Christus dicit sponse, quod non timeat frangere abstinenciam per obedienciam patris spiritualis, quia non est peccatum; et eciam monet sponsam, quod stet stabilis, quod resistat temptacionibus continue et quod habeat voluntatem firmam perseuerandi in bono exemplo virginis Marie et Dauid et Abrahe.
Freedom in Obedience
Christ reassures the soul that obedience to a spiritual guide supersedes rigid adherence to external ascetic practices.
The Son says, "Why are you afraid?" For even if you were to eat four times a day, it won't be counted against you as a sin, provided you do it with the permission of the one you're bound to obey.1 Stand firm, then.
The Soldier of the Spirit
The soul is called to active spiritual warfare, resisting temptation through virtue, stability, and a will surrendered to God.
You must be like a soldier who, struck in battle with various wounds, returns even sharper blows to the enemy and becomes all the more eager to fight the more he is attacked by his foes. In the same way, you must strike back at your enemy, stay steady, and maintain a firm, reasonable will to persevere in what is good. You strike back at the devil when you don't give in to temptation, but instead resist it manfully—for instance, by opposing humility to pride, and self-control to gluttony. You are truly stable when, in the midst of temptation, you don't grumble against God, but instead endure everything with cheerfulness and thank Him, attributing it all to your own sins. Your will is truly reasonable when you don't desire any reward except in accordance with my will, and when you surrender yourself entirely into my hands.
Examples of Failure and Grace
By contrasting the failures of Lucifer, Judas, and Pilate with the virtues of Mary, David, and Abraham, Christ provides a model for spiritual perseverance.
Lucifer lacked the first good—that is, the ability to repel the enemy—because he immediately consented to his own thought; therefore, he fell beyond recovery, for just as he had no one to incite his malice, so too will he have no one to restore him. Judas lacked the second good—stability—and instead fell into despair and hanged himself. Pilate lacked the third good—a good will—because he was more eager to please the Jews and protect his own honor than he was to set me free. But my Mother possessed the first good, which is to strike back at the enemy; for as many temptations as she had, she returned just as many, meeting them with the opposite virtues. David possessed the second good, for he was patient in adversity and did not despair in his own fall. The third good, a perfect will, was possessed by Abraham, who left his homeland and even offered up his only son. Therefore, you should also imitate them as best you can.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Cur times? Nam eciam si quater in die comederes, non tibi imputabitur ad peccatum, si permissione eius feceris, cui teneris obedire. Sta ergo stabilis.
Tu debes esse sicut miles, qui percussus in bello diuersis vulneribus reddit inimicis vulnera multo acriora et eo ad pugnandum est feruencior, quo plus ab hostibus appetitur.
Sic et tu inimicum tuum debes repercutere et esse stabilis, et voluntatem racionabilem debes habere in bono perseuerandi.
Tunc autem repercutis Dyabolum, quando temptacioni non consentis sed viriliter resistis utputa opponendo humilitatem contra superbiam, continenciam contra gulam.
Tunc vero es stabilis, cum in temptacione contra Deum non murmuras sed cum hylaritate omnia sufferendo et peccatis tuis omnia imputando regraciaris Deo.
Tunc vero voluntas tua est racionabilis, cum non desideras premium nisi ad voluntatem meam, cum te totam relinquis in manus meas.
Primum itaque bonum scilicet repercutere hostem non habuit Lucifer, quia statim consensit cogitacioni sue; ideo cecidit irrecuperabiliter, quia sicut nullum malicie sue habuit instigatorem, ita eciam nullum habebit recuperatorem.
Secundum bonum scilicet stabilitatem non habuit Iudas sed factus desperatus se ipsum suspendit. Tercium bonum scilicet voluntatem bonam non habuit Pylatus, quia feruenciorem voluntatem habuit ad placendum Iudeis et ad honorem suum quam ad me liberandum.
Sed primum bonum scilicet repercutere hostem habuit Mater mea, que quot habuit temptamenta, tot reddidit et reopposuit contraria. Secundum vero bonum habuit Dauid, qui in aduersitate fuit paciens et in casu suo non desperans.
Tercium bonum scilicet voluntatem perfectam habuit Abraham, qui relicta patria eciam filium unicum immolabat. Hos igitur et tu iuxta vires tuas imitare!"
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'imputabitur ad peccatum' carries the sense of being held accountable or charged with a fault.
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