De vita Mariae Virginis, et septem petitionibus ejus
Mary in the Temple
The narrator asks for grace to love neighbor, hate sin, and gain virtues, then introduces Mary’s childhood in the temple and her resolve to please God.
Second, I was asking for the grace to love my neighbor according to God's will and good pleasure, and to make me love everything that he himself loves and delights in. Third, I was asking to make me hate and flee everything that he hates. Fourth, I was asking for humility, patience, blessed Virgin, from whom the incarnation was made, gentleness, and all virtues B. of the Virgin Mary. we can meditate on his life. So you should know that when she was three years old, she was brought by her parents to the temple, and she remained there until she was fourteen. What she did there, however, we can learn from revelations made to a certain devout woman—believed to have been Saint Elizabeth, whose feast we solemnly celebrate—in which these things, among others, are recorded. When my father and mother left me in the temple, I resolved in my heart to have God as my father, and devotedly and often I pondered what I could do to please God, that he would deign to give me his grace, and I had myself taught the law of my God.
The Three Precepts of Love
Mary recounts the three commandments she cherished—love of God, love of neighbor, and hatred of enemies—and explains how they summarize all virtues and the interior life.
Out of all the commandments of God's law, there are three precepts I have kept especially close in my heart: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.✦ And also: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.✦ And also: You shall hold your enemy in hatred.✦ These things I have kept in my soul, and in them all the virtues are at once comprised which are contained in them — and this is how I want you to live. Now the soul cannot possess any virtue at all if it does not love God with its whole heart. For it is from this love that the fullness of every grace descends, and without it no virtue descends into the soul or endures there — it flows away like water — unless one holds one's enemies, that is, vices and sins, in hatred. So whoever wants to have and possess his grace must set his heart to love and to hatred. So I want you to do as I myself used to do.
Seven Petitions at the Altar
Mary describes her nightly prayer before the altar and introduces the seven petitions she made to God, supported by citations from authorities.
I would always rise in the middle of the night and go before the altar of the temple, and with as much desire, as much will, and as much affection as I could muster and knew how to bring, I would ask almighty God for the grace to observe those three precepts and all the other commandments of the law. And so, standing before the altar, I used to make seven petitions to the Lord, which are these: first, I would ask for the grace by which I might fulfill the precept of love — namely, to love him with my whole [heart], etc. Damascene, On the Faith. Orthodox. Nicephorus. Ecclesiastes. History. Chapter 12.
Humble Seeking of Grace
The text continues Mary’s petitions, including grace, devotion to the Virgin, obedience, and temple service, followed by a humble exchange about her unworthiness.
[…] through which I might be made gracious in his sight. Fifth, I was asking that he would let me see the time in which that most blessed Virgin was born, who was to bear the Son of God; and that he would keep my eyes so that I might see her; my tongue, so that I might praise her; my hands, so that I might serve her; my feet, so that I might go to her service; my knees, so that I might adore the Son of God in her lap. Sixth, I was asking the grace to obey the commands and ordinances of the High Priest of the temple. Seventh, I was asking that he would preserve the temple and all his people for his service. When these things had been heard, the handmaid of Christ said: 'O sweetest Lady, were you not full of grace and virtues?' The Blessed Virgin responded. The Virgin: 'Know for certain that I considered myself guilty, and most worthless, and unworthy of God's grace—just as you do.' That is why I was asking in this way for grace and virtues.
Grace, Labor, and Self-Emptying
Mary teaches that every grace required labor, prayer, and suffering, and describes how grace brings humble self-forgetfulness, followed by a summary of her rule of life and excellence in virtue.
And again: Daughter, do you believe that I received every grace without labor? But it is not so. I tell you this: no grace, gift, or virtue came to me from God without great labor, continual prayer, burning desire, deep devotion, many tears, and much affliction — speaking and always thinking on what pleased Him, as best I knew and was able — except the grace of sanctification, by which I was sanctified in my mother's womb. And she added: Know for certain that no grace descends into the soul except through prayer and bodily affliction. But after we have given God what we can — even if it is little — grace herself comes into the soul, bringing with her the highest gifts, so that the soul seems to fail within itself, and it loses its memory and cannot recall having done or said anything pleasing to God. And then it seems to itself more worthless and more despised than it has ever been. So much for her words and revelations. Blessed Jerome, indeed, writes this about her life: "She had established this rule for herself…" The Virgin had decided that from morning until the third hour she would devote herself to prayer; from the third to the ninth hour she would occupy herself with external work; but from the ninth hour onward she would not withdraw from prayer until the Angel appeared to her, from whose hand she was accustomed to receive food — and she grew ever more in God's work and love. It came about that in watchfulness she was found foremost, in knowledge of God's law more learned, in humility more humble, in Davidic songs more graceful, in love more glorious, in purity more peerless, in every virtue more perfect.
The Blameless Life of Mary
Mary’s unshakable peace, gracious speech, continual prayer, care in community, and hidden reception of angelic food are described as signs of her holiness.
For she was steadfast and unshaken, and as each day passed more smoothly, no one ever saw or heard her growing angry. Everything she said was so full of grace that God could be recognized in the way she spoke. She remained always in prayer and in the study of God's law. And she was careful around her companions, that none of them might sin in any conversation, that none might raise her voice in laughter, and that none might inflict injuries or pride against her peer. She blessed God without interruption, and so that she might not perhaps be distracted from God's praises by her own greeting, if anyone greeted her, she would respond, "Thanks be to God," for her greeting. Indeed, she was the first to go out from herself, so that while people are greeted, they might say, "Thanks be to God." Concerning the food she received from the angel's hand, she kept silent; but what she received from the priests at the time, she distributed to the poor. Daily she seemed to be speaking to the angels, and as if she were obeying a dearest sister or mother, she yielded to it.
From Betrothal to Incarnation
The chapter closes by noting Jerome’s account, Mary’s betrothal and return to Nazareth, and the invitation to meditate on these events before moving to the Incarnation.
So far, Jerome. In the fourteenth year, however, the blessed Virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph through divine revelation, and she returned to Nazareth. How many times this had been done, you may find in the reading about her nativity. And these are the things we can meditate on before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus. You may ponder them well and take delight in them, commending them to memory with your whole heart, and fulfilling them in deed, because they are most devout. Now let us come to the incarnation.
Read the original Latin
Sccundo petebam gratiam, qua possem diligere proximum secundum voluntatem et beneplacitum suum, et ut faceret me amare omnia, quae ipse amat et diligit. Tertio petebam, ut me faceret odire et fiigere omnia, quse odit. Quarto petebam humilitatem, paticntiam, beCirca Virginem, ex qua incarnatio facta fuit, nignitatem, et mansuetudinem, et omnes virtules B. Mari" rginis. meditari possumus vitam ipsius. Unde scire debes, quod ' dum esset trium annorum, fuit a parentibus oblata in templum, ct ibi stetit usque ad decimum quartum annum. Quid autem ibi fecerit, scire possumus ex revelationibus suis, factis cuidam suce devotae; et creditur, quod fuit sancta Elisabeth, cujus festum solemniter celebramus: in quibus haec inter alia continentur. Cum pater meus et mater mea me dimiserunt in templo, statui in corde meo habere Deum in patrem: et devote ac frequenter cogitabam, quid possem facere Deo gratum, ut dignaretur mihi dare gratiam suam, et feci me doceri legem Dei mei.
Ex omnibus taraen praeceptis divinae legis, tria praecepta preecipue servavi in corde meo, videlicet: Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo et ex tota anima txia, et ex tota rnente tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis. Item: Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum. Item: Eabebis odio inimicum tuum. Ista servavi in animo meo, et statim omnes virtutes comprehendi, quae in ipsis continentur; et ita volo te facere. Anima autem ahquam virtutem habere non potest, si Deum toto corde non diligat. Ab isto enim amore descendit omnis gratiae plenitudo, sine qua nuUa virtus in animam descendit, nec perseverat in anima; sed fluit ut aqua, nisi suos inimicos, id est, vitia et peccata habuerit odio. Qui vult ergo suam gratiam habere et possidere, oportet eum cor suum ad amorem et odium ordinare. Volo ergo te facere, ut faciebam ego.
Surgebam enim semper in noctis medio, et pergebam ante altare temph, et tanto desiderio, et tanta voluntate, et tanta affectione, quanta poteram et sciebam, petebam gratiam ab omnipotenti Deo observandi illa tria praecepta, et omnia aha mandata legis. Et sic stando ante altare, septem petitiones Domino faciebam, qute sunt hae: Primo enim petebam gratiam, qua possem implere dilectionis praeceptum, scilicet ipsum dihgere ex toto, etc. > Damasc, de Fid. orthod. , Niceph. , Ecdes. Hist. , XII.
tes, per quas efficerer gratiosa ante conspectum suum. Quinto petebam, ut faceret me videre tempus, in quo esset nata illa beatissima Virgo, quae debebat Filium Dei parere; et ut conservaret oculos meos, ut possem eam videre; linguam, ut possera eam laudare; manus, ut possem ei servire; pedes, ut possem ire ad servitium suum; genua, ut possem adorare Dei Filium in greraio suo. Sexto petebam gratiam obediendi mandatis et ordinationibus Pontificis templi. Septimo petebam, ut templum et universum populum sunm ad servitium suum conservaret. His auditis, dixit ancilla Christi: 0 dulcissima Domina, non eratis vos gratia et virtutibus plena? Respondit B. Virgo: Pro firmo scias, quod ita me reputabam ream, et vilissimam, et gratia Dei indignam sicut tu. Propterea petebam sic gratiam et virtutes.
Et iterum: Filia, tu credis, quod omnem gratiara quara habui, habuerira sine labore; sed non est ita. Irao dico tibi, quod nullam gratiam, donum vel virtutem habui a Deo sine magno labore, continua oratione, ardenti desiderio, profunda devotione, multis lacrymis, et raulta afflictione, dicendo, cogitando semper placita sibi, sicut sciebara et poteram, excepta sanctificationis gratia, qua sanclificata fui in utero matris. Et addidit: Pro firmo scias, quod nulla gratia descendit in animara, nisi per orationemetcorporis afflictionem. Postquam autem dedimus Deo quae per nos possumus, licet sint pauca, ipsa venit in animam, secum ferens ista altissima dona, quod videtur anima in seipsa deficere, et perdit memoriara, et non recordatur se fecisse, vel dixisse aliquid Deo gratura, et tunc videtur sibi ipsi vihor et despectior, quam unquara fuerit. Hucusque de dictis revelationibus. Beatus vero Hieronyraus de vita ipsius scribit: " Hanc sibi regulam B. Virgo statuerat, ut a mane usque ad horam tertiam orationibus insisteret; a tertia usque ad nonam, externo opere se occuparet; a nona vero iterum ab oratione non recedebat, quousque dum illi Angelus appareret, decujus manu escam accipere solebat, et melius in Dei opere et amore proficiebat. Fiebat, ut in vigiliis inveniretur prior, in sapientia legis Dei eruditior, in humilitate humiUor, in carminibus Davidicis elegantior, in charitate gloriosior, in puritate parior, in omni virtute perfeclior.
Erat enim constans et immobilis, et cum quotidie melius transisset, hanc irascentem nullus vel vidit vel audivit. Omnis sermo ejus ita erat gratia plenus, ut cognosceretur in Ungua ejus Deus. Semper in oratione et in scrutaUone legis Dei permanebat. Et erat solUcita circa socias suas, ne aUqua ex eis in ullo sermone peccaret, ne aUqua in risu vocem suam exaUaret, ne aUqua injurias aut superbiam contra parem suam exerceret. Sine intermissione benedicebat Deum; et ne forte in salutaUone sua a Dei laudibus tolleretur, si quis eam salutabat, iUa pro salutaUone sua, Deo gratias, respondebat. Denique primum ex ipsa exiit, ut dum salutantur hominis sancU, Deo gratias dicant. De esca quam de manu AngeU accipiebat, ipsa reticiebatur: quam vero a pontificlbus tempU accipiebat,pauperibus erogabat. QuoUdie videbatur ei Angekis loqui, etquasi charissimae sorori vel matri obtemperabat ei.
" Hucusque Hieronymus. [n quartodecimo autem anno fuit beata Virgo Maria desponsata Joseph per divinam revelaUonem, et rediit-in Nazareth; quod quaUter fuerit factum, invenias in legenda de nativitate sua. Et haec sunt quae ante incarnaUonem Domini Jesu possumus meditari: ipsa rumines bene, et delecteris in eis, toto affectu ea memoriae commendando, et opere adimplendo, quia devotissima sunt. Nunc ad incarnaUonem veniamus
Scripture echoes
- ↩Deut.6.5 — And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
- ↩Lev.19.18 — You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
- ↩Ps.139.21-Ps.139.22 — Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And with those who rise against you, do I not contend? Ps.139.22 — With perfect hatred I have hated them; they have become my enemies.
Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion
A scene a day, for life
Chosen Portion continues this rhythm: one short reading and prayer every morning, free on iOS
The Meditationes portioned Christ's life into daily scenes for lay meditation — the exact daily-portion model Chosen Portion delivers to your phone.
- Keep the one-scene-a-day habit going after day 30, automatically
- 10 minutes each morning: reading, meditation prompt, closing prayer
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