Very deep, devotional and loving thoughts expressed and compiled in this Marian Creed of Saint Gabriel, truly showing the immense Greatness, Love, Power and Might of the Blessed Virgin Mary – as expressed through the writings of the Saints.
Also some Revelations of Saint Bridget added at the end showing the immense Greatness, Power, Beauty, Grace, Joy and Delight for the elect through the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
Marian Creed of Saint
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
I
believe, as it was revealed to St. Matilda “that all you heard, you
heard prudently, and with great thankfulness, and held yourself to be
above no-one.” And with the blessed St. Elizabeth I hold firmly
that “you held yourself of little value and unworthy of the grace
of God.”
I
believe, O Mother of my joy, as you revealed to St. Bridget “that
you merited to be the Mother of God because you regarded nothing you
possessed and nothing that you were came from yourself alone.”
I
believe that your divine motherhood was hidden from St. Joseph out of
your humility, until that time when it was necessary for it to be
revealed.
You
served St. Elizabeth and always gave yourself the last place.
I
believe, as was told to St. Bridget, “that those amongst you held
the same lowly view of you as yourself because you thought and held
that nothing you had or were came from you and so in no way gave
yourself glory but only the Divine Benefactor and Creator.”
And
I confess with St. Bernadine that there is no creature whose humility
compares with yours and that in the world there is nothing to compare
with even the smallest degree of your humility.
I
believe that if all in the earth and sky were placed in the fire of
love which you burned towards God that they would be consumed in an
instant, and that even all the ardour of the seraphim cannot be
compared to it.
I
believe that you alone perfectly fulfilled the precept “You shall
love the Lord your God”, that you surpassed all men and all angels
in your love of God, from the first moment of your life, and even the
blessed seraphim learn how to love God from your heart.
I
believe with St. Bonaventure, that you were filled with a divine fire
that never lost its spark and that, as it was revealed to St. Bridget
“you did not think of anything but God, nor did anything please you
but God.”
I
believe with Suarez, Rupert, St. Bernadine, and St. Ambrose that
“whilst your body rested, the spirit kept watch”. And that to you
sleep seemed to impede the love of God, whence to you applies “I
sleep, but my heart is awake” (Canticle of Canticles 5:2). And that
whilst on earth you continuously loved God, that you did nothing that
you knew would not be to His joy, and that you were full of all
charity “as much as could be possible for a pure creature”, in
such a way that “you struck the divine heart and seized him”.
I
believe that your love for neighbour was so great that there neither
was, nor ever shall be, one who has loved as much as you and thus
there is no creature in the world [to be compared to you].
And
that if one united all the love that all the mothers of the world
have ever carried for their children, of all wives for their husbands
and of all saints and angels for their devotees, it does not even
reach the love you have for but one soul and that the love all
mothers have for their sons is a mere shadow of the love you have for
us.
I
say of you with St. Augustine: “Heaven itself was opened by your
faith, when you gave your ‘fiat’ to the angel of the
Annunciation.”
I
believe with Suarez that you have more faith than all men and angels,
and that “though the disciples doubted, you did not doubt;
therefore with St. Cyril I call you “sceptre of the orthodox
faith”.
I
believe that you are the “Mother of Holy Hope” and the model of
confidence in God.
You
were the most mortified of all beings: I believe what St. Epiphanius
and the Damascene tell me, that you were mortified particularly in
the eyes whose gaze you kept always to the ground and refused to fix
them on anything.
I
believe what you revealed to blessed St. Elizabeth, that you achieved
no virtue without toil and prayer.
I
believe what you told St. Bridget, that “whenever possible you
chose to bear indignities, and you kept no extra clothes for yourself
and ate only a little food.” I believe that you “regarded the
riches of this world as nothing more than mud”.
I
believe firmly that you chose to be poor.
I
believe, as you revealed to St. Bridget, “that you are the Queen of
Heaven, the Mother of Mercy, the Guide of the Just and the Way by
which sinners return to God.” And that “nobody is so unfortunate
that he lives without your mercy” and that “nobody is so rejected
by God that, having called upon your name, he will not then return to
God who will have mercy, but he who does not approach your mercy will
ever be miserable”.
I
believe that you are the mother of all men, and in the person of St.
John you received all as your children, according to the will of
Jesus.
I
believe that you are, as you told St. Bridget, “the mother of
all sinners who hope to amend their ways”, and that you
intercede for the sinful soul, saying ‘Have mercy on me!’”
I
believe that you are our life, “and after God, the one hope of
sinners”, as St. Augustine said.
I
believe of you what you showed St. Gertrude; with your open mantle
many find refuge; lions, bears, tigers and that you not only seek out
sinners, but with great pity you welcome and caress them.
Through
you we receive the inestimable gift of holy perseverance: “following
you I will not deviate, praying to you I will not despair, if you
remain I shall not fall, if you protect me I shall have no fear, with
you as my guide I shall not tire, you shall keep watch over me until
I come to you.” (St. Bernard)
You
are the hope of Christians, and their help, especially in death, for
as you told St. Bridget “you go as a mother to meet them in death
because there you give them consolation and relief.” And that “you
will not” as you told to St. John of God, “you will not abandon
your devotees in the hour of death.”
You
are the hope of all, especially sinners, you are “the City of
Refuge” and especially those deprived of all hope.
You
are the “protector of the condemned, the hope of the despairing”,
and as St. Bridget heard Jesus say of you “even the devils ask your
mercy humbly”. “You do not abhor the sinner, no matter how
offensive he be, if he raises only a sigh to you.” Of you I say
with St. Bernard, “You raise the pitiful from the abyss of
despair”.
I
believe that you wish to help all those who invoke you, and that you
are “the salvation of those who invoke you”, and that “your
love to do good to us is greater than our desire to receive it”.
I
believe, as you revealed to St. Gertrude, that you soon open wide
your mantle to welcome those who have recourse to you, and that the
angels hasten to protect your clients from the furies of hell. You
protect those who seek you, and even when we do not quickly call upon
your name “you hasten to our aid”.
I
believe, as you revealed to St. Bridget, that “demons at once
leave the soul when they hear the name of Mary”.
I
confess with S. Girolamo, Epiphanius, Anthony and others that your
name descended from heaven itself and was given to you by order of
the divine.
I
believe with St. Anthony of Padua that in your name is the same
sweetness that St. Bernard found in the name of Jesus: “Your name O
Mary is joy to the heart, honey to the lips, music to the ears”.
I
believe that after the name of Jesus “there is no other name by
which men receive such grace, such hope, such consolation”.
And
with St. Bonaventure I confess that “your name cannot be invoked
without great spiritual advantage”.
And
I believe what you told St. Bridget, that “that there is no-one in
this life who is so cold toward the love of God, that if he called
upon your name with the will to repent, the devil would be able to
remain with him”.
I
believe that your intercession is morally necessary for salvation,
and that all the graces of God come through your hands, and that all
of the mercies which are dispensed to men, all of them come through
you, and that “no-one enters into heavens who has not first passed
through you to come to that heavenly gate.”
I
believe that your intercession is not only useful, but morally
necessary.
I
believe that you are the co-operator of our justification, “the
restorer of men, the authoress of the salvation of mankind, the
restorer of all the human family, the co-helper of redemption, the
saviouress of the world”, that all those who are not received into
this ship [Mary] will be lost in the sea of this world, and thus I
believe that “no-one enters through the door of salvation unless
you open it to them”, and that “nobody is saved except through
you”.
I
believe that “God has decided to concede nothing, except through
you”, that “our salvation lies in your hands” and that “those
who are without your aid are like those trying to fly without wings”.
I
believe also that “it would be fruitless to pray to other saints
without your help”; and that “whilst all can obtain with you, you
can obtain without all”; and that “if you be silent no-one will
lend their aid, none pray, but if you pray, all will come to help and
intercede.”
And
finally I say of you with St. Thomas that you are “all the hope of
life”, and of you I say with St. Augustine “I confess that you
are alone and unique as our intercessor in heaven”.
I
believe that you are the treasurer of Jesus and that “no-one
receives anything from God, except through you”, and that “in
you can be found every good”.
I
say with St. Bernadine of Siena that “of all the favours concede by
God in the old covenant I do not doubt that the greatest of all was
given to you alone” (not excluding Jesus).
I
believe that “one breath of yours contains more suffrage than all
the saints put together” and I confess with St. John Damascene that
“in truth you can save anyone”.
I
believe that as an advocate you do not refuse to defend even the
cause of the most miserable.
I
say to you with St. Andrew of Crete “Hail, O Divine Reconciliatrix
of men”. And with St. Germanus “there is no end to your
patronage”.
You
recognise the love between sinners and God, and I believe you are the
Most Sweet, created by God to capture men, and especially sinners, to
turn them back to Him, as He revealed to St. Catherine of Siena; and
thus “as the magnet draws iron, in the same way you attract hard
hearts”, as you told St. Bridget.
You
are always on guard to sympathise and succour our miseries, thus I
call you with St. Epiphanius “Most Attentive”, and this is
confirmed in what St. Bridget heard Jesus ask of you “Mother, tell
me, what do you desire?” and you replied “I ask compassion for
the miserable”.
I
believe in the intrinsic mercy of your maternal nature, that the
pilgrimage you made on this earth to the poor is exceeded in
greatness now that you reign in heaven, in the same way that the sun
exceeds the moon in splendour, as St. Bonaventure tells me.
And
that since the celestial bodies are illuminated by the sun, so then
there is not anyone in the world who, through you, does not share in
the divine mercy, as you revealed to St. Bridget.
Also
I believe with St. Bonaventure that “You are offended, O Lady, not
only by those who injure you, but also by those who do not pray to
you”.
And
the same saint persuades me that “whomsoever excels in paying you
homage will be far from perdition” and I believe with St. Hilary
that “Though one be even a great sinner, if they are devoted to you
they will not perish for eternity.”
And
I say with St. Bonaventure: “he who neglects you will die in his
sins. He who does not invoke you in this life will not enter the
Kingdom of Heaven; for those from whom you withdraw your glace, there
is no hope of salvation”.
I
believe with Anselm that “he for whom you once prayed will not be
lost forever”.
And
that devotion to you is a sure sign of salvation, that God does not
grant this grace except to those whom he wishes to save, as the
Damascene assures me.
And
I conclude with St. Anthony “It is impossible for those to be saved
from whom you turn away your face, for it is necessary in order to be
saved and glorified that you have your gaze fixed on us, for you are
our sponsor.”
I
believe, as you already revealed to St. Bridget, that you are the
mother of all the souls in purgatory, that the pain which they
merited by faults they committed in this life, are in some way
mitigated by your prayers.
Gladly
therefore I say of you with St. Alphonsus, “happy and fortunate are
your devotees as St. Bernadine assures us that ‘you free from the
torments of purgatory in a particular way, those who have been
devoted to you.’” St. Bridget confirms this with what she heard
Jesus say to you “You are my mother, you are the Mother of
Mercy, the consolation of all souls in purgatory.”
I
believe that you, being about to enter into paradise, without a doubt
obtained permission to take with you all the souls which you found
then in purgatory.
I
believe also, as you promised to Pope John XXII, that those who are
enrolled in the Brown Scapular will be delivered by you from
purgatory, on the Saturday after their death. But how happy are your
devoted clients “for whom you shall open the gates of heaven.”
You are “the entrance gate to the heavenly Jerusalem, the
blessed gate of heaven, the path to paradise”.
I
believe that “in [the heavenly] Jerusalem your power includes
commanding whomsoever you will and similarly guiding into heaven
whomsoever you will. For you heaven is opened, hell is emptied, the
heavenly Jerusalem is restored, the miserable at the point of
damnation are restored to life.” (St. Bernard)
I
believe that “he who listens to you shall not be confounded and
those who labour under you shall not sin”, and I recognise in you
the celestial pilot who leads to the eternal port your devotees who
you recover in the vessel of your protection, as was shown to St.
Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi; and that devotion to you, as St. Bernard
said, “is an infallible sign of eternal salvation”, and
with Blessed Alan “that he who practises this devotion (the
frequent recitation of the Hail Mary) is a sign of great worthiness
of predestination to glory”.
And
I conclude with the Abbot Guerric: “to serve the Queen of Heaven is
to reign already in heaven and living in obedience to her commands is
more than to reign”. I believe with St. Anthony that “of all the
saints, none can be found with such compassion for the weak as you, O
Most Blessed Virgin Mary”.
You
give more than we ask of you: “Seeing our miseries you hasten to
help us with your mercy”. “You are always working to secure our
salvation”.
“How
many” I say with the Abbot of Celles, “are those who are justly
condemned in your Son’s justice, who you, being the Mother of
Mercy, free from punishment”.
And
I believe what the Lord told St. Bridget: “Without your
intercession in prayer, one cannot hope for mercy.”
And
I hold with St. Fulgentius that “the sky and the earth would have
been destroyed long since, had your prayers not sustained them”.
I
believe that you are higher than all the saints and angels, to whom
you are superior, and that “such is your perfection, that God alone
can know it”.
I
believe that “after being God, there is being the Mother of God”
and thus “you could not be more united to God without becoming God”
(Albert the Great)
I
believe that “the dignity of the Mother of God is infinite of its
kind”; and that your state is the highest “that could be given to
a pure creature”.
I
confess with St. Bonaventure that “it is the greatest grace
conferrable upon a pure creature to be Mother of God, and the
greatest that God could give. God could create an enormous world, a
vast heaven, but none greater could he make than the Mother of God.”
I
believe “that for you the world was created”, and that “by your
order the world was sustained, that you were with him in creating all
things” and that for love of you God did not destroy man after the
Fall.
I
believe that God has given you the greatest of all graces that in
general and in particular He has given to all creature, and I believe
what the Lord revealed to St. Bridget that your beauty surpasses
that of all mankind and the angels.
I
believe that your beauty dispels impure motives and generates purity.
I
believe that you were like an infant but of this state you had only
the innocence, not the defect of incapacity; you were a virgin first,
but without the reproach of sterility, you were a mother, but a
virgin.
You
were occupied in the active life, but your labour did untangle your
union with God; in contemplation you were recollected with God, but
without neglect of your duties.
Death
touched you but without distress or corruption of the body.
I
believe with Albert the Great that you were the first who, without
advice and without the example of another, offered to God your
virginity, and give to Him all those who have imitated you and to
whom you are the standard-bearer, and that for you your most pure
spouse Joseph retained his virginity; and that to conserve virginity
you would have happily renounced, with divine approval, the dignity
of being the Mother of God.[*]
[*
Editor’s comment: This must be understood in the sense if there
were some other worthy mother of God present, and provided it was not
against God’s will that she renounced this dignity, since I do not
believe Mary – who is infinitely compassionate for the salvation of
souls through God – would ever have denied becoming the Mother of
God and hence have failed to cooperate with Him in the salvation of
all of mankind – just in order to preserve Her virginity.]
Revelation on the Power of the Blessed Virgin
Mary
The
words of the Queen of Heaven to her beloved daughter about the
wonderful love the Son had for His Virgin Mother, and about how the
Mother of Christ was conceived within the most chaste marriage and
sanctified in the womb. She tells how she was assumed, body and soul,
into Heaven, and about the power of her name, and about the good and
evil angels assigned to men for their protection or trial.
Book
1 - Chapter 9
“I
am the Queen of Heaven. Love my Son, for he is most worthy; when you
have him, you have all that is worthwhile. He is also most desirable;
when you have him, you have all that is desirable. Love him, too, for
he is most virtuous; when you have him, you have every virtue. I want
to tell you how wonderful his love for my body and soul was and how
much he honored my name. My Son loved me before I loved him, since he
is my Creator.
He
united my father and mother in a marriage so chaste that there could
not be found a more chaste marriage at that time. They never wanted
to come together except in accordance with the Law, and only then
with the intention to bring forth offspring.
When
an angel revealed to them that they would give birth to the Virgin
from whom the salvation of the world would come, they would rather
have died than to come together in carnal love; lust was dead in
them. I assure you that when they did come together, it was because
of divine love and because of the angel’s message, not out of
carnal desire, but against their will and out of a holy love for God.
In this way, my flesh was put together by their seed and through
divine love. Then, when my body had been made and formed, God infused
the created soul into it from his divinity, and the soul was
immediately sanctified along with the body, and the angels guarded
and served it day and night. When my soul was sanctified and joined
to its body, my mother felt such great joy that it would have been
impossible to describe it!
Afterwards,
when my lifetime had been accomplished, my Son first raised up my
soul - for it was the mistress of the body - to a more excellent
place than others in heaven, right next to his Divinity. Later, he
also raised up my body in such a manner that no other creature’s
body is so close to God as mine. See how much my Son loved my soul
and body! Yet, there are some people with a malevolent spirit who
deny that I was assumed into Heaven, body and soul, and also others
who simply do not know any better. But this is a most certain truth:
I, with body and soul, was assumed to the Divinity!
Hear
now how much my Son honored my name! My name is Mary, as it is said
in the Gospel. When the angels hear this name, they rejoice in their
mind and thank God for the great mercy that he worked through me and
with me and because they see my Son’s Humanity glorified in his
Divinity. Those within the fire of purgatory rejoice exceedingly,
just like a sick and bedridden man does if he receives a word of
comfort that pleases his soul: he is suddenly overjoyed! When the
good angels hear my name, they immediately move closer to the
righteous for whom they are guardians, and rejoice over their
progress in good deeds and virtues.
All
humans have been given both good angels for their protection, and bad
angels to test them. The good angels are not separated from God; they
serve the soul without leaving God. They are constantly in his sight.
Yet they work to inflame and incite the soul to do good. All the
demons, however, shudder with fear at the name of Mary! When they
hear the name, “Mary”, they immediately release a soul out of the
claws with which they had held her. Just as a bird or hawk, with its
claws and beak embedded into its prey, releases it immediately if it
hears a sound, but soon returns when it sees that no action follows,
so do the demons - frightened when they hear my name – release the
soul. But they return and fly back as fast as an arrow if no
improvement follows.
No
one is so cold in his love of God (unless he is damned) that he will
not experience the devil releasing him from his habitual sins if only
he invokes my name with the true intention of never returning to his
evil deeds. The devil will never return to him unless he resumes the
will to commit mortal sins. Sometimes, though, the devil is allowed
to trouble him for the sake of his greater reward. However, the devil
shall never own him.”
Revelation on the Humility, Love, Compassion and
Kindness of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The
words of the Virgin to the daughter about two wives, one of whom is
called Pride and the other Humility (the latter signifying the most
sweet Virgin Mary), and about how the Virgin Mary comes to meet those
who love her at the moment of their death.
Book
1 - Chapter 29
The
Virgin Mary, the Mother of God spoke to the Son’s bride and said:
“There are two wives. One of them has no special name, because she
is too unworthy to have a name. The other wife is Humility, and she
is called Mary. The devil himself is lord over the first wife because
he has control over her. This wife’s knight said to her: ‘O my
wife, I am ready to do anything I can for you, if only I can satisfy
my sexual lust with you just once. I am mighty and strong and brave
of heart, I fear nothing and am ready to go to my death for you.’
She answered him: ‘My servant, your love for me is great. But I am
seated on a high throne, and I have only this one throne, and there
are three gates between us.
The
first gate is so narrow that all that a man is wearing on his body
gets pulled off and torn to pieces if he enters by this gate. The
second one is so sharp that it cuts through even to the very sinews
of the man. The third gate is burning with such a fire that there is
no escape or rest for him from its heat but, instead, anyone entering
through this gate is immediately melted down like copper. In
addition, I am seated so high up on my throne that anyone who wants
to sit next to me – for I have only one throne – will fall down
into the greatest depth under me.’ The knight answered her: ‘I
will give my life for you and the fall does not bother me.’
This
wife is Pride and the one who wants to come to her must go, as it
were, through three gates. Through the first gate enters the one who
gives all he has for human praise and for the sake of pride. And if
he does not own anything, he uses all of his will to have a reason to
be proud and win praise of men. Through the second gate enters the
one who sacrifices all his work and everything he does, all his time
and all his thoughts and all his strength so that he may fulfill his
pride. And even if he could give his own flesh over to be wounded for
the sake of pride and honor and riches, he would do so willingly.
Through the third gate enters the one who never rests or has peace
but entirely burns like fire with the thought of how he may attain
some honor or something he may feel worldly pride over. But when he
attains his desire, he cannot stay in the same state but falls
painfully and miserably; however, pride still remains in the world.”
“But
I,” Mary said, “am the one who is most humble. I am seated on a
spacious throne and above me there is neither sun nor moon nor stars
nor even a sky, but a wonderful and unimaginable clear light
proceeding from the beauty of God’s majesty. Below me there is
neither earth nor stone but only an incomparable sweet rest in God’s
virtue. Around me there is neither barrier nor wall but only the
glorious host of angels and holy souls. And although I am seated so
high, I still hear my friends who are in the world, daily pouring out
their sighs and tears to me. I view their work and their perfection
to be greater than that of those who fight for their wife Pride.
I
shall therefore visit them with my mercy and help and place them near
me on my throne, for it is very spacious and can house everyone. But
they cannot come to me or sit with me yet, for there are still two
walls between us which I shall lead them securely over so that they
may come to my throne. The first wall is the world, and it is narrow.
Therefore, my servants in the world shall be consoled by me. The
second wall is death. Therefore, I, their most dear Lady and Mother,
shall come to meet them and run to them at their death, so that even
in death they will feel encouraged and consoled! I will place them
together with me on the throne of heavenly joy, so that they, in
limitless joy, may rest eternally in the delight of God and in his
sweet arms and love of eternal glory and unimaginable joy.”
Revelation on the indescribable Beauty, Delight,
Sweetness and Joy in the Blessed Virgin Mary
About
how the bride saw the most sweet Virgin Mary adorned with a crown and
other adornments of indescribable beauty, and about how Saint John
the Baptist explains to the bride the meaning of the crown and the
other adornments.
Book
1 - Chapter 31
“The
bride of God saw the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, wearing a
priceless and beautiful crown on her head and her wonderfully shining
and indescribably beautiful hair hanging down over her shoulders,
with a golden tunic shining with an indescribable light, and a blue
mantle of the color azure or a clear sky. When the bride of God,
Saint Bridget, was full of wonder at such a lovely sight, and in her
wonderment was standing there totally enraptured and amazed, then
blessed John the Baptist appeared to her and said: “Listen closely
to what all this signifies. The crown signifies that she is the Queen
and Lady and Mother of the King of angels; the hair hanging down
signifies that she is an unstained and pure virgin; the sky colored
mantle signifies that all worldly things were as dead in her heart
and will; the golden tunic signifies that she was fervent and burning
in the love of God, both inwardly and outwardly. Her Son, Jesus
Christ, placed seven lilies in her crown, and between the lilies he
placed seven gems.
The
first lily is her humility; the second lily is her fear; the third,
her obedience; the fourth, her patience; the fifth, her
steadfastness; the sixth, her kindness, for she is kind and gives to
all who beg of her with love and a will to amend; the seventh, her
mercy in difficulties, for in whatever difficulty a man may be in, if
he calls on her with all his heart, he will receive mercy and help
from her because she is full of compassion and mercy.
Between
these shining lilies her Son placed seven precious gem stones. The
first gem is her incomparable virtue, for there is no virtue in any
other spirit or in any other body, which she does not have in a
higher fashion. The second gem is her perfect purity, for the Queen
of the kingdom of Heaven was so pure that from her first entrance
into the world up to the final day of her death, not a single stain
of sin was ever to be found in her; and none of all the devils could
ever find enough impurity in her to fit on the head of a
needle-point. She was truly the most pure, for it was not fitting for
the King of glory to lie in any vessel but the purest, chosen before
all angels and men and more pure than they. The third gem was her
beauty, for God is praised constantly by his saints for his Mother’s
beauty, and all the holy angels and holy souls are filled with joy
over her beauty. The fourth precious gem in the crown is the Virgin
Mother’s wisdom, for she is filled with all divine wisdom in God
and all wisdom is fulfilled and perfected through her. The fifth gem
is her power and might, for she is so powerful and strong with God in
her that she can subdue anything that has been created. The sixth gem
is her clarity, for she shines so clear that she even illuminates the
angels, whose eyes are clearer than light, and the devils do not dare
to look upon her clarity. The seventh gem is the fullness of every
delight and joy and all spiritual sweetness, for her fullness is such
that there is no joy that she does not increase, no delight that is
not made fuller and more perfect by her and through the blessed
vision of her, for she is filled with grace and mercy above all the
holy saints. She is the most pure vessel in which the Bread of angels
laid and in which all sweetness and all beauty is found.
Between
the seven lilies in her crown, her Son placed these seven gemstones.
Therefore may you, her Son’s bride, honor and praise her with all
your heart, for she is in truth worthy of all praise and all honor
with her Son!”
Revelation on the Beauty, Virtue and Power of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The
words of praise of the Mother and the Son to each other in the
presence of the bride, and about how Christ is now regarded as
shameful, dishonest, and despicable by people, and about the
horrifying and eternal damnation of these people.
The
Queen of Heaven spoke to her Son and said: “Blessed be you my God,
who are without beginning and without end. You had the most noble and
beautiful body. You were the most brave and virtuous man. You are the
most worthy creature.”
The
Son answered: “The words proceeding from your mouth are sweet to me
and delight my inmost heart like the sweetest drink. You are more
sweet to me than any other creature in existence. For just as
different faces can be seen in a mirror by a person but none pleases
him more than his own, so too, even though I love my saints, I love
you with a special love, because I was born from your blessed flesh.
You are like myrrh whose fragrance ascended up to the Divinity and
led the Divinity to your body. This same fragrance drew your body and
soul up to God, where you now are with soul and body. Blessed be you,
for the angels rejoice in your beauty and all are saved by your
virtue and power when they call on you with a sincere heart. All the
demons tremble in your light and do not dare to stay in your
splendor, for they always want to be in darkness.
You
gave praise to me for a threefold reason, for you said that I had the
most noble body; second, that I was the most brave man; and third,
you said that I was the most worthy creature. These three things are
only contradicted by those who have a body and soul, that is, human
beings. They say that I have a shameful body and that I am the most
despicable man and the lowliest of creatures. For what is more
shameful than to tempt others to sin? For they claim that my body
tempts to sin when they say that sin is not as abominable or
displeasing to God as much as is said. They say that nothing exists
unless God wants it to be so and that nothing is created but by him.
‘Why should we not use the created things to our benefit? Our
natural frailty demands it and this is how everyone has lived before
us and still do live.’ This is how people now speak about me and my
Manhood, in which I, the true God, appeared among men. For I advised
them to abstain from sinning and showed what a serious and grave
matter it is, and this they say was shameful, as if I had advised
them to do something useless and shameful. They say that nothing is
honorable but sin and that which pleases their will.
They
also say that I am the most shameful man. For what is more shameful
than someone who, when he speaks the truth, gets his mouth beaten
with stones and gets hit in the face and, on top of that, hears
people insulting him, saying: ‘If he were a man, he would revenge
himself over such an injustice.’ This is what they do to me. I
speak to them through the learned fathers and Holy Scripture, but
they say that I lie. They beat my mouth with stones and their fists
when they commit adultery, murder, and lying, saying: ‘If he were
manly, if he were the almighty God, he would revenge himself for such
sins and transgressions.’ But I endure this with patience, and
everyday I hear them saying that the torment is neither eternal nor
as severe and bitter as it is said, and my words are judged and said
to be lies.
Third,
they judge me to be the most ugly and worthless creature. For what is
more worthless in the house than a dog or a cat that someone would be
glad to exchange for a horse, if he could? But mankind holds me to be
of less worth than a dog, for he would not wish to take me if it
meant that he would lose the dog, and he would reject and deny me
before losing the dog’s hide. What is the thing that pleases the
mind so little that one does not think of it and desires it more
fervently than me? For if they regarded me more worthy than any other
created creature, they would love me more than other things. But now
they have nothing so small that they do not love it more than me.
They grieve over everything but me. They grieve for their own and
their friends’ losses. They grieve for an injurious word. They
grieve over offending or hurting people more highly placed and
powerful than they, but they do not grieve about offending or hurting
me, who am the Creator of all things. What man is so despicable that
he is not listened to if he begs about something and is not given a
gift in return if he has given something? But I am utterly vile and
despicable in their eyes, for they do not consider me worthy of any
good, even though I have given them all good things.
But
you, my most dear Mother, have tasted more of my wisdom than others,
and never has anything but the truth ever left your mouth, just as
nothing but the truth has ever left my own mouth. I will now justify
myself in the sight of all the saints. First, against him, who said
that I had a shameful body. I shall prove that I indeed have the most
noble body without deformity or sin, and he shall fall into eternal
shame and reproach which all will see. To the one who said that my
words were a lie and that he did not know if I was God or not, I
shall prove that I truly am God, and he will flow down like mud to
hell. But the third, who regarded me as useless, I shall judge to
eternal damnation so that he will never see my glory and my joy.”
Thereafter
he said to his bride: “Stand firm in my service. You have come to a
wall, as it were, in which you are enclosed, so that you cannot flee
nor dig through its foundations. Endure this small tribulation
willingly, and you will experience eternal rest in my arms. You know
the will of the Father, you hear the words of the Son, you feel my
Spirit, and you have delight and consolation in the conversation with
my Mother and my saints. Therefore, stand firm, or else you will come
to feel my justice by which you will be forced to do what I am now
kindly urging you to do.”
A
wonderful comparison of the most sweet Mother to a flower that grew
in a valley but rose up over mountains
The
Mother blesses the Son in the hearing of the bride, and about how the
glorious Son makes a wonderful comparison of his most sweet Mother to
a flower that grew in a valley but rose up over mountains.
Book
1 - Chapter 51
The
Mother of God spoke to her Son and said: “Blessed be your name, my
Son Jesus Christ, and all honor to your Manhood above all that is
created! Glory to your Divinity above all good things, which are one
God with your Manhood!” The Son answered: “My Mother, you are
like a flower that grew in a valley. Around the valley there were
five high mountains, and the flower grew out of three roots with a
straight stem without any knots. This flower had five leaves that
were filled with all sweetness. The valley with its flower grew above
these five mountains, and the leaves of the flower spread themselves
above every height of heaven and above all the choirs of angels. My
beloved Mother, you are this valley for the sake of the great
humility you had in comparison with all others. Your humility grew
higher than five mountains.
The
first mountain was Moses because of his power. For he had power over
my people through the Law, as if it were enclosed in his hand. But
you enclosed the Lord of all law in your womb and, therefore, you are
higher than this mountain. The second mountain was Elijah, who was so
holy, that he with soul and body, was assumed into my holy place. But
your soul, my most dear Mother, was assumed above all the choirs of
angels to the throne of God along with your most pure body. You are
therefore higher than Elijah. The third mountain was the strength of
Samson that surpassed all other men. Yet the devil defeated him with
his treachery. But you defeated the devil with your strength and
power. You are therefore stronger than Samson. The fourth mountain
was David, who was a man according to my heart and will, but yet fell
into sin. But you, my beloved Mother, followed my will in all and
never sinned. The fifth mountain was Solomon, who was full of wisdom
but nevertheless was fooled. But you, my Mother, were full of all
wisdom and were never fooled or deceived. You are therefore higher
than Solomon.
The
flower grew from three roots, because of the three things you had
from your youth: obedience, charity, and divine understanding. Out of
these three roots grew the most straight stem without any knots,
which means that your will was never bent to anything but my will.
This flower also had five leaves that grew above all the choirs of
angels. My dear Mother, you are indeed the flower with these five
leaves.
The
first leaf is your nobleness, which is so great that my angels, who
are noble before me, when seeing and considering your nobleness, saw
that it was above them and more eminent than their holiness and
nobleness. You are therefore higher than the angels. The second leaf
is your mercy, which was so great that you, when you saw the misery
of all the souls, had compassion over them and suffered the greatest
torment at my death. The angels are full of mercy, and yet they never
endure sorrow or pain, but you, my loving Mother, were merciful to
the wretched when you felt all the sorrow and torment of my death,
and you wanted to suffer torment for the sake of mercy rather than
being separated from it. Therefore, your mercy surpassed the mercy of
all the angels. The third leaf is your loving kindness. The angels
are loving and kind and want good for everyone, but you, my dearest
Mother, had before your death a will like an angel in your soul and
body and did good to everyone. And still you do not refuse anyone who
reasonably prays for his own good. Therefore, your kindness is higher
and greater than the angels. The fourth leaf is your beauty. The
angels behold the beauty of each other and wonder over the beauty of
all souls and all bodies, but they see that the beauty of your soul
is above all that is created and that the nobleness of your body
surpasses all created beings. And so, your beauty surpassed all the
angels and everything created. The fifth leaf was your divine joy,
for nothing pleased you but God, just as nothing but God delights the
angels. Each and every one of them knows and knew his own joy in
himself, but when they saw the joy in you to God, they beheld in
their conscience how their joy flamed up in them like a light in the
love of God. They saw that your joy was like a flaming bonfire,
burning with the hottest fire, with flames so high that it came near
to my Divinity. And for this reason, my most sweet Mother, your
divine joy burned well above all the choirs of angels. Since this
flower had these five leaves, namely, nobleness, mercy, loving
kindness, beauty, and the highest joy in God, it was full of all
sweetness.
But
the one who wants to taste of its sweetness should approach the
sweetness and assume it into himself. This is also what you did, my
most sweet Mother. You were so sweet to my Father that he assumed all
of you into his Spirit, and your sweetness delighted him above all
other things. The flower also bears a seed by the heat and power of
the sun and from it grows a fruit. In this way the blessed sun, my
Divinity, assumed Manhood from your virginal womb. For just as the
seed makes and grows flowers of the same kind as the seed wherever it
is sown, so my limbs were like yours in shape and appearance, even
though I was a man and you a woman and a virgin. This valley was
uplifted with its flower above all mountains when your body together
with your most holy soul was lifted up above all the choirs of
angels.”
The
Virgin compared to a wonderful flower growing in a garden
The
Mother blesses her Son and prays to him that his words might be
spread all over the world and take root in the hearts of his friends.
And about how the Virgin is compared to a wonderful flower growing in
a garden. (...)
Book
1 - Chapter 52
The
Holy Virgin spoke to the Son and said: “Blessed be you, my Son and
my God, Lord of angels and King of glory! I beg of you that the words
that you have spoken [through Saint Bridget] may take root in the
hearts of your friends and that their minds may cling as firmly to
these words as the pitch with which Noah’s ark was plastered, which
neither storm-waves nor winds could break and dissolve. May they be
spread out all over the world like branches and sweet flowers whose
fragrance is spread far and wide, in order that they also may bear
fruit and become sweet like the date whose sweetness delights the
soul exceedingly much.”
The
Son answered: “Blessed be you, my most beloved Mother! My angel
Gabriel said to you: “Blessed art thou, Mary, among women!” And I
bear witness to you that you are blessed and most holy above all the
choirs of angels. You are like a flower in a garden that is
surrounded by other fragrant flowers, but surpasses them all in
scent, beauty, and virtue. These flowers are all the chosen men from
Adam to the end of the world which were planted in the garden of the
world and shone and smelled in manifold virtues. But among all of
those who were and who will afterward come, you were the greatest in
the fragrance of humility and a good life, in the beauty of the most
pleasing virginity, and in the virtue of abstinence. For I bear
witness to you that you were more than any martyr at my suffering,
more than any confessor in your abstinence, and more than any angel
in your mercy and good will. Therefore, for your sake, I will enroot
and fasten my words like the strongest pitch in the hearts of my
friends. They shall spread out like fragrant flowers and bear fruit
like the sweetest and most wonderful date-palm.” (...)
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