SR
Chapter 18Revel.1.18

Verba Christi ad sponsam, qualiter in domo Dei debet esse humilitas et qualiter per talem domum religio designatur, et eciam quod edificia et elemosine etcetera debent fieri de bene acquisitis et de modo restituendi.

The Foundation of Humility

Christ calls for humility in his house, contrasting the true spirit of religious life with the vanity of those who build with worldly motives.

In my house there must be complete humility, which is now entirely despised. There should be a strong wall between men and women, because although I could protect everyone and keep them all without a wall, I want a single wall to divide both living quarters on account of the devil's traps and cunning; it should be strong, not very high, but moderate. The windows should be very simple and clear, the roof moderately high, so that nothing appears there except what breathes of humility. For those who are building houses for me now are like master builders. When the Lord of the building enters to them, they grab him by the hair and trample him under their feet; they put mud in a high place and gold under their feet. That is how they treat me. They build with mud—piling up these fleeting, worldly things as if they were reaching toward heaven. Yet they care nothing for souls, which are more precious than gold. If I want to reach them through my preachers or through good thoughts, they grab me by the hair and trample me underfoot—that is, they bring blasphemy upon me and treat my works and my words as contemptible, like mud. Yet they consider themselves much wiser. For if they truly wanted to build for my honor, they would build up souls first.

Stewardship and Restitution

God demands that offerings be made from honestly acquired goods and emphasizes the necessity of restitution and a contrite heart for true repentance.

Whoever builds my house must take the greatest care that not a single coin comes into the building that hasn't been honestly and justly acquired. In fact, many people know they possess goods acquired through wrongdoing, yet they feel no sorrow for it and have no intention of making restitution or satisfying those they've cheated and robbed, even though they could do so if they wanted to. But because they realize they can't hold onto these things forever, they give a portion of those unjustly acquired goods to churches, as if by this donation they could keep me appeased. The other, honestly acquired goods, they save for their heirs. This, certainly, does not please me. Whoever wants to please me with their gifts must first have a desire to amend their life, and then do whatever good works they can. They must also mourn and lament the wrongs they have committed, and then make restitution if they are able. And if they cannot, they must at least have the will to make restitution for what was taken. Afterward, you must be careful never to do such things again. But if you have no one to return those ill-gotten gains to, you may give them to me, for I am able to restore to everyone what is theirs. If you aren't able to make restitution, then, if you humble yourself before me with a firm purpose of amendment and a contrite heart, I am rich enough to pay it back; I can restore to all those who were cheated what is due to them, whether in this life or in the next.

The Allegory of the Spiritual House

Christ explains the symbolic meaning of the religious life, describing the walls, roof, and windows as manifestations of his divine attributes.

I want to show you what the house I intend to build actually signifies. For that house is the religious life, and its foundation is I myself, who created all things and through whom all things were made and continue to exist. In that house, there are four walls. The first is my justice, by which I will judge those who oppose this house. The second wall is my wisdom, by which I will enlighten those who live within through my knowledge and understanding. The third is my power, by which I will strengthen them against the devil's schemes. The fourth wall is my mercy, which welcomes everyone who asks for it. In this wall is the gate of grace, through which everyone who asks is welcomed. The roof of the house is charity, by which I cover the sins of those who love me, so they aren't judged for them. The window of the roof, through which the sun enters, is the consideration of my grace, through which the warmth of my divinity enters to those who dwell within. The fact that the wall must be strong and large signifies that no one can weaken my words or destroy them. The fact that it must be moderately high signifies that my wisdom can be understood and grasped in part, but never fully. Simple, clear windows signify that even though my words are simple, the light of divine knowledge will still enter the world through them. A roof of moderate height means that my words won't be revealed in an incomprehensible way, but in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Read the original Latin

"In domo mea debet esse omnis humilitas, que omnino nunc contempta est. Ibi debet esse murus fortis inter viros et mulieres, quia, licet omnes possem defendere et omnes sine muro tenere, propter cautelas tamen et astucias diaboli volo, quod unus murus diuidat utrasque habitaciones, qui sit fortis et non multum altus sed moderatus.

Fenestre sint simplicissime et lucide, tectum moderate altum, ita ut nichil ibi appareat, nisi quod humilitatem redoleat. Quia illi, qui michi nunc domos edificant, ipsi sunt similes magistris edificantibus. Ad quos cum dominus edificii ingreditur, recipiunt eum per crines et terunt eum sub pedibus, lutum ponunt in sublimi et aurum sub pedibus. Sic faciunt ipsi michi.

Edificant enim lutum, idest temporalia ista casura ponunt quasi ad celum. Animas autem, que sunt preciosiores auro, minime curant. Si ego ingredi volo ad eos per predicatores meos aut per cogitaciones bonas, ipsi arripiunt me per crines et conculcant me sub pedibus, idest blasphemiam michi inferunt et opera mea et verba mea contemptibilia reputant quasi lutum. Se autem estimant multo sapienciores. Si enim michi edificare vellent ad honorem meum, animas primo edificarent.

Quicumque autem domum meam edificat, summo studio apponat curam, ut non veniat ibi ad edificium unus denarius, qui non sit bene et iuste acquisitus. Multi quippe sunt, qui se male acquisita bona habere sciunt, et tamen de hoc non dolent nec voluntatem habent restituendi et satisfaciendi ipsis defraudatis et spoliatis, quamuis possent restituere et satisfacere, si vellent. Sed tamen, quia cogitant secum in eternum non posse possidere ea, dant partem ecclesiis ex illis bonis iniuste acquisitis, quasi per hanc donacionem placatum me habeant. Alia autem bona bene acquisita reseruant posteris suis. Hoc certe non placet michi.

Quicumque enim michi in donis suis placere vellet, deberet primo habere affeccionem emendandi se, deinde facere illa bona opera, que posset. Debet eciam lugere et plangere mala, que fecit, deinde restituere, si potest. Et si non potest, debet habere voluntatem restituendi defraudata.

Postea cauere debet, ne umquam talia ulterius committat. Si autem non superesset, cui redderet illa male acquisita, tunc posset michi dare, qui omnibus possum sua refundere. Quod si reddere non sufficit, tunc, si cum proposito emendandi et contrito corde humiliauerit se michi, ego diues sum reddere et possum restituere omnibus defraudatis partes suas vel in presenti seculo vel in futuro.

Ego volo tibi indicare, quid significat domus, quam edificari volo. Ipsa enim domus est religio, cuius fundamentum sum ego ipse, qui omnia condidi et per quem omnia facta sunt et subsistunt. In qua domo sunt quatuor parietes.

Primus est iusticia mea, qua aduersantes domui huic iudicabo. Secundus paries est sapiencia mea, qua inhabitantes cognicione mea et intelligencia illuminabo. Tercius est potencia mea, qua eos confortabo contra machinamenta diaboli. Quartus eciam paries est misericordia mea, que omnes suscipit petentes eam.

In hoc pariete est porta gracie, per quam omnes petentes suscipiuntur. Tectum domus est caritas, qua diligencium me peccata operio, ne pro illis peccatis iudicentur. Fenestra tecti, per quam intrat sol, est consideracio gracie mee, per quam intrat calor deitatis mee ad inhabitantes.

Quod autem murus debet esse fortis et grandis, significat, quod nullus valet infirmare verba mea nec ea destruere. Quod autem debet esse moderate altus, significat, quod sapiencia mea ex parte intelligi et comprehendi potest, sed numquam plenarie.

Fenestre simplices et lucide significant, quod verba mea licet simplicia sunt, tamen per ea lux cognicionis diuine intrabit in mundum.

Tectum moderate altum significat, quod verba mea non in sensu incomprehensibili sed comprehensibili et intelligibili sensu manifestabuntur."

Revelationes (Heavenly Revelations) companion

Keep going — one revelation a day

The full 496-chapter Revelationes lives in the Chosen Portion app, served as free daily portions.

Birgitta's revelations arrived over three decades of daily attentiveness, and the Chosen Portion app lets readers receive them the same way — one portion per day.

  • Finish the guided path in 8 weeks at roughly 15 minutes a day
  • All 8 books, 496 chapters, in modern English — the complete transmitted text
  • Daily delivery so a 30-year masterwork becomes a sustainable habit
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app)