CHAPTER 6

Her dying words. Devotion to the Divine Office. Tenderness to her spiritual children. Our Lord appears to her in her agony. Promises to receive her as He received His blessed Mother. Angels call her to paradise.

FOR several months before her death, St. Gertrude entirely lost the use of speech, and was only able to articulate the words “my spirit.”18 Those who attended her in vain endeavored to ascertain what she meant; indeed, it appeared almost miraculous that she was able to pronounce them, while otherwise totally deprived of utterance. As she repeated them constantly, the religious before mentioned inquired of her heavenly Spouse if they contained any spiritual signification. Our Lord replied: “Because I the Lord God, dwelling in her, have so drawn and united her spirit to Mine, that she sees Me alone in every creature, therefore, in her words, in her answers, and in her prayers, she makes mention of Me as the Person in whom her spirit lives. And whenever she acts thus, I intimate to the whole heavenly host that it is to Me alone she looks, and for this she will have everlasting glory in Heaven.”

The Saint still listened with the utmost attention when anyone spoke to her of God; and so great was her fervor, that she insisted on being brought daily to assist at the Adorable Sacrifice, although one of her limbs was perfectly useless, and the other was in such a state that she could not bear it to be touched, even in the gentlest manner, without suffering most acute pain. Still she took the greatest care to conceal her real state, and avoided the least gesture of pain, lest she should be deprived of her highest consolation. Her life-long devotion to the Office now manifested itself to all. At the times at which she had been so long accustomed to watch and pray, she remained wakeful and alert, although even when taking necessary food she was constantly overcome by sleep, consequent on the languor of her disease. It was remarked also that the last time she uttered the words “My spirit,” it appeared as if she intended it as an offering of the Office of Compline, after which she fell into her agony.

Her singular charity and tender affection were manifested with peculiar sweetness during this long last illness. As she could not speak to the sisters who visited her, she exerted her failing strength to testify the pleasure she found in their presence and the depth of her maternal love, which could not bear to leave one unconsoled. To each she would sweetly use the one expression, “My spirit,” and to each extend her hand caressingly, though she could not move it without severe pain, so like was she to her beloved Spouse, so utterly regardless of her own suffering, when even a passing consolation could be bestowed upon another. And each time the religious left her, she again raised the suffering hand in benediction, well knowing with what devotion that favor had often been sought by her faithful children.

One sister, however, was unable to visit her dying Superior: she was herself confined to a bed of suffering; but she was not forgotten. The Saint made such earnest entreaties by signs to those who attended her that at last they complied with the request and carried her to the religious. She could only say the words so often uttered, but her maternal heart was ingenious in its love, and she expressed her sympathy and affection for the poor sister by such gentle and tender signs and caresses, that those who stood by could not refrain from tears.

A month after the Saint had lost the use of speech, she appeared so ill that it was considered necessary to administer the last anointing without delay. As the religious were preparing for the holy rite, our Divine Lord appeared to St. Gertrude under the form of a Spouse of exceeding beauty, and extended His arms to her, as if to invite her to Himself, moving in whatever direction she turned her face. It was revealed to the religious before mentioned that Our Lord had so much love for His faithful servant, that He ardently desired to receive her into the arms of His mercy, and to put her in possession of the glories of Heaven. The religious inquired how it could be that her beloved mother equalled in merit those virgin Saints whom the Church had canonized because they had shed their blood for the Faith. She received this reply: “Since the first year in which she held office as Abbess, she united and conformed her will so perfectly to Mine as to have merited an equal reward. But now that her virtues have increased with her years, I have given her a yet greater share of glory and merit.”

When the happy day of release came, which the Saint had so long and so ardently desired, Our Lord appeared to her with His Divine countenance radiant with joy. On His right hand stood His ever-blessed Mother, and on His left the beloved disciple John. An immense multitude of Saints attended the King of Saints, and among their glorious ranks were seen a band of virgins, who appeared to the religious of the monastery and joined themselves with them. Our Divine Lord approached the bed of the dying Saint, showing such marks of tenderness and affection as were more than sufficient to sweeten the bitterness of death. When the Passion was read, at the words, “Et inclinato capite emisit spiritum,”19 Our Lord inclined toward His faithful spouse and opened wide His adorable Heart, as if transported with love, pouring forth all its tenderness on her. It might have seemed enough; but even on earth there was yet more consolation reserved for her who had been faithful usque ad mortem—even until death.

As the sisters prayed and wept around her bed, the religious so favored by Our Lord ventured to address Him thus: “O most sweet Jesus! We beseech Thee, by the goodness which prompted Thee to give us so dear a mother, that, as Thou art about to take her from this world, Thou wouldst condescend to our prayers, and receive her with the same affection as Thou didst Thy Blessed Mother, when she went forth from the body.” Then Our Lord, with exceeding clemency, turned to His Blessed Mother and said to her: “Tell Me, My Mother, what I did most pleasing to you when you were leaving the world, for they ask Me to bestow a similar favor on their mother.” “My Son,” replied the Holy Virgin sweetly, “my greatest joy was the grace which You showed me of receiving me in the secure asylum of Your holy arms.” Our Lord replied: “I granted this because My Mother, when on earth, ever remembered My Passion with such intense anguish.” Then He added: “I granted this favor to My chosen one in recompense for the care which you had, while yet on earth, to meditate often in your mind, and to revere by your grief and your tears, the mystery of My Passion. Gertrude must therefore render herself in some sort worthy of this favor, by the pain and difficulty which she will suffer today in breathing. The patience which she will thus be called to exercise will place her in a state somewhat similar to that to which you were often reduced by the recollection of My sufferings.”

St. Gertrude accordingly continued in her agony the entire day, but our Lord did not leave her to suffer alone. His Heart had already been opened to her, and from thence she drew the help and consolation she needed. Celestial spirits also surrounded her bed, and she beheld them inviting her to Paradise, and heard their celestial harmony as they sung continually: “Come, come, come, O lady! The joys of Heaven await thee! Alleluia! Alleluia!”20