De Oratione Dominica (Epigr. XXVIII)
The Gift of the Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is presented as a divine, powerful gift left by Christ to his followers.
Who would believe that the sevenfold prayer, which the immortal Christ gave to his innocent flock with his own voice, could be rejected by mortals—a prayer more powerful for the wretched than the shield of Ajax? Christ, about to ascend to the heavenly thrones, handed down these words to us as dear pledges of himself to be enjoyed, so that he might not leave us empty of help, since he could give nothing more worthy or better.
A Warning Against Rejection
The author contrasts the arrogance of those who reject divine words with the danger of being rejected by the Word himself.
Who would welcome a friend the way the Cathars welcome God, they who dare to renew the symbol of sacred love? But you, whoever you are, take care that while you wickedly reject the words of God, the Word, who is God, does not reject you.
Read the original Latin
Quam Christus immortalis innocuo gregi Voce sua dederat, Quis crederet mortalibus Orationem rejici septemplicem, Quae miseris clypeo Ajacis est praestantior? Haec verba, superos advolaturus thronos Christus, ut auxilii Nos haud inanes linqueret, Cum dignius nil posset aut melius dare, Pignora cara sui Fruenda nobis tradidit. Quis sic amicum excipiet, ut Cathari Deum, Qui renovare sacri Audent amoris symbolum? Tu vero quisquis es, cave, ne dum neges, Improbe, verba Dei, Te deneget VERBUM Deus.
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