Caput 30. Anima humana unde, quid sit et quo beata.
The Soul's Origin and Capacity for God
The soul, created from nothing by God's Word, is made rational, spiritual, and consecrated, capable only of being filled by God.
For the soul you created was not made from yourself, but through your Word; not from any matter of the elements, but from nothing—rational, intellectual, spiritual, always living, always in motion—which you marked with the light of your face and consecrated by the power of your washing. So it was made capable of your majesty, able to be filled by you alone, and by no one else.
Desire Fulfilled Only in God
The soul's desire is fully satisfied only when it possesses God; any outward desire indicates the absence of God, and desire for creatures leaves it empty, as only God can fill it.
But when it has you, its desire is full; and then nothing else remains that could still be desired from outside. But as long as it desires anything outwardly, it's clear that it doesn't have you within; and once you are possessed, there's nothing left to desire. For since you are the highest good and all good, it has nothing more to desire if it possesses all good. But if it doesn't desire all good, then what remains is that it desires something that isn't all good—and so not the highest good, and so not God, but rather a creature. But when it desires a creature, it has a continual hunger; because even if it gains what it wants from creatures, it still remains empty, since nothing can fill it except you, in whose image it was created.
The Reward of Renunciation
God fills those who desire nothing else, making them holy and friends of God, as they count all things as loss to gain Christ.
But you fill those who desire nothing else besides you; and you make them worthy of you—holy, blessed, spotless, and friends of God—who count everything as refuse so that they may gain you alone (Phil. 3:8).
Man's Honor Among Creation
This is the blessedness and honor God has given to man above all creatures, making His name wonderful throughout the earth.
This is the blessedness you have given to man; this is the honor you have given him among all creatures, even above them all, so that your name may be wonderful in all the earth (Ps.✦ VIII, 2).
Read the original Latin
Anima enim quam creasti non de te, sed per Verbum tuum; non ex qualibet elementorum materia, sed ex nihilo; quae quidem rationalis, intellectualis, spiritualis, semper vivens, semper in motu, quam signasti lumine vultus tui, et consecrasti virtute lavacri tui: ita facta est capax majestatis tuae, quod a te solo, et a nullo alio possit impleri. Cum autem te habet, plenum est desiderium ejus; et jam nihil aliud quod desideretur exterius, restat. Dum autem aliquid exterius desiderat, manifestum est quod te non habet interius; quo habito, nihil est quod desideretur. Cum enim sis summum et omne bonum; non habet quod desideret amplius, si possidet omne bonum. Quod si non desiderat omne bonum, restat ut desideret aliquid quod non est omne bonum: ergo nec summum bonum, ergo nec Deum, sed potius creaturam. Cum autem creaturam desiderat, continuam famem habet; quia licet quod desiderat de creaturis, adipiscatur, vacua tamen remanet, quia nihil est quod eam impleat nisi tu, ad cujus imaginem est creata. Imples autem tu eos, qui nihil aliud desiderant praeter te; et facis eos dignos te, sanctos, beatos, immaculatos et amicos Dei; qui omnia reputant ut stercora, ut lucrifaciant te solum (Philipp. III, 8).
Haec est beatitudo quam homini contulisti; hic honor quo eum inter omnes creaturas, sed et super omnes honorificasti, ut sit admirabile nomen tuum in universa terra (Psal. VIII, 2).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.8.2 — O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
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