Chapter 18: For the Fourth Sunday of Lent

The Saint is instructed how to atone for the sins of the Chureh.

ON Lcetare Sunday, as the Saint sought for some instruction from our Lord how to spend this week, He replied to her : " Bring those persons to Me whose souls you prepared seven days since, through the virtue of My Life ; for they must eat at My table." She replied : " How can I do this ? For myself, however unworthy I am, I will venture to say, that if I could bring to Thee all the children of men, in whom Thou dost take delight, I would willingly traverse the whole earth with bare feet from this moment until the day of judgment, and carry them in my arms to Thee, to correspond, in some manner, with Thy infinite love. And were it possible for me to do so, I would divide my heart into as many portions as there are men living in the world, to impart to each a share in the good-will which is most pleasing to Thy Divine Heart." Our Lord replied : " Your good-will suffices and satisfies Me perfectly." Then she beheld the whole Church marvellously adorned and pre sented to the Lord, who said to her : " You shall serve all this multitude to-day."

Then St. Gertrude cast herself at the feet of her Spouse, being divinely inspired, and kissed the Wound of His Left Foot, in satisfaction for all the sins which had ever been committed in the Church, by thought, will, or desire ; be- seeching our Lord to give her for this purpose the perfect satisfaction which He had made by washing away the sins of all men. Our Lord then imparted this grace to her under the form of bread, which she immediately offered Him with thanksgiving, and which He received with great condescen sion, and, raising His eyes to His Eternal Father, blessed it, and gave it to her to distribute to His Church. Then she kissed the Right Foot of our Lord, in satisfaction for the omissions of the faithful in good thoughts and desires, and in good-will ; beseeching our Lord to impart to them a share in that perfect satisfaction which He had made for the debts of all men. Then she kissed the Wound of the Left Hand, in satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, whether committed byword or deed ; beseeching our Lord to grant the merits of His words and actions for this intention. She then kissed the Wound of the Right Hand, in satisfac tion for the omissions of good words and works ; beseech ing our Lord to impart the plenitude and perfection of His action to supply what was deficient in His Church.

At each of these offerings she received bread, and returned each portion to our Lord, who blessed it, and gave it to her to distribute to the Church. Then she approached the loving Wound of the Side of Jesus, and embracing it with her whole heart, besought Him to supply to His Spouse the Church what was wanting to her perfection and merits, even after He had so perfectly expiated her sins, and so fully supplied for her defects ; so that His Divine Life — which is agreeable in the sight of God the Father, and shines with such surpassing brightness — might become her crown and everlasting beatitude. Then the Saint rejoiced for the grace which God had given her, and distributed these loaves as one would a dessert after a meal, and said to our Lord ; " Ah, Lord! what wilt Thou give me for Thy

Spouse the Church, instead of the fish which are mentioned in to-day's Gospel ? " * Our Lord replied : " I will give you all My most perfect actions to distribute to those who have neglected to serve Me as much as they oughc to have done, and all the most noble actions of My soul to atone for their coldness and want of fervour in praising Me for the benefits which they have received from Me."

By the loaves which our Lord presented to the Saint she understood that whenever any one performs a good action for God — even should it be only to say a Pater nosier or Ave Maria, or any other prayer for the Church — that the Son of God receives it as if it were the fruit of His holy Humanity, and offers it to God His Father, blessing it and multiplying it by this benediction, so that it may be dis tributed for the good and advancement of the whole Church.

This devotion may be performed by any one who says five Pater nosters in honour of our Lord's Five Wounds, kissing them in spirit, and praying for all sinners who are in the bosom of the Church, to obtain the remission of their sins and negligences, if they hope firmly to receive this grace from the Divine goodness.