Chapter 3: 'fl;e Saint obtains favourable weatlier — Miracles mentioned in her Office— Union of her will with God's — Counsels others — Desired to write her revelations — Her sanctity revealed to St. Mechtilde,

That one so united to God should have been specially favoured with the gift of miracles, is but what we might expect in the ordinary course of spiritual life. Those who give themselves up without reserve to God, receive His gifts also without reserve. They do His will, and He accom plishes theirs : for the will of the Bridegroom and the bride is one. The Saint once obtained the cessation of a frost, which was so severe, that had it continued longer the fruits of the earth would have been utterly destroyed. Her petition was offered at the Holy Sacrifice ; and as she was about to approach the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, Dur Lord assured her that He had granted her request. With holy boldness, however, she asked that the hail jehich was then falling might instantly cease. Her petition vas granted; but as she was absorbed in the greatness of the action she was about to perform, she thought no more of her request. It was only remembered as she left the church, and saw the thaw which had already commenced. Those who knew not of the prayer of the Saint were greatly amazed at the sudden change of weather, and feared it was but a passing cessation of the dreaded severity ; but it was not so : the country was spared desolation arid famine, though few knew to whom they were indebted for this favour.

Once also, when long and heavy rain threatened to de stroy the harvest, all the sisters were constantly offering prayers and penances to avert the calamity. Gertrude at last, with the holy confidence of extraordinary sanctity, de clared that she would not cease praying until she obtained fine weather. Immediately the sky became serene and fair, though a few moments before dark and heavy clouds had threatened a long continuance of rain.

" One evening, after supper," says her biographer, " when the community went into the court to finish some work,

As the Benedictine Breviary differs in many details from the Roman, a brief explanation of its arrangement may be necessary, as it will be so frequently referred to in this work. Matins commence, as usual, with the Pater noster, Deus in adjutnrium, &c. ; then the Domine labia is repeated three times. The Psalm Domine quid multiplicati aunt (Ps. iii.) is recited before the Venite. There are usually twelve Lessons. These arrangements are expressly provided for in the llule of St. Benedict, ch. viii. to xviii.

the sun, which was still above the horizon, was suddenly covered with clouds, which threatened to fall in heavy rain. Gertrude sighed deeply, — and I myself heard her,— speak ing thus to God : ' O Lord my God, Creator of the uni verse, I do not pretend to constrain You to obey my sinful will ; on the contrary, if Your infinite mercy wills not to oppose the degrees of Your justice, and prevent this rain, except for my sake, I would rather that Your will, which I adore, should be accomplished, and that it should rain, if You have willed it thus.' She said these things with a perfect resignation to the will of God, having her mind occupied solely with the consideration of Divine Provi dence, whose orders she desired to see executed. But, behold a marvel ! she had scarcely finished these words, when a clap of thunder was heard, and large drops of rain began to fall rapidly. She, quite overcome, and touched with compassion for the sisters, exclaimed again, ' Have pity on us, O God of clemency, at least for a brief space, until we have finished the work which we have been commanded to do.' God, to show that He refused nothing to her prayers, caused the rain to cease until all was finished." The community then returned to their enclosure ; but they had scarcely reached the door, when there came on so violent a storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, that those who remained in the court were perfectly deluged with it. " It is thus," continues the chronicler, " that God obeys the prayers of His elect, who have entirely renounced their own desires for love of Him."

It was the Saint's ordinary custom to have recourse to her heavenly Spouse in every trial, whether of less or greater import ; and her prayers were equally accepted on all such occasions. What, indeed, is little in His sight, who so cares for His elect, th;it the very hairs of their ho;ul are numbered, and not one can fall without His knowledge ? Thus it is related of Gertrude, that even when she had lost a needle with which she had been working, and had sought it for some time in tbe straw where it had fallen, she turned to her Lord, for whose glory it had been used, and asked Him to help her in her search ; even as she spoke, she put her hand once more into the straw, and found instantly what she had so long looked for in vain. Indeed, so great was the power of the Saint over the Heart of her Spouse, that it appeared as if our Divine Lord Himself was pained to refuse her any request. It happened on one occasion, that a long continuance of drought, combined with tem pestuous weather, caused serious fears for the fruits of the earth. St. Gertrude, as usual, had recourse to prayer. It was not the will of God to grant her petition ; but with amazing condescension, He vouchsafed not only to inform her of His designs, but even, as it would appear, to excuse Himself to her for not complying with her request.

" The reason which obliges Me sometimes to grant the prayers of My elect does not exist between you and Me ; since our wills are so closely united by the sacred tie of grace, that you desire nothing but what I Myself desire. But because I design by the terrors of this tempest to conquer some who rebel against My will, and at least to oblige them to seek Me by prayer, since they only come to Me when they have no other resource, it is necessary that I should refuse you what you desire. Nevertheless, that you may know that your prayers have not failed in their effect, I will grant you in return some other spiritual favour." What a revelation of the tenderness of the Father and the sanctity of the child ! Alas ! then, are there those to whom our de.ir Lord is obliged to grant the favours they ask because they cannot bear to be refused, — because, to prevent their murmurs, He gives that which, had they more faith, would be refused ! and, alas ! is it not too true that thousands seek Him only when all else has failed, and must be driven into the Arms which all day long are opened to welcome them with such ineffable tenderness !

As Gertrude was frequently consulted on all subjects, not only by those who had the happiness of living under her immediate guidance, but also by hundreds who came from afar, attracted by the fame of her sanctity, it happened more than once that she was seized with holy fear lest her words and her counsel should rather hinder than advance those who had recourse to her. As she prayed for light on this important subject, our Lord replied : " Fear nothing from henceforward ; be consoled, take courage, and be at rest. I am the Lord thy God ; I am thy Beloved, who has created thee by a pure effect of My love ; I have chosen thee to make thee My abode by My grace, and to take My delight in thee ; therefore, I will reply truly by thee to those who seek Me through thee with fervour and humility. I promise you also, that I will never permit any one whom I consider unworthy of receiving My Body and Blood to ask your advice on that matter. Therefore, send forward the scrupulous and timorous in the greatest security, because, for your sake, I will exclude none of them from My paternal affection ; but I will rather embrace them in the tenderest charity, and refuse them not My sweetest kiss of peace."

Once, as she prayed for a certain person, and felt ashamed that this person had not greater faith in obtaining even more than she had asked, our Lord said to her, with great kindness : " Whatever any person hopes to obtain through your intercession, they shall certainly receive from Me;

and further, whatever you shall promise to any one in My name shall certainly be done for them ; for though the suppliant, through human infirmity, may not perceive what I have done, I will nevertheless fulfil My promise, and produce the desired effect in his soul.5'

After some days, as the Saint reflected in amazement how such great promises could be made to one so unworthy, and inquired of her Spouse how He could bestow His graces on so vile a creature, He replied to her : " Does not the Universal Church allow that I formerly said to Peter alone, ' Whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven ' (Matt, xvi.) ; and at the same time believe that the ministers of the Church exercise the same power now 1 Why, then, do you not believe that I can and will carry out whatever Divine love prompts Me to promise you 1 " He then touched her tongue, and said : " Behold, I have given My words in your mouth " (Jer. i. 9) ; " and I truly confirm whatever you may say to others at My suggestion and in My name : to whomsoever you shall promise any thing through My goodness upon earth, I will make it sure, and ratify it in heaven." To these marvellous promises the Saint replied : " Lord, I would grieve were any one thus to incur eternal loss, as they would were I to say no crime would escape unpunished, or anything of that kind." He replied : " Whenever the love of justice or of souls shall prompt you so to speak, My clemency will previously admonish the sinner you thus address to repent of his sins, so that he may not deserve vengeance or punishment by making light of your instructions."* The Saint answered : " If it be really true, my God, that Thou, in Thy goodness, dost thus speak through me, how is it that my words have so little effect on some persons, notwithstanding the ardent desire I have to lead them to glorify Thee and to save themselves ? " Our Lord replied : " Marvel not if your words are sometimes fruitless, and produce no effect, since, when I dwelt among men, My own words, though uttered with the fervour and power of the Godhead, produced not the fruit of salvation in the hearts of all. It is through My Divine Providence that all things are arranged and perfected in the fitting time, as appointed by Me."

Soon after, having occasion to reprove a person for a fault, she feared she had acted indiscreetly, and with too much severity. She turned immediately to her Spouse, and implored Him that she might never say anything to any one that would not be according to His heart. "Fear nothing, My daughter," replied our Saviour, "but rather be filled with a holy confidence ; for I will give you this special grace, that when any one shall have recourse to you with faith and humility, in order to consult you on any subject whatsoever, the light of My truth shall discover to you the most hidden obscurities in the matter, and you will judge of them as truly as I Myself, according to the matter in hand, and the circumstances of the persons. You. will reprehend severely, from Me, those whose conduct I make known to you to have been guilty ; and, on the contrary, you will be sweet and affable to those whose faults have been less serious." " King of heaven and earth," she exclaimed, " withhold the torrent of Thy mercies, for a fragment of dust and ashes such as I am is unworthy to receive such great favours." "Why be so amazed, My daughter," replied our Lord, sweetly soothing her, " if I make you a judge of the causes of My enmities, when I have so often communicated to you the secrets of My friendship ? " Then He added these words : "All those who, when overcome with sadness, and having their hearts oppressed with any affliction, go with deep humility and true sincerity to obtain counsel and consolation from you, shall never be dis appointed ; for I the Lord, dwelling in thee, on the impulse of the exuberance of My love, desire to make you the medium of saving many; and it is certain that all the joy which your heart will experience in this is drawn from the fruitful source of My heart."

St. Mechtilde once beheld the heart of this Saint form ing, as it were, a firm and stable bridge, the sides of which appeared to her to be bordered, the one with the Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the other with His holy Humanity, as with two walls. After beholding this, she heard these words : " Those who come to Me by this bridge need have no apprehension of wandering or of falling ; that is to say, all those who receive her counsels, and execute them faith fully, shall never wander from the right path, which leads to the life of a blessed eternity."

When our Divine Lord revealed to the Saint that it was His will she should commit her revelations to writing, her humility was exceedingly amazed. But her heavenly Spouse thus instructed and consoled her : " For what pur pose has it been committed to writing that I visited St. Catherine in her prison, and encouraged her by these words : ' Be firm and immovable, My daughter, for I am with you ' 1 What purpose does it serve that it should be known how I visited John, My favourite, and said to him, 'Come to Me, my beloved'? What purpose does it serve that these and many other things concerning them and others of My Saints are known, unless it be to enkindle the zeal of those who read and hear them, and to manifest to all men the greatness of My love ? In this manner," added the Saviour, " the desire of obtaining the same favours aa those which they shall see you have obtained from Me will produce devotion in the hearts of those who, considering the effusion of My grace and the excess of My mercy, shall endeavour to change their present life for one more per fect."

On another occasion, as the Saint marvelled why God urged her so strongly to make known her revelations, since He knew that the majority of mankind are so weak and unspiritual, that, far from finding in them any example for their edification, they would more probably find a sub ject of contempt and raillery, she heard the Lord saying to her : " I have so planted My grace in you, that I expect it will bear Me immense fruit ; therefore it is My desire that all those who receive similar favours, and who despise them by their negligence, shall learn from you on what conditions I have given them these gifts, in order that My grace may be increased in them in proportion as their gratitude in creases. But should there be any sufficiently malicious to defame the sanctity of these works, the penalty of their sin shall fall on themselves, and you will not be accountable for it. For the Prophet Ezechiel has said from Me : ' I will lay a stumbling-block before him ' (Ez. iii.) ; that is to say, I dispose, permit, and even command many things for the salvation of My elect, although they are a subject of scandal to the reprobate."

From these words St. Gertrude understood that God often inspired His elect to do what was occasion of scandal to others, though not with the design of giving them scan dal ; and that we should never abstain from performing any good work in order to maintain a false peace with such per sons : a lesson, indeed, worth treasuring and observing at every period of the Church's history ; for what has the Church or the world ever gained by unholy compliances, by timid concealment of miraculous favours, or by the false shame of those who, through human respect, fear openly to confess their belief in supernatural occurrences, the truth of which they dare not altogether deny 1 If the world is scandalised, let it be scandalised, since even the Eternal Truth Himself was not spared its censures.