Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 1. De venditione lesu a perfido luda
Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 1. De venditione lesu a perfido luda
traitor. I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, supreme goodness and eternal majesty, for your unjust betrayal for such a low and modest price, for which you were sold for thirty pieces of silver by your own disciple. I praise and honor you for your most gentle patience toward the treachery of your disciple, that you were not moved against him nor spoke harshly, and that you did not immediately reveal his wickedness to others, nor suspend him from office and sacred Communion after such a great crime, even though you knew he was hastening to betray you. Most gentle Lord Jesus, how great is your patience and how great is my impatience. ,,. . Woe to me, for I can tolerate so little from my brother if he says or does anything against me. You supported your disciple for so long, even when he was your seller and would become your betrayer, without complaint; yet I, for a trivial offense, quickly become angry and imagine various thoughts to justify myself or seek revenge. Where is then my gentleness and patience? Help me, good Jesus, and pour the strength of your gentleness more abundantly into my heart, because without your special grace and inspiration, I can't possess the good of tranquility amid so many troubles of this life.
Read the original Latin
traditore.
Benedico et gratias ago tibi, Domine lesu Christe, summa bonitas et aeterna maiestas, pro tua iniusta venditione pro tam vili et modico pretio, quo venditus fuisti triginta argenteis a proprio discipulo. io Laudo et honorifico te pro tua mitissima suiferentia perfidi discipuli, quod adversus eum non es commotus neque durius locutus, sed neque aliis eius nequitias statim indicasti nec post tantum facinus ab officio et sacra communione eum suspendisti, licet ipsum ad tuam traditionem festinare praecognovisses. mansuetissime Domine lesu, quanta est patientia tua et impatientia mea. ,,. .
Vae mihi, quod tam parum possum de fratre meo tolerare, si quid contra me dixerit vel fecerit.
Tu ludam discipulum tuum tanto tempore, cum esset venditor tuus et traditor futurus, sine querela supportasti: ego autem pro modica iniuria cito irascor et ad vindicandum me seu excusandum varias cogitationes imaginor.
Vbi est tunc mansuetudo et palotientia mea?
Adiuva me, lesu bone, et mansuetudinis tuae virtutem abundantius cordi meo insere, quia sine tua speciali gratia et inspiratione neque tranquillitatis bonum possum inter tanta vitae huius contraria possidere.
Prayers and Meditations on the Life of Christ companion
à Kempis wrote 86 of these — you've prayed 8
The full cycle, from the creation of man to Pentecost, runs as free daily devotionals in Chosen Portion.
à Kempis structured the work as day-by-day thanksgiving over the whole life of Christ, and Chosen Portion runs that original cycle as a modern daily devotional from creation to Pentecost.
- All 86 meditations in modern readable English, one per day — about three months of guided prayer
- Resurrection-appearance meditations (21 chapters) continue your Eastertide after the guide ends
- Daily reminder plus progress tracking, so the practice survives past Holy Week