Third Letter to Agnes of Prague
Greeting and Overflowing Joy
Clare greets Agnes with deep affection and expresses her immense joy at Agnes's spiritual progress in pursuing the heavenly prize.
In Christ, to the most revered lady and sister to be loved above all mortal beings, Agnes, sister of the illustrious king of Bohemia, but now sister and bride of the highest King of heaven, Clare, most humble and unworthy handmaid of Christ and servant of the poor ladies, I wish you the joys of salvation in the author of salvation, and whatever better thing can be desired. I understand that you are thriving in your well-being, in your blessed state, and in the favorable successes with which you press forward in the course you have undertaken toward obtaining the heavenly prize — and I am filled with immense joy. And so I breathe again with such great joy in the Lord, all the more because I know and believe that you, in your imitation of the poor and humble Jesus Christ, are wonderfully making up for what's lacking in me and in all the other sisters. I can truly rejoice, and no one could tear me away from such great joy.
The Hidden Treasure of Poverty
Clare praises Agnes for overthrowing worldly pride and embracing the incomparable treasure of poverty through humility and faith.
Since I see that you—now holding fast to what I have desired under heaven, supported by a certain wonderful prerogative of the very mouth of God's wisdom—are terribly and unexpectedly overthrowing the wiles of the cunning enemy, and the pride that destroys human nature, and the vanity that makes human hearts foolish,✦12 and to embrace with humility, with the strength of faith, and with the arms of poverty the incomparable hidden treasure in the field of the world and of human hearts, by which that One is purchased through whom all things were made out of nothing;✦ And, so that I may use the very words of the apostle himself, I count you a helper of God himself and a supporter of the falling members of his ineffable body.
Rejoice and Do Not Be Discouraged
Clare exhorts Agnes to persevere in joy and not allow bitterness or gloom to overtake her.
So who would say I don't rejoice over such remarkable joys? So may you too always rejoice in the Lord, dearest one. Don't let bitterness and gloom overtake you, most beloved lady in Christ, joy of the angels and crown of sisters.
Contemplate the Mirror of Eternity
Clare calls Agnes to set her mind, soul, and heart upon God through contemplation, to taste divine sweetness, and to love Christ entirely above all worldly snares.
Set your mind in the mirror of eternity; set your soul in the splendor of glory. Place your heart in the figure of the divine nature, and transform yourself completely through contemplation into the image of that very divinity. so that you yourself may also feel what his friends feel, by tasting the hidden sweetness that God himself has reserved for his lovers from the beginning. And once you have completely set aside everyone who ensnares their blind lovers in this deceptive, unsettled world, love him entirely, who gave himself entirely for your sake.
Behold the Beauty of the Incarnate Son
Clare invites Agnes to contemplate the surpassing beauty of Christ, born of the Virgin who remained ever virgin.
The sun and the moon marvel at whose beauty, and there is no end to whose wondrous works, their preciousness, and their greatness;✦ I mean that Son of the Most High, whom the Virgin bore and after whose birth she remained a virgin. Hold fast to his sweetest mother, who bore such a Son as the heavens could not contain, And yet she herself placed him within the small enclosure of her sacred womb and carried him in a young girl's arms.
The Soul Made Great Through Love
Clare reflects on the soul's dignity as God's dwelling place through love, citing Christ's promise to make his home with those who love him.
Who wouldn't recoil from the snares of the human enemy, who through the pride of fleeting and deceptive glories schemes to reduce to nothing something greater than heaven? See now, it's clear: through God's grace, the most worthy creature among all created things is the faithful person's soul, greater than heaven itself. Although heaven and all other created things cannot contain the Creator, a faithful soul alone becomes his dwelling and resting place — and this only through the love that the godless lack. With Truth saying: "Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him."✦
Follow the Virgin in Chaste Poverty
Clare urges Agnes to imitate the Virgin by following Christ in humility and poverty, holding fast to him above all passing things.
So just as the glorious Virgin of virgins did in bodily form, So you too, following in his footsteps—especially those of humility and poverty—can live a chaste and virginal life, in body and spirit, always and without any doubt. Hold fast to him from whom you and all things are held, and possess that which, even measured against the other passing possessions of this world, you will hold far more securely.
The Downfall of Worldly Pride
Clare warns that worldly kings and queens who trust in pride will ultimately be brought low.
This is how certain worldly kings and queens are deceived: Those whose pride, though it may have climbed all the way to heaven and its head reached the clouds, will in the end be brought like dung —
The Discipline of Fasting
Clare explains the fasting rule established by Saint Francis, detailing which days require fasting and which allow exceptions for the healthy and the infirm.
Now then, regarding the things you have commanded me to reveal to you, As to which feasts these were — namely, which ones our most glorious father, Saint Francis, had especially admonished us to celebrate, perhaps, as I think, you had to some extent judged it was in the variety of foods — I have thought it should be answered to your charity. Your prudence should indeed know that, apart from the weak and the infirm — for whom he advised and commanded us to use all the discretion we could with whatever foods —3 None of us should eat any wholesome, nourishing food except Lenten fare alone, fasting on any given day, whether it falls on an ordinary weekday or a feast day. Except on the Lord's days and the Nativity of the Lord, on which we ought to eat twice a day. And also on the usual Thursdays, at the customary times, according to each person's wishes, so that anyone who didn't want to fast wouldn't be bound to.4 We who are healthy, however, fast every day except Sundays and the days of Christmas. Indeed, at every Pasch, as the writing of blessed Francis says, and on the feasts of holy Mary and of the holy apostles we are not bound to fast either, unless those feasts should fall on a Friday; And as was said before, whenever we are healthy and strong, we eat Lenten food.
A Loving Plea for Moderation
Clare, acknowledging human frailty, begs Agnes to moderate her severe fasting with wisdom and discernment, offering reasonable obedience seasoned with salt.
But because our flesh isn't made of bronze, and our strength isn't the strength of stone, Rather, we are frail and weakened, prone to every bodily weakness.5 I've learned that you've taken on a certain severity of fasting that's both unwise and impossible to sustain, dearest one, and I'm asking — and begging you in the Lord — to pull back wisely and with discernment. so that as one alive you confess to the Lord, you may offer your reasonable obedience to the Lord and your sacrifice always seasoned with salt.✦✦✦
Farewell and Mutual Prayer
Clare bids Agnes farewell in the Lord and asks for her prayers.
Fare well always in the Lord, just as I earnestly wish me to fare well, and commend both me and my sisters to your sacred prayers.
Read the original Latin
In Christo sibi reverendissimae dominae ac prae cunctis mortalibus diligendae sorori Agneti, illustris regis Bohemiae germanae, sed iam summo caelorum Regi sorori et sponsae,
Clara, humillima et indigna Christi ancilla et dominarum pauperum serva, salutis gaudia in auctore salutis et quidquid melius desiderari potest.
De sospitate tua, felici statu et successibus prosperis quibus te in incepto cursu ad obtinendum caeleste bravium vigere intelligo tanto repleor gaudio
tantaque in Domino exultatione respiro, quanto te novi et arbitror vestigiorum pauperis et humilis Iesu Christi tam in me quam in aliis ceteris sororibus imitationibus mirifice supplere defectum.
Vere gaudere possum nec me aliquis posset a tanto gaudio facere alienam,
cum, quod sub caelo cuncupivi iam tenens, callidi hostis astutias et perditricem humanae naturae superbiam et vanitatem humana corda infatuantem te quadam mirabili ipsius Dei oris sapientiae praerogativa suffultam terribiliter ac inopinabiliter videam supplantare
absconumque in agro mundi et cordium humanorum thesaurum incomparabilem, quo illud emitur a quo cuncta de nihilo facta sunt, humilitate, virtute fidei, ac paupertatis brachiis amplexari;
et, ut proprie ipsius apostoli verbis utar, ipsius Dei te iudico adiutricem et ineffabilis corporis eius cadentium membrorum sublevatricem.
Quis ergo de tantis mirandis gaudiis dicat me non gaudere?
Gaudeas igitur et tu in Domino semper, carissima,
nec te involvat amaritudo et nebula, o in Christo dilectissima domina, angelorum gaudium et corona sororum;
pone mentem tuam in speculo aeternitatis, pone animam tuam in splendore gloriae,
pone cor tuum in figura divinae substantiae et transforma te ipsam totam per contemplationem in imagine divinitatis ipsius,
ut et ipsa sentias quod sentiunt amici gustando absconditam dulcedinem, quam ipse Deus ab initio suis amatoribus reservavit.
Et omnibus qui in fallaci mundo perturbabili suos caecos amatores illaqueant penitus praetermissis, illum totaliter diligas, qui se totum pro tua dilectione donavit,
cuius pulchritudinem sol et luna mirantur, cuius praemiroum et eorum pretiositatis et magnitudinis non est finis;
illum dico Altissimi Filium, quem Virgo peperit et post cuius partum virgo permansit.
Ipsius dulcissimae matri adhaereas, quae talem genuit Filium quem caeli capere non poterant,
et tamen ipsa parvulo claustro sacri uteri contulit et gremio puellari gestavit.
Quis non abhorreat humani hostis insidias, qui per fastum momentaneorum et fallacium gloriarum ad nihilum redigere cogit quod maius est caelo?
Ecce iam liquet per Dei gratiam dignissimam creaturarum fidelis hominis animam maiorem esse quam caelum,
cum caeli cum creaturis ceteris capere nequeant Creatorem, et sola fidelis anima ipsius mansio sit et sedes, et hoc solum per caritatem qua carent impii,
Veritate dicente: Qui diligit me diligetur a Patre meo, et ego diligam eum, et ad eum veniemus, et mansionem apud eum faciemus.
Sicut ergo Virgo virginum gloriosa materialiter,
sic et tu, sequens eius vestigia, humilitatis praesertim et paupertatis, casto et virgineo corpore spiritualiter semper sine dubietate omni portare potes,
illum continens a quo tu et omnia continentur, illud possidens quod et comparate cum ceteris huius mundi possessionibus transeuntibus fortius possidebis.
In quo quidam mundani reges et reginae falluntur,
quorum superbiae usque ad caelum licet ascenderint, et caput earum nubes tetigerit, quasi sterquillinium in fine perducuntur.
Super his autem quae me iam tibi reserare mandasti,
quae scilicet essent festa quae forte, ut te opinor aliquatenus aestimasse, in varietate ciborum gloriosissimus pater noster sanctus Franciscus nos celebrare specialiter monuisset, caritati tuae duxi respondendum.
Noverit quidem tua prudentia, quod praeter debiles et infirmas, quibus de quibuscumque cibariis omnem discretionem quam possemus facere nos monuit et mandavit,
nulla nostrum sana et valida nisi cibaria quadragesimalia tantum, tam in diebus ferialibus quam festivis, manducare deberet, die quolibet ieiunando,
exceptis diebus dominicis et Natalis Domini, in quibus bis in die comedere deberemus.
Et in diebus quoque Iovis solitis temporibus pro voluntate cuiuslibet, ut quae scilicet nollet, ieiunare non teneretur.
Nos tamen sanae ieiunamus cottidie praeter dies dominicos et Natalis.
In omni vero Pascha, ut scriptum beati Francisci dicit, et festivitatibus sanctae Mariae ac sanctorum apostolorum ieiunare etiam non tenemur, nisi haec festa in sexta feria evenirent;
et sicut praedictum est, semper quae sanae sumus et validae, cibaria quadragesimalia manducamus.
Verum quia nec caro nostra caro aenea est nec fortitudo lapidis fortitudo nostra,
immo fragiles et omni corporali sumus debilitati proclivae,
a quadam indiscreta et impossibili abstinentiae austeritate quam te aggressam esse cognovi, sapienter, carissima, et discrete et retrahi rogo et in Domino peto,
ut vivens confiteris Domino, rationabile tuum Domino reddas obsequium et tuum sacrificium semper sale conditum.
Vale semper in Domino, sicut me valere peropto, et tam me quam meas sorores tuis sacris orationibus recommenda.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.1.24 — but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
- ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
- ↩Ps.144.5 — LORD, bend the heavens and come down; touch the mountains, and they smoke.
- ↩John.14.23 — Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'
- ↩Rom.12.1 — Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable worship.
- ↩Mark.9.49-Mark.9.50 — For everyone will be salted with fire. Mark.9.50 — Salt is good; but if the salt has become unsalty, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.
- ↩Lev.2.13 — And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not let the salt of the covenant of your God be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text reads 'cuncupivi', a rare or manuscript-variant form of 'concupivi' (I have desired).
- 2 ↩'oris sapientiae' (mouth of wisdom) is a metonymy for the speech or utterance of divine wisdom.
- 3 ↩Noverit is parsed as a jussive/optative subjunctive ('let her know / should know'). The relative clause quibus...mandavit is syntactically incomplete, trailing into the next section; rendered with an em dash to signal the suspended construction.
- 4 ↩The Latin 'Iovis' (Jove/Jupiter) was the standard medieval rendering for Thursday (dies Iovis). Rendered as 'Thursdays' to preserve the liturgical schedule's meaning for modern readers.
- 5 ↩The Latin 'proclivae' (prone/inclined) lacks an explicit noun; 'weakness' is supplied from 'fragiles' and 'debilitati' to complete the English sense. 'Temptation' is a possible alternative given the ascetical context, but 'weakness' preserves the physical-corporal emphasis of 'corporali'.
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