thee, I desire to become more closely united to thee by charity towards the neighbor. Thou know that my love has two commandments; to love me, and to love thy neighbor, now I wish thee to observe these two commandments. Forget not that in thy youth, zeal for souls, which I had placed and developed in thy heart, went so far as to give thee the idea of disguising thyself so as to become a Friar Preacher, and labor for the conversion of souls. Why, therefore, wonder and complain that I conduct thee where thou desires to go, and for which thou assumed the habit of St. Dominic, that zealous founder of an order for promoting the salvation of souls." Then Catherine said, " Lord not my will but thine be done, I am only darkness and thou are all light; I am nothingness and thou are; I am ignorance and thou are the wisdom of the Father; but. Lord, suffer me to inquire how I shall execute thy commands — my sex presents an obstacle, for women have no authority over men, and propriety prevents frequent relations with them." Our Lord answered, like the Archangel Gabriel, that all things are possible with God! "Am I not he who formed both man and woman ? my spirit breathes where it will; to me there is no difference of sex or condition, it is as easy for me to create an Angel as the lowest insect, and a worm of the earth as a new firmament; it is written of me, that I do what I will, (Ps. cxiii. 3) and naught that the mind can conceive is impossible to me. I know it is humility and not a disobedient spirit that prompts thee to speak thus, and now I wish thee to know that in this age, the pride of men has become so great, especially among such as believe themselves to be learned and discreet, that my justice can no longer endure them, and is about to confound them by a just judgment; but because mercy is
