Chapter 7: How the souls of G. and B. were purified for neglecting confession, and for taking pleasure in earthly things

As Scripture testifies that " By what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is punished" (Wis. iL 17), and, on the contrary, that he will be rewarded in the things in which he has suffered or done good, we give the following examples for the benefit of our readers.

We had two persons with us, who were both ill at the same time ; one evidently suffered from a severe affection of the chest, and hence she was attended more carefully. The other, whose disease wras not known, and who seemed more likely to live, did not receive so much care ; but, as men are often deceived, the one for whom we feared the least, died the first, and the other survived a month longer. When the former approached her end, she had been strengthened in grace by great patience and devotion, which had purified her soul exceedingly ; for the ardent love which our Lord had for His spouse would not suffer Him to permit the least stain to remain on her. Nevertheless, she still needed some purification for having too easily omitted confession ; for sometimes when the priest came to her, she feigned to be sleeping, not having any grave fault to accuse herself of. As the hour approached when she was to be received to the eternal embraces of her Spouse, He puri fied her from this stain. For when she asked for a con fessor, she lost the power of speech when he came, and then she feared exceedingly that she would suffer for her former negligence after death, and so was purified from her fault by this excessive fear.

Thus being entirely purified and freed from every stain, she was released from the prison of the flesh, and received into eternal glory. Many revelations concerning this were made to Gertrude.

One of these was, that when she was brought to our Lord's throne of glory, He conferred this privilege on her, of seeming to soothe her, as a mother would a child when she wished her to take some bitter medicine ; and He did this to console her for some little inattention which had been shown her. in consequence of the religious being so much occupied in attending to her companion, whom they believed to be dangerously ill.

Our Lord then said to her : " Tell Me, My daughter, what you would wish Me to do for the soul of your com panion ; and what consolation you desire Me to give her." She replied : " Give her the same gifts Thou hast bestowed on me, my dearest Lord ; for I cannot imagine any more consoling." And our Lord promised to comply with her request.

The other religious died a month later. The day after her death she was seen marvellously adorned, as a reward for the exceeding innocence and simplicity of her life, and her exactness in observing all the austerities of her Order ; but she had one stain from which she needed purification, and this was having received unnecessary consolations in her illness. She was purified in this manner : She stood at the gate of a palace, where our Lord was seated on a throne of glory, with a countenance so full of sweetness and love, that no human intellect could describe His beauty. He appeared anxious to receive His spouse ; but when she attempted to approach, she found herself withheld by nails, which fastened her garments to the ground ; and these nails were the imperfections she had committed in her sickness. But Gertrude, who was touched with com-

2K passion, prayed for her, and our Lord freed her from this impediment. Then the Saint said to our Lord : " Why was this soul freed by my prayers, and not restored by the prayers of those who loved her so much, and who prayed ;or her with such fervour and affection ? " He replied : '* Their prayers have been of great service to her ; but they did not remove the impediment which I have revealed to you, and from which she has been released by your prayers." She continued : " How hast Thou fulfilled Thy promise to treat this person with the same goodness as Thou didst manifest to her who died first ? for she has lived longer in religion, and seemed to abound more in virtue, and yet the other appeared at once in Thy presence, and in greater glory." He answered : " My justice is immutable, for I reward each according to her works. She who has laboured least, cannot receive more than she who has laboured most, unless she has worked with a purer intention, a more fervent charity, or a more earnest strife ; but My mercy rewards works of supererogation, such as the prayers of the faithful ; and thus My re wards are not always proportioned to the person's actual merit."

Hence we may learn how carefully we should avoid taking pleasure in anything earthly, since this blessed soul was thus detained from happiness for this imper fection. This was even more fully manifested to St. Ger trude in another vision, in which she saw her before the throne of God, manifesting the same ardour as she had done at the gate ; not indeed desiring to approach, but appear ing as if unable to move — and this was the second obstacle to her happiness ; and even when she was freed from this her happiness was not perfectly complete, until our Lord placed a magnificent crown on her head, which He aeld in His hand, and which she received with exceeding joy.

As St. Gertrude beheld this, she said to our Lord : " Why has this soul been tormented so painfully, where Thou art all-powerful ? " He replied : " She has not been tormented, but has waited with joy for the consummation of her happiness : even as a young girl would wait for a festival on which she was to be adorned with the orna ments which her mother had prepared for her."

After this, the soul thanked the Saint for the prayers which she had offered for her ; and Gertrude said to her : " Why did you not receive willingly some admonition which I gave you during your sickness, although you always seemed so much attached to me ? " The soul replied : " It is for this reason that your prayers have now more power with God, since they are offered more purely out of charity."