Reuelacio virginis Marie, quam habuit domina Birgitta in ciuitate Neapolis, et dirigit eam domino Bernardo, archiepiscopo Neapolitano. Que reuelacio reprehendit illos, qui non instruunt seruos suos seu sclauos infideles, nouiter conuersos ad fidem, in eadem fide catholica et lege christiana. Redarguit quoque virgo Maria illos dominos, qui male tractant et exasperant vltra modum dictos seruos suos. Comminatur eciam cum magna pena sortilegos et incantatores et diuinatores et eciam tenentes eos et fidem eis adhibentes.
The Gardener of Souls
The Virgin Mary describes her role as the gardener of the world, interceding for souls against the winds of temptation.
The Bride of Christ writes to Lord Bernardo, Archbishop of Naples, saying: "Reverend Father and Lord!" While that person whom you know well was standing in prayer, suspended in a rapture of contemplation, the Virgin Mary appeared to her, saying: I am the Queen of Heaven, speaking to you. I am like the gardener of this world. Just as a gardener, seeing a strong, harmful wind rising against the young plants and trees in his garden, immediately rushes to them and binds them up with firm supports as best he can—helping them in every way possible so they aren't broken by the wind and miserably uprooted—so do I, the Mother of Mercy, act in the garden of this world. For when I see the dangerous winds of temptation and the devil's wicked suggestions blowing into the hearts of men, I immediately run to my Lord and my God, my Son Jesus Christ, helping them with my prayers and begging from Him: May He pour into their hearts some holy infusions of the Holy Spirit, so that, supported and healthily strengthened by these, they may be protected spiritually and remain unharmed by the devilish wind of temptations, lest the devil prevail against people by breaking their souls and tearing them out according to his own wicked desire. So, when people receive these supports and aids of mine with a humble heart and put them into practice, they are immediately defended against the devil's onslaught of temptations; by remaining firm in a state of grace, they bring forth to God and to me the fruit of sweetness in due time. But those who despise the spiritual support offered by my Son and me, and who let themselves be swayed by the wind of temptation through their own consent and actions, are uprooted from the state of grace and led by the devil through illicit desires and deeds, all the way down to the deep, eternal punishments and the darkness of hell.
The Duty of Care for Servants
Mary rebukes the neglect and abuse of servants, emphasizing the Christian duty to instruct and treat them with dignity.
Now, you should know that in the city of Naples, various and many horrible, hidden sins are being committed, which I won't mention to you. But I will speak to you now about two types of public sins that are deeply displeasing to my Son, to me, and to the entire heavenly court. The first issue is that in this city, many people buy pagans and unbelievers for their own service, and some of their masters don't care to baptize them, nor do they want to convert them to the Christian faith. And if some of them are baptized, their masters don't care any more about having them instructed and informed in the Christian faith, or about teaching them how to receive the Sacraments of the Church, than they did before their baptism and conversion. And so it happens that these servants, once they've embraced the faith, commit many sins and don't know how to return to the Sacraments of penance and Communion, or how to be restored to a state of salvation, divine reconciliation, and grace. Furthermore, some people keep their female servants or slaves in such degradation or shame that it's as if they were dogs, selling them and, what's worse, frequently exposing them in brothels to earn money through filth and abomination. Others, however, keep them in their homes as prostitutes—both for themselves and for others—and this is deeply abominable and hateful to God, to me, and even to the whole heavenly court. Some masters burden and provoke their servants to such an extent with insults and beatings that some of those servants fall into despair and even reach the point of wanting to kill themselves. Such sins and negligence are deeply displeasing to God and to the entire heavenly court. For God himself loves them because he created them, and to save everyone, he came into the world, taking on flesh from me, and endured suffering and death on the cross. Know also that anyone who buys such pagans and unbelievers with the intention of making them Christians, desiring to instruct them in the Christian faith and in virtues, and intending to set them free during their lifetime or at death so that these servants aren't passed on to heirs—such masters earn much merit from this and are acceptable to God. But you should know for certain that those who do the opposite will be severely punished by God.
The Warning Against Sorcery
The Virgin warns against the grave sin of consulting fortune-tellers and sorcerers, calling for repentance to receive divine grace.
A second kind of sin is that many men and women associate with and consult certain wicked fortune-tellers, diviners, and truly wretched sorcerers for various disordered reasons. For sometimes they ask them to perform various evil spells and incantations, so that they might be able to conceive and bear children. Some people ask these same individuals to perform certain incantations and spells, so that they might be strictly and heartily loved by certain men or women, or even by their own temporal masters. Others, however, seek out these same cursed sorcerers to learn about the future. Many also ask them to use their incantations and evil arts to heal their illnesses. Anyone who keeps sorcerers, fortune-tellers, or enchanters in their home and supports them, along with anyone who seeks them out for their wicked advice and diabolical remedies—and even those sorcerers, fortune-tellers, and enchanters themselves who promise these things—are cursed and hateful in the sight of God. As long as they persist in that state and intention, no infusion of grace from the Holy Spirit will ever descend or enter into their hearts. However, those who repent and humbly amend their lives with a firm purpose not to fall back into sin will obtain grace and mercy from my Son. When these things had been heard, the vision disappeared.
Read the original Latin
Sponsa Christi scribit domino Bernardo, archiepiscopo Neapolitano, dicens: Reuerende pater et domine! Illa persona, quam vos bene nostis, cum staret orando in raptu contemplacionis suspensa, apparuit ei virgo Maria sic dicens ei:
"Ego sum regina celi, que loquor tibi. Ego sum quasi ortulanus huius mundi.
Nam sicut ortulanus, quando videt insurgere ventum validum, nociuum plantulis et arboribus orti sui, statim accurrit festinanter et, in quantum potest, ligat firmando eas firmis sustentaculis et sic eis succurrit diuersimode iuxta posse, ne a vento irruente frangantur et miserabiliter eradicentur, sic ego, mater misericordie, facio in orto huius mundi.
Quia quando ego video periculosos ventos temptacionum et malignarum suggestionum dyaboli flare in corda hominum, statim ego accurro ad Dominum meum et Deum meum, filium meum Ihesum Christum, cum oracionibus meis iuuando eos et impetrando ab eo,
quod ipse infundat in eorum cordibus aliquas sanctas infusiones Spiritus Sancti, quibus suffulti et salubriter confirmati a dyabolico temptacionum vento illesi spiritualiter tueantur, ne dyabolus contra homines preualeat, frangendo eorum animas et eas iuxta suum malignum desiderium extirpando.
Et sic homines recipientes dicta mea sustentacula et iuuamina cum humilitate cordis et execucione operis statim a dyabolico temptacionum incursu defenduntur, et permanentes firmi in statu gracie afferunt Deo et michi fructum suauitatis in tempore oportuno.
Illi vero, qui contempnunt predicta filii mei et mea sustentacula spiritualia et inclinantur a vento temptacionum per dyaboli consensum et opere, ipsi eradicantur a statu gracie et ducuntur a dyabolo per illicita desideria et opera vsque ad profundas eternales penas et tenebras infernorum.
Nunc autem scias, quod in ciuitate Neapolitana committuntur diuersa et multa peccata horrida et occulta, que tibi non refero. Sed tamen loquor tibi nunc de duobus generibus peccatorum manifestorum, que valde displicent filio meo et michi totique celesti curie.
Primum est, quod in dicta ciuitate multi emunt paganos et infideles ad seruitutem suam, et aliqui eorum domini non curant eos baptizare neque volunt ad fidem christianam eos conuertere.
Et si baptizantur aliqui eorum, post ipsorum baptismum domini eorum non curant plus de faciendo eos instruere et informare in fide christiana et informando eos in suscipiendis sacramentis Ecclesie quam ante ipsorum baptismum et conuersionem.
Et sic euenit, quod dicti serui conuersi post fidem susceptam committunt multa peccata et nesciunt redire ad sacramenta penitencie et communionis et restaurari in statu saluacionis et diuine reconciliacionis et gracie.
Item aliqui tenent suas seruas vel sclauas in tanta abieccione seu ignominia, ac si essent canes, vendentes eas et, quod deterius est, exponentes ipsas frequenter in lupanari ad lucrandum pecuniam turpitudinis et abhominacionis.
Alii vero tenent eas in suis domibus vt meretrices, et pro se et pro aliis, et hoc valde abhominabile et odiosum est Deo et michi ac eciam toti celesti curie.
Aliqui eciam domini in tantum grauant et exasperant dictos seruos suos verbis contumeliosis et percussionibus, quod aliqui dictorum seruorum veniunt in statu desperacionis et in voluntate interficiendi se ipsos.
Que quidem peccata et negligencie multum displicent Deo et toti celesti curie. Quia ipse Deus amat eos eo, quod ipse creauit eos, et vt omnes saluaret, venit in mundum, assumens carnem de me, et sustinuit passionem et mortem in cruce.
Scias eciam, quod, quicumque emunt tales paganos et infideles ea intencione, vt faciant eos christianos, et voluntate instruendi et informandi eos in fide christiana et virtutibus et intencione dandi eos libertati in vita sua vel in morte, ita quod dicti serui non transeant ad heredes, isti tales domini eorum multum ex hoc merentur et acceptabiles sunt apud Deum.
Sed scias certissime, quod illi, qui contrarium faciunt, a Deo grauiter punientur.
Secundum genus peccati est, quod multi homines et femine habent secum et consulunt aliquos malignos sortilegos et diuinatores et aliquas pessimas incantatrices diuersis respectibus inordinatis.
Nam aliquando petunt ab eis, quod ipsi faciant aliqua maleficia et incantaciones ad finem, vt possint concipere et generare prolem.
Aliqui requirunt eosdem, quod ipsi aliquas incantaciones et facturas faciant ad hoc, vt ab aliquibus hominibus vel mulieribus seu eciam ab eorum dominis temporalibus districte amentur et cordialiter diligantur.
Alii vero expetunt ab eisdem maledictis maleficis de presciencia funturorum. Multi eciam querunt ab eis, vt arte sua incantatoria et malefica tribuant ipsis sanitatem in infirmitatibus suis.
Qui quidem omnes, tam tenentes eosdem maleficos diuinatores seu eciam incantatrices in familia et expensis suis quam omnes petentes a talibus talia maligna consilia et remedia dyabolica, quam eciam iidem malefici diuinatores et incantatrices supradicta promittentes, maledicti et exosi sunt apud Deum.
Et quamdiu in tali statu et proposito perseuerauerint, numquam aliqua infusio seu gracia Spiritus Sancti descendet neque intrabit in corda ipsorum.
Verumptamen qui penituerint et humiliter se emendauerint cum vero proposito vlterius non recidiuandi, a filio meo graciam et misericordiam consequentur." Hiis autem sic auditis hec visio disparuit.
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