Chapter 28

Thus I saw how Christ hath compassion on us for the cause of sin. And right as I was afore in the [Shewing of the] Passion of Christ fulfilled with pain and compassion, like so in this [sight] I was fulfilled, in part, with compassion of all mine even-Christians—for that well, well beloved people that shall be saved. For God's servants, Holy Church, shall be shaken in sorrow and anguish, tribulation in this world, as men shake a cloth in the wind.

Thus I saw how Christ has compassion for us because of sin. Earlier, in the [revelation of the] Passion of Christ, I was filled with pain and compassion. In the same way, in this [vision], I was partly filled with compassion for all my fellow Christians. They are the dearly, dearly loved people who will be saved. For God's servants, the Holy Church, will be shaken by sorrow, anguish, and suffering in this world, as people shake a cloth in the wind.

And as to this our Lord answered in this manner: A great thing shall I make hereof in Heaven of endless worship and everlasting joys.

And to this our Lord answered: From this I will make something great in Heaven, of endless glory and everlasting joys.

Yea, so far forth I saw, that our Lord joyeth of the tribulations of His servants, with ruth and compassion. On each person that He loveth, to His bliss for to bring [them], He layeth something that is no blame in His sight, whereby they are blamed and despised in this world, scorned, mocked,¹ and outcasted. And this He doeth for to hinder the harm that they should take from the pomp and the vain-glory of this wretched life, and make their way ready to come to Heaven, and up-raise them in His bliss everlasting. For He saith: I shall wholly break you of your vain affections and your vicious pride; and after that I shall together gather you, and make you mild and meek, clean and holy, by oneing to me.

Indeed, I saw that our Lord rejoices in the troubles of his servants, with pity and compassion. He gives each person he loves something that is not a fault in his sight. Through it, they are blamed and despised in this world, scorned, mocked,¹ and cast out. He does this to protect them from the harm they would suffer from the pomp and empty glory of this wretched life. He also does it to prepare their way to heaven and raise them up to his everlasting bliss. For he says: I will completely free you from your vain desires and your sinful pride. After that, I will gather you together and make you gentle and humble, pure and holy, by uniting you with me.

And then I saw that each kind compassion that man hath on his even-Christians with charity, it is Christ in him.

And then I saw that every act of loving compassion a person shows to fellow Christians is Christ within that person.

That same noughting that was shewed in His Passion, it was shewed again here in this Compassion. Wherein were two manner of understandings in our Lord's meaning. The one was the bliss that we are brought to, wherein He willeth that we rejoice. The other is for comfort in our pain: for He willeth that we perceive that it shall all be turned to worship and profit by virtue of His passion, that we perceive that we suffer not alone but with Him, and see Him to be our Ground, and that we see His pains and His noughting passeth so far all that we may suffer, that it may not be fully thought.

The same being brought to nothing that was shown in his Passion was shown again here in his Compassion. Our Lord meant this in two ways. One was the bliss to which we are brought, and he wants us to rejoice in it. The other was meant to comfort us in our pain. He wants us to understand that, through the power of his Passion, all our pain will be turned to glory and benefit. He wants us to understand that we do not suffer alone, but with him. He wants us to see him as our foundation. And he wants us to see that his pain and his being brought to nothing are far beyond all we may suffer, so far beyond it that we cannot fully imagine it.

The beholding of this will save us from murmuring² and despair in the feeling of our pains. And if we see soothly that our sin deserveth it, yet His love excuseth us, and of His great courtesy He doeth away all our blame, and beholdeth us with ruth and pity as children innocent and unloathful.

Reflecting on this will save us from complaining² and despair when we feel pain. Even if we truly see that our sin deserves this pain, his love excuses us. In his great kindness, he removes all our blame. He looks on us with compassion and pity, as innocent and lovable children.