The young man speaks: "Young lady, you have done very well in this dance of praise. You shall have your way with the Son of the virgin, for you are delightfully weary. Come at noontime to the shade of the spring, into the bed of love. There in the coolness you shall refresh yourself with him."
Then the soul speaks to the senses, who are her chamberlains: "Now for a while I am weary of the dance. Leave me; I must go and refresh myself."
And the senses say to the soul: "Lady, if you wish to find refreshing coolness in the love tears of Mary Magdalene, they would certainly soothe you."
[Soul:] "Be still, my lords, you do not understand at all what I mean. Let me be on my own. For a time I want to drink undiluted wine."
[Senses:] "Lady, in the chastity of virgins great love is ready."
"That may be, but it isn't the noblest thing about me."
"In the blood of the martyrs you can cool yourself very well."
"I have been martyred so many times that I can't go there now."
"In the counsel of confessors the pure happily dwell."
"I shall always need counsel about what to do and what not to do; and yet I can't go there just now."
"In the wisdom of the apostles you will find much security."
"I have wisdom with me here. This shall always guide me to choose for the best."
"Lady, the angels are radiant and of love's color. If you wish to refresh yourself, rise up to them."
"The angels' bliss pains me in my love if I am not gazing upon their Lord and my Bridegroom."
"Then refresh yourself in the holy austere life that God granted to John the Baptist."
"The suffering I'm ready to bear, and yet the force of love transcends all austerity."
"Lady, if you want to refresh yourself in love, bow down to the small Child in the lap of the eternal virgin; and taste and see how the Joy of the angels sucked the unnatural milk."58
"That is child's love, that one suckle and rock a baby. I am a full-grown bride. I want to go to my Lover."
Then the bride of all delights goes to the Fairest of lovers in the secret chamber of the invisible Godhead. There she finds the bed and the abode of love prepared by God in a manner beyond what is human. Our Lord speaks:
Dear friend of God, I have written for you this path of love. May God infuse it into your heart! Amen.
45. The Eight Days in Which What the Prophets Longed For Was Accomplished53
46. The Diverse Adornments of the Bride; How She Comes to Her Bridegroom; and How the Retinue Is Composed, Which Is Ninefold
The bride is clothed with the sun and has trodden the moon underfoot, and she is crowned with union.64 She has a chaplain; this is fear. He has in his hand a golden rod; this is wisdom. The chaplain is clothed with the blood of the lamb and is crowned with honor; and wisdom is clothed with contentment and crowned with eternity. The bride has four bridesmaids. The first is love, who leads the bride. She is clothed with chasteness and is crowned with dignity. The second is humility, who holds the bride. She is clothed with lowliness and is crowned with eminence. The third bridesmaid is sorrow. She is clothed with small grapes65 and is crowned with joy. The fourth bridesmaid is mercy. She is clothed with unguents" and is crowned with bliss. These two carry the coat of the bride, which is her holy reputation.
She has a bishop, which is faith. He brings the bride before the bridegroom. The bishop is clothed in precious stones and is crowned with the Holy Spirit. The bishop has two knights. The one is might and is clothed with battle and is crowned with victory. The other is daring and is clothed with boldness and crowned with all blessedness.
She has a chamberlain. That is watchfulness. He is clothed with constancy and is crowned with persistence. He carries a light before the bride and from behind her train. The light is understanding. It is clothed with insight and is crowned with generosity. The train is a holy conscience. It is clothed with good intention and is crowned with God's approval. She has a cupbearer, which is longing. He is clothed with desire and is crowned with peace. She has a minstrel who is amiability. His harp is intimacy. He is clothed with favor and crowned with help.
The bride has five kingdoms. The first are her eyes. They are founded in tears and adorned with restraint. The second are thoughts. They are founded in struggle and are adorned with good counsel. The third is speaking. It is founded in usefulness and is adorned with trust. The fourth is hearing. It is founded in the word of God and is adorned with consolation. The fifth is touch. It is founded in strength and is adorned with noble habit. These five kingdoms have an overseer. This is guilt. He is clothed with confession and crowned with penance. She has a judge. He is clothed with discipline and crowned with patience.
The bride has a beast of burden. This is the body. It is bridled with worthlessness: contempt is its fodder and its stable is confession. The pack it carries is innocence. The bride has a crimson silk cloth, which is hope. It is clothed with truth and crowned with song. She has a palm in her hand, which is victory over sin. In her other hand she has a canister that is full of longing and love. This she wants to bring to her Lover. She is wearing a hat of peacock feathers, which are her good name on earth and high honor in heaven. She follows a path, which is meekness. This is clothed with honey and crowned with safety.
And he gives her a crown of truth that no one may wear but religious people." On the crown one sees four virtues: wisdom and sorrow, longing and perseverance. May God give us all this crown! Amen.
1. Love Brings Elevation to the Soul, Not Inhuman Toil; That Comes from Self-Will
he elevation of the soul comes about in love, and the glory of the body comes about in holy Christian baptism. There is no elevation beyond that of love, and outside Christianity there is no glory. For this reason they make great fools of themselves who imagine that they are scaling the heights with loathsome, inhuman toils,' even though their hearts are full of rancor. They are entirely lacking in holy, humble virtues that guide the soul to God. False holiness likes to hide where self-will holds sway in a heart.
2. Two Songs of Love of Him Who Was Seen in Love
The Holy Spirit said to the soul: "Ah, noble maiden, make ready; your Lover is about to come." This startled her, and she was inwardly glad and said: "Oh, dear messenger, if it would only happen! I am so worthless and so utterly faithless that I can never find rest apart from my Lover. Whenever I find that my love for him is growing cold I am utterly in torment, but resolve to follow him in sorrow."
The messenger said: "You must tidy up and wash. Prepare the bed and scatter flowers."
The lonely soul said:
3. The Tongue of the Godhead, the Light of Truth, the Four Rays of God Shining into the Nine Choirs, the Trinity, and St. Mary
The great tongue of the Godhead has spoken many a mighty word to me. I took them in with the feeble ears of my lowliness; and the brightest of lights opened up to the eyes of my soul. In it I saw the indescribable order and recognized the inexpressible glory, the incomprehensible marvel, the special intimacy with separation,' complete fulfillment, the greatest concentration in knowledge, bliss with interruption' in proportion to the capacities of the faculties, unadulterated joy in the common union, and the ever vibrant life in eternity as it is now and ever shall be.
There also four beams were visible that shot forth continuously from the crossbow of the Holy Trinity from the divine throne through the nine choirs.} There is no one, however rich or poor, whom the beam does not strike lovingly. The beam of the Godhead shoots incomprehensible light through them. Loving humanity greets them in fraternal company. The Holy Spirit touches them with the flood of the marvelous abundance of eternal bliss. Undivided God feeds them with the shimmer of his glorious countenance and fills them with the joyful breath of his flowing mouth. They glide effortlessly, as birds in the air do when not moving their wings, and they fly wherever they want, body and soul, and yet they remain separate in their own order.
Also visible was that same glorious vessel in w
hich Christ dwelt in body and soul for nine months, as she shall always remain, but as yet without the great adornment that the heavenly Father shall give to the bodies of the blessed on the last day. Our Lady will be without it as long as the earth floats on the sea. One saw how beautifully our Lady stood at the throne to the left hand of the heavenly Father, revealed in all her maidenly being; and how her human body is bathed and formed in the noble light of the soul of our Lady; and how her lovely uncovered breasts are so full of sweet milk that drops flow forth in honor of the heavenly Father and as a favor to humankind, so that man might be perfect above all creatures. The noble princes, the archangels, are so utterly amazed that other princes, who are human, have ascended above them, that it is praiseworthy that evidence of our perfection is there.'
On the right hand of our Lord stands Jesus, our Redeemer, with his open wounds bloody and unbandaged, ready to prevail over the Father's justice that severely threatens many a sinner. As long as sinning continues on earth, Christ's wounds shall be open: bloody, but not painful. But after judgment Christ shall put on such a garment as has never been seen, unless God revealed it, but this did not happen. Then the sweet wounds shall heal, as though a rose petal had been placed on the spot of the wound. One will then see the scars turned bright red-love's color; and they will never fade. Then the uncreated God shall make new all his creatures, so new that they can never grow old.
Now my German fails me; I do not know Latin. If there is something of merit here, it is not my doing; for there never was a dog so nasty that it would not come if its master coaxed it with a white breakfast roll.
4. The Poor Girl, the Mass ofJohn the Baptist, the Transformation of the Host into the Lamb, the Beauty of the Angels, Four Kinds of Sanctified People, and the Golden Penny
How useful it is for a person to have good will, even though she cannot perform good works. This was revealed by our Lord to a poor girl when she could not go to mass because unfortunately she was not well enough for his service. Thus did she speak to God: "Alas, my dear Lord, am I going to be without mass today?"
While she was in this state of longing, God took away all her earthly senses and brought her miraculously into a beautiful church. She found no one inside. She thought to herself: Oh, you poor lazy thing, you've come too late. That you got up just now isn't going to do you any good here. Then she saw a young man come in carrying a bunch of white flowers. He spread them beneath the tower and went away.' Then another youth came carrying a bunch of violets, which he spread in the middle of the church. Then a third youth came carrying a bunch of roses, which he spread decorously before the altar of our Lady. Then a fourth came carrying a bunch of white lilies and spread them in the choir.' When they had done this, they bowed reverently and went away. These youths were so noble and so beautiful to behold that, if a person could really see them, human bodily suffering could never be so great that all the suffering would not disappear. Then two school boys in white garments entered carrying two lights. They placed them on the altar. Then they withdrew properly and remained in the choir.
Then a fairly tall man came in, quite gaunt but not old. His clothes were so tattered that arms and legs showed through. He carried a white lamb on his breast and two cruets$ in his grasp. He went to the altar, placed the lamb on it, and bowed lovingly toward it. This was John the Baptist, who was going to sing the mass. Then a young man entered, quite delicate in his bearing, carrying an eagle on his breast. That was John the Evangelist. Then a simple man, St. Peter, entered. Then a strapping young man entered carrying a bunch of vestments, which the three men put on. Then a great throng came in. It was the mighty court of heaven that filled the church so full that the poor girl could not find a place where she might remain.
So she went back and stood beneath the tower, where she found a group of people dressed in white who did not have any hair. Instead, they wore simple crowns on their heads. These were those people who had not lived according to the law. They lack the ornament of hair, which is good works. How, then, did they get into heaven? By sorrow and good will at the hour of death. Farther away she saw people more beautiful, clothed in violet-colored garments. They were adorned with the lovely hair of virtue and crowned with God's law. She found people more beautiful still who were clothed in rose-colored garments. They wore the beautiful symbol of widows and the crown of freely chosen chastity.
The poor girl was wretchedly clothed and was physically ill. She was not able to remain in any of the three groups. So she went and stood in front of the choir and looked in to where our dear Lady was standing on the highest level. St. Catherine, Cecilia, bishops, martyrs, angels, and a large number of virgins were there. The poor thing looked at this imposing throng and then looked at herself. Did she dare stay there in her wretched condition? Suddenly she was wearing a deep red mantle woven out of love in proportion to the ardor of her faculties for God and all good things. The mantle was decorated with gold and also with a song that went: "I would willingly die of love."' She saw that she was like a noble maiden and wore on her head a garland of splendid gold. On it was inscribed another song that went:
And her countenance resembled that of the angels. "Alas, foul puddle that I am, what is happening to me? Unfortunately I am not nearly as blessed as I saw myself there."
All who were in the choir looked at her with a friendly smile. Our Lady motioned to her that she should stand above Catherine. She went and stood next to our dear Lady, for it could indeed rarely happen that she might address and behold God's mother: "Oh, dear and noble Lady!" She considered it a great favor that the lowly crow might stand next to the turtledove. All who were in the choir were clothed in radiant gold and enveloped in soaring bliss, brighter than the sun.
Then the mass began thus: Let us all rejoice in the Lord." As often as our Lady was mentioned, she genuflected," while the others just bowed, because God had given her the greatest honor. Then the wretched girl who had come to mass said: "Oh, Lady, may I receive the body of God since there are no dangers here?" The mother of God said: "Certainly, dear child, make your confession." Then the queen of heaven signaled to John the Evangelist. He went out and heard the confession of the sinful girl. She asked him to tell her how long she would live. John said: "I am not permitted to tell you. God does not want me to. For if it were to be a long time, you might in your great sadness fall into deep depression. But if the time were to be short, you might in the sadness of your heart fall into a desire to live a long time."
Then John went to read the gospel, the Liber generationis.12 The poor girl said to our Lady: "Should I make an offering?" Our Lady said: "Yes, if you do not intend to take it back from him again." The poor girl said: "Dear Lady, you must give me this favor from God." Our Lady said: "Then take this golden penny your self-will-and offer it to my glorious Son in all things." With good manners and in holy fear the little maid took the large penny. She examined what image had been struck on the penny. On it was Christ being taken down from the cross. On the back was the whole court of heaven with the nine choirs and God's throne above. Then the voice of God spoke to her: "If you are offering me this penny with the intention of never taking it back again, then I will take you down from the cross and take you to me into my kingdom."
After that, the same priest, who had been ordained by the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb,13 celebrated a low mass. When he took the white host in his hands, the lamb, which was standing on the altar, got up and, at the words under the signs of his hand,14 joined itself to the host and the host to the lamb in such a way that I no longer saw the host, but only a bleeding lamb hanging from a red cross. It looked at us with such sweet eyes that I shall never, ever forget it. Then the poor girl begged our Lady thus: "Dear Mother, ask your glorious Son that he deign to give himself to me, wretched though I be." And she saw that a radiant beam shined forth from the mouth of our Lady onto the altar and touched the lamb with her prayer, so that God himself spoke out of the lamb: "Mother, I shall willingly put myself in the place you desire
." The poor girl approached the altar with great love and an open soul. St. John took the white lamb with its red wounds and placed it between her teeth in her mouth. Then the pure lamb lay down onto its own image in her stable15 and began to suckle from her heart with its sweet mouth. The more it suckled, the more she gave it.
[Now the person to whom this happened is dead and gone beyond. May God help us that we might behold her in the company of the angels.] 16
5. A Song of the Soul About Five Things, and How God Is a Garment of the Soul and the Soul of God
6. God's Singing Response in the Soul in Five Things
7. In Suffering Praise God; Then He Will Appear to You. The Two Golden Chalices of Suffering and Consolation
I, sinful, lazy creature, was supposed to pray once; and God acted as though he did not want to give me any kind of favor. I wanted to give myself over to deep sadness because of the weakness of my flesh, which seemed to me to be an obstacle to spiritual pleasure. "No!" said my soul. "Keep in mind all his faithfulness and praise your Lord thus: `Gloria in excelsis deo. "'20
As I thus praised, a great light appeared to my soul, and in this light God revealed himself in great majesty and indescribable brightness. Our Lord held two golden chalices in his hands that were both full of living wine. In his left hand was the red wine of suffering, and in his right hand the white wine of sublime consolation. Then our Lord spoke: "Blessed are those who drink this red wine. Although I give both out of divine love, the white wine is nobler in itself; but noblest of all are those who drink both the white and the red."
8. Of Purgatory; a Person Freed a Thousand Souls from It with the Tears of Love
A person should pray very simply and with great intensity to God in heaven for the poor souls. Once God showed her21 the horrible purifying fire and the kinds of torment in it as varied as the sins punished there. This person's spirit was so fiercely moved that she embraced the whole of purgatory in her arms. She carried on caringly and pleaded lovingly. Then God spoke from heaven: "Stop that now! Don't inflict pain on yourself! You are making it too hard for yourself." The spirit lamented: "Alas, dear Lord, then free some of them!" Our Lord said: "How many of them do you want?" The spirit said: "Lord, as many as I am able to make reparation for in your goodness." Our Lord said: "Then take a thousand and lead them wherever you wish." Then, black, fiery, slimy, burning, bloody, stinking they rose out of the suffering. Again the person's spirit spoke: "Alas, my dear Lord, what is going to happen to these poor ones now? With such disfigurement they can never enter your kingdom." Then God inclined himself exceedingly low beneath his nobility and said something that serves to give much comfort to us sinners: "You should bathe them in the tears of love that now flow from the eyes of your body." Then there appeared a large round lake. They arose in unison and bathed in love, bright as the sun. The person's spirit felt indescribable joy and said: "Praised be you, dear Lord, by all creatures forever. Now they are suited for you in your kingdom." Then our Lord bowed to them from on high and placed the crown of love on them, which had freed them from thence, and he said: "You shall wear this crown forever so that all those in my kingdom might know that you were redeemed by tears of love nine years before your allotted time."
The Flowing Light of the Godhead Page 8