Second Letter to Agnes of Prague
Greetings to a Noble Bride of Christ
Clare addresses Agnes with exalted bridal titles and greets her in humble poverty.
Daughters of the King of kings, handmaidens of the Lord of lords, most worthy brides of Jesus Christ — and therefore to the noble queen, to the lady Agnes, Clare, handmaid of the poor ladies, useless and unworthy, greetings and may you always live in the highest poverty.
Thanksgiving for Grace and Perfection
Clare thanks God for adorning Agnes with virtue and urges her toward the perfection that wins the heavenly Bridegroom.
I give thanks to the Giver of grace, from whom every excellent gift and every perfect gift is believed to flow, because God has adorned you with so many marks of virtue and made you illustrious with so many signs of perfection.✦ so that, made a diligent imitator of the perfect Father, you may deserve to become perfect, lest his eyes see anything imperfect in you.✦1 This is that perfection by which the King himself will join you to himself in the heavenly bridal chamber, where he sits in glory on his starry throne.
Honoring Her Choice of Poverty
Clare praises Agnes for despising an imperial marriage and embracing holy poverty, humility, and burning love.
because you despised the heights of an earthly kingdom and scarcely deigned the offerings of an imperial marriage I long to imitate the most holy poverty, having been made complete in the spirit of great humility and most burning love; you have clung to the footsteps of the one whose marriage bed you deserved to share.
The One Thing Needed
Clare briefly excuses her brevity and then urgently exhorts Agnes to hold fast to the one necessary thing.
Since I know you're already loaded down with virtues, I want to spare you a long speech and not weigh you down with unnecessary words. Although nothing from those matters may seem superfluous to you, from which some consolation could come to you. But because one thing is necessary, this one thing I entreat and urge you through the love of him to whom you offered yourself as a holy and pleasing sacrifice:✦
Hold Fast and Run Without Stumbling
Clare urges Agnes to persevere in her purpose, walking swiftly and securely, and to reject any counsel that would hinder her vocation.
Mindful of your purpose, like another Rachel always keeping your beginning in view: hold on to what you hold, do what you do, and never let go.✦ but with a quickened step, a light tread, and feet that don't stumble, so that your very footprints stir up no dust, You walk secure, rejoicing, and eager along the path of blessedness, carefully. Trust no one, consent to no one, who would want to call you back from this purpose or would put a stumbling block in your way, lest in that perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you, you would render your vows to the Most High unfulfilled.
Follow the Minister General's Counsel
Clare directs Agnes to prize the counsel of the minister general above all others and to refuse advice contrary to her calling.
In this, however, so that you may walk the secure path of the Lord's commandments, follow the counsel of our venerable father and brother Elias, the minister general; Put it above the advice of others, and hold it dearer to you than any gift. But if someone says one thing to you and suggests another—something that would hinder your perfection and seem contrary to your divine calling—then even though you ought to respect that person, don't follow their advice.
Embrace Poor Christ
Clare calls Agnes to embrace the poor and despised Christ and to follow him in contempt for the world.
But embrace poor Christ, you poor virgin. See how he was made contemptible for your sake, and since you have been made contemptible for his, follow him in this world.
Gaze Upon the Suffering Bridegroom
Clare invites Agnes to contemplate the crucified Bridegroom and promises that sharing his suffering leads to eternal glory.
Look upon your Bridegroom, noble queen: beautiful before the sons of men, yet made for your salvation the most wretched of men — despised, beaten, and scourged in every part of his body in countless ways, dying right there within the very confines of the cross. Consider him, contemplate him, if you long to follow in his footsteps. If you suffer with him, you'll reign with him; if you share his grief, you'll share his joy; dying with him on the cross of suffering, you'll possess heavenly dwellings with him in the splendors of the saints.✦✦✦ and your name will be inscribed in the book of life, destined to be glorious among all people.✦✦ Because of this, in exchange for earthly and transitory things, you will share in the glory of the heavenly kingdom forever and ever, and in exchange for what perishes, in eternal goods, and you will live unto the ages of ages.✦
Farewell and Mutual Prayer
Clare bids farewell to Agnes and asks for mutual prayer between their communities.
Farewell, dearest sister and lady, for the sake of the Lord, your spouse; And make it your concern to commend me, together with my sisters who rejoice in the good things the Lord is working in you through his grace, to the Lord with your devoted prayers. And be sure to commend us very earnestly to your sisters as well.
Read the original Latin
Filiae Regis regum, ancillae Domini dominatium, sponsae dignissimae Iesu Christi et ideo reginae praenobili dominae Agneti,
Clara, pauperum dominarum ancilla inutilis et indigna, salutem et semper in summa vivere paupertate.
Gratias ago gratiae largitori, a quo omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum creditur emanare, quod te tantis virtutum titulis decoravit et tantae perfectionis insigniis illustravit,
ut, perfecti Patris effecta diligens imitatrix, perfecta fieri merearis, ne oculi sui aliquid in te videant imperfectum.
Haec est illa perfectio, qua te sibi Rex ipse in aethereo thalamo sociabit, ubi sedet stellato solio gloriosus,
quod terreni regni fastigia vilipendens et oblationes imperialis coniugii parum dignask
aemuloa sanctissimae paupertatis effecta in spiritu magnae humilitatis et ardentissimae caritatis eius adhaesisti vestigiis, cuius meruisti connubio copulari.
Cum vero noverim te virtutibus oneratam, parcens prolixitati verborum nolo verbis superfluis onerare,
licet tibi nihil superflui videatur ex illis de quibus posset tibi aliqua consolatio provenire.
Sed quia unum est necessarium, hoc unum obtestor et moneo per amoren illius, cui te sanctam et beneplacentem hostiam obtulisti,
ut tui memor propositi velut altera Rachel tuum semper videns principium, quod tenes teneas, quod facis facias nec dimittas,
sed cursu concito, gradu levi, pedibus inoffensis ut etiam gressus tui pulverem non admittant,
secura gaudens et alacris per tramitem caute beatitudinis gradiaris,
nulli credens, nulli consentiens, quod te vellet ab hoc proposito revocare, quod tibi poneret in via scandalum, ne in illa perfectione, qua Spiritus Domini te vocavit, redderes Altissimo vota tua.
In hoc autem, ut mandatorum Domini securis viami perambules, venerabilis patris nostri fratris nostri Heliae, generalis ministri, consilium imitare;
quod praepone consiliis ceterorum et reputa tibi carius omni dono.
Si quis vero aliud tibi dixerit, aliud tibi suggesserit, quod perfectionem tuam impediat, quod vocationi divinae contrarium videatur, etsi debeas venerari, noli tamen eius consilium imitari,
sed pauperem Christum, virgo pauper, amplectere.
Vide contemptibilem pro te factum et sequere, facta pro ipso contemptibilis in hoc mundo.
Sponsum tuum prae filiis hominum speciosum, pro salute tua factum virorum vilissimum, despectum, percussum et toto corpore multipliciter flagellatum, inter ipsas crucis angustias morientem, regina praenobilis, intuere, considera, contemplare, desiderans imitari.
Cui si compateris conregnabis, condolens conguadebis, in cruce tribulationis commoriens cum ipso in sanctorum splendoribus mansiones aethereas possidebis,
et nomen tuum in libro vitae notabitur futurum inter homines gloriosum.
Propter quod in aeternum et in saeculum saeculi regni caelestis gloriam pro terrenis et transitoriis, aeterna bona pro perituris participes et vives in saecula saeculorum.
Vale, carissima soror et domina, propter Dominum tuum sponsum;
et me cum sororibus meis, quae gaudemus de bonis Domini, quae in te per suam gratiam operatur, stude tuis devotis orationibus Domino commendare.
Sororibus etiam tuis nos plurimum recommenda.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Jas.1.17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
- ↩Matt.5.48 — Therefore be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- ↩Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
- ↩Gen.31.13;Jer.31.15 — I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me there. Now rise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth. Jer.31.15 — Thus says the LORD: A voice is heard in Ramah—lamentation, bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.
- ↩Rom.8.17 — And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
- ↩2Tim.2.11-2Tim.2.12 — This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; 2Tim.2.12 — If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.
- ↩John.14.2 — In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you? I go to prepare a place for you.
- ↩Phil.4.3 — Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, for they labored with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
- ↩Rev.3.5 — The one who conquers will thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
- ↩Gal.1.5;Phil.4.20;Rev.1.6 — to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Phil.4.20 — Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Rev.1.6 — and he made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩effecta (feminine singular) signals a female subject (Agnes); rendered as 'made' to preserve the participle's force without imposing a pronoun the Latin omits.
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