The Book of Divine Consolation of the Blessed Angela of Foligno

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Chapter XXXVII. How the Tribulations Which Lie in Poverty, Contempt, and Suffering Are in Many Ways Most Profitable


I hold that the tribulations which lie in poverty, contempt, and suffering are very profitable for us and meet for our endurance.

The reason thereof is this: it is needful that man should know himself and God. Now the knowledge of God pre-supposeth a knowledge of self, and therefore man must consider and diligently observe Him who is offended and who it is who giveth offence. Through this consideration is granted grace upon grace, light upon light, and vision upon vision, and hereby cometh he unto a more ample knowledge of God. The better he knoweth the more doth he love, the more he loveth the more powerfully doth he work, and this work is the sign and measure of love. For herein is it shown if the love be pure, true, and upright, that is to say, if he loveth and worketh with due effect and endureth those three things which Christ who loved him did endure and practise all the days of His life.

Therefore, he who loveth Christ must love and practise those things; for inasmuch as He who was all wisdom did choose them for Himself, He did thereby show them to be meet for us.

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Chapter XXXIX. Of the Many Signs and Effects of Love Which Are Caused by the Sacrament of the Eucharist


I come now unto the Sacrament of love and grace which is called the Eucharist, and hereof will I say something more than what hath already been said.

This Sacrament hath to arouse devout prayer in us and make that the power thereof worketh for good in us. It doth likewise grant us deep humility of heart and moveth us with the desire for true love and charity. And I doubt not, but am very certain, that no soul who beholdeth and contemplateth this holy Sacrament could not be so insensible unto love that it would not be instantly filled with it, reflecting how greatly it had been loved in this Sacrament.

Verily, it seemeth unto me that this Sacrament, this holy Mystery, must be considered with great diligence by those who desire to celebrate and receive this sacrifice; the soul must not pass hastily over this meditation, but must dwell upon it carefully and earnestly. And albeit the things which may be said of this Sacrament cannot be expounded or set forth, methinketh they can be reduced unto seven points, or meditations, the which should be considered one by one.

Firstly, this holy Mystery is new and above all things marvellous, and far beyond our understanding. Albeit this Mystery was shown of old, as is set down in the Holy Scriptures, and is ancient as regardeth its form, it is nevertheless new as regardeth the exhibition of the Sacrament whereby the creature receiveth grace and new strength. For well do we know, and by faith do we hold without any doubt, that at the holy words ordained and first spoken by Christ Himself, and which He commanded should be likewise spoken by the priest, His minister, the bread and wine do through infinite divine power substantially become Christ. Therefore doth this substance of bread and wine by transubstantiation become the body of Christ, and Christ, God and Man, entereth by consecration into that Mystery. The colour, taste, virtue, shape, and all the qualities of that same bread and wine do still remain; yet not in Christ, but through the divine power over their own natures. For the colour is in itself, and the taste and shape and other qualities are all in themselves.

Wherefore, in very truth, this new thing is very great which the divine wisdom worketh of its supreme charity, infinite power, and great goodness, which the Creator doth work in His creatures, and there are, moreover, many other special new things, which the body and blood of Christ work in His friends and His elect. But let no man marvel thereat, nor at other things which are done in the Sacrament, for he must remember the power of Him who doeth them. Neither let him marvel how the Sacrament can be upon many altars at the same time, upon this side of the sea and upon that, and here and also in other places. For He saith: "Ye understand Me not, and this have I done without you and have worked without you, and unto Me is nothing impossible. I am He who made you what ye are, but now for your own good can ye not understand. If I had desired, I could have made you strong to understand, but this have I done in order that by your faith ye may be deserving; for there would have been no merit therein if ye had seen clearly wherefore it was done. Believe, therefore, and doubt not."

Secondly, this Sacrament is above all things gracious and kindleth love. For that which moveth Him who ordained this most holy Sacrament was the greatest of all things, and not less was the profit which should proceed therefrom. I know not what name I should give it, save that of immeasurable love, because of His boundless love did He institute this Sacrament.

Because of His great love towards us did He enter into the Sacrament and will abide therein until the end of the world. This He did not only in memory of His death, which is our salvation, but that He might ever and always remain nigh unto us. And whosoever will enter into this deep Mystery must needs have good eyes. Christ knew at His last supper that He must presently depart bodily; wherefore, overcome by the love which always uniteth the lover and the beloved, He did institute this Sacrament in order that He might always be bodily united with us.

Oh, burning and unquenchable love! Such was and is the love which He bare unto us! For albeit He had death before His eyes and foresaw most horrible suffering, yet nevertheless He gave Himself for those same sinners who persecuted Him, in order that He might be with us at least in this Sacrament, the joy whereof lieth in being united with the Son of Man.

What soul is there so cruel, who, profoundly and earnestly reflecting on that love, would not feel moved to return the love of such a Lover, who never forgot us either in life or in death, but did wholly give Himself that He might be ever united with us in love. Verily there is no soul, who, thinking well upon this, would not be wholly transformed in love.

Thirdly, this Sacrament is above all things compassionate and induceth unto compassion and suffering, because He endured mortal and unspeakable suffering.

When Christ ordained this most holy Sacrament He was on the point of separation from His beloved disciples and from the Virgin, His most dear mother. He knew and saw before Him all those whom He must forsake; He saw the traitor and that other who denied Him, unto whom He gave His body and His whole self; He knew that most bitter sufferings were about to fall upon Him, during the which He Himself would be forsaken; He foresaw the dreadful death, the scourgings, the ill-treatment, the Cross, the hard nails and the other things then being prepared for Him. For this reason, when praying after supper, He did sweat drops of blood, and not only a little, but so that it ran down upon the ground. Nevertheless, He refrained not from instituting this Sacrament and giving Himself unto us.

This Sacrament is, therefore, most proper as a memorial of His grievous and bitter Passion and the shedding of His blood for us miserable sinners. Wherefore did Christ say, "As often as ye shall do this, ye do it in remembrance of Me." And what soul is there who could behold these sufferings and not itself be transformed in suffering? Of a certainty not one, saving only he who remembereth not the cruel sufferings of Christ's heart.

Fourthly, this Sacrament is above all things worthy and venerable, to be regarded with the utmost reverence and humility, because He who ordained this sacrifice was Jesus Christ, God supreme and uncreate.

The soul who considereth this sacrifice hath not only to consider Him who ordained it, but likewise that which is contained in that Sacrament. For herein is contained God uncreate, invisible, and omnipotent, He who doeth all things, who is most merciful and just, Creator of the heavens and the earth, of all things visible and invisible; and this is the chief thing upon which we need here reflect.

There is also a lesser thing joined together with this great thing: for herein is found God made Man, which is to say, divinity and humanity united in one person. So that sometimes in this present life the soul receiveth greater delight from this lesser thing than from the greater, inasmuch as it is better able to receive and understand the lesser thing which it beholdeth in God incarnate. For the soul is a creature, which liveth by its flesh and all the members of its body, wherefore doth it in this life delight in God uncreate, whom it beholdeth in human form, and Christ the Creator and the creature, Deity and soul, with the flesh and blood and all the members of His most holy body.

Of a certainty the soul here beholdeth the union of many things herein contained, and from the lesser — that is to say, from the humanity — is it led unto the divinity, and in like manner from the divinity unto the humanity. For which reason doth the soul who well considereth it behold here the ineffable divinity, in which are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and incorruptible riches. In that divinity it beholdeth likewise the only joys which do satisfy our minds, and many other things unspeakable doth it find.

Moreover, it beholdeth here the most Precious Soul and the holy, immaculate oblation, with all the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. It beholdeth here the most precious body of our Redeemer, the blood with which we were saved and given new life, together with other unspeakable things, which should all excite in us the utmost reverence. For here verily is He whom all the dominions of heaven adore, whom all the celestial spirits do fear, and before whom the strongest powers of the heavens do tremble. If we did but behold Him as they do, with what reverence and humility should we look upon and receive that Sacrament! What soul is there so proud, who, when it considereth the aforesaid things, doth not humble itself in heart and body in the presence of that Sacrament!

Fifthly, this Sacrament is above all things profitable, and above all things high and spiritual, and it upraiseth us unto heavenly things.

This Sacrament was ordained by the most holy Trinity in order that It might bind unto Itself that which It most greatly loved, that It might draw the soul unto Itself, unto God, and away from all created things joining it together with God uncreate; and thus did It bestow upon the soul spiritual and divine love and mortify and purify it from its sins. It was ordained by the most holy Trinity in order that It might unite and incorporate Itself with us and us with It, and It desireth that we should receive the Sacrament in order that He may receive us; It desireth that we should bear it in order that He may bear us, fortify us, and comfort us.

What soul is there so wretched, therefore, who, if it well considereth the matter, will refuse to let itself be drawn nigh unto such a Lord, seeing how that such clearness of vision hath been sent from heaven to draw it away from earthly things?

Sixthly, this Sacrament is above all things profitable, and giveth us all good things and all grace.

Verily, God uncreate doth not come unto us spontaneously in this Sacrament, with so great a perfection of Deity and humanity; but of a certainty He is there to be received by the soul if only it hath been tried and hath no desire to sin. Hereby He granteth remission of sins, strength against temptation, it restraineth our opposers, augmenteth grace, and heapeth up merit; wherefore should it be received often and with great reverence. Concerning the words of Saint Augustine wherein he saith, "I do neither praise nor blame the custom of receiving it every day," I say that Saint Augustine was a most wise and holy man who saw how good and evil were mingled together in the Church of God; and in order that he might not hinder the good, he blamed not this practice, and in order that he might not thereby give security unto the evil, he praised it not.

Many other gifts and benefits innumerable are conferred upon us if we receive this Sacrament worthily; it cannot be declared how much grace the soul obtaineth in one single worthy reception, provided only that its misdeeds cause no hindrance.

Seventhly, this Sacrament is above all things to be extolled, and is supremely worthy of all grace and praise.

All that is good, all that is holy, all that is beautiful is found in this Sacrament. For this reason is it the Supreme Good uncreate, which is the Divinity, and it is the supreme good created, which is the humanity of Christ Jesus. Therefore should we ofttimes praise it, because the holy angels cease not to extol it, saying, "Holy, holy, holy." And not only the holy angels, but all the saints and the blessed do see and hear and stand ever before it, and within it. Of a certainty they do stand within this sacrifice, in God the infinite Good; for these blessed ones are here ever in the presence of God uncreate, the Supreme Good, and of God made Man, who is found in this most admirable Sacrament.

And in this Mystery do they receive new sweetness and joy, and offer new praise and thanksgiving. And I do think this is because of the union and understanding which they have; for inasmuch as they do communicate with the Head and the members, that is, with Jesus Christ, with God the Head, and His faithful, they do see and hear and understand that Christ rejoiceth greatly in this most high Mystery, herein manifesting and showing forth His goodness, and herein taketh He singular pleasure, for and in the good of His followers and friends, with whom He is joined together by means of this sacrifice. For this reason also do the saints and angels rejoice with Christ in this Mystery, with new joy and praise and thanksgiving. For that which pleaseth Christ pleaseth these likewise. Christ rejoiceth also to be in this Sacrament with men, yea, He delighteth to be with the sons of men.

And all the blessed of the church triumphant do rejoice because of the good and the profit which the holy souls in the church militant do receive through this Sacrament. Wherefore should the whole church rejoice and praise God for such great blessings and benefits, giving Him great thanks and honour.

Therefore, whosoever meaneth to come unto this most holy Sacrament must consider to whom he cometh, how he cometh, and for what reason. For he cometh unto a certain good thing, which is itself all good and the cause of all good, the giver, maker, and possessor of all good; yet it is itself the only good, without which there can be none other. This good thing sufficeth and filleth everything, satisfying all the saints and holy spirits, all those who are justified by grace, and all the souls and bodies of the blessed who reign in everlasting glory. Man cometh to receive this good thing, which is God made Man, in whom are all, and who is above all beings. Oh, Good Supreme, unconsidered, unknown, unloved, but found by those who with their whole hearts entirely do desire thee!

If man, therefore, doth only consider and regard the morsel which he eateth with his body, if he beholdeth it not with his soul, and doth not meditate and reflect before he receiveth this great good, which is eternal and infinite, if he receiveth it unworthily, then it bringeth eternal death unto both soul and body. But if he receiveth it worthily, it overcometh death and gaineth life blessed and eternal, and without he receiveth this he hath no life. Christ saith, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you."

We should, therefore, approach that table and that great and good thing with the utmost reverence, fear, and trembling, but above all, with exceeding great love. And the soul should approach unto this Sacrament humbly, exalted, and adorned, for it goeth unto that which is the height of all beauty and perfect glory, supreme holiness, happiness, blessedness, exaltedness, and nobility, all sweetness and all love, and which hath the sweetness of love without end.

Thus should the soul go to receive the Sacrament, in order that it may itself be received. It should be pure, that it may be purified; alive, that it may be quickened; just, that it may be justified; ready, that it may be incorporated with God uncreate who was made man, and that it may be one with Him unto all eternity. Amen.

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Treatise III

First Vision and Consolation, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is All Goodness; Whence Cometh Hatred of This Life and the Desire to Enjoy God


Blessed God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who comforteth us in all our tribulations, Thou hast verily deigned to console me, a sinner, in every tribulation. For during the time of my conversion, already related in the eighteenth step, and after the enlightenment miraculously granted unto me as I was repeating the *Paternoster*, I did feel great consolation and sweetness in this manner.

I was inspired and drawn unto the contemplation of the blessed union of the divinity and humanity of Christ, and in this contemplation did I feel an exceeding great delight, the which was greater than any I had ever felt heretofore. For this reason did I remain for a great part of that day standing in the cell where I was praying, astonished, locked in and alone. My heart was all wrapped up in that joy and I became as one dumb and did lose my speech. Wherefore did it happen that when my companion came she believed that I was about to die; but she did only weary me and was an hindrance unto me.

Once, before that I had finished giving all I possessed unto the poor (albeit but little then remained for me to give), when I was persevering in these matters, it chanced that one evening when I was at prayer methought I did feel nothing whatsoever of God. Wherefore I lamented and prayed unto God, saying:

"Lord, that which I do, I do only that I may find Thee; wherefore, having done it, do Thou grant me the grace that I may find Thee."

And many other similar things did I say in my prayer, and this answer was vouchsafed unto me, "What desirest thou?"

Then I said: "I desire neither gold nor silver; yea, if Thou wouldst give me the whole world I would not accept it, seeing that I desire Thee only."

Then did He say unto me, "Strive diligently and make thyself ready, for when thou hast accomplished that which thou art now doing, the whole Trinity will descend unto thee."

Many other things were also promised unto me, which did ease me of my tribulation and fill me with divine sweetness. And from that hour I did await that the thing which had been told me should be immediately fulfilled.

And I related this unto my companion with some doubtfulness, seeing that great things had been told and promised unto me; nevertheless they had left me with that divine sweetness and gentleness.

After this I went unto the church of Saint Francis, near unto Assisi, and the promise was fulfilled by the way as I went thither. Nevertheless, I had not yet finished giving all things unto the poor, but there was little yet remaining. This had happened because of the death of a noble and holy man, to whom this matter had been entrusted and who had not been able to accomplish it. He had been converted by God's grace through our admonitions, and was about to deprive himself of all he had and give his possessions unto the poor. But he died upon the way. Nevertheless, God did perform many miracles by means of him, and his tomb is held in reverence.

As I went unto Saint Francis, therefore, I prayed by the way. And amongst other prayers, I did ask the Blessed Francis that he would implore God for me, that I might serve well his Order, unto which I had but lately renewed my promises, and that he would obtain for me the grace that I might feel somewhat of Christ, but above all, that He would make me become poor and end my days in poverty. For this cause (namely, to have the liberty of poverty) had I journeyed unto Rome, to pray the Blessed Peter that he would obtain for me the grace of true poverty. And thus, through the merits of the Blessed Peter and the Blessed Francis the gift of true poverty was vouchsafed unto me by divine mercy, even as I was asking for them in prayer as I walked by the way.

Now when I was come to that place which lieth between Spello and the narrow road which leadeth upward unto Assisi, and is beyond Spello, it was said unto me:

"Thou hast prayed unto My servant Francis, and I have not willed to send thee another messenger. I am the Holy Spirit, who am come unto thee to bring thee such consolation as thou hast never before tasted. And I will go with thee even unto Saint Francis; I shall be within thee and but few of those who are with thee will perceive it. I will bear thee company and will speak with thee all the way; I will make no end to my speaking and thou wilt not be able to attend unto any save unto Me, for I have bound thee and will not depart from thee until thou comest for the second time unto Saint Francis. Then will I depart from thee in so far as this present consolation is concerned, but in no other manner will I ever leave thee, and thou shalt love Me."

Then began He to speak the following words unto me, which did persuade me to love after this manner:

"My daughter who art sweet unto Me, my daughter who art My temple; My beloved daughter, do thou love Me, for I do greatly love thee and much more than thou lovest Me." And very often did He say unto me: "Bride and daughter, sweet art thou unto Me, I love thee better than any other who is in the valley of Spoleto. Forasmuch as I have rested and reposed in thee, do thou also rest thyself and repose in Me. I have been with the apostles, who did behold Me with their bodily eyes, but they did not feel Me as thou feelest Me. When thou shalt be come unto thine house thou shalt feel another sweetness, such as thou hast never yet experienced. I shall not speak unto thee as I now speak, but thou wilt only feel Me. Thou hast prayed unto My servant Francis, hoping with him and through him to obtain the things thou desirest, seeing that as my servant Francis hath greatly loved Me, I have done many things for him. If there were to-day any person who loved Me more, much more would I do for him."

Then said He unto me that there are few good persons in these days and but little faith, for which cause He did lament, saying, "So great is the love of the soul who loveth Me without sin, that, if there were any one who loved Me perfectly, I would show him greater mercy than I have ever shown hitherto, and Thou knowest that many great things are recorded which I have done unto divers persons in times past."

None can excuse themselves for not having this love, because it is possible for all persons to love God, and He asketh nothing save that the soul shall love and seek Him. He is the love of the soul. But these are deep sayings.

That God is the love of the soul did He set forth unto me with lively proof, by His advent and His Cross borne for us, albeit He was so great and glorious. And He did expound unto me His Passion and the other things which He did for our sake; then He did add, "Behold now, if there be aught in Me save love." He did grieve for that in these times He could find no person upon whom He could pour out His grace, and He did repeat that He would show far greater mercy unto whosoever should love Him at this present time than He had shown unto the saints and the blessed ones hitherto.

Then did He begin again to say unto me, "My beloved daughter who is sweet unto Me, love thou Me, for I do love thee more than thou lovest Me. Love Me, My beloved, for boundless is the love which I bear unto the soul who loveth Me without any sin." Methought He did desire to be loved with that same love which He bore unto the soul, according unto the power and virtue of the soul, and that if only the soul itself would desire this, He would bring it to pass.

Again He said unto me, "My beloved and My bride, love thou Me! All thy life, thy eating and drinking and sleeping and all that thou dost is pleasing unto Me, if only thou lovest Me." And He said, "I will do great things through thee in the sight of all people; thou shalt be known and glorified, so that many shall praise My name in thee."

These and other similar things did He say unto me. Then, when I heard these words I did count over my sins and consider my faults, and how that I was not worthy of such great love. And I did begin to cast doubt upon these words, wherefore my soul said unto Him who had spoken unto it: "If Thou wert truly the Holy Spirit Thou wouldst not speak thus unto me, for it is neither right nor seemly, seeing how that I am weak and frail and might grow vainglorious thereat."

He answered me, "Reflect and see if thou couldst be vainglorious because of all these things for the which thou art now grown proud; and see if thou couldst not perceive the folly of thy words by thinking of other things."

So then did I endeavour to grow vainglorious, that I might prove if what He had said were true; and I began to gaze at the vineyards, that I might learn the folly of my words. And wheresoever I looked He said unto me, "Behold and see, this is My creation," and thereat did I feel the most ineffable sweetness.

In the meantime I had remembered all my sins, and on my side I beheld nothing save sins and wrong-doing, so that I did feel greater humility than I had ever felt before. Then did He tell me that I was beloved, that the Son of God and of the Virgin Mary had inclined Himself unto me and was come to speak with me. Wherefore Christ said unto me:—

"If all the world came now unto thee, thou couldst not speak with others; for when I come unto thee, there cometh more than all the world." But in order to calm my doubts He said: "I am He who was crucified for thee, and for thy sake did I endure hunger and thirst, and so greatly have I loved thee that I did shed My blood for thee," and He expounded unto me all His Passion and said: "Ask mercy for thyself and for thy companions and for all whom thou wilt, for I am much more ready to give than thou art to receive."

Then did my soul cry aloud, saying, "I will not ask, for I am not worthy and I remember all my sins!" And it said further, "If Thou who hast spoken with me from the beginning wert truly the Holy Spirit, Thou wouldst not have told me such great things; and if Thou wert verily within me, then my joy would be so great that I could not bear it and live."

Then did He make answer: "Nothing can exist, nothing can be done save according unto My will. At present I will only give thee joy in the measure in which thou hast it. Unto another have I given less joy than this, and he fell upon the ground, neither hearing nor seeing. Yet will I give thee this sign, that thou mayest know who I am: go now and endeavour to speak with thy companions and think of any thing that thou wilt, either good or evil, and thou wilt see that thou canst not think of aught else save of God. For I am He who alone can bind the thoughts. And all these things do I unto thee, not because of thy merits, but of My goodness."

Whilst He was speaking, all the evils I had committed returned into my memory more clearly than before, wherefore did I more than ever deem myself worthy of hell. Afterwards He said unto me that if I had come in the company of other persons, not such as those with whom I was come, the aforesaid things would not have been done or said unto me. These persons did perceive somewhat of my languor, for at each word did I receive great sweetness; I had no desire to reach the city or that the road should ever come to an end. I can never describe the joy and sweetness which I felt, especially when He said, "I am the Holy Spirit who am entering into thee;" but briefly, great was the sweetness which I received at each one of His sayings.

In this manner, therefore, I did arrive at Saint Francis', as He had foretold. And He departed not from me, but remained with me, even when I sat down to meat, until I went unto Saint Francis' for the second time.

When I did bend my knees upon entering in at the door of the church, I immediately beheld a picture of Saint Francis lying in Christ's bosom. Then said Christ unto me:—

"Thus closely will I hold thee, and so much closer that bodily eyes can neither perceive nor comprehend it. But now, My beloved daughter and temple of My delight, the hour is come when I must fill thee with My spirit and must leave thee. I have told thee that because of this consolation I must leave thee; nevertheless, if thou lovest Me, I will not leave thee."

Albeit the words were bitter, yet were they full of joy. Then looked I, that I might behold with the eyes of both body and mind. And I beheld; and if thou seekest to know what I beheld, truly I can only say that it was a thing full of great majesty; and more than this can I not say, save that it seemed unto me to be full of all goodness. Then He departed with great gentleness; not suddenly, but slowly and gradually. Of the words which He spake unto me, the greatest are these:—

"Oh my daughter, who art sweeter unto Me than I am unto thee, temple of My delight, thou dost possess the ring of My love and art promised unto Me, so that henceforth thou shalt never leave Me. The blessing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be upon thee and thine understanding."

Then cried my soul, "If only Thou wilt not leave me, I will commit no mortal sin!"

And He answered me, "That say I not unto thee." Then as He was departing, I did ask a blessing for my companion, and He replied, "Unto her will I give another blessing," and so He departed. And at His departure He would not that I should prostrate myself before Him, but that I should stand upon my feet. But after that He was gone I fell down upon a seat and began to cry with a loud voice, clamouring and calling without any shame and uttering these words, "Oh Love, heretofore have I never known Thee, why leavest Thou me in this manner?" And more than this I could not say, for my voice was so suffocated with crying that scarce could I pronounce even this, wherefore was it not heard by the persons around me.

This clamouring and crying did come upon me as I entered into the door of the church of Saint Francis. Here was I overwhelmed again and began to make a noise and call aloud in the presence of all the people, that those who were come with me and did know me did stand afar off and were ashamed, believing that I did it for another reason. So was I left with the certainty that it was God who had spoken with me; and because of His sweetness and the grief of His departure did I cry aloud, desiring to die. And seeing that I did not die, the grief of being separated from Him was so great that all the joints of my limbs did fall asunder.

After these things I departed from Assisi, and with great comfort did I go upon my way, speaking of God. And with much difficulty did I hold my peace; nevertheless I strove to abstain from talking, because of the company.

Then said Christ unto me, "I will give thee a sign by the which thou mayest know that I am Christ who have talked with thee. This sign is the Cross and love of God which I do place within thee and which shall be with thee for ever." And immediately I felt the Cross and the love of God within my soul and spreading throughout my body, so that I did actually feel it corporally; and feeling it, my soul was dissolved in God's love.

When I was returned I stayed within the house, and I felt a sweetness so peaceful, quiet, and great that I know not how to describe it. Wherefore did I long for death, and because of the aforesaid peace and sweet joyfulness was life a greater grief unto me than I can say. I longed for death that I might attain unto that delight of the which I now felt something, and because of this did I wish to depart from this world. Life was a greater grief unto me than had been the deaths of my mother and my children, more heavy than any other grief of which I can bethink me.

Thus did I remain eight days within the house, all feeble. And I cried, "Lord, have mercy upon me and grant that I may remain no longer in this world." From this time forth I was often aware of indescribable odours; but these and other things can I not explain, so great was the sweetness and joy which I did feel in them. The voice spake unto me many other times, but never at any great length, nor with so much sweetness or deep meaning.

Being returned, therefore, from Assisi, as I have said, and lying in mine house, my companion (who was of marvellous simplicity, purity, and virginity) heard a voice saying, "The Holy Spirit is in the cell." Then she came unto me and began to seek round, asking of me, "Tell me what aileth thee, for three times have I been bidden to come unto thee." And I answered, "I am glad of that which hath been bidden thee." And from that time forth I related unto my companion many of these secret things.

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Second Vision, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is Beauty, Wherefore All Created Beauty Seemed Deformed and Hideous unto Her


Upon a certain time when I was at prayer and my spirit was exalted, God spake unto me many gracious words full of love.

And when I looked, I beheld God who spake with me. But if thou seekest to know that which I beheld, I can tell thee nothing, save that I beheld a fulness and a clearness, and felt them within me so abundantly that I can in no wise describe it, nor give any likeness thereof. For what I beheld was not corporal, but as though it were in heaven. Thus I beheld a beauty so great that I can say naught concerning it, save that I saw the Supreme Beauty which containeth within Itself all goodness. And all the saints were standing before this beauteous Majesty, praising it.

Methought, however, that I stayed in this trance but a very brief while; then said God unto me, “My beloved daughter, dear unto Me, all the saints of Paradise do bear an especial love toward thee, and likewise doth My mother, and they will bring thee unto Me.” And albeit these words were spoken unto me, all concerning His mother and the saints seemed unto me but a small thing. For so great was my joy in Him that I took no heed of looking at the angels and the saints, because all their goodness and all their beauty was from Him and in Him; He was the whole and Supreme Good, with all beauty, and so great a joy had I in His words that I paid no heed to any creature.

Again He said unto me, “Infinite is the love which I bear thee, but I do not reveal it unto thee — yea, I do even conceal it.”

Then answered my soul, “Wherefore hast Thou such love and joy in me, who am hateful, inasmuch as I have offended Thee all the days of my life?”

To this did He make answer, “So great is the love I bear thee that I no more remember thy sins, albeit Mine eyes do see them; for in thee have I much treasure.”

Then did my soul feel an assurance so true that it doubted no more. It felt and saw that the eyes of God were searching within it, and it had such joy in those eyes that neither man nor saint come down from heaven could declare it. When He told me that He concealed much love, because I was not able to bear it, my soul answered: “If Thou art God omnipotent, make Thou me able to bear it.”

Then He made answer finally and said: “If I were to do as thou askest, thou wouldst have here all that thou desirest, and wouldst no longer hunger after Me. For this reason will I not grant thy request, for I desire that in this world thou shouldst hunger and long after Me and shouldst ever be eager to find Me.”

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Third Vision, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is Invincible Omnipotence in All Things, Which Gave unto Her the Grace to Be of Benefit Both to the Present and to the Future Generations. Moreover, She Beheld Likewise the Deep Humility of God


Upon a certain occasion it was told me, saying, “I who speak with thee am the divine Power, who bring unto thee divine grace. The grace is this: I desire that thou shouldst be of benefit unto all men who shall behold thee; and not only unto these, but likewise unto all who shall think of thee and remember thee and hear thee spoken of. Nevertheless, thou wilt be of the greatest benefit unto those into whom I have most fully entered.”

Then, albeit the soul rejoiced greatly, it said, “I desire not this grace, for I fear that it would be hurtful unto me and make me to be vainglorious.”

But the Lord answered, “With this hast thou naught to do, for it concerneth thee not and thou hast only the care thereof. See that thou servest it well and renderest it again unto Him to whom it belongeth.”

Then my soul saw and understood that in this way it could be neither perturbed nor hurt. And the Lord said also unto me, “Much am I pleased by thy great fear.”

After this I went into the church, and there did the Lord speak most sweetly and graciously unto me, whereat all my mind did greatly rejoice and take comfort. He said, “My beloved daughter,” and many other things better still, and added, “No creature can console thee, only I alone, who desire to reveal My power unto thee.”

And immediately the eyes of my soul were opened and I beheld the plenitude of God, whereby I did comprehend the whole world, both here and beyond the sea, and the abyss and all things else; and therein did I behold naught save the divine power in a manner assuredly indescribable, so that through excess of marvelling the soul cried with a loud voice, saying, “This whole world is full of God!” Wherefore did I now comprehend that the world is but a small thing; I saw, moreover, that the power of God was above all things, and that the whole world was filled with it.

Then said He unto me, “I have shown thee something of My power,” the which I did so well understand that it enabled me better to understand all other things. He said also, “I have made thee to see something of My power; behold now and see Mine humility.” Then was I given so deep an insight into the humility of God towards man and all other things that when my soul remembered His unspeakable power and comprehended His deep humility, it marvelled greatly and did esteem itself to be nothing at all, for in itself it beheld nothing save pride.

Thus did I begin to think within myself and to esteem myself in every way unworthy of the Holy Communion, wherefore did I refuse to communicate.

After that He had shown me this, the Lord said: “My daughter, there is no creature who can attain unto this point of beholding My power and humility (unto which thou hast attained) unless he be inspired thereto by special divine grace.” When I was in the church after the elevation of the Body of Christ He said unto me: “Behold My power which is now upon the altar, and yet am I within thee; if thou receivest Me, thou receivest Me as thou hast ever done. Communicate, therefore, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for I who am worthy do make thee worthy.”

Then was I filled with unspeakable sweetness and great joy, which I do think I shall never lose all the days of my life.

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Fourth Vision and Consolation, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is Supreme Wisdom, Whereby She Did Learn to Judge of All Things Without Error


A man did once ask of me that I would pray God for certain things which he was desirous of knowing. But I doubted whether I should do this, for I held it to be an act of pride and great folly to pray unto God for such things. And as I meditated upon this matter, my mind was suddenly rapt unto the first elevation, and placed at a table which had neither beginning nor end. I was not placed there to behold the table, but that which was upon it. There I beheld the ineffable fulness of God; but I can relate nothing of it, save that I have seen the plenitude of divine wisdom, wherein is all goodness.

In this plenitude I saw that it is not lawful to seek or desire to know that which the divine wisdom is going to do, for this is a forestalling and dishonouring of it. When I see persons, therefore, who seek to know such things, I am persuaded that they do err.

From the time when I beheld this vision it hath been given me to understand and judge all spiritual persons and things when I hear them spoken of. But I judge not with that judgment to make use of which is always to err; but with another and true judgment, whereby I understand whence I have the consciousness of sin in judging.

I can say nothing more concerning this vision, save that the one word "table" remained in my memory. I have said that in the first elevation I was placed at a table. But of the things which I beheld on that table, I can say nothing save what I have already said.

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Fifth Vision, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is Supreme Justice, and Something Yet Higher Still; Whereby She Obtained the Approbation of the Heavenly Judges


Being one day at prayer, I asked of God (not because I doubted or desired in this manner to know more of God), "Wherefore, oh Lord, didst Thou create man, and wherefore, having created him, didst Thou permit so much suffering to be laid upon Thee as was borne by Thy Son because of our sins? For surely Thou mightest have created us with double the amount of virtue we do possess now, and thus couldst Thou have ordained it exceeding well that we should have been grateful and pleasing unto Thee without those sufferings."

Hereupon was I given to understand that the reason wherefore God had done and permitted this was that because in this way His goodness could be more clearly made manifest unto us, and also because it was thus made more suitable unto our needs. Yet did this not suffice me for the full understanding thereof, inasmuch as I knew of a certainty that God could have acted otherwise if He had so pleased.

Another time, when I was exalted in spirit, I perceived that this quest had neither beginning nor end, so that when the soul found itself thus in darkness it instantly desired to turn back; but it was not able, neither was it permitted to advance. And being in this uncertainty and anxiety, I was exalted yet higher still and enlightened that I might behold the ineffable power of God.

Here was seen the will, justice, and goodness of God, and in these virtues I clearly beheld that which I had sought to know. Thus was my soul brought forth out of the darkness wherein it lay upon the earth; for in this illumination it was raised up straight and I stood upon my feet, even upon the tips of my toes, in such bodily agility and renewed life as I had never hitherto experienced. Moreover there came upon me such a fulness of charity, and with so great a joy did I understand that power, will, and justice of God, that not only was I satisfied concerning the questions I had asked, but likewise concerning all creatures, even the demons and the damned, for I felt I was called to save them one and all.

But inasmuch as this was a supernatural thing I cannot show it forth in words, albeit I perfectly understood that God could have saved us in another manner if He had desired. Nevertheless, I could not see how His power and goodness could possibly have been better manifested or more plainly set forth than in this manner. From that time onwards I did feel myself so contented and safe that if I had known of a certainty that I was to be damned, I should on no account have bewailed myself, nor should I for this reason have striven and studied less to worship and honour God than I had done before, so clearly had I understood His justice and the righteousness of His judgments. Wherefore was my soul filled with so great a peace, quietness, and firmness that never do I remember any other so complete; and herein have I continued.

After I had seen the power of God, His will, and His justice, I was uplifted yet higher still, and then I no longer beheld the power and will of God as before. But I beheld a thing as fixed and stable as it was indescribable; and more than this I cannot say, save what I have often said already, namely, that it was all good.

And although my soul beheld not love, yet nevertheless when it saw that indescribable thing it was itself filled with indescribable joy, and it was taken out of the state it was in before and placed in this most great and ineffable state. I know not whether I was at that time in the body or outside it, but it sufficeth to say that all the other visions seemed unto me to be less great than this. In this vision was I granted the mortification of sins and assurance of virtue, whereby I now love things both good and evil, both well and evilly made, for these things do I no longer despise.

I was, therefore, left in great peace and veneration by the heavenly judgments; so that now when I cry, "By Thy judgments, or by Thy judgment deliver me, oh Lord," I say it with as much joy and trust as though I said, "By Thy Passion deliver me, oh Lord." The cause of this is, that I cannot recognise the goodness of God more clearly in a saint or a holy man, or in many, than in one condemned or a multitude of damned. Albeit this profound truth was not shown unto me save once only, it hath never left my memory, nor have I lost the joy thereof. If it were possible that all the things which appertain unto faith should fail me, there would nevertheless remain unto me the true certainty of the supreme God, of His perfect justice and His judgments.

How deep is the meaning of this saying! But all this turneth unto the profit of the blessed, for the soul who hath attained unto a knowledge of the divine judgments and understandeth them, will through this knowledge of God derive profit from all things.

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Sixth Vision and Consolation, Wherein She Beheld God Inasmuch as He Is Love, Whereby She Was Transformed in the Divine Love


Methought one time in Lent that I was exceeding parched and lacking in devotion, wherefore I prayed God that He would give me something of Himself, because all goodness was dried up within me. Then were the eyes of my soul opened and I beheld love advancing gently toward me, and I beheld the beginning but not the end. Unto me there seemed only a continuation and eternity thereof, so that I can describe neither likeness nor colour, but immediately that this love reached me, I did behold all these things more clearly with the eyes of the soul than I could do with the eyes of the body.

This love came towards me after the manner of a sickle. Not that there was any actual and measurable likeness, but when first it appeared unto me it did not give itself unto me in such abundance as I expected, but part of it was withdrawn. Therefore do I say, after the manner of a sickle. Then was I filled with love and inestimable satiety; but although it did well satisfy me, it did generate within me so great an hunger that all my members were loosened and my soul fainted with longing to attain unto the remainder.

Then did I refuse either to see or to hearken unto any creature; I spake not, but my soul spake within me, crying out and beseeching that love would not make it thus to faint for love's sake, because it held life to be but death.

Then did I first invoke the Blessed Virgin, and afterwards the holy apostles, that they would go with my soul and beseech and implore the Most High that He would no longer cause it to suffer this death, but that He would permit it to attain unto that which it desired, namely, unto the remainder of righteous love. Likewise in this faintness I did pray unto the blessed Francis and the holy Evangelists and did make earnest supplication and cry unto them, inasmuch as I was drawn nigh unto them through the love which I felt. And believing myself to be all love, I said, "Many are there who think they do dwell in love and they dwell in hatred, and many on the contrary think they dwell in hatred and they do verily dwell in love." But my soul sought to know this of a certainty, and God permitted me to feel it so clearly that I was wholly content. For I was so filled with this love that after this happened I do not believe I could ever have been without it, nor could I believe any creature who said otherwise; even had it been an angel I would not have believed it, but would have answered, "Thou art he who is fallen from heaven."

And methought that I beheld in myself two sides, as though a road had been made through me; upon the one side I saw this love and all goodness (the which was of God and not of me), and upon the other side I saw myself all dried up, where there was nothing good. Wherefore I considered that the thing I loved proceeded not from me, albeit I was in love, but that it came from God alone, in whom all love was joined together.

Then gave He unto me greater and more ardent love than before, and I desired to go unto this love. Thus were there two loves, that of which I have already spoken and which was so great that I knew not that any could be greater, until there came upon me a mortal love, and betwixt this love and that other mortal love a great heat. There is a certain middle-place of the which I can say nothing, so deep was it, so full of joy and unspeakable delight.

Then do I wish to hear nothing of the Passion, neither would I that God should be named before me, because when I hear Him named it exciteth in me so much devotion that I faint and am distressed for love of Him, and all lesser things do trouble me. In comparison with this I do esteem as nothing all that is related in the Gospel of the Life of Christ, or in other places, for in God do I behold greater and yet more incomparable things.

Since He hath left me I am remained as contented as an angel; for I love toads and serpents, and even fools and demons, and nothing that I see them do, even sins committed against others, can displease me, inasmuch as I believe that God doth justly permit it and desire that it should be done. And when I am in this state I should take no heed if dogs were to bite me, neither should I seem to suffer any pain.

In this state, therefore, there can be no thought or grievous remembrance of the Passion of Christ, or any tears, albeit there was at one time added unto this love the remembrance of the inestimable worth of the precious Blood through which the world was redeemed. Wherefore do I marvel how they can exist together. Nevertheless, there was none of the suffering of the Passion, for the Passion showeth us the way we have to go and teacheth us what we have to do. And this state is greater than that of standing ever at the foot of Christ's Cross, in continual remembrance, as did the Blessed Francis, albeit the soul frequenteth both the one and the other state.

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Seventh Vision, Wherein She Beheld God in Three Persons, but She Beheld Him Darkly; and This Vision Did Inspire Her with Perfect and Holy Hope and Full Assurance


There was a time when my soul was exalted to behold God with so much clearness that never before had I beheld Him so distinctly. But love did I not see here so fully; rather did I lose that which I had before and was left without love. Afterwards I did see Him darkly, and this darkness was the greatest blessing that could be imagined, and no thought could conceive aught that would equal this.

Then was there given unto the soul an assured faith, a firm and certain hope, wherein I felt so sure of God that all fear left me. For by that blessing which came with the darkness I did collect my thoughts and was made so sure of God that I can never again doubt but that I do of a certainty possess Him. Thus is my hope now made certain, for now do I see so clearly that what I see can neither be told by the mouth nor imagined in the heart. And by that blessing (most certain, and including also that darkness) have I attained unto all my hope, and inasmuch as now I see clearly, I have all that I desired to have or to know.

Here, likewise, do I see all Good; and seeing it, the soul cannot think that it will depart from it or it from the Good, or that in future it must ever leave the Good. The soul delighteth unspeakably therein, yet it beholdeth naught which can be related by the tongue or imagined in the heart. It seeth nothing, yet seeth all things, because it beholdeth this Good darkly — and the more darkly and secretly the Good is seen, the more certain is it, and excellent above all things. Wherefore is all other good which can be seen or imagined doubtless less than this, because all the rest is darkness. And even when the soul seeth the divine power, wisdom, and will of God (which I have seen most marvellously at other times), it is all less than this most certain Good. Because this is the whole, and those other things are but part of the whole. Another difference is, that albeit those other things are unspeakable, yet they do bring great joy which is felt even in the body.

But seen thus darkly, the Good bringeth no smile upon the lips, no fervour or devotion or love into the heart, for the body doth not tremble or become moved or distressed as it doth at other times. And the cause thereof is, that the soul seeth, and not the body, which reposeth and sleepeth, and the tongue is made dumb and cannot speak. All the many and unspeakable kindnesses which God hath shown unto me, all the sweet words and all other divine sayings and doings are so much less than this which I have seen clearly through the darkness, that I do put no hope in them. Yea, even if it were possible that all these were not true, it would in no wise lessen the hope which I have in this and all other good.

Unto this most high power of beholding God ineffably through such great darkness was my spirit uplifted but three times only and no more; and although I beheld Him countless times, and always darkly, yet never in such an high manner and through such great darkness.

And when upon the one hand my body is wasted by infirmity, when the world with its thorns and bitterness chaseth me forth, and demons do likewise afflict me with much vexation, and do continually persecute me and molest me (because they have power over me and because God hath given me soul and body into their hands, so that I do almost seem to behold them falling bodily upon me), upon the other hand God doth draw me unto Himself with that Good which I beheld through the darkness, in which darkness I did doubtless behold the Holy Trinity. And to me it seemeth that I am fixed in the midst of It and that It draweth me unto Itself more than anything else the which I ever beheld, or any blessing I ever yet received, so there is nothing which can be compared unto It.

All that I say of this seemeth unto me to be nothing, I do even feel as though I offended in speaking of it, for so greatly doth that Good exceed all my words that my speech doth appear to blaspheme against it.

When I behold and am in that Good, I remember nothing of the humanity of Christ, of God inasmuch as He was man, nor of aught else that had shape or form; and albeit I seem to see nothing, yet do I see all things.

When, however, I am separated from that aforesaid Good then is it given unto me to see Christ, who draweth me with such gentleness that sometimes He saith, "Thou art I, and I am thee." I see those eyes, and that face so gracious and so pleasing, which embraceth and draweth my soul unto itself with infinite assurance. And that which proceedeth from those eyes and that face is nothing else save that Good of which I spake before and which I beheld darkly, which proceedeth and issueth forth from within. And it is that Good wherein I delight so greatly that I can in no wise speak of it.

Being thus one with Christ the soul liveth. And in this God do I live more than in the darkness, and although He who dwelleth in darkness draweth me beyond all comparison more strongly, yet do I live so constantly in Christ that, inasmuch as I have been once and for all granted assurance of God, nothing can ever come betwixt me and Him.

From that time forth there hath never been day or night wherein I have not constantly rejoiced in the humanity of Christ, wherefore do I long to sing and to praise God, saying:

"Thee do I praise, oh God my delight, for upon Thy Cross have I made my bed, and instead of a pillow have I found poverty, instead of repose have I found suffering and contempt, for upon this bed was He born, He lived, and laid Him down to die."

These companions, poverty, suffering, and contempt, were so beloved of God the Father that He gave them unto His Son, and the Son desired ever to lie upon this bed. And on this do I always love Him and do agree with the Father. And upon this bed have I laid me down to rest, for it is my bed whereon I hope to die, by which I hope to be saved. But the joy which I have of those hands and feet cannot be described, and when I see Him I do desire never to depart from Him, but draw nearer unto Him, wherefore is my life but as death, and the more I do remember Him, the less can I speak, for then my tongue is tied. When I leave Him the wickedness which I find compelleth me to desire Him yet more, and because of this my desire and the weariness of waiting am I plunged into mortal pain, but in this vision is my soul uplifted and consoled by the most sweet God, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever.

(Note: in the ninth paragraph, the scanned text read "Thou art I, and I am them" — this has been corrected to "I am thee," since "them" has no plausible antecedent in context and the reciprocal phrasing "Thou art I, and I am thee" matches the mystical idiom used elsewhere in this chapter; it appears to be an OCR misreading rather than an intentional variant.)

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Eighth Vision and Consolation, Wherein She Beheld God as Clearly as Is Possible in This Life, in the Which Vision She Acquired Strength in Good Intentions and in the Perfect Delight in God


Being thus exalted in spirit during the time of Lent, therefore, I was joined with God in a manner other than was customary for me. Methought I was in the midst of the Trinity, in a manner higher and greater than was usual, for greater than usual were the blessings I received, and continually were there given unto me gifts full of delight, and rejoicing most great and unspeakable. All this was so far beyond anything which had heretofore happened unto me that verily a divine change took place in my soul, which neither saint nor angel could describe or explain. This divine change, or operation, was so profound that no angel or other creature, howsoever wise, could comprehend it, wherefore do I say again that it seemeth unto me to be evil-speaking and blasphemy if I do try to tell of it.

Here am I drawn forth out of all things wherein I did formerly take delight, such as the life and humanity of Christ and the consideration of those most deep companions whom God had greatly loved from all eternity and had given unto His Son. Likewise did He draw me forth from the aforesaid delight, that is to say, the poverty, suffering, and contempt borne by His Son (wherein I was accustomed to find my repose and my bed); also was I withdrawn from that darkness, in the vision of which I had so greatly rejoiced. And finally I was drawn out of all former states with so much unction and in sleep, that I could in no wise comprehend it, and do only know that now I have not those things.

In these divine benefits and operations which were accomplished in my soul, God did first present Himself unto it thus ineffably in His works; then did He manifest and reveal Himself fully unto the soul, bestowing upon it great gifts, with indescribable clearness and certainty.

There are two ways wherein God showeth Himself unto the soul. One way is when He showeth Himself intimately, and it doth then know Him to be present, as He is present in every creature and in everything that hath being; as much in demons as in good angels, in hell as in Paradise, in adultery and murder, in all good works, and in all things which exist, both beauteous and ill-favoured. When I have this unity, therefore, I do rejoice in God no less when I see a bad angel, and an evil deed than when I see a good angel or deed; and in this manner doth He most often present Himself unto my soul. And this presentation doth bring enlightenment, with great truth and divine grace, so that when the soul beholdeth this it cannot offend in any way.

Moreover, this enlightenment bringeth many divine benefits unto the soul; for example, when it becometh aware that God is already present it doth deeply humble itself and is confused by reason of its sins. Also it receiveth much wisdom and divine consolation with great joy.

God showeth Himself in another and more special manner, very different from the foregoing, which likewise giveth joy, but different from the former joy. For here He draweth all the soul unto Himself and worketh many divine things in it, with much greater grace and an unspeakable depth of joy and enlightenment; so that, without any other gifts, this presentation of God is the blessing possessed by saints in the life eternal.

Of the gifts received by saints in the life eternal, however, some have more and some less. But of these it is impossible to speak, as I have already said, because my words are so feeble that they do deface and blaspheme rather than justly describe. I will only say that amongst these gifts is the enlargement of the mind, whereby it becometh more capable of understanding and knowing God; for when He presenteth Himself unto the soul He doth reveal and make Himself manifest, and doth thus enlarge it to receive gifts and sweetness never known before and greater and deeper than hath been described.

Unto the soul (now drawn forth out of all darkness) is then vouchsafed the utmost knowledge of God which I do think could be granted. And it is given with so much clearness, sweetness, and certainty, and hath such depth, that the human heart cannot attain unto it, nor can my heart ever return again to the understanding and knowledge thereof, or to the imagining of aught regarding it, saving only when the supreme God doth vouchsafe unto the soul to be exalted even unto that which the heart can no more reach. Therefore is it not possible to say anything whatsoever concerning it, or to find words wherewith to express it; neither can the imagination or the understanding in any way reach unto it, so immeasurably doth it exceed all things.

Thus do we perceive that by nothing that we can think or say can God be exalted. The Holy Scriptures are so far above us that no man — be he the wisest in all the world and possessing all the knowledge it is possible to have in this life — can fully and perfectly know and understand them; there is none whose intelligence would not be always overcome by them.

Of these most excellent and divine workings in the soul whereby God doth manifest Himself, can man in no wise speak or even stammer. But inasmuch as my soul is ofttimes uplifted to know the divine secrets, I do understand wherefore the Holy Scriptures were written, what they do appear to affirm and deny, that which is easy and that which is difficult, and why some derive no profit from them, and why those who do not observe them are condemned and those who do observe them are saved by them. Thus have I an advantage in knowing these things, and after learning the secrets of God I can speak some few words with certainty; yet are my words outside of those divine and ineffable workings, and in no way do they approach nigh unto them, but rather do they spoil and blaspheme, as I have always said.

Therefore do I say that if all divine consolations, all spiritual joys, all heavenly delights which ever were in this world — if all the saints who have lived from the beginning of the world until now were to expound and show forth God, if all the worldly delights, both good and evil, which ever existed were all to be converted into one good and spiritual joy which should endure until I were made perfect, I would not, even that I might obtain all this, give or exchange even for the space of the twinkling of an eye that joy which I have in the unspeakable manifestation of God.

These things have I spoken that I might in some way instil into the hearts of men the conviction that this unspeakable blessing is infinitely above all those aforesaid things. And I possess it not only for the space of the opening and shutting of an eye, but ofttimes for a good while. In that way do I have it with much effect, but in another way — that is to say, with less effect — do I have it almost continually. And albeit I do feel a little of both grief and joy from without, yet within my soul there is a chamber into which there entereth no sort of grief or joy of any virtue whatsoever, nor anything that can be named or expressed. But into it there entereth that greatest Good, and in that manifestation of God (which I do blaspheme in thus naming it, seeing that I have no word wherewith to speak of it perfectly) lieth the whole truth.

In Him, therefore, do I understand and possess all truth that is in heaven and earth and hell, and in all creatures; and so great is the truth and the certainty that were the whole world to declare the contrary I would not believe it, yea, I should mock at it. For I behold Him who is everything; I perceive how surely in Him are all created things; I likewise perceive how that He hath made me capable of perfectly understanding the aforesaid matters in a way better than there had been until I saw in that great darkness wherein I did so rejoice. For I do behold myself thus alone with God, wholly clean, wholly pure, wholly sanctified, wholly upright, wholly assured, and wholly celestial in Him, and when I am in this state I do remember naught else.

Once when I was in that state, the most high God spake thus unto me: "Daughter of divine wisdom, perfect temple of delight, joy of joys; daughter of true peace, in thee reposeth the Holy Trinity and the whole truth, and thus thou holdest Me and I hold thee."

One of the operations of the soul vouchsafed unto it by our Lord God is that with great rejoicing I do most fully understand how God entereth into the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, together with that most high and noble company. But when I remain outside of that state I do perceive myself to be full of sin, obedient unto sinfulness, unjust, unclean, wholly false and earthly. Nevertheless, I do stay quiet, having in me a divine and constant unction, above all which I have ever felt in all my days.

I came not unto that aforesaid state of mine own self, but I was led and drawn thereunto by God; so that, albeit of mine own self I should not have known how to desire or ask for it, I am now in that state continually. Ofttimes is my soul uplifted of God without my will or consent, and when I am not hoping or thinking to receive aught from Him, my soul is suddenly exalted and dominated by Him. And when thus exalted I understand the whole world and do believe myself in heaven with God instead of upon the earth. This state is far more excellent than any other I have experienced; it is so full of satisfaction, so clear, ennobling, and enlarging that I never felt any other state approaching unto it.

This manifestation of God have I experienced more than a thousand times, and each one was different from the others. Thus once at the Feast of Saint Mary at Candlemas I did have that unspeakable manifestation of God, and whiles that it was being revealed unto the soul, the soul did behold a representation of itself; and it beheld itself more noble and high than it could possibly imagine or understand, and I could not otherwise have believed that either mine own soul or the souls of those in Paradise could be of such nobility. For my soul did then behold itself in such wise that it could not understand itself. If, therefore, the soul which is finite and circumscribed could not comprehend its own self, how much less could it comprehend its Creator who is immense, infinite, and boundless?

Then did my soul present itself before God with the utmost assurance; it had no fear whatsoever, but it went into God's presence with the greatest joy it had ever felt, with a new and most excellent pleasure, in a manner so miraculous, so new and clear that my own soul could never have understood such a thing. At this meeting of my soul with God (when I saw and understood the aforesaid unspeakable manifestation of God), the most high God spake unto me certain words which I do not desire should be written down; and when the soul returned unto itself, it found and retained within itself the consciousness that it could endure all suffering and torment for God's sake, and that by nothing whatsoever that could be done or said could it henceforth be separated from God.

Then did my soul exclaim and say, "Oh, most sweet Lord, who can separate me from Thee?" and I heard a voice make answer that nothing could separate me from Him because of His grace.

All these things did I hear spoken by God in a manner more wondrous than I can describe. It was likewise told me that the aforesaid unspeakable manifestation of God is that Good enjoyed by the saints in the life eternal, and that this Good is naught else save this, but otherwise experienced and so different from the other that the lowest of the saints who hath the least in the life eternal hath yet more than can be given unto any soul before the death of the body.

This is what my soul hath understood in that marvellous manifestation of God.