CHAPTER 14

Those who have persevered long in sin are not easily benefited by the prayers of the Church, and are liberated with difficulty.

ONCE, when a person was told that a relative had died, of whose state she had great fear, Gertrude was so moved by her affliction that she offered to pray for the soul of the deceased. Our Lord taught her that the information had been given in her presence by a special arrangement of His Providence. She replied: “Lord, couldst not Thou have given me the compassion without this?” He answered: “I take particular pleasure in prayers for the dead, when they are addressed to Me from natural compassion, united to a good will; thus a good work becomes perfected.”

When Gertrude had prayed for this soul a long time, he appeared to her under a horrible form, as if blackened by fire, and contorted with pain. She saw no one near him; but his sins, which he had not fully expiated, were his executioners, and each member suffered for the sins to which it had been accessory. Then St. Gertrude, desiring to intercede with her Spouse for him, said lovingly: “My Lord, wilt Thou not relieve this soul, for my sake?” He replied: “Not only would I deliver this soul, but thousands of souls, for your love! How do you wish Me to show him mercy? Shall I release him at once from all his pains?” “Perhaps, Lord,” she continued, “this would be contrary to the decrees of Thy justice.” He answered: “It would not be contrary to it if you asked Me with faith; for, as I foresee the future, I prepared him for this when in his agony.” She replied: “I beseech of Thee, Salvation of my soul, to perfect this work according to Thy mercy, in which I have the most perfect confidence.”

When she had said this, the soul appeared under a human form and in great joy, but still bearing some marks of his former sins; however, the Saint knew that he must be purified further, and made as white as snow, before he would be fit to enter into the Divine presence; and to effect this, it was necessary for him to suffer as if from the blows of an iron hammer; furthermore, he had continued so long in sin, that the process of cleansing his soul was much prolonged, and he also suffered as if exposed for a year to the rays of a scorching sun. As the Saint marveled at this, she was instructed that those who have committed many and grievous sins are not assisted by the ordinary suffrages of the Church until they are partly purified by Divine justice; and that they cannot avail themselves of the prayers of the Faithful, which are constantly descending on the souls in Purgatory like a gentle and refreshing dew, or like a sweet and soothing ointment.

Gertrude then returned thanks for this favor, and said to the Lord: “O my most loving Lord, tell me, I beseech Thee, what work or prayers will most easily obtain mercy from Thee for those sinners who have died in a state of grace, so that they may be delivered from this terrible impediment which prevents them from obtaining the benefit of the Church’s prayers. For this soul appears to me now, when relieved from this burden, as if it had ascended from Hell to Heaven.” Our Lord replied: “The only way to obtain such a favor is Divine love; neither prayers nor any other labors will avail without this, and it must be such a love as you now have for Me; and as none can have this grace unless I bestow it, so also none can obtain these advantages after death unless I have prepared them for it by some special grace during life. Know, however, that the prayers and labors of the Faithful relieve the soul gradually from this heavy burden, and that they are delivered sooner or later, according to the fervor and pure intentions of those who thus serve them, and according to the merit which they have acquired for themselves when in this life.”

Then the soul besought Our Lord, by the love which had brought Him down from Heaven to die upon the Cross, that He would apply these remedies to his soul, and reward those who prayed for him abundantly; and Our Lord appeared to take a piece of gold from him, and lay it by to recompense those who had assisted him by their prayers.