My dear friends, Brothers and Sisters, the time is now very close when I

shall be gathered into the presence of my Lord and clasped in His loving

embrace. Be joyful for me, and for yourselves do not sorrow that I am gone

but pray that you yourselves may be called to Him soon after.

Do you not remember how Brother Laclau was taken in the night and brought

roughly before the Lord, how his captors cursed him and beat him in the

street with cudgels, and how great his joy was that he should not have to

wait any longer, but rather might witness immediately to his love of the

true Lord through their instrument of their contempt for him? So he was able

to endure the most terrible insults to the flesh, because all the time he

was in loving conversation with the Lord who stood beside him, and rather

than crying out for respite urged his attackers to destroy more quickly the

hateful body that was keeping him from his Lord’s embrace.

Brothers and Sisters, the prince of this world is full of hatred for us, and

has determined that we are to be killed wherever he is able to find us. Let

us therefore not hide our faith and ourselves, but proudly proclaim that we

welcome death in the name of the Lord. For the prince of the world loves his

sinful life, and does not wish to see it pass away, as all powers and

principalities must soon pass away; but we who have known the Lord love Him

above all else, and will not cling to life when the time comes for us to

leave it, but will rather encourage our enemies in their spite. In this way,

even the wickedness of the powerful is turned to good; and those whom the

wild beasts consume will be comforted even as their bodies are torn.

Did not Sister Mouffe answer the spectators, when she was placed in the iron

chair and scorched by fire so that the smoke rose from her arms and legs,

and declare that although the bodies of the faithful may be consumed by

flames, their souls are preserved incorruptible; but as for those whose

souls are consumed by the fires of hatred, even their bodies will fall into

corruption? I beg you, Brothers and Sisters, not to think what you will say

to your enemies, but to be patient and know that when the time comes the

Lord will be with you, and will give you words to say that will trouble the

unfaithful in their hearts and move them to pity, not towards you but

towards themselves. For their destruction is assured, unless they turn aside

from wickedness, and not even the protection of the greatest of princes will

be able to help them when the day of wrath is come.

Therefore abide in patience and rejoice. It is likely that I will not write

to you again, but some of you will see me on the day of grace when we shall

be presented before the wild beasts and our sinful bodies consumed, so that

we may meet with the Lord in the true and incorruptible flesh of

resurrection; and we shall all be joined in peace hereafter.