"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11
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Content Book 5 "The Book of Questions"
First question. "O Judge, I ask you: You gave me a mouth.
May I not say what I please?"
Third question. "Why did you give me the limbs of my body,
if I may not move and exercise them at will?"
Fourth question. "Why did you give men and women
the seed of intercourse and a sexual nature,
if the seed is not to be spilled according
to the carnal appetite?"
The first revelation in the Book of Questions
made to Lady Birgitta by the Virgin Mary,
in which the Virgin Mary informs her of five virtues
that she ought to have within herself
and of five others without.
First question. Again the monk appeared on his ladder
as before saying: "O Judge, why should I seek
the wisdom of God when I have the wisdom of the world?"
Second question. "Why did you create wild beasts
that are also harmful to humankind?"
The second revelation in the Book of Questions,
in which the Virgin Mary speaks to blessed Birgitta
and tells her that a person who wishes to taste
divine sweetness must first endure bitterness.
First question. Again he appeared on his ladder
as before, saying: "O Judge, I ask you:
Why does one infant emerge alive from the mother's womb
and obtain baptism, while another, having received a soul,
dies in the mother's belly?"
Fourth question. "Why should I not put myself
ahead of others, seeing that I am
more honorable than others?"
Fourth question. "Since the punishments of hell
are horrible beyond compare, why do you not let people
see them in this life so that they may flee from them?"
The third revelation in which Christ speaks to his bride,
blessed Birgitta, and teaches her through a parable
about a true doctor who is a healer and a false doctor
who is a killer, and about a man who only has an opinion.
He tells her that a man who takes in sinners
and gives them help or an opportunity for sinning,
should they die in their sin, then God will exact
the death of their souls at his hand. However, if he takes
them in and they cease from sinning and are instructed
by him in the virtues and improved by his teaching,
both they and he will receive a great reward from God.
First question. After this was said,
the monk appeared on his rung as before saying:
"O Judge, I ask you: Why do you seem unfair
in your gifts and graces in that you gave preference
to Mary your Mother before every creature
and exalted her above the angels?"
The fourth revelation in the Book of Questions,
in which Christ beautifully praises every limb
of the Virgin Mary his Mother, giving them a spiritual
and allegorical meaning by comparing them to virtues;
he also declares the Virgin to be most worthy
of a queenly crown.
Sixth question. "Given that you were conceived
and born without sin,
why did you wish to be baptized?"
The fifth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and instructs her not to be anxious about
the care of earthly riches and teaches her to be patient
in times of trouble and to have perfect self-denial and humility.
Fifth question. "As your death was approaching,
why did you not reveal yourself in your divine power,
and why did you not show your severity to your enemies,
when you said: 'All is accomplished'?"
The sixth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and instructs her, saying that in the spiritual life
peace of mind and eternal glory are won
through vigorous struggle and perseverance
and humble acquiescence in the advice of an elder
and by bravely resisting temptations. He offers the example
of Jacob who became a servant in order to win Rachel.
He says that some people experience
the greatest temptations at the beginning of a conversion
to the spiritual life, others in the middle or toward the end.
It is therefore necessary to have a holy fear
and humble perseverance in the virtues
and in the struggle until the very end.
Fourth question. "Why did you flee to Egypt
because of Herod and why did you permit
the innocent boys to be killed?"
The seventh revelation in the Book of Questions,
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and praises frequent confession,
in order that people may not lose
the grace of God that they have.
The eighth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride and says
that the prayer of people who take their pleasure
in carnal and earthly delights, neglecting heavenly desires,
charity, and the memory of his passion and of eternal judgment,
is like the sound of colliding stones, and they will
be thrust away with loathing from God's sight
like an abortion or an unclean menstrual cloth.
Third question. "Why do some people
suffer excessive hardship, while others live
more or less free from hardship?"
The ninth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and shows her how she has already been rescued
and delivered from the house of the world and of vices,
and that she has already been brought to live
in the mansion of the Holy Spirit.
And he warns her to conform herself to that same Spirit
by ever persevering in purity, humility, and devotion.
First question. Again the monk appeared
on his rung as before, saying: "O Judge, I ask you:
Why do animals suffer disease,
though they will not obtain eternal life
nor have the use of reason?"
The tenth revelation in the Book of Questions,
in which Christ speaks to the bride
and warns her not to be disturbed if the divine words
he has given her in revelations sometimes
seem obscure or doubtful or uncertain. This is due
to certain reasons explained here or because
of God's hidden justice. He advises her, however,
always to await the results and promises of his words
with patience and fear and perseverance in humility,
in order not to lose the promised grace because of ingratitude.
He also says that many things have been expressed
in a corporeal fashion that will not be effected
corporally but spiritually.
Second question. "Why are souls not commonly seen
either remaining in the body
or going out of it?"
The eleventh revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and tells her why and when he began to give her
and pour into her the words of the divine revelations
in spiritual vision. And he tells her that these words
of the revelations, which are contained in these books,
have principally these four virtues:
they are spiritually satisfying to anyone thirsting for true love,
they warm the cold, they cheer the troubled,
and they heal sick souls.
Second question. "Since you are the Son of God,
equal to the Father, why is it written
that neither you nor the angels
knows the hour of judgment?"
The twelfth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which Christ speaks to his bride, blessed Birgitta,
and tells her that she should not be troubled
by the fact that he does not immediately do justice
in the case of a man who is a great sinner.
For he defers the sentence of justice in order
that the justice to be done in this case might be manifested to others.
He also says that his divine words in this book
of the Heavenly Revelations must first grow to full ripeness
and bear fruit and, afterward, produce their effect
and force in the world. These words are like oil in a lamp,
that is, in a virtuous soul, in which the soul is steeped
and made to burn and shine with a wonderful splendor
with the coming of the Holy Spirit. He also adds
that the words of the revelations shall first rise up
and bear fruit elsewhere than in the kingdom of Sweden,
which is where they began to be
divinely revealed to the same bride.
The thirteenth revelation in the Book of Questions
in which God the Father speaks to blessed Birgitta
and instructs her deeply concerning the power
of the five sacred places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem,
and about the grace received by pilgrims visiting those places
with devout humility and true love. He says that in these places
there was a vessel that was closed and not closed,
a lion born that was seen and was not seen,
a lamb shorn and not shorn, a snake placed that lay
and did not lay, and where there was also an eagle
that flew and did not fly. He explains all these images.
There follows an explanation and clarification
of the meaning of the imagery.