Faith, Hope & Charity

Faith

February 28, 1899 Volume 2

......Now, while seeing the confessor, I remembered he had told me that I was to write about Faith in the way in which the Lord had spoken to me about this virtue. While I was thinking of this, in one instant the Lord drew me so much to Himself, that I felt myself outside of myself, in the vault of the heavens together with Jesus; and He told me these exact words: “Faith is God.”

But these two words contained an immense light, such that it is impossible to explain them – but I will say what I can. In the word “Faith”, I comprehended that Faith is God Himself. Just as material food gives life to the body so that it may not die, so does Faith give life to the soul – without Faith, the soul is dead. Faith vivifies, Faith sanctifies, Faith spiritualizes man, and makes him keep his eye fixed on a Supreme Being, in such a way that he learns nothing of the things of down here; and if he learns them, he learns them in God. Oh! the happiness of a soul who lives of Faith - her flight is always toward Heaven. In everything that happens to her, she always looks at herself in God; and so, just as in tribulation, Faith raises her in God and she does not afflict herself, nor does she lament, knowing that she is not to form her contentment here, but in Heaven; in the same way, if joy, riches, pleasures, surround her, Faith raises her in God, and she says to herself: “Oh! how much more content and rich will I be in Heaven!” So, these earthly things are a bother to her, she despises them, and tramples them underfoot. It seems to me that to a soul who lives of Faith, it happens as to a person who possessed millions upon millions of coins, and even entire kingdoms, and someone else wanted to offer him a penny. What would he say? Would he not disdain it? Would he not throw it in his face? I add: and what if that penny were all muddy, just as earthly things are? Even more: what if that penny were only lent to him? Now, this person would say: “I enjoy and possess immense riches, and you dared to offer me this miserable penny, so muddy, and only for a short time?” I believe he would immediately remove his gaze from it, and would not accept the gift. So does the soul who lives of Faith with regard to earthy things.

Now let us go back again to the idea of food: by taking food, the body is not only sustained, but shares in the substance of the food, which is transformed with the body itself. The same for the soul who lives of Faith: since Faith is God Himself, the soul comes to live of God Himself; and by feeding herself with God Himself, she comes to share in the substance of God; and by sharing in Him, she comes to resemble Him and to be transformed with God Himself. Therefore, it happens to the soul who lives of Faith, that, just as God is holy, the soul is holy; powerful God - powerful the soul; wise, strong and just God - wise, strong and just the soul; and so with all the other attributes of God. In sum, the soul becomes a little god. Oh! the blessedness of this soul on earth, to then be more blessed in Heaven.

I also comprehended that those words which the Lord says to His beloved souls – “I will espouse you in the Faith” – mean nothing less but that the Lord, in this mystical marriage, comes to endow the souls with His own virtues. It seems to me that it happens as to two spouses: as they join their properties together, the belongings of one can no longer be distinguished from those of the other, but both of them become the owners. However, in our case, the soul is poor – all the good comes from the Lord, who lets her share in His possessions.

The life of the soul is God, Faith is God, and the soul, by possessing Faith, comes to graft all the other virtues into herself, in such a way that Faith is like a king in her heart, and the other virtues remain around It, as the subjects that serve Faith. So, without Faith, the virtues themselves are virtues that have no life.

August 12, 1899
Jesus transforms her completely into Himself, and teaches her Charity.

This morning, after He made me wait for some time, my adorable Jesus came, telling me: “My daughter, this morning I want to conform you completely to Myself. I want you to think with my own mind, look with my own eyes, listen with my own ears, speak with my own tongue, operate with my own hands, walk with my own feet, and love with my own Heart.”

After this, Jesus united His senses, mentioned above, to mine, and I saw that He was giving me His own shape; not only this, but He gave me the grace to make use of them as He Himself did. Then He continued, saying: “Great graces am I pouring into you – make sure you keep them well.” And I: ‘I fear very much, Oh my beloved Jesus, in knowing myself as all full of miseries, that instead of doing well, I may make bad use of your graces. But what makes me fear the most is the tongue, which oftentimes makes me slip in charity toward my neighbor.’ And Jesus: “Do not fear, I Myself will teach you the way you must keep in speaking with your neighbor. First thing: when you are told something that regards your neighbor, cast a gaze upon yourself and observe whether you are guilty of that same defect, for in that case wanting to correct is wanting to make Me indignant and to scandalize your neighbor. Second: if you see yourself free of that defect, rise then, and try to speak as I would have; in this way you will speak with my own tongue. By doing so, you will never fail in charity with your neighbor; on the contrary, with your discourses, you will do good to yourself and to your neighbor - and to Me you will give honor and glory.”

August 15, 1899
Charity orders all virtues. The Virgin Mary assumed into Heaven. The ‘Hail Mary’ together with Jesus.

This morning my most sweet Jesus came all festive, carrying a bundle of lovely flowers in His hands; and placing Himself in my heart, now He would surround His head with those flowers, now He would hold them in His hands, amusing and delighting all of Himself. While He was celebrating with these flowers, as it seemed He had made a great gain, He turned to me and told me: “My beloved, this morning I have come to place all virtues in order in your heart. The other virtues can remain separate from one another, but Charity binds and orders everything. Here is what I want to do in you – to order Charity.”

I said to Him: ‘My sole and only Good, how can you do this since I am so bad and full of defects and imperfections? If Charity is order, aren’t these defects and sins a disorder that keeps my soul all messy and upside-down?’ And Jesus: “I will purify everything, and Charity will put everything in order. And besides, when I let a soul participate in the pains of my Passion, there cannot be grave sins; at most, some involuntary venial defects, but my love, being fire, will consume everything that is imperfect in your soul.” So it seemed that Jesus purified me and ordered me completely; then He poured as though a rivulet of honey from His Heart into mine, and with that honey He watered my whole interior, in such a way that everything that was in me remained ordered, united, and with the imprint of Charity.

After this, I felt myself going out of myself into the vault of the heavens, together with my loving Jesus. It seemed that everything was in feast – Heaven, earth and Purgatory. All were inundated with a new joy and jubilation. Many souls were going out of Purgatory and, like bolts of lightning, reached Heaven in order to be present at the feast of our Queen Mama. I too pushed myself through that immense crowd of people – that is, Angels, Saints and souls from Purgatory, which already occupied that new Heaven. It was so immense, that the heavens that we see, compared to that one, seemed a little hole to me; more so, since I had the obedience from the confessor. But as I went about looking, I could see nothing but a most luminous Sun spreading Its rays, which penetrated through the whole of me, in such a way as to make me become like crystal; so much so, that my little spots appeared very clearly, as well as the infinite distance that exists between Creator and creature. More so, since each one of those rays had its imprint: some delineated the sanctity of God, some the purity, some the power, some the wisdom, and all the other virtues and attributes of God. So, the soul, in seeing her nothingness, her miseries and her poverty, would feel annihilated, and instead of looking, she would fall prostrate, her face to the ground, in front of that Eternal Sun before which no one can stand.

But, what’s more, in order to see the feast of our Queen Mama, one had to look inside that Sun, so much did the Most Holy Virgin appear immersed in God; in fact, in looking from other points, one could see nothing. Now, while I was in this state of annihilation before that Divine Sun, Baby Jesus, being held in the arms of the Queen Mama, told me: “Our Mama is in Heaven; to you I give the office of acting as my mama on earth. And since my life is continuously subject to scorns, to poverty, to pains, to the abandonment of men, and my Mama, while being on earth, was my faithful companion in all these pains - not only this, but She tried to relieve Me in everything, as much as Her strengths were capable of - you too, acting as my mother, will keep Me faithful company in all my pains, suffering in my place as much as you can; and where you cannot reach, you will try to give Me at least a refreshment. Know, however, that I want you all intent on Me. I will be jealous even of your breath, if you do not do it for Me; and when I see that you are not all intent on contenting Me, I will give you no peace and no rest.”

After this, I began to act as his mama, but – oh, how much attention was needed to make Him content! To see Him content, one could not even take a glance at any place else. Now He wanted to sleep, now He wanted to drink, now He wanted to be cheered with caresses; and I had to be ready for everything He wanted. Now He would say: ‘My Mama, my head is hurting – O please! relieve Me!’; and immediately I would check His head and, finding some thorns, I would remove them, and placing my arm beneath His head, I would make Him rest. While I would do so that He might rest, all of a sudden He would get up and say: “I feel a weight and a suffering at my Heart, to the point that I feel Myself dying. Take a look at what is in there.” And observing the interior of His Heart, I found all the instruments of the Passion; I removed them one by one, and I placed them in my heart. Then, seeing Him relieved, I began to caress Him and kiss Him, and I said to Him: ‘My sole and only treasure, You didn’t even let me watch the feast of our Queen Mother, or listen to the first canticles that the Angels and the Saints sang upon Her entrance into Paradise.’

And Jesus: “The first canticle that they sang to my Mama was the ‘Hail Mary’, because in the ‘Hail Mary’ there are the most beautiful praises, the greatest honors; and the joy which She felt in being made Mother of God is renewed. Therefore, let us recite it together to honor Her, and when you yourself come to Paradise, I will let you find it as if you had recited it together with the Angels for the first time in Heaven.”

So, we recited the first part of the ‘Hail Mary’, Jesus and I together. Oh! how tender and touching it was to hail our Most Holy Mama together with Her beloved Son! Each word He said carried an immense light, in which one could comprehend many things about the Most Holy Virgin. But who can say them all? – especially because of my incapacity. Therefore I let them pass in silence.

August 17, 1899
The power and office of ‘lady obedience’.

This morning, after receiving Communion, I was saying to my lovable Jesus: ‘How is it that this virtue of obedience is so impertinent, and sometimes so strong as to reach the point of becoming capricious?’

And He: “Do you know why this noble lady obedience is as you say? Because she gives death to all vices and, naturally, one who has to inflict death upon someone else must be strong and courageous; and if he does not succeed with this, he will use impertinences and caprices. If this is necessary in order to kill the body, which is so fragile, much more so in order to give death to vices and to one’s own passions; in fact, it is so hard that sometimes, while they seem to be dead, they begin to live again. And so this diligent lady is always in motion, and spying continuously. If she sees that the soul raises the slightest difficulty at what is commanded of her, fearing that some vice may begin to live again in her heart, she wages such a war against her, and gives her no peace until the soul prostrates herself at her feet and does, in mute silence, whatever she wants. This is why she is so impertinent and almost capricious, as you say.

Ah, yes, there is no true peace without obedience; and if it seems that one may enjoy peace, it is a false peace, because it gets along with one’s own passions, but never with virtues; and one ends up in ruin, because by moving away from obedience, one moves away from Me, who was the King of this noble virtue.

Moreover, obedience kills one’s own will and pours the Divine in torrents; so much so, that one can say that the obedient soul no longer lives of her will, but of the Divine. Can there ever be a life more beautiful, more holy, than to live of the Will of God Himself? With the other virtues, even the most sublime, there can be love of self, but with obedience – never.”

September 9, 1899
Faith, Hope and Charity. The soul, royal palace of God.

Jesus continues to come, but with an appearance all new. It seemed that the trunk of a tree was coming out of His blessed Heart, which contained three distinct roots. This trunk was leaning out of His Heart into mine, and coming out of my heart, it formed many beautiful branches, loaded with flowers, with fruits, with pearls and precious stones, shining like most refulgent stars.  [1]  We see here the actual condition of Luisa’s soul.  Now, seeing Himself in the shade of this tree, my loving Jesus was all amused; more so, since many pearls were falling from the tree, forming a beautiful ornament for His Most Holy Humanity. While He was in this position, He told me: “Dearest daughter of mine, the three roots that you see, which this tree contains, are Faith, Hope and Charity. The fact that you see this trunk coming out of Me and entering into your heart means that there is no good that souls possess which does not come from Me. So, after Faith, Hope and Charity, the first development that this trunk does is to make known that everything good comes from God, that creatures have nothing of their own but their nothingness, and that this nothingness does nothing other than give Me the freedom to enter into them and do what I want. But there are other ‘nothings’ – that is, other souls – who make opposition with their own free will; so, because this knowledge is lacking, the trunk produces neither branches, nor fruits, nor anything else that is good. The branches that this tree contains, with all the apparatus of flowers, fruits, pearls and precious stones, are all the different virtues that a soul can possess. Now, who has given life to such a beautiful tree? Certainly the roots. This means that Faith, Hope and Charity embrace everything and contain all virtues; so much so, that they are placed there as the basis and foundation of the tree [2]  The tree is our soul reflecting God’s life, and without them no other virtue can be produced.”

I also understood that the flowers signify the virtues; the fruits, sufferings; the precious stones and pearls, suffering only out of pure love for God [3]  Note how the value of our sufferings increases significantly when its done out of pure love for God. This is why those pearls which were falling formed that beautiful ornament for Our Lord.

Now, while sitting in the shade of this tree, Jesus looked at me with tenderness, all paternal, and taken by a surge of love, such that it seemed He could not contain it within Himself, He embraced me tightly and began to say: “How beautiful you are! You are my simple dove, my beloved dwelling, my living temple, in which I am pleased to delight united with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Your continuous languishing for Me relieves Me and refreshes Me from the continuous offenses that creatures give Me. Know that the love I have for you is so great that I am forced to hide it in part, so that you may not go mad, but may live. In fact, if I showed it to you, you would not only go mad, but would not be able to continue to live; your weak nature would be consumed by the flames of my love.” While He was saying this, I felt all confused and annihilated, and I felt myself sinking into the abyss of my nothingness, because I saw myself all imperfect; especially, I noted my ingratitude and coldness at the so many graces that the Lord gives me. But I hope that everything will be for His glory and honor, hoping, with firm confidence,  that in an effort of His love He may want to conquer my hardness.

September 19, 1899
The fruits of Faith, of Hope and of Charity.

This morning I was a little disturbed, especially because of the fear that it is not Jesus that comes, but the devil, and that my state might not be Will of God. While I was in this agitation, my adorable Jesus came and told me: “My daughter, I do not want you to waste time; by thinking about this, you distract yourself from Me, and you cause the food with which to nourish Me to be lacking. What I want is that you think only of loving Me and of remaining all abandoned in Me, for in this way you will prepare for Me a food very pleasing to Me – and not just every now and then, as you would if you continued like this, but continuously. Would this not be a most great contentment for you – that your will, by remaining abandoned in Me and by loving Me, be food for Me, your God?”

After this, He showed me His Heart, which contained three distinct globes of light, which then formed a single one. And Jesus, resuming His speech, told me: “The globes of light that you see in my Heart are the Faith, the Hope and the Charity which I brought upon earth to make suffering man happy by offering them to him as gift. Now, to you also I want to give a more special gift.” And while He was saying this, many threads of light came out of those globes of light, which inundated my soul like a sort of net, and I remained inside of it. And Jesus: “Here is where I want you to occupy your soul. First, fly upon the wings of Faith, and in that light, by plunging yourself into it, you will know and acquire news ever new about Me, your God; but by knowing Me more, your nothingness will feel almost dispersed, and you will have no place to lean on. You, however, rise more, and dive into the immense sea of Hope, which is made of all my merits that I acquired in the course of my mortal life, and of all the pains of my Passion, which I also gave to man as gift. [4]  Everything from God is gift, including as Jesus says, the pains of his Passion.  Remember that when we bear our crosses.  It’s a gift that unites us to Heaven. Only through these can you hope for the immense goods of Faith, because there is no other way to obtain them. So, as you avail yourself of these, my merits, as if they were your own, your ‘nothing’ will no longer feel dispersed and sinking into the abyss of nothingness, but acquiring new life, it will be embellished and enriched, in such a way as to draw the very divine gazes upon itself. Then will the soul no longer be timid, but Hope will administer to her courage and strength, in such a way as to render her stable like a pillar exposed to all the intemperances of the air, which are the various tribulations of life, and which do not move her a tiny bit. And Hope will cause the soul not only to immerse herself without fear into the immense riches of Faith, but to make herself the owner of them; and through Hope she will reach such a point as to make God Himself her own. Ah! yes, Hope makes the soul reach wherever she wants; Hope is the door of Heaven - only by means of It can it be opened, because one who hopes for everything, obtains everything. Then, once the soul has reached the point of making God Himself her own, immediately, without any obstacle, she will find herself in the immense ocean of Charity, and carrying Faith and Hope with her, she will immerse herself in it and will form one single thing with Me, her God.”

Most loving Jesus continued, saying: “If Faith is the king, Charity is queen, and Hope is like the peacemaking mother who pacifies everything. In fact, with Faith and Charity there might be disturbance, but Hope, being bond of peace, converts everything into peace. Hope is support, Hope is refreshment; and when the soul, rising by means of Faith, sees the beauty, the sanctity, the love with which she is loved by God, she feels drawn to love Him; but in seeing her insufficiency, how little she does for God, and how she should love Him but does not, she feels discomforted, disturbed and almost does not dare to draw near God. Then, immediately, this peacemaking mother Hope comes out, and placing herself between Faith and Charity, she begins to perform her office of peacemaker. She makes the soul peaceful again, she pushes her, lifts her up, gives her new strengths; and carrying her before king Faith and queen Charity, she excuses the soul, she places a new effusion of her merits before the soul, and she prays them to receive her. And Faith and Charity, with their gazes fixed only on this peacemaking mother, so tender and compassionate, receive the soul, and God forms the delight of the soul, and the soul the delight of God.”

Oh! holy Hope, how admirable you are! I imagine seeing the soul who is possessed by this beautiful Hope, like a noble wayfarer, who walks in order to go and take possession of a land that will form all his fortune. But since he is unknown and he journeys through lands which are not his, some deride him, some insult him, some strip him of his clothes, and some reach the point of beating him and of threatening to strip him even of his flesh. And the noble wayfarer – what does he do in all these trials? Will he get disturbed? Ah! no – never. On the contrary, he will deride those who do all this to him, and knowing with certainty that the more he suffers, the more he will be honored and glorified when he comes to take possession of his land, he himself teases the people into tormenting him more. But he is always tranquil, he enjoys the most perfect peace; and what’s more, while he is in the midst of these insults, he remains so calm, that while others are all alert around him, he is there sleeping in the bosom of his longed-for God. Who administers so much peace and so much firmness to this wayfarer in continuing the journey he has undertaken? Certainly Hope in the eternal goods that will be his; and since they are his, he will overcome everything in order to take possession of them. Now, by thinking that they are his own, he comes to love them – and here is how Hope gives birth to Charity.

Who can say, then, what the light of blessed Jesus makes me see? I would rather have let it pass in silence, but I see that lady obedience, laying down her friendly guises of friendship, assumes the aspect of a warrior and is arming his weapons to wage war against me and to wound me. O please! do not arm yourself so quickly – lay down your claws, stay calm, for I will do as you say, as much as I can, and so we will always remain friends.

Now, when the soul carries herself into the most extensive sea of Charity, she experiences ineffable delights, and enjoys joys which are unspeakable to mortal soul. Everything is love; her sighs, her heartbeats, her thoughts, are as many sonorous voices that she makes resound around her most loving God - voices all of love, calling Him to themselves, in such a way that blessed God, drawn and wounded by these loving voices, gives His requital, and it happens that His sighs, His heartbeats, and all of the Divine Being continuously call the soul to God.

Who can say, then, how wounded the soul remains by these voices; how she begins to rave as though taken by a most burning fever; how she runs, almost made insane, and goes to plunge herself into the loving Heart of her Beloved to find refreshment, and she suckles, in torrents, the divine delights? She becomes inebriated with love, and in her inebriation, she makes canticles, all of love, for her most sweet Spouse. But who can say everything that passes between the soul and God? Who can speak about this Charity, which is God Himself?

At this instant, I see an immense light, and my mind remains stupefied; it applies itself now on one point, now on another, and I try to write it on paper, but I feel I stammer in expressing it. So, not knowing what to do, for now I keep silent, and I believe that lady obedience will forgive me this time, because if she wants to get huffy with me, this time she is not so right. The wrong is all hers, for not giving me a more fluent tongue to be able to express it. Have you understood, most reverend obedience? We remain at peace, don’t we?

October 14, 1899
Hope, peacemaking Mother.

This morning I felt a little disturbed and all annihilated within myself. I saw myself as if the Lord wanted to cast me away from Him. Oh God! what a harrowing pain is this! While I was in such a state, blessed Jesus came with a little rope in His hand, and pounding on my heart three times, He told me: “Peace, peace, peace - don’t you know that the kingdom of Hope is kingdom of peace, and the right of this Hope is justice? You, when you see that my Justice arms Itself against the people - enter into the kingdom of Hope, and investing yourself with the most powerful qualities that she  possesses, rise up to my throne and do as much as you can to disarm the armed arm. And you will do this with the most eloquent, the most tender, the most compassionate voices, with the most compelling reasons, with the warmest prayers, which Hope herself will dictate to you. But when you see that Hope herself is about to support certain rights of Justice that are absolutely necessary, and wanting to give them up would be wanting to give affront to her own self, which cannot be – then conform to Me and surrender to Justice.”

And I, terrified more than ever for having to surrender to Justice, said to Him: ‘Ah, Lord, how can I do this? Ah! it seems impossible to me. The mere thought that You have to chastise the people I cannot tolerate, because they are your images. Were they at least creatures that do not belong to You…. Yet, this is nothing; but what tortures me the most is having to see You – I would almost say – being struck by Yourself, slapped, scourged and grieved by Yourself, because the chastisements will pour upon your own members – not upon others, and therefore You Yourself will suffer. Tell me, my sole and only Good, how will my heart be able to bear seeing You suffer, struck by Your very Self? If creatures make You suffer, they are always creatures and it is more tolerable; but this is so hard that I cannot swallow it. Therefore, I cannot conform to You, nor can I surrender.’

And He, moved to pity and all touched by my words, assuming an afflicted and benign appearance, told me: “My daughter, you are right that I will be struck in my own members, so much so, that in hearing you speak, I feel my whole interior moved to compassion and mercy, and I feel my Heart split with tenderness. But, believe Me, the chastisements are necessary, and if you don’t want to see Me struck a little bit now, you will see Me struck more terribly later, because they will offend Me more. Would this not grieve you more? Therefore, conform to Me, otherwise you will force Me not to tell you anything any more so as not to see you grieved. And with this, you would deny Me the relief I receive in conversing with you. Ah! yes, you would reduce Me to silence, with no one with whom to pour my pains out.”

Who can say how embittered I was left at these words of His? And Jesus, almost wanting to distract me from my affliction, resumed His speech about Hope, telling me: “My daughter, do not be disturbed – Hope is peace. And just as I, in the very act in which I make justice, remain in the most perfect peace, you too, by immersing yourself in Hope, must remain at peace. The soul who dwells in Hope, by wanting to afflict herself, become disturbed or lose trust, would run into the misfortune of one who, though possessing millions upon millions of coins, and even being queen of various kingdoms, goes on fantasizing and lamenting, saying: ‘What shall I live on? How shall I clothe myself? Ah! I am dying of starvation! I am so unhappy! I will be reduced to the most absolute misery and I will end up dying.’ And while she says this, she cries, sighs and spends her days in sadness and squalor, immersed in the greatest melancholy. But this is not all; what is worse about her is that if she sees her treasures, if she walks within her properties, instead of rejoicing, she afflicts herself more, thinking of her nearing end; and if she sees food, she does not want to touch it to sustain herself. And if anyone tries to persuade her by letting her touch her riches with her own hands, showing her that it cannot be that she will be reduced to the most absolute misery, she is not convinced, she remains dazed, and cries even more over her sad lot. Now, what would people say about her? That she is crazy, that it shows that she has no reason, that she has lost her brain. The reason is clear, it cannot be otherwise.

Yet, it can happen that she may run into the misfortune over which she keeps fantasizing. But in what way? By going out of her kingdoms, abandoning all of her riches, and going into foreign lands in the midst of barbarian people, where no one will deign to give her a crumb of bread. Here is how the fantasy has become reality – what was false, is now true. But who has been the cause of it? Who should be blamed for so sad a change of state? Her perfidious and obstinate will. Such is precisely the soul who is in possession of Hope: wanting to become disturbed or discouraged is already the greatest madness.”

And I: ‘Ah! Lord, how can a soul be always at peace, living in Hope? And if the soul commits a sin – how can she be at peace?’ And Jesus: “In the act of sinning, the soul already goes out of the kingdom of Hope, because sin and Hope cannot be together. Every common sense holds that each one is obliged to respect, preserve and cultivate what belongs to him. Who is that man who goes into his properties and burns what he possesses? Who does not keep his own things jealously? I believe no one. Now, the soul who lives in Hope, by sinning, already offends Hope, and if it were in her power, she would burn up all the goods that Hope possesses. Then she would find herself in the misfortune of that lady who, abandoning her goods, goes to live in foreign lands. In the same way, by sin, going out of this peacemaking mother Hope, so tender and compassionate, who reaches the point of nourishing her with her own flesh, which is Jesus in the Sacrament, the primary object of our hope, the soul goes to live in the midst of barbarian people, which are the demons who, denying her the slightest refreshment, nourish her with nothing but poison, which is sin. Yet, what does this compassionate mother do? Does she perhaps remain indifferent while the soul moves away from her? Ah! no - she cries, she prays, she calls her with the most tender and most moving voices; she goes after her, and when she leads her back into her kingdom, only then is she content.”

My sweet Jesus continues, telling me: “The nature of Hope is peace, and what she is by nature, the soul who lives in the bosom of this peacemaking mother acquires by grace.” And in the very act of speaking these words, by means of an intellectual light, blessed Jesus makes me see, through the simile of a mother, what this Hope has done for man. Oh! what a moving and most tender scene! If all could see it, even the hardest hearts would cry with compunction, and all would grow so fond of her, that it would become impossible for them to detach even for one moment from her maternal knees.

I will now try to say what I comprehend and what I can: man lived in chains, slave of the devil, condemned to eternal death, without the hope of being able to live again to eternal life. Everything was lost, and his destiny had gone to ruin. This Mother lived in Heaven, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit, blissful and happy with Them; but it seemed that she was not content - she wanted her children, her dear images, the most beautiful work that came out of her hands, to be around her. Now, while she was in Heaven, her eyes were intent on man, who goes wandering on earth. She is all occupied with how to save these beloved children of hers, and in seeing that these children can in no way satisfy the Divinity, even at the cost of any sacrifice, because they are greatly inferior to It - what does this compassionate Mother do? She sees that there is no other means to save these children than to give her own life to save theirs, taking their pains and miseries upon herself, and doing everything that they were supposed to do for themselves. So, what does she think of doing? This loving Mother presents herself before Divine Justice with tears in her eyes, with the most tender voices, with the most compelling reasons which her magnanimous heart dictates to her, and says: “Grace do I ask of You for my lost children, I don’t have the heart to see them separated from Me. I want to save them at any cost, and even though I see that there is no other way but to lay down my life, I want to do it, as long as they may reacquire their own. What do you want from them? Reparation? I repair for them. Glory, honor? I glorify You and honor You for them. Thanksgiving? I thank You for them. Anything You want from them, I Myself give to You, provided that I may have them reigning together with Me.”

The Divinity is moved in seeing the tears and the love of this compassionate Mother, and persuaded by her compelling reasons, It feels inclined to love these children. They cry together over their misfortune, and conclude in accord that They accept the sacrifice of the life of this Mother, remaining fully satisfied, in order to reacquire these children. As soon as the decree is signed, immediately she descends from Heaven and comes upon earth, and laying down her royal garments which she had in Heaven, she clothes herself with human miseries, as if she were the most miserable slave, and she lives in the most extreme poverty, in the most unheard-of sufferings, amid the scorns most unbearable to the human nature. She does nothing but cry and intercede for her beloved children. But that which is most stupefying, both about this Mother and about these children, is that while she loves these children so much, instead of receiving with open arms this Mother who is coming to save them, they do the opposite. No one wants to receive her or recognize her; on the contrary, they let her go wandering, they despise her, and begin to plot how to kill this Mother so tender and so passionately in love with them. What will such a tender Mother do in seeing herself requited so badly by her ungrateful children? Will she stop? Ah, no! On the contrary, she becomes more ignited with love for them, and she runs from one point to another to reunite them and place them on her lap. Oh! how she toils, how she struggles, to the point of dripping sweat – not only of water, but also of blood! She gives herself not a moment of respite, she is always in act to operate their salvation, she provides for all their needs, she remedies all their evils, past, present and future; in sum, there is nothing she does not order and dispose for their good.

But what do these children do? Have they perhaps repented of their ingratitude in receiving her? Have they changed their thoughts in favor of this Mother? Ah, no! They scowl at her, they dishonor her with the most awful calumnies, they procure her opprobrium, scorns and confusions, they beat her with every kind of scourges, reducing all of her to a wound; and they finish by making her die the most infamous death that can be found, in the midst of cruel spasms and pains. But what does this Mother do in the midst of so many pains? Will she perhaps hate these children, so unruly and arrogant? Ah, no – never! It is then that she loves them more passionately than ever, offering her pains for their own salvation, and breathing her last with a word of peace and of forgiveness. Oh! my beautiful Mother! Oh dear Hope, how admirable you are - I love you! O please! keep me always on your lap, and I will be the happiest in the world.

While I am determined to stop speaking about Hope, a voice resounds everywhere around me, saying: “Hope contains all good, both present and future, and one who lives on her lap and is raised on her knees, whatever he wants, obtains. What does the soul want? Glory, honor? Hope will give her the greatest honor and glory on earth among all people, and in Heaven she will glorify her eternally. Maybe she wants riches? Oh! This Mother Hope is extremely rich, and what is more, by giving her goods to her children, her riches are not the least diminished. Moreover, these riches are not fleeting and passing - but eternal. Does she want pleasures, contentments? Ah, yes! This Hope contains within herself all possible pleasures and tastes that can be found in Heaven and on earth, so much so, that no one will ever be able to equal her; and one who nourishes herself at her breast enjoys them to her fill, and – oh! how happy and content she is! Does she want to be learned, wise? This Mother Hope contains the most sublime sciences within herself – even more, she is the master of all masters, and one who lets herself be taught by her learns the science of true sanctity.”

In sum, Hope provides us with everything, in such a way that if one is weak, she gives him strength; if another is stained, Hope instituted the Sacraments and in them she prepared the bath for his sins. If one is hungry or thirsty, this compassionate Mother gives us the most beautiful, the most delicious food, which is her most delicate flesh, and, as drink, her most precious blood. What else can this peacemaking Mother Hope do? And who else is similar to her? Ah! she alone has reconciled Heaven and earth. Hope has united Faith and Charity with herself and has formed that indissoluble link between the human nature and the Divine. But, who is this Mother? Who is this Hope? It is Jesus Christ, who operated our Redemption and formed the Hope of man astray.