The Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great COMPILED BY THE RELIGIOUS OF HER MONASTERY CATHOLIC TREASURES, NOVEMBER 1980 How the soul may seek God and transfigure itself into Him, in four ways. While the Antiphon In lectulo mea was chanted, in which the words quem dilgit anima mea are repeated four times she reflected on four different manners in which the faithful soul may seek God. By the first words, "By night I sought Him whom my soul loveth," she understood the first way of seeking God, by the praises and blessings which are offered to Him on the Sacred couch of contemplation. Hence the words, "I sought Him and found Him not," follow immediately, because while the soul is imprisoned in the flesh she cannot praise God perfectly.   She understood the second manner of seeking God in the words, "I will rise and will go about the city: in the streets and the broadways I will seek Him whom my soul loveth," because the various thanksgivings which the soul renders to God for all the gifts with which He enriches His creatures are expressed by the words "the streets and broadways." As we cannot praise God in this world as He should be praised for all His gifts, the words, "I sought, Him and I found Him not," are added. By these words, "The watchman found me," she understood the justice and mercy of God, which cause the soul to enter into herself and then to compare her unworthiness with the benefits which she has received from God, so that she begins by her grief and repentance for her faults to seek His mercy, saying: "Have you seen Him Whom my soul loveth?" And thus, as she has no faith in her own merits, she turns with humble confidence to the Divine mercy and by the fervour of her prayers and the inspiration of grace she at last finds Him whom the faithful soul seeks. This Antiphon being concluded, she felt her heart deeply moved by all the sweetness with which the Divine mercy had filled it during this time and with many other graces which it would be impossible to describe, so that even her bodily strength failed her. Then she said to God: "It seems to me that I can truly say to Thee now, 'Behold! my beloved Lord! not only my inmost soul but every part of my body is moved towards Thee!'" "I know and feel it perfectly," replied our Lord, "because these graces have flowed from Me and returned to Me. But as for you, who are held captive in the chains of mortality, you can never understand all the reciprocal sweetness which My Divinity feels towards you." He added: "Know, however, that this movement of grace glorifies you, as My Body was glorified on Mount Thabor in the presence of My three beloved disciples. I can say of you, in the sweetness of my charity: 'This is My beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.' For it is the property of this grace to communicate to the body as well as to the mind a marvelous glory and brightness." E-MAIL HOME-------------------------------SAINT GERTRUDE www.catholictradition.org/Gertrude/revelations8.htm