Dampnatur quedam anima defuncti a Christo pro peccatis grauibus et pro eo, quod non doluit de doloribus et vulneribus passionis Christi. Que anima vt filius abortiuus assimilatur et condempnatur et per illos, qui sequebantur maliciose Christum in predicacione, et per crucifixores et custodes sepulchri eius notabiliter designatur.
The Soul Who Knew No Compassion
God condemns a soul for its profound lack of love and compassion toward the suffering of Christ.
A great host seemed to be standing before God, to whom God spoke, saying: "Look, that soul is not mine!" They felt no more compassion for the wound in my side and my heart than if an enemy's shield were being pierced. They cared as little about the wounds in my hands as if a thin piece of cloth were being torn. The wounds in my feet were just as trivial to them, as if they were watching a soft piece of fruit being sliced open. Then God spoke to that soul, saying, "In your life, you often asked why I, God, died in the body." But now I ask you: why are you, miserable soul, dead?" It answered, "Because I did not love you." Then the Lord answered the soul: "You," he said, "have been to me like a child miscarried by its mother." She suffers no less pain for that one than for the one who is born alive from her womb. I redeemed you with the same great price and the same bitterness as any of my saints, even though you cared so little about it. Just as a stillborn child finds no sweetness from a mother's breast, no comfort in her words, and no warmth from her heart, so you will never have the ineffable sweetness of my chosen ones, because you have found your own sweetness more pleasing. You'll never hear my words to your own benefit, because the words of your own mouth and of the world pleased you, while the words of my mouth were bitter to you. You'll never feel my charity and goodness, because you were as cold as ice toward every good thing. Go, then, to the place where the aborted are cast out, where you will live in your death eternally, because you refused to live in my light and my life."
Threefold Malice of the Heart
The Lord compares the condemned soul to those who maliciously followed Him, those who crucified Him, and those who guarded His tomb.
Afterward, God spoke to the heavenly host: "O my friends, if all the stars and planets were turned into tongues, and if all the saints were to plead with me, I would not show mercy to one who is held by due justice to be condemned." This soul, however, was like three types of people: first, those who followed me during my preaching out of malice, so they could find an opportunity in my words and deeds to accuse and betray me. They saw my good works and the miracles that no one could perform except God. They heard my wisdom and acknowledged my life was worthy of praise, yet because of this, they envied me and conceived anger in their hearts against me. But why? This is because my works were good and theirs were evil, and because I didn't consent to their sins but sharply rebuked them. In this way, that soul followed me with its body, not out of divine love, but only for the sake of appearances before others. They heard my works and saw them with their own eyes, and because of this, they grew angry. They heard my commands and mocked them. They sensed my goodness, yet they did not believe. They saw my friends growing in goodness, and they were envious. But why? This was because my words and the words of my chosen ones stood against that soul's malice; my commands and warnings stood against its desires, and even my love and obedience stood against its own will. Yet, its conscience told it that I was to be honored above all others. Yet from the movement of the stars, he understood that I am the Creator of all things. From the fruits of the earth and the arrangement of other things, he knew that I was the Creator; and although he knew this, he still grew angry at my words because I rebuked his evil deeds. Secondly, that soul was like those who killed me. They said to one another, 'Let's kill him boldly; for he certainly won't rise again.' I, however, told my disciples that I would rise on the third day, but my enemies—those who love the world—did not believe I would rise in justice, because they saw me only as a mere man and did not see the divinity hidden within. That is why they sinned so confidently, and why they felt they had the upper hand in the name of justice. If they had known, they never would have killed me. That soul thought the very same thing. The soul says, "I'll do as I please, and I'll boldly destroy him through my own will and the works that delight me." "What harm does it do me, and why should I hold back?" "For he won't rise again to judge, and he won't judge according to the works of men." If He judged so strictly, He wouldn't have redeemed humanity; and if He held sin in such hatred, He wouldn't endure sinners so patiently. Third, it was like those who guarded my tomb. They armed themselves and fortified the tomb with guards so that I wouldn't rise, saying, 'Let's guard it carefully, so he doesn't rise and we don't end up serving him.' That is how this soul acted. They armed themselves with the hardness of sin and kept a diligent watch over the tomb—that is, the way of life of my chosen ones, in whom I rest—carefully guarding it so that my words and their warnings wouldn't reach them, thinking to themselves: I will keep myself away from them so I don't have to hear their words; I don't want to be stirred by some divine thought and start to let go of the pleasure I've already begun to take, or hear something that goes against my own will. And so, out of malice, he withdrew from those he should have been joined to in love.
The Final Judgment of the Self-Willed
A specific account of a noble soul's final judgment reveals the tragic consequences of choosing self-will over divine mercy.
This man was a nobleman who cared little for God, and while at the table, he blasphemed the saints of God. He died from a sneeze, without the Sacraments. His soul was seen standing in judgment, and the Judge said to him: You spoke as you wanted, and you acted as you were able. Therefore, it's fitting for you now to be silent and listen. Answer me, then, while I listen, even though I know everything! Haven't you heard what I said: 'I don't desire the death of a sinner, but that he be converted'? Why, then, didn't you return to me when you could have? The soul replied, "I heard it, certainly, but I didn't care." The Judge said again, "Didn't you hear what I said: 'Go, you cursed, into the fire, and come, you blessed!'" The text provided for this sentence is a placeholder. Why, then, didn't you hurry toward the blessing?" The soul replied, "I heard, it's true, but I didn't believe." The Judge said again, "Did you not hear that I am God, the just and eternal Judge, who is to be feared?" Why, then, didn't you fear the judgment to come?" The soul replied, "I did hear, but I loved myself; I closed my ears so I wouldn't have to hear the judgment, and I hardened my heart so I wouldn't have to think about what was right." The Judge answered, "It's only right that tribulation and confusion should open your understanding now, because you refused to understand when you had the chance." Then the soul, cast out from the judgment, wailed and cried out, "Alas, alas, what a reward!" But when will there be an end?" A voice was heard immediately, saying, "Just as the very beginning of all things has no end, so there will be no end for you."
Read the original Latin
Magnus exercitus videbatur astare Deo, cui loquebatur Deus dicens: "Ecce illa anima non est mea! De vulnere quippe lateris mei et cordis mei non plus compassus est, quam si perforaretur clipeus inimici eius.
De vulneribus manuum mearum tantum curauit, ac si pannus gracilis rumperetur. Vulnera eciam pedum meorum tam mollia ei fuerunt, ac si videret scindi molle pomum."
Tunc Deus loquebatur ad ipsam animam dicens: "Tu frequenter quesiuisti in vita tua, quare ego Deus in corpore mortuus fui. Nunc autem ego quero a te: Quare tu, anima misera, mortua es?" Respondit illa: "Quia non dilexi te."
Et tunc Dominus respondit anime: "Tu", inquit, "fuisti michi quasi puer abortiuus matri sue. Que non minorem dolorem patitur pro eo quam pro illo, qui viuus procedit de vtero eius.
Sic ego tanto precio et tanta amaritudine te redemi sicut aliquem sanctorum meorum, licet tu modicum curasti.
Verum sicut puer abortiuus non habet dulcedinem de vberibus maternis, non consolacionem de verbis, non calorem de pectore, sic tu numquam habebis dulcedinem electorum meorum ineffabilem, quia dulcedo tua placuit tibi.
Numquam audies verba mea ad profectum tuum, quia verba oris tui et mundi placuerunt tibi et verba oris mei erant tibi amara. Numquam sencies caritatem et bonitatem meam, quia frigida eras quasi gelu ad omne bonum.
Vade igitur ad locum, vbi abortiui proici solent, vbi viues in morte tua eternaliter, quia noluisti viuere in luce et vita mea."
Postea Deus loquebatur ad exercitum: "O amici mei, si omnes stelle et planete verterentur in linguas, si omnes sancti rogarent me, non facerem misericordiam cum illo, qui ex iusticia debita dampnari tenetur.
Ista autem anima similis fuit tribus: primo illis, qui sequebantur me in predicacione ex malicia, vt inuenirent occasionem in verbis et factis meis accusandi et prodendi me.
Ipsi viderunt opera mea bona et miracula, que nullus facere poterat nisi Deus. Ipsi audierunt sapienciam meam et probauerunt vitam meam laudabilem et tamen ex hoc inuidebant michi et iram in animo contra me conceperunt. Sed quare?
Nempe quia opera mea erant bona et opera eorum mala et quia non consensi peccatis eorum sed acriter redarguebam eos. Sic anima ista sequebatur quidem me cum corpore suo, non ex diuina caritate sed sola apparencia hominum.
Audiebat opera mea et oculis videbat et inde irascebatur. Audiebat mandata mea et deridebat. Senciebat bonitatem meam et non credebat. Videbat amicos meos proficientes in bonis et inuidebat. Sed quare?
Quia verba mea et electorum meorum erant contra maliciam eius, mandata mea et monita contra voluptatem eius, caritas mea eciam et obediencia erant contra eius voluntatem. Attamen consciencia eius dicebat sibi me pre ceteris honorandum.
Ex motu vero syderum intelligebat me omnium creatorem. Ex fructu terre et aliarum rerum disposicione sciebat me esse creatorem, et quamuis sic sciebat, tamen ad verba mea irascebatur, quia opera eius mala reprehendebam.
Secundo similis erat illis, qui occiderunt me. Qui dixerunt ad inuicem: 'Occidamus eum audacter; nequaquam enim resurget.'
Ego vero predixi discipulis meis, quod resurgerem tercia die, sed inimici mei, mundi dilectores, non credebant me cum iusticia resurrecturum, quia purum hominem me viderunt sed deitatem latentem non viderunt.
Ideo et fiducialiter peccabant et ex iusticia quasi preualuerunt. Si enim sciuissent, numquam occidissent me. Sic quoque anima ista cogitauit.
'Faciam', inquit, 'voluntatem meam, vt placet, occidam eum audacter per voluntatem et per opera, que delectant. Quid enim nocet michi et quare abstineam? Non enim resurget ad iudicandum, non iudicabit iuxta opera hominum.
Si enim iudicaret sic districte, non redemisset hominem, et si sic odiosum haberet peccatum, non tam pacienter peccantes supportaret.'
Tercio similis erat illis, qui custodiebant sepulchrum meum. Qui armauerunt se et munierunt sepulchrum custodibus, ne resurgerem, dicentes: 'Custodiamus diligenter, ne resurgat et ne forte seruiamus ei.' Sic faciebat anima ista.
Armauit enim se duricia peccati, custodiebat diligenter sepulchrum, idest conuersacionem electorum meorum, in quibus quiesco; seruabat sollicite, ne verba mea et monita eorum ingrederentur ad eum, cogitans sic secum:
'Obseruabo me ab eis, ne audiam verba eorum, ne forte stimulatus aliquibus cogitacionibus diuinis incipiam dimittere delectacionem inceptam, ne forte audiam, que voluntati mee displiceant.'
Et sic subtraxit se ab illis ex malicia, quibus ex caritate sociari debuisset."
Hic fuit nobilis et de Deo modicum curans in mensaque sanctos Dei blasphemans. Sternutando mortuus est sine sacramentis. Cuius anima visa est stare in iudicio, cui dixit iudex:
"Tu locutus es, vt voluisti, et fecisti, vt potuisti. Ideo tacere tibi nunc conuenit et audire. Responde igitur michi ista audiente, quamuis omnia scio!
Numquid non audisti, que ego dixi: 'Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed vt conuertatur'? Cur ergo non es reuersus ad me, cum potuisti?"
Respondit anima: "Audiui quidem sed non curaui." Dixit iterum iudex: "Numquid non audisti, que ego dixi: 'Ite, maledicti, in ignem et venite benedicti!' ? Cur ergo non festinabas ad benediccionem?"
Cui anima: "Audiui quidem sed non credebam." Iterum dixit iudex: "Numquid non audisti, quod ego Deus sum iustus et eternus iudex terribilis? Quare ergo non timuisti iudicium futurum?"
Cui anima: "Audiui quidem sed dilexi me ipsum et clausi aures, ne audirem iudicium, obturauique cor, ne cogitarem iusta." Cui iudex: "Ideo nunc iusticia est, vt tribulacio et confusio aperiat tibi intellectum, quia noluisti intelligere, cum potuisti."
Tunc anima eiecta a iudicio eiulabat et clamabat dicens: "Heu heu, qualis remuneracio! Sed quando erit finis?"
Audita est statim vox dicens: "Sicut ipsum principium omnium rerum non habet finem, sic nec erit tibi finis."
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