24. The Flood of Love
It is well for me to thank you, Holy Spirit. It is my belief that you are one Person of the Holy Trinity. Your sweet loving spring waters erase all the suffering of my heart, for they come forth softly out of the Holy Trinity. I beg you, Lord Holy Spirit, to protect me from all malice of the evil spirits with your divine love, so that they not find in me what they are seeking.
25. The Greeting for the Holy Trinity
I, lacking all virtues; I, fragile in my being; if I dare or can, then I shall greet the sublimity, the splendor, the bliss, the wisdom, the nobility, and the wondrous oneness of the Holy Trinity. Out of it has flowed forth immaculate all that was, that is, that ever shall be. There I must one day enter again. How shall that happen? I must crawl back, for I am sinful. I must make amends with good works. I must hurry with faithful diligence. I must fly with the feathers of doves-these are virtues and goodness and a holy frame of mind. I must soar in all things above myself. When I am utterly spent, then I shall enter. How I shall then be received-never has a human eye beheld such a sight; never has a human ear heard it; never could a human tongue describe it.19 Glory to you, Trinity!20
26. How One Should Entreat God in Temptation
Lord Jesus Christ, I, a poor human being, implore you and desire your help, for my enemies are hunting me down. Lord God, I appeal to you, for they want to drive me from you. Lord, almighty Son of God, drive them away from me. Do not deliver me into their power, and keep me pure in you, for you have redeemed me with your suffering. Be now my help and my consolation. Lord, let me not perish, for you willingly died for my sake. Lord Jesus Christ, I seek your help. Awaken my soul from the sleep of my lethargy and illumine my senses from the darkness of my flesh. Accompany me as I travel all my paths to you, as far as is humanly possible, without sin; for your eyes see my failings.
27. How a Religious Person Should Turn His Heart Away from the World
When a person in religious life sees his relatives and dearest friends fashionably dressed and decked out, he indeed needs to be armed with the Holy Spirit so that he not entertain the thought: you could have had such a life. From such a thought his heart becomes so dark and his mind so unreceptive to God and his mouth so sluggish for holy prayer and his soul so completely alienated from God that inwardly he resembles his relatives much more than he does a person in religious life.
28. The Misfortunes of War
I was commanded with a holy seriousness to pray for the troubles now going on in Saxony and Thuringia." When I set about doing this with prayers of praise and petition, our dear Lord did not receive me and remained gravely silent. I had to endure this in loving patience for seventeen days. Then I said to our dear Lord: "0 dear Lord, when is the fortunate hour to come that you want and that I must pray for because of this distress?"
Our Lord then revealed himself to me and said:
Some are in the army out of need and fear. These I shall let be taken prisoner and die, so that they can come to me. Those who are the causes of the war are more horrible in themselves and more fierce in their deeds than if they dared to attack the images in my churches."
Then I saw that eternal death followed those common foot soldiers who robbed and pillaged on the streets. If there were no war, they would be thieves and charlatans. But, as always, the bad people are making the blessed good. Thus must God show his love through suffering. He can win them no other way. Thus did God explain to me the advantages,24 and I know not when or where it shall finally end.
I know this for certain: that I shall gladden the hearts of God's friends. I know this for certain: that no matter what the friends of God suffer, God never forgets them, for he is their help and their consolation in all their troubles. We should fight on accordingly, and suffer willingly in joy. Then we shall sparkle and shine in the sight of God.
29. A Teaching
30. A Prayer When Virgins Receive Their Crown
Receive, Lord, your brides, and approach them with the lilies of pure chastity all their days.
Receive, Lord, your brides, and approach them with the roses of diligent work for a good end.
Receive, Lord, your brides, and approach them with the violets of profound humility and lead them to your bridal bed and, united inseparably with them, embrace them with all love forever. Amen.
31. A Lament
Our Lord:
32. How the Works of a Good Person Shine Forth in Relation to the Works of Our Lord
How the works of a good person shall light up and shine in heavenly honor these words make evident:
To the degree that we have been innocent here, God's holy innocence shall light up and shine into our holy innocence.
To the degree that we perform good works here, God's holy toil shall light up and shine into our holy toil.
To the degree that we possess inwardness here in intimacy with God, God's holy intimacy shall richly light up and send sparks into our holy inwardness.
To the degree that we accept our suffering with gratitude here and bear it with patience, God's holy suffering shall light up and shine into our suffering.
To the degree that we have diligently practiced all virtues here, God's holy virtue shall light up and shine into our virtue with much glory. May this last forevermore.
To the degree that we here burn in love and shine in a holy life, God's love shall burn in our soul and our body unceasingly forever, and never be extinguished.
These counter-illuminations light up and shine forth from the eternal Godhead. We receive these good works from God's holy humanity and perform them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus do our works and our life return to the Holy Trinity. Then it becomes manifest how we are doing here. To the degree that we lead a holy life in divine love here, we shall blissfully soar there in the heights, and to that degree shall the power of love be given us there as a reward, that we receive the power to carry out our whole will, that we are known by the saints as we have been. Thereby shall we be their companions! Amen.
33. A Spiritual Potion
I am sick: I thirst longingly for the health potion that Jesus Christ himself drank. When he, God and man, came into the crib, the potion was ready at hand. He drank so much of it that he became so drunk with the fire of love that with all virtues he endured for us all his intense sufferings. He always bestowed virtue; his goodness never faltered. I long for a health potion. This potion is suffering for love of God.
Suffering is bitter. And so we grind up a spice called "willingly suffer." A second spice is called "patience in suffering." It is also bitter. And so to counter it we grind up another spice called "holy intimacy," which turns patience sweet, as well as all our hard work. A third spice is "to persevere long in suffering," waiting for our eternal life and salvation. This is also very bitter. And so to counter this we grind up a spice called "with joy unflagging."25
Ah, dear Lord, if you would give me this potion, I could live unflagging in suffering with joy. Then I would for a time forgo heaven. So intense is my longing for it. Lord, may you give this potion according to your very dear will, to me and to all those who desire it for love of you.
34. Spiritual Food
After a bitter potion one is certainly in need of tasty food. Rising desire and sinking humility and flowing love-these three maidens bring the soul up to heaven before God. And then she becomes aware of her Lover. She says: "Lord, I make my complaint to you that you are under attack by what is dearest to you on earth; namely, by Christians. Lord, I make my complaint to you that your friends are so seriously hampered by your enemies."
Our Lord: "If they have true goodness, they can transform all that they encounter, except for sin, in a marvelous manner into a valuable dissemination of the word of God." That is why suffering shouts the loudest of all ways of serving God: "Depart from me, for it is better for a person to be unconsoled in accordance with God's will than to be consoled in accordance with his own will." God's will is pure; our will is very much contaminated b
y the flesh. All who inwardly love intensely become outwardly calm, for all outward effort hampers the inward spirit. What the spirit then sings inwardly transcends every earthly voice.
Patience sings most sweetly of all above the angelic choirs, for angels have no patience since they experience no pain. We have this from the humanity of our Lord, but all honor as well by which we are honored by God on earth and shall also be elevated in heaven. Through the noble struggle of our Lord and through his holy suffering our Christian struggle and our suffering, accepted in good spirit, are ennobled and made holy in the same way that all waters have been made holy from the River Jordan, in which our dear Lord was baptized.
Ah, dear Lord, help us that our holy desire may never rest and our sinking humility may never rear up in arrogance. May the flowing fire of the holy love of God be here our purgatory, where all our sins shall be devoured.
35. The Seven Psalms
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I recite these holy seven psalms26 in praise and honor of all your holy suffering in which you wanted to die on the holy cross for my sake. Dearly Beloved, I ask you, when the time comes for you to carry out your command regarding me-that I am to die-may you then come to me as a trustworthy physician to his child; and give me then, Lord, a holy sickness in which I may prepare myself with the proper attitude and with true Christian faith. "Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger."27
I ask, dearest Lord, that you come to me as my very dearest friend in my distress, and bring me then, Lord, such sincere sorrow that all my sins shall be blotted out, so that they shall not sadden me after this life. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven."28
I ask, dearest Lord, that you come as a trustworthy father confessor to his dear friend, and bring me then the true light, the gift of your Holy Spirit, that I might see and know myself in it, and lament all my sins from the heart with such holy hope that my mouth not become bound by all my sins and that I be found pure. And give me then, Lord, your very own body, that I may receive you, Dearest One, with as much love as ever a human heart can. May you remain sustenance for the journey of my lonely soul, so that I, Dearest One, remain your beloved companion with you for life eternal. Amen. "Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger. "29
I ask you, dear Lord, to come to me as a faithful brother to his dear sister, and bring me holy armor with which my soul may prepare herself, so that my enemies cannot harm me when they shall accuse me. May they feel shame for all their efforts directed against me. "Have mercy on me, 0 God."'°
I ask you, Lord, to come to me as a trusted father to his dear child, and watch over my end. When my sinful mouth can no longer speak, then speak to my soul inwardly that you might console her and protect her forever, so that I might feel joy and not sadness. For this I beg you, Lord, through your abundant goodness. Amen. "Hear my prayer, 0 Lord; let my cry come to thee!""
I ask you, Lord, to send me your virgin mother. I cannot do without her. May she then fulfill what I have long desired and defend my poor soul from all her enemies. "Out of the depths I cry to thee, 0 Lord!"32
I ask you, dear youthful Jesus, Child of the pure maiden, to come as my dearest bridegroom and make me rich, as is the custom for noble bridegrooms when they give their brides a handsome morning gift," and receive me on the arm of your love and cover me with the mantle of your long-cherished desire. Blessed am I forevermore when I am then released! If we were to think of this hour often, all our pride would sink to the ground, as he shall then reveal his glorious countenance to us. Then my soul shall have its favorite pastime. What I now painfully long for can never happen on earth as I wish it. "Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, give ear to my supplications.""
36. A Spiritual Convenf5
I begged God to let me know, if it were his will, that I might stop writing. Why? Because I know that I am just as weak and unworthy, and more so, than I was thirty years ago when I was required to begin. Then our Lord showed me a little sack in his hand and said: "I still have healing herbs."
And I said: "Lord, I don't know these herbs at all."
He said: "You shall well recognize them when you see them. With them one shall refresh the sick, strengthen the healthy, awaken the dead, and sanctify the good."
After this I saw a spiritual convent that was constructed of virtues.
37. The Eternal Feast of the Holy Trinity
Whoever in sincere love wishes to prepare himself for the eternal feast of the Holy Trinity has to begin it here. He should obey and serve the heavenly Father constantly in all things with holy fear and humble humility. He should obey and serve his Son in suffering and in patience, with voluntary poverty in holy toil. He should obey and serve the Holy Spirit in holy hope beyond all fear with a joyful heart and an ever-gentle disposition. Then one shall taste his goodness.
Pure loving virgins shall, moreover, follow the noble Youth, Jesus Christ, Child of the pure maiden, who is utterly filled with love, as he was at age eighteen. His Person is the most beloved of the virgins, and he is the most handsome of all. They follow him with bliss-filled tenderness into the blossoming meadow of their pure conscience. There the Youth breaks for them the flower of all virtues from which they fashion garlands that they shall wear to the eternal celebration.
When the fine meal has been enjoyed, which Jesus Christ himself shall serve, one shall look on at the most sublime dance of praise. There soul and body shall wear the garland of their virtues which they have practiced here with great holy devotion. And they shall follow the Lamb in untold bliss'; from bliss to love, from love to joy, from joy to splendor, from splendor to power, from power to the highest heights before the eyes of the heavenly Father.
This is how he greets his only begotten Son and also his many pure brides who have accompanied him: "Ah, dear Son. What you are, I am. What they are fills me withjoy.3$ My dear brides, be joyful forever, rejoice in my eternal purity; let all pain and all suffering softly disappear. My holy angels shall serve you; my saints shall honor you; the mother of my Son's humanity shall be ready with praise for you because you are like her. Rejoice, dear brides, my Son shall embrace you warmly; my Godhead shall permeate you totally; my Holy Spirit shall lead you evermore, all according to your wish, to a delightful feast for your eyes. Could your success ever be greater? I myself shall love you. Those who are not pure virgins shall share and observe and enjoy this feast as far as possible."
After hearing and seeing this with the eyes of my soul in a short time, I was human dust and ashes as I had been before.
38. How a Person in Religious Life Should Daily Lament and Confess His Sins to God
I, a sinful human being, lament and confess to God all the sins of which I am guilty in God's eyes. I confess and lament all the good works that I did not perform. I confess and lament those sins I committed when I did not know what sin was.39 I confess and lament those much worse sins I committed knowingly and maliciously and actively and out of vanity.
Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, for I am truly sorry for them; and give me, Lord, complete certainty that you have forgiven me for all of them. Otherwise, I can find no joy in living. Jesus, dearest Lover of mine, let me approach you in true sorrow and with deep love for you in my heart, and never let me grow cold, so that I constantly feel your intense love in my heart and in my soul and in my five senses and in all my members. Then I can never grow cold.
39. How the Devil Rages and Chases About, Bites, and Gnaws When a Loving Soul That Burns with Divine Love Departs This World
Blessed is the good person that he was ever born who follows God with all the virtues he can possibly attain. His soul will be free in love. At the end of life the holy angels come and receive the pure souls with immeasurable love into the bliss of heaven and lead them off from here and bring them with great praise to God.
The enemies from hell who came there4° will find all their efforts in vain. They had come there filled with hate and rage. When they then realized that they were not going to get their way at all, how they did rage about and chase around! How they
did gnash and gnaw! How they did howl and whine! For they feared the horrible torments that they were going to receive from their masters because they had lost the soul. Thus do they curse at each other:
"You wretch, it was your fault."
"Shut up, mate. I never caught her in great impatience. When I assailed her with evil thoughts, sorrow was always her companion."
"That whispering to her confessors robs us of all our glory. There were a lot more like us to whom she was dearly entrusted. How can we now show up back at court?"
"Woe, master, what were you trying to prove by assigning this person to us? We couldn't discover any big sin in her."
"I often tempted her severely, and then she would start bawling. Me and my mates, we couldn't bring her down. With her weeping she drove me off. With her sighing she singed my hair and burned my claws. I just could never get near her."
"Her obedience was so great; never was it ever equaled. That is how she escaped us fair and square. This was our greatest disadvantage: All her good works burned inside with divine love, for she performed all her good works with good intentions."
And their master says: "Gentlemen, you have come here to court heavily incriminated. I entrusted her to you. The pain I shall impose upon you shall last forever. You shall not spend time among humans, as I would gladly do if I were granted the honor. But now you shall lie with me here in hell. That shall be your punishment. I shall send forth learned scholars to blind the understanding of good people. If we could destroy the great zeal they have for God, we would recover all our honor, the young would follow them, and our tribe would be increased. If only one soul could belong to me that so brightly burns with love of God, I would wear her as a crown and would reward myself for my tenacious efforts. Thus would I have pleasant recompense for my grief."
The Flowing Light of the Godhead Page 26