Verba Christi ad sponsam de via paradisi, in sui aduentu aperta, et de ardenti eius caritate nobis ostensa multas passiones a sui natiuitate usque ad mortem pro nobis sustinendo et qualiter nunc via inferni est lata et via paradisi stricta.
The Wilderness and the Cry for Help
The world is described as a wilderness where humanity, trapped in darkness, cries out for a Savior to open the way to heaven.
You're wondering why I speak this way and why I've shown you so much. Is it only for your sake? Certainly not; it's for the instruction and salvation of others as well. For the world was like a kind of wilderness, in which there was only one path, and it led down to the great abyss. In the abyss, however, there were two chambers. One was so deep that it had no bottom beneath it, and those who descended into it never climbed back out. The second one, however, wasn't as deep as the first, nor was it as horrific; but whoever descended into it hoped for help, and they had a certain longing and delay—not misery—and they experienced darkness, but not punishment. But those living in this second place cried out daily to a nearby city of excellence, which was filled with every good thing and delight. They cried out with great intensity, because they knew the way to the city they were meant to reach. But the wilderness and the forest were so thick and dense that, because of that density, they were unable to move through or even walk forward, nor did they have the strength to clear a path. But what were they crying out? They were actually crying out like this: O God, come and help us; show us the way and enlighten us, for we are waiting for you! “For there is no salvation for us in anyone else but you.” That cry rose up to heaven and reached my ears; that cry drew me to mercy. But I, softened by such a great cry, came into the wilderness like a pilgrim.
The Labor of Love
Christ recounts His incarnation, life, and passion as a sacrificial labor to clear the path to the heavenly city.
But before I began to walk and to labor, a voice spoke out before me, saying: 'The axe is already laid to the root of the tree.' What was that voice if not John the Baptist, who was sent ahead of me into the wilderness and cried out, "The axe is laid to the root of the tree," as if to say: 'Let a person be ready now, because the axe is already prepared; and he comes as if preparing the way to the city, and he was clearing away every obstacle.' I, however, have labored from the rising of the sun to its setting—that is, from my incarnation until my death on the cross, I have worked for the salvation of humanity. Fleeing at the very start of my time in this wilderness because of my enemies—specifically Herod, who was hunting me—I was tempted by the devil and suffered persecution from men. Afterward, I endured many hardships, eating and drinking and fulfilling other natural needs without sin, for the instruction of the faith and to show the reality of the human nature I assumed. Then, as I prepared the way to the city—the heavenly one—and rooted out the obstacles that had arisen, the sharpest thorns and prickles pierced my side, and bitter nails wounded my hands and feet. My teeth and cheeks are drawn in pain. Yet I suffered patiently and didn't turn back; instead, I pressed forward even more fervently, like an animal worn down by hunger that, seeing a man holding a spear, rushes onto the spear because of its desire for the man. The more a person thrusts a spear into the animal's vitals, the more the animal, out of a longing for that person, pushes itself back onto the spear, until its vitals and its whole body are pierced through. I burned with such love for the soul that, as I saw all the most bitter torments and experienced them, the more eager humanity was to kill me, the more my own desire to suffer for the salvation of souls intensified. So, I walked through this wilderness of the world in labor and misery, and I prepared the way with my own blood and sweat.
The Narrow Way and the Call to Return
Christ contrasts the broad way of the world with the narrow path of salvation, inviting His friends to return to Him and receive His divine embrace.
This world can truly be called a wilderness, because all virtue had faded from it, and only a wilderness of vices remained. In that state, there was only one path by which everyone descended to hell—though the damned went to their damnation, while the good went only to the darkness. Mercifully hearing the long-held desire for future salvation, I came as a pilgrim to labor, and unknown according to my power and divinity, I prepared the way that leads to heaven. Seeing this, my friends considered the difficulties of my labor and the eagerness of my spirit, and for a long time, many followed me with joy. But now the voice that once cried out, "Be ready!" has changed. My path has changed, thorns and briars have grown over it again, and those who were traveling it have stopped. The way to hell, however, is wide and open, and many people travel along it. Yet, so that my way wouldn't be entirely forgotten and neglected, a few of my friends, out of a longing for their heavenly home, still travel along it like birds moving from bush to bush, serving as if in secret and out of fear, because for everyone else, it now seems that happiness and joy are found in traveling the way of the world. Because my way has been made narrow and the way of the world broad, I am calling out now in the wilderness—that is, in the world—to my friends, so that they might clear away the thorns and thistles from the path that leads to heaven and set my way before those who are walking.✦✦ Just as it is written: 'Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed,' so too are those happy who now believe my words and put them into action. I am, in fact, like a mother meeting her wandering son; I hold out a light to him on the road so he can see the way, I meet him out of love on the path, shortening his journey, and as I draw near, I embrace him and rejoice. In this way, I'll meet everyone who returns to me and all my friends with love, and I'll illuminate their hearts and souls with divine wisdom. I want to embrace them with all the glory of the heavenly court, where there is no sky above or earth below, but only the vision of God; where there is no food or drink, but only divine delight. But for the wicked, the way to hell is opened, and those who enter it will never climb back out. For they will be deprived of glory and joy, and will be filled with misery and everlasting shame. This is why I speak these words and show my love: so that those who have turned away may return to me and recognize me as their Creator, whom they have forgotten.
Read the original Latin
"Miraris, quare talia loquor et tanta ostendi tibi. Numquid propter te solam? Non utique, sed propter aliorum erudicionem et salutem.
Nam mundus erat quasi quedam solitudo, in qua non erat nisi una via, que deducebat ad maximam abyssum.
In abysso autem duo erant receptacula. Unum erat sic profundum, quod nullum habebat sub se fundum, in quod qui descenderunt numquam ascenderunt.
Secundum vero non erat sic profundum ut primum nec ita horribile, sed quicumque descenderunt in ipsum, sperabant sibi auxilium, desiderium et dilacionem quandam habebant, non miseriam, tenebras experiebantur, non penas.
Isti autem, qui habitabant in isto secundo receptaculo, clamabant cotidie ad ciuitatem quandam optimam prope iacentem, que plena erat omnibus bonis et delectacionibus.
Clamabant autem valenter, quia sciebant viam ad ciuitatem, quam irent. Sed solitudo et silua sic arta et densa erat, quod pre densitate nec transmigrare nec incedere valebant, sed nec fortitudinem ad preparandam viam habebant.
Sed quid clamabant? Vere clamabant sic:
'O Deus, veni et da auxilium, monstra viam et illumina nos, qui expectamus te! In alio enim non est salus nobis nisi in te.'
Iste clamor ascendebat in celum ad aures meas, iste me traxit ad misericordiam. Ego autem, mitigatus clamore tanto, veni in solitudinem sicut peregrinus.
Sed antequam incedere et laborare inciperem, vox ante me sonuit, que dixit: 'Securis iam posita est ad arborem.'
Que fuit vox ista nisi Iohannes Baptista, qui ante me in heremo missus clamabat: 'Securis ad arborem posita est', quasi diceret:
'Homo iam paratus sit, quia iam securis parata est, et venit ille quasi preparando viam ad ciuitatem et extirpabat omnia obstacula.'
Ego autem veniens ab ortu solis usque ad occasum laboraui, idest ab incarnacione mea usque ad mortem crucis operatus fui salutem hominis.
Fugiens in principio ingressionis in solitudinem istam propter inimicos meos, scilicet Herodem persequentem, temptatus a diabolo fui et persecuciones passus ab hominibus.
Deinde labores multiplices passus comedebam et bibebam et alias nature necessitates expleui absque peccato ad fidei instruccionem et vere nature assumpte ostensionem.
Deinde viam ad ciuitatem, scilicet celestem, preparans et contraria suborta extirpans, aculei et spine acutissime pupugerunt latus meum, et acerbi claui vulnerauerunt manus et pedes meos.
Dentes mei et gene mee male contracte sunt. Ego autem pacienter sufferens non retrocessi, sed eo feruencius processi tamquam animal, quod inedia confectum, cum conspicit hominem, lanceam contra se tendentem, irruit in lanceam propter desiderium viri.
Et quo plus homo lanceam in viscera animalis intruserit, tanto plus animal propter desiderium hominis se ipsum econtra intrudit in lanceam, donec viscera et totum corpus perfodiuntur.
Sic ego tanta caritate arsi ad animam, quod, cum viderem omnia acerbissima tormenta et experirer, quo magis homo voluntarius fuit ad occidendum me, tanto plus ardencior eram ad paciendum propter salutem animarum.
Sic igitur ego in solitudine ista mundi in labore et miseria processi et preparaui viam in sanguine et sudore meo.
Qui quidem mundus bene solitudo dici potest, quia ab eo omnis virtus deficiebat et solitudo viciorum remanebat.
In quo non erat nisi una via, per quam omnes ad infernum descendebant, sed dampnati ad dampnacionem, boni autem ad tenebras solas.
Longum igitur future saluacionis desiderium misericorditer audiens veni sicut peregrinus ad laborandum et incognitus secundum potenciam et deitatem meam preparaui viam, que ducit ad celum.
Hanc viam amici mei videntes et difficultates laboris mei et alacritatem animi considerantes, gaudentes secuti sunt multi et multo tempore.
Sed nunc vox immutata est, que clamabat: 'Estote parati!'
Via mea immutata est et succreuerunt iterum frutecta et spineta cessaueruntque incedentes per eam.
Via autem inferni aperta est et lata, et transeunt per eam plurimi.
Attamen via mea ne esset omnino oblita et neglecta, pauci amici mei pre desiderio celestis patrie transeunt adhuc per eam quasi aues transmigrantes de rubo in rubum et quasi occulte et pre timore seruientes, quia per viam mundi transire omnibus iam videtur felicitas et gaudium.
Propterea quia via mea facta est arta et via mundi lata, clamo nunc in solitudine, idest in mundo, ad amicos meos, ut a via, que ducit ad celum, extirpent spinas et tribulos et proponent viam meam incedentibus.
Nam, sicut scriptum est: 'Beati sunt, qui non viderunt me et crediderunt', similiter felices sunt illi, qui nunc credunt verbis meis et opere ea complent.
Ego quippe sum sicut mater occurrens filio suo erranti, que in via porrigit ei lumen, ut videat iter, obuiat ei pre amore in via breuiando viam eius et appropinquans amplectitur eum et gratulatur.
Sic ego omnibus reuertentibus ad me et amicis meis occurram cum caritate et illuminabo cor et animam eorum ad diuinam sapienciam.
Amplecti eos volo cum omni gloria et celesti curia, ubi non est celum subtus vel terra inferius sed Dei visio, ubi non est cibus et potus sed diuina delectacio.
Malis autem aperitur via ad infernum, in quem ingredientes numquam ascendent. Carebunt enim gloria et leticia et implebuntur miseria et obprobrio sempiterno.
Ideo loquor verba ista et ostendo caritatem meam, ut reuertantur ad me, qui auersi sunt, et recognoscant me, creatorem suum, quem obliti sunt."
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