Chapter 77
"Accuse not thyself overmuch, deeming that thy tribulation and thy woe is all thy fault." "All thy living is penance profitable." "In the remedy He willeth that we rejoice"
"Do not blame yourself too much, thinking that your troubles and sorrow are all your fault." "Your whole life is a useful penance." "He wants us to rejoice in the remedy."
Our good Lord shewed the enmity of the Fiend: in which Shewing I understood that all that is contrary to love and peace is of the Fiend and of his part. And we have, of our feebleness and our folly, to fall; and we have, of mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, to rise to more joy. And if our enemy aught winneth of us by our falling, (for it is his pleasure,) he loseth manifold more in our rising by charity and meekness. And this glorious rising, it is to him so great sorrow and pain for the hate that he hath to our soul, that he burneth continually in envy. And all this sorrow that he would make us to have, it shall turn to himself. And for this it was that our Lord scorned him, and [it was] this [that] made me mightily to laugh.
Our good Lord showed me the Fiend’s hatred. In this vision, I understood that everything contrary to love and peace comes from the Fiend and his side. In our weakness and folly, we fall. And through the mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, we rise to greater joy. If our enemy gains anything from our falling, he loses many times more when we rise through charity and humility. For our falling gives him pleasure. Because he hates our souls, our glorious rising causes him such sorrow and pain that he burns continually with envy. And all the sorrow he would bring upon us will turn back on him. For this reason, our Lord mocked him, and this made me laugh heartily.
S. de Cressy, "likeness"; Collins, "business." The word may be "Lifenes", meaning lefness or pleasure. Lif = lef = lief = pleasing or dear (Morris' Specimens of Early English).
Then is this the remedy, that we be aware of our wretchedness and flee to our Lord: for ever the more needy that we be, the more speedful it is to us to draw nigh to Him. And let us say thus in our thinking: I know well I have a shrewd pain; but our Lord is All-Mighty and may punish me mightily; and He is All-Wisdom and can punish me discerningly; and He is All-Goodness and loveth me full tenderly. And in this beholding it is necessary for us to abide; for it is a lovely meekness of a sinful soul, wrought by mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, when we willingly and gladly take the scourge and chastening of our Lord that Himself will give us. And it shall be full tender and full easy, if that we will only hold us satisfied with Him and with all His works.
The remedy is to recognize our wretchedness and turn to our Lord. For the more needy we are, the more important it is for us to draw near to him. Let us think this: I know I have a sharp pain, but our Lord is all-powerful and can punish me mightily. He is all wisdom and can punish me with discernment. He is all goodness and loves me very tenderly. We must continue to contemplate this. For it is a loving humility in a sinful soul, brought about by the mercy and grace of the Holy Spirit, when we willingly and gladly accept the scourge and correction our Lord himself chooses to give us. And his correction will be very gentle and easy, if only we are content with him and all his works.
"draw near to him."
For the penance that man taketh of himself was not shewed me: that is to say, it was not shewed specified. But specially and highly and with full lovely manner of look was it shewed that we shall meekly bear and suffer the penance that God Himself giveth us, with mind in His blessed Passion. (For when we have mind in His blessed Passion, with pity and love, then we suffer with Him like as His friends did that saw it. And this was shewed in the Thirteenth Shewing, near the beginning, where it speaketh of Pity.) For He saith: Accuse not [thy]self overdone much, deeming that thy tribulation and thy woe is all for thy fault; for I will not that thou be heavy or sorrowful indiscreetly. For I tell thee, howsoever thou do, thou shalt have woe. And therefore I will that thou wisely know thy penance; and [thou] shalt see in truth that all thy living is penance profitable.
The penance a person takes on voluntarily was not shown to me. That is, it was not shown to me in detail. But it was shown to me especially clearly, and with a most loving look, that we should humbly bear the penance God himself gives us. We should bear it while remembering his blessed Passion. (For when we remember his blessed Passion with pity and love, we suffer with him, just as his friends did who saw it. This was shown in the Thirteenth Showing, near the beginning, where it speaks of Pity.) For he says: Do not blame yourself too much, thinking that your trouble and sorrow are all your own fault. For I do not want you to be weighed down or sorrowful without good reason. For I tell you, whatever you do, you will have sorrow. And so I want you to understand your penance wisely. Then you will see in truth that your whole life is a beneficial penance.
This place is prison and this life is penance, and in the remedy He willeth that we rejoice. The remedy is that our Lord is with us, keeping and leading into the fulness of joy. For this is an endless joy to us in our Lord's signifying, that He that shall be our bliss when we are there, He is our keeper while we are here. Our way and our heaven is true love and sure trust; and of this He gave understanding in all [the Shewings] and especially in the Shewing of the Passion where He made me mightily to choose Him for my heaven.
This place is a prison, and this life is penance. Yet he wants us to rejoice in the remedy. The remedy is that our Lord is with us, keeping us safe and leading us into fullness of joy. Our Lord showed us a source of endless joy: the one who will be our bliss there is our keeper here. Our way and our heaven are true love and sure trust. He helped me understand this in all [the Shewings], especially in the Shewing of the Passion. There he moved me powerfully to choose him as my heaven.
Chapter 19.
Flee we to our Lord and we shall be comforted, touch we Him and we shall be made clean, cleave we to Him and we shall be sure, and safe from all manner of peril.
Let us turn to our Lord, and we will be comforted. Let us touch him, and we will be made clean. Let us cling to him, and we will be secure, and safe from every kind of danger.
"sure."
For our courteous Lord willeth that we should be as homely with Him as heart may think or soul may desire. But [let us] beware that we take not so recklessly this homeliness as to leave courtesy. For our Lord Himself is sovereign homeliness, and as homely as He is, so courteous He is: for He is very courteous. And the blessed creatures that shall be in heaven with Him without end, He will have them like to Himself in all things. And to be like our Lord perfectly, it is our very salvation and our full bliss.
For our gracious Lord wants us to be as close to him as our hearts can imagine or our souls desire. But we must take care not to be so careless in this closeness that we forget respect. For our Lord himself is perfectly approachable. And he is as gracious as he is approachable, for he is truly gracious. He wants the blessed creatures who will live with him in heaven forever to be like him in all things. To be perfectly like our Lord is our true salvation and our complete joy.
And if we wot not how we shall do all this, desire we of our Lord and He shall teach us: for it is His own good-pleasure and His worship; blessed may He be!
And if we do not know how to do all this, let us ask our Lord, and he will teach us. For this is his own good pleasure and brings him glory. May he be blessed!