The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - documenta ...

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich6162hand, which was already cold, and as he inwardly wished for some mark of farewell from her, sheslightly pressed his. Her face was calm and serene, bearing an expression of heavenly gravity, andwhich can only be compared to that of a valiant wrestler who after making unheard-of efforts togain the victory, sinks back and dies in the very act of seizing the prize. The priest again readthrough the prayers for persons in their last agony, and she then felt an inward inspiration to prayfor a pious young friend whose feast day it was. Eight o’clock struck; she breathed more freely forthe space of a few minutes, and then cried three times with a deep groan: ‘O Lord, assist me Lord,Lord, come!’ The priest rang his bell, and said, ‘She is dying.’ Several relations and friends whowere in the next room came in and knelt down to pray. She was then holding in her hand a lightedtaper, which the priest was supporting. She breathed forth several slight sighs, and then her puresoul escaped her chaste lips, and hastened, clothed in the nuptial garment, to appear in heavenlyhope before the Divine Bridegroom, and be united for ever to that blessed company of virgins whofollow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Her lifeless body sank gently back on the pillows athalf-past eight o’clock, P.M., on the 9th February 1824.A person who had taken great interest in her during life wrote as follows: ‘After her death, I drewnear to her bed. She was supported by pillows, and lying on her left side. Some crutches, whichhad been prepared for her by her friends on one occasion when she had been able to take a fewturns in the room, were hanging over her head, crossed, in a corner. Near them hung a little oilpainting representing the death of the Blessed Virgin, which had been given her by the Princess ofSalm. The expression of her countenance was perfectly sublime, and bore the traces of the spiritof self-sacrifice, the patience and resignation of her whole life; she looked as though she had diedfor the love of Jesus, in the very act of performing some work of charity for others. Her right handwas resting on the counterpane—that hand on which God had bestowed the unparalleled favour ofbeing able at once to recognise by the touch anything that was holy, or that had been consecratedby the Church—a favour which perhaps no one had ever before enjoyed to so great an extent—afavour by which the interests of religion might be inconceivably promoted, provided it was madeuse of with discretion, and which surely had not been bestowed upon a poor ignorant peasant girlmerely for her own personal gratification. For the last time I took in mine the band marked with asign so worthy of our utmost veneration, the hand which was as a spiritual instrument in the instantrecognition of whatever was holy, that it might be honoured even in a grain of sand—the charitableindustrious hand, which had so often fed the hungry and clothed the naked—this hand was nowcold and lifeless. A great favour had been withdrawn from earth, God had taken from us the handof his spouse, who had rendered testimony to, prayed, and suffered for the truth. It appeared asthough it had not been without meaning, that she had resignedly laid down upon her bed the handwhich was the outward expression of a particular privilege granted by Divine grace. Fearful ofhaving the strong impression made upon me by the sight of her countenance diminished by thenecessary but disturbing preparations which were being made around her bed, I thoughtfully lefther room. If, I said to myself—if, like so many holy solitaries, she had died alone in a grave preparedby her own hands, her friends—the birds—would have covered her with flowers and leaves; if,like other religious, she had died among virgins consecrated to God, and that their tender care andrespectful veneration had followed her to the grave, as was the case, for example, with St. Columbaof Rieti, it would have been edifying and pleasing to those who loved her; but doubtless such33