Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 143 -
THE THREE SUN-MAIDENS PITY THE NUNS, WHO ARE IN A SWOON. THEIR REVIVAL THROUGH THE LORD. JOHN AND MARTIN DISCUSS THE LORD WITH THE SUN-MAIDENS.
1
(After these words, they fall silent and the three sun-maidens say to Martin, Peter, and John): "Now look what has happened! Why did you want us to reveal our faces if you knew what would happen? Now these poor things are lying before us like dead! Who is going to revive them? If you can, please do it, for we are very sorry for them. Oh, if only we had not revealed ourselves to them."
2
(Says John): "Never mind that! What your supreme beauty - in this instance, even enhanced by God, the Lord - has done to these sisters will be good and wholesome for them. It has rid them of a last material burden which weighed heavily on them, one which would have troubled them for a long time yet and would have rendered them incapable of enjoying the supreme bliss of God's heavens. Now they have been relieved of that burden forever with one stroke, and they will rise to better and purer lives, capable of looking at you without resentment and shame, unharmed, like we do. And, being daughters of the most high and holy Father, they will be of great use to you.
3
At present, they are as good as dead, for their false love was taken from them which until now had given them more life than their love of God, the eternal Lord of Glory and all life. But, look, there from the rear of this crowd, a man is advancing, a father between two daughters. He will in due course revive these nuns who now appear dead, and the Glory of God will reveal itself to your eyes."
4
(Say the three): "Glorious friend, you have told us so many comforting things, so do tell us also who that man is who is now approaching us with his two daughters. Is he one of your brothers from the same sacred planet?"
5
(Says John): "As you see Him now, He is a brother to all of us. In His visible shape, He is like us from earth, namely, that small world which your philosophers call the 'sacred planet.' However, notwithstanding that, He is the Master and Lord of all of us, for he who is a master, is also a lord, and since this man is our Master in everything, He is also Lord over all things in God's Order."
6
(Say the three): "If so, He must be considerably more than you. Maybe similar to our chief sage, whom not only all the people of this vast world have to obey, but all the mountains, waters, beasts, and plants."
7
(John): "Yes, yes, similar to that, but even more than that - as you will soon find out!"
8
(Say the three): "Do we have to cover ourselves for Him, too?"
9
(John): "That is not necessary, for He has known you and your entire world before it came into existence, and before we and your sages existed!"
10
(At this, the three sun-maidens are quite astonished, and say): "What are you saying? We have never heard anything like that before, not even from our greatest and wisest sages! They have told us that our world of light is like a mother to all the other worlds, and is the oldest of all. If our vast and almost endless world is the oldest - and this we do not doubt, for we have often witnessed ourselves how it has given birth to smaller worlds - how can a sage from another smaller globe, one which originated from our world in the first place, be older than our sages, and even our whole endless world?
11
Oh, glorious friend, there you must have made a mistake, unless that Master is a primordial, angelic spirit, in which case you might be right. However, this is unlikely since he is not enveloped in an aureole of light like the other angelic spirits, whose brilliance is such that it makes us appear almost dark. Therefore, you must not hold it against us if we think you may have made a mistake."
12
(Says John): "My highly esteemed daughters, your sages are good mathematicians, but we are even better ones. There is a great difference between us and you. We are true children of the Most High, whilst you are only His creatures, and can become children of His children only through us. This, too, you have learned from your sages. If so, tell me who would be older: the children or the children's children, which you are?"
13
(Here, the three are rather startled, and only after a while do they say): "The wisdom of your question is too profound, and we cannot reply. Maybe our sages can, but we are unable to say, not knowing the depth of their wisdom. Let us drop this subject for the time being, as the One Whom you call Master and Lord is already quite close. We want to give Him a worthy reception. Do tell us how He prefers to be received so that we may be prepared in every respect."
14
(Says John): "Concerning this, better ask your second father, Martin, who taught you how to love. He will tell you exactly what to do."
15
Now the three turn to Martin, who says:
16
(Martin): "My beloved daughters, with this Master and Lord, nothing counts but pure love. Therefore, meet Him with the greatest possible love, and you will win Him. And when you have won Him, you have won everything, for all things are possible to Him. I am even convinced that He could make of you real children of God."
17
(Say the three): "Would we be allowed to love Him the way we love you? Could we embrace Him to our hearts' delight, giving in to this newly-awakened emotion?"
18
(Martin): "By all means; for love can never offend Him, even if He said to you: 'Do not touch Me!' Do not let that deter you, but kindle your love for Him all the more. Hold on to Him firmly in your hearts and He will come to you and give you abundantly all that your hearts desire. As soon as He has taken you into His heart, you will experience a bliss which no sage of your world could ever imagine."
19
(Say the three): "No doubt those two glorious ones are enjoying such bliss. What a mighty Spirit from heaven He must be that you, as true children of the Most High, accept Him as your Lord and Master! He must surely be the First Son of the Most High - His favorite, His all!"
20
(Says Martin): "You are very close to the truth, but you had better be silent now for He will be here in a moment. Look, even the dead are beginning to stir as He approaches! Isn't He most lovable, dearest daughters?"
21
(Say the three, enrapt): "O heavens! How lovely He is! There could be nothing in all infinity to compare with that indescribable gentleness which radiates from His entire being! The closer He comes, the more lovable He appears! Oh, forgive us if we say that even you, who are the children of the Most High, compare with Him like empty shadows, and our hearts realize all the clearer that it would be impossible to love any being more than Him.
22
O friend, you, our new spiritual father, we cannot restrain our hearts any more! Our yearning for Him has become too strong for us. Look - He is stopping about ten feet from us and - now, He is beckoning with His finger! Tell us, whom is He beckoning? Look - the mountains of this world bow as He beckons, and there, deep down in the valley, the big water begins to heave. Oh, tell us, for whom is this holy beckoning meant?"
23
(Says Martin, deeply moved): "It is meant for you, my beloved little daughters . . . and, besides, most likely it is for your entire world. Therefore, hurry to Him and do as I have taught you."
24
(Say the three): "Do take us there, for we lack the courage and strength to do so on our own. Our overwhelming love is almost paralyzing our limbs."
25
Martin, John, and Peter now support the three and lead them gently toward Me.