Christus declarat sponse, qualiter ipse fecerat per angelum eam more paruuli enutriri in vita spirituali et virtutibus, et iterum recommendat eam angelo. Narrat eciam, qualiter sancta decepcione deduxit eam de mundo ad quietis portum, et precipit, quod omnes temptaciones reuelet suis patribus spiritualibus et habebit finem perfectum.
The Journey of the Soul
God reflects on the soul's progression from worldly attachments to spiritual maturity through His grace.
One of the angels spoke to God, saying: "Praise be to You, my Lord, from all Your host for all Your love!" You entrusted this bride standing here to my care; look, I'm returning her to You now. I was drawing her to you like a little child, first by giving her fruit; then, once the fruit was eaten, I said to her: 'Follow me, daughter, further, and I'll give you the sweetest wine.' For in fruit there is only a modest flavor, but in wine there is sweetness and the soul's exultation.' But once she had tasted the wine, I said to her again: 'Go further still, and I will prepare for you what is eternal, in which is every good.' After saying this, the Lord told the bride, "It's true that my servant was speaking while you were listening." He was, in fact, drawing you to me back then as if with a piece of fruit, while you were thinking to yourself that everything you had came from me, and you were giving thanks to me alone for it all. Just as an apple offers only a certain flavor and a small amount of satisfaction, so at that time my love didn't taste like much to you, unless it was as if a certain flavor of the knowledge of God were in your heart. Then you moved further along when you thought to yourself: 'God's glory is eternal, while the world's joy is far too brief and, in the end, completely useless.' What good is it to me to love these worldly things so much?' With that mindset, you began to courageously pull away from worldly pleasures and do whatever good you could in my name. And then, as if driven by a longing for wine, you thirsted for me all the more. Then, when you realized that I am the almighty Lord from whom all good comes, and you let go of your own will to do mine, you rightly became mine; I consented to you, and I made you my own.
The Angelic Commission
Christ entrusts the bride to the angel's continued care, instructing him to provide for her spiritual growth.
When he had said this, the Lord said to the angel, "My servant, you are rich in me; your honor is eternal, the fire of your love is inextinguishable, and your strength is unfailing." You have assigned my bride to me, but I want you to keep watching over her until she reaches maturity. Guard her, so the devil doesn't catch her off guard and throw anything in her path. Provide her with the garments of virtue, the garments of total beauty. Feed her with my words, which are like fresh meat that improves the blood, strengthens the weak body, and stirs up a holy delight in the soul.
The Captivity of Love
God explains the nature of His 'captivity' of the soul and the necessity of spiritual discernment under the guidance of holy mentors.
I have done this for her just as someone usually does for a friend whom they capture out of love and for their own good. For the one who captures her says, 'Friend, come into my house and see what is happening there, and what you must do.' When a friend visits, the captor doesn't show him the vile serpents and ferocious lions living in the house, so the friend won't be terrified; instead, for his comfort, he makes the serpents appear as the gentlest sheep and the lions as beautiful sheep, saying to his friend: "Friend, know that I love you, and I've taken you captive for your own good." Therefore, tell my friends whatever you see; for they watch over you and will comfort you in such a way that my captivity will please you more than your own freedom." So, beloved daughter, I have done the same for you. In a sense, I’ve taken you captive, for I called you away from your own pleasures to my love, and I called you from the dangers of the world into this harbor of rest. Yet in this place, those you think are virgins because of their self-control are truly lions because of their malice, and those you believe to be sheep because of their divine contemplation are actually like serpents crawling on their bellies, driven by gluttony and greed. Therefore, whatever you see or hear, don't take it to anyone else, but to my friends who watch over you and instruct you. For the Spirit who brought you into the harbor will lead you to your true home, and the One who brought you to a good beginning will lead you to an even better end.
Read the original Latin
Quidam angelorum loquebatur ad Deum dicens: "Laus sit tibi, Domine mi, ab omni exercitu tuo pro omni dileccione tua! Tu assignasti custodie mee hanc sponsam hic stantem; ecce ipsam tibi iterum reassigno.
Ego enim alliciebam eam ad te quasi paruulam, primo dando pomum; deinde comesto pomo dixi ei: 'Sequere me, filia, amplius et dabo tibi vinum dulcissimum. Quia in pomo non est nisi modicus sapor, in vino vero dulcedo et animi exultacio.'
Gustato autem vino dixi iterum ad eam: 'Procede adhuc vlterius et dispono tibi quod est in eternum, in quo est omne bonum.'"
Hiis dictis dixit Dominus ad sponsam: "Verum est, quod seruus meus te audiente loquebatur. Ipse vtique quasi per pomum alliciebat te tunc ad me, quando cogitabas tecum omnia esse a me, qua habebas, et regraciabaris michi soli pro eis.
Quia sicut in pomo non est nisi sapor quidam et modica sacietas, sic tunc temporis non multum sapiebat tibi caritas mea, nisi quasi quidam sapor cognicionis Dei esset in corde tuo.
Tunc vero vlterius processisti, quando cogitasti tecum sic: 'Gloria Dei est eterna et mundi leticia nimis breuis et in fine mundi nimis inutilis. Quid michi prodest, quod ista temporalia sic diligam?'
Ex tali cogitacione cepisti viriliter abstinere a delectacionibus mundi et facere bona, que poteras, in nomine meo. Et tunc quasi desiderio affecta vini amplius me sitisti.
Deinde cum cogitasti me esse omnipotentem Dominum, a quo est omne bonum, et reliquisti voluntatem tuam faciendo meam, tunc iure facta es mea et consensi in te et feci te esse meam."
Quo dicto dixit Dominus ad angelum: "Serue meus, tu diues es in me, honor tuus est eternus, ignis caritatis tue inextinguibilis, virtus tua indeficiens.
Tu assignasti michi sponsam meam, sed volo, quod custodias eam adhuc, donec venerit ad etatem. Custodi eam, ne dyabolus aliqua incaute sibi obiciat!
Prouide sibi vestes virtutum, vestes tocius pulchritudinis! Ciba eam verbis meis, que sunt tamquam carnes recentes, quibus sanguis melioratur, caro infirma conualescit et delectacio bona in anima excitatur.
Ego enim feci isti, sicut aliquis solet facere amico suo, quem pro caritate et bono suo captiuat. Dicit enim ei captiuans: 'Amice, ingredere in domum meam et vide ibi, que aguntur, que tibi sunt facienda.'
Quo ingrediente non ostendit ei captiuator vilissimos serpentes et ferocissimos leones, qui habitant in domo, ne terreatur amicus, sed in consolacionem amici facit serpentes videri, quasi sint oues mansuetissime, leones quasi oues pulchras, dicens amico suo:
'Amice, scito, quod diligo te et pro bono tuo captiuaui te. Ideo, quecumque videris, dic amicis meis; ipsi enim custodiunt te et consolabuntur te ita, quod melius placebit tibi captiuitas mea quam propria libertas tua.' Sic, filia dilecta, simili modo feci ego tibi.
Ego enim quasi captiuaui te, cum a delectacione tua reuocaui te ad amorem meum, cum a mundi periculis vocaui in hunc quietis portum, in quo, quos tu putas esse virgines per continenciam, veraciter leones sunt per maliciam, quos tu credis oues per diuinam contemplacionem, hii quasi serpentes gradiuntur in ventre gule et cupiditatis.
Ideo, quecumque videris et audieris, non ad alium referas sed ad amicos meos, qui te custodiunt et instruunt.
Quia Spiritus, qui te duxit in portum, ipse te ducet ad patriam, et qui te adduxit ad principium bonum, ipse te ducet ad meliorem finem."
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