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Chapter 64Ansl.1.64

ORATIO LXVI [ol. LXIV]. AD SANCTUM ANDRAEAM APOSTOLUM

The Soul at the Door of Mercy

The soul, destitute and shut out by all others, takes refuge at the door of Andrew's mercy, crying out for the bread it cannot find elsewhere.

Holy and devout Andrew, brother of the prince of the apostles, most loving of the apostles, gentlest of the saints: you are the disciple of John and his earnest listener; you are the eager pursuer of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, and the diligent seeker of his dwelling; in Philip your brother and your fellow citizen Simon, you were the one who eagerly led him to Jesus: you, I say, the preacher and lover of the cross, and through it the devout imitator of the good Master — at the door of your mercy my soul sits and cries out, begging.✦✦ Lend an ear of compassion, open the door of mercy, and admit the cry of this poor soul fleeing to you for refuge: you whose mercy was so great that all the devout call you by the name 'the merciful Andrew.' There is no one to intercede for me with you; there is no one to bring my need before you. Then let your own mercy plead for me before you, and make you gracious toward me. If my wretched and pitiful soul has turned away from you, if it has not received from you the bread of mercy, where will it go? Whom will it beg? Shut out by others, it flees to you — the one it had heard was renowned for boundless mercy. Wasted with hunger, my soul will utterly fail, because coming from far away it has nothing to eat, and there is no one to take pity on it and grant it some good.✦

Wounded Among Robbers

The soul, stripped and left for dead by vice, appeals to the compassion Christ showed the hungry crowd, pleading that mercy be not withheld where need is greatest.

What's more, she has fallen among robbers who stripped her of the love of God and every virtue, and wounded her with the deadly weapons of vice, leaving her — I won't say half-dead, but nearly completely extinguished.✦ Let that compassion come to mind at last — the compassion that the fountain of all piety showed toward such people, and from which you yourself drew such great piety. I have compassion on the crowd, he says, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.✦ You heard it, you were there, you witnessed it — when he took pity on them and fully satisfied more than five thousand people with five loaves.✦ Will you, then, hold back the tenderness of your piety from a soul now wasting away with hunger, one who seeks from you the bread of mercy, and who has been waiting for you this long while? Will you be unmerciful to me alone? Is it because I have sinned too greatly that mercy is entirely denied me — is that what I have earned? Surely mercy and piety are not needed where there is no misery or need.

The Dilemma of Persistent Prayer

The soul presses its plea, caught between the danger of silence and the fear of weariness, and begs the good Teacher to teach it how to pray with effect.

And the greater the need pressing in, the more praiseworthy mercy becomes. So who will imitate the teacher of piety by following the precept of piety, if you—praised as pious above all others—do not imitate him? Am I wearing you out with my persistence? But what am I supposed to do? For if I don't cry out, death is upon me, because I'll fail and perish. But if I don't stop crying out, I'm afraid I'll become a burden to you. Good teacher, teach my heart what to pray and how to plead with you so that something actually comes of it.

Mired and Struggling to Rise

The soul, sunk in vice and exhausted from its own struggle, calls upon Andrew's devotion and compassion, pleading not to be shut out when it longs to return.

Good Teacher, taught by the One who does not will the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live, look with merciful regard upon this sinful soul, which longs to turn back and return to its Creator.✦ Immersed in the mire of its vices, it struggles and tries to rise, but having no strength by which it can lift itself up, it now gives out in wretched exhaustion. Now it has long cried out in its struggle, and it waits for you. His eyes have failed while he hopes in his God.✦ Where, then, is your devotion? Where your goodness? Where your compassion? Lest it perish utterly in despair, stretch out your hand to the one who seeks; lift them up, hold them, sustain them, until they reach the One for whom they thirst, the One whom they desire — that is, until they come at last to the mercy of their Creator. Shepherd of the Church, welcome the stray sheep that longs to return; it searches and pleads to be taken back in.✦ Do you shut out the one who wants to come in — the very one you would call back if she were unwilling to return, and carry home on your shoulders?✦

The Lion, the Shepherd, and the Lost Sheep

Invoking Andrew's own cry from the cross and Christ's command to 'go and do likewise,' the soul asks Andrew to show the same merciful help he himself received.

If you shut her out, the chief shepherd will feel the loss to his own flock.✦ The lion goes around seeking someone to devour — and it was from that very beast that you yourself perhaps feared being devoured, when from the cross you cried out with a prayer both devout and easily entreated: 'Do not let me, Lord, your servant, be separated from you any longer, wandering like a sheep that has no shepherd.'✦✦ The chief shepherd heard and granted your cry then, and at once he took you up and placed you with himself in heaven. Hear now, then, the cry of this lost sheep, which has come back from far away and begs to be let in.✦ Show that soul the same merciful help that the devoted shepherd showed you, since you were facing the very same need. Welcome her — she wants to return to the sheepfold, to be joined once more to her own flock from which she had wandered, longing for it with her whole heart. When the Lord told the story of that wounded man whom the Samaritan healed, what did he add at the end?✦ 'Go and do likewise.'✦

The Wounded Soul and the Final Plea

The soul lies wounded before Andrew, begs the oil of mercy and his intercession with Christ, and resolves to return to the shepherd through the saint's protection.

Here before you lies my soul, wounded and badly torn. Pour in the oil of mercy, apply the support of your intercession, if in any way I can escape the danger of eternal death.12 He will gladly hear you interceding for us — he who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for all of us.3 You too, my soul — sick beast, sheep lost through your own doing — return to the shepherd.4 And because you don't deserve to be admitted on your own merit, ask devout Andrew to take you into the shelter of his protection, so that through his intercession the merciful Savior — who came to seek what had gone astray and to save what had perished — may heal the sick one, rescue the lost one, lead the wandering one back to the fold, and bring her into the flock, who is blessed forever.567 Amen.

Read the original Latin

Sancte et pie Andraea, frater principis apostolorum, piissime apostolorum, mitissime sanctorum; tu Joannis discipulus et sedulus auditor; tu Agni peccata mundi tollentis promptus insecutor, et mansionis ipsius diligens investigator; in Simonis germani tui et concivis vestri Philippi avidus ad Jesum deductor: tu, inquam, crucis praedicator et amator, et magistri boni per eam pius imitator, ad pietatis tuae januam sedet et clamat mendicans anima mea. Adhibe aurem miserationis, aperi januam pietatis, et admitte clamorem pauperis ad te confugientis: tu, cujus pietas tanta exstitit, ut ab universis pius Andraeas cognomineris. Non est interventor qui pro me tibi suggerat; non est qui indigentiae meae necessitatem coram te proferat. Ipsa itaque pietas tua pro me suggerat apud te, et te exorabilem reddat circa me. Si a te misera et miserabilis anima mea aversa fuerit, si a te misericordiae panem non acceperit, ad quem ibit? Quem exorabit? Ab aliis exclusa confugit ad te, quem audierat praedicabilem immensa pietate. Fame consumpta prorsus deficiet, quia de longe veniens non habet quod manducet, nec aliquis est, qui illius misereatur, et aliquid boni sibi eroget.

Quin etiam incidit in latrones, qui amore Dei et cunctis virtutibus eam spoliarunt, mortiferis etiam telis vitiorum convulneraverunt, relinquentes eam non dico semivivam sed pene omnino exstinctam. Veniat tandem tibi in mentem miseratio illa quam super tales exhibuit fons ille totius pietatis, a quo hausisti tantam pietatem. Misereor, inquit,, super turbam esurientem, quia jam triduo sustinent me, nec habent quod manducent. Audisti, affuisti, interfuisti, quando miserans eos, de quinque panibus satiavit ad plenum plusquam quinque millia hominum. Continebis itaque viscera pietatis tuae super animam fame jam deficientem, panem misericordiae a te exquirentem, et tandin jam te sustinentem? An mihi soli impius eris? An quia nimium deliqui, ut mihi misericordia omnino denegetur, promerui? Certe misericordia et pietas non est necessaria, ubi non est miseria aut indigentia.

Et quanto major perurget indigentia, tanto praedicabilior est misericordia. Quis ergo imitabitur magistrum pietatis in exsequendo praecepto pietatis, si tu non imitaris, qui prae caeteris pius praedicaris? Inquietaris importunitate mea? Sed quid agam? Si enim non clamavero, mors mihi est, quia deficiam et peribo. Si autem clamare non omisero, molestus tibi esse timeo. Doctor bone, edoce cor meum quid orare, et quomodo cum aliqua efficacia debeat te exorare.

Doctor bone, ab eo qui non vult mortem peccatoris, sed ut convertatur et vivat, edoctus, respice miserationis respectu in animam peccatricem, quae converti ac reverti concupiscit ad suum Creatorem. In limo vitiorum demersa nititur et conatur exsurgere, sed non habens vires, quibus se valeat erigere, deficit jam miserabili lassitudine. Jam diu laborando clamat, et sustinet te. Defecerunt oculi illius dum sperat in Deum suum. Ubi itaque est pietas, ubi bonitas, ubi miseratio tua? Ne desperatione prorsus intereat, porrige manum petenti, erige, tene, sustine, donec ad eum quem sitit, ad quem desiderat, videlicet ad sui Creatoris misericordiam perveniat. Pastor Ecclesiae, admitte aberrantem ovem, quae reverti cupit, explorat et implorat, ut mereatur admitti. Excludes introire volentem, quam redire nolentem revocares, et humeris impositam deportares?

Si excluseris, sentiet summus pastor detrimentum gregis sui. Leo enim circuiens quaerit quem devoret, a quo tu ipse forte devorari metuebas, quando pia et exorabili prece de cruce clamabas: Non me permittas, Domine, famulum tuum diutius a te separari errantem, sicut ovem non habentem pastorem. Audivit et exaudivit tunc clamorem tuum summus pastor, et protinus assumptum secum collocavit in coelo. Audi itaque nunc clamorem perditae ovis, quae revertitur de longe, et deprecatur admitti. Exhibe ei eamdem miserationis opem quam tibi exhibuit pastor pius, cum eamdem subires necessitatem. Suscipe eam ad ovile redire volentem gregi suo, a quo aberraverat, sociari toto corde anhelantem. De illo quippe sauciato quem Samaritanus curavit, cum Dominus commemorasset, quid tandem subintulit? Vade, et tu fac similiter?

Ecce coram te jacet sauciata et male laniata anima mea. Infunde oleum miserationis, adhibe suffragia tuae interventionis, si aliquo modo queat evadere periculum aeternae mortis. Audiet te libenter supplicantem pro nobis, qui proprio Filio non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum. Tu quoque, anima mea, pecus morbidum, ovis perdita per temetipsam, recurre ad pastorem. Et quia per te non mereris admitti, roga Andraeam pium, ut te admittat ad sinum suae protectionis, ut ejus intercessione pius Salvator, qui venit quaerere quod erraverat, et salvum facere quod perierat, sanet morbidam, salvet perditam, et ad ovile reducat erroneam, et gregi societ, qui est benedictus in aeternum. Amen.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.1.42 — He brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
  2. ↩John.1.29 — The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
  3. ↩Mark.8.3 — "If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come from a long distance."
  4. ↩Luke.10.30 — Jesus replied, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead."
  5. ↩Mark.8.2 — I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
  6. ↩Mark.8.6-Mark.8.9 — And he commands the crowd to sit down on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the crowd. Mark.8.7 — They also had a few small fish, and having blessed them, he said that these too were to be served. Mark.8.8 — And they ate and were satisfied, and they took up seven baskets of leftover pieces. Mark.8.9 — And there were about four thousand, and he sent them away.
  7. ↩Ezek.33.11 — Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
  8. ↩Ps.146.8 — The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
  9. ↩Luke.15.4-Luke.15.6 — Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? Luke.15.5 — And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Luke.15.6 — And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'
  10. ↩Luke.15.5 — And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
  11. ↩John.10.11-John.10.12 — I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John.10.12 — The hired hand, who is not the shepherd—the sheep are not his own—sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
  12. ↩1Pet.5.8 — Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
  13. ↩Mark.6.34;Matt.9.36 — And when he came out, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Matt.9.36 — But when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
  14. ↩Luke.15.4-Luke.15.7 — Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? Luke.15.5 — And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Luke.15.6 — And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Luke.15.7 — I tell you, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.
  15. ↩Luke.10.30-Luke.10.37 — Jesus replied, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead." Luke.10.31 — Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Luke.10.32 — In the same way also a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke.10.33 — But a certain Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon him, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. Luke.10.34 — and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Luke.10.35 — And on the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Luke.10.36 — Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the one who fell among the robbers? Luke.10.37 — He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'
  16. ↩Luke.10.37 — He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'

Notes

  1. 1 ↩oleum miserationis echoes the Good Samaritan's oil (Luke 10:34) and biblical imagery of mercy as healing; rendered 'oil of mercy' rather than 'balm' to preserve the scriptural resonance.
  2. 2 ↩suffragia rendered 'support' (rather than 'prayers' or 'saints' intercessions') to keep the sense of intercessory aid without over-specifying the mechanism.
  3. 3 ↩Direct quotation of Romans 8:32 (Vulgate: 'qui proprio Filio non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum'). Candidate scripture allusion preserved for Moses resolution.
  4. 4 ↩pecus morbidum rendered 'sick beast' to preserve the animal/creature sense alongside ovis; some manuscripts vary here, but the normalized reading is clear.
  5. 5 ↩per te non mereris admitti: 'through you' carries the sense of 'on your own account/by your own merit'; rendered to convey unworthiness without implying total inability.
  6. 6 ↩qui venit quaerere quod erraverat, et salvum facere quod perierat echoes Luke 15:4-5 and Matt 18:12 (the seeking Savior/shepherd). Candidate preserved for Moses resolution.
  7. 7 ↩sinus protectionis rendered 'shelter of his protection' to keep both the intimacy of 'bosom' and the protective sense of 'refuge'.

Orationes sive Meditationes — Collection for Princess Adeliza of Normandy companion

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