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 "Because little attention is given to it, and consequently less contrition is excited for it, and it is more easily committed." And then she added: "Nothing is more dangerous than a fault, however small it may be, when he who commits it does not carefully purify his soul by penance."

Catherine afterwards continued what she had commenced: "While my soul contemplated these things, its celestial Spouse, whom it believed it possessed forever, said: "Thou see what glory they lose and torments they suffer who offend me. Return therefore to life and show them how they have strayed and what appalling danger menaces them." And as my soul was horrified at the idea of returning to life, the Lord added: "The salvation of many souls demands it; thou shalt no longer live as you have done, henceforth thou must renounce thy cell and continually pass through the city, in order to save souls. I will always attend thee, I will conduct thee and re-conduct thee, I will confide to thee the honor of my Holy Name, and thou shalt teach my doctrine to the lowly and the great, to laymen, priests and monks, I will impart to thee speech and wisdom which none can resist, I will place thee in the presence of Pontiffs, and the Rulers both of the church and of the people, so as to confound, in my way, and by this means the arrogance of the mighty. "While God thus addressed my soul, I suddenly found myself, without the capacity of explaining how, re-united to my body. Then I was so overcome with keen sorrow, that I shed copious and burning tears during three days and three nights: and when my mind dwells upon it, I cannot refrain from weeping, and father, it is not astonishing; what is much more so, is, that my heart is not crushed anew on recalling that glory which I