The Dialogue

Of the works of the soul after she has ascended the aforesaid holy step.

" THE three glorious virtues which crown the soul who, with the light of the most holy faith, has attained to the summit of this charity, are Patience, Fortitude, and Perse verance, and, in the light of the most holy faith, she now runs the way of the truth without darkness, and is so raised on high by holy desire, that no one can offend her, neither the devil, with his temptations, because he fears the soul burning in the furnace of holy charity, nor men with their injuries and detractions, for, though the world may persecute her, it fears her, and such trials as the devil or the world may cause her, I permit in My Goodness, and, because she makes herself small through humility, I fortify her and make her great before the world. As thou hast seen well in My saints, who, for My sake, made themselves small, and I have made them great in eternal life and in the mystic body of My Holy Church, where mention is always made of them, because their names are written in the Book of Life, and the world holds them in reverence, because they despised it. Such as they hide not their virtue through fear, but through humility, and, if their neighbour needs their service, they do not hide themselves for fear of trouble or of losing their own consolation, but they serve him manfully not caring what they lose thereby themselves. And in whatever way they use their life and time in My honour, they rejoice, finding for themselves peace and quiet of mind. Why is it thus with them ? Because they do not choose to serve Me in their way, but in My way, and, for that reason, times of consolation appear to them as heavy

i6o THE DIALOGUE OF ST. CATHERINE

as times of tribulation, and the time of prosperity as that of adversity. The one seems to them the same as the other, because in everything they see My will, and they think of nothing except of conforming themselves in every time and place to My will. They have seen that nothing is made without Me, and that all, except sin, is made with mystery and Divine Providence, therefore, except sin which they hate, they hold everything in reverence. Their will is therefore firm and stable, and they go on by the way of truth, and do not slacken their pace, helping their neighbour, without regarding his ignorance and ingratitude, and caring not for the injuries and reproofs of the vicious, but rather crying before My Face in prayer for them, grieving more for the injury they do Me, and the damnation of their soul, than for their own annoyance. They say with glorious Paul, My standard bearer : ' The world curses us and we bless, it persecutes us and we return thanks, we are swept away as the dirt and refuse of the world and we endure patiently? So, most delightful daughter, thou seest the sweet signs, and above all other signs, the virtue of patience, by which the soul shows herself in truth, to have arisen from imperfection and attained to perfect love, following the sweet and im maculate Lamb, My only-begotten Son, Who, being on the Cross, held by the nails of love, did not draw back on account of the taunts of the Jews who said : ( Descend from the Cross and we will believe Thee} and neither did He draw back for your ingratitude, and not persevere in the obedience which I had imposed upon Him, but He endured with so much patience, that no cry of murmuring was heard from Him.

" In a like way do my most delightful sons, and faithful servants, follow the doctrine and example of My Truth, and they do not turn back from following the plough, because the world would withdraw them by flattery or threats, but they fix their eyes on My Truth alone. Such as they would not want to leave the field of battle in order to don the garment of peace and remain at home, but would rather want to flee creatures and pleasures than Me, their Creator. They will stand with delight in the field of battle, drunk

A TREATISE OF PRAYER 161

and inebriated with the Blood of Christ crucified, which is placed in the tavern of the church of My charity, to give life to those who would be true knights, and fight against their own sensuality and fragile flesh, against the world and the devil, with the knife of hatred of vice and the knife of the love of virtue, which knife of love is a weapon that parries all sin, and which the enemy cannot take from them, unless they voluntarily take off their armour, surrendering the knife of the said love into the enemy's hand. They who are inebriated with the Blood would not do thus, but they would rather manfully persevere until death, when all their enemies will be discomfited.

" O glorious virtues ! how pleasing they are to Me, and how, in the world, they shine in the darkened eyes of the ignorant, who cannot participate in the light of My servants ! In the hatred of those who persecute My servants, shines the clemency which the persecuted ones have for the salvation of their tormentors ; in their envy shines the broadness of charity, and in their cruelty, pity — for they are cruel to themselves ; in injury shines Queen Patience, who is supreme over all the virtues, because she is the mirror of charity. She shows up in review the virtues of the soul, and shows whether they are founded by Me, in truth or not. She conquers and is never conquered. She is accompanied by Perseverance and Fortitude, as I have told thee, and when she comes out of the battle-field and returns with victory to the house, to Me, Eternal Father, the Rewarder of every toil, she receives the Crown of Glory."