ase, so that it is by no means
surprising that she was frequently ill; but her illnesses arose from
yet another cause. We have learned, from careful observations made
every day for the space of four years, and also from what she herself
was unwillingly forced to admit, that during the whole course of her
life, and especially during that part of it which she spent at the
convent, when she enjoyed the highest spiritual favours, a great
portion of her illnesses and sufferings came from taking upon herself
the sufferings of others. Sometimes she asked for the illness of a
person who did not bear it patiently, and relieved him of the whole or
of a part of his sufferings, by taking them upon herself; sometimes,
wishing to expiate a sin or put an end to some suffering, she gave
herself up into the hands of God, and he, accepting her sacrifice,
permitted her thus, in union with the merits of his passion, to expiate
the sin by suffering some illness corresponding to it. She had
consequently to bear, not only her own maladies, but those also of
others--to suffer in expiation of the sins of her brethren, and of the
faults and negligences of certain portions of the Christian
community--and, finally, to endure many and various sufferings in
satisfaction for the souls of purgatory. All these sufferings appeared
like real illnesses, which took the most opposite and variable forms,
and she was placed entirely under the care of the doctor, who
endeavoured by earthly remedies to cure illnesses which in reality were
the very sources of her life. She said on this subject--'Repose in suffering
has always appeared to me the most desirable condition possible. The
angels themselves would envy us, were envy not an imperfection. But for
sufferings to bear really meritorious we must patiently and gratefully
accept unsuitable remedies and comforts, and all other additional
trials. I did not myself fully understand my state, nor know what it
was to lead to. In my soul I accepted my different sufferings, but in
my body it was my duty to strive against them. I had given myself
wholly and entirely to my Heavenly Spouse, and his holy will was being
accomplished in me; but I was living on earth, where I was not to rebel
against earthly wisdom and earthly prescriptions. Even had I fully
comprehended my state, and had both time and power to explain it, there
was no one near who would have been able to understand me. A doctor
would simply have concluded tha