Chapter 22

Then said our good Lord Jesus Christ: Art thou well pleased that I suffered for thee? I said: Yea, good Lord, I thank Thee; Yea, good Lord, blessed mayst Thou be. Then said Jesus, our kind Lord: If thou art pleased, I am pleased: it is a joy, a bliss, an endless satisfying to me that ever suffered I Passion for thee; and if I might suffer more, I would suffer more.

Then our good Lord Jesus Christ said: Are you pleased that I suffered for you? I said: Yes, good Lord, I thank you. Yes, good Lord, may you be blessed. Then Jesus, our loving Lord, said: If you are pleased, I am pleased. It is a joy, a delight, and an endless satisfaction to me that I suffered for you. And if I could suffer more, I would.

In this feeling my understanding was lifted up into Heaven, and there I saw three heavens: of which sight I marvelled greatly. And though I see three heavens—and all in the blessed manhood of Christ—none is more, none is less, none is higher, none is lower, but [they are] even-like in bliss.

In this feeling, my understanding was lifted up into Heaven. There I saw three heavens, and I was greatly amazed by the sight. Though I see three heavens, all within the blessed humanity of Christ, none is greater or lesser, higher or lower. All are equal in bliss.

For the First Heaven, Christ shewed me His Father; in no bodily likeness, but in His property and in His working. That is to say, I saw in Christ that the Father is. The working of the Father is this, that He giveth meed to His Son Jesus Christ. This gift and this meed is so blissful to Jesus that His Father might have given Him no meed that might have pleased Him better. The first heaven, that is the pleasing of the Father, shewed to me as one heaven; and it was full blissful: for He is full pleased with all the deeds that Jesus hath done about our salvation. Wherefore we be not only His by His buying, but also by the courteous gift of His Father we be His bliss, we be His meed, we be His worship, we be His crown. (And this was a singular marvel and a full delectable beholding, that we be His crown!) This that I say is so great bliss to Jesus that He setteth at nought all His travail, and His hard Passion, and His cruel and shameful death.

For the First Heaven, Christ showed me his Father, not in bodily form, but through his nature and his work. That is, I saw in Christ that the Father exists. The Father’s work is to give a reward to his Son, Jesus Christ. This gift and reward brings Jesus such joy that his Father could have given him no reward that pleased him more. The first heaven, the Father’s pleasure, appeared to me as one heaven, and it was full of joy. For the Father is completely pleased with all that Jesus has done for our salvation. Therefore, we belong to Jesus not only because he bought us. By his Father’s gracious gift, we are also his joy, his reward, his honor, and his crown. (It was a wonderful marvel and a deeply delightful sight to see that we are his crown!) All this brings Jesus such joy that he counts as nothing all his suffering, his harsh Passion, and his cruel and shameful death.

And in these words: If that I might suffer more, I would suffer more,—I saw in truth that as often as He might die, so often He would, and love should never let Him have rest till He had done it. And I beheld with great diligence for to learn how often He would die if He might. And verily the number passed mine understanding and my wits so far that my reason might not, nor could, comprehend it. And when He had thus oft died, or should, yet He would set it at nought, for love: for all seemeth¹ Him but little in regard of His love.

And in these words, If I could suffer more, I would suffer more, I truly saw his love. As often as he could die, he would die. Love would never let him rest until he had done so. I looked very closely to learn how often he would die if he could. But the number was so far beyond my understanding and my senses that my reason could not grasp it. And even if he had died, or were to die, that many times, he would consider it nothing, because of love. For all of it seems¹ little to him compared with his love.

For though the sweet manhood of Christ might suffer but once, the goodness in Him may never cease of proffer: every day He is ready to the same, if it might be. For if He said He would for my love make new Heavens and new Earth, it were but little in comparison;² for this might be done every day if He would, without any travail. But to die for my love so often that the number passeth creature's reason, it is the highest proffer that our Lord God might make to man's soul, as to my sight. Then meaneth He thus: How should it not be that I should not do for thy love all that I might of deeds which grieve me not, sith I would, for thy love, die so often, having no regard³ to my hard pains?

Though the sweet humanity of Christ could suffer only once, his goodness never ceases to offer itself. Every day he is ready to suffer again, if it were possible. If he said he would make new Heavens and a new Earth for love of me, that would be little by comparison.² For he could make them every day if he wished, without any effort. But he offers to die for love of me more times than any creature can comprehend. As I see it, this is the greatest offer our Lord God could make to a human soul. So he means this: How could I fail to do for love of you all that I can do without pain? For I would die so often for love of you, without regard³ for my terrible pain.

And here saw I, for the Second⁴ Beholding in this blessed Passion the love that made Him to suffer passeth as far all His pains as Heaven is above Earth. For the pains was a noble, worshipful deed done in a time by the working of love: but⁵ Love was without beginning, is, and shall be without ending. For which love He said full sweetly these words: If I might suffer more, I would suffer more. He said not, If it were needful to suffer more: for though it were not needful, if He might suffer more, He would.

And here, in the Second⁴ Beholding of this blessed Passion, I saw that the love that made him suffer surpasses all his pain as far as heaven is above earth. For his suffering was a noble, worthy deed, done at a particular time through the power of love. But⁵ love had no beginning, exists now, and will have no end. Because of this love, he said these words very sweetly: If I could suffer more, I would suffer more. He did not say, If it were necessary to suffer more. For even though it was not necessary, if he could suffer more, he would.

This deed, and this work about our salvation, was ordained as well as God might ordain it. And here I saw a Full Bliss in Christ: for His bliss should not have been full, if it might any better have been done.

God ordained this deed and work of our salvation as well as he possibly could. And in this I saw that Christ’s bliss was complete. For his bliss would not have been complete if the work could have been done any better.