Verba Matris ad filiam, qualiter filius suus assimilatur pauperi rustico et cetera; et qualiter tribulaciones et persecuciones bonis ac malis illate sunt bonis ad purgacionem et coronam in paciencia tamen.
The Poor Laborer and His Tools
The Mother describes Christ as a humble laborer who uses instruments of virtue to kindle divine love.
The Mother speaks: "My Son is like a poor laborer who, having neither ox nor donkey, would carry wood from the forest himself, along with other tools necessary for his work. Among these tools, he also brought back branches, which are necessary for two things: to discipline a disobedient son and to warm those who are cold." In this way my Son, the Lord and Creator of all, became the poorest of the poor so He could enrich everyone with eternal, not fleeting, riches; carrying the heaviest burden on His back—the bitter cross—He cleansed and wiped away the sins of all with His own blood. Among his other works, he also chose instruments of virtue—that is, men of virtue—through whom, by the working of the Spirit of God, the hearts of many were set on fire with the love of God, and the way of truth was made clear.
The Rods of Purification
God uses worldly people as rods to discipline and purify His friends, ultimately drawing them closer to Himself.
He also chooses rods—people who love the world—through whom the children and friends of God are scourged for their instruction, their purification, their greater caution, and their reward. These rods also warm the children and the cold, and God himself is warmed by their fire. But how? It happens when worldly people harass the friends of God and those who love God only out of fear of punishment; for when these people are troubled, they turn more fervently to God, having considered the vanity of the world, and God, feeling compassion for their trouble, sends them consolation and love.1
The Crown of Patience
Though the wicked act as instruments of discipline, their malice will lead to their own judgment, while the faithful receive a crown.
But what will become of the children who are beaten with rods? They will certainly be thrown into the fire to be burned. For God doesn't despise His people when He hands them over to the hands of the wicked; rather, just as a father instructs his son, so God uses the malice of the wicked for the crowning of His own.
Read the original Latin
Mater loquitur: "Filius meus est quasi pauper rusticus, qui non habens bouem nec asinum personaliter ligna portabat de silua et alia instrumenta ad opera sua necessaria perficienda; qui inter alia instrumenta eciam virgulas apportabat, que ad duo sunt necessarie, scilicet ad flagellandum filium inobedientem et ad frigidos calefaciendum.
Sic filius meus, omnium dominus et creator, factus est pauperrimus, ut eternis non transitoriis diuiciis omnes ditaret; qui in dorso suo grauissimum pondus scilicet amaram crucem portans omnium peccata sanguine suo purgauit et deleuit;
qui eciam inter cetera opera sua elegit instrumenta virtutum, id est viros virtutum, per quos operante Spiritu Dei multorum corda ad caritatem Dei sunt inflammata viaque veritatis manifestata.
Elegit quoque virgulas, quales sunt amatores mundi, per quos filii et amici Dei flagellantur ad eorum erudicionem et purgacionem et maiorem cautelam et remuneracionem. Virgule eciam calefaciunt filios et frigidos et Deus eciam incalescit ex eorum igne.
Sed quomodo? Vtique quando mundani tribulant amicos Dei et illos qui solo timore pene diligunt Deum; qui tribulati feruencius conuertunt se ad Deum considerata vanitate mundi; quorum tribulacioni compaciens Deus immitit eis consolacionem et caritatem.
Sed quid fiet de virgulis filiis flagellatis? Vtique proicientur in ignem comburende. Non enim despicit Deus populum suum, quando eum manibus impiorum tradit, sed sicut pater erudit filium, sic Deus malicia impiorum utitur ad suorum coronacionem."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'pene' here is interpreted as 'poenae' (punishment/penalty), a common medieval orthographic variant in this context.
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