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Chapter 90MedVC.1.90

De reditu Domini ad sanctos Patres post resurrectionem

The Lord Returns to the Holy Fathers

After leaving Peter, Christ returns in glory with angels to the holy fathers in paradise, who receive him with jubilant praise and worship.

So then, when the Lord Jesus departed from Peter—since he had not yet visited the holy fathers after his resurrection, whom he had left behind in the paradise of delights—he returned to them, proceeding in a white robe with a multitude of angels. Seeing him from afar in such great glory, they received him with unspeakable exultation and jubilation, with songs and praises, saying: 'Behold, this one is ours; come, let us meet our Savior.' 'A great beginning, and his kingdom will have no end.' 'A hallowed day has shone upon us; come, all of us, and let us worship the Lord.' And falling to the ground, they worshipped him. And rising and standing with him, they reverently and joyfully fulfilled their praises, saying: 'The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered; my flesh has blossomed again, Lord; you fill us with joy in your presence, delights at your right hand forever.'✦ 'You have risen, our glory; we will exult and rejoice in you.' 'Your kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages, and your dominion endures from generation to generation.'

The Day of Redemption and Christ's Eternal Reign

The redeemed proclaim the day of redemption, rejoice in Christ's kingship, and celebrate his victory and wondrous deeds.

We will not turn away from you; you will raise us up, and we will exalt your name.1 The one who has gone ahead of us has entered in — he has been made a high priest for all eternity.✦✦23 This is the day the Lord has made — let us exult and rejoice in it.4 Today the day has dawned for us — the day of redemption, of ancient restoration, of eternal happiness.✦5 Today the heavens have been made to flow with honey throughout the whole world, because the Lord has reigned from the wood.67 The Lord has reigned — he is clothed in splendor. The Lord is clothed in strength and has girded himself.89 Sing to him a new song, because he has done wondrous things.10 His right hand and his holy arm have won him the victory.11

Christ's Compassion and Promise to His Scattered Disciples

The faithful worship Christ as their shepherd, and he promises to visit his grieving disciples, strengthen them, and return soon.

But we are his people and the sheep of his pasture — come, let us worship him.✦12 Now as the evening hour drew near, the Lord Jesus said to them: I grieve with my brothers, because on account of my death they are saddened and terrified, scattered like wandering sheep, and they long greatly to see me.✦✦1314 I will go therefore and show myself to them; I will strengthen them and comfort them; I will return to you soon.15 But they fell down and said: So be it, Lord, as you have said.✦1617

Read the original Latin

Dominus ergo Jesus cum discessit a Petro, quia nondum visitaverat sanctos patres post resurrecfionem suam, quos in Paradiso deliciarum dimiserat, rediit ad eos, procedens in stola candida cum multitudine augelorum. Quem ipsi in tanta gloria conspicientes a louge, cum indicibili exultatione ct jubilo, canticis et laudibus, suscipiunt eum, dicentes: Ecce Hex noster; venite, occurramus Salvatori nostro. 3 Magnum principium, et regni ejus non erit finis. Dies sancfificatus illuxit nobis, venite omnes, et adoremus Dominum. Et procidentes in terram adoraverunt eum. et surgentes, et stantes cum eo, reverenter et jucunde compleverunt laudes suas, diceates: Vicit Leo de tribu Juda; refloruit, Dcmine, caro mea; adimples nos laetiUa cum vultu tuo, delectationes in dextera tua usque infinem. Resurrexisti, gioria nostra; exultabimus et laetabimur inte. Regnum tuum, regnum omnium saeculorum, et dominatio tua usque in generatione et generationera.

Et nos non discedimus a te; resuscitabis nos, et nomen tuum exaltabimus. PraBCursor pro nobis ingressus est, Pontifex factus in aeteruum. Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus, exultemus et laetemur in ea. Hodie illuxit nobis dies redemptionis, reparationis antiquae, felicitatis aelernae. Hodie per totum mundum melliflui facti sunt coeh: quia Dominus regnavit a ligno. Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est, indutus est Dominus fortiiudiuem, et praecinxit se. Cantate ei canticum novum, quia mirabilia fecit. Salvavit sibi dextera ejus, et brachium sanctum ejus.

Nos autem populus ejus et oves pascuae ejus, venite, adoremus eum. Appropinquante autem hora vespertina, dicit eis Dominus Jesus: Compalior fratribus meis, quia propter mortem meam contristati et conterriti, disperguntur sicul oves errantes, et multum desiderant me videre. Vadam ergo et ostendam me ipsis; confortabo et consolabor eos; cito revertar ad vos. At ilh procidentes dixerunl: Sic fiat, Dominc, ut dixistis

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Rev.5.5 — And one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.'
  2. ↩Heb.6.20 — where Jesus has entered on our behalf as a forerunner, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
  3. ↩Heb.7.24 — But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently.
  4. ↩Luke.4.18-Luke.4.19 — "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send the oppressed away in freedom." Luke.4.19 — "To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
  5. ↩Ps.95.7 — For he is God over us, and we are the people of his pasture and the flock of his hand. Today, if you would listen to his voice—
  6. ↩Zech.13.7;Matt.26.31 — Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me — declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. Matt.26.31 — Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"
  7. ↩Ps.23.1-Ps.23.2 — A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing. Ps.23.2 — He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.
  8. ↩Luke.24.53 — and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The first clause echoes Psalm 124(125):1 (Vulgate: 'Qui confidunt in Domino… non commovebitur in aeternum') and the language of persevering in God's presence; the second clause resonates with Psalm 88(89):17 ('et in nomine tuo exultabitur'). Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
  2. 2 ↩The manuscript reads 'PraBCursor' (uncertain form) and 'aeteruum' (uncertain, possibly aeternum). Normalized reading translated as praecursor and aeternum. Translation follows the most plausible intended sense.
  3. 3 ↩The language of Christ as 'praecursor' (forerunner) who has 'entered in' and been made high priest draws on Hebrews 6:20 and the broader Christology of Hebrews 7–9. The saints in the narrative are speaking of Christ's ascension and eternal priesthood.
  4. 4 ↩Direct quotation of Psalm 117(118):24 (Vulgate), a well-known Easter antiphon.
  5. 5 ↩The manuscript reads 'aelernae' (uncertain form, possibly aeternae). Translated as 'eternal' following the most plausible intended sense.
  6. 6 ↩The manuscript reads 'coeh' (uncertain reading, possibly a variant of caeli) and 'melliflui' (form and agreement uncertain). Translated as 'heavens' and 'honey-flowing' following the most plausible intended sense.
  7. 7 ↩'The Lord has reigned from the wood' is a well-known Easter antiphon (Vexilla Regis tradition), referring to the cross as the wood from which Christ reigns. The honey-flowing heavens echo the sweetness of redemption poured out on the world.
  8. 8 ↩The manuscript reads 'fortiiudiuem' (uncertain form, possibly fortitudinem). Translated as 'strength' following the most plausible intended sense.
  9. 9 ↩Direct quotation of Psalm 92(93):1 (Vulgate): 'Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est… indutus est Dominus fortitudinem, et praecinxit se.'
  10. 10 ↩Direct quotation of Psalm 97(98):1 (Vulgate): 'Cantate Domino canticum novum, quia mirabilia fecit.'
  11. 11 ↩Direct quotation of Psalm 97(98):1b (Vulgate): 'salvavit sibi dextera ejus, et brachium sanctum ejus.' The psalm celebrates God's saving power revealed to the nations.
  12. 12 ↩The sentence closely echoes Psalm 95:7 (Vulgate 94:7): 'Quia ipse est Dominus Deus noster, et nos populus pascuae ejus et oves manus ejus.' The phrase 'populus ejus et oves pascuae ejus' is a direct liturgical quotation.
  13. 13 ↩Compalior is a rare/medieval form, possibly meaning 'I suffer with' or 'I sympathize.' Rendered as 'I grieve with' to capture the sense of shared sorrow.
  14. 14 ↩Sicul is an orthographic variant of sicut ('like/as'). Disperguntur may be a medieval variant spelling. Both normalized in translation.
  15. 15 ↩Vadam, ostendam, and revertar are morphologically ambiguous between future indicative and present subjunctive. Rendered as futures to match the declarative promise.
  16. 16 ↩Ilh is an uncertain form, likely a medieval variant of illi/illi ('they'). Dixerunl is a non-standard perfect form, likely dixerunt ('they said'). Dominc is a non-standard vocative, likely domine ('Lord'). All normalized in translation.
  17. 17 ↩Ut is ambiguous between comparative ('as') and result ('so that'). Rendered as comparative 'as' to match the responsive acclamation.

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