VISIO NONA, cap. XII
The Gentle Descent of the Son of God
The Son of God descends like gentle rain into the Virgin's womb to raise fallen humanity from death, reversing Adam's transgression.
He will descend like rain upon a fleece, and like drops dripping gently upon the earth.✦ The meaning of this sentence is to be understood in this way: Adam, through the devil's counsel, by transgressing God's commandments, became mortal, and so the Son of God came down, like the dew of sweetness, into the womb of the Virgin — who was gentle, meek, and humble as a sheep in her character — so that he might raise humanity from death, just as the fruit of the earth is brought to life by the overturning of the soil by a plow in the rain.✦
The Plow of the Law and the Fruit of Virtues
Christ's commandment overturns carnal desires like a plow, and his grace fills the soul with the fruits of the beatitudes.
The plow, to be sure, is the commandment of the same Son of God gave to humanity in his own human nature, so that through knowing this commandment people might be raised back to life, and so that, following his example, as if with a plow, they might overturn carnal desires within themselves, and thus also, through the examples of holy works, they might become fruitful, from day to day being brought to completion, just as he himself had gone before them.✦ And in this way he was sending down drops upon them, and from them he was making a field full of virtues — the field he blessed — and he filled it with the fruits of all good things: namely, chastity, self-control, patience, and the other beatitudes.✦
The Darkness of Punishment and Unbelief
The western and northern darknesses in the vision signify both the places of punishment in the world and the inner blindness of unbelief.
Because the darknesses seen toward the western region, and likewise the fire with sulfur and other, thicker darknesses shown toward the northern part of the prescribed structure, point out where the places of punishment are in the outer world, in which the souls of sinners are tormented, and also signify the inner blindness of those same sinners, through which they are darkened by unbelief.
Read the original Latin
« Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram. » Hujus sententiae intellectus hoc modo accipiendus est: Adam in consilio diaboli per transgressionem praeceptorum Dei mortalis fuit, et ideo Filius Dei descendit, velut ros suavitatis, in alvum Virginis, quae suavis, mitis et humilis ut ovis in moribus suis erat, quatenus hominem de morte suscitaret, sicut et per eversionem terrae per aratrum fructus in pluvia suscitatur. Aratrum quippe praeceptum legis est, quod in humanitate sua idem Filius Dei hominibus dedit, ut in cognitione praecepti hujus ad vitam resuscitarentur, et secundum exemplum suum quasi cum aratro carnalia desideria in semetipsis everterent, et etiam sic per exempla sanctorum operum fructuosi fierent, de die in diem perficiendo, quemadmodum ipse eos praecesserat. Et hoc modo stillicidia super eos mittebat, agrumque virtutibus plenum ex ipsis faciebat, quem benedixit, et fructibus omnium bonorum scilicet castitate, continentia et patientia, et caeteris beatitudinibus replevit.
Quia tenebrae ad occidentalem plagam visae itemque ignis cum sulphure aliisque densioribus tenebris ad septentrionalem praescripti aedificii partem ostensus, ubi in exteriori mundo poenalia loca sint, in quibus peccatorum animae crucientur, demonstrent, et etiam interiorem eorumdem peccatorum caecitatem, qua per infidelitatem obscurantur significet.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.71.6 — On you I have leaned from the womb; from my mother's belly you have upheld me. My praise is continually of you.
- ↩Ps.71.6 — On you I have leaned from the womb; from my mother's belly you have upheld me. My praise is continually of you.
- ↩Matt.11.29 — Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- ↩Matt.5.3-Matt.5.10 — Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt.5.4 — Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matt.5.5 — Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matt.5.6 — Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt.5.7 — Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matt.5.8 — Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matt.5.9 — Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matt.5.10 — Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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