3 hours ago
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poverty, suffering, and contempt borne by His Son (wherein I was accustomed to find my repose and my bed); also was I withdrawn from that darkness, in the vision of which I had so greatly rejoiced.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.
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.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre