Verba matris ad filiam, quod citius fratres nunc audirent et audiunt vocem diaboli quam sui patris Dominici, et quomodo nunc pauci imitantur eius vestigia, et qualiter episcopatus desiderantes propter mundi honorem et sui quietem et libertatem non sunt in regula sancti Dominici, et de terribili sententia contra tales et de experientia damnationis pro tali episcopatu.
The Two Voices: Dominic vs. The Devil
The Mother contrasts the call of Saint Dominic to poverty and humility with the devil's seductive offer of worldly honor and pleasure.
The Mother speaks to the bride, saying: "I told you that everyone under the rule of Dominic is under my mantle." Now you're about to hear how many there are like that. If Dominic were to come down from that place of delights where he now truly and happily dwells, and were to call out like this: 'O my dear brothers, follow me, for there are four good things kept for you: honor for your humility, everlasting riches for your poverty, satisfaction without weariness for your self-denial, and eternal life for your contempt of the world,' he would hardly be heard at all.1 But if, on the other hand, the devil were to climb up from the valley at once and shout four other, very different things: "Dominic," he would say, "promised you four things." "Look at me, for I'll show you with my own hand the things you desire." For look, I offer honor, I have riches in my hand, pleasure is at the ready, and the world will be delightful to enjoy. Accept, then, what I offer! Make use of these things, which are certain! Live with joy so that you may rejoice together after death! If these two voices were to sound in the world right now, more people would follow the devil’s thief-like call than the voice of Dominic, my illustrious friend. And what am I to say about the brothers of Dominic?
The True Meaning of the Rule
The Mother clarifies that true adherence to Dominic's rule is found in humble service rather than the mere pursuit of ecclesiastical status.
Certainly, few people live by his rule, and even fewer follow in his footsteps by imitating him. For not everyone hears the one voice, because not everyone is of the same nature—not that they aren't all from God, and not that they couldn't all be saved if they wanted to be, but because not everyone hears the voice of the Son of God saying, 'Come to me, and I will refresh you,' which is to say, by giving of myself!✦ But what am I to say about those brothers who desire bishoprics for the sake of the world? Are they truly following the rule of Dominic? Certainly not. And what about those who accept bishoprics for a valid reason—are they excluded from the rule of Dominic? Certainly not. Blessed Augustine lived by his religious rule before he became a bishop, and he didn't abandon that life even after he was made a bishop, despite having risen to a higher honor. For he accepted the honor reluctantly, not for the sake of rest, but certainly for the sake of greater labor; because, seeing that he could be of service to souls, he willingly abandoned his own will and the comfort of the flesh for God's sake, so that he might win more people for his God. Therefore, those who desire and accept the episcopacy in this way—so that they might better serve souls—are truly living by the rule of Dominic, and their reward will be doubled: both for the sweetness of the rule from which they have been drawn away, and for the episcopal burden to which they have been called.
Judgment on the Unfaithful
A prophetic warning is issued against those who have abandoned the rule, describing a coming judgment where the unworthy will be purged from the Lord's pasture.
Therefore, I swear by the same God the prophets swore by—who didn't swear out of impatience, but because they took God as a witness to their words. So I say now, and I swear by that same God, that a hunter of power will come for those brothers who have despised the rule of Dominic, arriving with unbridled hounds, just as if a servant were saying to his master: "Many sheep," she said, "have entered your garden; their flesh is poisoned, their wool is matted with filth, their milk is useless, and their wantonness is far too arrogant." "Order them to be cut off," she said, "so the pastures don't run out for the useful sheep, and so the good sheep aren't disturbed by the insolence of the bad ones." The Lord answered her, "Close the openings, so that no one may enter except those whom it is fitting and helpful for me to raise and feed, and those who are peaceful and honest." This is what I say: some openings will be closed first, but not all of them. Afterward, the hunter will arrive with his hounds, sparing neither the fleece from his arrows nor the bodies from his wounds, so that life may be brought to an end. Then the guardians will come, who will carefully examine and watch to see what kind of sheep are being brought in to feed at the Lord's pasture.
Discerning True Necessity
The Mother addresses the bride's questions regarding dispensations for food, clothing, and building projects, emphasizing the spirit of the rule over legalistic interpretation.
The bride replied, "My Lady, please don't be offended if I ask." Since the Pope has relaxed the rule's austerity for them, are they really to be blamed if they eat meat or whatever else is set before them? The Mother replied, "Considering the weakness of human nature and the reasonable needs that some have brought forward, the Pope permitted them to eat meat so they might be more capable and fervent in their preaching and work, not so they would appear sluggish or self-indulgent. For this reason, we excuse the Pope for granting this permission." The bride said again, "Dominic established that our clothing shouldn't be made of the finest or the cheapest fabric, but of a moderate, balanced quality." Should they be criticized if they wear softer clothes?" The Mother replied: "Dominic, who dictated the rule by the Spirit of my Son, commanded that they not have clothes made of soft or expensive fabrics, so they wouldn't be criticized or marked for wearing fine and costly attire, and thus fall into vanity." He also decided they shouldn't wear clothing made of the coarsest, hardest materials, so that their sleep after labor wouldn't be overly disturbed by the harshness of the fabric. Instead, he established that their clothing should be moderate and necessary—nothing they could be proud of, containing no vanity, but enough to protect them from the cold and help them stay focused on their steady progress in virtue. And so, while we praise Dominic for his rule, we rebuke his brothers—specifically those who transform their habit into a matter of vanity rather than utility. The bride asked again, "Should those brothers be criticized for building tall and expensive churches for your Son?" Or should they be blamed and judged if they beg for more to build such structures?" The mother replied, "When a church is large enough to hold those who enter, When the walls have grown so high that they don't crowd those entering, when the thickness of the walls is so strong that they aren't shaken by any wind, and when the roof is so firmly joined that it doesn't leak, it should be enough for them to have built it. God is more pleased by a humble heart in a humble church than by high walls, where the bodies are inside but the hearts are outside. Therefore, there's no need to fill chests with gold and silver for the sake of buildings; it didn't profit Solomon to build such sumptuous structures, since he neglected to love the One for whom they were being built.
The Lament of the Damned
A deceased bishop cries out from his state of damnation, lamenting the loss of his vocation and the terrible reality of divine justice.
When these things were said and heard, the senior bishop—who had been reported dead above—cried out, saying: 'Oh, oh, the miter is taken away, and look, what was hidden underneath is revealed.' Where is the honorable bishop now? Where is the venerable priest? Where is the poor brother? The bishop is certainly absent—the one anointed with oil for the apostolic office and for a life of purity. In his place remains a servant stained by the filth of the dung heap. The priest is also absent, he who was consecrated with holy words to change lifeless and dead bread into the life-giving God. The deceitful traitor who sold Him for greed remains, while He redeemed everyone out of love. The poor brother who renounced the world with an oath is also absent, but now I am judged for my own pride and ostentation. Yet now I am compelled to speak the truth: that just Judge who judged me would have much preferred to free me from such a bitter death, just as He suffered when He hung on the wood of the cross, but justice—which He could not oppose—stood in the way, and it was contrary to that justice that I should have been judged in the way I am now experiencing.
Read the original Latin
Loquitur mater ad sponsam dicens:"Dixi tibi, quod omnes qui sunt in regula Dominici,sunt sub mantello meo. Nunc auditura es, quam multi sunt tales.
Si Dominicus descenderet de loco deliciarum, in quo feliciter vere est, et clamaret taliter:' O, fratres dilecti, sequimini me, quia vobis reseruantur quatuor bona, honor scilicet pro humilitate, diuitie perpetue pro paupertate,satietas sine fastidio pro continentia, vita eterna pro contemptu mundi', vix audiretur.
Sed si econtra statim ascenderet dyabolus de conualle clamaretque alia quatuor dissimilia. 'Vobis Dominicus', inquiens, ' promisit quatuor. Videte me, ego enim vobis, que desideratis, ostendam manu.
Nam ecce, honorem offero, diuitias habeo in manu, voluptas in promptu est, mundus erit delectabilis ad fruendum. Suscipite igitur, que offero! Utimini hijs, que certa sunt! Viuite cum gaudio ut post obitum simul gaudeatis!'
Si iste due voces nunc sonarent in mundo, plures latronis diaboli, quam ad vocem Dominici, amici mei tam preclari. Et quid dicam de fratribus Dominici?
Certe pauci sunt in regula eius, et pauciores sunt qui imitando vestigia sequuntur eius. Nam non omnes audiunt unam vocem, quia non sunt omnes de uno genere, non quod non sint omnes a Deo, et non quod omnes saluari non possint, si volunt, sed quia non omnes audiunt vocem filij Dei dicentis: 'Venite ad me, et ego reficiam vos, scilicet dando meipsum!'
Sed quid dicam de illis fratribus, qui propter mundum desiderant episcopatus? Numquid sunt in regula Dominici? Nequaquam. Aut qui acceptant episcopatus rationabili de causa, numquid excluduntur a regula Dominici? Non utique.
Nam beatus Augustinus regulariter vixit ante episcopatum sed in episcopatu non reliquit regularem vitam,quamuis ascendit ad maiorem honorem.
Assumpsit enim honorem inuitus non ad quietem sed certe ad maiorem laborem, quia videns se posse prodesse animabus, libenter propter Deum reliquit voluntatem propriam et quietem carnis, ut plures lucrifaceret Deo suo.
Propterea, qui sic desiderant et assumunt episcopatus, ut animabus eo magis proficiant, ipsi sunt in regula Dominici et merces eorum duplicabitur, tum propter regule dulcedinem, a qua abstracti sunt, tum propter onus episcopale ad quod sunt vocati.
Propterea iuro super eum Deum, super quem iurabant prophete, qui non iurabant propter impatientiam sed quia receperunt Deum in testimonium verborum suorum. Sic ego dico nunc et iuro super eundem Deum, quod veniet fratribus illis, qui contempserunt regulam Dominici, venator de potestate cum effrenatis canibus, tamquam si seruus diceret domino:
'Multe', inquiens,'oues intrauerunt hortum tuum, quarum carnes venenate sunt et vellera sordibus conglobata, quarum lac inutile est et lasciuia nimis insolescens.'
'Iube', inquiens, 'eas abscindi, ne pascua pro ouibus utilibus deficiant et ne bone oues ex insolentia malarum perturbentur.' Cui responderet Dominus: 'Claude foramina, ne alique ingrediantur nisi quas michi bene conuenit et expedit educare et pascere et que pacifice sunt et honeste.'
Sic ego dico, quod prius claudentur aliqua foramina sed non omnia. Post veniet venator cum canibus, qui non parcet velleribus a sagittis non corporibus a vulneribus ad hoc, ut vita finiatur.
Deinde venient custodes, qui diligenter considerabunt et attendent, de quo genere fuerint oues, que ad pastum domini intromittuntur.'
Respondens sponsa dixit:" O,domina,ne indigneris, si quero. Cum papa mitigauit eis austeritatem regule, numquid reprehendendi sunt,si comedunt carnes vel cetera, que apponuntur?"
Respondit mater: " Papa considerans infirmitatem nature humane simul et defectum quem quidam proposuerunt rationabiliter permisit eos commedere carnes ad hoc ut habiliores et feruentiores essent in predicando et laborando non ut desidiores et dissolutiores apparerent, et ideo excusamus papam de hac permissione."
Dixit iterum sponsa: " Dominicus instituit habere vestes non de optimis nec vilissimis pannis sed de medio temperatis. Numquid reprehendendi sunt, si de mollioribus induuntur?"
Respondit mater: " Dominicus, qui regulam de spiritu filij mei dictauit, precepit habere vestes non de mollioribus et preciosioribus, ne forte arguerentur et notarentur de pulcro habitu et precioso et sic superbirent.
Instituit eciam non habere vestes de vilissimis et durissimis, ne propter duriciam vestis inquietarentur nimium in capiendo somnum post laborem. Sed instituit vestes habere temperatas et necessarias, de quibus non superbirent et in quibus nil vanitatis haberent, sed per eas frigus carnis expellerent et ad virtutum profectum continuum se munirent.
Et ideo laudamus Dominicum in institutione sua sed fratres suos reprehendimus, eos videlicet, qui habitum suum ad vanitatem transformant et non ad utilitatem."
Dixit iterum sponsa: "Numquid reprehendendi sunt illi fratres, qui filio tuo edificant ecclesias altas et sumptuosas? Aut vituperandi et diiudicandi sunt, si ad tales structuras edificandas plura mendicant?" Respondit mater: "Quando ecclesia in tantum lata est, quod capit ingredientes,
quando muri tantum in altum excreuerint, quod non coartant introeuntes, quando murorum spissitudo tam fortis est, quod non a quolibet vento dissoluatur, quando tectura tam firmiter conpacta est, quod non stillat, sufficiat eis edificasse.
Nam placet Deo magis cor humile in humili ecclesia, quam alti muri, in quibus corpora sunt intra, sed corda ab extra. Propterea non habent necesse arcas auro et argento implere propter edificia, quia non profuit Salomoni edificasse tam sumptuosa edificia, ex quo neglexit eum diligere propter quem edificabantur."
Hijs dictis et auditis statim senior episcopus, qui supra nunciabatur mortuus, clamabat dicens: 'O, o, ablata est mitra, et ecce apparet, quod latebat subtus. Ubi est nunc honorabilis episcopus? Ubi sacerdos venerandus?
Ubi pauper frater? Certe abest episcopus, qui unctus fuit oleo in officium apostolicum et in puritatem vite. Remanet vero seruus sterquilinij pinguedine maculatus. Abest eciam sacerdos, qui consecratus fuit verbis sanctis, ut mutaret inanimatum et mortuum panem in viuificantem Deum.
Remanet vero proditor fallax, qui vendidit eum propter cupiditatem, qui redemit omnes ex caritate. Abest quoque pauper frater, qui cum iuramento abnegauit mundum, sed nunc pro superbia et ostentatione mea sum iudicatus.
Verumtamen nunc compellor dicere veritatem, quod ille iustus iudex qui iudicauit me, magis voluisset liberare me tam amara morte, sicut tunc patiebatur, cum staret in ligno crucis, sed iusticia, cui obuiare non poterat, contradicebat, quam quod taliter fuissem sicut nunc experior iudicatus."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.11.28 — Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Notes
- 1 ↩The term 'continentia' is rendered as 'self-denial' to capture the active, ascetic sense of the Latin in this context.
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