第二章

繼續同一主題：透過微妙的比較來解釋合一的祈禱，並談到它對靈魂留下的影響。本章應要高度重視。

1.靈魂比喻為蝴蝶。 2. 創造的偉大。 3.靈魂和蠶的象徵。 4. 為神的內住而預備靈魂。 5.蠶神秘死亡。 6. 神聖結合的效果。 7. 熱情和疏離感增加。 8. 聯合祈禱之後的考驗。 9. 渴望死亡，熱心榮耀天主。 10. 這種超自然的熱心。 11. 只有神才能施行這恩典。 12. 與我們的主在地上所感受到的同樣的熱心。 13. 基督最劇烈的受苦。

1. 1. 你可能會想，這棟居所的內容已經沒有什麼可描述的了，但還有很多事情要說，因為正如我所說，它包含著不同程度的恩惠。我認為關於聯合祈禱沒有什麼可補充的，但是當天主賜予這種恩典的靈魂準備好接受他們時，我可以告訴你很多關於我們的主在其中所做的奇蹟。我將以我自己的方式描述其中的一些，以及它們離開靈魂的狀態，並使用適當的比較來闡明問題，解釋雖然我們不能積極參與天主在我們內部的這項工作，¹⁷³但我們可以做很多事情來準備自己接受這種恩典。你聽說過絲綢是如何奇妙地製造出來的——只有天主才能計劃的方式——它是如何來自一個像小胡椒粒的雞蛋。我沒有親眼見過，只是道聽途說，所以如果事實不準確，也不是我的錯。天氣暖和的時候，桑樹長出了葉子，食物還沒成熟之前毫無生氣的小卵就開始活動了。 毛毛蟲以桑葉為食，長大後，人們在它旁邊放上小樹枝，毛毛蟲就會用小嘴吐絲，結出一個狹窄的小繭，把自己埋在裡面。然後，這條又大又醜的蟲子離開繭，變成了一隻可愛的小白蝴蝶。

2. 2. 如果我們沒有親眼目睹，只是聽過一個古老的傳說，誰能相信呢？我們能否說服自己，像蠶或蜜蜂一樣完全不使用理性的昆蟲會如此勤奮和熟練地為我們服務，以至於可憐的小蠶因此而失去了生命？姊妹們，這對於一個簡短的默想來說就足夠了，我無需再添加更多，因為你們可以從中學到神的奇妙和智慧。如果我們知道萬物的屬性怎麼辦？思考創造物的偉大，並為成為這樣一位明智而強大的國王的新娘而感到高興是最有益的。

3. 3. 讓我們回到我們的主題。蠶象徵著靈魂，當靈魂被聖靈點燃時，它開始使用天主賜予所有人的普通援助，並應用天主在教會中留下的補救措施，例如定期懺悔、宗教掛鉤和佈道；這些是治療因疏忽和罪惡而死亡並容易陷入誘惑的靈魂的良藥。然後它就復活了，並繼續以這種食物和虔誠的默想來滋養自己，直到它獲得充分的活力，這是最重要的一點，因為我不重視其他的。正如我在本章第一部分告訴你的，當蠶完全長大時，它開始吐絲並建造它必須死亡的房子。當談到靈魂時，我指的是基督。我想我在某處讀到或聽過，要麼我們的生命隱藏在基督裡，要麼隱藏在天主裡（這意味著同樣的事情），或者基督就是我們的生命。 ¹⁷⁴這些引文中哪一個是正確的，對我的意思來說沒有什麼區別。

4. 4. 我的女兒們，這表明，靠著天主的恩典，我們可以做多少事情，透過為自己準備這個家，使他成為我們的居所，就像他在聯合祈禱中一樣。當我說神是我們的家，我們可以靠自己的力量建造這個家並居住在其中時，你可能會認為我的意思是我們可以從神身上拿走或添加一些東西。我們確實可以：雖然我們既不能剝奪天主任何東西，也不能為祂添加任何東西，但我們可以像蠶一樣，從我們自己身上拿走或添加任何東西。當我們的這項微不足道、毫無意義的工作被天主與祂的偉大結合起來，並因此具有如此巨大的價值而增強時，我們的主自己將成為我們辛勞的獎賞時，我們所能做的那點微不足道的事情就很難完成。雖然他在其中佔有了最大的份額，但他會把我們的瑣碎痛苦和他為我們所受的苦楚結合起來，使它們合而為一。

5. 5. 那麼前進吧，我的女兒們！趕快完成你的工作並建造小繭。讓我們放棄自愛和任性，¹⁷⁵ 不關心塵世的一切，進行懺悔、祈禱、克己、服從，並執行您所知道的所有其他善行。按照你的想法行事；你已經被教導了你的職責。死！就像蠶完成其創造的使命後就會死去一樣，你會看到天主並沉浸在祂的偉大之中，就像小蠶被包裹在繭裡一樣。要明白，當我說「你會見到天主」時，我的意思是按照所描述的方式，天主以這種結合方式顯現自己。

6. 6. 現在讓我們看看「蠶」會變成什麼樣子，因為我所說的一切都導致了這一點。一旦透過這個祈禱，靈魂對世界完全死了，它就會像一隻可愛的小白蝴蝶一樣出現！ ¹⁷⁶哦，天主是多麼偉大！短暫地沉浸在神的偉大之中並與神緊密結合之後，靈魂是多麼美麗啊！確實，我不認為有半小時那麼長。 ¹⁷⁷ 確實，精神不認識自己，它與原來的樣子不同，就像白蝴蝶與令人厭惡的毛毛蟲不同一樣。它不知道自己如何能得到如此巨大的好處，或者更確切地說，這種恩典從何而來¹⁷⁸，但它很清楚它不值得。靈魂渴望讚美我們的主天主，渴望犧牲自己並為祂而死一千次。它對偉大的十字架有著不可戰勝的渴望，並願意進行最嚴厲的懺悔；它為孤獨而嘆息，希望所有人都認識天主，同時又因看到他們冒犯天主而感到痛苦。這些事將在下一個府邸中更詳細地描述； 它們具有相同的性質，但在更高級的狀態下，效果要強得多，因為，正如我告訴你的，如果；當靈魂接受了這些恩惠後，它會努力取得更進一步的進步，它將經歷偉大的事情。哦，看看這只迷人的小蝴蝶的躁動，儘管它一生中從未如此平靜和安寧！願神受到讚美！它不知道在哪裡停留，也不知道在哪裡休息；在經歷過一切之後，地球上的一切都令它感到厭惡，尤其是當天主經常給它這種酒時，它每次喝完都會留下新鮮的恩典。

7. 7.它鄙視自己還是毛毛蟲時所做的工作──一根根絲地慢慢地織繭──它的翅膀已經長出來了，它可以飛了；它能滿足於爬行嗎？與靈魂的願望相比，它能為天主所做的一切對靈魂來說似乎微不足道。它不再好奇聖徒為他承擔了什麼，因為透過經驗知道我們的主如何幫助和改變靈魂，直到它的性格和外表看起來不再一樣。以前它害怕懺悔，現在它變得堅強：它需要勇氣放棄關係、朋友或財產：無論是它的行動、它的決心，還是與它所愛的人的分離，都不能使靈魂分離，反而似乎增加了它的喜愛。現在，它甚至發現他們的合法主張也是一種負擔，¹⁷⁹害怕與他們接觸，以免冒犯天主。它厭倦了一切，意識到在生物中找不到真正的休息。

8. 8. 我似乎對這個主題進行了詳細闡述，但關於它還可以說得更多；那些接受過這種恩惠的人會認為我對待它的時間太短了。難怪這隻美麗的蝴蝶遠離了塵世的事物，到別處尋求休息。可憐的小動物能去哪裡呢？它無法回到它來的地方，因為正如我告訴過你的，做它想做的事並不在靈魂的能力範圍內，而是取決於天主的喜悅。唉，多麼新的考驗開始折磨我們的心靈啊！誰會期望在如此崇高的恩典之後會發生這樣的事情？ ¹⁸⁰事實上，以這樣或那樣的方式，我們必須一輩子背負十字架。如果人們告訴我，自從進行了結合的祈禱之後，他們就享受到了持續的平安和安慰，我會回答說，他們永遠不可能達到那種狀態，但最多，如果他們到達了最後一座居所，他們的情感一定是某種精神上的滿足與身體上的虛弱結合在一起。這甚至可能是魔鬼造成的虛假甜蜜，魔鬼暫時給予和平，但後來卻發動了更激烈的戰爭。我並不是說達到這個階段的人就沒有平安；而是說，達到這個階段的人就沒有平安。他們這樣做的程度非常高，因為他們的悲傷雖然極其嚴重，但卻是非常有益的，而且來源非常好，可以帶來平安和幸福。

9. 9. 對這個世界的不滿使人痛苦地渴望離開這個世界，如果心靈能找到安慰，那隻能是因為天主希望它被放逐地留在這兒。即使這還不足以使其與命運和解，因為在收到所有禮物之後，它還沒有像後來那樣完全屈服於天主的意志。在這裡，雖然符合祂的旨意，但靈魂卻感到一種無法克服的不情願屈服，因為我們的主沒有賜給它更高的恩典。在祈禱期間，這種悲傷會以淚水的形式爆發出來，可能是因為看到天主被冒犯，並想到有多少靈魂，無論是異教徒還是異教徒，都永遠迷失了，而感到巨大的痛苦，而基督徒也是如此！靈魂認識到天主憐憫的偉大，知道無論人多麼邪惡，他們仍然可以悔改並得救；但它擔心許多人會陷入地獄。

10. 10. 哦，天主無限偉大！幾年前——確實，也許只是幾天前——這個靈魂只想著自己。是誰讓它感受到如此折磨人的關懷？如果我們多年來試圖透過默想來獲得這種悲傷，我們就不可能成功。

11. 11.天主幫助我！如果我在漫長的日子和歲月裡思考，冒犯天主是多麼大的錯誤，而迷失的靈魂是他的孩子和我的弟兄；如果我思考一下這個世界的危險，如果離開這悲慘的生活是多麼幸福，這還不夠嗎？不，女兒們，痛苦不會是一樣的。為此，在天主的幫助下，我們可以透過這樣​​的默想來獲得；但它似乎並不像另一種東西那樣滲透到我們存在的最深處，它似乎將靈魂切成碎片，並將其磨成粉末，而不是透過自己的行動——甚至有時沒有願望——來實現。那麼這個悲傷是什麼呢？它從哪裡來？我會告訴你。你有沒有聽過（我剛剛向你引用了這些話，但沒有將這個含義應用到他們身上）¹⁸¹新婦如何說神‘把她帶進酒窖，並在她裡面安排了慈善’？ ¹⁸²這就是這裡發生的事情。靈魂已完全將自己交在他的手中，並被對他的愛所征服，以至於它不知道或關心任何事情，只知道天主應該根據他的旨意來處理它。我相信祂只會將這份恩典賜給那些完全屬於祂自己的人。 他希望，儘管不知道如何，精神應該被蓋上他的印記，因為事實上，它的作用並不比蠟被印上印記更好。它不會自行成型，而只需要處於合適的狀態——柔軟且柔韌；即使這樣，它也不會軟化自己，而只能保持靜止並屈服於這種印象。

12. 12. 天主啊，你多麼善良！一切都是祢為我們完成的，祢只要求我們將自己的意願交給你，好讓我們能在祢手中像蠟一樣可塑。姊妹們，你們看，神對這個靈魂做了什麼，好讓它知道它是屬於祂的。他給了它一些他自己的東西——他的兒子在地球上生活時所擁有的東西——他可以給我們更大的禮物。誰能比基督更渴望離開今生呢？正如他在最後的晚餐中所說：「我懷著渴望」¹⁸³這個。主啊！你將要經歷的痛苦死亡不是以一切痛苦和恐怖呈現在你眼前嗎？ ’不，因為我的熾熱之愛和我拯救靈魂的願望比折磨要強烈得多。與我生活在地球上時所遭受的和仍然遭受的這種更深的悲傷相比，其他痛苦顯得微不足道。

13. 13. 我常常默觀這一點，我知道我的一個朋友¹⁸⁴在看到我們的主得罪時所感受到的折磨是如此難以忍受，以至於她寧願死也不願繼續處於這種痛苦之中。然後我想，如果一個靈魂的仁愛與基督的仁愛相比如此微弱——事實上，與基督相比，這種仁愛可以說是不存在的——經歷這種難以忍受的悲傷，那麼我們的主耶穌基督的感受和他的生活一定是怎樣的呢？因為一切都呈現在祂的眼前，祂是對祂天父所犯下的嚴重罪的持續見證人。我毫無疑問地相信，這比他最神聖的受難更令他痛苦。至少，在那裡，他發現了所有考驗的結束，而他的痛苦則因通過他的死獲得我們的救恩以及通過為他受苦而證明他如何愛他的天父而得到安慰而得到緩解。因此，那些在熾熱的愛的驅使下進行偉大懺悔的人幾乎感覺不到它們，而是想要做更多的事情，甚至將其視為微不足道。 那麼，陛下對於如此公開地表現出他對天父的完美順服和對他的弟兄的愛，一定有什麼感受呢？遵行神的旨意而受苦是何等的喜樂！然而，我認為，不斷看到許多違背天主的罪以及無數靈魂走向地獄的景像一定會讓他如此痛苦，如果他不是比人更重要的話，那麼有一天，這樣的折磨不僅會毀掉他的生命，而且會毀掉更多的生命，如果他們是他的話。

CONTINUES THE SAME SUBJECT: EXPLAINS THE PRAYER OF UNION BY A DELICATE COMPARISON AND SPEAKS OF THE EFFECTS IT LEAVES UPON THE SOUL. THIS CHAPTER SHOULD RECEIVE GREAT ATTENTION.

1. The soul compared to a butterfly. 2. The grandeurs of creation. 3. Symbol of the soul and the silkworm. 4. Preparation of the soul for God’s indwelling. 5. Mystic death of the silkworm. 6. Effects of divine union. 7. Increase of fervour and detachment. 8. Trials succeeding the prayer of union. 9. Longing for death and zeal for God’s honour. 10. This zeal supernatural. 11. God alone works this grace. 12. The same zeal as that felt by our Lord on earth. 13. Christ’s keenest suffering.

1.

1. You may imagine that there is no more left to be described of the contents of this mansion, but a great deal remains to be told, for as I said, it contains favours of various degrees. I think there is nothing to add about the prayer of union, but when the soul on which God bestows this grace disposes itself for their reception, I could tell you much about the marvels our Lord works in it. I will describe some of them in my own way, also the state in which they leave the soul, and will use a suitable comparison to elucidate the matter, explaining that though we can take no active part in this work of God within us,¹⁷³ yet we may do much to prepare ourselves to receive this grace. You have heard how wonderfully silk is made—in a way such as God alone could plan—how it all comes from an egg resembling a tiny pepper-corn. Not having seen it myself, I only know of it by hearsay, so if the facts are inaccurate the fault will not be mine. When, in the warm weather, the mulberry trees come into leaf, the little egg which was lifeless before its food was ready, begins to live. The caterpillar nourishes itself upon the mulberry leaves until, when it has grown large, people place near it small twigs upon which, of its own accord, it spins silk from its tiny mouth until it has made a narrow little cocoon in which it buries itself. Then this large and ugly worm leaves the cocoon as a lovely little white butterfly.

2.

2. If we had not seen this but had only heard of it as an old legend, who could believe it? Could we persuade ourselves that insects so utterly without the use of reason as a silkworm or a bee would work with such industry and skill in our service that the poor little silkworm loses its life over the task? This would suffice for a short meditation, sisters, without my adding more, for you may learn from it the wonders and the wisdom of God. How if we knew the properties of all things? It is most profitable to ponder over the grandeurs of creation and to exult in being the brides of such a wise and mighty King.

3.

3. Let us return to our subject. The silkworm symbolizes the soul which begins to live when, kindled by the Holy Spirit, it commences using the ordinary aids given by God to all, and applies the remedies left by Him in His Church, such as regular confession, religious hooks, and sermons; these are the cure for a soul dead in its negligence and sins and liable to fall into temptation. Then it comes to life and continues nourishing itself on this food and on devout meditation until it has attained full vigour, which is the essential point, for I attach no importance to the rest. When the silkworm is full-grown as I told you in the first part of this chapter, it begins to spin silk and to build the house wherein it must die. By this house, when speaking of the soul, I mean Christ. I think I read or heard somewhere, either that our life is hid in Christ, or in God (which means the same thing) or that Christ is our life.¹⁷⁴ It makes little difference to my meaning which of these quotations is correct.

4.

4. This shows, my daughters, how much, by God’s grace, we can do, by preparing this home for ourselves, towards making Him our dwelling-place as He is in the prayer of union. You will suppose that I mean we can take away from or add something to God when I say that He is our home, and that we can make this home and dwell in it by our own power. Indeed we can: though we can neither deprive God of anything nor add aught to Him, yet we can take away from and add to ourselves, like the silkworms. The little we can do will hardly have been accomplished when this insignificant work of ours, which amounts to nothing at all, will be united by God to His greatness and thus enhanced with such immense value that our Lord Himself will be the reward of our toil. Although He has had the greatest share in it, He will join our trifling pains to the bitter sufferings He endured for us and make them one.

5.

5. Forward then, my daughters! hasten over your work and build the little cocoon. Let us renounce self-love and self-will,¹⁷⁵ care for nothing earthly, do penance, pray, mortify ourselves, be obedient, and perform all the other good works of which you know. Act up to your light; you have been taught your duties. Die! die as the silkworm does when it has fulfilled the office of its creation, and you will see God and be immersed in His greatness, as the little silkworm is enveloped in its cocoon. Understand that when I say ‘you will see God,’ I mean in the manner described, in which He manifests Himself in this kind of union.

6.

6. Now let us see what becomes of the ‘silkworm,’ for all I have been saying leads to this. As soon as, by means of this prayer, the soul has become entirely dead to the world, it comes forth like a lovely little white butterfly!¹⁷⁶ Oh, how great God is! How beautiful is the soul after having been immersed in God’s grandeur and united closely to Him for but a short time! Indeed, I do not think it is ever as long as half an hour.¹⁷⁷ Truly, the spirit does not recognize itself, being as different from what it was as is the white butterfly from the repulsive caterpillar. It does not know how it can have merited so great a good, or rather, whence this grace came¹⁷⁸ which it well knows it merits not. The soul desires to praise our Lord God and longs to sacrifice itself and die a thousand deaths for Him. It feels an unconquerable desire for great crosses and would like to perform the most severe penances; it sighs for solitude and would have all men know God, while it is bitterly grieved at seeing them offend Him. These matters will be described more fully in the next mansion; there they are of the same nature, yet in a more advanced state the effects are far stronger, because, as I told you, if; after the soul has received these favours, it strives to make still farther progress, it will experience great things. Oh, to see the restlessness of this charming little butterfly, although never in its life has it been more tranquil and at peace! May God be praised! It knows not where to stay nor take its rest; everything on earth disgusts it after what it has experienced, particularly when God has often given it this wine which leaves fresh graces behind it at every draught.

7.

7. It despises the work it did while yet a caterpillar—the slow weaving of its cocoon thread by thread—its wings have grown and it can fly; could it be content to crawl? All that it can do for God seems nothing to the soul compared with its desire. It no longer wonders at what the saints bore for Him, knowing by experience how our Lord aids and transforms the soul until it no longer seems the same in character and appearance. Formerly it feared penance, now it is strong: it wanted courage to forsake relations, friends, or possessions: neither its actions, its resolutions, nor separation from those it loved could detach the soul, but rather seemed to increase its fondness. Now it finds even their rightful claims a burden,¹⁷⁹ fearing contact with them lest it should offend God. It wearies of everything, realizing that no true rest can be found in creatures.

8.

8. I seem to have enlarged on this subject, yet far more might be said about it; those who have received this favour will think I have treated it too briefly. No wonder this pretty butterfly, estranged from earthly things, seeks repose elsewhere. Where can the poor little creature go? It cannot return to whence it came, for as I told you, that is not in the soul’s power, do what it will, but depends upon God’s pleasure. Alas, what fresh trials begin to afflict the mind! Who would expect this after such a sublime grace?¹⁸⁰ In fact in one way or another we must carry the cross all our lives. If people told me that ever since attaining to the prayer of union they had enjoyed constant peace and consolation, I should reply that they could never have reached that state, but that, at the most, if they had arrived as far as the last mansion, their emotion must have been some spiritual satisfaction joined to physical debility. It might even have been a false sweetness caused by the devil, who gives peace for a time only to wage far fiercer war later on. I do not mean that those who reach this stage possess no peace; they do so in a very high degree, for their sorrows, though extremely severe, are so beneficial and proceed from so good a source as to procure both peace and happiness.

9.

9. Discontent with this world gives such a painful longing to quit it that, if the heart finds comfort, it is solely from the thought that God wishes it to remain here in banishment. Even this is not enough to reconcile it to fate, for after all the gifts received, it is not yet so entirely surrendered to the will of God as it afterwards becomes. Here, although conformed to His will, the soul feels an unconquerable reluctance to submit, for our Lord has not given it higher grace. During prayer this grief breaks forth in floods of tears, probably from the great pain felt at seeing God offended and at thinking how many souls, both heretics and heathens, are lost eternally, and keenest grief of all, Christians also! The soul realizes the greatness of God’s mercy and knows that however wicked men are, they may still repent and be saved; yet it fears that many precipitate themselves into hell.

10.

10. Oh, infinite greatness of God! A few years ago—indeed, perhaps but a few days—this soul thought of nothing but itself. Who has made it feel such tormenting cares? If we tried for many years to obtain such sorrow by means of meditation, we could not succeed.

11.

11. God help me! If for long days and years I considered how great a wrong it is that God should be offended, and that lost souls are His children and my brethren; if I pondered over the dangers of this world and how blessed it would be to leave this wretched life, would not that suffice? No, daughters, the pain would not be the same. for this, by the help of God, we can obtain by such meditation; but it does not seem to penetrate the very depths of our being like the other which appears to cut the soul to pieces and grind it to powder through no action—even sometimes with no wish—of its own. What is this sorrow, then? Whence does it come? I will tell you. Have you not heard (I quoted the words to you just now, but did not apply to them this meaning)¹⁸¹ how the Bride says that God ‘brought her into the cellar of wine and set in order charity in her’?¹⁸² This is what happens here. The soul has so entirely yielded itself into His hands and is so subdued by love for Him that it knows or cares for nothing but that God should dispose of it according to His will. I believe that He only bestows this grace on those He takes entirely for His own. He desires that, without knowing how, the spirit should come forth stamped with His seal for indeed it does no more than does the wax when impressed with the signet. It does not mould itself but need only be in a fit condition—soft and pliable; even then it does not soften itself but must merely remain still and submit to the impression.

12.

12. How good Thou art, O God! All is done for us by Thee, Who dost but ask us to give our wills to Thee that we may be plastic as wax in Thy hands. You see, sisters, what God does to this soul so that it may know that it is His. He gives it something of His own—that which His Son possessed when living on earth—He could bestow on greater gift on us. Who could ever have longed more eagerly to leave this life than did Christ? As He said at the Last Supper: ‘With desire have I desired’¹⁸³ this. O Lord! does not that bitter death Thou art to undergo present itself before Thine eyes in all its pain and horror? ’No, for My ardent love and My desire to save souls are immeasurably stronger than the torments. This deeper sorrow I have suffered and still suffer while living here on earth, makes other pain seem as nothing in comparison.’

13.

13. I have often meditated on this and I know that the torture a friend of mine¹⁸⁴ has felt, and still feels, at seeing our Lord sinned against is so unbearable that she would far rather die than continue in such anguish. Then I thought that if a soul whose charity is so weak compared to that of Christ—indeed, in comparison with His this charity might be said not to exist—experiences this insufferable grief, what must have been the feelings of our Lord Jesus Christ and what must His life have been? for all things were present before His eyes and He was the constant witness of the great offences committed against His Father. I believe without doubt that this pained Him far more than His most sacred Passion. There, at least, He found the end of all His trials, while His agony was allayed by the consolation of gaining our salvation through His death and of proving how He loved His Father by suffering for Him. Thus, people who, urged by fervent love, perform great penances hardly feel them but want to do still more and count even that as little. What, then, must His Majesty have felt at thus publicly manifesting His perfect obedience to His Father and His love for His brethren? What joy to suffer in doing God’s will! Yet I think the constant sight of the many sins committed against God and of the numberless souls on their way to hell must have caused Him such anguish that, had He not been more than man, one day of such torment would have destroyed not only His life but many more lives, had they been His.