{ "meta": { "schema_version": "1.1", "endpoint": "/api/sources/rhineland-mystics/suso/vol-1-39-chapter-xliv.json" }, "work": { "slug": "suso", "name": "Heinrich Suso" }, "parents": [ { "slug": "rhineland-mystics", "name": "Rhineland Mystics", "url": "/sources/rhineland-mystics/" } ], "chapter": { "num": 40, "slug": "vol-1-39-chapter-xliv", "title": "Chapter XLIV.", "of": 51, "words": 1444, "text": "## Chapter XLIV.\n\nHow God multiplied drink for His friends. \nOnce upon a time the Servitor, having tra- \nvelled to a distance, became very tired, and on \narriving in the evening at a hermitage, where it \nwas proposed to spend the night, no wine was to \nbe found either in the village or the hermitage ; \nuntil at length, a certain good woman came and \nsaid that she had a small bottle of wine left, about \nhalf a quart, adding, \" But what is this among so \nmany f* For they were in number about twenty \npersons, good children, together with those who \nhad come thither desiring to hear the word of \nGod from his mouth. The Servitor told her to \nbring the bottle and place it on the table, and \nthey prayed him to pronounce a blessing from \nGod upon it. He did this in the mighty power \nof the loving Name of Jesus, and then began to \ndrink of it, for he was very thirsty from the jour- \nney ; after which he offered it to the others, and \nthey all drank together. The bottle was placed \nupon the table openly, in the sight of every one, \nand no more wine or water was poured into it, \nfor there was no other wine there. They con- \ntinued drinking again and again out of the same \nbottle ; and they were so eager to hear from him \n\n\n234 LITE OF\" BLESSED HENRY SUSO. \n\nthe word of God, that no one took note of the \nDivine miracle. At last, when they came to \nthemselves, and saw God's almighty power so \nmanifestly displayed in the multiplication of the \ndrink, they began to praise God, and wished to \nattribute the miracle which had taken place to \nthe Servitor's holiness. But he would not on \nany account suffer this, saying : — Children, this \nis not my doing. God has permitted this pure \ncompany to reap the benefit of their good faithj \nand has given them drink both bodily and spi* \nritually. \n\n\nChapter XLY. \n\nOf certain sufferers, who were attached to the Servitor by \nspecial ties of friendship and affection. \n\nIn a certain town there were two persons of \neminent holiness, both intimate friends of the \nServitor. The one stood in high repute before \nthe people, and abounded in divine sweetnesses. \nThe other was held in no esteem, and God ex- \nercised him continually with sufferings. \n\nAfter they were both dead, the Servitor wished \nmuch to know what was the difference between \ntheir rewards in the next world, inasmuch as the \nroads by which they had been led in this life were- \n\n\nHIS MOTHER. 235 \n\nso unlike. Early one morning, the one who had \nbeen held in such esteem here below appeared \nto the Servitor, and told him that he was still in \npurgatory ; and when asked how this could be, \nhe replied, that the only sin for which he had to \nsuffer was a certain spiritual pride which had \nassailed him, through the high esteem in which \nhe had been held, and which he had not driven \naway quickly enough. He added, that his suf- \nferings would soon be at an end. The other, \nwhose life had been full of humiliations and suf- \nferings, passed at once without any hindrance \nto God. \n\nThe Servitor's mother was all the days of her \nlife a very great sufferer. This arose from the \npainful dissimilarity which there was between her \nand her husband. She was full of the Almighty \nGod, and her whole desire was to live a spiritual \nlife. But her husband was full of the world, and \nopposed her with great harshness and severity; \nand through this she had much to suffer. \n\nIt was her custom to cast all her sorrows \ninto the bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ, and \nin this way to get the mastery over them. \nBefore her death she confessed to the Servitor \nthat for thirty years she had never assisted at \nMass without weeping bitterly from heartfelt \n\n\n236 LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO. \n\ncompassion for the torments of our clear Lord \nand His faithful Mother. She told him also \nthat, from the excessive love which she felt for \nGod, she had once fallen ill, and kept her bed \nfor twelve weeks, longing and pining for God \nso ardently that the physicians clearly perceived \nit and were edified by it. \n\nOnce, at the beginning of Lent, she went to \nthe Cathedral, where the taking down of the \nLord Jesus from the cross is represented in \ncarved wood over an altar. While she was \nbefore this image she experienced sensibly the \ngreat anguish which the tender Mother felt \nbeneath the cross ; and so intense was the agony \nwhich it caused this good woman, through com- \npassion, that her heart became sick within her \nbody, and she sank down fainting to the ground, \nand could neither see nor speak. She was \nhelped home, and lay there sick until Good \nFriday at none, and died while the Passion was \nbeing read. \n\nHer son, the Servitor, was at this time at \nCologne, engaged with his studies. She ap- \npeared to him there in a vision, and said to him \nwith great joy : — Ah, my child ! love God and \ntrust Him well, for He will never forsake thee \nin any trouble. See, I have departed from this \n\n\nHIS MOTHER, 237 \n\nworld, and yet I am not dead. I shall live ever- \nlastingly in the presence of the everlasting God. \nShe kissed him in motherly fashion upon his \nmouth, and blessed him lovingly, and then dis- \nappeared. He began to weep, and cried out \nafter her, saying : — O my true-hearted holy mo- \nther, be true to me in God's presence! and \nthus weeping and sighing, he came to himself \nagain. \n\nIn his young days, when he was at the \nplace of studies, God provided him once with \na dear and holy companion. On one occasion, \nwhen they were alone, and had conversed to- \ngether much and tenderly about God, the com- \npanion besought the Servitor by the sincerity \nof their friendship to show him the lovely Name \nof Jesus which was engraven over his heart. \nThe Servitor was reluctant to do this; never- \ntheless, when he saw his companion's great devo- \ntion, he granted his request, and drawing aside \nhis habit where it covered his heart, let him \nlook at this jewel of his heart as much as he \nwould. The companion was not content with \nthis ; but when he saw the sweet Name standing \nout visibly in the middle over the Servitor's \nheart, he put out his hand and face, and after \npassing his hand across it, laid his mouth upon \n\n\n238 LIFE OF BLESSED HEXRY SUSO. \n\nit, and began to weep so heartily from devo- \ntion that the tears ran down over the heart. \nAfter this the Servitor covered up the Name, \nand he never would allow any one else to see it, \nsave only one of God's chosen friends, to whom \nthis was permitted by the everlasting God; and \nthis person also contemplated it with the same \ndevout feelings as the other. \n\nWhen these two dear companions had spent \nmany years together in spiritual companionship, \nand the time was come for them to separate, \nthey blessed each other lovingly, and made a \ncompact between them, that whichever of them \nmight die first, the survivor should, as a token \nof their mutual friendship, say for his departed \nfriend two Masses weekly during a year; the \none to be a Eequiem Mass on the Mondays, and \nthe other a Mass of our Lord's Passion on the \nFridays. Many years passed away after this, \nuntil at length the Servitor's dear companion \ndied before him ; but the Servitor had forgotten \nthe promise about the Masses, though, without \nreference to it, he faithfully remembered his \nfriend's soul to God. One morning, as he sat in \necstasy in his chapel, his companion appeared to \nhim in a vision, and said to him very piteously : — \nAlas, friend, how great is thy unfaithfulness ! \n\n\nCHRIST UNDER THE FORM OF A SERA \n\n\nCM \n\n\nHow hast thou forgotten me ! The Serv \nswerecl : — And yet I remember thee e\\ \nin my Mass. His companion replied :— \nnot enough. Fulfil what we promised about the \nMasses, that some of the sinless Blood may thus \ncome down upon me and quench the severity \nof my purgatory. In this way I shall be soon \nset free. The Servitor accomplished this with af- \nfectionate fidelity, grieving much for his forget- \nfulness ; and his companion was soon released.", "project_translation": false, "text_trust": "verbatim", "quote_safe": true, "license": null, "methodology_url": null } }