For a period of three years Johannes refused to see Margaret though she desired to speak to him. He later came to regret this time spent away from her. While Johannes was away Margaret felt as though she were under the tutelage of the Blessed Virgin and Jesus Christ. Often Johannes wrote that Margaret suffered great pains and torment that she believed were sent by God to purify her soul. She often spoke of visions sent to her from Christ through which she outlined her teachings of the basic tenets of Christianity. Margaret's Vita was a rarity in that she was alive while it was being written. Therefore, she was able to tell Johannes what she desired in her Vita.
