Easter Weekday

HOW SHE SAW JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND
OF THE POWER OF GOD
From the “The Life of Beatrice of Nazareth”7
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…It happened that the adversary of the human race, with all the vices
assembled in their bands, rushed in upon her ready to fight, and cruelly attacked
her valiant heart with as many assaults of temptation as there are different kinds
of vices. Christ’s soldier, seeing herself in the midst of the sea, rocked and
overwhelmed by stormy waves, and harassed on all sides with heavy storms and
weighty struggles, began to waste away, unnerved by great fear… She did not
fear single combat with any one of them, if it reared up alone, but with all of them
rushing in together and each of them exercising its own wicked activity, such a
need for resistance on all sides arose that, her strength worn out and confidence
all but collapsing, she nearly despaired of God’s mercy.

Beatrice, seeing that faith and hope, that most constant of virtues, were
almost on the point of perishing within her, and that no virtue remained with
which to defend herself in such a crisis, no longer presumed to enter such a
struggle; grief-stricken and worn-out she prepared herself, and rising up fled
quickly to the church, and with a great storm of tears, with bitter groans, sighs,
and weeping she besought the divine clemency to have mercy on her in such a
dangerous crisis…

When Beatrice had poured… forth… the great bitterness of her heart, she
quickly fled to the solace of prayer, and she called upon the divine mercy… The
loving and merciful Lord, who never deserts those who trust in his mercy, who is
close to the troubled of heart and always saves the humble in spirit… did not
refuse to turn the eyes of his mercy on his chosen spouse in the time of her need.
Regarding his faithful fighter and understanding that she was laboring in a
weighty struggle, he put forth his merciful hand to console her, and putting to
flight the insults of the demonic powers and all the troubles caused by the vices,
he with his unspeakable kindness and mercy called her back into the harbor of
tranquility.

…She was caught up beyond herself and saw in ecstasy of mind – with the
eyes of the mind, not of the flesh, – the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the
right hand of the power of God, prepared to help her, leaning over mercifully
toward her to raise her up, console, and snatch her from the attacks of the
opposing powers. When the Lord’s virgin… had gazed on him with longing eyes,
she perceived two things, mercy and love, radiating from him toward her, and
immediately with an enlightened mind she recognized what they meant. In the
ray of mercy she saw, she deserved to be rebuked by the Lord for being so
disturbed in the struggle, so weighed down with fear and sorrow… In the ray of
love she recognized clearly that the Lord was propitious and merciful toward
her, that his kindness was helping her, not beating her down or casting her off
from the divine mercy… but rather exalting her, raising her up and lifting her to
the summit of the virtues.

…She gave thanks to Almighty God with exultation of heart… recognizing
clearly the divine mercy toward her… With the Lord’s help she henceforth
remained stronger in faith, more constant in hope, more valiant in tribulation,
and more spiritual against the opposing powers.

7 The Life of Beatrice of Nazareth. CF 50. Trans. Roger De Ganck. Kalamazoo, MI:
Cistercian Publications, 1991. 175, 177, 179.