choir, and grieved for the infirmity which de tained her in bed, she said complainingly : " O Lord, if distance did not prevent me from hearing, how my heart would rejoice for each word chanted at Matins ! " But our Lord answered : "My spouse, if you know not what is chanted in choir, turn to Me, and contemplate attentively what passes within Me, and you will not fail to find what will satisfy you." Then she knew in spirit that the Lord took unto Himself all the good that holy souls were doing in the Church, and that, having purified and perfected it in Himself, He offered it in eternal praise to the Most Holy Trinity ; and that, drawing into His Divine Heart the good works which were done for the glory of God, He en nobled and perfected them ; and she perceived that, while the works united to the members of Jesus Christ operated in the soul a good of inestimable value, those which He drew into His Heart surpassed the others in perfection and excellence, even as a living man exceeds in dignity one who is dead.

After this, as she heard the second Response, arid grieved that she had not heard the first, which was Adorna thalamum, she said to our Lord : " Teach me, I implore Thee, my Beloved, how I can adorn the couch of my heart, so that it may please Thee." Our Lord replied : " Open your heart to Me, and let Me see therein the images which you know to be most pleasing to Me." From this the Saint understood that our Lord is exceedingly pleased when we open our hearts by remembering His sufferings, and thanking Him for His benefits. As they sang Post parturn virgo, at the second ISTocturn, at the words Intercede pro nobis, St. Gertrude saw the Blessed Virgin wiping away all stains from the religious of the convent ; and hiding them in a corner, she placed herself before them, so as to conceal them from the eyes of Divine justice. During the Antiphon Beata mater, at the word Intercede she saw the Blessed Virgin, elevated and radiant with glory, offer ing to her Son, who is the King of kings, after a gentle embrace, all the devotions of the sisters, in union with her own.

But as Gertrude still complained of the obstacles which were caused by her infirmities, our Lord said to her : "If Simeon and Anna — I mean the effects of your infirmity — still hinder you from attending the Divine Office, come forth with Me on Mount Calvary, where you will find a young man full of beauty arid affection to place you upon a cross."

She therefore followed Him tht 'e in spirit, and the memory of the Passion caused a marvellous deligkf. in her soul. Then she went forth by a gate on the northeui side, and entered into a magnificent temple, where she beheld the blessed old man Simeon standing near the altar, and uttering these words as he prayed : " When will He come ? when shall I behold Him ? shall I live until He comes ? " And as he repeated the same and similar words, he felt his soul thrill within him, and turning round suddenly, he beheld the Blessed Virgin before the altar, holding in her arms the Infant Jesus, the most beautiful of the children of men. As soon as he beheld Him, he was enlightened by the Holy Ghost, and recognised the Redeemer of the world ;

" After childbirth thou didst remain a virgin. Intercede for us, O Mother of God ; " v. Ant. ii. Nocturn. Bcata mate)' is the Anti phon at Magnificat in the Little Office B. V.M.

VISION OF THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. 33?

and then taking Him into his arms with great joy, he ex claimed : Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine ; at the words quiet viderunt oculi mei, he kissed Him lovingly ; and at the words quod parasti, he lifted Him before the Ark, to offer Him to God the Father as the salvation of His people. The Ark then became brilliant with light, and the image of the Infant Jesus appeared therein resplendent with beauty, which signified that He was the consummation of all the sacrifices of the old and new covenants. Then Simeon exclaimed, in the fervour of his love : Lumen ad revelationem gentium, and returned the Child to His Mother, saying : Et tuum ipsius animam pertransibit gladius. Then the Blessed Virgin offered two young doves for her Divine Son, which indicated the innocent lives of the faithful, who, like doves, reply in sweet murmurs to all evil, and collect pure grain — that is, endeavour to follow the example of the Saints ; and those who act thus redeem the Lord Jesus, when they fill up and accomplish what our Lord has left for them to do.

At the eighth Response, Ora pro nob is, &c., the Queen of Virgins knelt before God as the mediatrix between Him and the religious, praying for each individually ; but her Divine Son raised her up respectfully, and placed her near Him on the throne of His glory, granting her full autho rity to command what she would. Then she desired the choir of Powers to surround the convent, and to defend it mightily against the wiles of the ancient enemy. The angels immediately obeyed the orders of the Queen of Heaven, and, joining their shields together, encompassed the convent on all sides.

Then St. Gertrude, said to the Blessed Virgin: "0 Mother of Mercy, will not those who have not assisted in choir have a share in this mighty defence ? " The holy

Virgin replied : " They will share in it, and so will all those who, here or elsewhere, preserve the true spirit of religion ; but if any fail in religious observance, and are not earnestly seeking to attain perfection, they will not merit to be under the protection of the angels." To this our Lord added : " Let those who desire to live under so powerful a protec tion make shields for themselves in this manner : narrow below — that is, towards themselves — by humility, and large above — that is, towards Me — by a full and perfect confi dence in My goodness."

When the Versicle Ora pro nobis was sung at the pro cession, the Blessed Virgin appeared to place her Son gently upon the altar, and then, prostrating devoutly before Him, she interceded for all the congregation ; and this royal Child inclined towards her, to signify that He not only heard her prayers, but that He would also accomplish all that His beloved Mother desired.