6 hours ago
Instruction and Consolation Received from God Concerning Her Tribulations
Once I besought God that He would give me something of Himself, and He made for me the sign of the Cross. Then I prayed Him that He would show me who were His best beloved sons. Wherefore, amongst other things, was this example immediately told unto me:
"Let us suppose that there was a man who had many dear friends whom he had bidden unto a feast prepared with great care and diligence. If it should happen, now, that many of those who were bidden refused to come, dost thou not think that he would grieve for those who came not, seeing that he had abundantly and with great cost prepared the feast, and that he would receive those who did come with great honour? And is there any doubt but that, amongst those who were all joyfully received, there were not some more familiarly loved, whom he placed near unto himself at table, eating with them out of the same dish and drinking with them from the same cup?"
With great joy in my soul I then asked: "Oh Lord, when Thou biddest all, do Thou tell me more fully of the difference."
And He answered: "I have bidden all unto the life eternal and preparations have been made for all, and none can excuse himself for that he hath not been asked. But of all who were bidden only few come and are given places at the table." And He gave me to understand that He Himself was the table, and not only the table, but the food likewise.
I did also ask by what way were those come who were come, and it was immediately told me by the way of tribulation, such as the virgins, the chaste, the poor, the sick, and the patient, with many others who had suffered tribulation and were destined unto salvation.
Understanding thus the reasoning and explanation, every word did greatly delight me. Yet all had He bidden and all did He equally call His children. In these words was it notified unto me that virginity, poverty, sickness, loss of children and possessions and other temporal goods, and finally that all tribulations were sent by God unto His children for their good, albeit at that time they did not know this and could not understand it. For this reason there were many greatly troubled in the beginning, but afterwards, like true sons, they endured everything with patience and thanksgiving.
Such are those who most commonly attain unto eternal life, nor is there any other way. But those who are bidden unto the special table, whom God maketh to eat out of the same dish and drink out of the same cup with Himself, are those who desire and strive to know who is this good Father and Lord who hath bidden them to the feast, and who seek to please Him by the imitation of His most holy Cross and by voluntarily taking upon themselves poverty, contempt, ignominy and affliction. For unto such sons as these doth God send many tribulations, the which are sent unto them as an especial grace in order that they may eat out of one dish with Him. "For at that table," said Christ, "I was called to drink the cup of the shameful Passion, which was made sweet unto Me through your love, although it was of itself exceeding hard and bitter."
Recognising this grace and mercy, therefore, albeit they do find the tribulations bitter, these sons do nevertheless esteem them supremely sweet because of the love, grace, honour and worthiness contained therein. Therefore are they now not afflicted by their troubles, and the greater their tribulations the more delighted are they and the closer do they feel themselves unto God. Wherefore do I say and affirm that the children of God do feel the divine sweetness mingled with persecutions, tribulations, and penances, all of which was set forth unto me in the aforesaid preaching. Countless times have I experienced this, and I could not reveal or declare the sweetness I felt or the tears of exceeding great joy that I shed when I was troubled or reviled by my brethren, my friends, or my kindred.
During a time of great sickness, as I was lying very weak, there did again appear unto me God made Man, Jesus Christ the Consoler, and methought that He had great compassion on me and said unto me: "I am come to serve thee." The service which He rendered me was to stand before my bed, showing Himself to be so pleasing and so gracious that it is a thing wholly unspeakable. And I beheld Him more clearly with the eyes of my mind than it is possible to behold any person with the eyes of the body, and so great was my joyfulness and supreme delight that it can in no wise be expressed or declared, because it is wholly ineffable.
Again, upon a certain Holy Thursday I said unto my companion: "Let us seek Jesus Christ the Crucified, and let us go unto the hospital, for perchance we shall find Him amongst those poor, suffering and afflicted ones." So we took the cloths we wore upon our heads (not having aught else), and giving them unto the servant of the hospital, we bade her sell them and with the money buy something for the poor of the hospital to eat. And albeit she feared to do it, telling us that we should cause ourselves to be reviled, yet because of our great importunity she went and sold those poor little cloths and purchased fish with the money, unto which we did add the bread which had been given unto us for the love of God for our own sustenance. After this we washed the feet of the poor women and the hands of the men, but especially those of a leper which were all putrefied and spoiled and full of corruption. Afterwards we did drink the water wherewith we had washed him, and that drink was so sweet unto us that we tasted of its sweetness all the way as we returned until we arrived at this place. And because a scale from those sores had got into my throat I endeavoured to swallow it as though I had received it in communion; and at last I did swallow it, and I found it to be so sweet that I can in no wise describe it.
This have I told, because although man is troubled in the beginning by the penances, afflictions and tribulations he has accepted of God, yet doth he at last find exceeding great consolation therein.
Once I besought God that He would give me something of Himself, and He made for me the sign of the Cross. Then I prayed Him that He would show me who were His best beloved sons. Wherefore, amongst other things, was this example immediately told unto me:
"Let us suppose that there was a man who had many dear friends whom he had bidden unto a feast prepared with great care and diligence. If it should happen, now, that many of those who were bidden refused to come, dost thou not think that he would grieve for those who came not, seeing that he had abundantly and with great cost prepared the feast, and that he would receive those who did come with great honour? And is there any doubt but that, amongst those who were all joyfully received, there were not some more familiarly loved, whom he placed near unto himself at table, eating with them out of the same dish and drinking with them from the same cup?"
With great joy in my soul I then asked: "Oh Lord, when Thou biddest all, do Thou tell me more fully of the difference."
And He answered: "I have bidden all unto the life eternal and preparations have been made for all, and none can excuse himself for that he hath not been asked. But of all who were bidden only few come and are given places at the table." And He gave me to understand that He Himself was the table, and not only the table, but the food likewise.
I did also ask by what way were those come who were come, and it was immediately told me by the way of tribulation, such as the virgins, the chaste, the poor, the sick, and the patient, with many others who had suffered tribulation and were destined unto salvation.
Understanding thus the reasoning and explanation, every word did greatly delight me. Yet all had He bidden and all did He equally call His children. In these words was it notified unto me that virginity, poverty, sickness, loss of children and possessions and other temporal goods, and finally that all tribulations were sent by God unto His children for their good, albeit at that time they did not know this and could not understand it. For this reason there were many greatly troubled in the beginning, but afterwards, like true sons, they endured everything with patience and thanksgiving.
Such are those who most commonly attain unto eternal life, nor is there any other way. But those who are bidden unto the special table, whom God maketh to eat out of the same dish and drink out of the same cup with Himself, are those who desire and strive to know who is this good Father and Lord who hath bidden them to the feast, and who seek to please Him by the imitation of His most holy Cross and by voluntarily taking upon themselves poverty, contempt, ignominy and affliction. For unto such sons as these doth God send many tribulations, the which are sent unto them as an especial grace in order that they may eat out of one dish with Him. "For at that table," said Christ, "I was called to drink the cup of the shameful Passion, which was made sweet unto Me through your love, although it was of itself exceeding hard and bitter."
Recognising this grace and mercy, therefore, albeit they do find the tribulations bitter, these sons do nevertheless esteem them supremely sweet because of the love, grace, honour and worthiness contained therein. Therefore are they now not afflicted by their troubles, and the greater their tribulations the more delighted are they and the closer do they feel themselves unto God. Wherefore do I say and affirm that the children of God do feel the divine sweetness mingled with persecutions, tribulations, and penances, all of which was set forth unto me in the aforesaid preaching. Countless times have I experienced this, and I could not reveal or declare the sweetness I felt or the tears of exceeding great joy that I shed when I was troubled or reviled by my brethren, my friends, or my kindred.
During a time of great sickness, as I was lying very weak, there did again appear unto me God made Man, Jesus Christ the Consoler, and methought that He had great compassion on me and said unto me: "I am come to serve thee." The service which He rendered me was to stand before my bed, showing Himself to be so pleasing and so gracious that it is a thing wholly unspeakable. And I beheld Him more clearly with the eyes of my mind than it is possible to behold any person with the eyes of the body, and so great was my joyfulness and supreme delight that it can in no wise be expressed or declared, because it is wholly ineffable.
Again, upon a certain Holy Thursday I said unto my companion: "Let us seek Jesus Christ the Crucified, and let us go unto the hospital, for perchance we shall find Him amongst those poor, suffering and afflicted ones." So we took the cloths we wore upon our heads (not having aught else), and giving them unto the servant of the hospital, we bade her sell them and with the money buy something for the poor of the hospital to eat. And albeit she feared to do it, telling us that we should cause ourselves to be reviled, yet because of our great importunity she went and sold those poor little cloths and purchased fish with the money, unto which we did add the bread which had been given unto us for the love of God for our own sustenance. After this we washed the feet of the poor women and the hands of the men, but especially those of a leper which were all putrefied and spoiled and full of corruption. Afterwards we did drink the water wherewith we had washed him, and that drink was so sweet unto us that we tasted of its sweetness all the way as we returned until we arrived at this place. And because a scale from those sores had got into my throat I endeavoured to swallow it as though I had received it in communion; and at last I did swallow it, and I found it to be so sweet that I can in no wise describe it.
This have I told, because although man is troubled in the beginning by the penances, afflictions and tribulations he has accepted of God, yet doth he at last find exceeding great consolation therein.
"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