Deprecacio matris Dei ad Filium pro sponsa et pro alio sancto et de acceptacione deprecacionis matris a Christo et de certitudine vere vel false sanctitatis hominis in hac vita.
The Mother's Plea for the Saint
Mary intercedes for the exaltation of a departed saint, asking her Son to honor the one who served Him faithfully.
Mary spoke to her Son, saying, "My Son, grant this to your new bride: that your most worthy Body may be rooted in her heart, so that she may be transformed into you and filled with your delight." Then He said, "While this saint lived in time, he was like a mountain, stable in holy faith—one that no adversity could break, and no pleasure could lead astray." He was also flexible toward your will, like air that moves wherever the impulse of your Spirit carries it. Furthermore, they were so ardent in your love that they were like a fire, warming the cold and consuming the wicked. Now, however, her soul is with you in glory; yet her physical body is cast down and lies in a lower place than is fitting. Therefore, my son, give her body a higher exaltation; honor that which honored you to the best of its ability, and lift up that which lifted you up with all the labor it could. The Son replied: "You are blessed, for you leave nothing untouched that concerns your friends."
The Discernment of True Holiness
Christ explains why the holy are not to be cast before the unworthy, detailing the virtues of the saint and the blindness of the world.
Mother, as you can see, it isn't right for the finest food to be given to wolves; it isn't fitting for a sapphire—which keeps limbs healthy and strengthens the weak—to be cast into the mud; nor is it right for a light to be lit for the blind.1 This man was truly steady in faith and most fervent in love, just as he was also perfectly disposed in his self-control to follow my will. Because of this, he tasted to me like the finest food, perfectly prepared through every patience and tribulation; ultimately, he was sweet and good in his upright will and affection, better in his effort and manly progress, and best and most sweet in his praiseworthy completion. Therefore, it isn't right for such food to be held up before wolves—people whose greed knows no satisfaction, whose delight turns away from the virtues and hungers for rotting flesh, and whose voice and cunning are harmful to everyone. He was like a sapphire in a ring through the clarity of his reputation and his life, by which he showed himself to be a spouse of His Church, a friend of his Lord, a guardian of the holy faith, and one who held the world in contempt. Therefore, dearest Mother, it isn't fitting that the Lover of such great goodness should be touched by those who are so unclean, as if He were a worldly bridegroom, nor that the Friend of such great humility should be handled by those who love the world. Third, he was like a light placed on a lampstand through his total fulfillment of my commandments and through the teaching of a good life. Through her, he strengthened those who were standing so they wouldn't fall. Through her, he lifted up those who were falling. Through her, he also stirred up those who would follow her to seek me. Those blinded by their own love are unworthy to see this light. Those who have the film of pride over their eyes don't know how to discern this light. Those whose hands are scabbed are unable to touch this light. For this light is utterly hateful to those who are greedy and in love with their own will. Therefore, before it is lifted up, it's only right that those who are unclean be purified, and those who are blind be enlightened.
Testing the Spirits
Christ provides criteria for discerning true holiness from false appearances and cautions against premature judgment of the soul's state.
When it comes to someone people on earth call holy, three things show that they aren't actually holy. First, because before death he did not imitate the life of the saints; second, because he did not have a joyful willingness to suffer martyrdom for God; third, because he did not have a love that was as ardent and discerning as the saints'. There are also three reasons why someone might appear holy to the people. The first is the deceit of those who are false and eager to please; the second is the gullibility of the foolish; the third is the greed and lukewarmness of those in authority and those who examine others. As for whether he is in hell or in purgatory, it isn't permitted for you to know yet, but only when the time for speaking has come.
Read the original Latin
Maria loquebatur filio dicens: "Da, fili mi, noue sponse tue, ut corpus tuum dignissimum radicetur in corde eius, ut ipsa mutetur in te tuaque delectacione repleatur!"
Deinde ait: "Hic sanctus, cum temporaliter vixit, fuit in fide sancta sicut mons stabilis, quem non fregit aduersitas, nulla retraxit delectacio.
Fuit et flexibilis ad voluntatem tuam sicut aer mobilis, quocumque eum impetus spiritus tui traxit.
Fuit insuper in caritate tua ardens quasi ignis, calefaciens frigidos et consumens iniquos.
Nunc autem anima eius tecum est in gloria; vas autem instrumenti eius depressum est et in humiliori loco iacet quam decet.
Ideo, fili mi, da corpori eius alciorem eleuacionem, honora illud, quod te pro modulo suo honorauit, eleua illud, quod te labore suo, quo potuit, eleuauit."
Respondit filius: "Benedicta sis tu, que nichil relinquis intactum, quod ad amicos tuos pertinet.
Non decet, mater, ut vides, quod lupis detur cibus optimus; non conuenit, ut saphirus, membra conseruans sana et corroborans infirma, ponatur in luto; non eciam decet, ut cecis accendatur lumen.
Iste quippe homo, sicut in fide fuit stabilis et in caritate feruentissimus, sic et in continencia optime fuit ad voluntatem meam dispositus.
Propterea sapuit michi sicut cibus optimus optime decoctus in omni paciencia et tribulacione, dulcis denique et bonus in bona voluntate et affectu, melior in conatu et virili progressu, optimus et dulcissimus in laudabili consumacione.
Propterea non decet, ut ante lupos talis exaltetur cibus, quorum cupiditas nescit sacietatem, quorum delectacio refugit herbas virtutum et sitit carnes putridas, quorum vox et astucia omnibus est nociua.
Fuit eciam quasi saphirus in anulo per fame et vite claritatem, per quam ostendit se esse Ecclesie sue sponsum, Domini sui amicum, fidei sancte conseruatorem et mundi contemptorem.
Propterea, mater carissima, non decet, ut tante bonitatis amator tamquam mundus sponsus tangatur a tam immundis tanteque humilitatis amicus ab amatoribus mundi contingatur.
Fuit eciam tercio tamquam lumen positum super candelabrum per omnem mandatorum meorum execucionem, per bone vite doctrinam.
Per hanc muniuit stantes, ne caderent. Per hanc eleuauit cadentes. Per hanc eciam futuros post se ad me excitauit.
Hoc lumen indigni videre sunt obcecati amore suo. Hoc lumen discernere nesciunt, qui habent albuginem superbie. Hoc lumen attrectare non valent scabiosi manibus.
Quia hoc lumen cupidis et suam voluntatem amantibus est nimis odiosum.
Ideo, priusquam eleuetur, iustum est, ut illi, qui immundi sunt, purgentur et, qui ceci sunt, illuminentur.
Illum vero hominem, quem homines terre dicunt sanctum, tria ostendunt eum non esse sanctum.
Primo, quia ante mortem non imitabatur vitam sanctorum; secundo, quia hilarem voluntatem non habuit paciendi martyrium pro Deo; tercio, quia non habuit caritatem ardentem et discretam sicut sancti.
Tria quoque sunt, propter que quis videtur a populo sanctus.
Primum est mendacium fallacium et placere volencium; secundum facilitas credulitatis insipiencium; tercium est cupiditas et tepiditas prelatorum et examinatorum.
Utrum autem ipse est in inferno vel in purgatorio, nondum est tibi licitum scire sed cum tempus fuerit loquendi."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'saphirus' (sapphire) is used here as a metaphor for a precious, healing, and strengthening gift or grace, likely referring to the Eucharist or a similar spiritual treasure.
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