第三章

本章論上述祈禱所結的豐碩果實；這些效果與先前所描述的有何奇妙的不同，值得仔細研究並牢記。

一、新近所領恩寵帶來的效果。二、靈魂只關心天主的光榮。三、但仍盡本分行事。四、這些恩寵的其他果實。五、靈魂熱切渴望事奉天主。六、基督住在這靈魂內。七、當她鬆懈時，祂再次喚醒她的熱忱。八、天主對這些靈魂不斷的看顧。九、她們的平安與靜默。十、第七重居所中神魂超拔甚少。十一、可能的原因。十二、聖經中暗指此境的章句。十三、這些靈魂的警醒。十四、此境中仍要背負的十字架。

一、那隻小蝶終於找到了歇息之所，在至深的喜樂中死去；此刻，是基督活在她內。⁴²⁰我們且看看她此刻的生活與從前有何分別；因為果效最能印證我所說的是否真實。就我所能察知的，大致有以下幾點：第一，自我遺忘到如此徹底的地步，彷彿她真的不再存在（我在前面已說過）；⁴²¹因為她內裡已起了巨大的轉變，連自己都認不出自己了；她甚至記不得天鄉、生命或榮耀將要歸她所有，整個人只顧著謀求天主的事。陛下所說的那句話，看來已在她身上發生實效：「妳要看顧我的事，我也會看顧妳的事。」⁴²²

二、因此無論發生什麼事她都不放在心上，過著我剛才所說那種近乎不存在的奇異淡然；她不願自己在任何事上顯得重要——任何事！除非她看到這能為天主增添一絲榮耀，那她甚至甘願為此而死。

三、女兒們，別誤會我是說她連飲食也不管（其實要她吃喝已頗是折磨），或者不履行本分之職。我說的是她的內心；至於外在的行為其實沒什麼好說的，因為她主要的痛苦正是：察覺自己幾乎沒有力氣可做什麼。對她而言，世上絕沒有任何事能使她放下自己所能、所知是尊榮吾主的事而不去做。

四、第二個果實是強烈的受苦之願；但這願望不再像從前那樣擾亂她的平安，因為這類靈魂熱切希望天主的聖意在她們身上成全，所以對祂所作的一切都能欣然接受。祂若要她受苦，她歡喜承受；祂若不要，她也不再像從前那樣為此苦惱得快要死去。她被迫害時，內心反而大有喜樂；在這般境遇下，也比先前平安得多。她對仇敵既不懷恨，也不願他們遭殃；事實上，她對他們還有一份特別的愛，看見他們身陷困難便深感憐惜，竭力為他們設法救援，⁴²³切切地替他們向天主祈求。她甚至願意把陛下賜給她的恩寵讓給仇敵，只要他們能因此不再得罪吾主。

五、我最驚奇的是：從前這些靈魂因不能立刻死去、享受吾主的臨在而感到的悲苦，⁴²⁴此刻已換成同樣熾烈的渴望——想事奉祂、使祂受人讚頌、並盡己所能幫助他人。她們不但不再渴望死亡，反而願意長壽、願擔最沉重的十字架，只要能為吾主多增一點點光榮。就算她們確知一脫離肉身便能享見天主，對她們也不起什麼作用；她們也不再沉想聖人所享的榮耀、渴望同享——這些靈魂認為：自己的榮耀就在於以各種方式幫助那被釘十字架的一位；她們眼見世人如何得罪祂，卻少有人能捨棄一切、單單關心祂的光榮。當然，這境界中的人有時也會忘了這份志向，被柔情的渴慕攫住，渴望享見天主、離開這流徙之地，尤其當她們看見自己事奉祂何其微薄時。但旋即回到自身，一想到自己內心恆常擁有祂，便滿足了；把自己願意活下去的意願呈獻給陛下，當作自己所能獻上最珍貴的祭品。⁴²⁵

祢願我長壽也罷，立刻取我靈魂也罷；
賜我健康也好，差來病痛折磨也好；
尊榮或羞辱——任祢安排我的路途，
無論戰亂重重，或終至平安。
我的剛強或軟弱，皆由祢揀選，
祢所要求於我的，我絕不推辭。
主啊，請告訴我：祢願我怎樣？

她們懼怕死亡的程度，還不及懼怕一次甜蜜的神魂超拔。

六、事實上，那位從前使她們在折磨中渴望死亡的主，如今已把那些渴望換作別種渴望。願祂永受讚頌！阿們。這類人確實不再貪戀安慰與甘飴，因為她們本身就懷有天主，而祂活在她們內。祂自己的一生本是一場連續的折磨；祂也願我們的一生如此——至少在渴望上如此。至於其餘，祂憐憫地按我們的軟弱引領我們，但當祂看到需要時，也把祂自己的力量賜給我們。

七、這靈魂既已徹底超脫萬物，便只願獨處，或投身於有益他人靈魂的事工；她不再感受到枯乾，也不再受內心擾亂之苦，只有一份恆常溫柔的、對吾主的收心——她渴望不斷讚美祂。當她偶爾鬆懈時，同一位主會像我先前所說的那樣喚醒她。可以清楚看出：這衝動（我不知道該怎麼稱呼）是從靈魂深處發出的，就像從前那些洶湧的渴慕。⁴²⁶此刻感受起來已十分甘飴，不是由理智或記憶發動，也看不出是靈魂本身所能參與的。這現象既普遍又頻繁，凡處在這境界的人都一定注意到。再大的火，火焰也絕不會向下燒，而是向上；同樣可以看出，這動靜是從靈魂中心湧出，把諸官能都激動起來。老實說，即便這種祈禱除了讓我們認清天主何等特別看顧著把自己通傳給我們、又何等地懇求我們與祂同住（我實在只能這樣描述）以外毫無所得，光是為了這些甘甜而鑽心入骨的愛的觸及，我們過去一切的苦楚都可說是值得的。

八、姊妹們，你們從經驗中必已明白；因為我想，當吾主把我們帶入結合之祈禱後，只要我們不疏於守祂的誡命，祂總會以這方式看顧我們。當這些衝動臨到你們身上時，要記得：它們是從靈魂最內層、天主所居住之處發出的。要熱切讚美祂，因為這是祂向你寄來的「情書」，筆法極其溫柔，又用只有你一人才能讀懂的暗號，讓你知道祂在向你求什麼。千萬不要疏於回應陛下，縱使你此刻正從事外務、或正與人交談。吾主也常樂意在眾人之中向你顯示這奧祕的恩寵；但由於所應答的應當完全屬內在，這回應也很容易：向祂發一個愛火的行動，或如聖保祿那樣祈求：「主啊，祢願我做什麼？」⁴²⁷耶穌會以許多方式向你顯明怎樣才令祂喜悅。這時機極為難得，因為祂似乎正側耳傾聽我們，靈魂也幾乎總會被這纖巧的觸及預備好，以慷慨的決志回應祂。⁴²⁸如我先前所說，這重居所與其他居所的差別就在：別處常感受到的枯乾和擾亂，在這裡幾乎絕少出現；⁴²⁹靈魂大多時候都平靜無波。她不怕這崇高的恩寵是魔鬼所偽造，因為她心中已有穩固的確信：這是出於神聖的本源。如前所述，這一切並非由感官或官能感受，而是陛下親自把祂自己顯示給精神，並把精神帶到一處祂自己所在的地方——我毫不懷疑魔鬼不敢進入那裡，吾主也絕不會允許它進去。

九、如我所說，這裡賜給靈魂的一切恩寵，並非來自她自身的任何舉動，唯一能算是的就是她把自己完全交託給天主。這些恩寵都在平安與靜默中賜下，彷如建造撒羅滿聖殿：整個工程中沒有一點聲音。⁴³⁰這天主的聖殿、祂的居所也是如此：祂和靈魂在深沉的靜默中單獨彼此相悅。此時心神無需動作或尋求什麼，因為造她的主願她安息；她只要從一小縫中觀看內裡正在發生的事即可。偶爾她甚至連這樣也看不見，但這種間隔很短——我想並不是官能已失去作用，而是一時震懾，暫停運作罷了。

十、我自己也感到驚奇：靈魂一到達這境地後，便幾乎不再有神魂超拔——或許偶爾會有，卻也不像從前那種出神和靈魂的飛揚，而且也很少在眾人面前發生。⁴³¹以往一些引發虔敬的特別機緣——例如看見一幅聖畫、聽一場講道（哪怕只是開頭幾句）、或聽到聖樂——都能使她出神；因為從前那小蝶焦切渴慕，什麼都能驚動她、使她振翅高飛。如今不再如此，或許是因為她的精神終於找到了安息；或許是因為她在這重居所看見了何等奇事，再無事能驚動她；也或許是因為她既已享有這樣的同伴，不再感到孤獨。

十一、總之姊妹們，我說不出原因；但只要天主向靈魂展示這重居所所藏的一切，將她引入其內安居，原先那在心神上使她無法承受的「毛病」便立刻消失。大概是吾主如今已剛強、擴張並培育了這靈魂；也可能是祂願意把那原本祕密地在她內進行的事公開出來（此中另有祂自己才知道的用意），因為祂的判斷超越我們今生所能理解。

十二、這些效果，以及我前面在不同祈禱階段所提到的其他好果實，都是天主賜給靈魂的——當她親近祂、領受新娘所懇求的「祂親口的擁吻」之際。⁴³²我相信她的祈求如今已獲俯允。這裡，充沛的活水正源源地澆灌受傷的小鹿；這裡，她在天主的帳幕中歡樂安息；⁴³³這裡，諾厄放出去察看洪水是否退去的鴿子，終於銜來橄欖枝，顯明她在這世界的洪水與狂風中找到了堅固的陸地。⁴³⁴耶穌啊！誰能說盡聖經中有多少話指的正是這靈魂之平安？我的天主啊，既然祢清楚這平安對我們何等重要，便請祢激勵基督徒努力追求；也求祢憐憫，不要奪去已蒙祢所賜之人的平安；因為在祢未賜給他們真正的平安、未把他們帶進平安永不止息之境以前，他們總須活在畏懼中。

十三、我說「真正的平安」，並非意指地上的平安是虛的；我的意思是：若這些靈魂離棄了天主，就得重頭打過先前一切的仗。她們一想到可能失去這樣大的善好，心情何等激動？這份戒懼使她們更加警醒，並從自己的軟弱中竭力汲取力量，免得因自身的疏失而錯失取悅天主的機會。她們從陛下那裡領受的恩寵愈多，對自己就愈沒信心、愈不自恃；所見的奇事愈多，反而更清楚地照見自己的不堪與罪惡之深重。因此她們常像那稅吏一樣，連舉目都不敢。⁴³⁵

十四、她們有時渴望立即死去、好得安穩；但轉眼間愛火便燃起，又使她們願意活下去事奉天主——正如我先前所說，她們把一切有關自身的事都交託給祂的仁慈。⁴³⁶有時她們一想到自己所領受的許多恩寵，反比從前更加戰慄，生怕像負重過多的船那樣沉沒。姊妹們，我老實告訴你們：這類靈魂自有她們的十字架要背；然而這十字架並不使她們失去內在的平安，它像一個浪頭、一陣風雨，很快就過去，繼之而來的便是寧靜——因為天主住在她們內，不久便使她們忘卻一切。願一切受造物永遠讚頌祂！阿們。

THE GREAT FRUITS PRODUCED BY THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PRAYER. THE WONDERFUL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE EFFECTS AND THOSE FORMERLY DESCRIBED SHOULD BE CAREFULLY STUDIED AND REMEMBERED.

1. Effects of the graces last received. 2. The soul only cares for God’s honour. 3. But still performs its duties. 4. Other fruits of these favours. 5. The soul’s fervent desire to serve God. 6. Christ dwells within this soul. 7. And recalls it to fervour if negligent. 8. God’s constant care of such souls. 9. Their peace and silence. 10. Few ecstasies in the Seventh Mansions. 11. Probable reasons for this. 12. Allusions in Holy Scripture to this state. 13. Watchfulness of such souls. 14. Crosses suffered in this state.

1. THE little butterfly has died with the greatest joy at having found rest at last, and now Christ lives in her.⁴²⁰ Let us see the difference between her present and her former life, for the effects will prove whether what I told you was true. As far as can be ascertained they are these: first, a self-forgetfulness so complete that she really appears not to exist, as I said,⁴²¹ for such a transformation has been worked in her that she no longer recognizes herself; nor does she remember that heaven, or life, or glory are to be hers, but seems entirely occupied in seeking God’s interests. Apparently the words spoken by His Majesty have done their work: ’that she was to care for His affairs, and He would care for hers.’⁴²²

2. Thus she recks nothing, whatever happens, but lives in such strange oblivion that, as I stated, she seems no longer to exist, nor does she wish to be of any account in anything—anything! unless she sees that she can advance, however little, the honour and glory of God, for which she would most willingly die.

3. Do not fancy I mean, daughters, that she neglects to eat and drink, though it brings no small torment to her, or to perform the duties of her state. I am speaking of her interior; as regards her exterior actions there is little to say, for her chief suffering is to see that she has hardly strength to do anything. For nothing in the world would she omit doing all she can which she knows would honour our Lord.

4. The second fruit is a strong desire for suffering, though it does not disturb her peace as before because the fervent wish of such souls for the fulfilment of God’s will in them makes them acquiesce in all He does. If He would have her suffer, she is content; if not, she does not torment herself to death about it as she used to do. She feels a great interior joy when persecuted, and is far more peaceful than in the former state under such circumstances: she bears no grudge against her enemies, nor wishes them any ill. Indeed she has a special love for them, is deeply grieved at seeing them in trouble, and does all she can to relieve them,⁴²³ earnestly interceding with God on their behalf. She would be glad to forfeit the favours His Majesty shows her, if they might be given to her enemies instead, to prevent their offending our Lord. 5. The most surprising thing to me is that the sorrow and distress which such souls felt because they could not die and enjoy our Lord’s presence⁴²⁴ are now exchanged for as fervent a desire of serving Him, of causing Him to be praised, and of helping others to the utmost of their power. Not only have they ceased to long for death, but they wish for a long life and most heavy crosses, if such would bring ever so little honour to our Lord. Thus, if they knew for certain that immediately on quitting their bodies their souls would enjoy God, it would make no difference to them, nor do they think of the glory enjoyed by the saints, and long to share it. Such souls hold that their glory consists in helping, in any way, Him Who was crucified, especially as they see how men offend against Him, and how few, detached from all else, care for His honour alone. True, people in this state forget this at times, and are seized with tender longings to enjoy God and to leave this land of exile, especially as they see how little they serve Him. Then, returning to themselves and reflecting how they possess Him continually in their souls, they are satisfied, offering to His Majesty their willingness to live as the most costly oblation they can make.⁴²⁵ Long life bestow, or straightway let me die; Let health be mine, or pain and sickness send; Honour or foul dishonour—be my path Beset by war or peaceful till the end. My strength or weakness be as Thou dost choose, Since naught Thou askest shall I e’er refuse. Say, Lord, what is it Thou dost will for me?

  They fear death no more than they would a delicious trance.

[6. The fact is, that He Who gave them these torturing desires of death has exchanged them for the others. May He be for ever blessed and praised! Amen. In fact, such persons no longer wish for consolations nor delights, since they bear God Himself within them, and it is He Who lives in them. It is evident that His life was one continual torment: so would He have ours to be, at least in desire, for as to the rest He leads us mercifully as our weakness requires, though when He sees the need He imparts to us His strength.]

7. Such a soul, thoroughly detached from all things, wishes to be either always alone or occupied on what benefits the souls of others: she feels neither aridity nor any interior troubles, but a constant tender recollection of our Lord Whom she wishes to praise unceasingly. When she grows negligent, the same Lord arouses her in the way that I told you, and it is easy to see that this impulse (I know not what term to use for it) comes from the interior of the soul, like the former impetuous desires.⁴²⁶ It is now felt very sweetly, but is neither produced by the intellect nor the memory, nor is there reason to believe the soul itself has any share in it. This is so usual and so frequent that whoever has been in this state must have noticed it. However large a fire may be, the flame never burns downwards, but upwards, and so this movement is seen to come from the centre of the soul whose powers it excites. Indeed, were nothing else gained by this way of prayer but the knowledge of the special care God takes to communicate Himself to us and how He entreats us to abide with Him (for indeed I can describe it in no other way) I think that for the sake of these sweet and penetrating touches of His love all our past pains would be well spent.

8. You will have learnt this by experience, sisters, for I think that when our Lord has brought us to the prayer of union, He watches over us in this way unless we neglect to keep His commandments. When these impulses are given you, remember that they come from the innermost mansion, where God dwells in our souls. Praise Him fervently, for it is He Who sends you this message, or love letter, so tenderly written, and in a cipher that only you can understand and know what He asks. By no means neglect to answer His Majesty, even though you may be occupied exteriorly and engaged in conversation. Our Lord may often be pleased to show you this secret favour in public; but it is very easy, as the reply should be entirely interior, to respond by an at of love or to ask with Saint Paul: ’Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”⁴²⁷ Jesus will show you in many ways how to please Him. It is a propitious moment, for He seems to be listening to us and the soul is nearly always disposed by this delicate touch to respond with a generous determination.⁴²⁸ As I told you, this mansion differs from the rest in that, as I said,⁴²⁹ the dryness and disturbance felt in all the rest at times hardly ever enter here, where the soul is nearly always calm. It does not fear that this sublime favour can be counterfeited by the devil, but feels a settled conviction that it is of divine origin because, as above stated, nothing is here perceived by the senses or faculties but His Majesty reveals Himself to the spirit, which He takes to be with Himself in a place where I doubt not the devil dares not enter, nor would our Lord ever permit him.

9. All the graces here divinely bestowed on the soul come, as I said, through no a Lion of its own except its total abandonment of itself to God. They are given in peace and silence, like the building of Solomon’s Temple where no sound was heard.⁴³⁰ It is thus with this temple of God, this mansion of His where He and the soul rejoice in each other alone in profound silence. The mind need not act nor search for anything, as the Lord Who created it wishes it to be at rest and only to watch through a little chink, what passes within. Though at times it cannot see this, yet such intervals are very short, I believe because the powers are not here lost but only cease to work, being, as it were, dazed with astonishment.

10. I, too, am astonished at seeing that when the soul arrives at this state it does not go into ecstasies except perhaps on rare occasions—even then they are not like the former trances and the flight of the spirit and seldom take place in public as they did before.⁴³¹ They are no longer produced by any special calls to devotion, such as by the sight of a religious picture, by hearing a sermon (were it only the first few words), or by sacred music; formerly, like the poor little butterfly, the soul was so anxious that anything used to alarm it and make it take flight. This may be either because the spirit has at last found repose, or that it has seen such wonders in this mansion that nothing can frighten it, or perhaps because it no longer feels solitary since it rejoices in such Company.

11. In short, sisters, I cannot tell the reason, but as soon as God shows the soul what this mansion contains, bringing it to dwell within the precincts, the infirmity formerly so troublesome to the mind and impossible to get over, disappears at once. Probably this is because our Lord has now strengthened, dilated, and developed the soul, or it may be that He wished to make public (for some end known only to Himself) what He was doing in secret within such souls, for His judgments are beyond our comprehension in this life.

12. These effects, with all the other good fruits I have mentioned of the different degrees of prayer, are given by God to the soul when it draws near Him to receive that ‘kiss of His mouth’ for which the bride asked,⁴³² and I believe her petition is now granted. Here the overflowing waters are given to the wounded hart: here she delights in the tabernacles of God⁴³³ : here the dove sent out by Noe to see whether the flood had subsided, has plucked the olive branch, showing that she has found firm land amongst the floods and tempests of this world.⁴³⁴ O Jesus! Who knows how much in Holy Scripture refers to this peace of soul? Since, O my God, Thou dost see of what grave import is this peace to us, do Thou incite Christians to strive to gain it! In Thy mercy do not deprive those of it on whom Thou hast bestowed it, for until Thou hast given them true peace and brought them to where it is unending, they must ever live in fear.

13. I do not mean that peace is unreal on earth because I say ‘true peace,’ but that such souls might have to begin all their struggles over again if they forsook God. What must these people feel at the thought that it is possible to lose so great a good? Their dread makes them more careful; they try to gather strength from their weakness lest, through their own fault, they should miss any opportunity of pleasing God better. The greater the favours they have received from His Majesty, the more diffident and mistrustful are they of themselves; the marvels they have witnessed having revealed more clearly to them their own miseries and the heinousness of their sins, so that often, like the publican, they dare not so much as lift up their eyes.⁴³⁵

14. Sometimes they long to die and be in safety, but then their love at once makes them wish to live in order to serve God, as I told you; therefore they commit all that concerns them to His mercy.⁴³⁶ At times they are more crushed than ever by the thought of the many graces they have received lest, like an overladen ship, they sink beneath the burden. I assure you, sisters, such souls have their cross to bear, yet it does not trouble them nor rob them of their peace, but is quickly gone like a wave or a storm which is followed by a calm, for God’s presence within them soon makes them forget all else. May He be for ever blessed and praised by all His creatures! Amen,