diminishing on account of some fault or some temptation permitted by Providence, she ought to continue her spiritual exercises and even multiply them, instead of forsaking or lessening them. "
Catherine, faithful to the inspirations of God, excited a holy hatred against herself — " thou vilest of creatures, " said she to herself, "art thou worthy of receiving any consolations, recall to mind thy sins, it will be a great favor if you avoid eternal wrath by supporting during a life time these pains and this obscurity. Why then be afflicted; should you escape hell, Jesus Christ can console thee during all eternity; it was not for present enjoyment thou resolved to serve him, but in order to possess him in Heaven; arise then, abandon none of thy pious practices, and celebrate in a more animated strain the praises of thy Creator." Thus by her humility she confounded the prince of darkness, and drew strength from the precepts of Wisdom. Her apartment seemed to be infested with these impure spirits, she therefore left it and stayed as long as possible in the Church, because these infernal obsessions tormented her less when there.
This trial continued during several days, when on returning from the Church, being engaged in prayer, a ray of the Holy Spirit beamed upon her soul and recalled to her memory that she had requested, a short time previous, the gift of fortitude, and that God had indicated to her the means for obtaining it. She instantly comprehended the cause of this dreadful temptation and resolved to bear it with holy courage, as long as it pleased her divine Spouse. Then one evil spirit, more malicious thin the others, said to her: " Poor miserable soul, what thou are about to undertake — can you pass thy whole life in this state — we will torment thee to death, unless thou dost
