Prologus, caput II
The Lord's New Vineyard
Christ reveals to his bride his intention to plant a new religious order after the failure of the old ones.
Christ, speaking to his bride Birgitta in figurative language, says that since the other vineyards — namely, the religious orders — have in some sense been abandoned, he himself now intends to plant a new vineyard in the present time: a new religious order, one he wants to tend with such careful devotion that it may yield for him the sweetest and most pleasing wine.
The Ruined Vineyard
A king's once-flourishing vineyards are overrun by a worthless weed, and his servants report that almost nothing fruitful remains.
I am like a most powerful king who planted his own vineyards, and over a long time they produced the finest wine. At length an enemy of his sowed among them the worst seed, which grew and spread so much that the branches could bear fruit only with great difficulty. The king's servants said to him: 'Lord, we have examined your vineyards and found in them very few branches bearing fruit, and that worst seed, which is good for nothing except burning, has grown far beyond all measure.'
The Promise of Renewal
The Lord resolves to plant and personally guard a new vineyard that will yield the sweetest wine and bring joy to all.
To them the Lord replied: 'I will plant for myself a new vineyard, where the branches will be gathered and will send down roots.' And I myself will add richness around it, and it will be filled with the finest wine. This vineyard I will guard with my own hand. If anything harmful enters it, the wine will grow rich from this and become even sweeter, and that harmful thing will be reduced to nothing, and will dry up and fall more quickly, so that it may do no damage. When the wine of this vineyard reaches my community, then everyone will rejoice, and glory and honor will be given to the Lord who planted the vineyard and added its richness.
Fruit for the Future
God will not forget those who labor in the vineyard, and many other withered vineyards will be renewed through it.
The one who planted roots will also rejoice, and God will not forget the one who brought the branches. From this vineyard, though, many vineyards that had dried up over a long time will begin to be renewed, and will bear fruit according to the day of their renewal.1
Read the original Latin
Christus loquens sponse sue Birgitte in figura dicit, quod ex quo alie vinee, scilicet religiones, sunt quoddammodo desolate, ideo ipse nunc de presenti vult plantare nouam vineam, videlicet religionem nouam, de qua vult habere sollicitam curam taliter, quod reddat ei vinum dulcissimum et suaue.
"Ego sum sicut rex potentissimus, qui plantauit vineas suas et fecerunt optimum vinum multo tempore. Tandem inimicus eius seminauit in eis semen pessimum, quod in tantum creuit et se dilatauit, quod palmites vinum portare non poterant nisi cum magna difficultate. Serui autem regis dixerunt ad eum: 'Domine, considerauimus vineas tuas et inuenimus in eis valde paucos palmites portantes vinum et illud pessimum semen, quod ad nichilum valet nisi ad comburendum, vltra modum excreuit.' Quibus respondit dominus: 'Ego plantabo michi nouam vineam, vbi apportabuntur palmites et mittent radices. Et ego ipse apponam circa eam pinguedinem et implebitur vino optimo. Hanc autem per memetipsum custodiam. Quod si in eam aliquid nociuum intrauerit, pinguescet ex hoc vinum et eo amplius dulcescet et illud nociuum adnichilabitur et arescet et cicius decidet, ne noceat. Cum autem vinum vinee huius venerit ad collegium meum, tunc gaudebunt omnes et dabitur domino gloria et honor, qui plantauit vineam et pinguedinem apposuit.
Gaudebit eciam ille, qui radices posuit, nec eius Deus obliuiscetur, qui palmites apportauit. Ex hac autem vinea multe vinee longo tempore arentes renouari incipient et facere fructum iuxta diem innouacionis sue.'"
Notes
- 1 ↩iuxta rendered 'according to' rather than 'near'; spatial sense possible but temporal sense fits diem better
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