Chapter 25

And with this same cheer of mirth and joy our good Lord looked down on the right side and brought to my mind where our Lady stood in the time of His Passion; and said: Wilt thou see her? And in this sweet word [it was] as if He had said: I wot well that thou wouldst see my blessed Mother: for, after myself, she is the highest joy that I might shew thee, and most pleasance and worship to me; and most she is desired to be seen of my blessed creatures. And for the high, marvellous, singular love that He hath to this sweet Maiden, His blessed Mother, our Lady Saint Mary, He shewed her highly rejoicing, as by the meaning of these sweet words; as if He said: Wilt thou see how I love her, that thou mightest joy with me in the love that I have in her and she in me?

With the same expression of gladness and joy, our good Lord looked down to his right. He brought to my mind where our Lady stood during his Passion. He said: Would you like to see her? In these sweet words, it was as if he had said: I know well that you would like to see my blessed Mother. For, after myself, she is the greatest joy I could show you. She gives me the greatest pleasure and honor, and my blessed creatures desire to see her most of all. He has a great, wonderful, and unique love for this sweet Maiden, his blessed Mother, our Lady Saint Mary. Because of this love, he showed her to me, rejoicing greatly, as his sweet words seemed to mean. It was as if he said: Would you like to see how I love her, so that you might rejoice with me in our love for each other?

And also (unto more understanding this sweet word) our Lord speaketh to all mankind that shall be saved, as it were all to one person, as if He said: Wilt thou see in her how thou art loved? For thy love I made her so high, so noble and so worthy; and this pleaseth me, and so will I that it doeth thee.

Also, to help us better understand this sweet word, our Lord speaks to all humanity who will be saved. He speaks as if they were all one person, as if he said: Do you want to see in her how much you are loved? For love of you, I made her so exalted, so noble, and so worthy. This pleases me, and I want it to please you too.

For after Himself she is the most blissful sight.

For after him, she is the most blissful sight.

But hereof am I not learned to long to see her bodily presence while I am here, but the virtues of her blessed soul: her truth, her wisdom, her charity; whereby I may learn to know myself and reverently dread my God. And when our good Lord had shewed this and said this word: Wilt thou see her? I answered and said: Yea, good Lord, I thank Thee; yea, good Lord, if it be Thy will. Oftentimes I prayed this, and I weened to have seen her in bodily presence, but I saw her not so. And Jesus in that word shewed me ghostly sight of her: right as I had seen her afore little and simple, so He shewed her then high and noble and glorious, and pleasing to Him above all creatures.

But from this I learned not to long to see her bodily presence while I am here. Instead, I learned to long to see the virtues of her blessed soul: her truth, her wisdom, and her love. Through these I may learn to know myself and stand in reverent awe of my God. When our good Lord had shown me this, he asked: Do you want to see her? I answered: Yes, good Lord, I thank you. Yes, good Lord, if it is your will. I prayed for this often, and I expected to see her bodily presence, but I did not see her that way. Instead, through those words, Jesus gave me a spiritual vision of her. Just as I had seen her before as small and humble, he now showed her to me as exalted, noble, and glorious. She was more pleasing to him than all creatures.

And He willeth that it be known; that [so] all those that please them in Him should please them in her, and in the pleasance that He hath in her and she in Him.¹ And, to more understanding, He shewed this example: As if a man love a creature singularly, above all creatures, he willeth to make all creatures to love and to have pleasance in that creature that he loveth so greatly. And in this word that Jesus said: Wilt thou see her? methought it was the most pleasing word that He might have given me of her, with that ghostly Shewing that He gave me of her. For our Lord shewed me nothing in special but our Lady Saint Mary; and her He shewed three times.² The first was as she was with Child; the second was as she was in her sorrows under the Cross; the third is as she is now in pleasing, worship, and joy.

And he wants this to be known, so that all who delight in him may also delight in her. He wants them to delight in the pleasure he takes in her and she in him.¹ To help me understand this better, he showed me an example: If a man loves one creature above all others, he wants all creatures to love and delight in the creature he loves so greatly. Jesus said, Would you like to see her? These seemed to me the most pleasing words he could have given me about her, along with the spiritual vision he gave me of her. For our Lord showed me no one in particular except our Lady Saint Mary, and he showed her to me three times.² First, he showed her as she was when she was pregnant. Second, he showed her in her sorrows beneath the Cross. Third, he showed her as she is now, in delight, honor, and joy.