Reuelacio duodecima in libro questionum, in qua Christus loquens sponse sue beate Birgitte dicit ei, quod non debet turbari ex eo, quod ipse non facit statim iusticiam super hominem magnum peccatorem, quia ipse sentenciam iusticie differt, vt sua iusticia in illo fienda aliis manifestetur. Dicit eciam, quod verba sua diuina in isto libro celestium reuelacionum contenta prius debent crescere et vsque ad plenam maturitatem fructificare et postea producere effectum suum et virtutem in mundo. Que quidem verba sunt sicut oleum in lampade, idest in anima virtuosa, quibus ipsa impinguatur et superueniente Spiritu Sancto eam ardere et splendore mirabili lucere faciunt. Subiungit eciam, quod dicta verba reuelacionum prius ascendent et fructificabunt alibi quam in regno Suecie, vbi eidem sponse reuelari diuinitus inceperunt.
The Patience of Divine Justice
Christ explains that His delay in punishing sinners is a deliberate act of mercy intended to manifest His justice at the proper time.
The Son of God says: "Why are you troubled that I put up with him so patiently?" Don't you know that it's a terrible thing to burn eternally? And that is why I endure him until the very last moment, so that my justice may be made clear to others through him. So, wherever colors have been sown, if they're cut before their time, they aren't as effective for coloring the object as they would be if they were cut at the proper time. In the same way, my words—which must be revealed with justice and mercy, and which need to grow and bear fruit until they reach full maturity—will then be more fitting for the person to whom they are applied, and they will color my virtue in them appropriately. But why are you troubled that he doubts my words unless more evident signs are shown? Did you give birth to him, or do you know his inner depths as I do?
The Soul as a Lamp of Grace
The Lord uses the metaphor of a lamp and oil to describe how the Holy Spirit illuminates the soul and makes divine words effective.
It is truly like a burning and shining lamp, to which, once oil has been added, a wick firmly attached to it soon draws near. In this way, the soul itself is a lamp of virtues, a lamp ready to receive my divine grace. As soon as my words are poured into this soul, they'll melt more perfectly and sink into the depths of the heart. And why is it surprising if oil melts when a fire burns in the lamp, liquefying the oil and making the lamp itself burn? This fire, you see, is my Spirit, who exists and speaks within you; that same Spirit is also present and speaks within him, though in a more hidden way and one more useful to him. This fire lights the lamp of her heart so she may work in my honor. It also stirs the soul to receive the richness of grace and my words, by which the soul is sweetly welcomed and more fully nourished when it comes to doing the work. So don't be afraid; stand firm in faith! If these words came from your own spirit or from the spirit of this world, you'd have reason to be afraid. But because they come from my Spirit—the same Spirit the holy prophets had—you shouldn't be afraid, but rather rejoice, unless perhaps you're more afraid of the world's empty reputation than you are of the delay of my divine words.1
The Seed and the Hardened Soil
Using the parable of a seed blocked by weight, Christ explains why His revelations must first bear fruit outside of Sweden.
Listen, furthermore, to what I have to say. This kingdom is mixed with great sin that has gone unpunished for a long time. Therefore, my words cannot yet rise and bear fruit here, as I will now explain to you by speaking in a parable. If a seed were planted in the ground with something heavy placed on top of it, preventing it from growing upward, that seed—being of a good and fresh nature—would not simply give up when blocked by the weight pressing down from above; instead, it would search through the earth for a way to grow in the direction where the weight is less. It plants its roots so deeply and firmly that it not only produces beautiful fruit, but as the trunk grows stronger, it destroys everything that hinders its ascent and spreads itself over whatever is heavy. This kernel signifies my words, which, because sin demands it, cannot currently take root and grow in this kingdom as they should; instead, they will first rise and flourish elsewhere, until the hardness of the soil in this kingdom is softened by the decreasing of mercy.
Read the original Latin
Filius Dei loquitur: "Cur turbaris, quod illum tam pacienter supporto? Nescis, quia graue est eternaliter ardere? Et ideo vsque ad vltimum punctum suffero eum, vt in eo iusticia mea aliis manifestetur.
Itaque, vbicumque colores seminati sunt, si ante tempus suum succidantur, non ita bene valent rei colorande, sicut si succidantur tempore debito.
Sic verba mea, que cum iusticia et misericordia manifestanda sunt et vsque ad plenitudinem maturitatis fructificare debent et crescere, et tunc rei, cui apponentur, magis conuenient et virtutem meam conuenienter colorabunt.
Ceterum cur turbaris, quod ille de verbis meis diffidit, nisi signa euidenciora ostendantur? Numquid tu genuisti eum aut nosti interiora eius sicut ego?
Ipse vtique est quasi lampas ardens et lucens, cui imposita pinguedine mox appropinquat lichinus ei firmiter inherens. Sic ipse lampas est virtutum, lampas apta ad recipiendum diuinam graciam meam.
Huic mox vt infundentur verba mea, liquescent perfeccius et descendent ad interiora cordis. Et quid mirum, si pinguedo liquescit, quando ignis ardet in lampade, qui pinguedinem liquefacit et lampadem facit ardere?
Iste quippe ignis spiritus meus est, qui est et loquitur in te, et ipse idem spiritus eciam est et loquitur in eo, quamquam occulciori modo et sibi vtiliori.
Hic ignis incendit lampadem cordis eius ad laborandum in honore meo. Et accendit eciam animam ad recipiendum aruinam gracie et verborum meorum, a quibus anima dulciter recipitur et plenius impinguatur, quando ad opera peruenitur.
Ideo non timeas, sed stabiliter persiste in fide! Si verba ista venirent de spiritu tuo aut de spiritu mundi huius, merito tibi esset formidandum.
Sed quia sunt de spiritu meo, quem habuerunt prophete sancti, ideo non est tibi timendum sed gaudendum, nisi forte plus pertimescas de vano nomine mundi quam de protraccione verborum meorum diuinorum.
Audi preterea, que dico. Regnum istud cum peccato magno et diu impunito commixtum est. Ideo verba mea adhuc hic ascendere et fructificare non possunt, sicut tibi declarabo nunc per similitudinem loquendo.
Si nucleus plantatus esset in terra, super quem aliquod ponderosum positum esset, propter quod non posset ascendere, qui nucleus existens bone et recentis nature cum a superiori pondere deprimente non habet ascensum, tunc inquirit circa terram ascensum suum ea parte, vbi minus ponderosum est.
Vbi sic profunde et stabiliter infigit radices, quod non solum facit fructum pulcherrimum, ymmo eciam trunco fortiter crescente annichilat omne impediens ascensum et extendit se super id, quod est ponderosum.
Sic nucleus iste significat verba mea, que exigente peccato cum in regno isto nunc conuenienter ascensum habere non possent, prius alibi ascendent et proficient, donec duricia terre istius regni decrescente misericordia aperiatur."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'protraccione' refers to the deferral or drawing out of the fulfillment of the words, which the speaker contrasts with the 'vanity' of worldly opinion.
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