1. I see those souls abiding in the pains of Purgatory with the sight of two operations.
2. The first is that they suffer those pains willingly, and they seem to see that God has shown them great mercy, considering what they deserved and knowing how much God matters. For if His goodness did not temper justice with mercy (satisfying it with the precious blood of Jesus Christ), a single sin would merit a thousand everlasting Hells.
3. And therefore they suffer this pain so willingly that they would not remove a single carat of it, knowing that they most justly deserve it and that it is well ordained: so that they complain of God (as far as the will is concerned) no more than if they were in eternal life.
4. The other operation is a contentment which they have in seeing the ordinance of God with the love and mercy that He exercises toward the souls.
5. These two sights God imprints on those minds in an instant; and because they are in grace, they understand and comprehend them as they are, according to their capacity; and so they give them a great contentment which never fails; rather, it grows in them the more they draw near to God.
6. And those souls do not see it in themselves, nor for their own sake, but in God; on whom they are far more intent than on the pains they suffer, and whom they esteem far more, beyond all comparison. For every little sight that can be had of God exceeds every pain and every joy that man can conceive: and although it exceeds them, it does not take from them one spark of joy or of pain.
About this translation
This English translation from the Italian was drafted with AI assistance using SWE-2 Max and prepared as a reading edition for this library. Review has included source provenance, section structure, and selected source comparisons and corrections. It has not included a complete independent, sentence-by-sentence translation audit.
Catherine’s teaching was transmitted by her disciples and first printed in 1551. This translation follows the supplied Italian transcription; the introductory note is editorial.
This is a reading copy, not a critical edition. No professional translation certification or ecclesiastical approval is claimed for this modern edition.
No general reuse licence is specified for this modern translation or its source transcription. The age of the original work does not by itself establish their reuse terms.
Remember Eternity · remembereternity.org. AI-assisted English translation drafted with SWE-2 Max from the Italian; selected source comparisons and corrections only. No complete independent translation audit or ecclesiastical approval is claimed. Catherine’s teaching was transmitted by her disciples and first printed in 1551. This translation follows the supplied Italian transcription; the introductory note is editorial. No general reuse licence is specified for this modern translation or its source transcription.