Flower of Devotion

One Sunday, when they sang, “Asperges me, Domine,” St. Mechtilde said to the Lord, “My Lord, with what wilt thou wash and cleanse my heart?” At that very hour the Lord bowed down to her with ineffable love, and drew near to her as a mother approaches her child, embraced her, and said, “I will wash you with the love of My Heart.” And He opened the door of His honey-flowing Heart and Divine treasure, where She walked as in a vineyard. And she saw a fountain of living water from east to west. And around the fountain are twelve trees, that is, the twelve virtues which St. Paul enumerates in his epistle, namely, charity, gladness, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, meekness, faith, modesty, temperance, and chastity. (Gal. 5:22.) This water was called the “fountain of love“. The saint ascended and was washed of all stains. There were also plenty of fish in the water; they had golden scales, and signified loving souls who, separated from all earthly joys, had immersed themselves entirely “in the fountain of all good in Jesus.”