Virgo Maria apparuit sponse rogans Filium pro quodam magno domino, quem latroni comparat. Cui Christus narrat grauia peccata illius et tamen precibus eius facit illi tres gracias. Dat enim illi magistrum spiritualem et intelligenciam grauissime pene eterne et spem rectam misericordie cum timore discreto .
The Mother's Plea for the Thief
Mary intercedes for a sinful man, while Christ reveals the gravity of his offenses against divine justice.
Mary speaks to her Son, saying, "My Son, you are blessed!" I ask mercy of you for this thief, for whom your bride weeps in prayer." The Son replied, "Mother, why are you asking for him?" For he has committed three robberies. First, he has plundered my angels and my chosen ones. Second, he plundered the bodies of many people, because he separated their souls from their bodies before their time. Third, he robbed many innocent people of their goods. First, he robbed the angels by cutting off the souls of many who were meant to join their company, doing so through coarse language, evil deeds and examples, and by providing the occasion and attraction to evil; he also robbed them because he tolerated wicked people in their malice, whom he should have justly punished. Second, he ordered many innocent people to be killed out of his own indignation. Third, he unjustly seized the property of innocent people for himself and leveled intolerable, false accusations against the wretched. Along with these three, he has three other evils. First, his excessive greed for the world; second, his unrestrained life—for although he is bound by marriage, he doesn't keep to it out of divine charity, but rather to satisfy his own lust.1 Third, he’s so proud that he considers no one his equal. Look at the kind of person you're praying for! You see all justice in me, and what is owed to everyone.
Justice and the Call to Conversion
Christ explains the necessity of humility and labor, while Mary highlights the sinner's latent desire for reform.
When the mother of John and James came to me and asked that one of them might sit at my right hand and the other at my left, didn't I answer her that the one who has labored more and humbled himself more will be the one to sit at my right hand and my left? How, then, is it owed to someone to sit with me and be with me, when they do nothing with me or for me, but rather work against me? The Mother replied, "Blessed are you, my Son, full of all justice and mercy!" I see your justice as terrible as fire and as immovable as a mountain, and no one dares to approach it. But on the other hand, I see your most gentle mercy, and to this, my Son, I speak and draw near. For although I have a small amount of justice to offer you on behalf of this thief, he still can't be saved by that alone unless your great mercy intervenes. He is, in fact, like a child who, though he has a mouth and eyes, hands and feet, still cannot speak with his mouth, nor distinguish with his sight between fire and the brightness of the sun, nor walk with his feet or work with his hands. This is what that thief is like. From his very birth, he grew up only for the devil's work. His ears were closed to what is good, and his eyes were clouded to any understanding of what is to come. His mouth was also closed to your praise, and his hands were completely powerless to do any good work for God, so much so that every virtue and every goodness in him was as if dead. Yet he stood, as it were, with one foot on two different paths. That foot was his own desire and the thought he pondered within himself, saying: "If only I could find someone to tell me how I might reform myself, and how I ought to appease my God; for even if I had to die for it, I would do it gladly." The first sign was that he frequently feared and pondered how harsh that eternal punishment will be. The second sign was sorrow over the loss of the kingdom of heaven.
The Threefold Grace of Mercy
In response to Mary's prayer, Christ grants the sinner three graces to aid his spiritual awakening.
Therefore, my sweetest Son, because of your goodness and my prayers—I who carried you in my womb—have mercy on him! The Son answered, "Blessed are you, most sweet Mother!" Your words are full of wisdom and justice, and because all justice and mercy are in me, I've already repaid that thief with three good things in return for the three good things he offered me. Because he intended to amend his life, I showed him my friend, who then showed him the way of life. For the second thing—namely, for his diligent reflection on eternal punishment—I gave him a greater understanding of eternal suffering than he had before, so that he might understand in his heart how bitter eternal punishment is. As for the third point—the sorrow over losing the heavenly kingdom—I have illuminated his hope, so that he may hope more rightly now than before, and fear more wisely and discreetly than he did previously.
The Mother of Mercy's Final Request
Mary asks for further graces for the sinner, and Christ affirms her role as the Mother of Mercy while teaching the bride about divine wisdom.
Then the Mother spoke again: "Blessed be you, my Son, by every creature in heaven and on earth, because you have repaid these three things to the thief out of your justice!" Therefore, I now ask that you might also deign to grant him your mercy, because you do nothing without mercy." Grant him, therefore, one grace out of your mercy because of my prayers, and another because of your servant who is urging me to pray for this thief. But grant him a third grace because of the tears and prayers of my daughter, your bride! The Son answered her, "You are blessed, dearest Mother, Lady of the angels and Queen of all spirits!" Your words are sweet to me like the finest wine, delightful beyond anything imaginable, and proven in all wisdom and justice." Blessed be your mouth and your lips, from which all mercy flows out to miserable sinners! You are truly proclaimed to be, and indeed are, the Mother of Mercy, because you consider the miseries of all and turn me toward mercy. Ask, then, for whatever you want! Because your love and your request cannot be in vain. Then the Mother answered, "My Lord and my Son, this thief is in a very dangerous position." For he stands with one foot, as it were, on two paths. So that he may stand more firmly, give him what is most dear to me: your most holy Body, which you took from me—most pure and without any trace of desire—into your divinity. This Body of yours is the most ready help for the weak; it restores sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, a steady step to the lame, and strength to the hands. It is also the most powerful and soothing balm, from which the infirm recover all the more quickly. Give him this, then, so that he may feel your help within himself and find delight in it with the fervor of love! Secondly, I ask that you would deign to show him what he must do and how he can appease you. Third, I ask that he be given rest from the heat of his own flesh, because of the prayers of those who are pleading with you on his behalf. The Son answered again: "Dearest Mother, your words are as sweet as honey in my ears, but because I am just and nothing can be denied to you, I want to deliberate with myself about your request, like a wise lord." It’s not because I’ve changed, or because you don’t already know and see everything within me; rather, I’m delaying for the sake of the bride standing here, so that she might come to understand my wisdom.
Read the original Latin
Maria loquitur ad Filium dicens: "Fili mi, benedictus sis tu! Ego peto a te misericordiam pro latrone isto, pro quo sponsa tua orando plorat."
Respondit Filius: "Quare, mater, rogas pro eo? Nam ipse fecerat tria latrocinia. Primo depredatus est angelos et electos meos.
Secundo depredatus est corpora multorum hominum, quia animas eorum ante tempus a corporibus separauit. Tercio spoliauit multos homines innocentes bonis suis.
Primo enim depredatus est angelos, quia animas multorum, que angelorum consorcio iungi debebant, dissociauit per verba scurrilia, per opera et exempla mala, per occasionem et attraccionem ad malum et quia paciebatur malos in malicia sua, quos iuste punire debuisset.
Secundo multos innocentes interfici iussit ex indignacione sua. Tercio bona innocentum sibi iniuste vsurpauit et miseris calumpniam intollerabilem imposuit. Cum hiis tribus et alia tria mala habet.
Primo nimiam cupiditatem mundi, secundo vitam incontinentem; nam licet coniugio alligatus est, hoc tamen non tenet ex diuina caritate sed propter explecionem cupiditatis sue.
Tercio habet superbiam, ita quod nullum reputat sibi similem. Ecce qualis est iste, pro quo tu oras! Tu vides omnem iusticiam in me et quod vnicuique debetur.
Numquid, cum mater Iohannis et Iacobi accessisset ad me et petisset, vt vnus eorum sederet ad dexteram et alter ad sinistram meam, ego respondi ei, quod ille, qui plus laborauerit et qui se plus humiliauerit, hic ad dexteram meam sedebit et sinistram?
Quomodo ergo debetur alicui sedere mecum et esse mecum, qui nil laborat mecum vel pro me sed magis contra me?"
Respondit mater: "Benedictus sis tu, fili mi, plenus omni iusticia et misericordia! Ego video iusticiam tuam terribilem quasi ignem, fortissimam quasi montem, et ad hanc nullus appropinquare audet.
Sed econtra video misericordiam tuam lenissimam et ad hanc, fili mi, ego loquor et accedo. Nam licet modicam iusticiam habeo ad te ex parte latronis, tamen ex ea nequaquam, nisi misericordia tua grandis interuenerit, saluari potest.
Ipse quippe similis est puero, qui, licet habeat os et oculos, manus et pedes, non tamen loqui potest ore nec visu discernere inter ignem et claritatem solis nec incedere potest pedibus vel laborare manibus.
Sic iste latro est. Ipse denique a natiuitate sua creuit ad opera dyaboli. Aures eius fuerunt obturate ad audiendum bona, oculi eius caligauerunt ad intelligenciam futurorum.
Os eciam clausum erat ad laudem tuam et manus operacionis bone ad Deum fuerunt ei totaliter debiles, in tantum quod omnis virtus et omnis bonitas erat quasi mortua ante eum.
Attamen cum vno pede suo quasi in duobus vestigiis stabat. Pes autem ille erat desiderium suum et cogitacio, qua cogitabat apud se cum desiderio dicens:
'Vtinam inuenirem aliquem, qui diceret michi, quomodo emendare me possem, quomodo placare Deum meum deberem, quia eciam si mori deberem, libenter facerem.'
Primum vestigium erat, quod frequenter timebat et pensabat, quam dura erit illa pena eterna. Secundum vestigium erat dolor de amissione regni celorum.
Ergo, fili mi dulcissime, propter bonitatem tuam et preces meas, que te in vtero portaui, miserere ei!"
Respondit Filius: "Benedicta sis tu, mater dulcissima! Verba tua plena sunt sapiencia et iusticia, et quia in me est omnis iusticia et misericordia, ideo iam latroni rependi tria bona pro tribus bonis, que michi optulit.
Nam quia propositum emendandi se habuit, ostendi ei amicum meum, qui ostendit illi viam vite. Pro secundo, scilicet pro cogitacione sedula eterni supplicii, dedi ei maiorem intelligenciam eterne pene quam prius, vt intelligat in corde suo, quam amara est pena eterna.
Pro tercio, scilicet pro dolore de amissione regni celestis, illuminaui spem suam, vt reccius speret nunc quam prius et sapiencius et discrecius timeat nunc quam prius."
Tunc iterum loquebatur mater: "Benedictus sis tu, fili mi, ab omni creatura in celo et in terra, quia ista tria rependisti latroni ex iusticia tua! Ideo nunc rogo, vt digneris ei dare eciam misericordiam tuam, quia tu nichil facis sine misericordia.
Da ergo ei ex misericordia tua vnam graciam propter preces meas et aliam propter famulum tuum, qui me ad rogandum pro latrone sollicitat! Terciam vero graciam da ei propter lacrimas et preces filie mee, sponse tue!"
Cui respondit Filius: "Benedicta sis tu, mater carissima, domina angelorum et regina omnium spirituum! Verba tua dulcia sunt michi quasi vinum optimum, delectabilia super omnia, que cogitari possunt, et probata in omni sapiencia et iusticia.
Et benedictum sit os tuum et labia tua, de quibus omnis misericordia procedit in miseros peccatores! Tu vere misericordie mater predicaris et es, quia miserias omnium consideras et me ad misericordiam flectis.
Pete ergo, quod vis! Non enim inanis potest esse caritas et peticio tua."
Tunc respondit mater: "Iste latro, Domine mi et fili mi, nimis periculose positus est. Stat enim vno pede quasi in duobus vestigiis.
Ergo da ei, vt firmius stare possit, hoc, quod michi est carissimum, idest corpus tuum sanctissimum, quod de me sine aliqua concupiscencia mundissimum in deitatem tuam assumpsisti.
Hoc tuum corpus est promptissimum infirmorum auxilium, hoc reddit cecis visum, surdis auditum, claudis gressum, manibus opus. Hoc eciam est fortissimum et suauissimum emplastrum, de quo cicius conualescunt infirmi.
Da ergo ei hoc, vt senciat in se auxilium et delectetur in eo cum caritatis feruore! Secundo rogo, vt digneris ei ostendere, quid acturus est et quomodo poterit te placare.
Tercio rogo, vt detur ei requies de ardore carnis sue propter preces eorum, qui te pro eo rogant."
Respondit iterum Filius: "Carissima mater, verba tua dulcia sunt quasi mel in auribus meis, sed quia ego iustus sum et tibi nichil negari potest, ideo de peticione tua quasi sapiens dominus deliberare mecum volo,
non ideo, quod aliqua mutacio sit apud me vel quod non omnia scis et vides in me, sed propter sponsam astantem differo, vt valeat intelligere sapienciam meam."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'incontinentem' here refers to a lack of self-control or sexual restraint, and 'cupiditatis' is rendered as 'lust' to capture the specific sense of disordered desire mentioned in the context of his marriage.
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