Responsio Domini angelo, oranti pro sponsa, quod sponse corporis et anime tribulacio concedatur et quod magis perfectis maiores tribulaciones tribuantur.
The Angel's Prayer and the Threefold Mercy
The Lord instructs the angel on the nature of divine mercy and the different ways suffering is applied to various states of the human soul.
To the angel praying for the bride of his Lord, the Lord replied: "You are like a soldier of the Lord who has never taken off his helmet out of weariness, and who has never turned his eyes away from the battle out of fear." You are as steady as a mountain, as burning as a flame. You are so pure that there isn't a single stain in you. You are asking for mercy for my bride. Even though you know and see all things in me, tell me—while she is listening—what kind of mercy you are asking for her! There is a threefold mercy: the first is when the body is punished but the soul is spared, as with my servant Job, whose flesh was given over to every kind of pain while his soul was kept safe; the second mercy is when both body and soul are spared from punishment, as with that king who lived in every pleasure and, while he lived in the world, had no pain in either body or soul; the third mercy is when both body and soul are punished, so that they have tribulation in the flesh and sorrow in the heart, as with Peter and Paul and the other saints. There are three types of people in the world: the first are those who fall into sin and then rise again. I sometimes allow these people to suffer physical trouble so that they may be saved. The second group consists of those who would gladly live forever so they could sin forever; they’ve set their whole heart on the world, and if they ever do anything for me, they do it with the intention that their worldly goods might increase and prosper. They aren't given bodily pain or great sorrow of heart, but are left to their own power and will, because they'll receive their reward here for the little good they've done for me, so that they may be tormented forever; for since their will is eternal toward sin, their punishment will be eternal. The third state belongs to those who fear sinning against me and offending my will more than they fear any punishment. They would rather suffer an intolerable punishment forever than knowingly provoke me to anger. They are given tribulation of body and heart, just as Peter and Paul and other saints were, so that whatever they have done wrong in this world, they may make amends for here, or be purified for a time for the sake of greater glory and as an example to others. I have shown this threefold mercy in this kingdom to three people whose names you know.
The Petition Granted
The angel specifies his request for the bride's purification, and the Lord grants his petition.
"Now then, angel, my servant, what kind of mercy are you asking for my bride?" He replied, "For her soul and her body, so that whatever she has done wrong here, she may make amends for in this world, and that none of her sin may come into your judgment." The Lord answered, "Let it be done according to your will!"
Counsel for the Bride
The Lord gives direct instruction to the bride, emphasizing the importance of constant repentance and the avoidance of judgment through earthly penance.
Then He spoke to the bride: "You are Mine." Therefore, I will deal with you as I please. Love nothing as you love Me! Constantly cleanse yourself of sin at every hour, with the counsel of those to whom I have entrusted you! Hide no sin! Leave nothing unexamined! Consider no sin to be light, and nothing to be neglected! For I will bring to mind and judge everything you have neglected. For no sin of yours will come into my judgment if it has been punished by penance during your life. But as for those things for which no penance has been done, they will be purged either in purgatory or by some other hidden judgment of mine, unless they are amended here through satisfaction.
Read the original Latin
Angelo, oranti pro sponsa Domini sui, respondit Dominus: "Tu es quasi miles Domini, qui numquam deposuit galeam suam propter tedium et qui pro timore numquam diuertit oculos a prelio.
Tu es stabilis quasi mons, ardens quasi flamma. Tu es sic mundus, ut nulla sit in te macula. Tu petis misericordiam sponse mee. Licet omnia scias et videas in me, tamen, ista audiente, dic, qualem misericordiam petis ei!
Triplex enim est misericordia: una, qua corpus punitur et parcitur anime, sicut famulus meus Iob, cuius caro data est omnibus doloribus et anima seruata est; secunda misericordia est, qua parcitur corpori et anime a pena, sicut rex ille, qui in omnibus voluptatibus fuit et nullum dolorem nec ad corpus nec ad animam, in mundo dum viueret, habuit; tercia eciam misericordia est, qua punitur corpus et anima, ut et tribulacionem habeant in carne et dolorem in corde, sicut Petrus et Paulus et alii sancti.
Nam tres sunt status hominum in mundo: unus eorum, qui cadunt in peccata et iterum surgunt. Hos permitto quandoque tribulari ad corpus, ut salui fiant.
Secundus est eorum, qui in eternum libenter viuerent, ut in eternum peccarent, qui totam voluntatem habent ad mundum, et, si quandoque aliqua faciunt pro me, hac intencione faciunt, ut temporalia eis succrescant et proficiant.
Hiis non datur pena corporis nec dolor magnus cordis, sed in potestate propria et voluntate sua dimittuntur, quia pro minimo bono, quod fecerunt pro me, recipient hic mercedem suam, ut in eternum crucientur, quia, cum voluntas est eterna ad peccatum, pena erit eis eterna.
Tercius status est eorum, qui plus timent peccare contra me et offendere voluntatem meam quam de aliqua pena. Magisque in eternum cruciarentur pena intolerabili quam me scienter ad iram prouocarent.
Hiis datur tribulacio corporis et cordis, ut Petro et Paulo et aliis sanctis, ut, quidquid in hoc mundo deliquerint, in mundo emendent, vel ad maiorem gloriam et aliorum exemplum purgantur ad tempus. Hanc triplicem misericordiam feci in regno isto cum tribus, quorum nomina nota sunt tibi.
Nunc ergo, angele, serue meus, qualem misericordiam petis sponse mee?" Et ille "Anime", inquit, "et corporis, ut, quidquid hic deliquerit, in mundo emendet et nullum peccatum eius veniat in iudicium tuum." Respondit Dominus: "Fiat secundum voluntatem tuam!"
Deinde loquebatur ad sponsam: "Tu mea es. Ideo, sicut michi placet, faciam tecum. Nichil dilige sicut me! Munda te iugiter a peccato omni hora cum consilio eorum, quibus te commiseram! Nullum peccatum cela! Nullum dimitte indiscussum! Nullum peccatum puta leue, nullum negligendum!
Nam omnia, quecumque tu neglexeris, ego reducam ad memoriam et iudicabo. Nam nullum peccatum tuum in iudicium meum veniet, quod in vita tua penitencia erit punitum. De quibus autem penitencia facta non est, vel in purgatorio purgabuntur vel alio occulto iudicio meo, nisi satisfaccione hic emendentur."
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