De monte Oliveti et valle Josaphat
Between Mercy and Judgment
Ascending the Mount of Olives and descending into the Valley of Josaphat, the soul weighs God's abundant mercy against the terrifying depth of his judgments, learning that humility alone keeps one safe.
You ascend the Mount of Olives, you descend into the Valley of Josaphat: so that in this way you may ponder the riches of divine mercy, and by no means hide from the terror of judgment; for even though in his many compassions he is great in forgiving, his judgments nonetheless are a great abyss, through which he is known as utterly, altogether terrible over the sons of men.✦ David, then, who points to the Mount of Olives, saying, 'You will save humans and beasts, O Lord, as you have multiplied your mercy, God'; in the same psalm he also mentions the valley of judgment, saying,✦ 'Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of the sinner move me,' he says.✦ XXXV, 7, 12). He whose very precipice he confesses makes him utterly shudder, when in another psalm he thus speaks, praying: 'Pierce my flesh with your fear, for I have been afraid of your judgments.' CXVIII, 120). The proud person falls into this valley and is shattered; the humble one descends and is in no danger at all. The proud person excuses his sin; the humble person accuses himself, knowing that God doesn't twice judge in the same case; and that if we have judged ourselves, we certainly won't be judged.✦
The Arrogant Excuse and the Call to Self-Mercy
The proud soul refuses the remedy of confession and so does itself great malice, whereas true humility judges the self now in order to escape the coming judgment of the world and of heaven.
Psalm 119, verse 31. The arrogant person, not considering how terrifying it is to fall into the hands of the living God, easily breaks out into words of malice to excuse their excuses for sin.✦ It is truly great malice not to have mercy on yourself, and after sinning to push away the remedy of confession from yourself, and to wrap the fire in your own lap rather than shake it out — and yet not to follow the counsel of the Wise One who says, "Have mercy on your soul, pleasing God" (Sirach). XXX, 24). So if you are wicked to yourself, who will be good to you? Now is the judgment of the world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out (John).✦ 12, 31) — that is, from your heart, if by humbling yourself you judge yourself. There will be a judgment of heaven, when the heaven above is summoned, and the earth discerns its people (Psalm).✦ XLIX, 4) — in which you should truly fear being thrown out with him and his angels, if you are found unjudged.✦
Judged Already in the House of God
The spiritual person who judges all things will be judged by no one, because judgment begins with the house of God so that those already found judged have nothing left for the Judge to condemn.
Otherwise, the spiritual person who judges all things will themselves be judged by no one. 2:15). For this reason, then, judgment begins with the house of God, so that when the judge comes, those whom he knows may be found already judged, and he may no longer have anything to pass sentence on regarding them — namely, those who are not caught up in the struggles of the world and are not scourged along with other people. 72:5).
Read the original Latin
Ascenditur in montem Oliveti, descenditur in vallem Josaphat: ut sic divitias divinae misericordiae cogites, quatenus horrorem judicii nequaquam dissimules; quia etsi in multis miserationibus suis multus est ad ignoscendum, judicia tamen ejus nihilominus abyssus multa, quibus agnoscitur valde omnino terribilis super filios hominum. David denique qui montem Oliveti demonstrat, dicens, Homines et jumenta salvabis, Domine, quemadmodum multiplicasti misericordiam tuam, Deus; etiam judicii vallem in eodem psalmo commemorat, dicens. Non veniat mihi, inquiens, pes superbiae, et manus peccatoris non moveat me (Psal. XXXV, 7, 12). Cujus et praecipitium se omnino perhorrescere fatetur, cum in alio psalmo ita loquitur, orans: Confige timore tuo carnes meas, a judiciis enim tuis timui (Psal. CXVIII, 120). Superbus in hanc vallem corruit, et conquassatur: humilis descendit, et minime periclitatur. Superbus excusat peccatum suum: humilis accusat, sciens quia Deus non bis judicat in idipsum; et quod si nosmetipsos judicaverimus, non utique judicabimur (I Cor.
XI, 31).
Porro superbus non attendens quam horrendum sit incidere in manus Dei viventis, facile prorumpit in verba malitiae ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis. Magna revera malitia, tui te non misereri, et solum post peccatum remedium confessionis a te ipso repellere, ignemque in sinu tuo involvere potius, quam excutere, nec praebere autem consilio Sapientis qui ait: Miserere animae tuae placens Deo (Eccli. XXX, 24). Proinde qui sibi nequam, cui bonus? Nunc judicium est mundi, nunc princeps hujus mundi ejicietur foras (Joan. 12, 31), hoc est de corde tuo, si te tamen humiliando ipse dijudicas. Erit judicium coeli, quando ipsum vocabitur coelum desursum, et terra discernere populum suum (Psal. XLIX, 4): in quo sane timendum, ne projiciaris tu cum ipso et angelis ejus, si tamen inventus fueris injudicatus.
Alioquin spiritualis homo, qui omnia dijudicat, ipse a nemine judicabitur (I Cor. II, 15). Propter hoc ergo judicium incipit a domo Dei, ut suos, quos novit judex, cum venerit inveniat judicatos: et jam nil de eis habeat judicare, quando videlicet judicandi sunt hi qui in labore hominum non sunt, et cum hominibus non flagellantur (Psal. LXXII, 5).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Joel.3.2 — And even on the male servants and on the female servants in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.
- ↩Ps.35.7 — For without cause they have hidden for me the pit of their net; without cause they have dug a pit for my life.
- ↩Ps.35.12 — They repay me evil for good, and bereavement to my soul.
- ↩1Cor.11.31 — But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged.
- ↩Heb.10.31 — It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- ↩John.12.31 — Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
- ↩Ps.49.4 — My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
- ↩Ps.49.4 — My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
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