ceivable that, where a nun believes that Christ is the only Borderland Spouse, her prejudice may result in her lover's appearing to her as Christ, just as the mediaeval witch who believed that her Borderland spouse could only be the Devil was pretty sure to see him with horns and hoofs and to be whisked away (subjectively) to a Witch's Sabbath of diablerie.
Madam de Guyon, indeed, admits that "the vision is never of God himself nor scarcely ever of Jesus Christ, as those who have it picture it to themselves: it is an Angel of light, who, according to the power which is given to him by God for this purpose, causes the soul to see his representation, which it takes for himself." (That is, the vision is subjective, probably an hypnotic suggestion induced by the angel.)
The following stories of saintly Catholic women who became espoused to a Borderland bridegroom, show that they were untrained in distinguishing subjective from objective phenomena. No wonder then, if they should mistake an angel for Christ himself.
St. Mary Magdalene, born of the illustrous house of the Pazzi at Florence * * * burned with so great a heat of divine love, that she would at times exclaim "O love! I can bear thee no longer!" and she used to be forced to cool her bosom with a copious sprinkling of water * * * By Christ she was wedded with a ring, and crowned with a crown of thorns; whilst by the blessed Virgin she was covered with a most white veil, and by St. Augustine she had twice written upon her heart: 'The word was made flesh.' Being rapt out of her senses while embroidering, she used, though the windows were closed up and her eyes veiled, yet to proceed with her work and finish it most accurately. * * * She was cannonized by Clement IX in 1669. (Breviary — Nuns and Nunneries, 37-38.)
"The first flower of sanctity from America was the Virgin Rose, born of Christian parents at Lima, who even from the cradle shone with the presages of future holiness; for the face of the infant being wonderfully transfigured into the image of a rose, gave occasion to her being called
