Christus monet sponsam, quod caueat a conuersacione mundialium, que est quasi affatura Dyaboli. Virgo Maria eciam instruit eam, quod in omnibus operibus suis virtuosis habeat intencionem rectam, ut scilicet honor Dei augeatur, quia multi seruiunt Deo opere sed intencio eorum corrupta obfuscat omne bonum.
Guarding the Heart from Worldly Influence
Christ warns the soul to avoid the corrupting influence of worldly conversation and company.
The Son says, "Be on your guard against the devil's talk, which he cooks up in the fire of lust and greed." For when fat is placed on a fire, it's inevitable that something will drip from it. Sins proceed from the conversation and company of worldly people. Although you don't know the consciences of everyone, external signs still reveal what lies hidden within the heart.
The Necessity of Upright Intention
The Mother and Christ explain that external religious works are hollow if the internal intention is not directed toward God's honor.
The Mother speaks again: "Let every action of yours be reasonable and your intention upright, so that you do everything with the intention that God’s honor is fulfilled, and that the benefit of your soul is preferred over the pleasure of your body." For many serve God in their actions, but a corrupt intention clouds every good deed, as you'll be able to understand through an example. There is a certain animal called a bear. When it's hungry and sees its desired prey, it plants one foot firmly on the prey and uses the other to find where it can plant that foot just as securely, so the prey won't escape or be snatched away until it has eaten and turned the prey to its own will. This bear keeps its eyes on its prey without pause; it doesn't look for gold, fragrant herbs, or trees, but only for a hidden, secure place or some kind of obstacle, so it can hold onto the prey it has caught more securely and with greater confidence. Many people serve me this way—with prayers and fasting—out of a certain fear, because they are thinking about the horror of punishment and the greatness of my mercy. They seek me through certain outward works, but in their will, they act against the commands of my Son. Like bears, these people focus entirely on fleshly pleasures and worldly desires; yet because they fear losing their life and the punishment to come, they serve me only to avoid losing grace and incurring that penalty. This is clearly evident, because they never consider the passion of my Son, which is like the most precious gold, nor do they imitate the lives of the saints, who are like precious stones. They don't pay attention to the gifts of the Holy Spirit as if they were fragrant herbs, nor do they abandon their own will to do the will of my Son; instead, they only want to rely on Him so that they can sin more confidently and prosper in the world. Their reward will be short-lived, because their work came from a cold heart. And just as a bear, once it has finished its prey, no longer cares about the firm footing it once had, so when the hour of death arrives and the pleasures of the flesh are spent, my support is of little value to them. This is because they didn't surrender their own will to do mine, and they didn't seek me out of love, but out of fear. However, if the will is perfectly corrected, the work will be renewed all the sooner; and a good will, even if the work itself is lacking, is counted as the work.
Divine Judgment and the Mystery of Suffering
Christ explains the destruction of the city of Siponto as a consequence of the inhabitants' sins and the intercession of a righteous friend.
He was a superior who lived by his own will, but after arriving in Rome, he corrected his life in a truly praiseworthy way. After he had visited Mount Gargano and Saint Nicholas, and had returned to the lady, The person whose advice he had always followed remarked, among other things, that he was very surprised that the great and famous city of Siponto, where the bodies of so many saints rest, had been destroyed.1 Then, the next day, the Son of God appeared and said, "Lady, that friend of yours is wondering about the city that was destroyed." Truly, daughter, the sins of those who lived there earned this." For other cities have also deserved similar things, but one friend of mine lived there who, having perfect love for me, kept rebuking and challenging their ways. Seeing their stubbornness, he begged me with tears that the place might be laid waste rather than have so many souls in danger every day. But seeing his tears, and that no one was fully committing themselves to appease me, I allowed these things to happen that you hear of now.
The Permanence of Divine Grace
Christ reassures the soul that divine grace remains accessible through love and faith, regardless of the destruction of physical places.
She replied, "Oh, Lord, it's a sorrowful thing that the remains and bodies of many good people lie there as if they were unclean and unprotected." Christ answered: "Just as I hold the souls of my chosen ones within myself, so too do I care for the remains of my friends, which are my treasure, until they receive the double reward promised to them." The Lady continued, "O my dearest Lord, I believe that many graces and remissions were granted to that place of Siponto by the pontiffs." Just because the walls are destroyed, does that mean the graces have been abolished too?" Christ answered: "What place is holier than Jerusalem, where I, God myself, left my own footprints?" What place is more despised now, inhabited and trampled by those who don't believe? Yet, whoever comes to Jerusalem will find that same grace and forgiveness as before. It's the same with that place: whoever comes to it out of love and a perfect will will share in the same grace and blessing that the city once had when it stood in its glory, because of the faith of those who came there and their labor of love.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Attende tibi de affatura Dyaboli, quam Dyabolus igne luxurie et cupiditatis decoquit. Vbi enim pinguedo applicatur igni, necesse est quod aliquid inde distillet.
Sic ex conuersacione et societate mundialium procedunt peccata. Quamuis autem omnium ignoras consciencias, tamen exteriora signa produnt, quod in animo latet intus."
Item loquitur Mater: "Omnis accio tua sit racionabilis et intencio tua recta, ut omne quod agis ea intencione facias, ut honor Dei perficiatur et utilitas anime delectacioni corporis preferatur.
Nam multi seruiunt Deo opere, sed intencio corrupta obfuscat omne bonum, sicut per exemplum intelligere poteris. Est quoddam animal quod vocatur ursus.
Hoc cum inedia afficitur et videt predam desideratam, unum pedem infigit prede et cum alio querit, ubi figat eundem pedem fortiter, ne preda sibi euadat aut forte subtrahatur, donec comedat et vertat eam ad suam voluntatem.
Hic ursus sine intermissione respicit predam nec querit aurum nec redolentes herbas et arbores, sed solummodo locum absconditum et securum seu obstaculum quoddam, ut securius et fiducialius teneat predam quam accepit.
Sic multi seruiunt michi oracionibus et ieiuniis ex timore quodam, quia considerant penam horribilem et misericordiam meam magnam. Querunt me operibus exterioribus aliquibus, sed voluntate faciunt contra mandata Filii mei.
Nam sicut ursus, sic et isti totam intencionem habent ad carnis voluptatem et cupiditatem mundi, sed quia timent amissionem vite et supplicium futurum, ideo seruiunt michi ea intencione, ne amittant graciam et ne incurrant penam.
Et hoc bene patet, quia nunquam considerant passionem Filii mei, que est tanquam aurum preciosissimum, nec imitantur vitas sanctorum, qui sunt tanquam lapides preciosi,
nec attendunt dona Spiritus sancti tanquam herbas odoriferas, nec relinquentes propriam voluntatem faciunt voluntatem Filii mei, sed solummodo inniti volunt, ut fiducialius peccent et ut prosperentur in mundo.
Quorum retribucio breuis erit, quia de frigido corde eorum processit opus. Et sicut ursus consumpta preda non curat de firmamento pedum, quod habuit, sic veniente hora finis et completa voluptate carnis modicum eis valet firmamentum meum,
quia non reliquerunt voluntatem suam, ut facerent meam, nec caritate me quesierunt sed timore. Verumptamen, si perfecte corrigitur voluntas, opus cicius renouabitur et voluntas bona, si opus defuerit, pro opere reputatur."
Hic fuit prepositus, qui ad velle suum vixit, qui veniens Romam multum laudabiliter correxit vitam suam. Qui cum visitasset montem Garganum et sanctum Nicolaum et redisset ad dominam,
cuius consilio totus stetit, dixit inter alia se multum mirari, quare illa magna et famosa ciuitas Sipontina, ubi tot sanctorum corpora quiescunt, destructa erat.
Tunc sequenti die Filius Dei apparens dixit domine: "Ille amicus tuus miratur de ciuitate que destructa est. Vere, filia, hoc meruerunt peccata inhabitancium.
Nam eciam alie ciuitates meruerunt consimilia, sed unus amicus meus habitabat ibi, qui perfectam habens ad me caritatem continue increpabat et impugnabat mores eorum;
qui videns obstinacionem eorum rogabat me cum lacrimis, ut magis desolaretur locus quam tot anime cotidie periclitarentur. Ego vero videns lachrimas eius et quia nullus se perfecte poneret ad placandum me, permisi ea fieri que nunc audiuntur."
Cui illa: "O," inquit, "Domine, dolendum est, quod multorum eciam bonorum reliquie et corpora iacent ibi tanquam immunda et sine muro."
Respondit Christus: "Sicut ego habeo animas electorum meorum in me ipso, sic eciam curam habeo de reliquiis amicorum meorum, que thesaurus meus sunt, donec recipiant duplicia eis repromissa."
Item loquebatur domina: "O, Domine mi carissime, ego credo, quod illi loco Siponti multe gracie et remissiones concesse fuerant a pontificibus. Numquid quia muri destructi sunt, eciam gracie abolite sunt?"
Respondit Christus: "Quis locus sanccior est Iherusalem, ubi ego ipse Deus impressi vestigia mea? Quis locus nunc despeccior, qui ab infidelibus inhabitatur et conculcatur? Attamen quicumque in Iherusalem veniunt, eandem priorem graciam inuenient et remissionem.
Simile est de loco illo: quicumque venerit ad eum ex caritate et perfecta voluntate, participabitur eadem gracia et benediccione quam ciuitas illa habuit tempore, quo stabat in gloria sua propter fidem veniencium et laborem caritatis."
Notes
- 1 ↩Siponto (Sipontina) is an ancient city in Apulia, Italy, near the Gargano peninsula mentioned in the previous section.
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