Chapter 8: Favours granted at the interment of the Saint— Souls released through her intercession— How our Lord gathered a lily— Of fear in the last agony— Purgatory in sickness — Efficacy of prayers for the dead

After the corpse had been interred, while the response Regnum mitndi t was singing, wonderful signs of the beatitude of Gertrude were beheld in heaven, and the very walls and pavement of the monastery seemed to thrill with joy. The Saint appeared, with a troop of virgins of admirable beauty. She held a lily and other flowers in her right hand, and on her left conducted the religious of her community who had already attained eternal beatitude.

f "The kingdom of this world and all its ornaments I have despised for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ." Ant. Com. Vid.

In this glorious triumph they came before the throne of God; and when the words quern vidi were chanted, God the Father bestowed gifts on them ; at the words quern amavi, God the Son bestowed His liberality on them \ and at the In quern credidi, the Holy Spirit granted similar favours. When they sung quern dilexi, St. Ger trude turned towards her heavenly Spouse, and saluted Him with ardent ]ove. As they chanted the response Libera me, Domine, many souls were seen entering heaven with great joy, who had been released through the Masses said that day, and by the merits of the Saint. Amongst others, a lay brother who had been somewhat negligent in spiritual things, but who had been much relieved by the intercession of the Saint.

On the thirtieth day St. Gertrude appeared again to this religious, but with a splendour which far surpassed the visions she had seen before. The reason of this was, that God willed that the merit which she had acquired by His grace in suffering her infirmities and sickness with so much patience, should appear exteriorly, and that the beauty of her soul should shine forth visibly. A book of gold, richly adorned, was seen before the throne of God, in which was written all the instructions she had given to those persons who had been under her guidance while she was on earth • to which was yet to be added all the advancement in virtue which they had attained either by her teaching or example.

At Mass, the religious prayed with great fervour that our Lord would reward her blessed mother for her maternal love and care. Our Lord replied : "I grant your prayer, arid consent that each of you should make a similar petition to Me ; for I have such a good will for this soul, that there is scarcely any gift or grace which I am not disposed to grant her." Then, looking at the Saint lovingly, He said : " You have bestowed your benefits well, since they are re turned to you so gratefully." Gertrude then prostrated before the throne of His glory, to thank Him for the fidelity of those who had been formerly under her guidance, and said : " Eternal, boundless, and unceasing praise be to Thee, my sweetest Lord, for all Thy benefits ; and blessed be the moment in which Thou didst will to prepare and sustain me to receive such rewards. O God of my life, do Thou answer them for me." Our Lord replied : " I will fix the eyes of My mercy upon them." He then made the sign of the cross twice with His most holy hand ; and by this He gave to each member of the community the grace of giving good example, and the grace of having a pure intention of Divine love in their hearts.

Twelve days after the death of St. Gertrude, one of her .spiritual daughters was also called to her eternal reward. Her death added much to the affliction of the religious, for her innocence and purity of heart had made her singu larly beloved. As the favoured religious wept and prayed for her, and thought of how much her sisters had been de prived in losing her good example and her wise counsels, she ventured to exclaim : " Ah, my beloved Lord ! why have You taken her so suddenly from us ? " Our Lord replied • " While you were burying Gertrude, My beloved, I was taking My delight amongst your devoted community, where I had descended to feed upon the lilies ; and as I beheld this lily, which pleased Me exceedingly, I took it in My hand ; and as I held it therein for eleven days be fore breaking it from the stem, it increased marvellously in beauty and in the odour of sanctity ; and then I took it to Myself for My own special delight." He then added : " When any of you reflect on the pleasure you found in her society, and desire to enjoy it again, if you offer this desire to Me, it renews the pleasure I find in the fragrance of this lily, and I will return it a hundred fold."

As the religious, like a faithful and loving sister, offered the Host at the Elevation for her soul, with all the fidelity of the Heart of Jesus, she saw her elevated to a higher and yet more sublime degree of glory, where her garments shone marvellously, and she was honoured by blessed spirits. And this she beheld whenever she made this offering for her.

Then, as she inquired of our Divine Lord why the sister had appeared in great fear and alarm during her agony, she received this reply : "It was for her good, and an effect of My mercy. For during her sickness she de sired very much to be assisted by your prayers, so that she might be admitted into heaven immediately. I pro mised you this favour, which she believed she would obtain from Me. I was pleased with her confidence, and determined to do her yet more good than I had before purposed. But as young persons seldom purify themselves from slight negligences — such as seeking too much amuse ment, and taking pleasure in what is useless — and us it was necessary that she should be purified from these little stains by the inconveniences and pains of sickness, before I could bring her to heaven, I could not bear that, after having endured all with so much resignation and patience, she should still be unable to enjoy this blessedness. I therefore permitted her to be further tried by fear, caused by the sight of evil spirits ; and thus she became perfectly purified, and merited eternal glory." " But where wert Thou, then, 0 Lord ? " inquired the religious. Our Lord replied : " I was hidden on her left side ; and as soon as she was sufficiently purified, I showed Myself to her, and took her with Me to eternal rest and glory."