CHAPTER 25
With this same cheerful spirit and joy our good Lord looked down on his right side and brought to my mind the place where our Lady stood while he suffered on the cross. And he said: ‘Will you see her?’ And in this sweet word it was as if he had said: ‘I know well you wish to see my blessed mother; for, after myself, she is the highest joy that I could show you, and the most pleasant and honouring for me; and to see her is the desire of all blessed souls.’
And because of his exalted, marvellous and special love for this sweet maiden, his blessed mother, our Lady Saint Mary, he showed her full of joy and happiness. This is what he meant by these sweet words; as if he said: ‘See how I love her! That you may rejoice with me in the love that I have for her and the love she has for me.’
And also, that this sweet word may be better understood, our Lord speaks to all humankind that shall be saved, as though they were one person, and as if he said: ‘Will you see in her how you are loved? It was for love of you that I made her so elevated, so noble and so worthy; and this pleases me and I wish it to please you.’
For after him self, she is the most blissful sight. Yet because of that, I am taught not to long to see her bodily presence while I am here, but rather, the virtues of her blessed soul: her truth, her wisdom and her love. From these I can learn to know myself and reverently fear my God. And when our good Lord had showed this and said this word: ‘Will you see her?’ I answered and said: ‘Yes, good Lord, I thank you, and yes good Lord, if it be your will.’ I often prayed this, and I wanted to see her bodily presence, but I did not see her. And Jesus in that word gave me a spiritual sight of her. And just as I had seen her before, little and simple, so now he showed her high, noble and glorious; and more pleasing to him than any other creature.
And he wills it to be known that all those who like him should also like her, in the same way that he has pleasure in her and she in him. And, for more understanding, he gave this example: ‘If someone has a special love for one creature above all creatures, they try to make all creatures love and find pleasure in that creature, who they love so greatly.’ And in this word that Jesus said: ‘Will you see her?’ I thought it was the most pleasing word that he could have given me concerning her, alongside the spiritual showing that he gave me of her. For our Lord revealed no one to me apart our Lady Saint Mary; and her he showed me three times. The first was her with child; the second was in her sorrows under the cross; and the third as she is now in liking, honour and joy.