VISIO DECIMA, cap. XXII
The Dividing of Christ's Garments
The Psalm's prophecy of dividing garments and casting lots is shown to foretell how unbelievers will tear apart the Church's spiritual dignities and reduce her rights to nothing.
"They divided my garments among themselves, and cast lots for my clothing.✦ "Although, given the certainty of what is to come, this sounds like a literal account of past events, it must nevertheless be understood as referring to the future. The unbelievers, through the great slaughter of unfaithfulness, will divide according to their own wills the orders of worldly dignities and operations with which I had been clothed in the Church as with garments; and upon those who, like my clothing, were closer to me in the spiritual life, they will cast countless vanities, once they have turned them from the right path of their ways, and they will reduce all the rights of the churches to nothing through destruction, and when they have imposed laws of iniquity upon them, they will crush them completely.✦
The Church's Cry for Mercy
The Church, weakened yet still the Bride of the Son, cries out to the Father not to delay His help, pleading that His merciful eyes be turned to defend her and her members from destruction.
But to these evils the same David also responds, saying: "You, however, O Lord, do not withdraw your help; look to my defense.✦ "The meaning of this saying must be understood in this way: I, the Church, who ought to be the bride of your Son, O heavenly Father, though now weakened, cry out to you, O Father of all, asking that you not delay in helping me, because my members, which are the members of your Son, are heading toward destruction and dispersion, and therefore turn the eyes of your mercy as quickly as possible to defend both me and them, lest, neglected by you, we be completely crushed.✦
The Son's Intercession for His Body
The Son likewise intercedes with the Father for the liberation of His body, the Church.
Likewise, the Son's intercession to the Father for the liberation of his body, which is the Church.✦
Read the original Latin
« Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem. » Quod quamvis ob certitudinem futurorum ad litteram de praeteritis sonet, de futuris tamen sic accipiendum est. Increduli per multam stragem infidelitatis divident secundum voluntates suas ordinationes saecularium dignitatum et operationum quibus velut vestimentis in Ecclesia indutus fueram; atque super hos qui quasi vestis mea in spiritali vita mihi viciniores erant mittent quamplurimas vanitates, cum eos a rectitudine viarum suarum averterunt, et omnia jura ecclesiarum per destructionem ad nihilum redegerunt, atque cum super eos dederint leges iniquitatis, ut ipsos omnino conterant. Sed his malis etiam idem David respondet dicens: « Tu autem, Domine, ne elongaveris auxilium tuum, ad defensionem meam conspice . » Hujus sententiae intellectus hoc modo accipiendus est: Ego Ecclesia, quae sponsa Filii tui, o coelestis Pater, esse debui, quamvis modo debilitata sim, ad te, o Pater omnium, vociferor petens ne differas mihi auxiliari, quoniam membra mea, quae membra Filii tui sunt, in destructionem et dispersionem vadunt, ac ideo quantocius ad defendendum et me et illos inclina oculos misericordiae tuae, ne a te neglecti omnino conteramur.
Item interpellatio Filii ad Patrem pro liberatione corporis sui, quod est Ecclesia.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.22.18;Ps.22.19 — I will declare your name to my people; all my bones are exposed. They stare at me; they gloat over me. Ps.22.19 — They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
- ↩Ps.22.18 — I will declare your name to my people; all my bones are exposed. They stare at me; they gloat over me.
- ↩Ps.22.19;Ps.22.20 — They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Ps.22.20 — But you, O LORD, do not be far off; my strength, hasten to help me.
- ↩Ps.22.19-Ps.22.21 — They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Ps.22.20 — But you, O LORD, do not be far off; my strength, hasten to help me. Ps.22.21 — Save my life from the sword, my only one from the power of the dog.
- ↩Col.1.24 — Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am filling up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
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