A Sweat of Blood: Jesus Ignites the Lukewarm

St. Bridget of Sweden

Saint Bridget of Sweden was one of the most privileged mystics in the history of the Church. Born to a wealthy family, she was given in marriage to a pious and good-hearted nobleman, with whom she raised eight children, including the future Saint Catherine of Sweden. When her husband died, Bridget founded an order of nuns, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, more commonly called the Bridgettines. She labored until her death to spread her order and boost morality and devotion in the decadent 14th century Church. She also labored to bring the papacy back to Rome from Avignon. In all her efforts, she was wise, charitable, and outstanding in sanctity. Devout from a young age, Saint Bridget also received numerous visions of Our Lord and Our Lady, including intimate details of Our Lady's early life, the Holy Family in Nazareth, and the Passion, first recorded in 1492.

The Agony in the Garden

Jesus speaks:

I had three things in My death. First, Faith, when I bent My knees and prayed, knowing that the Father could deliver Me from My Passion. Second, Hope, when I waited so constantly and said: “Not as I will.” Third, Charity, when I said: “Thy will be done.”

I had, too, anguish of body and the natural fear of My Passion, when the blood issued from My body. Let not My friends then tremble as if abandoned when tribulation comes upon them; I showed them in Myself that weak flesh always shrinks from trouble. But you may ask: How did a bloody sweat issue from My body? As the blood of the sick man is dried and consumed in all his members, so My blood was consumed by the natural fear of death.

Finally, My Father wishing to show the way by which Heaven should be opened and excluded man enter in, out of love delivered Me up to the Passion, that by accomplishing it, My body might be glorified. For in justice, My humanity could not enter glory without passion, although I might have done so by the power of My divinity.

How then do they deserve to enter into My glory who have little faith, vain hope, and no charity? If, indeed, they had the faith of eternal joy and horrible punishment, they would desire naught but Me. Did they believe that I know and see all things, and am powerful over all things, and seek judgment of all, the earth would grow vile to them, and they would be more afraid of sin before Me for fear of Me, than before men.

Had they firm hope, then their whole mind and thought would be to Me. Had they divine charity, they would at least think in mind what I did for them, how great was My labor in preaching, My pain in My Passion, My charity in death, because I preferred death to abandoning them. But their faith is weak, tottering, as it were, to fall; because they believe, when the assault of temptation is absent— they distrust, when anything contrary comes upon them. Their hope is vain; they hope that sin will be forgiven without justice and truth of judgment. They trust to obtain the kingdom of Heaven gratis; they desire to obtain mercy untempered by justice. Their love towards Me is all cold, because they are never inflamed to seek Me unless compelled by tribulation.

How can I be warm with such, who have neither right faith, firm hope, nor fervent love for Me? So when they cry out to Me and say: “Have mercy on me, O God,” they do not deserve to be heard, nor to enter into My glory. As they will not follow their Lord to His Passion, they shall not follow Him to His glory. For no soldier can please his lord, and, after falling, be restored to favor, unless he first humbles him to show his contempt.

This article is taken from a chapter in Revelations of St. Bridget by St. Bridget of Sweden which is available from TAN Books.