Verba Virginis ad filiam ostendencia, qui sunt amici Dei; et quomodo pauci inueniuntur modernis temporibus assignando omnem statum tam laycorum quam clericorum; et que est causa, quare Deus diues dilexit paupertatem; et quare elegit pauperes et non diuites; et ad quem finem diuicie fuerunt concesse Ecclesie.
The Difficulty of Discernment
The Mother instructs the bride on the limitations of human judgment and the necessity of focusing on clear, observable actions.
The Mother says to the bride of Christ, "Why are you troubled, daughter?" "Because," she says, "I'm afraid of being sent to those who are hardened." And the Mother says, "How do you know who is hardened, or who are the friends of God?" She replied, "I don't know how to tell the difference, nor do I dare to judge anyone, because two men were shown to me before: one appeared to human judgment to be most humble and holy, while the other was generous and ambitious." Yet their intentions and their will were at odds with their actions. They deeply terrified my understanding. The Mother answered: "When it comes to things that are clearly wrong, you are permitted to judge them, provided your heart is moved by compassion and a desire to correct them." But regarding doubtful matters, where the motive behind the action isn't certain, it isn't safe to judge."
The Marks of God's Friends
True friends of God are defined by their detachment from unnecessary goods and their gratitude for what they have received.
So, I want to show you who the friends of God are. Know, then, that the friends of God are those who are careful with the gifts they receive from Him, who thank God for them every hour, and who don't seek what's unnecessary, but are content with what they've been given.1 But where are such people to be found? Let's start by looking in the community. Who is there who says, "It's enough; I don't ask for more"? Let's look at the knights and other lords and ask which of them thinks like this: 'The goods I have, I acquired by inheritance, and from them I seek only a moderate living, suitable to my station and fitting for God and men.' The rest, however, I will share with God and the poor. If, however, I knew that these inherited goods were acquired wrongly, I’d either restore them or give them up, following the counsel of God’s chosen spiritual servants. Oh, daughter, such a thought is rare on earth!
The Ideal of Leadership
The Mother outlines the virtues required of kings and leaders, lamenting how far modern rulers have strayed from this standard.
Let's also look at kings and leaders to see who is living in a truly commendable state. A king is truly a king if his character is like Job's, his humility like David's, his zeal for the King like Phinehas's, and his gentleness and patience like Moses's.2 A leader, too, is one who directs and trains the king's army for battle, who has trust in God and fear like Joshua, who seeks the benefit of his master more than his own like Joab, and who loves the zeal of the law and the good of his neighbors like Judas Maccabeus.✦✦ Such a leader is like a unicorn, possessing a sharp horn on its forehead and a precious stone beneath it. And what is the leader's horn, if not a courageous heart, with which one must fight bravely and strike down the enemies of the faith? The jewel beneath the leader's horn is divine love, which, dwelling constantly in the heart, makes him agile and invincible in all things. But today, leaders are more like frisky goats than unicorns, because they fight everywhere for the flesh, not for the soul nor for God. Let's examine the kings: which of them doesn't burden their subjects out of pride? Which of them keeps their status in line with the crown's actual revenue? Which of them restores what the crown unjustly holds, and who is there who truly exerts themselves to do justice for the sake of God? If only, my daughter, such kings would appear in the world, so that God might be glorified!
The Poverty of the Church
The Church was founded on poverty and apostolic simplicity, which serves as a model for all clergy and believers.
Let's also look at the clergy, whose duty it is to love self-restraint, poverty, and devotion; they, too, have certainly wandered from the path. After all, what are the clergy but God's portion and those who receive His alms, meant to live off God's offerings so they might be all the more humble and fervent toward God, the more they are supposed to be set apart from the cares of the world? This is why the Church first arose out of tribulation and poverty: so that God might be their inheritance, and that they might boast not in the world or in the flesh, but in God.✦✦ But tell me, daughter, couldn't God have chosen kings and leaders to be his apostles, and wouldn't the Church have been enriched with earthly inheritance through them? He certainly could have, but God, who is rich, came into the world as a poor man to show that earthly things are fleeting, and so that humanity, following the example of its Lord, might learn not to be ashamed of poverty, but instead to hasten toward true and heavenly riches. That’s why He began the beautiful order of the Church with a poor fisherman and placed him in His own position, so he might live in this world by the Lord's portion, not by an inheritance. And so, the Church began with three good things. First, the fervor of faith; second, poverty; and third, the power of virtues and miracles. These three things were also present in the blessed apostle Peter, for he had a fervor of faith when he confessed his God with a free voice and did not hesitate to die for him. He also lived in poverty, traveling about begging and feeding himself by the labor of his own hands. Yet he was rich in spiritual things—which is greater—when, for instance, he gave the lame man the ability to walk (something no prince could do), even though he had no gold or silver to give him. But couldn't Peter have obtained gold, since he raised the dead, if he had wanted to? Certainly, but he unburdened himself of the weight of riches so he could enter heaven unencumbered, and so that, as a shepherd of the sheep, he could set an example of humility for his flock; for humility and poverty—whether spiritual or physical—are the way into heaven. Third, the power of miracles was in him, because even when higher miracles were passed over, the sick were healed by the very shadow of Peter. Therefore, because Peter carried with him the perfection of virtues—which is to be content with what is necessary—his tongue became the key of heaven, and his name is held in blessing in heaven and on earth. Those who have made a name for themselves on earth and loved filth—that is, earthly things—are ignored here on earth, but they are recorded in the book of justice with terrifying clarity.
The Purpose of Wealth and Divine Timing
While wealth is not inherently evil, it must be used for the poor, and the bride is encouraged to trust in God's timing for the work of conversion.
Yet God, wanting to show that the poverty of Peter and the other saints wasn't forced but voluntary, stirred the hearts of many to give generously to them. But they took more pride in their poverty than in the thorns of riches. And so, the more poverty abounded in them, the more their devotion grew and deepened. And why would that be a surprise? If they had made God their portion and their joy, how could God ever be absent from them? But for those chasing after the world's pleasures, how could God ever taste sweet? In fact, he was a stranger to them. As time went on, so that the friends of God might be more fervent and unencumbered in preaching the word of God, To show that wealth itself isn't evil, but rather the abuse of it, temporal goods were given to the Church under Sylvester and others; for a long time, holy men used these solely for their own needs and to support the friends of God and the poor. Know, then, that those are the friends of God who are content with God’s arrangement; and even if you don't recognize them, my Son sees them more clearly, for gold is often found in hard metal, and a spark of fire is struck from hard flint. Go in peace, then, because you must first cry out and act only later; even my Son, while living in the flesh, didn't convert all of Judea at once, nor did the apostles convert the Gentile world all at the same time, for longer periods are required to complete the work of God.
Read the original Latin
Mater loquitur sponse Christi: "Cur turbaris, filia?" -- "Quia," inquit, "timeo mitti ad induratos." Et Mater: "Vnde intelligis," inquit, "induratos aut amicos dei?"
Et illa: "Nescio discernere nec de aliquibus iudicare audeo, quia duo homines ostensi sunt michi prius, quorum alter humillimus et sanctissimus iudicio hominum apparebat, alius vero largus et ambiciosus;
quorum tamen intencio et voluntas discordabat ab opere. Vehementer terruerunt intellectum meum."
Respondit Mater: "Ex hiis que aperte videntur mala iudicare permittitur animo scilicet compaciendi et corrigendi. De dubiis vero, que, quo animo fiunt, non sunt certa, iudicare non est tutum.
Propterea indicare tibi volo, qui sunt amici Dei. Scito itaque illos esse amicos Dei, qui in acceptis donis Dei timidi sunt et pro hiis omni hora regraciantur Deo et superflua non requirunt sed de datis contentantur.
Sed ubi inueniuntur illi tales? Inquiramus primo in communitate. Quis est, qui dicat: 'Sufficit, maiora non requiro.'
Inquiramus in militibus et dominis aliis, quis eorum cogitat taliter: 'Bona, que habeo, hereditate acquisiui et de hiis sustentamentum meum moderatum iuxta statum meum Deo et hominibus conuenienter requiro.
Cetera vero Deo et pauperibus communicabo. Si vero bona ista hereditaria scirem acquisita male, aut restituerem aut dimitterem consilio electorum spiritualium seruorum Dei.' O, filia, talis cogitacio rara est in terra!
Inquiramus eciam in regibus et in ducibus, quis stat in laudabili suo statu. Ille quippe est rex, qui in moribus suis est sicut Iob, in humilitate sicut Dauid, in zelo regis ut Phinees, ut Moyses in mansuetudine et longanimitate.
Ille quoque est dux, qui regis exercitum regit et informat ad prelia, qui fiduciam habet in Deo et timorem ut Iosue, qui utilitatem domini sui plus querit quam propriam ut Ioab, qui zelum legis et commodum proximorum diligit ut Iudas Machabeus.
Talis dux similis est unicornio, qui acutum habet cornu in fronte et sub cornu lapidem preciosum. Quid autem est cornu ducis nisi cor virile ducis, quo pugnandum est fortiter hostesque fidei feriendi?
Lapis vero sub cornu ducis est caritas diuina, que iugiter in corde manens reddit eum ad omnia agilem et inuictum. Sed nunc duces similiores sunt hedis lasciuis quam unicorniis, quia ubique pugnant pro carne, non pro anima nec pro Deo.
Inquiramus ergo in regibus, quis eorum non grauat subditos suos propter superbiam suam, quis tenet statum suum iuxta redditus corone, quis restituit ea que corona detinet iniuste, quis est, qui exoccupet se ad faciendam iusticiam propter Deum. Vtinam, filia, tales in mundo reges appareant, ut glorificetur Deus!
Inquiramus insuper in clero, quorum est diligere continenciam, paupertatem et deuocionem; et certe hii eciam a via recesserunt. Quid autem sunt clerici nisi pars et elemosinarii Dei, ut viuentes de oblacione Dei tanto essent humiliores et ad Deum feruenciores, quanta a curis mundi plus debent esse segregati?
Ideo et a tribulacione et paupertate primum surrexit Ecclesia, ut Deus esset hereditas eorum, et non in mundo nec in carne sed in Deo gloriarentur.
Sed numquid, filia, non potuisset Deus elegisse reges et duces in apostolos, et tunc per eos hereditate terrena ditata fuisset Ecclesia?
Potuisset quidem, sed diues Deus venit in mundum pauper, ut terrena ostenderet transitoria esse, et ut homo exemplo Domini sui addisceret nec erubesceret paupertatem sed ad veras diuicias et celestes festinaret.
Ideo cum paupere piscatore inchoauit pulcherrimam disposicionem Ecclesie et posuit eum in locum suum, ut de sorte Domini non de hereditate viueret in hoc mundo.
Itaque a tribus bonis incepit Ecclesia. Primo a feruore fidei, secundo a paupertate, tercio ab effectu virtutum et miraculorum.
Hec quoque tria fuerunt in beato Petro apostolo, nam habuit feruorem fidei, quando libera voce Deum suum confessus est et pro eo mori non dubitauit. Habuit eciam paupertatem, quando circuiendo mendicabat et laborando manibus se pascebat.
Verumptamen in spiritualibus erat diues, quod maius est, quando scilicet claudo dedit gressum (quod nullus principum potuit), cui unde aurum et argentum dare non habebat.
Sed numquid Petrus non obtinuisset aurum, qui suscitauit mortuos, si voluisset? Vtique sed exonerauit se ab onere diuiciarum, ut expeditus intraret celum et ut magister ouium humilitatis exemplum daret ouibus, quia humilitas et paupertas aut spiritualis aut corporalis ingressus est in celum.
Tercio fuit in eo effectus miraculorum, quia pretermissis alcioribus miraculis eciam ad umbram Petri infirmi sunt sanati. Ergo quia Petrus habuit secum perfeccionem virtutum, que est contentari de necesariis, ideo lingua eius clauis celi facta est et nomen eius in benediccione est in celis et in terris.
Qui vero nomina sua vocauerunt in terris et stercora id est terrena dilexerunt neglecti sunt in terris sed in libro iusticie horribiliter sunt descripti.
Verumptamen Deus ostendere volens, quod nec paupertas Petri nec aliorum sanctorum coacta erat sed spontanea, ideo incitabat animos multorum ad largiendum eis. Sed ipsi plus in paupertate quam in sentibus diuiciarum gloriabantur.
Propterea et quo plus abundabat in eis paupertas, tanto deuocio cumulancius augebatur. Et quid mirum? Qui enim partem suam et gaudium posuerunt Deum, quomodo poterat eis abesse Deus?
Qui vero delicias mundi appetebant, quomodo poterat eis dulcescere Deus? Ymmo peregrinus erat in oculis eorum. Processu vero temporis, ut amici Dei feruenciores et expediciores essent ad predicandum verbum Dei,
et ut sciretur, quod non diuicie male sunt sed abusus earum, ideo sub Siluestro et aliis bona temporalia Ecclesie data sunt, quas viri sancti longo tempore ad solam necessitatem suam et amicorum Dei et pauperum sustentacionem dispensabant.
Ergo tales scito amicos Dei, qui contentantur de disposicione Dei, qui et si tibi non sunt cogniti, Filius meus subtilius videt eos, quia in duro metallo multociens inuenitur aurum et de duro silice extrahitur scintilla ignis.
Vade igitur secura, quia prius clamandum est et postea faciendum, quia nec Filius meus in carne manens omnem simul Iudeam conuertit, nec apostoli simul et semel gentilitatem, sed tempora longiora habenda sunt ad perficiendum opus Dei."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Josh.1.9 — Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
- ↩2Sam.10.12 — Be strong, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and the LORD will do what is good in his eyes.
- ↩Ps.16.5 — The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; you hold fast my lot.
- ↩1Cor.1.31 — so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'
Notes
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