| abstract
| - Prologue by Master Mathias Amazement and wonders have been heard of in our land. When Moses, the zealot of the law, heard the law of fire given unto the chastisement of sinners from the midst of the fire of the zeal of God, it was amazing indeed. It is more wonderful that in our day the humble and meek in spirit should hear the voice of Jesus Christ, God and man, even as Elijah once heard it in the sound of a gentle breeze. 2 God, who had earlier made a stiff-necked, rude and ignorant people zealous for the justice of his law by means of fear, has now in his gentle mercy used love to bring to submission a people instructed in both the old and new covenants. First came the fear of God like that great wind rending the mountains and crushing the rocks of hardened hearts. It was followed by an upheaval of penance that threw human hearts into a turmoil for the sake of their salvation. Then came the fire of divine charity, shining in the gospel of Christ and giving clear evidence both of his great love for his own, for he delivered himself to death for them lest they suffer eternal death, and of their love for him, for they deliver themselves up, one might say, for his glory. 3 God appeared in this fire not according to the greatness of his divinity but according to the humble condition of our slavery in which he has redeemed the world. Now follows the sound of God's gentle mercy summoning all people out of the feverish heat of sin into the peaceful breeze of his mercy through the prayers and merits of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy. In this breeze, the Lord, whose nature it is to be merciful, manifests his omnipotent divinity through his great and exalted compassion so that all those who have despised his mercy, so gently and so sweetly displayed, will be left without excuse when God's judgment is made known. 4 Is not that person inexcusable and worthy of being punished by divine justice who has scorned and disdained the mercy held out to him with such sweet words and deeds as contained in this collection of revelations? 5 For that reason, let all people prepare their souls and enlarge their wills so as to receive a good measure of mercy, pressed down, shaken together, running over beyond merit or hope, beyond wish or thought, to be poured out through the mediatrix of God and humanity by her Son, the fount of all piety. 6 May those who read these revelations harbor no suspicions about a false inspiration. It is not to be believed that the evil spirit can deceive those who are truly just or convert sinners to the good or that he is able to infuse into cold hearts the love that he himself lacks or that he advances in any way the glory of God whom he envies. 7 Just as it is impossible for the spirit of truth[ 1 ] to utter a lie or turn anyone away from justice or inspire pride or envy in hearts that are subject to him, or induce anyone to the contempt of God almighty, so too, due to innate malice and wickedness, the spirit of falsehood is altogether incapable of producing the opposites of these evils. 8 If anyone should protest that the evil spirit is capable of doing these good things or any one of them, then it follows that he concedes that the spirit of kindness and holiness is capable of their opposites. The inevitable error then results that evil is attributed to God and good to the devil, that the devil is held to be the prince and guide of the just and that God is blasphemed as protecting and encouraging the impious. 9 If you want to recognize the truly righteous person so as not to be deceived by seeming justice, know that the following things are rejected by someone who is truly righteous. First, all things that are truly evil insofar as they bring about eternal death, such as lust, greed, and pride. Then, too, false goods, such as the habit of vainglory in self-ostentation, or cowardice in defending justice, or being eager to judge others with a bitter zeal. Accordingly, the truly righteous person is humble by reason of virtue, firm by reason of humility, calm by reason of firmness of soul. 10 Hence someone who is truly righteous does not seek his own glory, and so the devil cannot use it to trick him. He does not shrink from the defense of justice out of cowardice and so, as a result, is not overcome by the ill will of other people. He does not allow his soul to succumb to any kind of distress and lose its proper seating in reason through impatient fervor. 11 Anybody who suffers mental distress is not for that reason devoid of justice, provided such distress does not unsettle him in the practice of patience and the other virtues. Even when Jesus Christ said to the Father in the midst of the sadness and distress of his mental agony: "Let this cup pass from me!" he showed that his distress had not unsettled his soul from its foundation in virtue by adding: "Not as I will but as you will."[ 2 ] 12 You will also be able to observe this no less than what was said above in the allegory mentioned earlier. The great wind is vainglory that rends every outstanding virtue, as represented by the mountains, along with all constancy, as represented by the firmness of the rocks. The dread of threats and persecutors leaves the heart so shaken that it yields to human ruthlessness. 13 The righteous burn with the fire of zeal against sinners, but not yet with the patience and mildness of perfection. This is obvious in the case of the Pharisee who boasted of his own righteousness and burned with fiery indignation against the publican[ 3 ] just as Simon did, too, regarding Mary Magdalene.[ 4 ] However, the Lord is not to be found in this kind of fervor, and it gives the devil a chance to tempt and deceive. 14 Such things must not be thought of this bride of Christ whom he chose for himself to be a minister of this kind of grace. While still living in matrimony, she got her husband to practice perfect continence so that they lived together for many years without either demanding or receiving the dues of marriage. While she was still married, she preferred a widow's sobriety in her clothing and food. Her interior devotion and constancy in prayer gave early indications in her of a great perfection of piety and grace in the future. 15 When she was released from the law binding her to a husband,[ 5 ] she distributed her property among her heirs and among the poor, and then extricated herself from her ties to the world. A poor woman following a poor man, Christ, she kept nothing for herself but mean clothing and simple food. This is why, having rejected all worldly consolation, she was visited by Christ with wonderful consolations and graces. 16 In none of this did she seek her own glory but only that of God. She would have preferred to remain hidden out of humility, had she not been commanded to reveal herself to certain people out of obedience to the Spirit, or, rather, to Christ, who appeared to her in spirit. By enduring insults and abuse, she wished to add to the glory of Christ. By her truthfulness, meekness, and justice she gave expression to Christ's way of life in her own life, allowing herself to be hurt by low and despicable persons who did so gratuitously and with impunity. 17 Who could imagine that such a life could be exposed to the mockery of demons? Who would dare to accuse Jesus Christ of being so heartless as not to protect someone who had placed her hope in him and glorified not herself but him out of her great love for him? Would a good husband expose his chaste and faithful wife to the seductions of an adulterer?[ 6 ] 18 Away with the rashness of ignorant opinion! Make room for God's grace and glory! His grace and glory are known to be so much the greater the more incredible they appear to our ignorance and to our mediocre faith. Indeed, unless guided by the grace of the same Spirit, who could believe that Christ, who resides in heaven, would speak to a woman still living in this mortal condition? 19 However, just as - we have it from the very words of Christ himself - when you look at mountains and forests, the sky seems close to their tops, although it is not, so too Christ, who reigns in heaven, may seem to the mind's eye to be close by, however remote he may be as to his bodily presence. Physical distance cannot disqualify a vision of this kind. O most admirable and wonderful grace and apparition, worthy of being revealed to every nation under heaven! Through it Jesus Christ, whom Christians have scourged and wounded so sorely that the seeds of righteousness are scarcely to be found remaining in them, displays mercy to the ungrateful and gently leads the accused to implore his forgiveness. 21 This apparition is even more amazing than the one by which he showed himself in the flesh. His body presented itself outwardly to bodily eyes, but in this apparition the God and man are presented to spiritual eyes. 22 In that apparition, a man who was about to die spoke to mortal men. In this he who lives forever speaks to those who are about to die in order to make them immortal. Through that apparition, while living on earth, he revealed the divine in the human. Through this one, while reigning in heaven, he reconciles human things to divine. 23 In that apparition, by dying for us, he repaid the debt of justice. In this, he promises to bestow the gift of mercy on us sinners, although there is no longer any debt to pay. 24 So amazing, I say, is this wonderful apparition that the small capacity of the human heart can scarcely believe it or comprehend the force of so great a miracle. Although reason itself finds a powerful truth in the very deeds and words heard in this apparition and known by experience, still the weakness of our understanding does not grasp what the reason of those who have heard the words and experienced the favors tells it to grasp. 25 Even I myself, who have written this, can scarcely grasp it, although the words and the deeds convince me entirely of the truth of this inspiration, and I judge it to be most worthy of being fully accepted. By no means do I expect everyone who hears about it to believe it, if they have not heard the words themselves or known the deeds. 26 Just as the resurrection of Christ is also said to have been made known gradually by means of many proofs, since fragile mortal minds could not grasp the news of the miracle all at once, I believe that Jesus Christ will work in the same way in this miracle as well: In the course of long periods of time he will make the greatness of it known by means of many proofs of miraculous powers, a greatness that the eyes of sinful minds, accustomed to darkness, cannot recognize without preparation. 27 Still, it should make it easier for everyone to accept its truth to know that no other faith than that which Christ preached is preached in these words and wonders. They do not give us a new Christ but the same one who suffered for us. 28 They neither subtract from nor add anything to the knowledge of the truth that is in Christ, but to (the knowledge of) his mercy. His mercy becomes so much the better known, being on greater display in these events, inasmuch as the misery of sinners exceeds what it was before. 29 Let us give thanks to the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation,[ 7 ] who in the many miseries of this ageing world proceeds with so much mercy to help the miserable, lest they fall into the pit of despair. 30 For he who attends seriously and faithfully to the words of the present book which are few in comparison to the many others, will not be able to doubt that the words - not of her who is empty of power but of him who is full of the power of truth - could not have been uttered but by the spirit of truth. 31 Anyone who also desires to examine his miraculous deeds will find trustworthy witnesses by which he can confirm their truth, if he so desires. 32 The beginning of this revelation that was made to this lady was transmitted to me who have added this prologue so that I might make it known to others. It was received from Christ as follows: 33 "The devil sinned in three ways: by pride in my having created him well; by greed, which made him seek not only to be my equal but even my superior; and by lust, which made him so delight in my divine glory that he would gladly have killed me, had he been able, so as to rule in my stead. This was why he fell from heaven and filled the world with these three sins and violated the human race through them. 34 For this reason I assumed a human nature and came into the world so that I might annihilate his pride by my humility and destroy his greed by my poverty. I submitted to the heavy punishment of the cross both in order that I might exterminate his abominable lust through the blood of my heart and through my death and, because the sins of the devil had closed it, in order to open heaven to mankind, provided that everyone is willing to struggle for it according to his or her ability. 35 But the people in the kingdom of Sweden are sinning now, just as the devil sinned before them, especially that class of men known as noblemen or knights. They are proud of the beautiful bodies I have given them. They strive for wealth, which I have not given them. They go so far astray in their abominable concupiscence that, if it were possible for them, they would rather kill me than go without their pleasures, or would put up with my terrible sentence that hangs over them for their sins. 36 Therefore, those bodies of which they are so proud will be struck down by the sword, lance, and hatchet. Beasts and birds will tear to pieces those lovely limbs in which they glory. Others will carry away the riches they gather against my will, and they themselves will be in want. 37 Due to their abominable lusts, they displease my Father to such an extent that he will not deign to admit them to the vision of his face. And since they would gladly kill me if they could, they shall be delivered to hell by the hands of the devil, and he will kill them in an everlasting death. 38 I would long ago have brought this judgment upon the kingdom of Sweden, had not the prayers of those friends of mine among them held me back and inclined me to mercy. The time will come when I shall gather those same friends to myself lest they behold the evils I will bring upon the kingdom. But some of my friends will still be alive then and will watch from the peak of their merits. 39 Since the kings and princes and prelates do not wish to recognize me for the benefits I confer, nor to come to me, I will now gather together the poor, the weak, the infants, and the wretched, and with them I will fill their places so that there will be no shortage of people in the host of the Lord due to their absence." 40 When the person to whom this revelation was made sighed and bewailed so harsh a sentence, the Lord added: "As long as a person lives, access to the kingdom of heaven is available. If people know how to change their lives, I know how to mitigate my sentence." 41 As for the facts corroborating the truth of the present case, they are as follows: First, it was an unlearned woman who set this forth. Being of a noble and honest character, a humble widow, she would not have been able to make it up even had she wanted to, since she was a simple and gentle soul. 42 Second, the man who wrote down these revelations[ 8 ] was a pious and simple monk, and he in no way wanted to put them in writing himself, since he considered himself unworthy and ignorant for such a task. However, Christ compelled him to do so through the fear of death, and he was on the point of death before he consented. Once he gave his consent, he was immediately cured all at once. 43 Third, a man in Östergötland, suffering from diabolic possession, was made clean in the presence of two trustworthy witnesses[ 9 ] at the words of the aforementioned monk. This monk communicated the form of the words this woman had heard from Christ and did so on the command of Christ. 44 Fourth, another man in Sweden possessed by a devil was made clean in the same way through the same monk in the presence of trustworthy witnesses. 45 Fifth, a public prostitute was converted through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin who appeared along with Christ to the same lady. 46 Sixth, a number of leading men in the realm were converted, who, at a suitable time and place, will unanimously avow-for otherwise they would be ungrateful to Christ-that they experienced a conversion in their hearts at her words as sent from him.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)