Chapter 81

Our Good Lord shewed Himself in diverse manners both in heaven and in earth, but I saw Him take no place save in man's soul.

Our good Lord showed himself in many ways, both in heaven and on earth. But I saw him dwell only in the human soul.

He shewed Himself in earth in the sweet Incarnation and in His blessed Passion. And in other manner He shewed Himself in earth [as in the Revelation] where I say: I saw God in a Point.¹ And in another manner He shewed Himself in earth thus as it were in pilgrimage: that is to say, He is here with us, leading us, and shall be till when He hath brought us all to His bliss in heaven. He shewed Himself diverse times reigning, as it is aforesaid; but principally in man's soul. He hath taken there His resting-place and His worshipful City: out of which worshipful See He shall never rise nor remove without end.

He showed himself on earth in the sweet Incarnation and in his blessed Passion. And he showed himself on earth in another way [as in the Revelation] where I say: I saw God in a Point.¹ And he showed himself on earth in yet another way, as if on a pilgrimage. This means that he is here with us, leading us. He will remain with us until he has brought us all to his bliss in heaven. He showed himself reigning in various places, as described above, but especially in the human soul. He has made the soul his resting place and his honored City. He will never leave or move from this honored seat.

Marvellous and stately² is the place where the Lord dwelleth, and therefore He willeth that we readily answer to³ His gracious touching, more rejoicing in His whole love than sorrowing in our often fallings. For it is the most worship to Him of anything that we may do, that we live gladly and merrily, for His love, in our penance. For He beholdeth us so tenderly that He seeth all our living [here] a penance: for nature's longing in us is to Him aye-lasting penance in us⁴: which penance He worketh in us and mercifully He helpeth us to bear it. For His love maketh Him to long [for us]; His wisdom and His truth with His rightfulness maketh Him to suffer us [to be] here: and in this same manner [of longing and abiding] He willeth to see it in us. For this is our natural penance,—and the highest, as to my sight. For this penance goeth⁵ never from us till what time that we be fulfilled, when we shall have Him to our meed. And therefore He willeth that we set our hearts in the Overpassing⁶: that is to say, from the pain that we feel into the bliss that we trust.

The place where the Lord dwells is wonderful and majestic². Therefore he wants us to respond readily to³ his gracious touch, rejoicing in his complete love more than we grieve over our frequent falls. For nothing we can do honors him more than living gladly and joyfully in our penance for love of him. He looks upon us so tenderly that he sees our whole life here as penance. For our nature’s longing for him is a constant penance within us⁴. He brings about this penance in us and mercifully helps us bear it. His love makes him long for us. His wisdom, truth, and justice lead him to let us remain here. He wants to see the same longing and patient waiting in us. For this is our natural penance, and the highest, as I see it. This penance stays⁵ with us until we are fulfilled and receive him as our reward. Therefore he wants us to set our hearts on the Overpassing⁶: that is, on passing from the pain we feel to the bliss we trust we will find.