Flower of Devotion

The Lord once said to St. Mechtilde:
“The face of your soul is the image of the Most Holy Trinity. Let the soul continually look at this image in my face, as in a mirror, lest there be a spot in it worthy of reproach.”
From these words she knew that when a man burdens his memory with earthly and useless thoughts, he stains this image in himself. Also, when he turns his reason or reason to earthly wisdom or curiosity, he soils the face of his soul. If, on the other hand, he departs from the will of God, and if he loves anything but God, and rejoices in things that are transitory, he disfigures the image of God in himself. The soul, as long as it is in the body, often brings upon itself the stains of sin through earthly things, and therefore it should often look at its face with caution as if in a mirror, that is, in the Face of God. Then he sees his undisfigured image most clearly; namely, she should do so when she wishes to receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Body. The soul should endeavour to wash itself frequently through confession, and to adorn its countenance with colour by frequent meditation on the Lord’s Passion.