Visio notando de quadam domina, quam virgo Maria et Petrus sustentabant, ne caderet. Quorum consilio mutauit vitam et ex gracia speciali diutinam incurrit infirmitatem, in qua purgata migrauit ad celum.
The Sustaining Grace of Mary and Peter
The bride witnesses a vision of a woman being held up by heavenly figures, as Mary and Peter explain how they have protected her from falling into sin.
The bride saw in spirit a woman sitting on a rope. A handsome man supported one of her feet, while a maiden of wondrous beauty supported the other. Then blessed Mary appeared and said: This woman you know was miraculously kept from falling, even though she was tangled in many worldly and fleshly anxieties. In fact, she often had the desire to sin but lacked the opportunity or the time; this was brought about by the prayer of Peter, the apostle and my son, whom this woman loved. Sometimes she had the opportunity and the time, but not the desire; and my love, as I am the Mother of God, brought this about.1 And so, because her time is drawing near, blessed Peter advises her to adopt a more austere way of life by setting aside softer clothing, since he, the supreme apostle, endured nakedness, imprisonment, and hunger, even though he had power in heaven and on earth.✦ I, the Mother of God, who never spent an hour on earth without some trial of heart, advise her not to be ashamed to be humble and to obey the friends of God.
A Call to Conversion and Purgation
Peter invites the woman to become his spiritual daughter, leading to her conversion and a long, purifying illness.
Immediately after this, however, the blessed apostle Peter appeared and said to the bride, "You, new bride of our Lord and God, go and ask that woman whom I have loved and watched over if she would be willing to become my daughter with all her heart." When she was asked and agreed, saying, "I want this with all my heart," blessed Peter replied, "I'll provide for her just as I do for my daughter Petronilla, and I'm taking her into my care." Upon hearing this, the lady immediately changed her life, and not long after, she began to suffer from a long illness that lasted the rest of her days, until, having been purified, she surrendered her soul with the greatest devotion.
The Final Vision and Departure
At the hour of her death, the woman sees the saints she loved and peacefully departs this life.
When this lady was near death, she saw the blessed apostle Peter in his pontifical vestments and Saint Peter the Martyr wearing the habit of the Dominican friars. For she had loved them both deeply during her life. Then she said openly, "What is it, my lords?" When those standing around her asked if she had seen anything, she replied: "Wonderful things," she said, "for I see my masters: Peter the Apostle dressed in his pontifical robes, and Peter the Martyr in the habit of the Preachers—both of whom I have always loved and in whose help I have always hoped." And she cried out immediately, "Blessed be God, look, I am coming!" She fell asleep in the Lord.
Read the original Latin
Sponsa videbat in spiritu vnam mulierem in fune sedentem. Cuius alterum pedem sustentabat vir speciosus, alium vero virgo quedam mire pulchritudinis. Et tunc beata Maria apparens dixit:
"Hec domina tibi nota multis sollicitudinibus inuoluta carnis et mundi mirabiliter, ne caderet, seruata est. Ipsa quippe multociens habuit voluntatem peccandi sed non locum nec tempus, et hoc fecit oracio Petri, apostoli filii mei, quem ista mulier dilexit.
Quandoque habuit locum et tempus sed non voluntatem, et hoc fecit caritas mea, que sum mater Dei.
Et ideo, quia iam appropinquat tempus eius, consulit ei beatus Petrus, vt aliquam austeritatem assumat in habitu, deponendo vestimenta molliora, quia ipse summus apostolus eciam nuditatem et carcerem pertulit et esuriem, quamuis potens erat in celis et in terris.
Ego vero mater Dei, que nullam horam sine tribulacione cordis transiui in terris, consulo, vt ipsa non erubescat esse humilis et obedire amicis Dei."
Post hec statim autem apparuit beatus Petrus apostolus dicens sponse: "Tu, noua sponsa Domini et Dei nostri, vade et quere ab ipsa muliere, quam ego dilexi et custodiui, si forte esse velit ex toto filia mea."
Et illa requisita consenciente et dicente: "Volo toto corde", respondit beatus Petrus: "Ego prouidebo ei sicut filie mee Petronille, et recipio eam in custodiam meam."
Et statim domina illa hiis auditis mutauit vitam suam, et non longe post cepit toto vite sue tempore infirmari, donec purgata cum maxima deuocione tradidit spiritum.
Hec igitur domina, cum iam supremum ageret spiritum, vidit beatum Petrum apostolum in pontificalibus et sanctum Petrum martirem in habitu fratrum predicatorum.
Ambos enim in vita sua intime dilexerat. Et tunc ipsa dixit aperte: "Quid est, domini mei?" Cumque domine circumstantes quererent, si quid vidisset, respondit:
"Mirabilia", inquit, "nam video dominos meos Petrum apostolum pontificaliter indutum et Petrum martirem cum habitu predicatorum, quos ego semper amaui et in adiutorio eorum semper speraui."
Et statim clamans: "Benedictus Deus, ecce venio!" obdormiuit in Domino.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.11.27 — in toil and hardship, in sleepless nights many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'caritas mea' refers to the speaker's (the Virgin Mary's) intercessory love acting upon the soul.
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