Caput LXII. De mira Christi patientia in cruce.
The Loving Heart on the Cross
Christ's heart on the cross is shown to be a fountain of peace, tender love, and self-giving charity that ignores its own wounds, suffers with its persecutors, and prays for their forgiveness.
Yet through all of this, think about that sweetest heart — what peace it kept, what tender love it held. It pays no attention to its own injury, thinks nothing of its punishment, feels no insult. But rather, he suffers with those from whom he endures wrong; he is healed by those by whom he is wounded; he seeks life for those by whom he is slain. With what sweetness of mind, what devotion of spirit, what fullness of love he cries out, Father, forgive them (Luke✦ 23:34) !
Read the original Latin
Verum in his omnibus considera illud dulcissimum pectus, quam tranquillitatem servaverit, quam habuerit pietatem. Non suam attendit injuriam, non poenam reputat, non sentit contumelias. Sed illis potius a quibus patitur, ille compatitur; a quibus vulneratur, ille medetur; vitam procurat, a quibus occiditur. Cum qua mentis dulcedine, cum qua spiritus devotione, in qua charitatis plenitudine, clamat, Pater, ignosce illis (Luc. XXIII, 34) !
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
De institutione inclusarum (A Rule of Life for a Recluse) companion
A rule only lives if you keep it daily
Chosen Portion gives your new rule its anchor: one free devotional portion every day.
Aelred built his sister's day around fixed times of prayer and meditation; Chosen Portion supplies the fixed daily portion that makes a modern rule of life keepable.
- Anchor your rule with a fixed 10-minute daily portion
- Practice Aelred's threefold meditation with guided daily prompts
- Review and adjust your one-page rule after 30 days of tracked practice