Flower of Devotion

The Most Holy Virgin Love said to St. Bridget:
“And God reigns in hell by His ordered justice, by inflicting a suitable punishment, by restraining the malice of the devils, by giving to each according to the merits of equity and justice. For as of those who go to condemnation, some sin more, others less, so also are punishments ordained, and the proper degrees of justice are corresponding. For although all the damned are locked up in darkness, yet this does not happen to all in the same way. Darkness is different from darkness, terror from terror, fever from fever. Everywhere the Lord God orders with justice and mercy, even in hell, so that those who have habitually and reliously sinned receive a different punishment, those who have erred out of weakness receive a different punishment, and those who only bear the guilt of original sin are punished differently. Although the torment of the latter also consists in losing the vision of God and the light of the elect, yet they approach mercy and joy by not reaching the horror of punishment because they have not done evil deeds. If God had not prescribed the number and measure of suffering, Satan would never have kept the measure in punishing.”