Verba potencie Christi ad sponsam contra huius temporis milites et de forma tenenda in militibus procreandis et quomodo Deus talibus robur et auxilium in agendis prestat et administrat.
The Divine Word and the Mystery of Presence
Christ reveals His Trinitarian nature and His omnipresent power, explaining how He remains in heaven while simultaneously dwelling within the soul.
I am one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, three in persons. The One is not separated from the other, nor is He divided; rather, the Father is in the Son and the Spirit, the Son is in the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit is in both. God sent His Word to the Virgin Mary through His angel, Gabriel. Nevertheless, this same God—the One sending and the One sent by Himself—was with the angel; He was in Gabriel, and before Gabriel, He was in the Virgin. Once the word was spoken by the angel, the Word became flesh in the Virgin. I am this Word, who speaks to you. The Father sent me through himself, with the Holy Spirit, into the Virgin's womb. This didn't mean the angels were deprived of the vision and presence of God; rather, I, the Son—who was with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the virginal womb—was the same one who remained in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the vision of the angels, governing and sustaining all things, even though my humanity, which I alone as the Son assumed, rested in the womb of Mary. Therefore, I—the one God in both divinity and humanity—don't disdain to speak with you, so that I may show you my love and strengthen your holy faith. And although my humanity may seem to be right beside you and speaking with you, it's more likely that your soul and your conscience are with me and in me. For nothing is impossible for me, and nothing is difficult in heaven or on earth. I am, in fact, like a powerful king who, coming to a city with his army, fills every place and occupies everything. In the same way, my grace fills all your members and strengthens them all. In short, I am both within you and beyond you. Even though I speak with you, I remain the same in glory. What is difficult for me, when I sustain all things by my power, arrange all things by my wisdom, and overcome all things by my virtue? I, therefore—the one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, without beginning or end, who truly suffered for the salvation of humanity in the human nature I assumed, while my divinity remained unharmed, and who rose again and ascended—now speak to you in truth.
The Fallen Vow of Knighthood
Christ laments the infidelity of those who once vowed to serve Him, yet He offers His mercy and patience to those who would return.
I told you before about the knighthood that was once very dear to me, because it was bound to me by the bond of love. By their own vow, these soldiers bound themselves to give their flesh for my flesh, and their blood for my blood. So I consented to them, and joined them to myself in one bond and one fellowship. But now I complain about those very soldiers who are bound to be mine, because they have turned away. After all, I am their Creator and Redeemer; I am also their helper. I created their bodies and their limbs. I made everything in the world for their benefit. I redeemed them with My blood. I bought them an eternal inheritance through My passion. I defend them in all their dangers. I give them the strength to act and to labor. But now, they have turned away from me. They treat my passion as nothing, and they ignore my words—the very words by which their souls ought to be delighted and nourished. They despise me, choosing with their whole heart and affection to give and tear their own flesh for the praise of men, to shed their own blood to satisfy their own greed, and to die willingly for worldly things and for empty, devilish words. Even so, although they have turned away like this, my mercy and my justice are still within them. For through my mercy I watch over them, so that they aren't handed over to the devil. In my justice, I endure them patiently, and if they should ever want to return, I receive them gladly and run to meet them with joy.
The Rite of Holy Knighthood
Christ outlines a liturgical form for knighthood, emphasizing humility, obedience to the Church, and the defense of the faith.
Tell anyone who wants to dedicate their military service to me that, by following this rule, they can be pleasing to me once again. Anyone who wants to be a soldier should take his horse and gear to the church cemetery and leave them there, because a horse wasn't created for human pride, but for the practical needs of life, for defense, and for the defeat of God's enemies. Next, let him take up the cloak, the tie of which is to be placed across the forehead, so that just as a deacon takes up the stole as a sign of obedience and divine patience, so this soldier takes up the cloak and places the tie across his forehead as a sign of his professed knighthood and of the obedience he must take up for the defense of my cross. The banner of secular authority should also go before him, so he knows he must obey worldly power in everything that doesn't go against God. When he enters the churchyard, the clergy should meet him with the church banner, on which my passion and my wounds are depicted, as a sign that he is bound to defend the Church of God and the faith, and also to obey its prelates. But when he enters the church, the banner of temporal power must stay outside; my banner must go before him into the church as a sign that divine power takes precedence over secular power, and that we should care more for spiritual things than for temporal ones. Once the Mass reaches the 'Agnus Dei,' the prelate—whether the king or someone else—should approach the soldier near the altar and ask, 'Do you wish to become a knight?' When he answers, 'I will,' let the leader add: 'Promise,' he says, 'to God and to me that you will defend the faith of the holy Church and obey its prelates in all things that pertain to God.' When he answers, 'I will,' let him place a sword in his hands and say: 'Look, I am giving you this sword to hold, so that you won't spare your own life for the sake of the faith and the Church of God, so that you may strike down the enemies of God, and so that you may defend the friends of God.' Afterward, let him entrust a shield to him and say: 'Look, I give you this shield so that you may defend yourself against the enemies of God, provide help to widows and orphans, and increase the honor of God in all things.' Afterward, he places his hand on the person's neck, saying: 'Look, you are subject to obedience and to authority.' Make sure, therefore, that just as you've bound yourself by your profession, you also fulfill it in your actions!' After this, they should put on their mantle and belt, so that every day they remember what they vowed to God and how, by their profession before the Church, they have bound themselves to the defense of God's Church more than others have. Once these things are finished and the 'Agnus Dei' has been said, the priest celebrating the Mass should give him my Body, so that he may defend the faith of the holy Church. I will be in him, and he will be in me. I’ll provide him with help and strength, and I’ll set him on fire with the flame of my love, so that he desires nothing but me and fears nothing but me, his God.
The Interiority of True Service
Christ clarifies that true service is rooted in love and right intention, concluding with a historical note regarding the recipient of these words.
If, however, someone happens to be on the battlefield and takes up arms there to defend my honor and my faith, it still benefits them, provided their intention is right.1 After all, I am present everywhere by my power, and anyone can please me if their intention is right and their will is good. I am love, and no one can come to me unless they possess love. That is why I don't command anyone to do this, because then they would serve me out of fear. But whoever might wish to take up this kind of knighthood could please me. It would be fitting, indeed, for them to show that they wish to return to the practice of true knighthood through humility, just as they had strayed from the true profession of knighthood through pride. This knight is believed to have been Lord Charles, the son of Saint Bridget.
Read the original Latin
"Ego sum cum Patre et Spiritu sancto unus Deus, trinus in personis. Unus non separatur ab alio nec diuiditur, sed Pater est in Filio et Spiritu et Filius in Patre et Spiritu et Spiritus in ambobus.
Deitas misit verbum suum Marie virgini per angelum suum Gabrielem. Nichilominus tamen idem Deus mittens et missus a se ipso erat cum angelo, erat in Gabriele et ante Gabrielem in Virgine.
Dicto autem verbo ab angelo verbum factum est caro in Virgine. Hoc verbum ego sum, qui loquor tecum.
Pater misit me per se ipsum cum Spiritu sancto in ventrem Virginis, non sic, quod angeli caruerunt visione et presencia Dei, sed ego Filius, qui fui cum Patre et Spiritu sancto in ventre virgineo, idem eram in celo cum Patre et Spiritu sancto in visione angelorum, omnia gubernans omniaque sustentans, licet humanitas mea, a me solo Filio assumpta, requieuit in ventre Marie.
Ego igitur, in deitate et humanitate unus Deus, ad ostensionem caritatis mee et in robur fidei sancte non dedignor loqui tecum.
Et licet humanitas mea videatur esse iuxta te et loqui tecum, verisimilius est tamen, quod anima tua et consciencia tua mecum est et in me. Nichil enim michi impossibile est et nichil difficile in celo et in terra.
Ego quippe sum sicut rex potens, qui, cum exercitu suo veniens ad ciuitatem, omnia loca implet, omnia occupat. Sic gracia mea omnia membra tua implet, omnia fortificat.
Ego denique sum in te et extra te. Ego quamuis loquar tecum, idem tamen sum in gloria.
Quid michi difficile est, qui potencia mea omnia sustento, sapiencia mea omnia dispono, virtuositate mea omnia supero?
Ego igitur, cum Patre et Spiritu sancto sine principio et sine fine unus Deus, qui pro salute hominum in humanitate assumpta, deitate illesa permanente, vere passus sum, resurrexi et ascendi, nunc veraciter loquor tecum.
Dixi tibi prius de milicia, que michi quondam gratissima fuit, eo quod vinculo caritatis michi colligata fuit.
Nam voto suo obligabant se milites dare carnem suam pro carne mea, sanguinem suum pro sanguine meo. Ideo et ego consensi in eos et coniunxi eos michi in unum vinculum et in unam societatem.
Sed nunc conqueror super ipsos milites, qui tenerentur esse mei, quod auersi sunt.
Ego quippe sum creator eorum et redemptor, ego et auxiliator.
Ego creaui eis corpus et membra. Ego omnia, que in mundo sunt, ad utilitatem eorum feci.
Ego redemi eos sanguine meo. Ego emi eis hereditatem eternam passione mea.
Ego in omnibus periculis defendo eos. Ego do eis fortitudinem ad agendum et laborandum.
Nunc autem ipsi auersi sunt a me. Ducunt pro nichilo passionem meam, negligunt verba mea, quibus anima eorum delectari et pasci deberet.
Contempnunt me eligentes animo et toto affectu carnem suam dare et lacerare pro laude hominum, sanguinem suum fundere propter explecionem cupiditatis sue, libenter mori propter mundana et verba diabolica et inania.
Adhuc tamen, licet sic auersi sunt, misericordia mea et iusticia mea est in eis. Nam per misericordiam custodio eos, ne tradantur diabolo.
Per iusticiam tolero eos pacienter et, si adhuc reuerti voluerint, ego gaudenter suscipio eos et occurro eis letanter.
Dic ergo illi, qui miliciam suam ad me conuertere vellet, quod sub hac forma michi denuo placere posset.
Quicumque enim miles fieri vellet, deberet cum equo suo et apparatu ad cimiterium ecclesie procedere et ibi eum relinquere, quia equus non est creatus ad superbiam hominum sed ad vite utilitatem et ad defensionem et inimicorum Dei expugnacionem.
Deinde assumat mantellum, cuius ligatura ponenda est super frontem, ut, sicut diaconus assumit stolam in signum obediencie et paciencie diuine, sic ipse miles assumit mantellum et ligaturam ponit super frontem in signum professe milicie et obediencie pro crucis mee defensione assumenda.
Quem eciam precedat vexillum potestatis secularis, ut sciat se potestati mundane in omnibus, que non sunt contra Deum, debere obedire.
Ingresso autem eo cimiterium clerici occurrant ei cum vexillo ecclesie, in quo depicta sit passio mea et vulnera mea in signum, quod Ecclesiam Dei et fidem defendere deberet et prelatis eius eciam obtemperare.
Cum autem ingreditur ecclesiam, vexillum temporalis potestatis foras ecclesiam remaneat et vexillum meum precedat eum in ecclesiam in signum, quod diuina potestas precedit secularem et quod de spiritualibus plus est curandum quam de temporalibus.
Dicta vero missa usque ad 'Agnus Dei' prelatus, scilicet rex vel alius, procedat ad militem circa altare et dicat: 'Vis tu fieri miles?'
Quo respondente 'Volo', subiungat: 'Promitte', inquit, 'Deo et michi te fidem sancte Ecclesie defendere et prelatis eius in omnibus, que ad Deum sunt, obedire!'
Quo respondente 'Volo', tradat gladium in manus eius et dicat: 'Ecce trado tibi gladium in manus tuas, ut non parcas vite tue pro fide et Ecclesia Dei, ut inimicos Dei deprimas et ut amicos Dei defendas.'
Postea committat ei clipeum et dicat: 'Ecce do tibi clipeum, ut defendas te contra inimicos Dei, ut viduis et orphanis tribuas auxilium et ut honorem Dei in omnibus augmentes.'
Postea manum imponit collo eius dicens: 'Ecce obediencie subiectus es/t/ et potestati. Vide ergo, ut, sicut ligasti te professione, sic impleas et opere!'
Post hoc autem mantellum adaptet sibi et ligaturam, ut cotidie habeat in memoria, quid Deo vouit et quod ad Ecclesie Dei defensionem plus quam alii se professione in facie ecclesie obligauit.
Hiis ergo peractis et dicto 'Agnus Dei' sacerdos, qui missam celebrat, tradat sibi corpus meum, ut fidem sancte Ecclesie defendat.
Ego ero in eo et ipse in me. Ego ministrabo ei auxilium et robur et incendam eum flamma caritatis mee, ut nichil velit nisi me, nichil timeat nisi me, Deum suum.
Quod si forte fuerit in campo et ibi pro honore meo et fide mea defendenda sumpserit miliciam, nichilominus ei prodest, si intencio fuerit recta.
Ego denique in omni loco sum per potenciam meam, et omnes michi intencione recta et voluntate bona placere possunt.
Ego autem sum caritas, et nullus ad me venire potest nisi qui habeat caritatem. Ideo nullis precipio hoc facere, quia tunc seruirent michi ex timore.
Sed quicumque vellent sic assumere miliciam, michi placere possent. Dignum quippe esset, ut, sicut per superbiam a vera professione milicie excessum est, sic per humilitatem ad vere milicie cultum se reuerti velle ostenderent."
Hic miles creditur fuisse dominus Karolus, filius sancte Birgitte.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'miliciam' can refer to military service or warfare in a broader sense; here it denotes the active defense of the faith.
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