Verba Virginis ad filiam de remedio oportuno ad difficultatem episcopo occurrentem in via arta, et quomodo patientia per vestes et decem precepta per decem digitos et desiderium eternorum et fastidium mundanorum per duos pedes designantur, et de tribus inimicis in via contra episcopum existentibus.
The Narrow Path and Its Remedies
The Mother of God outlines the difficulties of the bishop's narrow path and provides spiritual armor—patience, the commandments, and holy discernment—to overcome them.
The Mother of God speaks again: "Tell the bishop that if he walks the path I've already described, he'll face three difficulties: first, that the way is narrow." Second, that there are stinging thorns along it. Third, that the path is rocky and uneven. To counter these three things, I offer you three pieces of advice: first, the bishop should clothe himself in stronger, finely-woven garments to face the narrow path. Second, he should keep the ten commandments before his eyes, looking through them as if through a lattice, so he isn't pricked by the thorns. The third piece of advice is that he should place his feet carefully, testing at every step whether the ground he's standing on is solid, and he shouldn't rush to plant both feet at once until he's first made sure of the quality of the path. But what does the narrow way signify, if not the malice of wicked people against the just—those who mock righteous deeds, twist the ways and upright counsel of the just, and treat whatever is humble and pious with contempt? Against such people, a bishop should clothe himself in the garment of patience and constancy, because patience makes heavy things light and enables one to endure insults with joy. What do these thorns actually signify, if not the adversities of the world? You must hold up the ten fingers of God’s commandments and His counsels against them, so that when the thorn of adversity and poverty pricks you, you can reflect on the passion and poverty of Christ. But when you're pricked by the thorn of anger or envy, consider the charity of God, which He has commanded us to keep. For true charity doesn't seek what's its own, but gives itself entirely to the honor of God and the good of one's neighbor. The need to be cautious where you place your feet signifies that you ought to be reasonably fearful everywhere. A good person is expected to have, as it were, two feet. The first is a desire for eternal things. The second is a distaste for the world. Yet there must be discernment in the desire for eternal things, so that you don't desire them for yourself alone as if you were worthy, but instead place your entire desire, your will, and your reward into the hands of God. When it comes to turning away from the world, you must be cautious and fearful, ensuring that your distaste for it doesn't stem from worldly hardships or an impatience with life, nor from a desire for an easier life or an escape from the work that benefits others; rather, it should arise solely from an abhorrence of sin and a longing for eternal life.
The Three Enemies of the Soul
The bishop is warned against three distinct spiritual enemies that seek to distract, blind, and ensnare him with worldly ambition and the desire for ease.
Now that these difficulties on the path have been overcome, I still warn the bishop about three enemies in his way. The first enemy tries to hiss into the bishop's ears to block his hearing. The second stands before him to sting his eyes. The third enemy stands before his feet, shouting loudly and holding a snare to entangle his feet whenever he lifts them from the earth. The first enemy consists of those people, or those suggestions, that try to pull the bishop off the straight path, saying: "Why do you take on so much work and walk such a narrow path?" Turn instead to the flowery path where most people go. What does it matter to you how this person or that person lives? Why bother offending and rebuking those from whom you could be receiving honor and love? If they don't offend you or your own, why should you care how they live, or whether they offend God? But if you are good yourself, what business is it of yours to judge others? Give more gifts and receive them. Use the friendship of men so that you may be praised and called good during your life.' The second enemy wants to blind you, just as the Philistines blinded Samson. These are the beauty and possessions of the world, the shifting fashions of clothing, the varied display of things, and the honors and favors of men. For when these things are offered and please the eyes, reason is blinded, love for God's commandments grows cold, sin is committed more freely, and what has been committed is taken lightly.1 Therefore, when a bishop has what is reasonably necessary, he should be content. For it seems to far too many people today that it's sweeter to grind at the mill of greed with Samson than to love the Church according to the praiseworthy requirements of pastoral care.✦ The third enemy calls out loudly, holding a snare, and asks, "Why are you walking so cautiously, with your head bowed?" Why do you humble yourself so much, when you ought to be honored by many and could be? Be more of a priest, so that you may sit among the first! Become a bishop, so you can be honored by many! Move on to higher positions, so that you might obtain greater service and enjoy more peace! Gather treasures so that, by helping others, you might be consoled by them in return and be happy wherever you go. And when the soul has been swayed by such attachments and suggestions, its affection is soon lifted up—as if by a foot of perverse delight—toward earthly desire, by which it is so entangled in the snare of worldly care that it barely rises to consider its own misery or the eternal rewards and punishments. That’s no surprise, for Scripture says that whoever desires the office of a bishop desires a good work for the honor of God. Yet today, many desire the honor but shrink from the labor in which the soul's eternal salvation lies. Therefore, let this bishop remain in the position he holds and not seek a higher one, until it pleases God to provide for him otherwise.
Read the original Latin
Item loquitur Dei mater: "Dic episcopo, quod, si incesserit per viam iam dictam, tunc tria difficilia occurrent ei: Primo, quod via est arta. Secundo, quod in ea sunt spine pungitiue. Tercio, quod via est petrosa et inequalis.
Contra hec tria dabo tibi tria consilia: Primum est, quod induat se episcopus vestibus fortioribus et subtiliter consutis contra viam artam. Secundum est, quod habeat decem digitos ante oculos suos, inter quos respiciat tamquam per cancellos, ne pungatur a spinis.
Tercium est, quod caute ponat pedes suos et in quolibet vestigio attemptet, si pes positus subsistit solide nec precipitanter ponat ambos pedes simul, nisi prius certificatus fuerit de qualitate vie.
Quid vero significat via arta nisi maliciam hominum prauorum contra iustos, qui derident opera iusta et deprauant vias et monita iustorum recta, et quidquid humile et pietatis est paruipendunt.
Contra tales homines induat se episcopus veste patientie et constantie, quia patientia grauia facit esse suauia et illatas contumelias gaudenter tolerare.
Quid vero significant spine nisi aduersitates mundi? Contra has habendi sunt digiti decem preceptorum Dei et consiliorum eius, ut cum pupugerit spina aduersitatis et paupertatis consideretur passio et paupertas Christi.
Cum vero pungi spina ire et inuidie, consideretur caritas Dei, quam nobis seruare precepit. Caritas enim vera non querit, que sua sunt, sed se totam exponit ad honorem Dei et proximi utilitatem. Quod vero debet esse cautus in ponendis pedibus significat, quod ubique debet rationabiliter timere.
Nam bonus homo tenetur habere quasi duos pedes. Primus est desiderium eternorum. Secundus est fastidium mundi. In desiderio vero eternorum debet esse discretio, ne desideret eterna sibi soli tanquam digno sed totum desiderium suum et voluntatem et remunerationem ponat in manus Dei.
In fastidio vero mundi debet esse cautio et timor, ne fastidium sit propter aduersitates mundi et vite impatientiam, ne sit eciam propter vite temporalis maiorem requiem et laboris alijs proficui exonerationem, sed solummodo fiat propter peccati abhominationem et desiderium eterne vite.
Hijs igitur difficultatibus vie superatis adhuc precaueo episcopum de tribus inimicis, qui sunt in via sua. Primus quippe hostis nititur sibilare in aures episcopi, ut obstruat auditum eius. Secundus stat ante eum, ut pungat oculos eius.
Tercius est ante pedes eius clamans alte et habens laqueum, quo pedes illaqueet, quando eleuat eos a terra. Primus hostis sunt homines illi siue infusiones ille, qui nituntur episcopum trahere a recta via dicentes:
'Cur tantum assumis tibi laborem et pergis per viam tam artam? Diuerte ergo magis in viam floridam, per quam vadunt plures. Quid ad te quomodo ille vel illi viuunt? Quid ad te offendere et obiurgare illos, a quibus honorari et amari possis?
Si non offendunt te et tuos, quid tibi cure est, quomodo viuunt aut si offendunt Deum? Si vero tu ipse bonus es, quid ad te iudicare alios? Da magis munera et accipe. Utere amicicia hominum, ut lauderis et bonus voceris in vita tua.'
Secundus hostis desiderat excecare te sicut Philistim Samsonem. Hij sunt pulcritudo et possessio mundi, fluxus vestium et diuersus apparatus rerum, honores hominum et fauores. Cum enim ista offeruntur et placent oculis, excecatur ratio, tepescit amor mandatorum Dei, peccatum perpetratur licentius et commissum leuigatur.
Propterea cum episcopus necessaria moderata habuerit, contentetur. Nam nimis multis videtur nunc dulcius esse stare ad molam cupiditatis cum Samsone quam diligere ecclesiam secundum laudabilem dispositionem cure pastoralis.
Tercius hostis clamat alte habens laqueum et dicens: 'Cur', inquit, 'sic vadis caute et inclinato capite ? Cur in tantum humilias teipsum, qui a pluribus debes et possis honorari? Esto magis sacerdos, ut sedeas cum primis! Esto episcopus, ut honorari possis a pluribus!
Procede ad maiores dignitates, ut maiora obtineas seruitia et maiori fruaris quiete! Congrega thesauros, quibus alios iuuans tecum ab alijs consolari possis et ubique esse letus !'
Cumque animus talibus inclinatus fuerit affectionibus et suggestionibus, mox affectus eleuatur quasi pede quodam praue delectationis ad terrenam cupiditatem, qua ita inuoluitur laqueo cure mundialis, quod vix consurgit ad considerationem sue miserie et premiorum seu suppliciorum eternorum.
Nec mirum: Scriptura enim dicit, quod, qui episcopatum desiderat, bonum opus desiderat ad honorem Dei. Nunc autem plerique desiderant honorem et refugiunt laborem, in quo anime est salus sempiterna. Propterea episcopus iste stet in gradu, quem habet, nec appetat altiorem, donec Deo placuerit ei aliter prouidere."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Judg.16.21 — And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes, and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he became a grinder in the prison house.
Notes
- 1 ↩The term 'leuigatur' here carries the sense of being made light of or excused, rather than literally lightened in weight.
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