De Bethania
Bethany: School of Obedience and Mercy
Bethany is presented as the house of obedience where the active and contemplative lives, God's mercy, and the fruits of repentance meet in Christ's own obedient self-offering.
I certainly shouldn't pass over in complete silence — even though I'm in a great hurry — the house of obedience, namely Bethany, the village of Mary and Martha, where Lazarus was raised: a place where, remarkably, we find both a picture of each way of life, and God's wonderful mercy toward sinners, and at the same time the strength of obedience together with the fruits of repentance are held up for our admiration. So let what has been briefly pointed out here be enough: neither the effort of good action, nor the stillness of holy contemplation, nor the tears of repentance will be acceptable outside Bethany to the one who held obedience in such high regard that he chose to lose his very life rather than disobey — becoming obedient to the Father even to death.✦
The Lord's Comfort for Zion's Ruins
The prophetic promise of God's comfort turning Zion's desolation into a garden of joy and praise is quoted and completed.
These, then, are surely those riches that the prophetic word promises from the Lord's own declaration: 'The Lord will comfort Zion,' it says, 'and will comfort all her ruins; and he will make her wilderness like a garden of delight, and her solitude like a garden of the Lord.'✦ Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of praise. (Isa.✦ 51, 3).
Guarding the Heavenly Deposit in Humility
The faithful are entrusted with heavenly treasure and exhorted to guard it not by self-reliance but by trusting wholly in God's help, refuge, and mercy.
Therefore these delights of the world, this heavenly treasure, this inheritance of the faithful of the peoples, are entrusted to you, most beloved—to your faith—and commended to your prudence and fortitude. You can fully and faithfully guard this heavenly deposit, however, only if you never presume upon your own prudence or fortitude, but everywhere rely solely on the help of God, knowing that no one is strengthened by his own fortitude, and therefore saying with the prophet: The Lord is my foundation, my refuge, and my deliverer (Psalm✦ 17:2); and that passage: I will guard my strength for you, for God is my protector; my God, his mercy will go before me (Psalm✦ 58:10, 11); and likewise: Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory (Psalm✦ 113:9): so that in all things he who teaches your hands to fight and your fingers to war may himself be blessed (Psalm✦ 143:1).
Read the original Latin
Sane non omnino (etsi multum festinem) debeo transire silenter domum obedientiae, Bethaniam videlicet, castellum Mariae et Marthae, in quo Lazarus est resuscitatus: ubi nimirum et utriusque vitae figura, et Dei erga peccatores mira clementia, necnon et virtus obedientiae una cum fructibus poenitentiae commendatur. Hoc ergo in loco breviter intimatum sufficiat, quod quidem nec studium bonae actionis, nec otium sanctae contemplationis, nec lacrymae poenitentis extra Bethaniam accepta esse poterunt illi, qui tanti habuit obedientiam, ut vitam quam ipsam perdere maluerit, factus obediens Patri usque ad mortem. Hae sunt illae profecto divitiae, quas sermo propheticus ex verbo Domini pollicetur: Consolabitur, inquiens, Dominus Sion, et consolabitur omnes ruinas ejus; et ponet desertum ejus quasi delicias, et solitudinem ejus quasi hortum Domini. gaudium et laetitia invenietur in ea, gratiarum actio, et vox laudis (Isa. LI, 3).
Haec igitur orbis deliciae, hic thesaurus coelestis, haec fidelium haereditas populorum, vestrae sunt, charissimi, credita fidei, vestrae prudentiae et fortitudini commendata. Tunc autem coeleste depositum secure et fideliter custodire sufficitis, si nequaquam de ipsa vestra prudentia vel fortitudine, sed de Dei tantum adjutorio ubique praesumitis, scientes quia non in fortitudine sua roborabitur vir, et ideo dicentes cum propheta: Dominus firmamentum meum, et refugium meum, et liberator meus (Psal. XVII, 2): et illud, Fortitudinem meam ad te custodiam, quia Deus susceptor meus; Deus meus, misericordia ejus praeveniet me (Psal. LVIII, 10, 11); et item: Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam (Psal. CXIII, 9): ut in omnibus sit ipse benedictus, qui docet manus vestras ad praelium, et digitos vestros ad bellum (Psal. CXLIII, 1)
Scripture echoes
- ↩Phil.2.8 — And he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
- ↩Isa.51.3 — For the LORD will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
- ↩Isa.51.3 — For the LORD will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
- ↩Ps.17.2 — “Let my vindication come from your presence; let your eyes see what is right.”
- ↩Ps.58.10-Ps.58.11 — Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—whether green or burning—he will sweep them away. Ps.58.11 — The righteous one will rejoice when he sees vengeance; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
- ↩Ps.113.9 — He who makes the barren woman dwell at home as a joyful mother of children — praise the LORD.
- ↩Ps.143.1 — A Psalm of David. LORD, hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications. In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness.
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