Dit es van der andere partyen van menschen
The Call to Follow Christ
We are called to live in the struggle of faith, reflecting on Christ's surrender and the unity of the Trinity in our redemption.
This concerns the other groups of people. And here, therefore, we live in a state of struggle without choosing, so we will always be longing and not losing. And this is marked in this way. Christ gave himself to the will of his Father, and in that surrender, love was so strong and fervent in his spirit, and the anguish was so great in his nature, that from his living being flowed sweet blood onto the earth. In his willing surrender, he purchased us with his love to serve him and his Father, and with. He has paid for our sins and redeemed us with His death. For this reason, we must urgently seek our salvation, whether in heaven or in hell. The heavenly Father has not let us escape from anything: with true grace, we are His. The Son of God has redeemed us with His grace; through that same grace, we must die to sin, serve Him, and live. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have chosen us for eternal life and bound us together with love; in all righteousness, we should love one another. This. Two. These persons are one God, one substance, and one nature. And here is their common service: whoever serves one serves the other, and whoever neglects one neglects the other.
The Path of Self-Denial
To follow Christ, we must deny our own will and embrace His, allowing His grace to transform our service.
Now Christ speaks in the Gospel as described by Saint Matthew: 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.'✦ It's right that we give to God what we owe Him. For Christ surrendered His will to the will of His Father, and by that He redeemed us, and with His death He paid the price for us. If we want to follow Him, we must also be willing to deny ourselves and live according to His will. And so, our will becomes His dwelling place within us. We must also force our sins, conquer our nature, bear our cross, and follow Christ; and in doing so, we owe Him the debt that He has paid for us. And through His death and our willing penance, we are made His heirs, and we belong to His faithful servants and are destined for His kingdom. But if we die to our own will and let His will become our own, then we are His disciples and His chosen friends. Furthermore, when we abandon ourselves to love, and our thoughts bleed and remain unformed, it's as if we've escaped from God; there we are made children of God, and there we are the sons of God. Understand the truth and the sentiment, and live accordingly. If Christ, the Son of God, was willing to die for our sake, then He gave His life into the hands of His enemies to face death. And so He was. 1. He is the servant of His Father and of all the world. He gave you the will to do the will of his Father. In doing so, he fulfilled the highest righteousness and teaches us all truth. And he raised his spirit in a humble way, and then he said: 'It is all fulfilled'; 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.' In the same way, the prophet David responds to all good people who follow Christ, saying: 'Lord, God of truth, you have redeemed me.' We can't redeem ourselves. But just as we follow Christ as I have previously shown, with all that we are able to do, our works will be united and refined through His grace. And just as He has redeemed us—not through our works, but through His own—He has made us free and redeemed us through His merits.
The Freedom of Divine Union
By sinking into the abyss of God's grace, our spirit is transformed and united with His, granting us a freedom that transcends earthly suffering.
But if we are to feel and possess this freedom, then our spirit must be transformed in love and sink into the abyss of His grace and goodness. There, our spirit is deepened, made free, and united with His Spirit. Look, where our own will dies in the will of God, so that we cannot will anything else but what God wills. For the will of God becomes our will. And this is the root of true charity. Where we are born anew from the Spirit of God, our will is free, because it is one with the free will of God. And where our spirit is transformed in love and taken up into one spirit, one will, one freedom with Him. In this divine freedom, the human spirit is raised in love above its own nature, that is: above pain and toil, above unwillingness, above anxiety and sorrow and fear of death and hell, and also above all the burdens that can fall upon body and soul, in time and in eternity. For comfort and distress, giving and taking, dying and living, and all that can befall in joy and in sorrow: all of this remains under the lesser freedom where the human spirit is united with the Spirit of God. For comfort and distress, giving and taking, dying and living, and all that can befall in joy and in sorrow: all of this remains under the lesser freedom where the human spirit is united with the Spirit of God.
The Beatitudes of the Faithful
The author outlines the various ways of blessedness, characterizing the faithful as those who are poor in spirit, humble, and peacemakers.
Look, these people are poor in spirit; they don't possess anything of their own and have held onto nothing. For this reason, they are blessed, because the love of God is their life. If they are even more blessed, it’s because they are humble and meek. And here’s why: no matter how deeply nature weighs them down and burdens them, they always have peace in their hearts and souls. If they are truly blessed for the third time, it’s because they weep and lament over their daily failings, and all people sin, and God is so unknown and so unheeded in His high majesty. And here is the fourth blessing, which is: hunger and thirst, and the longing for what is lost, that God remembers and cares for all creatures in heaven and on earth. And now comes the fifth blessing, which is: 1. that the humble and devout may ask God for His grace and mercy to flow in heaven and on earth, so that they may all be filled with His gifts, and may give thanks and praise. And here comes the sixth way of blessedness, which is for those who receive the grace and gifts of God with pure and unimagined hearts, and thereby stand upright in grateful love: they are the ones who behold God. This is the seventh path to blessedness: to see God. i. A small turning back to God and to divine peace, following the heart and mind, body and soul, with all their powers, and with all those who are blessed, or who may become blessed: this is all about the attachment and following of the small turning back to God and to that divine peace. Those who walk this way are blessed and are peacemakers, for they have peace with God, with themselves, and with all creatures; for this reason, they are called the sons of God. And the prophet spoke of them thus: 'You are God and the sons of the Most High.'
Descending with Christ in Suffering
True blessedness requires not only ascending with Christ in spirit but also descending with Him into poverty, struggle, and persecution.
But he says this: 'You will die like men, and you will fall like princes.' i. And here it is understood the last way that completes our blessedness. For in the same way that we ascend in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ into that divine peace where we are sons of God, so we must also descend with him in poverty, in misery, in temptations; in struggle against our flesh, against the devil, and against the world; and in struggle we must live and die as poor men, just as Christ, the living Son of God, did. i. He has come down, yes, fallen under the feet of all sinners, in poverty, in misery; in hunger, in thirst; in temptations, in reproaches; in struggle, in need; in confusions and scandals, and in all the hardships that he might suffer from outside and from within. He is the prince above all creatures. He has come down, yes, fallen under the feet of all sinners, in poverty, in misery; in hunger, in thirst; in temptations, in reproaches; in struggle, in need; in confusions and scandals, and in all the hardships that he might suffer from outside and from within. In this, he remained humble and patient like a lamb. To keep us safe in his kingdom, he died like a poor, miserable person. However, if we want to be blessed and stay with Him, we must keep ourselves in His grace. That is, we must suffer in our flesh and nature, resisting temptations, bad desires, and evil thoughts that arise within us against the honor of God, so that we may always ascend to our Lord Jesus Christ to our heavenly Father as free sons, and also come down with Him in trials, temptations, and all hardships as His faithful servants. Even if we lived and acted in a way that let us return to Christ whenever we wished, we would still have to endure persecution; for as long as we live in this world, we are unstable and filled with many thoughts and distractions. And here Christ says: 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The kingdom of heaven means Christ living in us with His grace. And that kingdom of God works with power. And in the power of Christ, who lives in us and fights with us, we can attain that kingdom and grasp it. And when people curse us, revile us, and persecute us, and speak all kinds of evil against us falsely, because we serve God, on that day we will rejoice, says Christ, for our reward is great in heaven. And no one will be crowned unless they have fought lawfully. And here it is better to be with Christ in tribulations and in trials than to be without Him in pleasures and in abundance; for He speaks through the prophet: 'The person who is in trials, for he has hoped in Me, I will deliver him and I will protect him, for he has known My name, he has called upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trials, I will deliver him and glorify him.' And in another place, the same prophet David says: 'Lord, You have prepared a table before us against all those who bring us tribulation and trials.'
Read the original Latin
dit es van der andere partyen van menschen.
Ende hier-omme, leven wi in dooeghene sonder verkiesen, soe selen wi altoes wennen ende niet verliesen. Ende dit merct aldus.
Doe hem cristus overgaf in den wille sijns vader, in den overghevene was de minne soe starc ende soe heet in sinen gheeste, ende de anxt soe grooet in der natueren, dat uut sinen live vloeyde bloedegh sweet tote in de eerde. In sinen willeghen overghevene heeft hi ons ghecocht met sijnre minnen hem te dienenne ende sinen vader, ende met
sijnre passiën ende met sijnre dooet heeft hi vore ons onse scoud betaelt ende vergouden.
Ende hier-omme moeeten wi van nooede sine sijn, salegh in den hemel ochte verduemt in der hellen.
De hemelsche vader heeft ons van niete ghescapen: met rechte selen wi sine sijn. De sone gods heeft ons verlooest met sijnre dooet: met rechte selen wi den sonden sterven, ende heme dienen ende leven. De vader ende de sone met den heileghen gheeste hebben ons eewelec ghemindt ende met minnen beseten: met allen rechte souden wi weder-minnen. Die . iij. persone sijn één god, ééne substantie ende ééne natuere. Ende hier-omme es hare dienst ghemeine: die den eenen diendt, hi diendt den anderen; ende die den eenen versmaedt, hi versmaedt oec den anderen.
Nu sprect cristus in de ewangelie die sente matheus bescrijft aldus: ‘Salegh sijn de-ghene dien honghert ende dorst gherechtegheit’. Dat es recht, dat wi gode gheven dat wi heme sculdegh sijn. Doe cristus sinen wille overgaf in den wille syns vader, daer-mede cochte hi ons, ende met synre dooet betaelde hi vore ons. Eest dat wi heme alsoe volghen willen, soe moeten wi ons eighens willen vertyen, ende leven sinen wille. Ende alsoe wert sijn kooep in ons ghestadecht.
Wi moeten oec onse senne dwinghen, ende onse natuere verwinnen, ende onse cruce draghen, ende volghen cristum na; ende alsoe ghelden wi heme de scoud die hi vore ons betaelt heeft. Ende overmids sine dooed ende onse willeghe penitentie werden wi heme gheëenecht, ende sine ghetrouwe knechte, ende behooeren te sinen rike.
Maer daer wi ons eighens-willen sterven in sinen wille, ende sijn wille onse wille wert, daer sijn wi sine discipelen ende sine uutvercoorne vriende.
Vooertmeer, daer wi verhaven sijn overmids minne, ende onse ghedachte blooet ende onghebeeldt steet alsoe si ghescapen es van gode, daer werden wi ghewracht van den gheeste gods, ende daer sijn wi de sonen gods.
Merct de waerde ende de sententie, ende leeft daer na. Doe cristus de gods sone van minnen omme onsen wille sterven woude, doe gaf hi sijn leven in de hande sijnre viande tote in de dooet. Ende alsoe was hi . i. ghehooersam knecht sijns vader ende alle der werelt.
Hi gaf oec eighenen wille in den wille sijns vader. Ende alsoe wrachte hi de hooeghste gherechtegheit, ende leert ons alle waerheit.
Ende verhief sinen gheest in een eewegh salegh ghebruken, ende doe sprac hi: ‘Het es al voldaen’; ‘vader in dinen handen bevelic minen gheest’.
Ende in dat selve veers antwaerdt die prophete david in ieghewelcs goeds menschen persoon die cristum alsoe na-volght, ende sprect: ‘Heere, god der waerheit, du heves mi verlooest’. Want wi en moghen ons selven niet verlooessen. Maer alse wi cristum na-volghen alsoe alse ic vore bewijst hebbe, met al dien dat wi vermoghen: soe werden onse werke met sinen verken gheëenecht ende veredelt overmids sine gratie. Ende alsoe heeft hi ons verlooest, niet in onse werke, maer in sine werke; ende in sijnre verdienten heeft hi ons vri ghemaect ende verlooest.
Maer selen wi dese vriheit ghevoelen ende besitten, soe moet sijn gheest onsen gheest verberren in minnen, ende verzinken in dat abys sijnre ghenaden ende sijnre vriër goedheit. Aldaer wert onse gheest ghedooept ende vri ghemaect ende gheëenecht met sinen gheest. Siet, daer sterft eighenheit ons willen in den wille gods, alsoe dat wi anders niet ghewillen en connen noch en moghen dan dat god wilt. Want de wille gods es worden onse wille. Ende dit es de wortele rechter caritaten. Daer wi van nuwes gheboren werden ute den gheeste gods, daer es onse wille vri, want hi es één met den vriën wille gods. Ende daer es onse gheest overmids minne verhaven ende op-ghenomen in éénen gheeste, in éénen wille, in ééne vriheit met
gode. Ende in dese godleke vriheit es des menschen gheest in minnen verhaven boven sine eighene natuere, dat es: boven pine ende arbeit ende onwille, boven anxt ende sorghe ende vreese der dooet ende der hellen ende oec des vagheviers, ende boven alle de swaerheit die ghevallen mach in lijf ende in ziele, in tijd ende in eewegheit. Want trooest ende ontrooest, gheven ende nemen, sterven ende leven, ende al dat ghevallen mach in lieve ende in leede: dat blijft al onder de minleke vriheit daer des menschen gheest gheëenecht es den gheeste gods.
Siet dese menschen sijn aerm van geeste, die niet eighens en hebben behouden, ende hier-omme sijn si salegh, want de minne gods es hare leven.
Si sijn noch meer salegh, want si sijn saeghte ende ooedmoedegh. Ende hier-omme, hoe seere dat de natuere bedruct ende beswaert es, si hebben altooes vrede van herten ende van gheeste.
Si sijn ten derden male salegh, want si claghen ende beweenen hare daghelecsche valle in ghebreken, ende alre menschen sonden, ende dat god soe onbekint es ende soe onghemindt ende ongheëert na sine hooeghe weerdegheit.
Ende hier-ute wast de vierde salecheit, dat es: hongher ende dorst, ende eewegh vieregh lost, dat god ghemindt si ende ghelooft van allen creatueren in hemel ende in eerde.
Ende hier-ute comt de vijfte salegheit, dat es: . i. hertelec ooedmoedegh melde begheeren dat god sine gratie ende sine ghenade late vloeyen in hemel ende in eerde, op-dat si alle vervult werden met sinen gaven, ende heme eewelec danken ende loven.
Ende hier-ute comt de seste wise die salegh es, dat sijn de-ghene die met reinre onverbeeldere herten de gratie ende de gaven gods ontfaen, ende daer-mede opgherecht staen in dancbaren love: die sijnt die gode scouwen.
Ute desen scouwene soe wast de sevende wise der salecheit, dat es, . i. minlec inkeer in gode ende in godleken vrede, navolghende herte ende sen, lijf ende ziele, met alle den crachten, ende met alle den-ghenen die salegh sijn ochte salegh moghen werden: dat es al ane-hanghende ende navolghende den minleken inkeere in gode ende in dat ghesichte godleecs vreden. Die dese wise in hen bevenden die sijn salegh, ende dat sijn peysmakeren; want si hebben peys met gode, ende met hen-selven, ende met allen creatueren; ende hier-omme heeten si de sonen gods. Ende van hen sprect de prophete aldus: ‘Ghi sijd gode ende sone des alre-oversten’.
Mer hi sprect vooert te-hans aldus: ‘Ghi selt sterven alse menschen, ende ghi selt neder-vallen alse . i. van den princen’. Ende hier-mede versteet men de leste wise die onse salecheit volmaect. Want gheliker-wijs dat wi in de cracht ons heeren jhesu cristi opgaen in dat ghesichte godlecs vreden daer wi sonen gods sijn, alsoe moeten wi oec met heme nedergaen in armuede, in elenden, in becoringhen; in stride jeghen onse vleesch jeghen den duvel ende jeghen de werelt; ende in stride moeten wi leven ende sterven alse arme menschen, gheliker-wijs dat cristus de levende gods sone dede, die . i. prince es boven alle creatueren. Hi es neder-comen, ja neder-ghevallen onder de voete alre sondaren, in armuede, in elenden; in honghere, in dorste; in becoringhen, in versmaedtheiden; in stride, in nooede; in confusiën in scanden, ende in alle de swaerheit die hi van buten ende van binnen liden mochte.
Ende hier-in bleef hi ghehooersam ende saechtmuedegh alse een lam. Ende omme ons te behoudene in sijn rike, soe es hi ghestorven alse een arm elendegh mensche.
Nochtan, willen wi salegh werden ende eewelec met heme bliven, soe moeten wi ons selven behouden in sijnre ghenaden,
dat es, dat wi onse vleesch ende onse natuere pinen ende crucen met wederstane sonden, becoringhen, quaden wille ende quade ghelost, die in ons opstaen mochten jeghen de eere gods, alsoe dat wi altoes moghen opgaen met onsen heere jhesu cristo te sinen hemelschen vader alse vrië sonen, ende oec met heme nedercomen in dooeghene in becoringhen ende in alle swaerheit alse sine ghetrouwe knechte. Ende al waren wi alsoe gheleeft ende gheufent in dooghden dat wi met cristo inkeeren mochten altoes alse wi wouden, nochtan souden wi persecutie dooeghen; want wi sijn onghestadegh ende menechvuldegh van ghepeinsen ende van invallenden beelden alsoe langhe alse wi hier leven in der tijd.
Ende hier-omme sprect cristus: ‘Salegh sijn die persecutie dooeghen omme gherechtegheit, want dat rike der hemele es hen’. Dat rike der hemele, dat es: cristus levende in ons met sijnre gratiën. Ende dat rike gods dooeght cracht. Ende in der cracht cristi, die in ons leeft ende met ons strijdt, soe wennen wi dat rike ende ghegripent. Ende alse ons de menschen vloeken ende vermaledyen ende persequéren, ende al quaed van ons spreken te onrechte ende met loghenen omme-dat wi gode dienen, in dien daghe selen wi ons verbliden, sprect cristus, want onse looen es vol ende overvloedegh in den hemelen. Ende nieman en sal ghecrooent werden dan die wettelec ghestreden heeft.
Ende hier omme eest beter met cristo in tribulatiën ende in dooeghene te sine, dan sonder hem te sine in blisscapen ende in weelden; want hi sprect dore den prophete: ‘Die mensche die in dooeghene es, want hi ghehoopt heeft in mi, ic salne verlooessen ende ic salne beschermen, want hi heeft minen name bekint, hi heeft mi ane gheroepen, ende ic salne ghehooeren; met heme benic in dooeghene, ic salne verledeghen ende glorificéren’. Ende op eene andere stat sprect de-selve prophete david: ‘Heere, du heefs ons eene tafele bereed jeghen alle dieghene die ons tribulatie ende dooeghen aendoen’.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.5.6 — Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
A Mirror of Eternal Blessedness companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent