Prologus
The Four Seasons of Salvation
The history of humanity is divided into four distinct spiritual times—deviation, renewal, reconciliation, and pilgrimage—which the Church mirrors in its liturgical calendar.
The entirety of this present life is divided into four parts: the time of deviation, the time of renewal or recall, the time of reconciliation, and the time of pilgrimage. The time of deviation began with Adam, after he turned away from God, and it lasted until Moses; the Church represents this time from Septuagesima Sunday until Easter. This is why the book of Genesis is read during this period, as it describes the deviation of our first parents. The time of renewal or recall began with Moses and lasted until the birth of Christ. During this time, humanity was recalled to the faith and renewed through the prophets. The Church represents this time from the Advent of the Lord until the birth of Christ. This is why Isaiah is read then, as it speaks openly about this recall. The time of reconciliation is the time in which we have been reconciled through Christ. The Church represents this time from Easter to Pentecost. That is why the Apocalypse is read during that period, as it fully addresses the mystery of this reconciliation. The time of pilgrimage is the time of our present life, in which we are pilgrims and always in battle. The Church represents this time from the octave of Pentecost until the Advent of the Lord. That is why the books of Kings and Maccabees are read then, as they describe a manifold battle that signifies our own spiritual battle. The time from the Nativity of the Lord until Septuagesima is partly contained within the time of reconciliation, which is a time of joy—specifically from the Nativity through the octave of the Epiphany and on to Septuagesima. This account of the times can be understood in four ways. First, by the fourfold distinction of the seasons, where winter refers to the first, spring to the second, summer to the third, and autumn to the fourth.
The Logic of Liturgical Order
The Church organizes its liturgical year not by strict chronology, but by the priority of grace and renewal, beginning with Advent.
The reason for this approach is clear enough. Second, it follows the four parts of the day: night is assigned to the first, morning to the second, midday to the third, and evening to the fourth. Although deviation came before renewal, the Church prefers to begin all its work in the time of renewal rather than in the time of deviation—that is, in Advent rather than in Septuagesima—and it does so for two reasons. First, so that it doesn't appear to begin with error; for it holds to the substance of the matter and doesn't follow the chronological order, just as the evangelists often do. Second, because through the coming of Christ all things have been made new; for this reason, this time is called the time of renewal, as in Revelation 3: "See, I am making all things new." Fittingly, then, the Church renews all its offices during this time of renewal. To preserve the Church's distinct order of time, we will first deal with the feasts that occur within the time of renewal, which the Church represents. from Advent until the birth of the Lord.
The Structure of the Golden Legend
The author outlines the five-part thematic structure that will govern the subsequent collection of saints' lives.
Second, concerning those things that occur within the time that is partly contained under the time of reconciliation and partly under the time of pilgrimage—a time the Church represents from Advent until Septuagesima. Third, concerning those things that occur within the time of deviation, which is the time the Church represents from Septuagesima until Easter. Fourth, concerning those things that occur within the time of reconciliation, which is the time the Church represents from Easter until the octave of Pentecost. Fifth, concerning those things that occur within the time of pilgrimage, which is the time the Church represents from the octave of Pentecost until Advent. The prologue ends here. Here begin the Readings of the Saints, or the Lombard History.
Read the original Latin
Universum tempus praesentis vitae in quatuor distinguitur, scilicet in tempus deviationis, renovationis sive revocationis, reconciliationis et peregrinationis. Tempus deviationis fuit ab Adam, postquam scilicet a Deo deviavit, et duravit usque ad Moysen et istud tempus repraesentat ecclesia a septuagesima usque ad Pascha. Unde et tunc legitur Genesis liber, scilicet in quo ponitur deviatio primorum parentum. Tempus renovationis sive revocationis incepit a Moyse et duravit usque ad nativitatem Christi. In quo homines per prophetas ad fidem revocati sunt et renovati. Et istud tempus repraesentat ecclesia ab adventu Domini usque ad nativitatem Christi. Unde tunc legitur Ysaias, ubi de hac revocatione aperte agitur. Tempus reconciliationis est tempus, in quo per Christum sumus reconciliati.
Et istud tempus repraesentat ecclesia -a Pascha usque ad Penthecosten. Unde et tunc legitur Apocalypsis, ubi plene agitur de mysterio hujus reconciliationis. Tempus peregrinationis est tempus praesentis vitae, in quo peregrinamur et in pugna semper sumus. Et illud tempus repraesentat ecclesia ab octava penthecosten usque ad adventum Domini. Unde tunc leguntur libri Regum et Machabeorum, in quibus de multiplici pugna agitur, per quam nostra pugna spiritualis signatur. Tempus autem illud, quod est a natali Domini usque ad septuagesimam, partim continetur sub tempore reconciliationis, quod est tempus laetitiae, scilicet a natali usque ad octavam epyphaniae et usque ad septuagesimam. Et potest accipi hic quadrupliciter temporum narratio. Primo penes quatnor temporum distinctiones, ut hiems referatur ad primum: ver ad secundum : aestas ad tertium: autumnus ad quartum.
Et ratio appropinquationis satis patet. Secundo penes quatuor partes diei, ut nox referatur ad primum: mane ad secundum: meridies ad tertium: vespera ad quartum. Licet autem prius fuerit deviatio quam renovatio, tamen ecclesia omnia sua potius incipit in tempore renovationis quam deviationis, id est in adventu potius quam in septuagesima, et hoc duplici ratione. Primo ne videatur incipere ab errore, tenet enim rem et non sequitur ordinem temporis, sic ut et evangelistae saepius faciunt. Secundo qüoniam per adventum Christi omuia renovata sunt; propter quod tempns istud dicitur tempus revocationis Apocal, III: Ecce ego nova facio omnia. Congrue igitur in hoc tempore renovalionis ecclesia omnia officia sua renovat. Ut igitur ordo temporis ab ecclesia distinctus servetur, primo agemus de festivitatibus, quae occurrunt infra tempus renovationis, quod tempus repraesentat ecclesia. ab adventu usque ad nativitatem domini.
Secundo de illis quae occurrunt infra tempus quod partim continetur sub tempore reconciliationis partim sub tempore peregrinationis, quod tempus repraesentat ecclesia ab adventu usque ad septuagesimam. Tertio de illis quae occurrunt infra tempus deviationis, quod tempus repraesentat ecclesia a septnagesima usque ad Pascha. Quarto de illis, quae occurrunt infra lempus reconciliationis quod tempus repraesentat ecclesia a pascha usque ad octavam penthecosten. Quinto de illis quae occurrant infra tempus peregrinationis, quod tempus repraesentat ecclesia ab octava penthecosten usque ad adventum.
Explicit prologus. Incipit legenda sanctorum vel Lombardica hystoria.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
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