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Chapter 27LDO.2.27

VISIO QUINTA, cap. XXVII

God Speaks in the Heart's Expansion

God speaks to the soul through an expansion of the heart, providing the virtues and discernment needed to balance spiritual aspiration with bodily necessity, while empty glory is cast aside.

God also said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.✦ This is how it should be understood: God sometimes speaks to a person in an expansion of the heart. How so? In the sweetness of the Holy Spirit — because in the human person himself the place of his own home shines forth. And then he provides the instruments of the virtues for the protection of the work that was beginning in him, so that no necessary virtue at all would be lacking to that person — just as God also made things so that in heaven and on earth no creatures necessary to a person are lacking. So when God speaks, the firmament comes into being — meaning the discernment that exists in the variety of spiritual and fleshly concerns among people — inasmuch as a person ought to have a heavenly desire and the necessary care for the flesh. That is, one should conduct oneself in these matters with discernment, so that ruinous self-exaltation isn't built up in a person through good works, and so that one isn't corrupted by the outward pressure of different people's ways. Instead, sometimes let them pray with sighs; at another hour let them be occupied in good works; but at another time let them provide for what the flesh needs so that it doesn't fail. And whatever gifts of the Holy Spirit a person has received, let them build these up again frequently with discernment, and so always press forward in exercising the virtues according to their measure, that through these one may pant toward heaven with fervent sighs, and let the cares of the flesh serve only out of necessity. In these gifts of the Holy Spirit as well, empty glory — which God has completely cast off — will be put to flight, because a person has it only when they honor themselves for God's sake, and they uproot one good after another.

The Firmament of Discernment Divides Heaven and Earth

Discernment is the firmament that divides earthly necessities from heavenly virtues, enabling the soul to ascend and descend like a ladder between the active and contemplative lives, as Mary and Martha both pleased God.

And so, remaining always unsettled, it is in no way able to stand firm in one place, and cannot rest upon such a gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "And God made the firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament from those that were above the firmament.✦ And so it was done.✦ "Now too God makes all the instruments of the virtues in a person, with the discernment that he established in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that the person himself may discern in himself all these instruments that God sees to be useful, in order that no virtue he begins may be scattered through the wandering of his mind. And so God divides earthly necessities and heavenly virtues — which the Holy Spirit waters and which always cling to heavenly things — so that a person may always aspire to the contemplative life along with them. Discretion also contains these virtues, like a servant girl who obtains her lady's favor through her own service, because she herself, though a lady, does not wish to be without her servant girl in the earthly things that belong to the flesh and that are subject to discretion. Thus discretion is the firmament: earthly matters — that is, the active life — under it; heavenly matters — that is, the contemplative life — above it. It is itself the ladder on which people's minds ascend to heaven through good works, and on which they also descend to earth because of the needs of the flesh, just as Mary and Martha offered different services to God, both of which were pleasing to him, because he himself is the founder of both lives.✦ And so let the firmament of virtue stand between each life, when a person himself makes discernment for himself, so that he may rightly hold heavenly and earthly things in their own appointed measure, just as God established them.

Discretion Is Called Heaven

God calls discretion heaven because, like the firmament, it holds and governs all the virtues, bringing works to completion in the evening of a good habit, since God foresees the end of all virtues in their beginning.

"And God called the firmament heaven."✦ "And God, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in a person, calls discretion heaven, which is truly the most certain signification of heaven, because, just as the firmament holds within itself all the ornaments that illuminate and govern and contain the world, so discretion obtains all the instruments of the virtues that proceed from God, by which body and soul are governed; and thus the things that lie hidden within do not fail, and the things that are without are not obscured by boasting."1 "And evening came, and morning, the second day."✦ "So it also happens in that person who, established in good habit, is an evening—when he brings all his works to completion in discretion."2 "For God foresees the end of all virtues in their beginning, since he perceives them touching themselves, and also approves their beginning in the end—because a good beginning is of no use unless a good end also follows, as my Son speaks in the Gospel about the bridegroom, who said to the foolish virgins:"✦3

The Bridegroom's Warning to the Foolish Virgins

The Gospel testimony of the Bridegroom who says to the foolish virgins 'I do not know you' is introduced for interpretation regarding the necessity of a good end in the spiritual life.

The testimony of the Gospel, where the Bridegroom says to the foolish virgins: "I don't know you" — and why this was taken on, and in what sense it is to be understood.✦

Read the original Latin

« Dixit quoque Deus: fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum, et dividat aquas ab aquis . » Hoc considerandum sic est: Deus in dilatatione cordis homini interdum loquitur. Quomodo? In dulcedine Spiritus sancti, quia in homine ipso locus domus suae fulget. Et deinde instrumenta virtutum ad tutelam operis illius quod incipiebat in eo facit, ita ut homini illi nulla necessaria ullius virtutis desint, sicut etiam in coelo et in terra fecit, ubi nullae creaturae homini necessaria desunt. Dicente igitur Deo fit firmamentum, quod discretio est in diversitate spiritalium et carnalium hominum, in eo quod homo coeleste desiderium et necessariam curam carnis habere debet, scilicet ut in rebus cum discretione ita detineatur, ne exaltatio ruinae per bona opera in illo aedificetur, et etiam ne de aliena instantia diversorum morum corrumpatur; sed interdum cum suspiriis oret, in alia hora bonis operibus occupetur; alia autem vice necessaria carni ne deficiat provideat. Et quaecunque dona sancti Spiritus habuerit, illa cum discretione frequenter reaedificet, et ita semper exercendis virtutibus pro modo earum instet, ut per has ferventibus suspiriis ad coelum anhelet, et curae carnis nonnisi ex necessitate deserviat. In his quoque muneribus Spiritus sancti vana gloria, quam Deus omnino abjecit, effugetur, quia homo eam pro Deo se ipsum honorans habet, et radicem boni unam post aliam eradicat.

Unde semper instabilis manens, in uno loco nullo modo stare valet, et super talem requiescere gratia Spiritus sancti non potest. « Et fecit Deus firmamentum; divisitque aquas quae erant sub firmamento ab his quae erant super firmamentum. Et factum est ita . » Nunc quoque facit Deus omnia instrumenta virtutum in homine, cum discretione quam in exspiratione Spiritus sancti constituit, propterea ut ipse homo omnia instrumenta haec, quae Deus utilia esse videt, in se ipso discernat, ita ne ulla virtus quam incipit per vagationem mentis dimergatur. Et sic Deus terrenas necessitates et coelestes virtutes dividit, quas Spiritus sanctus irrigat, et quae coelestibus semper adhaerent, quatenus homo cum eis ad contemplativam vitam semper anhelet. Has quoque virtutes discretio continet, quasi ancilla quae dominam suam servitio suo obtinet, quia in terrenis rebus quae carni adsunt, et quae discretioni subjacent, ipsa domina ancilla carere non vult. Sic discretio firmamentum est, terrena, id est activam vitam, sub se; coelestia autem, id est contemplativam vitam, super se habens; quibus ipsa scala est, in qua mentes hominum per bona opera ad coelum ascendunt, et in qua etiam propter necessitatem carnis ad terram descendunt, velut Maria et Martha diversa servitia Deo exhibuerunt, cui tamen utrumque placuit, quia ipse constitutor utriusque vitae est. Sicque firmamentum virtutis inter utramque vitam sit, cum ipse homo sibimetipsi discretionem facit, ita ut coelestia et terrestria suo statute modo recte habeat, sicut ea Deus constituit.

« Vocavitque Deus firmamentum coelum . » Et Deus per inspirationem Spiritus sancti in homine discretionem coelum vocat, quae vere certissima significatio coeli est, quia, ut firmamentum omnia ornamenta quae mundum illuminant et regunt atque continent in se habet, ita discretio omnia instrumenta virtutum quae a Deo procedunt, quibus corpus et anima regitur, obtinet; et sic quae intrinsecus latent non deficiunt, et quae extrinsecus sunt per jactantiam non obscurantur. « Et factum est vespere et mane dies secundus . » Sic etiam in homine illo fit, qui ipse in bona consuetudine vespertinus est, cum omnia opera sua in discretione perficit. Nam Deus in initio omnium virtutum finem earum praevidet, quoniam ipsas se tangentes sentit, et etiam in fine initium earum approbat, quia bonum initium non prodest nisi etiam bonus finis sequatur, ut Filius meus in Evangelio de sponso loquitur, qui ad fatuas virgines dixit:

Testimonium Evangelii, in quo Sponsus fatuis virginibus dicit: « Nescio vos, » et ad quid hic assumptum et quo sensu accipiendum sit.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.1.6 — And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate waters from waters."
  2. ↩Gen.1.7 — And God made the expanse, and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.
  3. ↩Gen.1.7 — And God made the expanse, and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.
  4. ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
  5. ↩Gen.1.8 — And God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning — a second day.
  6. ↩Gen.1.8 — And God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning — a second day.
  7. ↩Matt.25.1-Matt.25.12 — Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Matt.25.2 — Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Matt.25.3 — For the foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. Matt.25.4 — but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps Matt.25.5 — While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Matt.25.6 — But at midnight a cry has gone out: 'Look! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Matt.25.7 — Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. Matt.25.8 — The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' Matt.25.9 — But the prudent ones answered, saying, 'No — there will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' Matt.25.10 — But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ready ones went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Matt.25.11 — Afterward the other virgins also come, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' Matt.25.12 — But he answered, 'Truly, I tell you, I do not know you.'
  8. ↩Matt.25.12 — But he answered, 'Truly, I tell you, I do not know you.'

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The comparative 'ut... ita' (just as... so) structures the analogy between the cosmic firmament and the virtue of discretion in the soul.
  2. 2 ↩The adjective 'vespertinus' (evening-like) is rendered substantively to capture the mystical correspondence between the completion of a day and the completion of the virtues in the soul.
  3. 3 ↩The phrase 'ipsas se tangentes sentit' (perceives them touching themselves) is a philosophical idiom indicating God's immediate, intimate knowledge of the virtues as they interact and reflect upon themselves.

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