Verba Christi ad sponsam, que lacrime sunt Deo accepte et que non; et de quibus fienda seu eroganda est elemosina pauperibus et pro animabus defunctorum; et de consilio et rogamine Christi ad sponsam.
The Discernment of Tears
Christ explains that not all tears are holy, distinguishing between those born of worldly self-pity and those born of divine love.
The Son says: "You wonder why I don't listen to the one you see shedding many tears and giving so much to the poor for my honor." I'll answer your first point: when two streams flow together, it often happens that the water from one, which is murky and muddy, stains and disturbs the water of the purest spring. Who could drink it once it's been made muddy? It’s the same way with the tears of many people. For the tears of some people sometimes come from the natural tendency toward self-pity, and sometimes from the troubles of the world or the fear of hell.1 The tears of such people are muddy and foul, because they don't come from the love of God. But those tears are sweet to me that flow from reflecting on God's blessings, from considering one's own sins, and from love for God. These tears lift the soul from earthly things to heaven and regenerate a person for eternal life. For there is a twofold generation: one carnal, and one spiritual. A carnal generation brings a person forth from impurity into impurity; it weeps over the losses of the flesh and gladly endures the labors of the world. The child of such a generation isn't a child of tears, because eternal life isn't gained through such tears. But she gives birth to a child of tears—one who mourns the losses of the soul and is anxious that the child not offend God. Such a mother is closer to the child than one who gives birth in the flesh, because through this kind of birth, eternal life is gained.
True Charity and the Power of Prayer
Christ warns against giving alms gained through injustice and emphasizes that humble prayer is more valuable to God than material offerings.
As for the second point—that he gives alms to the poor—I answer you this: if you bought a tunic for your son using your servant's money, wouldn't that tunic rightfully belong to the one who owned the money? It certainly would. It's the same way spiritually. For anyone who burdens their subjects or neighbors so they can use that money to help the souls of their own loved ones provokes me to anger more than they appease me, because what's taken unjustly will profit those who rightfully owned the goods before, not those for whom it's given. However, because this person has done you a kindness, you must return the favor both spiritually and physically—spiritually by pouring out prayers for them to God, for no one realizes how much the prayers of the humble please God, as I will show you by an example. If someone were to offer a king a great weight of silver, those standing around would say, 'This is a great offering.' But if he were to recite a single Our Father to the king, he’d be mocked. It's the opposite before God. For anyone who offers a single Our Father for the soul of another is more acceptable to God than a great weight of gold, as was made clear in the case of that good man Gregory, who by his prayer even raised an unbelieving emperor to a higher state.
Counsel for the Soul
Christ offers final advice to the sponsa, urging her to detach from worldly vanity and center her life entirely on the love of God.
Secondly, say these words to her: 'Because you have done me a kindness, I ask God, the rewarder of all, to repay you according to His grace.' Also, say to her: 'My dearest, I have one piece of advice for you, and one request.' I advise you to open the eyes of your heart, consider the instability and vanity of the world, and reflect on how much the love of God has grown cold in your heart, and how heavy the punishment and how terrifying the judgment that is to come. Draw the love of God into your heart, ordering all your time, your worldly goods, your works, your affections, and your thoughts toward the honor of God; and entrust your children to the ordering and disposition of God, without letting your love for them diminish your love for Him. Secondly, I ask that you pray for the grace to obtain from God—who is all-powerful—the patience you need, and that He may fill your heart with His blessed love.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Miraris, cur illum non audio, quem vides habere multas lacrimas et plurima largiri pauperibus pro honore meo.
Respondeo tibi ad primum: Vbi duo fontes decurrunt, frequenter contingit, quod in unum conuenientes alterius aqua, que turbida est et lutosa, maculat et deturbat aquam fontis purissimi. Quam factam lutosam quis poterit bibere?
Sic est eciam de lacrimis multorum. Quorundam enim lacrime quandoque procedunt ex humiliacione inclinacionis nature, quandoque ex mundi tribulacione et timore inferni.
Talium enim lacrime lutose sunt et fetide, quia non procedunt ex caritate Dei. Sed ille lacrime sunt michi dulces, que procedunt ex consideracione beneficiorum Dei et ex consideracione peccatorum suorum et amore ad Deum.
Tales lacrime eleuant animam a terrenis in celum et regenerant hominem ad vitam eternam. Nam duplex est generacio, carnalis et spiritualis.
Carnalis generacio generat hominem de immundicia ad immundiciam, plorat dampna carnis, sustinet gaudenter labores mundi. Talium filius non est filius lacrimarum, quia per tales lacrimas non acquiritur vita eterna.
Sed illa generat filium lacrimarum, que plorat dispendia anime, que sollicita est, ne filius offendat Deum. Talis mater propinquior filio est quam que generat carnaliter, quia per talem generacionem acquiritur beata vita.
Ad secundum, scilicet quod tribuit elemosinas pauperibus, respondeo tibi: Si emeres tunicam filio ex pecunia serui tui, numquid de iure non esset tunica eius, qui possidebat pecuniam? Esset utique.
Sic eciam est spiritualiter. Nam quicumque grauat subditos suos aut proximos, ut ex eorum pecunia succurrat animabus carorum suorum, plus me ad iram prouocat quam mitigat, quia ablata iniuste proderunt hiis, qui bona iuste antea possidebant, et non pro quibus dantur.
Verumptamen, quia iste benefecit tibi, benefaciendum est ei et spiritualiter et corporaliter, spiritualiter fundendo pro eo ad Deum preces, quia nullus credit, quantum Deo placent preces humilium, sicut per exemplum ostendam tibi.
Si quis offerret regi magnum pondus argenti, diceretur a circumstantibus: 'Hec est magna presentacio.' Si vero legeret unum Pater Noster regi, derideretur.
Sic est econtra apud Deum. Quicumque enim offert pro anima alterius unum Pater noster, accepcius est Deo pondere magno auri, sicut patuit in illo bono Gregorio, qui oracione sua eciam infidelem Cesarem eleuauit ad alciorem gradum.
Secundo dicito ei hec verba: 'Quia benefecisti michi, rogo Deum omnium remuneratorem, ut reddat tibi secundum graciam suam.' Item dic ei sic: 'Carissime, unum consulo tibi et unum rogo.
Consulo, ut aperias oculos cordis tui, considerando instabilitatem et vanitatem mundi recogitando, quantum refriguerat caritas Dei in corde tuo et quam grauis pena et horrendum iudicium futurum;
et attrahe caritatem Dei in cor tuum disponendo omnia tempora tua, bona temporalia et opera affectusque et cogitaciones ad honorem Dei, filiosque tuos trade ordinacioni et disposicioni Dei nichil propter eos de amore Dei minuendo.
Secundo rogo, ut in oracionibus tuis impetres, quatenus Deus, qui omnia potest, donet tibi pacienciam et impleat cor tuum sua benedicta caritate.'"
Notes
- 1 ↩The phrase 'humiliacione inclinacionis nature' is rendered here as 'natural tendency toward self-pity' to capture the sense of a base, self-centered emotional reaction as opposed to grace-led compunction.
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