Verba ammonicionis virginis ad filiam, scilicet que opera virtuosa merentur vitam eternam et que non; et de maximo obediencie merito.
The Fruit of Discernment
Virtuous works like fasting and prayer are only fruitful when performed with true humility and spiritual discernment.
"A tree has many blossoms, yet not all of them come to fruit." In the same way, there are many virtuous works, but not all of them earn a heavenly reward unless they are done with discernment. Fasting, praying, and visiting the shrines of the saints are virtuous works; but unless you do them with the belief that you're entering heaven through humility, and unless you consider yourself a servant useless for all things—and unless you have discernment in all things—they are of little value for eternal life.
The Superiority of Obedience
Obedience to a rule is more meritorious than self-chosen asceticism because it requires the sacrifice of one's own will.
Look, if you see two people—one under obedience and the other with free rein—and the one who is free chooses to fast, he'll have a simple reward. But if someone under obedience eats meat on a fast day according to the rule's instruction and for the sake of obedience, even though they would have preferred to fast if obedience hadn't stood in the way, That person will have a double reward: one for their obedience, and another for delaying their own desire and not fulfilling their own will.
Preparing the Soul
The soul must actively prepare itself for the coming of the Lord through various metaphors of readiness.
So, be like a bride preparing the bridal chamber before the bridegroom arrives; second, like a mother preparing clothes before the child is born; third, like a tree that blossoms before the fruit appears; fourth, be like a clean vessel ready to receive a drink before it's poured in.
Read the original Latin
"Multi sunt flores arboris, non tamen omnes veniunt ad effectum. Sic multa sunt virtuosa opera, non tamen omnia merentur mercedem celestem, nisi discrete fiant.
Nam ieiunare, orare, visitare sanctorum loca virtuosa opera sunt; sed nisi eo animo fiant, ut credat se homo humilitate penetrare celum seruumque inutilem ad omnia et discrecionem habeat in omnibus, modicum valent ad eterna.
Ecce si videris duos homines, alius est sub obediencia, alius in libera potestate; si ille qui liber est ieiunat, simplicem habebit mercedem.
Si autem ille qui sub obediencia est comedit illo die ieiunii carnes secundum institucionem regule et propter obedienciam, attamen libencius ieiunaret, si non obsisteret obediencia,
iste habebit duplicem mercedem: unam propter obedienciam, aliam propter dilacionem desiderii sui et non implecionem voluntatis sue.
Propterea esto sicut sponsa, que prius preparat thalamum, quam veniat sponsus; secundo sicut mater, que preparat vestes, antequam nascatur puer; tercio sicut arbor, que prius portat flores, quam veniant fructus; quarto esto sicut vas mundum ad recipiendum potum aptum, priusquam infundatur."
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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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