CHAPTER 1

How St. Mechtilde prepared for death, and received Extreme Unction.

WHEN Dame1 Mechtilde, of happy memory, our chantress, who was full of good works, or rather full of God, was confined to bed in her last sickness, about a month before her death, she began to think of her end, and to reflect on some works which she had written. But on Sunday, as a person prayed for her, asking that she might have the grace of a happy death, under the protection of the Divine mercy, so that she might abandon herself to it with humble confidence when receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, she knew in spirit that God had drawn this soul to Himself entirely, and that He had only restored her for a brief space, that He might again abide in her. Then she said to the Lord: “Lord, why dost Thou wish her to continue on earth?” He replied: “It is to perfect the work which My Divine dispensation has decreed; and she will contribute to this in three ways: by the repose of humility, the table2 of patience and the joy3 of virtue. For example: in all that she sees or hears from others, let her always humble herself and consider herself the most unworthy of all. Thus will I rejoice in the repose of her heart and soul. Secondly: let her embrace patience joyfully, and suffer all her trials and sicknesses willingly for love of Me; thus she will prepare Me a table of sumptuous delights. Thirdly: she will offer Me a joyful spectacle if she exercises herself in every kind of virtue.”

On another occasion, when St. Mechtilde was ready to communicate, this person asked Our Lord what He was about to do in her. He answered: “I am going to repose with her in this couch.” By this she understood that the couch in which Our Lord reposed with her was her perfect confidence, in all her afflictions, that God would order all that concerned her in the greatest love and mercy for the furtherance of her salvation; so that she offered continual thanksgivings to Him, trusting entirely in His Providence.

When she was near her end, one evening at Vesper time, she was suddenly seized with such excruciating pain in the heart, that the sisters who stood around her could not restrain their tears; but she consoled them, saying: “Do not weep for me, my beloved ones; for I am so touched by your grief, that were it the Will of my dearest Lord I would gladly bear this very pain all my life, if I could thereby obtain consolation for you.”

On another occasion, when they urged her to take some medicine which they hoped would give her some relief, she yielded to their request; but immediately after her sufferings increased greatly. On the following day the person before mentioned besought Our Lord to reward her humble compliance. He replied: “From the suffering which My beloved endured on that occasion I have confected a most salutary remedy, which I have used to purify the souls of all sinners throughout the world.”

On the Sunday Si iniquitates,4 the Saint communicated for the last time before her death; and this person prayed that she might be inspired to prepare for Extreme Unction, and that Our Lord would keep her soul in His bosom, to preserve it from every stain, as an artist covers a newly painted picture lest it should contract dust. When she told this to St. Mechtilde, who was always perfectly submissive to her superiors, she committed herself humbly to their good pleasure and to Divine Providence, which she hoped would never forsake her. However, her superior had such veneration for her, that she believed Our Lord would make known the hour of her death to her; and as she did not ask earnestly to receive this Sacrament, it was not administered that day.

But Our Lord soon verified the words of the Gospel, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35); and he failed not to accomplish what He had promised to His chosen one. For on Monday5 blessed Mechtilde became so ill, just before Matins, that we feared she had fallen into her agony, so that the priests were immediately sent for, and she received Extreme Unction. Thus, although the Sacrament was not administered on Sunday, it was administered the night of that day, as she received it before sunrise on Monday.

When her eyes were anointed by the priest, the religious who had prayed for her understood that our most loving Lord looked on her with Divine mercy, and, with a Heart full of tenderness toward her, shed a ray of His Divine light into her soul, imparting to her at the same time a share in the merits which He had obtained when on earth by the glances of His most holy Eyes; and then she beheld the eyes of the Saint, as if overflowing with the oil of divine compassion. From this she understood that those who invoke this Saint with confidence would feel abundant proof of the efficacy of her intercession; and that she had merited this favor with God by her gentle, loving conduct toward others. When the other members of her body were anointed, Our Lord applied the merits of those parts of His own most sacred Body to her also. When her lips were anointed, this zealous Lover6 of our souls honored her with marks of the tenderest love, imparting to her the fruit of His most holy lips.

When the Litanies were said, at the words Omnes sancti Seraphim et Cherubim, orate pro ea,7 she beheld the hosts of Seraphim and Cherubim making way for her soul to pass through their ranks, as if to give precedence to one who had led so pure and virginal a life on earth; who, like the Cherubim, had drawn spiritual knowledge so copiously from the true Fount of all wisdom; and, like the Seraphim, had been enkindled by Him who is a consuming fire (cf. Heb. 12:29).

As the Saints were named in the Litany, they offered their merits for her with great joy, under the form of gifts, which they presented to Our Lord, Who placed them in His bosom for His beloved. For two days after she had received Extreme Unction, she appeared to live only by union with her Lord, and to draw every grace from His Divine Heart. But the happy moment of her departure was at hand, and on Wednesday, which was the Vigil of St. Elizabeth, she fell into her agony, after None. The community, having assembled to assist their beloved sister in Christ by their fervent prayers for her happy passage to eternity, the person before mentioned beheld her soul under the form of a fair young girl, who applied her lips to the Wound of Our Lord’s side, and drew thence streams of grace for the whole Church, and especially for those who were present. And she understood that she had prayed specially both for the living and the dead, and therefore Our Lord had bestowed such abundant favors on her.

When they recited the Salve Regina, at the words Eia ergo, St. Mechtilde prayed very earnestly to the Blessed Virgin for the beloved sisters whom she was about to leave, beseeching her to have a special care of them, as if she, who during her life had been so devoted to her community, so tender and helpful and loving, desired to secure an advocate for them after her death in the person of the Mother of Mercy. And this blessed Queen took the hand of the dying religious, as if she was accepting the charge of the community from her. Then, as they read the prayer Ave Jesu Christe, at the words via dulcis, she beheld the Lord Jesus showing His beloved spouse the way by which He purposed to draw her sweetly to Himself.

The Saint continued all day in her agony, without saying any other words than these, Jesu bone! Jesu bone! as if to show how He dwelt in her heart, since His sweet Name was so constantly on her lips in the agonies of death. Then, as each of the sisters commended themselves to her prayers, beseeching her to intercede with God for their necessities, she immediately replied, “Willingly,” although scarcely able to speak, as if she would say with what love she would pray for those who were committed to her care. St. Gertrude knew also that the great sufferings which her sister had endured with such patience had contributed much to her sanctification; and she beheld a certain vapor coming forth from those parts of her body which had suffered most; and this touched her soul, purifying it from its stains, sanctifying it, and preparing it for eternal beatitude.

Now Gertrude knew all these things in spirit, but she feared to declare them, lest it should be suspected that she had received these revelations; but this was contrary to the Divine Will, whose glory it is to discover the truth (Tob. 12:11), and who commanded His Apostles to preach on the house-tops what they heard in the ear. (Matt. 10:27). As they said the Vespers of St. Elizabeth, St. Mechtilde’s agony increased so evidently, that they feared she was about to expire; the sisters were, therefore, summoned from the choir, that they might redouble their prayers by her bedside.8 As St. Gertrude assisted with the rest of the community, she found herself unable to understand or attend to anything that was said: this occasioned her to see her fault in concealing what God had revealed to her. But when she had promised Our Lord to make known these favors for His honor and glory and the good of others, the use of her faculties was at once restored.

After Compline the dying nun entered her third and last agony; and St. Gertrude was rapt in spirit, and beheld her soul again under the form of a young girl, but with new ornaments, the fruit of renewed sufferings. She observed also that this soul approached Our Lord with intense love, and began culling from His Wounds––as a bee from flowers––the sweet honey of the Divine delights. As they read this Response, amongst others, Ave Sponsa, the Blessed Virgin approached the soul of the dying nun to prepare it for enjoying the delights of the Divinity. Then Our Lord Jesus––for the sake of His Blessed Mother, who alone merited to be called, and to be both a Virgin and a Mother––took a necklace of marvelous beauty, adorned with radiant gems, and placed it on the religious, granting her the special privilege of being also called a virgin and mother, on account of the fervor and devotion with which she had guided her spiritual children.