Verba laudis angelici exercitus ad Deum et de filiorum generacione, si parentes primi non peccassent, et qualiter Deus ostendit mirabilia per Moysen ad populum et postea ipse ad nos in eius aduentu etcetera, et de corrupcione huius temporis corporalis matrimonii et de condicionibus coniugii spiritualis.
The Angelic Hymn of Creation
The angelic host offers a threefold prayer of praise to God for creation, providence, and the mystery of the Incarnation.
The angelic host was seen standing before God, and the whole host said: "Praise and honor be to You, Lord God, who are and who were without end!" We are Your servants, and for three reasons we praise and honor You. First, because You created us so that we might rejoice with You, and You gave us an inexpressible light by which we might rejoice forever. Second, because all things were created and persist in your goodness and stability, and everything stands by your will and remains in your word. Third, because you created man, for whom you took on humanity. From this comes our greatest joy, and from your most chaste mother, who was worthy to carry you—whom the heavens could not contain or enclose. Therefore, may your glory and blessing be over all things, because of the angelic dignity you have exalted with such honor! May your eternal existence and stability be over all things that are stable and have the capacity to exist! May your love be over the human being whom you created! Lord, you alone are to be feared for your great power; you alone are to be desired for all your love; you alone are to be loved for your constancy. Therefore, may you be praised without end, unceasingly, forever and ever. Amen.
The Divine Purpose for Humanity
God responds to the angels, lamenting human disobedience while explaining the original dignity of the human soul and the creation of the first marriage.
Then the Lord replied, "You honor me worthily for every creature." But tell me, why do you praise me for man, when he has provoked me to anger more than all other creatures? For I created him more excellent than all lower creatures, and for no other have I suffered such indignities, and no other have I redeemed so dearly as man. What creature, other than man, fails to keep its proper order? Yet he, more than any other creature, is a source of trouble to me. For just as I created you for my own praise and glory, so too did I make man for my honor. I gave him a body as a spiritual temple, in which I placed a soul like a beautiful angel, because the human soul is of a nature and strength akin to an angel's. In that temple, I—his God and Creator—was the third, in whom he could find delight and enjoyment. Then, I made another temple for him out of his own rib, similar to this one.
The Mystery of Generation and the Fall
God reveals how human generation would have occurred without sin, the tragedy of the Fall, and the subsequent history of divine mercy through the Law and the prophets.
But now, my bride, for whose sake these things happen, you might ask: 'How would children have been born to them if they hadn't sinned?' I answer you: Certainly, it would have been through divine love, mutual affection, and the union of the sexes—by which both would be inflamed for one another—that the blood of love would have been made fruitful in the woman's body without any shameful desire, and thus the woman would have become fruitful.1 Then, with the child conceived without sin and without any lustful pleasure, I would have sent the soul from my own divinity, and in this way, she would have carried and given birth to the child without pain. A child born in this way would have been perfect immediately, just like Adam. Humanity despised this honor when it consented to the devil and desired a greater honor than the one I had given it. Once disobedience had occurred, my angel came upon them, and they felt shame at their nakedness; immediately they sensed the lust of the flesh and suffered hunger and thirst. Then they also lacked me; yet when they had me, they felt no hunger, nor any lust of the flesh or shame, for I alone was their every good, their every sweetness, and their perfect delight. When the devil rejoiced at their ruin and fall, I was moved by pity for them; I didn't abandon them, but showed them a threefold mercy. I clothed them when they were naked, and I gave them bread from the earth. In place of the lust the devil stirred up in them through increased disobedience, I gave souls into their seed through my own divinity. And whatever the devil suggested to them for evil, I turned it all into good for them. Then I showed them how to live and how to worship me, and I allowed them to gather lawfully, even though before my permission and instruction they had been struck with fear and were afraid to unite. Likewise, after Abel was killed, when they had mourned and abstained for a long time, I was moved by compassion and comforted them. And then, having come to know my will, they began to unite again and to have children. From their descendants, I myself—their Creator—promised that I would be born. As the malice of Adam’s children grew, I showed my justice to those who sinned, but showed mercy to my chosen ones; appeased by them, I saved them from destruction and lifted them up, because they kept my commandments and believed in my promises. When the time of mercy arrived, I showed my wonders through Moses. I saved my people just as I promised. I fed them with manna and went before them in a pillar of cloud and fire; I gave them my law and revealed my secrets and the future to them through my prophets.
The New Law of Spiritual Marriage
Christ contrasts the corruption of worldly marriage with the spiritual union of those who seek God, detailing the seven vanities of the world.
After this, I—who created all things—chose for myself a virgin, born of a father and mother, from whom I took on human flesh; and I deigned to be born of her without sexual union or sin, so that just as those first children in paradise were meant to be born through the mystery of divine love and out of the mutual love and affection of their parents without any base pleasure, so my divinity took on humanity from a virgin woman without sexual union or any violation of her virginity. Coming in the flesh as true God and man, I fulfilled the law and all the scriptures, just as had been prophesied about me beforehand, and I began a new law, because the old one was strict and hard to bear, and it was nothing but a figure of things to come. In that old law, it was permitted for one man to have several wives, so that the lineage wouldn't die out without children or so that they wouldn't intermingle with the nations. In my new law, however, it's commanded that a husband have only one wife, and he's forbidden from having multiple wives while she's still living. Whoever, therefore, is joined together out of divine love and divine fear for the sake of raising children—these are a spiritual temple in which I, as the third, wish to dwell. But people today come together for seven reasons. First, for the beauty of a face; second, for wealth; third, for excessive silliness and the indecent joy they find in sexual union; fourth, because there is a gathering of friends and immoderate gluttony; fifth, because there is pride in clothing, in food, in joking, and in other vanities; sixth, for the sake of raising children—not so they might be nurtured for God or in good works, but for the sake of wealth and status; seventh, they come together out of lust and for the sake of lust, like animals. They come before the doors of my church in one accord and agreement, yet their affection and their deepest thoughts are entirely contrary to me; they prefer their own will—which is meant to please the world—to my will. For if their whole thought were directed toward me, if they committed their will into my hands, and if they entered into marriage with a fear of me, then I would consent to them and be a third party with them. But now, my agreement—I who should be their head—is absent, because there is lust in their hearts and not my love. Then they proceed to my altar, where they hear that they ought to be one heart and one soul, but then my heart flees from them, because they have no warmth from my heart and feel no sweetness from my flesh. They seek a warmth that will soon fade, and they seek a flesh that worms are destined to consume. That is why such people are joined together without the bond of God the Father and his union, without the charity of the Son, and without the consolation of the Holy Spirit. But when married couples go to bed, my spirit immediately leaves them and an impure spirit draws near, because they don't come together for any reason other than lust, and they discuss or think of nothing else. Nevertheless, my mercy is still with them, if they choose to turn back. For out of great love, I send a living soul into their seed, created by my power, and I sometimes grant that good children are occasionally born from wicked parents. More frequently, however, wicked children are born from wicked parents, because such children imitate the iniquity of their parents as much as they can, and they would imitate it even more if my patience allowed it. Such a marriage will never see my face, unless they repent. For no sin is so grave that it can't be washed away by repentance. Therefore, I will turn toward a spiritual marriage, such as it befits God to have with a chaste body and a chaste soul. For there, seven other goods are found, contrary to the aforementioned evils.
The Marks of a Spiritual Union
God describes the characteristics of a holy, spiritual marriage and promises His abiding presence as the third party in such unions.
For there, no physical form or beauty is desired, nor the sight of delightful things, but only the vision and love of God; second, they possess nothing except what they need to live, only for necessity, nothing for excess; third, they avoid idle and vulgar talk; fourth, they don't care to see friends or relatives, for I am their love and their desire. Fifth, they want to maintain humility, both inwardly in their conscience and outwardly in their appearance. Sixth, they have the will never to desire a life of luxury. Seventh, they beget sons and daughters for their God through good conduct, a good example, and the preaching of spiritual words. They stand at the doors of my Church when they keep an unbreakable faith, where they agree in me and I in them. They proceed, however, to my altar, and they take spiritual delight in my Body and Blood. In that delight, they desire to be one heart, one flesh, and of one will; and I, the true God and man, powerful in heaven and on earth, will be the third among them, and I will fill their hearts. Those who enter into a worldly marriage begin their desire for one another in lust, like animals—and are even worse than animals. But those who are joined in a spiritual marriage begin in divine love and holy fear, caring to please no one but me. The evil spirit fills and stirs the former toward the pleasure of the flesh, in which there is nothing but stench; but the latter are filled with my Spirit and are set aflame by the fire of my love, which will never fail them. I am one God, three in persons, one in substance with the Father and the Holy Spirit. For just as it's impossible for the Father to be separated from the Son, or for the Spirit to be separated from both, and just as it's impossible for heat to be separated from fire, so it's impossible for such spiritual spouses to be separated from me, because I am always the third one with them. For my body was torn and died once in the Passion, but it will never be torn again, nor will it die. Those who are joined to me through true faith and a perfect will shall never die away from me. For wherever they stand, sit, or walk, I am always the third one with them.
Read the original Latin
Angelicus exercitus visus est astare Deo et ait totus exercitus: "Laus tibi sit, Domine Deus, et honor, qui es et qui eras sine fine! Nos serui tui sumus et triplici de causa laudamus et honoramus te. Primo, quia creasti nos, ut tecum gauderemus, et dedisti nobis lucem inenarrabilem, qua in perpetuum letaremur.
Secundo, quia in bonitate tua et in stabilitate tua omnia creata sunt et persistunt, et omnia ad tuam voluntatem stant et in tuo verbo permanent. Tercio, quia creasti hominem, pro quo sumpsisti humanitatem. Ex quo est maximum nostrum gaudium et de matre tua castissima, que te portare meruit, quem celi non potuerunt capere et concludere.
Ideo sit gloria et benediccio tua super omnia pro angelica dignitate, quam tanto honore sublimasti! Sit tua perpetua eternitas et stabilitas super omnia, que stabilia sunt et esse possunt! Sit tua caritas super hominem, quem creasti!
Tu, Domine, solus timendus es pro magna potencia tua, tu solus desiderandus es pro omni caritate tua, tu solus amandus es pro stabilitate tua. Ideo sit tibi laus sine fine incessanter in secula seculorum amen!"
Tunc Dominus respondit: "Vos digne honoratis me pro omni creatura. Sed dicite, quare laudatis me pro homine, cum ipse me plus omnibus creaturis ad iram prouocauit! Nam ego creaui eum excellenciorem omnibus inferoribus creaturis et pro nullo tam indigna passus sum et nullum tam care redemi sicut hominem.
Aut que creatura non tenet ordinem suum excepto homine? Sed ipse ceteris creaturis est michi molestior. Sicut enim creaui vos in laudem et gloriam meam, sic eciam feci hominem michi in honorem. Dedi enim ei corpus tamquam templum spirituale, in quo posui animam quasi angelum pulchrum, quia anima hominis quasi angelice virtutis est et fortitudinis.
In quo templo ego, Deus suus et creator, eram tercius, quo delectaretur et frueretur. Deinde feci ei aliud templum de costa sua propria huic simile.
Sed nunc, o tu sponsa mea, propter quam hec fiunt, potes querere: 'Quomodo de eis filii nascerentur, si non peccassent?' Respondeo tibi: Certe ex diuina caritate et mutua dileccione et commixtione sexus, qua ambo inuicem inflammarentur, sanguis caritatis fecundaretur in corpore mulieris absque aliqua turpi voluptate et sic mulier fructifera fieret.
Deinde infante concepto absque peccato et voluptuosa delectacione, ego ex deitate mea immitterem animam et sic absque dolore portaret puerum et pareret. Qui natus infans statim esset perfectus sicut Adam. Hunc honorem contempsit homo, quando consensit diabolo et desiderabat maiorem honorem quam ego dederam sibi.
Facta autem inobediencia venit angelus meus super eos et erubuerunt de nuditate sua et illico senserunt concupiscenciam carnis et passi sunt esuriem et sitim. Tunc eciam caruerunt me, quem cum habuerunt, non senserunt esuriem neque aliquam delectacionem carnis seu erubescenciam, sed ego solus eram eis omne bonum et omnis dulcedo et perfecta delectacio.
Cumque diabolus gauderet de perdicione eorum et casu, ego motus pietate super eos non reliqui eos sed triplicem misericordiam ostendi eis. Vestiui enim eos nudos et dedi eis panem de terra. Pro luxuria, quam diabolus aucta inobediencia suscitauit eis, dedi in semine eorum animas per deitatem meam. Et quidquid diabolus suggessit eis ad malum, hoc ego totum conuerti eis in bonum.
Deinde ostendi eis modum viuendi et colendi me et permisi eis licite commisceri, cum tamen ante permissionem meam et indicacionem timore percussi formidabant coniungi. Similiter et occiso Abel cum multo tempore lugerent et abstinerent, ego compassione permotus consolatus sum eos. Et tunc ipsi, cognita voluntate mea, iterum ceperunt coniungi et filios procreare. De quorum progenie ego ipse, creator eorum, promisi me nasciturum.
Cumque cresceret malicia filiorum Adam, et ego tunc ostendi iusticiam meam peccantibus sed electis meis misericordiam, quibus placatus seruaui eos a perdicione et exaltaui eos, quia seruabant precepta mea et crediderunt promissionibus meis.
Adueniente autem tempore miseracionis, per Moysen ostendi mirabilia mea. Nam saluaui populum meum iuxta promissionem meam. Paui eos manna et precessi eos in columpna nubis et ignis, dedi eis legem meam et ostendi eis secreta mea et futura per prophetas meos.
Post hec autem ego, qui omnia creaui, elegi michi virginem, natam de patre et matre, ex qua humanam carnem assumpsi, et ex ea nasci dignatus sum absque coitu et peccato, ut, sicut illi primi filii in paradiso nasci deberent misterio diuine caritatis et ex caritate mutua et dileccione generancium absque aliqua turpi voluptate, sic deitas mea humanitatem de femina virgine sine coitu et lesione virginitatis accepit.
Veniens igitur in carne verus Deus et homo, impleui legem et omnes scripturas, sicut antea de me prophetizatum erat, et incepi nouam legem, quia antiqua stricta erat et dura ad portandum nec erat aliud nisi figura futurorum faciendorum. Nam in illa lege antiqua licitum erat uni plures uxores habere, ne posteritas transiret sine liberis vel ne miscerentur gentibus.
In mea autem noua lege precipitur uni marito unam tantum habere uxorem et prohibetur illa viuente habere plures uxores. Quicumque ergo ex diuina caritate diuinoque timore propter suscipiendam prolem coniunguntur, hii sunt templum spirituale, in quo ego tercius habitare volo.
Sed homines huius temporis septemplici racione coniunguntur. Primo propter faciei pulchritudinem, secundo propter diuicias, tercio propter nimiam scurrilitatem et indecens gaudium, quod recipiunt in coitu, quarto, quia est ibi amicorum conuentus et immoderata gula, quinto, quia est ibi superbia in vestibus, in cibis et in ioculacionibus et aliis vanitatibus, sexto causa suscitande prolis, non ut Deo nutriatur vel in bonis operibus, sed ad diuicias et honores; septimo conueniunt causa luxurie et in luxurie appetitu velut iumenta.
Hii veniunt cum uno consensu et concordia ante fores ecclesie mee, quorum affeccio et interna cogitacio tota est contraria michi, et voluntatem suam, que ad placendum mundo est, preponunt voluntati mee. Si enim tota cogitacio eorum esset ad me et voluntatem suam committerent in manus meas et susciperent coniugium cum timore meo, tunc ego assentirem in eos et essem tercius cum eis.
Nunc autem consensus meus, qui deberem esse caput eorum, abest, quia luxuria est in corde eorum et non amor meus. Deinde procedunt ad altare meum, ubi audiunt, quod debent esse cor unum et anima una, sed tunc cor meum fugit ab eis, quia ipsi de corde meo non habent calorem et de carne mea non senciunt saporem.
Querunt enim calorem, cito periturum, et querunt carnem, quam vermes comesturi sunt. Ideo tales coniunguntur absque vinculo Dei Patris et eius unione et absque caritate Filii et absque consolacione Spiritus sancti.
Cum vero coniuges veniunt ad lectum, tunc statim discedit ab eis spiritus meus et appropinquat spiritus impurus, quia non conueniunt nisi causa luxurie, nec aliquid aliud inter eos tractatur et cogitatur. Verumptamen adhuc misericordia mea cum eis est, si conuertentur. Ex multa enim caritate mitto ego in semen eorum animam viuentem, a potencia mea creatam, et concedo aliquando, quod de malis parentibus quandoque generentur boni filii. Frequencius tamen nascuntur mali filii de malis parentibus, quia filii tales parentum iniquitatem imitantur, in quantum possunt, et plus imitarentur, si a paciencia mea permitterentur.
Tale enim coniugium numquam videbit faciem meam, nisi penituerint. Nullum enim peccatum tam graue est, quod penitencia non diluatur. Propterea conuertam me ad coniugium spirituale, quale decet habere Deum cum corpore casto et anima casta. Ibi enim alia septem bona inueniuntur, contraria prioribus predictis malis.
Nam ibi non desideratur forma aliqua seu pulchritudo corporis nec delectabilium visio sed solummodo visio et amor Dei; secundo nichil possidere nisi unde viuant, solummodo ad necessitatem, nichil ad superfluitatem; tercio vitant verba ociosa et scurrilia; quarto non curant videre amicos vel parentes, sed ego sum amor et desiderium eorum.
Quinto humilitatem cupiunt seruare interius in consciencia et exterius in habitu. Sexto habent voluntatem numquam velle luxuriari. Septimo generant Deo suo filios et filias per bonam conuersacionem et bonum exemplum et per spiritualium verborum predicacionem.
Hii tunc assistunt foribus Ecclesie mee, quando fidem inuiolabilem obseruant, ubi assenciunt in me et ego in eos. Procedunt vero ad altare meum et cum corpore et sanguine meo spiritualiter delectantur. In cuius delectacione cor unum et caro una et unius voluntatis esse volunt, et ego verus Deus et homo, potens in celo et in terra, ero tercius cum eis, qui implebo cor eorum.
Illi coniuges temporales incipiunt concupiscenciam sui coniugii in luxuria tamquam iumenta, et deteriores iumentis. Isti autem spirituales coniuges incipiunt in diuina caritate et diuino timore, nulli placere curantes nisi michi. Illos implet et excitat spiritus malus ad carnis delectacionem, in qua non est nisi fetor, sed isti implentur spiritu meo et igne caritatis mee accenduntur, qui numquam deficiet eis.
Ego sum unus Deus, trinus in personis, unus in substancia cum Patre et Spiritu sancto. Sicut enim impossibile est separari Patrem a Filio et Spiritum ab utroque et sicut impossibile est separari calorem ab igne, sic impossibile est tales coniuges spirituales a me separari, quin sim tercius cum eis. Semel enim corpus meum laceratum est in passione et mortuum, sed numquam amplius lacerabitur nec morietur.
Ita ipsi numquam morientur a me, qui michi fide recta et voluntate perfecta incorporantur. Nam ubicumque stant, sedent vel ambulant, ego semper sum tercius cum eis."
Notes
- 1 ↩The term 'sanguis caritatis' (blood of love) is used here to describe a generative process sanctified by divine order, distinct from the 'turpi voluptate' (shameful desire) associated with post-fall human generation.
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