The Dialogue

A brief repetition of the above things, concerning the holy Church and her ministers.

" I HAVE told thee something, dearest daughter, of the reverence which should be paid to My anointed ones, in spite of their defects ; such reverence being paid to them, not on their own account, but because of the authority which I have given them. And, inasmuch as the mystery of the Sacrament cannot be diminished or divided by their sins, the reverence due to the Treasure of the Blood, and not to them personally, should not be diminished thereby. " As for those who do the contrary, I have shown thee,

A TREATISE OF PRAYER 251

to a small extent, how grave and displeasing to Me is their irreverence and persecution of the Blood, and I have shown thee the league which they have made against Me, bound to the service of the Devil, in order that thy grief might increase. This sin of which I have spoken to thee in detail is that of persecution of the holy Church, and of the Christian religion in general, by sinners who despise the Blood, depriving themselves of the light of grace. This sin is serious, and displeases Me, as I have narrated to thee in detail."