Christus reuelat hic sponse, quam abhominabilis est coram Deo presbiter celebrans in peccato mortali et qualiter demones assistunt ei in celebracione misse et de eius futura pena, si non conuertatur.
The Priest in Mortal Sin
Christ describes the spiritual state of a priest who celebrates Mass while in a state of mortal sin, accompanied by demons.
"That priest for whom you are praying is like a pair of tongs, through which the gold of my virtue is drawn out." He is like a straying sheep that doesn't care to listen to its mother's voice. When he approaches my altar, demons stand at his sides, because they inhabit the soul of someone who is dead in my sight. When he puts on the amice, demons cloud his soul so that he neither thinks about nor understands how terrifying it is to approach my altar, and how pure he ought to be, who must stand before me, the most pure. When he puts on the alb, he is clothing himself in the hardness of his heart and in a lack of devotion, because he thinks his sin is not serious and that the eternal punishment to come is not a big deal; and the nature of eternal joy never even enters his mind. When he puts on the stole, the devil places a heavy yoke upon his neck, so that the sweetness of sin delights him; and it weighs down his soul so heavily that it doesn't let him groan or even consider his own sin. When he puts on the maniple, all works done for God feel heavy, burdensome, and shameful to him, while worldly things seem light. But when he puts on the cincture, his will is bound to the devil, so that he wants and intends to remain in sin; and then my charity is severed from him, because his will is set on everything the devil puts into his mind, unless it is held back by my hidden judgment. When he puts on the chasuble, the devil clothes him in treachery. But when he reads the Confiteor, the demons answer, "You're lying!" We are witnesses that his confession is like Judas's, because he says one thing with his mouth while holding something else in his heart."
The Repulsive Sacrifice
The Lord expresses his rejection of the Mass celebrated by an unrepentant priest.
When he approaches the altar, I turn my face away from him. No matter whose Mass he is celebrating—whether it's in honor of my Mother or the saints—it is as repulsive to me as if a prostitute were to offer her own menstrual blood in a vessel to some nobleman to drink, or as if someone were to say to his enemy, 'Watch yourself!' 'I'm looking to ruin you.' But when he consecrates my body and says, 'This is my body,' the demons flee from him, and his body remains like a lifeless log, because his soul is dead before my eyes. But when he brings my Body to his lips, that whole crowd of demons returns to him because of his presumption, for he has no love for me.
The Call to Contrition
Christ offers the possibility of mercy through true repentance, contrasting it with the priest's current hardness of heart.
I am, in fact, so merciful that if he were to say with a contrite heart and a firm purpose of amendment: 'Lord, for the sake of your passion and the love you have for humanity, forgive me my sins!' I would receive him, and the demons wouldn't return to him. But he has the filth of the world in his mouth, while worms are swarming in his heart, and that’s why the sweetness of my words doesn’t please him. Useless thoughts are eating away at him inside, so he can’t think of anything concerning me. For this reason, he will never approach my altar.
The True Altar of Glory
The Lord defines the heavenly altar and contrasts the eternal joy of the faithful with the eternal hunger of the unrepentant.
And what is my altar, if not that heavenly table and the glory in heaven, where the angels and the saints rejoice? This represents that altar in the church made of stone, where my Body, crucified on the cross, is offered daily, just as those sacrifices in the Law once represented what is now carried out in the church. What does the heavenly table signify, if not jubilation and joy? He himself will never experience this joy in eternal glory. He won't stand before this altar of mine, nor will he see my face. But my children will see my face. I am like the true pelican, because I will give them my own blood, and I refresh them in the present and in the future, until they are satisfied. But that abominable eagle will feed him—the one that makes a habit of withholding food from its own young after they've had their fill, so that the emaciation caused by hunger remains visible in them for the rest of their lives. The devil will feed him with his own pleasures for a time, so that later he'll feel a hunger for joy, and that hunger will last in him forever. Nevertheless, while he lives, my mercy is open to him if he turns back.
A Warning Fulfilled
Birgitta warns a specific priest of his danger, leading to his eventual removal from office and his tragic death.
This priest had been an advocate, and at Lady Birgitta’s urging, he was removed from his office; he was absolutely furious and said to her, "Now you’ve stripped me of my honor and my income." "How much have you gained?" She replied, "A cleric, who is God's own portion, cannot hold such an office without endangering his soul." Therefore, I tell you—and it will happen without a doubt, just as I heard in the judgment of God—that unless you take heed and correct yourself quickly, just as surely as I am called Birgitta, you won't escape the singular judgment of God and an unusual death." Not long after this, the same priest was stripped of his church by the bishop and died a horrific and unheard-of death. For while a bell was being cast, the boiling bronze surged out of the mold and burned him all over.
Read the original Latin
"Ille presbiter, pro quo tu oras, est quasi forceps, per quam aurum virtutis mee extrahetur. Ipse est quasi ouis degenerans, non curans audire vocem matris.
Cum accedit ad altare meum, astant ad latera eius demones, cuius et animam inhabitant, quia ipsa est mortua ante me.
Cum imponit sibi superhumerale, demones obumbrant animam eius, vt non cogitet nec intelligat, quam terribile est accedere ad altare meum et quam mundus esse deberet, qui michi mundissimo astare debet.
Cum induit se albam, duricia cordis et indeuocione induitur, quia cogitat peccatum suum non esse graue, supplicium eternum futurum non magnum; et quale gaudium est eternum, numquam venit in mente eius.
Cum imponit sibi stolam, dyabolus graue iugum imponit collo eius, ita quod delectat eum peccati dulcedo, et sic onerat animam eius, quod non sinit eum ingemiscere vel considerare peccatum suum.
Cum imponit sibi manipulum, omnia opera ad Deum fiunt sibi grauia et onerosa et erubescibilia, terrena autem leuia.
Cum autem cingit se cingulo, tunc ligatur voluntas eius cum dyabolo, ita quod velit et proponit morari in peccato, et tunc dissoluitur caritas mea cum eo, quia voluntas eius est ad omne illud, quod dyabolus ei inspirat in mentem, nisi refrenaretur occulto iudicio meo.
Cum induit se casulam, tunc perfidia induit eum dyabolus. Quando autem legit Confiteor, demones respondent: 'Mentitus es! Nos sumus testes, quod confessio eius est similis Iude, quia dicit aliud ore et aliud habet in corde.'
Cum accedit ad altare, tunc ego auerto faciem meam ab eo. De quocumque autem legit missam, siue de matre mea siue de sanctis, sic michi carum est, ac si meretrix menstruum suum in vase positum offerret alicui nobili ad bibendum aut si aliquis diceret inimico suo: 'Caue tibi! Ego quero dampnum tuum.'
Quando vero consecrat corpus meum et dicit: 'Hoc est corpus meum', tunc fugiunt demones ab eo et corpus remanet quasi truncus, quia anima eius mortua est ante oculos meos.
Cum autem corpus meum applicat ad os suum, ex presumpcione illa omnis turba demonum reuertitur ad eum, quia caritatem nullam habet ad me.
Ego quippe sic misericors sum, quod, si diceret cum contrito corde et emendacionis proposito: 'Domine, propter tuam passionem et caritatem, quam erga hominem habes, indulge michi peccata mea!' , ego susciperem eum, et non reuerterentur demones ad eum.
Sed ipse stercus mundi habet in ore, in corde autem vermes sunt scaturientes et ideo non placet ei dulcedo verborum meorum. In corde cogitaciones inutiles comedunt eum, ne cogitet aliquid de me. Propterea numquam accedet ad altare meum.
Quid autem est altare meum nisi illa celestis mensa et gloria in celis, de qua angeli et sancti letantur?
Hoc representat altare illud in ecclesia de lapidibus, vbi cottidie corpus meum in cruce crucifixum immolatur, sicut olim in lege sacrificia illa representabant, que nunc aguntur in ecclesia.
Quid notat mensa celestis nisi iubilacionem et gaudium? Hoc gaudium numquam experietur ipse in gloria eterna. Ante hoc altare meum numquam stabit nec videbit faciem meam. Filii autem mei ipsi videbunt faciem meam.
Ego sum sicut verus pellicanus, quia proprium sanguinem dabo eis, et reficio in presenti et in futuro vsque ad sacietatem.
Illum autem pascet aquila illa abhominabilis, cuius consuetudo est pullis suis post sacietatem aliquo tempore subtrahere necessaria, ita quod macies ex fame proueniens omni tempore vite eorum apparet in eis.
Sic dyabolus delectacione sua ad tempus pascet eum, vt postea famem gaudii senciat, et durabit in eo sine fine. Verumptamen cum viuit, misericordia mea aperta est ei, si conuertatur."
Hic sacerdos fuit aduocatus, et ad persuasionem domine Birgitte depositus ab officio totus furibundus dixit domine: "Iam priuastis me honore et beneficio. Quantum lucrata fuistis?"
Illa respondit: "Non potest clericus, qui sors Dei est, tale officium habere sine periculo anime. Ideo dico tibi et absque dubio erit, sicut audiui in iudicio Dei, quod, nisi cicius caueris tibi et correxeris te, sicut ego vocor Birgitta, sic tu non euades singulare iudicium Dei et inconsuetam mortem."
Igitur non longe post idem sacerdos per episcopum priuatus ecclesia horribili et inaudita morte mortuus est. Nam cum campana quedam funderetur, es ebuliens exiliit de formella et circumquaque eum combussit.
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