VISIO QUARTA, cap. XXXII
The Cosmic Rhythm of Tears
The physical shedding of tears from joy or sorrow mirrors the cosmic cycle of winds, waters, and clouds drawing moisture up to the moon and sending it back as rain.
And when someone is moved in their heart by either joy or sorrow, the veins of the brain — and of the chest and lungs as well — are shaken, and so the veins of the chest and lungs send their fluids up toward the veins of the brain, and those in turn, receiving them, pour them into the eyes. And so they bring a person to tears, just as when, at the beginning of the moon's increase or decrease, the sky is stirred by the winds and by its own roaring shakes the sea and other waters of the earth, and those waters produce vapor and moisture from themselves. But the clouds themselves — that is, the vapor and moisture — receiving these things, extend them toward the moon, and the moon, as if thirsty, drinks them and sends them back to the clouds, and makes the clouds produce fitting rain, because in this way, from the lower waters that the clouds draw up and then send back again, rain descends upon the earth.
The Compunction of the Soul
Just as the cosmos produces rain, the fear of the Lord shakes the soul, drawing forth tears of repentance that turn one from worldly concerns and bring forth the green growth of penance.
So too, when the soul in a person sometimes rejoices in the security of its salvation, or grieves as if under the weight of its sins, a person's knowledge, together with the conscious confession of repentance, is moved through fear, and sighing along with these things is raised up, and looking over its works, draws tears from that person and makes them weep, because when the fear of the Lord shakes a person, it compels them to lament earnestly in groans. Hence it comes about that when a person sometimes weeps over the adversity of worldly things, they often turn their mind toward the desire for heavenly things, setting aside worldly concerns. For when a person withdraws from God and leads God into forgetfulness, their soul soon trembles, and so all the members of the person, which are filled with that soul's powers, are stirred into a wrong path, as if God were not to be revered and feared; but the soul presents to its own vessel the shame and confusion of its sins, and makes it sigh, so that these sighs draw out tears. And so from these sighs and tears the green growth of repentance springs up. Therefore, raised up again in good works, a person examines the burdens of their sins with such great diligence and repentance that the flesh of their members is somewhat dried up, and so great a bitterness grows in their heart that they often say within themselves: Why was I born to such great sins?
Penance and the Struggle of Flesh and Spirit
Trusting in Christ's humanity, the penitent soul laments its forced alliance with the flesh, finding no delight in sin but suffering sadness when compelled by concupiscence, while rejoicing in good works.
When my soul has sinned against God, and when I perform penance with it, sighing toward God — God who deigned to take up the form of Adam from the Virgin. And so I trust that he would not despise me, but would absolve me from my sins, and would also receive me as a penitent through the countenance of his holy humanity, in true faith. Then soul and body unite as one, and together they pant toward God in harmony, since the soul's sins are by no means pleasing to it; but merely from the stupor of carnal concupiscence it is compelled to consent to the flesh, because if the soul took delight in sin toward sin, a person would always be defiled in the mire of sinners. For in sins the soul is not delighted, even though it works along with the body, so that even the elements that sustain a person do not compel him to sin; nevertheless, through God's judgment they pass judgment on him in sins, but in good works they show sweetness and gentleness upon him. And as often as the soul is compelled to work evil with the body, that fills it with sadness, since those same works displease it; but when it has accomplished what is good with the body, it makes the same body rejoice.
Flourishing in Grace and Virtue
Empowered by grace, the soul works good unceasingly and condescends to purify the body through penitent tears, leading to the inner measure of spiritual vision.
Therefore, a person who works good through the grace of God is loved by others without knowing it; and sometimes he progresses to such a point that he desires to work good without being satisfied, just as even angels, beholding God's countenance, cannot grow weary of contemplating him. The soul also, having the joy of good work, condescends to the body, and shakes it from sin, and through humble penance sends sighs and tears into it, so that it may flourish in virtues, just as clouds draw waters upward and send them down again. For just as no visible form exists without a name, so nothing exists without a measure; and what does the equal measure of the outward eyes signify in the inner person?
Read the original Latin
Et cum homo aut laetitia aut tristitia in corde suo commovetur, venulae cerebri ejus, pectorisque, et pulmonis ipsius etiam concutiuntur, unde et venulae pectoris et pulmonis humores sursum ad venulas cerebri mittunt, illaeque eos suscipientes oculis infundunt. Sicque hominem ad lacrymas perducunt, quemadmodum cum aut in initio augmenti seu detrimenti lunae firmamentum per ventos commotum strepitu suo mare aliasque terrarum aquas concutit, illae fumum et humorem de se producunt. Sed nubes ipsas, fumum scilicet et humorem, excipientes ad lunam extendunt, quos illa velut sitiat ebibens, iterum ad nubes remittit, pluviamque congruentem illas producere facit, quoniam hoc modo de subterioribus aquis quas nubes sursum trahunt, iterumque remittunt, pluvia super terram descendit. Sic etiam cum anima in homine aliquando, vel ex securitate salvationis suae gaudet, vel quasi de pressura peccatorum suorum moeret, scientia hominis cum conscia confessione poenitentiae per timorem movetur, atque cum his suspirando sursum erigitur, operaque illius circumspiciendo, lacrymas ab ipso educit, eumque plangere facit, quia cum timor Domini hominem concutit, ipsum sitibunde in gemitibus fiere compellit. Unde fit ut cum homo interdum adversitatem saecularium rerum deflet, animum multoties ad appetitum coelestium, neglectis saecularibus, retorqueat. Nam cum homo a Deo recedit, et eum in oblivionem ducit, mox anima ejus contremiscit; unde et omnia membra hominis, quae viribus illius impleta sunt, in alienam viam commoventur, quasi Deus venerandus et timendus non sit; sed illa vasi suo verecundiam et confusionem peccatorum proponit, illudque suspirare facit, ita ut suspiria haec lacrymas educant. Et sic de suspiriis et lacrymis istis viriditas poenitentiae exsurgit. Quapropter et ipse in operibus bonis denuo suscitatus, gravamina peccatorum suorum in tanta diligentia et poenitentia examinat, ut carnes membrorum suorum aliquantulum exsiccentur, et tanta amaritudo in corde ipsius crescit, ut intra se multoties dicat: Utquid ad tanta crimina natus sum?
Cum anima mea in Deum peccavi, et cum ea poenitentiam ago ad Deum suspirando, qui formam Adae de Virgine dignatus est suscipere. Unde et ego confido quod me non despiciat, sed a peccatis meis absolvat, et etiam per vultum sanctae humanitatis suae, in vera fide me poenitentem suscipiat. Tunc anima et corpus in unum se conjungunt, et concordes ad Deum anhelant, quoniam animae peccata nequaquam placent, sed tantum ex stupore carnalis concupiscentiae carni cogitur consentire, quia si delectationem anima ad peccatum haberet, homo in luto peccatorum semper sordesceret. Nam in peccatis anima non delectatur, quamvis illa cum corpore operetur, ut etiam elementa quae hominem sustinent, ipsum ad peccatum non cogunt, sed tamen eum per judicium Dei in peccatis dijudicant, in operibus autem bonis suavitatem et lenitatem super illum ostendunt. Et quoties anima cum corpore mala operari cogitur, illud tristitia replet, quoniam eadem opera sibimetipsi displicent, sed cum id quod bonum est cum corpore perfecerit, idem corpus gaudere facit. Quapropter etiam homo qui bonum operatur, per gratiam Dei, ipso nesciente, ab hominibus diligitur; qui aliquando in tantum proficit, ut bona inexplebiliter operari appetat, quemadmodum etiam angeli vultum Dei inspiciendo, contemplatione ejus extaediari non possunt. Anima quoque ipsius gaudium bonae operationis habens corpori condescendit, illudque a peccatis concutit, atque per humilem poenitentiam suspiria et lacrymas ei immittit, quatenus ad virtutes virescat, velut etiam nubes aquas sursum trahunt et iterum remittunt.
Quia sicut nulla forma visibilis sine nomine, ita nec sine mensura sit; et quid in interiori homine aequalis exteriorum mensura oculorum significet.
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