Flower of Devotion

On the evening before the Solemnity of Pentecost, when Saint Mechtilde humbly wished to prepare herself to receive the Holy Spirit, the Lord said to her: “The Holy Spirit accomplished three things in the apostles: first, by his coming, he inflamed them with the love of God and transformed them completely. So that they were once timid, weak, and self-loving, but now they became courageous and steady. They were not even afraid to die, but they considered it a joy and honor to be able to endure hardships for God’s sake.
Secondly, just as fire cleanses iron and makes it like Himself, so the Holy Spirit cleansed the apostles from all indolence of heart and sanctified them completely in Himself. Thirdly, just as the sun, melted in fire and poured into a mould, takes on the form of a sun, so the Holy Spirit immersed the apostles in his fire, immersed them in God, and established them according to the divine image. So that it seemed as if the words of the Psalm had been fulfilled in them: “I have said, You are gods. (18:6)” If, therefore, anyone desires the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he should ask Him for these three things. That is, that the Holy Spirit, by His love, may strengthen him against evil and inflame him to good; that he may take away from him all fear of men, so that for the love of God he may joyfully and patiently endure every burden; and he should continue to ask that all his sins be forgiven by the Holy Spirit, and that through the fire of God’s love he may immerse himself wholly in God and merit to be happily united to Him.
And the Holy Spirit gave to the apostles a threefold drink, with which He filled them so excessively that the people, when they heard them speak, did not wrongly suspect them of being drunk.
First, he filled them abundantly with the wine of love, so that, like drunken men, they forgot themselves and no longer desired for themselves either honor or the comforts of the flesh, but sought only the glory of God.
Secondly, he filled them so excessively with the wine of divine consolation and divine sweetness that from that time on they enjoyed no earthly joy, or any other consolation at all.
Thirdly, because of their love of heavenly things, as if by a sweet drink, they lost their senses and became inflamed with an ineffable desire for God. And if anyone demanded it of them, they would be ready to run to Him through thousands of deaths.
In this way, the soul of man should desire to be filled with the wine of love by the Holy Spirit, to help it to forget itself, and to desire neither honor nor earthly advantages, but only the honor of God. She should also ask to be filled with such an inner sweetness of the Holy Spirit that she will never again be pleased with earthly joys or pleasures. She should also ask that her love for heavenly and spiritual things may be kindled by it, so that by striving with all her heart for the Lord, she may not even consider all suffering and death to herself.”