Christus dicit sponse, quod religiosi et alii spirituales recipientes consolaciones Spiritus Sancti, qui non humiliter regraciantur Deo sed vilipendunt graciam et superbiunt ex ea et delectantes se in mundo attediantur de vita spirituali, assimilantur ingrato pauperi sicienti, qui, postquam gustat potum, proicit illum cum contumelia in oculos datoris.
The Parable of the Ungrateful Guest
Christ illustrates the nature of ingratitude through the image of a guest who insults his host after receiving a gift.
Some people are like someone suffering from a desperate thirst; when the master of the house hears their cry, he gives them the very best drink he has, but after they take it and taste it, they say: "I don't like this drink, and I'm not thanking you for it." And he throws the drink into the giver's eyes, insulting him in return for his charity. But the master of the house, having received such an insult, and because he is gentle, thinks to himself: 'Look, my guest has done me a great wrong, but I don't want to take revenge on him until we both come before the judge and the time for judgment has arrived.' Then he wipes the stain from his face and forehead and dries it off.
The Ingratitude of the Religious
Christ applies the parable to religious souls who seek consolation in times of trial but turn to pride and worldliness once comforted.
Many religious people today treat me exactly like that. When they’re in poverty, or facing contempt and the world's opposition, they cry out to me, 'Lord, I’m surrounded by contempt and trouble; give me some consolation!' Then, out of my great mercy, I feel for them and give them the best wine—the Holy Spirit—whose sweetness fills their souls and whose fire makes them stop worrying about being looked down on or being poor. Yet once they have tasted the wine of my Spirit and enjoyed it for a time, they treat it with contempt and don't even offer me their thanks. They throw it back in my face whenever they decide they'd rather be with the world, and whenever they let the grace they've received make them proud. That person you know is doing the same thing to me right now. When he was poor and destitute, I comforted him with my Spirit; when he was despised and had no joy in his soul, I cherished him with my own delight.
The Warning of the Changing Scent
God warns a specific soul that their interior decline is evident in the loss of their spiritual fragrance.
Even though I don't speak with a physical voice and my words aren't heard openly, my Spirit still prompts my chosen ones through secret inspiration to do good, encouraging them by strengthening them toward better things. Yet, after tasting my Spirit and receiving the grace of my consolation, he treats what I have given him as if it were nothing, and he already intends to throw my drink back into my face; however, he hasn't thrown it yet. Look here and consider how patient and merciful I am. I don't just endure him patiently; I even repay his ingratitude with good things. He receives more honor and goodwill from people now than he did before, and his needs are being met more adequately than usual, yet he serves me less for these things than he did in the past. They treat my grace as nothing and hold my love in no regard. Instead, they stand there like someone debating with themselves whether to throw their drink right into the giver's eyes, because the world they left behind still delights their mind more than I do. The commitments they've taken on seem burdensome to them, and the spiritual life is held in weariness. To help you test this more effectively, the change in scent makes it clear enough. As long as he served me with his whole heart and drew himself more fervently toward me, a certain sweet fragrance could be sensed upon his clothes. And it’s no wonder, because powerful angels surround and protect the friends of God every day. Now, however, because your will has changed, the fragrance has changed too; the fragrance you sense now is exactly what your mind’s intention and will are.
Divine Patience and Final Judgment
Christ affirms His patient endurance of human insolence until the final judgment, noting the eventual repentance of the monk.
But what am I to do when my drink is thrown back in my face? I will truly wipe it away like a gentle man and endure it patiently until the time of my judgment and the general assembly arrives, so that then the ingratitude and presumption of the insolent person may be clear to all, and the power of the Lord who suffers it may be demonstrated. This was a monk of the monastery of Saint Paul, who, moved by compunction, found rest in a good end.
Read the original Latin
"Quidam sunt quasi homo indigens et sitim paciens, cuius vocem paterfamilias audiens dat ei potum, quem habet optimum; accepto autem potu et gustato dicit:
'Non placet michi potus iste nec regracior tibi pro eo.' Et proicit potum in oculos datoris faciens ei contumeliam pro caritate. Accepta autem tali contumelia paterfamilias, quia mitis est, cogitat apud se:
'Ecce hospes meus magnam iniuriam michi fecit, sed nolo me vindicare de illo, antequam ambo venerimus ad iudicem et tempus iudicii fuerit.' Et tunc abstergit a facie sua et fronte maculam et desiccat.
Sic faciunt nunc michi multi religiosi. Ipsi enim in paupertate sua et despeccione et contrarietate mundi clamant ad me et dicunt: 'Domine, vndique nobis despeccio et tribulacio; da nobis aliquam consolacionem!'
Tunc ego ex misericordia mea magna compacior eis et do eis vinum optimum, idest Spiritum Sanctum, cuius dulcedo replet animas eorum, cuius ardor non facit eos curare de despeccione et paupertate.
Gustato autem vino Spiritus mei et ad tempus habito vilipendunt hoc nec regraciantur michi. Et proiciunt illud in faciem meam, quando deliberant et optant magis esse cum mundo et quando ex gracia, quam habent, intumescunt.
Sic eciam ille michi nunc facit, quem tu nosti. Qui cum esset pauper et destitutus, consolabar eum Spiritu meo; cum esset despectus nec haberet anime exultacionem, ego fouebam eum gaudio meo.
Quia licet non quasi voce corporis loquar vel verba mea non aperte audiantur, tamen Spiritus meus in electis meis occulta inspiracione monet eos ad faciendum bona et incitat confortando ad meliora.
Sed ille gustato Spiritu meo et accepta gracia consolacionis mee quasi nichil reputat, que dedi ei, et iam in faciem meam proicere deliberat potum meum; attamen nondum proicit.
Vide hic et considera, quam paciens et misericors sum ego! Quia non solum pacienter suffero eum sed et pro ingratitudine rependo ei bona.
Nam maiorem nunc quam prius ab hominibus habet honorem et beniuolenciam et sufficiencius nunc solito impenduntur ei necessaria, sed ipse minus pro hiis quam prius deseruit michi.
Graciam meam habet pro nichilo et dileccionem nullius reputacionis. Sic autem stat quasi homo deliberans secum, vt proiciat potum in oculos datoris, quia mundus, quem reliquit, plus delectat mentem eius quam ego.
Onerosa ei videntur assumpta, tedio habetur vita spiritualis. Hec vt melius probes, satis ostendit tibi odor immutatus.
Quamdiu enim michi toto corde seruiuit et se ad me feruencius applicauit, flagrancia quedam suauis senciebatur in vestibus eius. Nec mirum, quia angeli virtute pleni amicos Dei circumdant cottidie et protegunt.
Nunc autem immutata voluntate immutatus est odor et talis odor nunc sentitur, qualis mentis est intencio et voluntas.
Quid autem ego facturus sum, cum potus meus in faciem meam proicitur? Vere abstergam eum quasi homo mitis et sufferam pacienter, vsquequo tempus iudicii mei venerit et generale placitum, vt tunc omnibus appareat ingratitudo et presumpcio contumeliosi et potencia Domini sufferentis demonstretur."
Hic fuit monachus monasterii Sancti Pauli, qui compunctus quieuit bono fine.
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