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Chapter 3LegStephMaior.1.3

Legenda maior Sancti Stephani regis

Comfort and Prophecy

In a night vision, the Lord comforts Duke Geza, telling him that his son will be a chosen king who will fulfill the work of establishing the Church and exchanging a worldly crown for an eternal one, and instructs him to receive with honor the spiritual messenger who will be sent.

While he was deeply anxious about subduing rebels, ending sacrilegious rites, and establishing bishoprics as he saw fit for the advancement of the holy Church, the Lord comforted him at night with a marvelous vision: He made a young man, delightful to look upon, stand before him and say, "Peace to you, chosen one; you can rest easy regarding your concerns."✦1 What you are planning has not been granted to you, because your hands are stained with human blood. A son will be born to you who will go forth, and to him the Lord will entrust the ordering of all these things through the counsel of divine providence. He will be one of the kings chosen by the Lord, destined to exchange the crown of this life for an eternal one.✦2 Nevertheless, receive with honor the man who is to be sent to you on a spiritual mission; once you have received him, honor him. Terrified by the fear of final perdition and seized by love of the hope that abides forever—the hope that does not put to shame—give the sincere assent of a faithful heart to his exhortations.✦34

Read the original Latin

Cumque nimium æsset sollicitus de rebellibus domandis et ritibus sacrilegis destruendiset episcopatibus secundum estimationem suam ad profectum sancte ecclesie statuendis, mirabili visione noctuconsolatur eum Dominus, fecit adstare sibi iuvenem delectabilem aspectu, qui dixit ei: ,,Pax tibi ælecte, iubeo te de sollicitudine tua fore securum. Non tibi concessum est, quod meditaris, quia manus pollutas humano sanguine gestas. De te filius nasciturus egredietur, cui hec omnia disponenda divine providentie consilio Dominus commendabit. Hic unus erit de regibus electis a Domino, 'coronam vite' secularis commutaturus æterna. Verumptamen virum spirituali legatione tibi transmittendum honorabiliter suscipito, susceptum honest<at>o timore perditionis ultime perterritus et amore raptus iugiter manentis spei, que non confundit, exortationibus eius non fictum cordis fidelis prebeto assensum.''

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.20.19;Luke.24.36 — On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." Luke.24.36 — While they were saying these things, he himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace to you."
  2. ↩Jas.1.12;Rev.2.10 — Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Rev.2.10 — Do not fear at all the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have affliction for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  3. ↩Rom.5.5 — And hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Normalized fused/corrupt forms for sense: esset (æsset), destruendis et (destruendiset), noctu consolatur (noctuconsolatur), electe (ælecte).
  2. 2 ↩Quoted span coronam vite echoes the biblical crown of life, here modified by secularis…aeterna (worldly vs. eternal).
  3. 3 ↩Reading honest<at>o as honestato (future imperative of honestare: honor him once received), parallel to suscipito and prebeto. Verumptamen taken as Verumtamen.
  4. 4 ↩spei…que non confundit closely echoes Romans 5:5 (spes autem non confundit).

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