XLII. De Acerbilale

XLII. De Acerbilale

The second image demonstrates bitterness, which follows the gluttony of the belly; because after a person has burdened themselves with excessive greed, they encounter bitterness and harshness in the excess of food, just as winter comes after summer. Just as a leopard is, since all its actions are marked by bitterness, so I bear the weight of two natures, imitating it, as it is both fierce in voice and in action, just as it has shown earlier in its speech. Therefore, they are warned by true words to be generous, and that they should be kind in their generosity, because there is great bitterness where a person turns away from God, and where one hardens oneself against God, as if God were not their helper, and where one gives nothing back to God of what He has granted them. Therefore, O illustrious and wise ones, prepare your souls for God. Isaiah, inspired by me, shows you this when he says: "When you pour out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the noonday."^✦ Thus Isaiah, inspired by me, shows you when he says: "When you pour out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the noon."^✦ And the Lord your God will give you rest, and He will fill your soul with splendor, and He will free your bones; such is His sense. The soul has longing and desire, and it is attached to the flesh, which is born of the earth. And when the soul moves the body, after it has given it life, the body feels the sins from which it came. When the flesh has fulfilled its purpose, the soul hungers for its duty, namely, to do good. But a person should quickly rise to the longing of the soul, so that it may tend toward God, and ascend more swiftly to the desire of embracing God, and hold firmly to the will to love God. The soul understands many good things and many bad things, just as a person often shows in their actions. It is like the wind that blows over the grass, and like the dew that falls upon the grass, and like the rain-filled air that makes it grow. Therefore, a person who desires good will is granted that desire. How? Let the wind be a help to the needy, and let the dew be a comfort to the desolate; let the rain-soaked air refresh those who are weary, and let the teaching fill them like the hungry being satisfied, where He grants them their souls, as He looks upon them with all the strength of His own soul: When you do this, O man, and when you redeem your soul, afflicted by demons and men, chained and imprisoned by sins, with good counsel, and fill it with holy exhortations, the rising of justice will shine in the darkness of sin. When you walk along the good and holy path, so that you cease from sin and begin to do good works, the darkness of your sins won't obscure the light of holiness, but even those who are unwilling will serve. Then the darkness of your sins will fade away, just like the sun sets in the evening; as the day declines after noon, so too will your sins diminish and come to nothing. And so the Lord of all creation will grant you rest from your enemies, and God will do this for you forever; so that they will no longer dominate you, but you will trample them like dust beneath your feet. And He will fill your soul with heavenly joy and the splendor of divine light, just as a clear day illuminates the works of your benefactors; and your bones, indeed the bones of your members, which have done good and holy works, will be freed from corruption, namely in the future resurrection, so that they will no longer be mortal, but will be called holy and incorruptible from now on. The third image signifies impiety, which follows after bitterness, because where bitterness exists in people's minds, there impiety joins in, leaving no joy in the good things of the Lord, but rather tearing apart all that is good as much as it can. The third image indeed reveals impiety, which follows the bitterness of itself; for where bitterness exists in the minds of men, there impiety joins itself, which leaves no joy in the unshaken good of the Lord, but rather tears apart all good things as much as it prevails. It takes on the form of a human, except that its head protrudes from its shoulders like that of a wild beast, resembling both a feral and a human head, because it reigns in humans and presents its beginning in the property of its own conscience, displaying openly bestial and biting behaviors, as well as deceitful ones, hidden under a human appearance. For it rejects true teaching, goodness, obedience, and submission, which are found in God, and it lacks the beauty of justice in all things. For he has large, fiery eyes and a mouth like a leopard, showing great harshness with a burning fury in his intentions, seeking to devour and tear apart whatever he can; he neither desires grace nor mercy, nor does he discern wisdom in discretion; but he attempts to trample the holy and the just everywhere. Therefore, a line of dark-colored wood extends from both jaws to his chin, because both in his biting and in his acting, he possesses a terrible and wicked stubbornness, which also tends toward foolishness; for it is in the illusion of deception that he is without the honor of God. But from both ends of his mouth, the head of the serpent hangs down, because by despising God and man, he does not set a limit to his bitterness, but always moves toward new beginnings in serpentine ways. And he sends forth many flames from his mouth, because he imposes fiery darts of words on people, while making them furious in every way. But the one who kneels, with the rest of his body upright, is inclining his strength toward the worship of idols, while he makes people, raging in impiety, similar to idolaters; he also deceives them in such a way that they think they are righteous and that they practice justice. So he covers his head with a dark and pitch-black veil, like a woman, because he wraps himself in the error of a cruel darkness that lacks the brightness of life. And so, he is clothed in a very dark garment, because he puts on the error of the most wicked cruelty, which deprives him of the brightness of life. To whom the empty sleeves depend, because he gathers his arms inward into the same garment; which means that his works have no perfect usefulness, but when his strength is taken away, they appear to no one in good, just as the same fault, as has been said above, declares in his words. To whom the virtue of piety responds, and it demonstrates that she exists in perpetual curses.