lectures14+15-第5节
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exclaims： 〃to be loved by a noble； elevated； distinguished
being； to be loved with fidelity； with devotionwhat
enchantment！ But to be loved by God！ and loved by him to
distraction ＇aime jusqu'a la folie＇！Margaret melted away with
love at the thought of such a thing。 Like Saint Philip of Neri
in former times； or like Saint Francis Xavier； she said to God：
'Hold back； O my God； these torrents which overwhelm me； or else
enlarge my capacity for their reception。〃＇202＇
＇202＇ Bougaud： Hist。 de la bienheureuse Marguerite Marie； Paris；
1894； p。 145。
The most signal proofs of God's love which Margaret Mary received
were her hallucinations of sight； touch； and hearing； and the
most signal in turn of these were the revelations of Christ's
sacred heart； 〃surrounded with rays more brilliant than the Sun；
and transparent like a crystal。 The wound which he received on
the cross visibly appeared upon it。 There was a crown of thorns
round about this divine Heart； and a cross above it。〃 At the
same time Christ's voice told her that； unable longer to contain
the flames of his love for mankind； he had chosen her by a
miracle to spread the knowledge of them。 He thereupon took out
her mortal heart； placed it inside of his own and inflamed it；
and then replaced it in her breast； adding： 〃Hitherto thou hast
taken the name of my slave； hereafter thou shalt be called the
well…beloved disciple of my Sacred Heart。〃
In a later vision the Saviour revealed to her in detail the
〃great design〃 which he wished to establish through her
instrumentality。 〃I ask of thee to bring it about that every
first Friday after the week of holy Sacrament shall be made into
a special holy day for honoring my Heart by a general communion
and by services intended to make honorable amends for the
indignities which it has received。 And I promise thee that my
Heart will dilate to shed with abundance the influences of its
love upon all those who pay to it these honors； or who bring it
about that others do the same。〃
〃This revelation；〃 says Mgr。 Bougaud； 〃is unquestionably the most
important of all the revelations which have illumined the Church
since that of the Incarnation and of the Lord's Supper。 。 。 。
After the Eucharist； the supreme effort of the Sacred
Heart。〃＇203＇ Well； what were its good fruits for Margaret Mary's
life？ Apparently little else but sufferings and prayers and
absences of mind and swoons and ecstasies。 She became
increasingly useless about the convent； her absorption in
Christ's love
〃which grew upon her daily； rendering her more and more incapable
of attending to external duties。 They tried her in the
infirmary； but without much success； although her kindness； zeal；
and devotion were without bounds； and her charity rose to acts of
such a heroism that our readers would not bear the recital of
them。 They tried her in the kitchen； but were forced to give it
up as hopelesseverything dropped out of her hands。 The
admirable humility with which she made amends for her clumsiness
could not prevent this from being prejudicial to the order and
regularity which must always reign in a community。 They put her
in the school； where the little girls cherished her； and cut
pieces out of her clothes ＇for relics＇ as if she were already a
saint； but where she was too absorbed inwardly to pay the
necessary attention。 Poor dear sister； even less after her
visions than before them was she a denizen of earth； and they had
to leave her in her heaven。〃＇204＇
＇203＇ Bougaud： Hist。 de la bienheureuse Marguerite Marie；
Paris； 1894； pp。 365； 241。
＇204＇ Bougaud： Op。 cit。； p。 267。
Poor dear sister； indeed！ Amiable and good； but so feeble of
intellectual outlook that it would be too much to ask of us； with
our Protestant and modern education； to feel anything but
indulgent pity for the kind of saintship which she embodies。 A
lower example still of theopathic saintliness is that of Saint
Gertrude； a Benedictine nun of the thirteenth century； whose
〃Revelations；〃 a well…known mystical authority； consist mainly of
proofs of Christ's partiality for her undeserving person。
Assurances of his love； intimacies and caresses and compliments
of the most absurd and puerile sort； addressed by Christ to
Gertrude as an individual； form the tissue of this paltry…minded
recital。＇205＇ In reading such a narrative； we realize the gap
between the thirteenth and the twentieth century； and we feel
that saintliness of character may yield almost absolutely
worthless fruits if it be associated with such inferior
intellectual sympathies。 What with science； idealism； and
democracy； our own imagination has grown to need a God of an
entirely different temperament from that Being interested
exclusively in dealing out personal favors； with whom our
ancestors were so contented。 Smitten as we are with the vision
of social righteousness； a God indifferent to everything but
adulation； and full of partiality for his individual favorites；
lacks an essential element of largeness； and even the best
professional sainthood of former centuries； pent in as it is to
such a conception； seems to us curiously shallow and unedifying。
＇205＇ Examples： 〃Suffering from a headache； she sought； for the
glory of God； to relieve herself by holding certain odoriferous
substances in her mouth； when the Lord appeared to her to lean
over towards her lovingly； and to find comfort Himself in these
odors。 After having gently breathed them in； He arose； and said
with a gratified air to the Saints； as if contented with what He
had done： 'see the new present which my betrothed has given Me！'
〃One day； at chapel； she heard supernaturally sung the words
'Sanctus； Sanctus； Sanctus。' The son of God leaning towards her
like a sweet lover； and giving to her soul the softest kiss； said
to her at the second Sanctus： 'In this Sanctus addressed to my
person； receive with this kiss all the sanctity of my divinity
and of my humanity； and let it be to thee a sufficient
preparation for approaching the communion table。' And the next
following Sunday； while she was thanking God for this favor；
behold the Son of God； more beauteous than thousands of angels；
takes her in His arms as if He were proud of her and presents her
to God the Father； in that perfection of sanctity with which He
had dowered her。 And the Father took such delight in this soul
thus presented by His only son； that； as if unable longer to
restrain Himself； He gave her； and the Holy Ghost gave her also；
the sanctity attributed to each by His own Sanctusand thus she
remained endowed with the plenary fullness of the blessing of
Sanctity； bestowed on her by Omnipotence； by Wisdom； and by
Love。〃 Revelations de Sainte Gertrude； Paris； 1898； i。 44； 186。
Take Saint Teresa； for example； one of the ablest women； in many
respects； of whose life we have the record。 She had a powerful
intellect of the practical order。 She wrote admirable
descriptive psychology； possessed a will equal to any emergency；
great talent for politics and business； a buoyant disposition；
and a first…rate literary style。 She was tenaciously aspiring；
and put her whole life at the service of her religious ideals。
Yet so paltry were these； according to our present way of
thinking； that （although I know that others have been moved
differently） I confess that my only feeling in reading her has
been pity that so much vitality of soul should have found such
poor employment。
In spite of the sufferings which she endured； there is a curious
flavor of superficiality about her genius。 A Birmingham
anthropologist； Dr。 Jordan； has divided the human race into two
types； whom he calls 〃shrews〃 and 〃nonshrews〃 respectively。＇206＇
The shrew…type is defined as possessing an 〃active unimpassioned
temperament。〃 In other words； shrews are the 〃motors；〃 rather
than the 〃sensories；〃＇207＇ and their expressions are as a rule
more energetic than the feelings which appear to prompt them。
Saint Teresa； paradoxical as such a judgment may sound； was a
typical shrew； in this sense of the term。 The bustle of her
style； as well as of her life； proves it。 Not only must she
receive unheard…of personal favors and spiritual graces from her
Saviour； but she must immediately writ
