Chapter 8: Of Sister G. 's happy preparation for death — Her fervent desires and her glory

Another religious died with us who, from her childhood, had shown the most entire aversion to the world and all its attractions. When her agony came, she bade farewell to all who were round her with great affection, and promised to pray for them when she had attained eternal blessedness, and the inexhaustible Source of all good. In the agonies of her last moments, she said to God : " Lord, Thou knowest the secrets of my heart, and how 1 have desired to perse vere in Thy service, even to old age, and to devote all my strength to Thee ; but now, since it is Thy will, I come to

Thee : and all my desires are changed into a fervent longing to possess Thee, so that death has even become sweet to me ; yet, if it were pleasing to Thee that I should continue in my present state until the day of judgment, I would willingly do so, even were this the first day of the world's creation ; but as I know that Thou wilt give me rest to day, I beseech Thee, of Thy mercy, and for the glory of Thy name, that I may continue to suffer until I have paid the debts of those souls whom Thou desirest most to release. A.nd in this, O Lord, Thou knowest that I am not con sidering my merits, but purely Thy glory."

After this prayer and many others, the Infirmarian * asked the religious to allow her to arrange her feet before she died. She replied : " I will offer this sacrifice myself to my cru cified Lord ; " and as she spoke, she extended her feet towards a crucifix, f saying: "I offer Thee all the movements of my feet, in union with the ardent love with which Thou didst commend Thy spirit into the hands of Thy Father with a great cry." Then she offered likewise the movements of her eyes, her lips, her hands, and her heart, with great fervour and devotion. After this she asked to have the Passion read for her, showing them herself where she wished them to commence : SuUevitus Jesus — "Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven " (John xvii. 1) ; saying, if they commenced at the words, " Before the festival-day " (John xiii. 1), they would not have time to finish before her death. At the words, " And bowing His head, He gave up

" Magistra infermorum. "

t A crucifix is always placed at the foot of the bed when a religious has received the last Sacraments, aud is not removed until after her decease. Thus her dying looks are most likely to rest on Him who died for her.

the ghost" (John xix. 30), she asked for the crucifix' then, kissing the Five Wounds with the tenderest devotion, she gave thanks to God with words of the most heavenly wisdom and devotion, most touching to all who were present ; and then she lay back on her pallet, and slept sweetly in the Lord.

After her death, St. Gertrude saw her received by our Lord with the tenderest caresses, and specially rewarded for having renounced the world so generously for His love. She also heard the angelic choirs chanting the Quce est ista as they conducted her in triumphal procession to heaven. When she was brought before the throne of God, Jesus, the Spouse of virgins, turned towards her with great love, and said, "You are My glory." Then He crowned her as a queen, and enthroned her near Himself.

As Gertrude prayed for her at her interment on the following day, she beheld her in a state of joy and glory which exceeds all human comprehension. Then she in quired what reward she had received for certain virtues ; and the soul obtained for her the grace of receiving some little share of her recompense, and then inquired : "What more do you desire to know of what I have received ? The heavenly ark, which contains the plenitude of Divine sweetness, even the Heart of Jesus Christ, my Beloved, with all its treasures, is opened to me ; with one exception, which I am deprived of because, when in life, I reserved to myself the secrets of my Spouse, and did not communicate them to others ; and this treasure is open only to those who, giving freely, communicated to others all the gifts of God." " Bnt," inquired Gertrude, " what reply shall I give to your friends and mine, when they ask me of your present state and reward, since no human words can express them ? " The soul replied : " After you have smelt the perfume of many flowers, how can you make another person understand what you have experienced? — would you not content yourself with saying that the odour was very delicious ? Thus, after you have known in spirit how great is the felicity with which God has rewarded me, you can only say that I have been rewarded beyond all my deserts for every good thought, word, or act by my faithful and beloved Jesus."

The rewards which Brother S. received for his fidelity and benevolence.

WHEN Brother Seq : (sic) was in his agony, Gertrude, being engrossed in some occupation, omitted to pray for him until she heard he was dead, and then began to reproach herself for her neglect of one who had always served the com munity so faithfully and affectionately as a lay brother ; she therefore besought our Lord to reward his services abund antly, according to the multitude of His mercies. The Lord vouchsafed to reply thus to her : "I have rewarded him for his fidelity in three ways, in answer to the prayers of the congregation. From his natural benevolence, he took the greatest pleasure in conferring favours on others ; and I have renewed in him all this pleasure for each act of kind ness which he performed. I have also accumulated in his soul all the gratification and joy which he obtained for others by these acts of benevolence — such as giving a child a toy, a poor person a penny, a sick person some fruit, or any other relief; and, lastly, I have made him rejoice exceedingly, on account of the approbation which I have manifested for these actions ; and I will soon supply all that he needs to attain perfect felicity."