{
  "meta": {
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    "endpoint": "/api/sources/rhineland-mystics/suso/vol-1-23-chapter-xxiv.json"
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  "work": {
    "slug": "suso",
    "name": "Heinrich Suso"
  },
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    {
      "slug": "rhineland-mystics",
      "name": "Rhineland Mystics",
      "url": "/sources/rhineland-mystics/"
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 24,
    "slug": "vol-1-23-chapter-xxiv",
    "title": "Chapter  XXIV.",
    "of": 51,
    "words": 783,
    "text": "## Chapter  XXIV.\n\nHow  he  went  forth  to  succour  and  to  save  his  neighbour. \n\nAfter  he  had  spent  many  years  in  attend- \ning to  his  interior  life,  God  urged  him,  by  mani- \nfold revelations,  to  apply  himself  also  to  the  sal- \nvation of  his  neighbour.  The  great  sufferings \nwhich  befell  him  in  this  work  were  beyond  num- \nber and  measure.  But  how  many  souls  were  suc- \ncoured by  him  was  once  shown  by  God  to  one  of \nHis  chosen  friends  named  Anna,  who  was,  more- \nover, a  spiritual  daughter  of  the  Servitor.  She \nwas  one  day  rapt  in  ecstasy  at  prayer,  and  she \nsaw  the  Servitor  saying  Mass  upon  a  lofty  moun- \ntain. An  innumerable  multitude  of  children \nwere  hanging  in  and  on  him,  but  each  differ- \nently from  the  rest;  for  the  more  any  one  had  of \nGod,  the  more  firmly  he  rested  on  the  Servitor; \nand  the  more  inwardly  he  was  drawn  into  the \nServitor,  the  more  perfectly  God  turned  Himself \nto  him.  She  saw,  moreover,  that  the  Servitor \nwas  praying  earnestly  for  them  all  to  the  ever- \nlasting God,  whom  he  held  in  his  priestly  hands. \nUpon  this,  she  besought  God  to  make  known \nto  her  what  the  vision  meant.  And  God  an- \nswered her  in  this  wise : — The  innumerable  mul- \n\n\nHIS  ZEAL  FOR  SOULS.  101 \n\ntitude  of  children  who  hang  npon  him  are  all \nthose  who  are  his  penitents  or  disciples,  or  are \nin  other  ways  bound  to  him  by  ties  of  special \nlove  and  faithfulness.  All  these  he  has  com- \nmended to  Me  in  such  sort,  that  I  will  guide \ntheir  life  to  a  good  end,  and  they  shall  never  be \nparted  from  My  gladsome  countenance.  What- \never heavy  sufferings  may  on  this  account  be- \nfall him,  shall  be  all  fully  made  up  to  him  by \nthe  joys  which  I  will  give  him. \n\nBefore  the  above-named  noble  maiden  be- \ncame acquainted  with  the  Servitor  of  the  Eter- \nnal Wisdom,  she  had  received  from  God  an \ninterior  drawing  and  desire  to  see  him.  Now \nit  happened  once  that  she  was  rapt  in  ecstasy, \nand  in  the  vision  a  voice  bade  her  go  to  the \nplace  where  the  Servitor  then  was,  and  see  him. \nShe  answered : — I  do  not  know  him  among  the \nmultitude  of  the  brothers.  The  voice  replied : \n— It  is  easy  to  know  him  among  the  others. \nHe  has  around  his  head  a  green  ring,  entwined \nround  and  round  with  red  and  white  roses,  like \na  garland  of  roses.  The  white  roses  signify  his \npurity,  and  the  red  roses  his  patience  amid  the \nmanifold  sufferings  which  he  must  endure ;  and \njust  as  the  ring  of  gold,  which  it  is  the  custom \nto  paint  round  the  heads  of  Saints,  represents \n\n\n102  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\nthe  everlasting  bliss  which  they  now  possess  in \nGod,  even  so  the  ring  of  roses  indicates  the  mul- \ntiplicity of  sufferings  which  God's  dear  friends \nmust  bear  while  they  are  still  serving  Him \nin  this  world  with  knightly  exercises.  Then \nthe  angel  led  her  in  the  vision  to  where  he  was, \nand  she  soon  recognised  him  by  the  ring  of  roses \nwhich  was  round  his  head. \n\nDuring  this  same  period  of  suffering,  the \nServitor's  greatest  interior  support  came  from \nthe  continual  help  which  the  holy  angels  gave \nhim. \n\nOnce  upon  a  time,  when  his  outward  senses \nwere  absorbed  in  ecstasy,  it  seemed  to  him  in  a \nvision  that  he  was  carried  to  a  place  in  which \nthere  was  a  very  great  number  of  the  angelic \nhost,  and  that  one  of  those  who  stood  nearest  to \nhim  said : — Put  forth  thy  hand  and  look.  He \nput  forth  his  hand  and  looked ;  and  out  of  the \nmiddle  of  his  hand  there  sprung  up  a  beautiful \nred  rose,  with  lovely  green  leaves.  The  rose \nwas  so  large  that  it  covered  his  hand  to  his \nfingers,  and  it  was  so  beautiful  and  resplendent \nthat  it  gave  great  pleasure  to  his  eyes.  He \nturned  his  hand  round  outside  and  inside,  and \non  both  sides  it  was  ravishing  to  look  at.  Greatly \nmarvelling  in  his  heart  at  this,  he  said : — Dear \n\n\nFALSE  ACCUSATIONS.  103 \n\ncomrade,  what  means  this  vision  %  The  youth \nanswered: — It  means  sufferings  upon  suffer- \nings, and  over  again  sufferings  upon  sufferings, \nwhich  God  intends  to  give  thee.  This  is  what \nis  signified  by  the  four  roses  on  thy  two  hands \nand  thy  two  feet.  The  Servitor,  with  a  deep \nsigh,  said : — Alas,  gentle  Lord !  it  is  a  singular \nordinance  of  God  that  sufferings  should  cause \nsuch  pain  to  men,  and  yet  be  so  beautiful  an \nadornment  to  them  spiritually.",
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  }
}