Her 13th Sharing – Part 3             Background             Contents             Her 14th Sharing – Part 1

XXXIX

Sin is the sharpest scourge to strike any soul.
It thoroughly beats man and woman,
making them hateful in their own sight
so much that they feel unworthy except to sink in hell,
until the Holy Ghost’s touch brings contrition,
turning bitterness to hope of God’s mercy.

Then our wounds begin to heal,
the soul to come alive,
turning to the life of Holy Church.

The Holy Spirit leads us to admit our sins,
nakedly, truly, with great sorrow and shame
that we have fouled God’s fair image.

This meekness greatly pleases God.
Our Lord keeps us very preciously
when we feel nearly forsaken,
deservedly cast away for our sin,
then, because of that meekness,
we are raised highly by God’s grace in His sight,
with so great contrition, compassion, and true longing to God,
such souls are suddenly delivered from sin and pain,
taken up to bliss,
and even made high saints,
our sorrow and penance here
turned to love and bliss in heaven;
our shame to worship and joy.

So we should not despair of our sin
for it does not stop Him loving us.
He wants us to know that he is the Ground of our being,
our whole life, in love,
our keeper and defender.
Our sorrow in our fallings and failings
draws us closer to Him.
He will never turn away.

XL

This is a solemn friendship of our courteous Lord.
He keeps us so tenderly while we are in sin;
He shows us our sin by the light of His mercy and grace.
When we see ouself so foul,
Then we know His anguish for our sin.
We are stirred by the Holy Spirit to contrite prayer,
desiring with all our might to amend our life,
to lessen God’s anguish until we find rest
in soul and softness of conscience,
with true hope in His forgiveness.

Then our courteous Lord shows himself
merrily and cheerfully,
as though we had been in pain and prison,
saying sweetly, ‘My darling, I am glad you are come to me.
In all your woe I have been with you,
and now we are one in my love and bliss.

So sins are forgiven by mercy and grace,
and our souls received in worshipfull joy
by virtue of Christ’s passion.

But if any man or woman is stirred by folly
to say or think that if this is true
it is good to sin for greater reward,
or to see sin with lesser guilt,
beware;
this is untrue and in enmity with true love,
as though saying deceiving your lover does not matter
because your lover always forgives;
worse, that it is good to deceive your lover
so you can enjoy forgiveness;
and worse,
knowing your lover will enter hell to forgive you.

When we, by God’s mercy and grace,
we aim at love and meekness,
we are made fair and clean.

As mighty and wise a God is to save men,
He is also willing.
Christ Himself is the foundation of all Christians.
He taught us to do good not ill.
Here we may see that He is Himself this love.
He does to us as He teaches us to do,
To be like Him in love to all our fellow-Christians
And to endlessly hate the sin and love the sinner.

And this word is an endless comfort:
‘I keep you securely’.

Her 13th Sharing – Part 3             Background             Contents             Her 14th Sharing – Part 1