De Sixta
The Cardinal Virtues
An exploration of justice, prudence, fortitude, and temperance as paths to holiness through the Virgin's example.
On justice. Justice is what lets a just person make true judgment: the Savior went up on the wood to die to free the sinner, and to give justice to his pious virgin mother, so that she may pass judgment on every penitent who asks pardon for sins and promises satisfaction—so that if he judges himself, he may be judged, and the sin may be forgiven.✦12 On prudence. Prudence is the virtue by which a person chooses salvation and flees from evil and sin; and Our Lady gladly gives it to her friend so that he may correct himself of other evil.3 And let him know the good he can do and the evil he can avoid; for prudence is a light that shows the ways of salvation, and shows the roads of death, and brings a person into a safe harbor.4 On fortitude. Fortitude is such a virtue that it comforts a heart under assault against wickedness and deceit, with hope, and by praying the queen to help him so that the enemy may be defeated by fortitude, which is a harbor where every person is so strong that he conquers and is not overcome; and whoever is truly in love with the Virgin, mother and flower, let him be strong against false love.5 On temperance. Temperance is a complete virtue, and for health it's worth more than any other. It's a virtue that often brings a person good merit. It makes you live with measure in eating, speaking, and dressing. And the Lady of worth wants you to have it for love of her, for she had it in this world; that is why all who are clothed in temperance and well nourished by it belong to her.67
The Theological Virtues
A reflection on faith, hope, and charity as the foundational virtues sustained by the intercession and love of the Mother of God.
On faith. Faith is the virtue by which our understanding grasps the Truth when it understands beyond its own power. And whoever wants to keep the faith of the articles and the Sacrament will be under the Virgin's keeping—she who loved faith when Gabriel greeted her. Our faith remained in her when Jesus Christ passed through the passage of death, which holds such great sorrow, for faith has no greater honor.89 On hope. Hope is the virtue by which a person hopes for the salvation that comes from mercy and forgiveness; and it moves the Virgin to reason, so that she should pray to her God-Son that He will save all those who put good hope in her. That is why everyone ought to hold hope—for it is so precious—and keep it as a lasting claim from the Virgin, who grants every request.1011 On charity. Charity is the greatest virtue, by which a person loves the God of love, loving neighbor and self, and the queen who holds it, so that she may give it fully and one may fill one's heart with it as much as one chooses, and live and die with joy. And whoever wants to have charity should please the Virgin, for without her it can't be given, sold, bought, or granted.✦✦12
Read the original Latin
De justicia. Justicia es ço perque just Fa ver judici: é al fust Pujá á morir lo Salvador Per desliurar li peccador, E per donar justicia A sa mayre verge pia; Per ço que faça jutjament De tot hom qui es penedent, Qui de peccats demán perdó Prometent satisfacció, Que si's jutje sia jutjat E'l peccat sia perdonat.
De prudencia. Prudencia es la virtud Perque hom eleig salut, E fuyg á mal é peccat, E es donada de bon grat Per nostra dona á son amich, Com per altre mal se castich. E sapia el bé que pot far E lo mal que pot esquivar; Perque prudencia es luts Que mostra vías de saluts, E mostra carreras de mort, E aporta hom á bon port.
De fortitudo. Fortitudo es tal virtud Que conforta cor combatut Contra malvestat é engan Ab esperança, é 'en pregan La regina que li ajut, Com l' enemich sia vençut Ab fortitudo, que es port En qui cascun hom es tan fort, Que vens é no está sobrat; E qui es bé enamorat De la Verge, mayre é flor, Sia forts contra fals amor.
De temprança. Temprança es virtud cabal, E 'n sanitat mays qu' altre val; Es virtud que soven dona Bons mérits á la persona; Fa viure mesuradament Menjant, parlant é en vistent; E vol la dona de valor Que hom l' haje per sa amor; Car ella la hac en est mon, Perque tots aquells d' ella son, Qui de temprança son vestit E ab ella son be noyrit.
De fe. Fe es virtud ab que enten Veritat nostre entenimen Com enten sobre son poder; E qui la fe vol mantener Dels articles e 'l sagrament, Será en lo manteniment De la Verge, qui fe amá Quant Gabriel la saludá; La nostra fe 'n ella romás Quant Jesu-Christ passá p 'el pas De la mort qu' hay gran dolor, Car la fe no ha mays d' honor.
De esperança. Es esperança la virtut Ab qu' hom espera la salut Que vé de merce é perdó, E mou la Verge á rahó, Que deja á son Deu fill pregar Que tots aquells vulla salvar Que en ella han bon esper, Perque esperança, car tener La deu tot hom pus que tant val, E que la tenga per censal De la Verge que li consent A tot lo seu requeriment.
De caritat. Caritat es virtut major Ab que hom ama 'l Deu d' amor, En aman son prohisme é sé, E la regina qui la té, Per ço que la dó á tot for E 'n puscha hom complir son cor, Aytant quant l' hom volrá complir E ab gaug viure é morir; E qui caritat vol haver Faça á la Verge son plaer, Car sens ella no 's pot donar Vendra, comprar ne autrejar.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.11.31 — But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged.
- ↩1Cor.13.13 — And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- ↩Matt.22.37-Matt.22.39;Mark.12.30-Mark.12.31;Luke.10.27 — And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' Matt.22.38 — This is the great and first commandment. Matt.22.39 — And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark.12.30 — And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark.12.31 — The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Luke.10.27 — And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
Notes
- 1 ↩Medieval Catalan 'donar justicia / A sa mayre' is rendered as bestowing the office/virtue of justice on Mary so she may judge penitents; not civil equity alone.
- 2 ↩'al fust' keeps the wood/tree image of the Cross (cf. lignum); not a literal timber only.
- 3 ↩Com + se castich can be purpose ('so that he may chasten/correct himself') or circumstance ('as he chastens himself'). Rendered as purpose, matching the gift-purpose pattern in neighboring Sext stanzas. Altre mal is 'other/further evil' rather than 'another person's evil'.
- 4 ↩Read as Old Catalan lutz/llum ('light'), not a plural of lut. Fits the following relative clause Que mostra...
- 5 ↩Elided Old Catalan phrase read as 'and by praying' / 'and praying' (é en pregan); the apostrophe marks elision rather than a different word.
- 6 ↩«en vistent» is read as dressing/attire (parallel with menjant, parlant); if a better witness supports another reading, review.
- 7 ↩«la dona de valor» is the Virgin Mary (Lady of worth), consistent with the Marian frame of the Hours and neighboring virtue stanzas.
- 8 ↩articles = the articles of the faith (creed); sagrament is singular and most likely the Holy Sacrament (Eucharist), though a broader sacramental sense is possible.
- 9 ↩manteniment rendered as keeping/care (Marian protection in holding the faith), not mere material support.
- 10 ↩Medieval Catalan 'á rahó' can mean 'to reason/judgment' (stirs her to act rightly) or, less likely, 'rightly/with reason'. Rendered as 'moves the Virgin to reason' in the purposive chain that follows (so that she prays).
- 11 ↩A 'censal' was a medieval Catalan perpetual rent/annuity. The source uses that legal image: hold hope as a secure, permanent claim or income from the Virgin. Modernized as 'lasting claim' to keep the sense without archaism.
- 12 ↩Catalan caritat is rendered as charity (not merely love) because the section defines it as a theological virtue; love remains the operational verb of loving God, neighbor, and self.
Hores de Nostra Dona Santa Maria (Hours of Our Lady Saint Mary) companion
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