Christus defendit sponsam suam Birgittam, id est animam conuersam de mundo ad vitam spiritualem, quam pater et mater, soror et frater conabantur reuocare ab amore eius et casto matrimonio.
The Bridegroom's Claim
Christ defends his bride against the competing claims of her worldly family by asserting his superior right to her soul.
The Son says to the bride: "I am like a bridegroom who has betrothed a bride to himself, whom her father, mother, sister, and brother are trying to take back." The father says, 'Give me back my daughter, because she was born of my own blood.' The mother says, 'Give me back my daughter, because she was nourished by my milk.' The sister says, 'Give back my sister, because she was raised with me.' The brother says, 'Give back my sister, because it's my place to guide her.' The Bridegroom answered them, "O Father, if she was born of your blood, now she must be filled with my blood." O Mother, if you fed her with your milk, now I will feed her with my delight." “Sister, if she was raised according to your ways, she will now follow mine.” “Brother, if you’ve guided her until now, it’s my turn to guide her.”
The Interior Transformation
Christ interprets the family members as allegories for worldly attachments, calling the soul to replace them with divine grace.
This is how it has happened with you. If a father—that is, the desires of the flesh—calls you back, it's my place to fill you with my love. If a mother—that is, the cares of the world—calls you back, it's my place to feed you with the milk of my consolation. If a sister—meaning the habit of worldly conversation—calls you back, you are bound to follow my habit instead. If a brother calls you back—meaning your own self-will—you are obligated to do my will instead.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur sponse: "Ego sum quasi sponsus, qui desponsauit sibi sponsam, quam pater et mater, soror et frater repetunt.
Pater enim dicit: 'Redde michi filiam meam, quia de sanguine meo nata est.' Mater dicit: 'Redde filiam, quia lacte meo nutrita est.'
Soror dicit: 'Redde sororem, quia mecum educata est.' Frater dicit: 'Redde sororem, quia meum est regere eam.'
Quibus respondit sponsus: 'O, pater, si de sanguine tuo nata est, nunc sanguine meo repleri debet. O, mater, si tu pauisti eam lacte tuo, sic nunc pascam delectacione mea.
O, soror, si secundum consuetudinem tuam educata est, sic nunc tenebit consuetudinem meam. O, frater, si tu rexisti eam usque modo, ita nunc meum est regere eam.'
Sic tecum factum est. Nam si pater id est voluptas carnis repetit te, meum est replere te caritate mea. Si mater id est cura mundi repetit te, meum est pascere te lacte consolacionis mee.
Si soror id est consuetudo mundane conuersacionis repetit te, pocius teneris facere consuetudinem meam. Si frater repetit te, id est voluntas propria, tu obligaris facere voluntatem meam."
Revelationes (Heavenly Revelations) companion
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Birgitta's revelations arrived over three decades of daily attentiveness, and the Chosen Portion app lets readers receive them the same way — one portion per day.
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