CHAPTER 7

With what confidence we should have recourse to God in all our needs and temptations.

AS GERTRUDE prepared herself for Communion on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, she found herself distracted by a crowd of importunate thoughts; and having implored the Divine assistance, Our Lord, in His exceeding mercy, spoke thus to her: “If anyone, when encompassed by temptation, throws himself on My protection with a firm hope, he is of the number of those of whom I can say: ‘One is My dove, chosen amongst a thousand; he has pierced My Divine Heart with one glance of His eye’; so that if I thought I could not assist him, My Heart would be so desolate that even all the joys of Heaven could not alleviate my grief, because he is a part of My Body, and is united to My Divinity; and I am ever the advocate of My elect, full of compassion for their every need.”

“Lord,” replied St. Gertrude, “how is it that Thy immaculate Body, in which Thou never hadst any contradiction, enables Thee to compassionate our many weaknesses?” He replied: “You may easily convince yourself of this. Has not My Apostle said: ‘It behooved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be able to succor them also that are tempted?’ ” 7 He added: “This eye of My beloved, which pierces My heart, is the confidence which she ought to have in Me— that I know, that I am able, and that I am willing to assist her faithfully in all her miseries; and this confidence has such power over My goodness, that it is not possible for Me to abandon her.” “But, Lord,” replied the Saint, “since confidence is so great a gift that none can have it unless Thou dost bestow it, what merit have those who are deprived of it?” He replied: “Each can at least overcome his diffidence, in some degree, by the testimony of Scripture, and say, if not with his whole heart, at least with his lips: ‘If I should be cast into hell, Thou, O Lord, wilt deliver me’; and again, ‘Although He should kill me, I will trust Him.’ ”