Regula, caput XXVII
Ruined Vineyards Explained
Christ explains to Birgitta that the ruined vineyards figure religious ways of life whose rules are neglected, and promises favor to those who strive to reform them.
Christ, speaking to his bride Birgitta here, explains the chapter that comes before the beginning of the rule, which speaks of ruined vineyards, saying that her ruined vineyards are religious ways of life in which the rules are not kept, and he promises help and favor to those religious who try to observe them and, as far as they can, to reform them.✦1
Rules Abandoned, Friends Anguished
Christ identifies the ruined vineyards as rules no longer kept under the Spirit of truth, and describes how his friends cry out in anguish for reform and the removal of the incorrigible.
"By those scattered vineyards I mentioned just now, before you heard the rule, I mean those rules that are no longer kept as my friends dictated them at the prompting of the Spirit of truth, but turned aside from the straight path because of excess and love of the world's pleasures. In fact, my friends, living under those same rules and recognizing how far their brothers have fallen, unable to correct this on their own, cry out to me day and night with tears from deep anguish of heart, begging that those who refuse to correct themselves be removed quickly, and that those who are willing to amend their lives bear fruit in good works.
Christ's Promise to Reformers
Christ promises to surround those who sincerely strive to keep the rule with his protective love, to grant them contentment and kill the devil's temptations, to stir their watchful consciences, and to fill them with the sweetness of his Spirit through his precious blood.
I, who search every heart and hear every word, if I find any who have tried to correct the error of their monastery and to keep their rule in everything it commands — that is, in humble and regular living, in proper fasting, in renouncing ownership, in observing chastity and true humility, and in all good customs — I will work with them and surround them with my love, as a vineyard is surrounded by its own wall, and I will give them grace to rest content with only what is necessary for life, despising all excess — by which the mole, gnawing at the roots, is put to death, that is, the devil's suggestion that tries to cut away good affections with wicked desires. Their watchmen too will be stirred up — that is, the consciences of those who pay no attention to the salvation of their souls — and they will rouse themselves, keeping continual watch. Moreover, I will fill them with the sweetness of my Spirit, who will strengthen them to serve me, for I created them and redeemed them with my precious blood."
Read the original Latin
Christus loquens sponse sue Birgitte exponit hic illud capitulum, quod est ante principium regule, quod loquitur de vineis dissipatis, dicens, quod vinee sue dissipate sunt religiones, in quibus regule non seruantur, promittens adiutorium et fauorem illis religiosis, qui eas obseruare et, in quantum possunt, reformare conantur.
"Per illas vineas dissipatas, de quibus modo dixi, priusquam regulam audires, intelligo regulas illas, que iam non tenentur, sicut amici mei inspirante spiritu veritatis eas dictauerunt, sed propter crapulam et mundi delectacionem a via recta recesserunt. Denique amici mei in eisdem regulis existentes et talem fratrum suorum discessum cognoscentes nec quidem per se hoc emendare valentes ex magna cordis anxietate die noctuque clamant ad me cum lacrimis postulantes, quod illi, qui se corrigere noluerint, cicius eiciantur et, qui se emendare voluerint, fructuosi in bonis operibus efficiantur. Ego, qui sum omnium cordium scrutator et omnium verborum auditor, si aliquos inuenero, qui monasterii sui errorem corrigere temptauerint suamque regulam tenere in omnibus, que precipit, scilicet in humili et regulari habitu, in debitis abstinenciis, in fuga proprietatis, in obseruancia castitatis et vere humilitatis atque in omnibus bonis consuetudinibus, cooperabor eis et circumdabo eos dileccione mea, sicut circumdare solet vineam maceria sua, daboque eis graciam, vt libenter se contentos reddant de solis vite necessariis superfluitatem omnem contempnendo, per quod occiditur talpa radices corrodens, id est dyabolica suggestio, bonas affeciones rescindere cupiens prauis concupiscenciis. Custodes quoque excitabuntur, hoc est consciencie eorum, qui de animarum suarum salute non attendunt, expergefient seipsas continue speculando. Insuper incrassabo eos dulcedine spiritus mei, qui fortificabit eos ad seruiendum michi, qui eos creaui et sanguine meo precioso redemi."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Isa.5.1-Isa.5.7 — Let me sing for my beloved a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. Isa.5.2 — He dug it up and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines. He built a watchtower in its midst, and also hewed out a wine vat in it. He waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced wild grapes. Isa.5.3 — And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray, between me and my vineyard. Isa.5.4 — What more was there to do for my vineyard, and I did not do it in it? Why did I expect it to produce grapes, and it produced wild grapes? Isa.5.5 — And now I will make known to you what I am doing to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be for burning; I will break down its wall, and it will be for trampling. Isa.5.6 — I will make it a wasteland; it will not be pruned or hoed, and thorns and briers will grow up. And I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Isa.5.7 — For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah is his delightful planting. He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
Notes
- 1 ↩sponse sue Birgitte: the Latin is grammatically compressed; 'sponse sue' is taken as dative of recipient ('to his bride'), with 'Birgitte' as appositional identification. The phrase 'vinee sue dissipate sunt religiones' is a metaphorical equation: ruined vineyards = religious orders or ways of life whose rules have fallen into neglect.
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