ORATIO LI [ol. L]. AD SANCTAM VIRGINEM MARIAM Cum mens timore premitur.
A Sinner's Flight to Mary
The sinner, trembling before God's judgment, flees to Mary as the merciful mother who bore the world's reconciliation, trusting that her compassion will not fail the wretched who plead.
Venerable virgin to the world, beloved mother to the human race, wonderful woman to the angels, most holy Mary, whose blessed virginity consecrates all integrity, whose glorious childbearing saves all fruitfulness. Great Lady, to whom the joyful assembly of the just gives thanks, to whom the terrified crowd of the guilty flees. To you, powerful and merciful Lady, I — a sinner, and indeed a deeply troubled sinner — flee for refuge. For seeing myself, Lady, before the almighty justice of the strict Judge, and considering the unbearable violence of his wrath, I weigh the enormity of my sins and the frightful scale of the torments they deserve. All the more, then, most merciful Lady, am I shaken with horror, all the more thoroughly terrified with fear — whose intervention I will implore all the more earnestly, she whose womb cherished the reconciliation of the world. So I will all the more confidently hope for your swift aid in time of need, since I know that from you the world's propitiation came forth. Whose intercession will more easily obtain pardon for the accused than hers who nursed the one who is both the universal and singular just Avenger and the merciful Granter of pardon? For just as it is impossible, most blessed one, that you would forget merits so exceptional to us and so necessary for us; so, most gentle one, it is incredible that you would not have mercy on the wretched who plead with you.
If the Son Came to Save, Will the Mother Refuse?
Anselm argues from Christ's mission to save sinners that Mary, his mother, cannot refuse to care for one who cries out in repentance.
The world knows this well enough — and we, the world's sinners, hardly try to hide it. I know it well, Lady, I know it well enough: the Son of Man, or the son of this or that man, came to save what was lost. Will you then forget, Lady, my mother, mother of my hope — will you forget, because of the world's hatred of me, how mercifully this was made known to the world, how blessedly it was proclaimed, how lovingly it was embraced? That good Son of Man came freely to save the lost — and will the mother of God refuse to care for one who is lost and crying out? That good Son of Man came to call the sinner to repentance — and would a good mother scorn someone who prays from within repentance? That — I say — that good God, that gentle man, that merciful Son of God, that devoted Son of Man came to seek the wandering sinner; and will you, his good mother, his powerful mother, mother of God, drive away a wretched person who prays?
The Sinner Stands Before Son and Mother
The penitent places himself before both Christ and Mary, confessing that he belongs to them both and that neither can be reconciled without the other.
For behold, O Virgin, the man from whom was born God and man, so that the sinner, this man, might be saved — behold, before your good son and before his good mother, the sinner repents, confesses, groans, and prays. I beg you, therefore — good Lord and good Lady, I beg you — pious Son and pious Mother, I beg you: by this very truth, by this singular hope of sinners, that just as truly You are His Son and You are His Mother, so that the sinner might be saved — so, so may this sinner be absolved and cared for, healed and saved. Let this sinner of yours test it in himself, let him prove it — because truly You are who You are; let him feel it in himself — because for the salvation of sinners You are who You are: You the Son, and You the Mother. Truly, this sinner belongs to you both. For since I have sinned against the Son, I have provoked the Mother; nor have I offended the Mother without wronging the Son. What will you do, then, O sinner? Where will you flee, then, O sinner? For who will reconcile you to the Son while the Mother is hostile? Who will appease the Mother for you while the Son is angry?
Casting Oneself Between Two Mercies
The sinner throws himself between the devoted Son and devoted Mother, begging each to spare the other's servant and confessing his love for the truth he proclaims about them.
But even if you have both been equally offended, are you not both equally merciful? Let the guilty one, then — guilty before the just God — flee to the tender mother of the merciful God. Let the one who has offended the mother take refuge with the devoted son of a kind mother. Let the guilty one throw himself between the two of them — let him cast himself between a devoted son and a devoted mother. Merciful Lord, spare the servant of your mother; tender lady, spare the servant of your son; good son, appease your mother for your servant; good mother, reconcile your servant to your son.1 Since I am placing myself between two such boundless devotions, may I not fall between two such formidable severities.2 Good son, good mother, let it not be in vain that I confess this truth about you, nor be ashamed that I hope for this devotion in you.3 For I love the truth I confess about you, and I beg the devotion I hope for in you.
Who Will You Spare? Who Will You Save?
Anselm challenges Christ and Mary with urgent questions about whom they will spare, reconcile, and save, imagining the sinner's torments if both should condemn.
Judge of the world, tell me — who will you spare? Reconciler of the world, tell me — whom will you reconcile? If you, Lord, condemn, and you, Lady, turn away this poor creature who confesses your goodness with love and his own evil with grief? Sole Savior, tell me — whom will you save? Mother of salvation, tell me — for whom will you pray? If, with you, Lord, commanding and you, Lady, consenting, torments afflict the sinner — cursing himself, beseeching you; if hell swallows the guilty one — accusing himself, imploring you; if the depths of Tartarus devour the poor wretch — despairing in himself, hoping in you —
Mercy Where Merits Fail
In the final appeal, Anselm begs God and Mary to have mercy where his own merits fall short, praying to escape damnation and enter the joys of the blessed.
God, who became the son of a woman for the sake of mercy; woman, who became the mother of God for the sake of mercy — either have mercy on this wretched one, you by sparing, you by intervening; or show me those to whom I may flee more safely, more merciful than you, and point me to those in whom I may trust more confidently, more powerful than you. For if it is so — or rather, because it is so: my wickedness is so great, and my faith so small, and my love so lukewarm, and my prayer so foolish, and my atonement so imperfect, that I don't deserve forgiveness for my sins or the grace of salvation — this is the very thing I beg of you: that where you see my merits are not enough for me, there your mercy may not fail. I pray, therefore — I pray: hear me, but for your sake, not for mine, through the piety with which you overflow, through the power with which you abound, so that I may escape the deserved sufferings of the damned and deserve to enter the joys of the blessed — praising you, God, who are blessed and most praiseworthy forever and ever. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Virgo mundo venerabilis, mater humano generi amabilis, femina angelis mirabilis, Maria sanctissima, cujus beata virginitate omnis sacratur integritas, cujus glorioso partu omnis salvatur fecunditas. Domina magna, cui gratias agit concie laeta justorum, ad quam fugit territa turba reorum. Ad te, praepotens et misericors domina, ego peccator et utique nimis peccator anxius confugio. Videns enim me, domina, ante districti judicis omnipotentem justitiam, et considerans irae ejus intolerabilem vehementiam, perpendo peccatorum meorum enormitatem, et condignam tormentorum immanitatem. Tanto igitur, domina clementissima, horrore turbatus, tanto pavore perterritus, cujus enixius implorabo interventionem, quam cujus uterus mundi fovit reconciliationem. Unde securius velocem in necessitate subventionem sperabo, quam unde mundo processisse propitiationem scio? Aut cujus intercessio facilius reo veniam impetrabit, quam quae illum generalem et singularem justum ultorem et misericordem indultorem lactavit? Sicut namque, beatissima, impossibile est ut haec merita tibi tam singularia nobis tam necessaria obliviscaris; sic, mitissima, incredibile est ut supplicantibus miseris non miserearis.
Bene quippe novit mundus, nec nos mundi peccatores ullatenus dissimulare patimur: satis, inquam, o domina, satis novimus, qui Filius hominis, vel cujus hominis filius venit salvum facere quod perierat. Nunquid ergo tu, domina mea, mater spei meae, nunquid oblivisceris tu, odio mei, quod mundo tam misericorditer est intimatum, tam feliciter divulgatum, tam amanter amplexatum? Ille bonus filius hominis venit perditum salvare sponte, et mater Dei poterit perditum clamantem non curare? Bonus ille filius hominis venit vocare peccantem ad poenitentiam; et bona mater contemnet precantem in poenitentia? ille, inquam, bonus Deus, mitis homo, misericors Filius Dei, pius Filius hominis venit quaerere errantem peccatorem; et tu bona mater ejus, potens mater Dei, repelles miserum orantem?
Ecce enim, o Virgo, homo de qua natus est Deus homo ut salvaretur peccator homo, ecce coram bono filio tuo, et coram bona matre ejus poenitet et confitetur, gemit et orat peccator homo. Obsecro ergo vos, bone Domine et bona domina, obsecro vos, pie fili et pia mater, obsecro vos per hanc ipsam veritatem, per hanc singularem spem peccatorum ut sicut vere tu es filius ejus, et tu mater ejus ut salvetur peccator, sic sic absolvatur et curetur, sanetur et salvetur hic peccator. Probet in se, probet hic vester peccator quia vere estis, sentiat in se quia propter salutem peccatorum estis tu filius, et tu mater. Vester certe amborum peccator. Cum enim peccavi in filium, irritavi matrem; nec offendi matrem, sine injuria filii. Quid ergo facies peccator? Quo igitur fugies peccator? Quis enim te reconciliabit filio, inimica matre; Qui tibi placabit matrem irato filio?
sed et si ambo pariter offensi estis, nonne et ambo clementes estis? Fugiat ergo reus justi Dei ad piam matrem misericordis Dei. Refugiat reus offensae matris ad pium filium benignae matris. Ingerat se reus utriusque inter utrumque, injiciat se inter pium filium et matrem piam. Pie Domine, parce servo matris tuae; pia domina, parce servo filii tui; bone fili, placa matrem tuam servo tuo; bona mater, reconcilia servum tuum filio tuo. Qui me injicio inter duas tam immensas pietates, non incidam in duas tam potentes severitates. Bone fili, bona mater, non mihi sit frustra quod confiteor de vobis hanc veritatem, nec erubescam quod spero in vobis hanc pietatem. Amo enim veritatem quam confiteor de vobis, et deprecor pietatem quam spero in vobis.
Dic, mundi judex, cui parces? Dic, mundi reconciliatrix, quem tu reconciliabis: si tu, Domine, damnas; et tu, domina, averteris homunculum bona vestra cum amore, mala sua cum moerore confitentem? Salvator singularis, dic quem salvabis? Salutis mater, dic pro quo orabis? si te, Domine, praecipiente, et te, domina, consentiente, tormenta vexant peccatorem se exsecrantem, vos obsecrantem; si infernus absorbet reum se accusantem, vos deprecantem; si tartara devorant pauperem in se desperantem, in vobis sperantem.
Deus, qui factus es filius feminae propter misericordiam; femina, quae facta es mater Dei propter misericordiam, aut miseremini miseri, tu parcendo, tu interveniendo; aut ostendite ad quos tutius fugiam misericordiores, et monstrate in quibus certius confidam potentiores. Si enim est, imo quia est tam magna mea iniquitas, et tam modica fides mea, tam tepida charitas mea, tam fatua oratio mea, tam imperfecta satisfactio mea, ut non merear delictorum veniam, nec salutis gratiam; hoc est ipsum quod supplico: ut in quo merita mea mihi videtis non sufficere, in eo misericordiae vestrae dignentur non deficere. Precor, itaque, precor, exaudite me, sed propter vos non propter me, per pietatem qua exundatis, per potestatem qua abundatis, ut evadam meritos dolores damnatorum, et intrare merear in gaudia beatorum, te Deum laudaturus, qui es benedictus et superlaudibilis in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩The repeated vocative structure (Pie Domine… pia domina… bone fili… bona mater) is rendered with varied English adjectives to preserve naturalness while keeping the prayer's direct, intimate address.
- 2 ↩pietas rendered as 'devotion' in the sense of tender, loving devotion (not mere dutifulness); severitas as 'severity' to preserve the contrast with pietas.
- 3 ↩pietas in the second instance rendered as 'devotion' (loving care); in the first instance 'truth' renders veritas.
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