MEDITATIO X. De passione Christi
The Sweetness of Christ's Wounded Body
The meditant contemplates each wound of Christ on the cross as a source of sweetness and grace, drawing the soul into intimate union with the suffering Savior.
Sweet Jesus — sweet in the bowing of his head and in death, sweet in the stretching out of his arms, sweet in the opening of his side, sweet in the nailing of his feet with a single nail. Sweet in the bowing of his head: for in bowing his head on the cross, he seems to say, as if to his own beloved, O my beloved, how often you have longed to enjoy the kiss of my mouth — as he announced to me through my companions, Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth!✦1 I am ready; I bow my head; I offer my mouth — to kiss as much as you wish. Nor say in your heart, That is not the kiss I seek — not the one without beauty or comeliness, but that glorious one, which the angelic citizens always desire to enjoy. Do not be mistaken in this way, because unless you have first kissed that mouth, you will by no means be able to reach it. So kiss this mouth, which I now offer you: even though it is without beauty or comeliness, it is not without grace. Sweet in the stretching out of his arms: for in stretching out his arms he shows us that he himself desires our embraces, and seems to say: O you who labor and are burdened, come and be refreshed among my arms, among my embraces. See — I am ready within my arms to gather you. Come, therefore, all of you. Let no one fear being driven away, because I do not want the death of the sinner, but that he may be converted and live.✦✦23 For my delight is to be with the sons of men.✦4 Sweet in the opening of his side: for that opening revealed to us the riches of his goodness — namely, the love of his heart toward us.
Christ Bound by Mercy, Unable to Flee
The nailing of Christ's feet with a single nail becomes a tender image of divine love that refuses to abandon the sinner, held fast by mercy itself.
Sweet in the nailing of his feet with a single nail — because through this he seems to speak to us in this way: Look, if you think I ought to flee, and that is why you delay coming to me, know this: I am exceedingly swift, like a young deer. See — my feet are pinned with a single nail, so that I absolutely cannot run from you, because mercy holds me entirely bound. I will not flee you as your sins deserve, because my hands are nailed fast.✦
A Song of Praise to the Beautiful Lord
The meditant breaks into direct address, praising Christ's beauty, sweetness, and goodness as the supreme and all-desirable Beloved.
Kind Jesus, humble Lord, tender Lord, sweet in your speech, sweet in your heart, sweet to the ear — inscrutably and inexpressibly delightful, devout and merciful, powerful, wise, generous — lavish but not wasteful — exceedingly sweet and gentle. You alone are the highest good, beautiful in form beyond all others, fair and graceful, chosen from among thousands — wholly desirable.✦ Beautiful things befit the Beautiful.
The Soul's Total Surrender to Christ
The meditation culminates in the soul's longing embrace of Christ, seeking him for his own sake alone, and dedicating all thought and work to him.
O my Lord, now my whole soul longs for your embraces and your kisses. I seek nothing except yourself, even if no reward were promised. Even if there were neither hell nor paradise, still — for the sake of your sweet goodness, for your own sake — I would want to cling to you.✦ You are my constant meditation, my word, my work. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Dulcis Jesus in inclinatione capitis et morte, dulcis in extensione brachiorum, dulcis in apertione lateris, dulcis in confixione pedum clavo uno. Dulcis in inclinatione capitis: inclinans enim caput in cruce, quasi dilectae suae dicere videtur: O dilecta mea, quoties desiderasti frui osculo oris mei, nuntians mihi per sodales meos, osculetur me osculo oris sui? Ego paratus sum, caput inclino, os porrigo, osculare quantumlibet: nec dicas in corde tuo, Illud osculum non quaero, quod est sine specie et decore; sed illud gloriosum, quo semper frui desiderant angelici cives. Noli sic errare, quia, nisi primo osculatum fueris illud os, ad illud omnino pervenire non poteris. Igitur osculare istud os, quod tibi nunc offero, quoniam, etsi sine specie et decore est, tamen non sine gratia. Dulcis in extensione brachiorum: extendens enim brachia nobis insinuat quod amplexus nostros ipse desiderat, et quasi dicere videtur: O vos qui laboratis et onerati estis, venite, et reficimini inter brachia mea, inter amplexus meos: videte quia paratus sum intra brachia mea congregare vos, venite ergo omnes: nullus timeat repelli, quia nolo mortem peccatoris, sed ut convertatur, et vivat. Deliciae enim meae sunt esse cum filiis hominum. Dulcis in apertione lateris; apertio siquidem illa revelavit nobis divitias bonitatis suae, charitatem scilicet cordis sui erga nos.
Dulcis in confixione pedum clavo uno; quia per hoc nobis quasi ita loquitur, ecce si putatis quia fugere debeam, et ideo ad me accedere tardatis, scientes quia sum nimis velox, et sicut hinnulus; videte quia pedes mei clavo uno confixi sunt ita ut omnino non possim fugere vos, quia misericordia me omnino ligatum tenet; nec fugiam vos ut meruerunt peccata vestra, quia manus meae clavis confixae sunt. Benigne Jesu, humilis Domine, pie Domine, dulcis in ore, dulcis in corde, dulcis in aure, inscrutabiliter et inenarrabiliter amoenus, pius et misericors, potens, sapiens, benignus, largus sed non prodigus, valde dulcis et suavis. Solus es summum bonum, speciosus forma prae filiis hominum, pulcher, et decorus, et electus ex millibus, et totus desiderabilis. Pulchrum pulchra decent. O mi Domine, nunc tota anima mea desiderat in amplexus tuos, et oscula. Nihil quaero nisi teipsum, quamvis nulla merces repromitteretur; licet infernus, et paradisus non essent, tamen propter dulcem bonitatem tuam, propter te ipsum adhaerere vellem tibi. Tu continua meditatio mea, verbum meum, opus meum. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Song.1.2 — Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine.
- ↩Matt.11.28-Matt.11.29 — Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt.11.29 — Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- ↩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?'
- ↩Prov.8.31 — rejoicing in his inhabited earth, and my delight is with the children of man
- ↩Ps.18.37-Ps.18.38 — You make my steps wide beneath me, and my ankles do not give way. Ps.18.38 — I pursue my enemies and overtake them, and I do not turn back until they are destroyed.
- ↩Ps.44.3 — For it was not by their own sword that they took the land, nor did their own arm save them; but it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.
- ↩Ps.73.25 — Whom have I in heaven but you? And with you I desire nothing on earth.
Notes
- 1 ↩The closing phrase 'let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth' echoes Song of Songs 1:2 (Vulgate: osculetur me osculo oris sui); final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses resolution.
- 2 ↩The phrase 'O you who labor and are burdened, come and be refreshed' echoes Matthew 11:28-29; final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses resolution.
- 3 ↩The closing phrase 'I do not want the death of the sinner, but that he may be converted and live' echoes Ezekiel 33:11; final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses resolution.
- 4 ↩Echoes Proverbs 8:31 (Vulgate: deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum); final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses resolution.
Orationes sive Meditationes — Collection for Princess Adeliza of Normandy companion
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