真福艾曼丽:
“Once a great mirror with a magnificent golden frame was held before me in which I could see only such things as were calculated to irritate me. The very sight of the vain thing vexed me, and I hid my face in the pillows so that I might not see it; but still it was there, always before me. At last I seized it and dashed it to the floor, crying ; ' What have I to do with such vanity, with such a mirror? '— but it fell gently without breaking. It disappeared only when, with contempt of its magnificence, the feeling of my own lowliness and misery also increased. Then I wad permitted to visit Mary in the Grotto of the Crib."
「有一次,一面镶有华丽金框的大镜子摆在我面前,在镜子里,我只能看到那些故意激怒我的东西。我一看到这虚荣的东西就心烦意乱,于是我把脸藏在枕头下,这样我就看不到它了。但它仍然在那里,总是在我眼前晃动。最后我抓住它,把它摔在地板上,喊到;『这样的虚荣心,这样的镜子与我有什么关系?』——但是镜子轻轻地掉在地上,没有摔碎。只有当我蔑视虚荣心的华丽时,虚荣的东西才消失了,我对自己的卑微和痛苦的感觉也增加了。然后我获准去洞穴里的圣婴马槽去拜访圣母玛利亚。」
编者按:
过春节了,对于我们基督徒来说是一个考验,因为魔鬼不会轻易地让我们把福音传给亲人和朋友,做光做盐,牠会附在那些无神论者身上,借着他们来刺激我们,凌辱我们的信仰,那些人会说出很多激怒我们的话,会让我们心烦意知,失去平安,发出反击,从而失去见证。其实这些都是虚荣心在作怪,真福艾曼丽修女也遇到同样的情况,她觉得羞于见人,甚至把自已的头埋在枕头下,但是无济于是,可是当她把那面镜子(虚荣心)摔碎时,那些激怒她的事情才消失,然后她才有资格获准去洞穴里的圣婴马槽拜访圣母玛利亚。」