Verba exhortacionis Virginis ad filiam, querimoniam innuencia de paucitate suorum amicorum, et qualiter Christus loquitur ad sponsam inquiens, quod per flores intelliguntur eius sacra verba et in quibus talia verba habeant fructificare.
The Sorrow of the Mother
Mary recounts her profound suffering during the life and passion of her Son and calls upon her daughter to sympathize with her sorrow.
Mary said: 'Wherever a great army might be, anyone walking alongside it who had a back heavily burdened by some great weight, and arms likewise, and eyes full of tears, would look toward the army to see if, by chance, there were someone who might have compassion on him and lift the burden.' That is how I was. For I was full of tribulation from the birth of my Son until His death. I carried a heavy burden on my back, as I was constantly devoted to divine labor, and I bore everything that came to me with patience.1 I carried a heavy burden in my arms as I suffered tribulation and heartache beyond any other creature. My eyes filled with tears as I considered the nail marks in my Son’s limbs and His coming passion, and as I saw in Him the fulfillment of everything I had heard the prophets foretell. But now I look at everyone in the world to see if there might be any who sympathize with me and reflect on my sorrow, and I find very few who think about my tribulation and my pain. Therefore, my daughter, even though I am forgotten and neglected by many, you must not forget me! Look at my sorrow and imitate it as much as you can! Consider my sorrows and my tears, and grieve, because the friends of God are few! Stand firm! Look, my Son is coming!
The Fruit of Divine Words
Christ appears to explain that His words are like blossoms that require the soil of love to bear the fruit of holy action.
He came at once and said, "I am your God and Lord, who speaks with you." My words are like the blossoms of a good tree; and although all blossoms come from the same root, not all of them reach the point of bearing fruit. My words are like flowers that grow from the root of divine love; many people receive them, but they don't produce fruit in everyone, nor do they reach maturity in everyone. Some people receive them and hold onto them for a while, but then they cast them aside because they are ungrateful to my spirit. Some people receive and hold onto them because they are full of love, and in these they produce the fruit of devotion and holy action.
The Three Houses of the Bride
Christ instructs His bride on the necessity of maintaining three houses, representing the practical and material order required for a life of devotion.
Therefore, my bride, because you have become mine by divine right, you must have three houses. In the first house there must be the necessities that enter the body; in the second, clothing to cover the body on the outside; and in the third, the necessary tools for the house's upkeep. In the first, there must be three things: first, bread; second, drink; and third, food. In the second house, there must also be three things: first, a linen garment; second, a woolen one; and third, something made from the work of worms. In the third house, there are also three things: first, tools and vessels that must be filled with liquid; second, living tools used to advance physical tasks, such as horses, donkeys, and the like; and third, tools that are moved by living things.
Read the original Latin
Maria loquebatur: 'Ubi magnus exercitus esset, quicumque procederet iuxta eum, habens dorsum nimis grauatum aliquo magno pondere et brachia similiter et oculos plenos lacrimis, respiceret ad exercitum, si forte esset aliquis, qui compateretur ei et releuaret onus.
Talis ego eram. Nam ego plena fui tribulacione a natiuitate filii mei usque ad mortem eius. Ego in dorso meo portaui maximum onus, cum labori diuino iugiter instabam et omnia adueniencia michi portabam pacienter.
Inter brachia mea tolerabam onerosum pondus, cum tribulacionem et dolorem cordis ultra omnem creaturam paciebar.
Ego habui oculos meos plenos lacrimis, quando considerabam in membris filii mei loca clauorum et passionem eius futuram et cum viderem in eo omnia compleri, que audiebam a prophetis vaticinata.
Sed nunc respicio ad omnes, qui in mundo sunt, si forte sint aliqui, qui compaciantur michi et recogitent dolorem meum, et valde paucos inuenio, qui cogitant tribulacionem et dolorem meum.
Ideo, filia mea, licet a multis oblita et neglecta sum, tu tamen non obliuiscaris me! Vide dolorem meum et imitare, quantum potes! Considera dolores meos et lacrimas et dole, quia amici Dei pauci sunt! Sta stabilis! Ecce filius meus venit!"
Qui statim veniens ait: "Ego sum Deus tuus et Dominus, qui loquor tecum. Verba mea sunt quasi flores arboris bone et, quamuis omnes flores de una radice arboris prodeunt, non tamen omnes flores veniunt ad effectum fructus.
Sic verba mea sunt quasi quidam flores, de radice caritatis diuine prodeuntes; que quidem multi suscipiunt, non tamen in omnibus faciunt fructum nec in omnibus maturescunt.
Quia quidam suscipiunt ea et retinent ad tempus, et sic postea reiciunt, quia spiritui meo ingrati sunt.
Quidam suscipiunt et retinent, quia caritate pleni sunt, et in hiis faciunt fructum deuocionis et sancte operacionis.
Tu ergo, sponsa mea, quia iure diuino mea facta es, oportet te habere tres domos.
In prima debent esse necessaria, que intrant in corpus; in secunda vestes, que vestiant corpus exterius; in tercia necessaria instrumenta ad utilitatem domus.
In prima debent esse tria: primo panis, secundo potus, tercio edulium.
In secunda domo debent esse eciam tria: primo vestimentum lineum, secundo laneum, tercio, quod fit de opere vermium.
In tercia domo eciam tria: primo instrumenta et vasa, que implenda sunt liquore, secundo instrumenta viuencia, quibus promouentur corporalia, utputa equi et asini et similia, tercio instrumenta, que per viua mouentur.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'labori diuino' suggests both the work of God and the labor undertaken for God; 'devoted to divine labor' captures this dual sense of active service.
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