CAPUT LXXIX. Quibus modis ad scientiae altitudinem pertingimus
The Threefold Key
Christ's refusal to climb without three disciples teaches that no one reaches the height of knowledge without the threefold practice of work, meditation, and prayer.
But what are we to make of this—that he refused to climb this mountain without three disciples, and that Christ wanted only three to go with him?1 But perhaps this act teaches us that without a threefold practice no one is brought to the height of this knowledge. Through the practice of work, through the practice of meditation, through the practice of prayer, we are gradually advanced, and at times we are led on to the perfection of knowledge.
How Truth Climbs
Working, investigating, and praying yield knowledge, and truth, attended by these three companions, rises by daily growth to touch the mountain's summit.
For we experience many things by working, we discover many things by investigating, and we wring many things out by praying.2 Indeed, countless things that we can discover neither through the experience of work nor through reason's investigation, we deserve to be thoroughly taught through persistent prayer and the revelation of divine inspiration.3 With these three companions joined to her, truth advances in us, rises to the heights, and through daily growth lifts herself so far that at last she touches the summit of the mountain we have been speaking of.
Presumption Without Christ
Those who are diligent in reading but lazy in work and lukewarm in prayer presume in vain, for Christ only climbs with the three disciples and leads those who join practice and prayer to reading.
Oh, how many we see today who are diligent in reading, lazy in work, lukewarm in prayer—and yet presume they can reach the peaks of this mountain. But when, I ask, will they reach them, if they don't have Christ as their guide? For Christ doesn't lead them, either—he will not climb except with the three disciples.4 So let anyone who wants Christ as guide for the journey and leader of the climb join the practice of work and prayer to the study of reading. Without a doubt, without tremendous practice, without frequent study, without burning desire, the mind is not raised to the perfect height of knowledge—if it does not follow Christ's footsteps fully, if it does not enter the way of truth rightly.
Read the original Latin
Sed quid hoc esse dicimus, quod sine tribus discipulis in hunc montem ascendere noluit, nec plus quam tres secum Christus duceri quaesivit? Sed forte in hoc opere docemur, quod sine triplici studio ad hujus cognitionis celsitudinem non perducitur. Per studium operis, per studium meditationis, per studium orationis paulatim promovemur, et quandoque producimur ad perfectionem cognitionis. Multa enim experimur operando, multa invenimus investigando, multa extorquemus orando. Innumera siquidem, quae nec per experientiam operis, nec per investigationem rationis invenire valemus, per importunitatem orationis, edocere meremur, ex revelatione divinae inspirationis. His tribus comitibus sibi adjunctis, veritas in nobis proficit, et in alta se attollit, et eousque se per quotidiana incrementa exaltat, donec praedicti montis verticem tangat. O quam multos hodie videmus, studiosos in lectione, desidiosos in opere, tepidos in oratione, praesumentes tamen montis hujus cacumina posse apprehendere. Sed quando, quaeso, apprehendent, qui Christum ducem non habent?
Neque enim ducit eos Christus, qui ascendere non vult, nisi cum discipulis tribus. Jungat ergo studio lectionis studium operis et orationis, qui Christum quaerit habere ducem itineris, ductorem ascensionis. Absque dubio sine ingenti exercitio, sine frequenti studio, sine ardenti desiderio, ad perfectam scientiae altitudinem, mens non sublevatur, qui Christi vestigia perfecte non sequitur, qui viam veritatis haud recte ingreditur.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source has duceri (passive). Sense taken as Christ seeking no more than three companions led with him; some witnesses may intend active ducere, 'to lead'.
- 2 ↩extorquemus is intentionally strong: prayer wrings or forces gifts from God by holy persistence, not mere polite request.
- 3 ↩edocere meremur is active in form; sense taken as receiving thorough instruction (we merit to be thoroughly taught), which fits the following ex revelatione clause.
- 4 ↩qui modifies Christus: Christ will not make the ascent except in company with the three disciples (the threefold discipline of the previous section).
Benjamin Minor (The Twelve Patriarchs / Preparation of the Mind for Contemplation) 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