Verba Christi ad sponsam de homine ficto, qui inimicus Dei est nuncupatus, et quam maxime de ypocrita, et eius ad plenum proprietates ponencia.
The Deceptive Appearance of the Hypocrite
The Lord describes the grotesque, hidden reality of a hypocrite who appears strong and virtuous to the world.
To people, such a person seems like someone well-dressed, strong, and handsome, and a vigorous fighter for his master; but once his helmet is removed, he's hideous to look at and useless for any work. For his brain appears bare. He has his ears on his forehead and his eyes on the back of his head. His nose has been cut off. His cheeks are completely shriveled, like those of a dead man. His jaw on the right side, along with his throat and half his lip, has completely fallen away, so that nothing remains on the right side except for the throat alone, which appears bare. Their chests are full of swarming worms, and their arms are like two snakes. Their hearts are filled with a foul scorpion, and their backs are like burnt-out coals. Their insides are rotting and foul, like flesh teeming with pus, and their feet are dead and useless for walking. I'll tell you what these things mean.
The Anatomy of Spiritual Decay
Each distorted body part is explained as a sign of spiritual pride, lack of discernment, and the death of charity within the soul.
To people, such a person seems to be adorned with good character and wisdom, and to be energetic in my honor, but it's not like that at all. For if the helmet were removed from his head—that is, if he were shown to people as he really is—he would be the most despicable of all. His mind is actually laid bare, because his foolishness and the lightness of his character show, by the clearest signs, that he is unworthy of such honor in the eyes of good people. For if he had a taste for my wisdom, he would understand that he ought to clothe himself in a life of greater austerity than others, in proportion to the greater honor with which he is exalted above them. They have ears on their forehead because, instead of the humility they ought to have in their position—and which should shine out to others—they want to hear nothing but their own praise and honor; and because of this, they take pride in themselves, wanting to be called great and good by everyone. He has eyes in the back of his head, because his whole focus is on the present and not on eternal things; he is entirely concerned with how to please people and what the appetites of the flesh require, rather than how to please me and what is good for souls. His nose is cut off because he has lost the discernment to distinguish between sin and virtue, between temporal and eternal honor, between the riches of this world and eternal ones, and between these fleeting pleasures and eternal ones. Their cheeks are drawn in—that is, all the sense of shame they ought to have before me—and the beauty of the virtues that would please me is, for all intents and purposes, dead in them. They are ashamed to sin because of what people might think, but they feel no such shame before me. Half of their jaw and lip has fallen away, leaving nothing but the throat; this is because the imitation of my works, the preaching of my words, and fervent prayer have already died within them, so that nothing remains but the craving of their own gullet. Yet the imitation of the wicked and the constant turning over of worldly business seem to them entirely healthy and beautiful. Their hearts are full of worms because, in the place where there should be a remembrance of my passion and a memory of my works and commandments, there is instead a preoccupation with worldly things and a craving for the world—things that gnaw at their conscience like worms, so that they cannot think of spiritual matters. In his heart, where I want to dwell and where my love ought to reside, sits a wicked scorpion that stings with its tail while fawning with its face. For while smooth and reasonable speech flows from his mouth, his heart is full of injustice and deceit, since he wouldn't care if the Church he leads were destroyed, provided he could get his own way. Their arms are like serpents, because they use their malice to reach out to the simple, calling them toward themselves with a show of simplicity, only to trip them up miserably once they've found the opportunity. From there, they coil themselves up like a serpent into a circle, hiding their malice and wickedness so that hardly anyone can detect their cunning. In my sight, this person is like the vilest serpent; for just as the serpent is more hateful than any other animal, so this person is more repulsive to me than all others, because they nullify my justice and treat me as if I were a man who refuses to seek vengeance. His back is like a coal, though it ought to be like ivory, because his works should be stronger than others' and purer, so that he might carry the weak through patience and the example of a good life. But now he's like a coal, because he's too weak to endure a single word for my honor unless it serves his own advantage. Yet he thinks he is strong enough for the world. Therefore, when he thinks he is standing, he will fall, because in my sight and in the sight of my saints, he is as deformed and dead as a coal. Their inner life is foul, because their thoughts and affections stink in my sight like a dead body, whose stench no one can endure. Because of this, none of the saints can bear them; instead, they all turn their faces away and call for judgment upon them. His feet are dead. For those two feet are his two affections toward me: namely, the will to amend his faults and the will to do good. But these feet are completely dead in him, because the marrow of charity has been entirely consumed, leaving nothing but the bones of hardness. And so he stands before me. Nevertheless, as long as the soul is in the body, it can find my mercy."
A Call to Repentance and Mercy
Saint Lawrence provides a model of true service, contrasting it with the bishop's failures and warning of coming judgment if he does not repent.
Saint Lawrence appeared and said, "When I was in the world, I held to three things: self-control for my own sake, mercy for my neighbor, and love for God." That’s why I preached the word of God fervently, distributed the goods of the Church wisely, and joyfully endured lashes, fire, and death. This bishop tolerates and overlooks the clergy's lack of self-control, spends the Church's wealth lavishly on the rich, and keeps his love only for himself and his own people. Therefore, I'm making it known to him that a very light cloud has already risen into heaven, which dark torches are obscuring so that many can't see it. This cloud, however, is the prayer of the Mother of God for the Church, which the flames of greed, lack of devotion, and failure of justice so obscure that the gentle mercy of the Mother of God cannot reach the hearts of the miserable. Therefore, let the bishop turn quickly to divine love, correcting himself and his subjects by his example, and by his words admonishing them and urging them toward better things. Otherwise, he will feel the hand of the Judge, and his Church will be purified by fire and sword, and afflicted by plunder and tribulation to such an extent that, for a long time, there will be no one to console her.
Read the original Latin
"Ille talis videtur hominibus quasi homo bene ornatus, fortis et decorus et in pugna domini sui strenuus sed, amota galea a capite eius, est abhominabilis ad videndum et inutilis ad operandum. Apparet enim cerebrum eius nudum. Aures habet in fronte, oculos in occipite. Nasus eius abscisus est. Gene eius ex toto contracte quasi hominis mortui. Maxilla eius ex dextera parte cum faucibus et dimidietate labii tota deciderat, ita quod nichil ex dextera parte remanet nisi guttur solum, quod nudum apparet.
Pectus eius plenum est vermibus scaturientibus, brachia eius quasi duo serpentes. Cor impletum est pessimo scorpione, dorsum eius velut combustus carbo. Intestina eius sunt fetencia et corrupta quasi caro habundans sanie, pedes eius mortui et inutiles ad incedendum. Quid autem ista significant, dicam tibi.
Ille talis videtur hominibus exterius bonis moribus et sapiencia ornatus et in honore meo strenuus esse, sed nequaquam ita est. Si enim amoueretur galea a capite eius, idest ostenderetur hominibus, qualis ipse est, esset pre omnibus vilissimus. Cerebrum quippe eius est nudum, quia insipiencia et leuitas morum eius satis euidentissimis signis ostendit eum bonis hominibus indignum esse tali honore. Si enim saperet ei sapiencia mea, intelligeret se tanto austeriori conuersacione debere pre aliis vestiri, quo maiori honore pre ceteris sublimatur.
Aures habet in fronte, quia pro humilitate, quam deberet habere in dignitate et ceteris lucere, non vult nisi audire laudem et honorem suum et pro eo assumit sibi superbiam, unde velit ab omnibus vocari magnus et bonus.
Oculos habet in occipite, quia cogitacio eius tota est ad presencia et non ad eterna, tota, quomodo placeat hominibus et quid utilitas carnis requirit et non quomodo placeat michi et prosit animabus.
Nasus eius abscisus est, quia discrecio ablata est ab eo, qua discernat inter peccatum et virtutem, inter honorem temporalem et eternum, inter diuicias seculi et eternas, inter delectaciones istas modicas et eternas.
Gene eius contracte sunt, idest verecundia omnis, quam deberet habere ad me, et pulchritudo virtutum, qua michi placeret, omnino quasi mortua est ad me. Quia pro hominum verecundia erubescit peccare, pro me autem nichil.
Altera pars maxille et labii deciderat, ita quod nichil remanet nisi guttur, quia imitacio operum meorum et predicacio verborum meorum cum oracione feruenti in eo iam cecidit, ita quod nichil remanet in eo nisi guttur gule sue. Imitacio autem prauorum et reuolucio secularium negociorum totaliter sana et pulchra sibi videntur.
Pectus eius plenum est vermibus, quia in pectore, ubi deberet esse recordacio passionis mee et memoria operum meorum et preceptorum, ibi est sollicitudo temporalium et cupiditas mundi, que quasi vermes eius conscienciam mordent, ne cogitet spiritualia.
In corde eius, ubi ego morari vellem et caritas mea sedere deberet, sedet pessimus scorpio, qui pungit cauda et blanditur facie, quia de ore eius satis blanda procedit loquela et racionabilis, sed cor eius plenum est iniusticia et fallacia, quia non curaret, quod Ecclesia, cui preest, destrueretur, si voluntatem suam posset perficere.
Brachia eius sunt sicut serpentes, quia per maliciam suam extendit se ad simplices, vocando eos cum simplicitate ad se sed occasione accepta miserabiliter supplantat. Inde quasi serpens retorquet se quasi in circulum, quia occultat maliciam suam et iniquitatem, ut vix aliqui eius astuciam possint deprehendere.
Iste est quasi vilissimus serpens in conspectu meo, quia sicut serpens omnibus animalibus est odiosior, sic iste omnibus michi deformior, quia iusticiam meam annichilat et reputat me quasi hominem, qui nolit vindicare.
Dorsum eius est velut carbo, quod tamen deberet esse sicut ebur, quia opera eius deberent esse forcia pre aliis et mundiora, ut infirmos portaret per pacienciam et per vite bone exemplum.
Sed nunc est quasi carbo, quia infirmus est ad paciendum unum verbum pro honore meo nisi causa utilitatis proprie. Verumptamen fortis sibi videtur esse ad mundum. Ideo, cum stare putat, cadet, quia sic deformis et mortuus est in conspectu meo et sanctorum meorum sicut carbo.
Interiora eius sunt fetencia, quia cogitacio eius et affeccio fetent in conspectu meo velut caro mortua, cuius fetorem nullus ferre potest. Sic eum nullus sanctorum ferre potest, sed omnes auertunt ab eo vultum suum et petunt super eum iudicium.
Pedes eius sunt mortui. Duo namque pedes sunt due affecciones eius ad me, scilicet voluntas emendandi commissa et voluntas faciendi bona. Sed hii pedes omnino in eo mortui sunt, quia omnis medulla caritatis consumpta est in eo et nichil remanet nisi ossa induracionis. Et sic stat coram me. Verumptamen quamdiu anima est cum corpore, misericordiam meam inuenire potest."
Apparuit sanctus Laurencius, dicens: "Ego cum essem in mundo, habui tria: continenciam ad me ipsum, misericordiam ad proximum, caritatem ad Deum. Ideo feruenter predicaui verbum Dei, sapienter distribui bona Ecclesie et gaudenter tolerabam verbera, ignem et mortem.
Hic vero episcopus tolerat et dissimulat incontinenciam cleri, expendit largiter bona Ecclesie in diuites, caritatem habet ad se et ad suos. Ideo notum ei facio, quod nubes leuissima iam ascenderat in celum, quam faces tenebrose obumbrant, ne videatur a pluribus.
Hec vero nubes est oracio matris Dei pro Ecclesia, quam faces cupiditatis et indeuocionis et defectus iusticie sic obnubilant, quod lenitas misericordie matris Dei corda miserorum ingredi non valeat.
Propterea conuertat se cicius episcopus ad diuinam caritatem, corrigendo se ipsum et subditos suos exemplo et verbis suis ammonendo et ad meliora prouocando. Alioquin senciet manum iudicantis et Ecclesia sua igne et gladio purgabitur et rapina et tribulacione affligetur in tantum, quod in longa tempora non erit, qui eam consoletur."
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