Christus monet sponsam, quod humiliter viuat nec curet de magna fama et nomine, quia ipse ad predicandum euangelium non elegit magnos doctores sed humiles piscatores. Qui enim laborant ad acquirendum sibi in hoc mundo magnum nomen, grauiter in inferno punientur.
The Wisdom of Humility
God chooses the humble and unlearned to manifest His power, warning against the vanity of seeking worldly fame.
The Son speaks: "Let anyone who wishes read the Scriptures, and they will find that I made a prophet out of a shepherd, and filled young men and the unlearned with the spirit of prophecy." Yet, even though not everyone has received my words of salvation, they have still reached many, so that my love might be made known. In the same way, I didn't choose scholars to preach the Gospel, but fishermen, so they wouldn't boast of their own wisdom, and so that everyone might understand that just as God is wonderful and beyond human thought in Himself, so too are His works inscrutable, and He works the greatest things through the smallest. So, anyone who chases after the world to gain its glory and satisfy their own desires is only piling a heavy burden onto themselves.
The Burden of Worldly Glory
A vivid vision of the eternal torment awaiting those who prioritize worldly reputation over the love of God.
Look, I'll give you an example of one man. With all his heart, he pursued the world, gaining a great name for himself from it, while loading his own back with the heavy burden of sin. He now has a great name in hell, but as his reward, he bears a heavy burden and a more prominent place in torment. Some went down into that place before him, others with him, and still others after him. Those who encouraged him with their help and advice to spread his malice went down before him. Yet the rewards for their works went down with him. But those who followed his example went down after him. The first ones cry out to him as if from the battle, saying, 'Because you followed our advice, we are burning in your presence.' Therefore, may you be cursed and worthy of that hanging where the rope never breaks, but the fire remains forever; may you also suffer the worst shame for your pride and ambition.' But his works cry out and say: 'O, you miserable one, the earth could not satisfy you with its fruit, and so you craved everything.' Gold and silver couldn't fulfill your desire, and so you've been left empty of everything.' Because of this, living ravens will tear at your soul, which is being shredded and will never be diminished; it will melt away, and yet it will live. Those who have followed him cry out, 'Woe to you that you were ever born.' Your pleasure will turn into a hatred of God, to the point that you won't want to speak a single word that might bring God comfort. Therefore, just as all consolation, true delight, and ineffable joy are found in the love and honor of God—a joy we are unworthy of because we’ve failed to follow your example—1 So let there be for you sadness and discord from the company of demons, deformity instead of honor, burning heat instead of lust, cold instead of your love, and no rest instead of the comfort of the flesh. Furthermore, for the great name you have borne unworthily, let there be a curse for you; and in place of a glorious seat, let the most despised place be yours.2 To speak in metaphors, this is the fate of those who get themselves tangled up in such things beyond what God has established.
The Grace of Repentance
A narrative example of how humility and the acceptance of correction lead to reconciliation and a holy end.
A certain soldier was always looking for new ways to cause trouble, and he led many people to ruin through his words and his example. This same man, out of envy for Lady Birgitta and because he didn't dare to insult her himself, stirred up someone else to pretend to be drunk so that he would speak abusive words to her. He said to the lady sitting at the table, within earshot of the important men there: "Lady, you dream too much, and you stay awake too much." It would be better for you to eat and sleep more. Has God abandoned those who live a religious life, and is He now speaking with the proud of this world? It's pointless to put any faith in your words." As he spoke, those standing around wanted to take revenge on him, but the lady stopped them, saying, "Let him speak, for God has sent him." For if I, who have spent my whole life seeking my own praise and blaspheming God, why shouldn't I hear my own judgment? This man is telling me the truth." Hearing this, the lord was struck with compunction and reconciled himself to the Lady. He came to Rome, and there he rested in a praiseworthy end.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Legat Scripturas, qui voluerit, et inueniet, quod de pastore feci prophetam et spiritu prophecie repleui iuuenes et ydeotas. Verum, quamuis non omnes receperint verba mea salutis, tamen, ut innotesceret caritas mea, ad plerosque verba mea peruenerunt.
Similiter ad predicandum euangelium non elegi doctores sed piscatores, ne gloriarentur de sapiencia sua et ut intelligent omnes, quod, sicut Deus in se est mirabilis et inexcogitabilis, sic et opera eius inscrutabilia sunt et in minimis maxima operatur.
Omnis itaque homo qui vadit post mundum ad habendum gloriam eius et voluptatem suam perficiendam, hic talis magnum onus imponit sibi.
Ecce dico tibi exemplum de uno viro. Ipse toto desiderio ibat post mundum, qui nomen magnum acquisiuit sibi a mundo et maximum onus peccati imposuit dorso suo.
Ideo magnum nomen nunc habet in inferno, maximum vero onus pro premio excellenciorem locum in supplicio. Nam in locum illum quidam descenderunt ante eum, aliqui cum eo, alii post eum.
Illi vero ante eum descenderunt, qui eum ad maliciam suam dilatandam confortabant auxiliis et consiliis suis. Cum ipso vero descenderunt retribuciones operum suorum. Sed illi descendenrut post eum qui exempla eius imitabantur.
Ideo primi clamant ad eum quasi de prelio ZZZ et dicunt: 'Quia obedisti consiliis nostris, ideo ardemus de presencia tua. Propterea maledictus sis tu et suspendio illo dignus, ubi funis non rumpitur, sed ignis manet perpetuus, confusio quoque sit tibi pessima pro superbia et ambicione tua.'
Opera vero eius clamant et dicunt: 'O, miser, terra non potuit pascere te cum fructu suo, ideo concupisti omnia. Aurum et argentum non valuerunt implere desiderium tuum, ideo vacuus relictus es ab omnibus.
Propterea viuentes corui dilaniabunt animam tuam, que discerpitur et numquam minuetur, liquescet et tamen viuet.'
Illi vero qui post eum descenderunt clamant: 'Ve tibi, quia natus es. Voluptas tua vertetur tibi in odium Dei in tantum, quod nolis unum verbum loqui, quo Deus possit consolari.
Itaque sicut in amore et honore Dei est omnis consolacio et delectacio bona et gaudium ineffabile, quo et nos propter tui imitacionem sumus indigni,
sic tibi sit tristicia et discordia ex demonum societate, deformitas pro honore, ardor pro libidine, frigus pro tui amore, nulla requies pro carnis consolacione.
Insuper et pro magno nomine, quod indigne portasti, sit tibi malediccio, pro sede vero gloriosa sit tibi despectissimus locus.'
Ecce per similitudinem loquendo talia merentur, qui talibus ultra constitucionem Dei implicantur."
Quidam miles semper studebat inuenire nouos modos, et multos verbis et exemplis traxit ad perdicionem. Hic idem inuidens domine Birgitte, cum non auderet iniuriam loqui sibi per se ipsum, incitauit quendam, qui se fingebat ebrium, ut eidem domine Birgitte verba contumeliosa loqueretur.
Qui quidem domine sedenti in mensa dixit audientibus magnatibus: "O, domina, nimis sompnias, nimis vigilas. Expedit tibi plus bibere et plus dormire. Numquid Deus reliquit religiosos et cum superbis mundi loquitur? Vanum est verbis tuis dare fidem."
Illo itaque loquente circumstantes volebant vindicare in eum, sed domina prohibuit dicens: "Permittite eum loqui, quia Deus misit eum. Ego enim, que in tota vita mea quesiui laudem meam et blasphemaui Deum, quare non audiam iusticiam meam? Iste enim dicit michi veritatem."
Quod audiens dominus ille compunctus est et reconciliatus est domine. Venit Romam et ibi laudabili fine quieuit.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'quo et nos propter tui imitacionem sumus indigni' implies a sense of unworthiness resulting from a failure to live up to the standard of Christ's imitation.
- 2 ↩The Latin 'malediccio' here carries the weight of a divine judgment against the pursuit of worldly fame, contrasting the seeker's pride with the humility required of the soul.
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