“Whilst I write, I am saddened at the thought of the miseries by which we are surrounded. The darkness of our understanding prevents our calmly receiving and clearly recording the heavenly secrets revealed to us by this simple, childlike soul so favored by God. I can reproduce very imperfectly mere shadows, as it were, of those visions which prove the reality, in an ever eternal present, of God's relations with man obscured by sin. And even this has to be effected hastily and even stealthily. I cannot express what I feel! They who have for years stifled and mocked at this grace, they who recognize it and yet persecute her, who know neither how to seek nor how to appreciate it, will weep with me when the mirror that reflects it shall have been obscured by death !

"infant Jesus, my Saviour, give me patience !"

(1) 朝圣者被他的所见所闻深深的打动了。他在日记的开头这样写道:

「当我记录下这些时，一想到我们周围的苦难，我就感到很难过。我们理解力的黑暗使我们无法平静地接受和清楚地记录这个被天主如此宠爱的单纯、像赤子一样纯洁的灵魂向我们揭示的属天奥秘。我只能非常不完美地再现那些神视的影子，这些神视在永恒的临在中证明了天主与人的关系被罪掩盖了的真实性。即使我这些不完美的记录，也被仓促甚至偷偷地掩盖了。我无法表达我的感受！那些多年来一直扼杀和嘲笑这种恩宠的人，那些承认这些神视却又迫害她的人，那些既不知道如何寻求也不懂得欣赏这些启示的人，当反映这些启示的镜子在她死亡时刻遮盖起来时，他们将与我一起哭泣！

「圣婴耶稣，我的救主，赐我忍耐！」

She said : ‘Dorothea is going with me to the Crib, she has come for me. She told me that she had often been blamed for ornamenting the altar so profusely with flowers, but that she had always answered : “Flowers wither. God takes from them the color and fragrance that He once gave , so, too, may sin wither ! May whatever is good be offered to Him, since it is from Him!”

艾曼丽修女说：「多萝西娅要和我一起去马槽，她是来找我的。她告诉我，她经常因为在祭台上装饰了太多的鲜花而受到指责，但她总是回答说：『鲜花会枯萎。天主从鲜花身上取走了天主曾经赐予的颜色和香气，所以，罪也可以同样枯萎！愿一切美好的都献给天主，因为美好的事物都是从祂而来的！』

Dorothea used to be taken to the Crib in spirit, and she offered everything to the Lord in sacrifice. The Pilgrim, too, must take all his sufferings to the Infant Jesus, all his weaknesses, all his faults, and he must take nothing back. He must begin all over, and ask the Child Jesus for a burning love that he may taste the consolations of God. I see also St. Jerome. He lived here a long time, and obtained from God such a fire of love that it almost consumed him.’

多萝西娅曾经在灵里被带到马槽，她将一切都献给了主。朝圣者也必须把他所有的痛苦、所有的软弱、他的所有过错都交给圣婴耶稣，并且他不能收回任何东西。他必须从头开始，向婴孩耶稣祈求一份炽热的爱，好让他尝到天主的安慰。我也看到了圣热罗尼莫。他在这里住了很长时间，从天主那里得到了这样的爱之火，几乎把他燃尽了。

 “O who can tell the beauty, the purity, the innocence of Mary ! She knows everything, and yet she seems to know nothing, so childlike is she. She lowers her eyes and, when she looks up, her glance penetrates like a ray, like a pure beam of light, like truth itself ! It is because she is perfectly innocent, full of God, and without returns upon self. None can resist her glance.

「啊，谁能述说圣母玛利亚的美丽、纯洁和纯真！她知道一切，又好像什么都不知道，她天真无邪，双目垂视，但当她抬头仰望时，她的目光穿透一切，像一道光芒，一道纯净的光束，像真理本身！这是因为她是纯洁无玷的，充满了天主，不求自我回报。没有人能抗拒她的目光。

"I see the Crib and above it, celebrating the feast, are all the blessed who adored the Child Jesus at His birth, all who ever venerated the Holy Place, and all who have gone there even only in devout desire. They celebrate in a wonderful spiritual church the eve of the Redeemer's birth ; they represent the Church and all who desire the sacred spot to be honored, the holy season celebrated Thus acts the Church Triumphant for the Church Militant ; and thus should the Militant act for the Church Suffering.

「我看见圣婴的摇篮，以及在马槽上方正在庆祝圣诞瞻礼的，那些曾经在耶稣诞生时朝拜过圣婴的人，那些曾经瞻仰过耶稣诞生圣地的人，以及所有哪怕只是怀着虔诚的愿望去过圣地的人，他们都是有福的。他们在一个奇妙的属灵圣堂庆祝救世主诞生的前夜；他们代表教会，代表所有渴望圣地受到光荣的人，这样得胜教会为征战教会庆祝这神圣的庆期；征战教会也为受苦教会庆祝圣诞期。

O how indescribably beautiful it is ! What a blessed certainty! I see these spiritual churches all around, far and near, for no power can destroy the altar of the Lord. Where it is no longer visible, it stands invisibly cared for by blessed spirits. Nothing is perishable that is done in the Church for the love of Jesus ! Where men are no longer worthy to celebrate, the blessed do it in their stead and all hearts that turn to the service of God are there present. They find a holy church and a heavenly feast, though their corporal senses perceive it not ; they receive the reward of their piety.

啊，它是多么难以言喻的美丽！多么有福的确据！我看到这些属灵的教堂遍布四周，远近都是，因为没有任何力量可以摧毁主的祭台。而在已消失的教堂的旧址，它却无形地矗立着，这些教堂由蒙福的圣灵魂照管着。为爱耶稣在教会里所做的一切都不会朽坏！在人们不再配得庆祝的地方，圣灵魂代替他们庆祝，所有转向事奉天主的心都在场。他们找到了神圣的教堂和天国的盛宴，尽管他们的肉体感官无法感知，但他们得到了虔诚的回报。

 “I see Mary in heaven on a magnificent throne offering to her Divine Son, sometimes as a new-born babe, sometimes as a youth, and again as the Crucified Saviour, all hearts that have ever loved Him, that have ever united in celebrating His feast……. "

「我看见在天上的圣母玛利亚，在一个宏伟宝座上献上她的圣子，有时是一个新生的小圣婴，有时候是少年耶稣，有时是被钉十字架的救主，所有曾经爱过主的心，联合在一起庆祝主的瞻礼…… 」

Here Sister Emmerich was radiant with joy, her speech, her glance, full of animation, and she expressed herself so intelligently and with so much ease even upon the most hidden and sublime subjects that the Pilgrim was lost in amazement. His words but faintly reproduce those of this inspired soul, who spoke not so much in glowing colors as in fiery flames.

说到这里，艾曼丽修女容光焕发，她的谈吐、目光，都充满了活力，即使是在最隐蔽、最崇高的话题上，她的表达也是充满智慧、轻松自如，使朝圣者惊呆了。朝圣者的记录隐约地再现了这个受启示的灵魂的话语，与其说艾曼丽说话的方式是发光的色彩，不如说是炽热的火焰。

“See," she exclaimed, “how all nature sparkles and exults in innocence and joy ! It is like a dead man rising from the gloom and decay of the grave, which proves that he not only lives, youthful, blooming, and joyous, but that he is also immortal, innocent, and pure, the sinless image of his Maker ! All is life, all is innocence and thankfulness ! Oh, the beautiful hills, around which the trees stretch their branches as if hastening to strew at the feet of their newborn Saviour the perfumes, flowers, and fruits from Him received !

「看，」艾曼丽修女惊呼道，「整个自然界是怎样在纯真和欢乐中闪闪发光和欢欣鼓舞啊！就好像一个死人从阴暗和腐朽的坟墓中复活，这证明他不仅活着，而且还年轻、绽放、快乐，但他也是不朽的、无辜的和纯洁的，是他的“造物主”无罪的形象！一切都是生命，一切都是纯真和感恩！哦，美丽的山冈，树木的枝干都伸展开来，好像在加快速度，把从造物主所领受的芳香、鲜花和果实，都撒在新诞生的救世主的脚前！

The flowers open their cups to present their varied forms, their colors, their perfumes to the Lord who will so soon come to tread among them. The springs murmur their desires, and the fountains dance in joyous expectation, like children awaiting their Christmas gifts. The birds warble notes of joy and gladness, the lambs bleat and skip, all life is filled with peace and happiness. In the veins of all flow quicker, purer streams.

花朵张开它们的花瓣，将它们不同的形状、色彩和芳香献给即将来到它们中间的救主。泉水低吟着它们的渴望，喷泉在欢乐的期待中翩翩起舞，就像孩子们在等待他们的圣诞礼物一样。鸟儿啁啾着欢快和喜悦的歌儿，羊羔咩咩叫着跳跃着，所有的生命都充满了和平与快乐。在所有的血管中都流动着更快、更纯净的生命洪流。

Pious hearts, earnest, longing hearts now throb instinctively at the approach of Redemption, All nature is astir. Sinners are seized with sadness, repentance, hope ; the incorrigible, the hardened, the future executioners of the Lord, are anxious and fearful, they cannot comprehend their own uneasiness as the fulness of time draws near.

虔诚的心，热切的，渴望的心，在救赎临近时，本能地悸动，整个大自然都在激动。罪人被悲伤、悔改和希望占据；那些顽固不化的，刚硬的人，就是未来钉死救主的刽子手，他们是焦虑和恐惧的，随着时间的临近，他们无法理解自己的不安。

The plenitude of salvation is in the pure, humble, merciful heart of Mary, praying over the Saviour of the world incarnate in her womb, and who, in a few hours, like light become flesh, will enter into life, into His own inheritance, will come among His own who will receive Him not. What all nature now proclaims before my eyes when its Creator comes to abide with it, is written in the books upon the Mountain wherein truth will be preserved until the end of time.

丰盛的救恩蕴藏在圣母玛利亚纯洁、谦卑、仁慈的心中，她为胎中道成肉身的救主祈祷，几小时后，救主就会像光一样变成肉身，进入生命，进入祂自已的产业，而祂来到自已的地方，自已的人并不接纳他。当造物主与受造物同居共处时，在我眼前所有大自然现在都在宣布这个奥迹，都将写在“山上”的书中，真理将被保存到时间的尽头。

As in the race of David the Promise was preserved in Mary until the fulness of time; as this race was cared for, protected, purified, until the Blessed Virgin brought forth the Light of the world ; so that holy man purifies and preserves all the treasures of creation and the Promise, as also the essence and signification of all words and creatures until the fulness of time.

正如在达味的后裔中，应许在圣玛利亚身上得以保留，直到满全的时刻一样，因为这个家族被照顾、保护、净化，直到圣母带来了世界之光；因此那位圣洁的人（先知山上那位圣者）也净化和保存所有创造和恩许的宝藏，以及所有语言和受造物的本质和意义，直到满全的时刻。

He purifies all, erases what is false or pernicious, and causes the stream to flow as pure as when it first issued from God, as it now flows in all nature. Why do seekers seek and find it not? Here let them see that good ever engenders good, and evil brings forth evil, if it be not averted by repentance and the Blood of Jesus Christ. As the blessed in heaven, the pious on earth, and the poor souls work together, helping, healing through Jesus Christ, so do I now see the same in all nature.

他净化了一切，清除了虚假或有害的东西，并使这条溪流像最初从天主那里流出时一样纯净，就像它现在在所有自然界中流淌一样。寻道者为何寻而不得？在这里，让他们明白，如果没有悔改、没有耶稣基督的宝血就不能避免这样的命运:善有善报，恶有恶报。正如天上的圣者、地上的虔诚信友和可怜的炼狱灵魂一起工作，透过耶稣基督来帮助和治愈一样，我现在也在自然界中看到了同样的现象。

It is inexpressible ! Every simple-hearted man who follows Jesus Christ receives that gift, but it is through the marvellous grace of this season. The devil is chained in these days, he crawls he struggles ; therefore I hate all crawling things. The hideous demon is humbled, he can do nothing now. It is the unending grace of this holy season."

这是难以形容的！每个跟随耶稣基督的心地单纯的人都会收到这份礼物，这是通过这个圣诞庆期的奇妙恩典所赐予的。魔鬼在这些日子里被锁链捆绑，牠爬行，牠挣扎；因此我讨厌所有爬行的东西。狰狞的恶魔被贬抑，牠现在无能为力。这是这个神圣的圣诞庆期的无尽恩宠。」