Christus precipit sponse, quod totaliter voluntatem suam conformet cum voluntate Dei, tam in prosperis quam in aduersis. Nam voluntas comparatur radici arboris: que si bona est, tunc arbor, idest anima, fructificat bonum fructum; si vero instabilis, tunc roditur a talpa dyabolo et anima impelletur a vento aduersitatum aut arescet a calore solis, idest mundi amore vano.
The Root of the Will
Christ teaches that a soul must be rooted in a will conformed to God to withstand the devil, worldly adversity, and the heat of vanity.
The Son said to the bride, "Even though I know everything, tell me in your own words what your will is." The angel who had been assigned to protect her answered for the bride immediately, saying: Her will is, as it is written: 'Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!' The Lord answered: "This is what I seek and what I want; this is the service most pleasing to me." Therefore, my bride, you must be like a well-rooted tree, which has no reason to fear the three evils that may come its way. First, if a tree is well-rooted, it isn't undermined by a mole; second, it isn't shaken by the force of the winds; third, it doesn't wither from the heat of the sun. Your soul is that tree. The primary root of this tree is a will that is good, in harmony with the will of God. For from this root of the will, just as many virtues grow as there are roots in a tree. Therefore, the main root from which the others grow must be strong and thick; it also needs to be deeply rooted in the earth. Your will must be strong in patience, rich in divine love, and deeply rooted in true humility. And if your will is rooted in this way, it has nothing to fear from the mole. And what does the mole moving beneath the earth signify, if not the devil, who wanders invisibly around the soul and disturbs it? When the root of your will is unstable and lacks the patience to endure, he splits it with his bite; by gnawing at it, he scatters it, planting corrupt affections and thoughts in your heart, dragging your will in different directions, and making you desire things contrary to my will. When the main root is spoiled, all the other roots are spoiled too, and the trunk withers. In other words, if your will and your heart's desire are corrupt, your other virtues are also stained and displeasing to me. Indeed, because of that very evil will, unless it is corrected by worthy penance, you deserve to be placed under the devil's dominion, even if your will doesn't proceed to action. If, however, the root of your will is strong and thick, the mole may indeed gnaw at it, but it cannot break it; and then, from that very gnawing, the root grows back even stronger, gaining greater fortitude. That’s how the devil works; if your will remains firm in both hard times and good, the devil can certainly gnaw at it—that is, he can plant wicked thoughts—but if you resist them and do not consent to them with your will, they won't be a source of punishment for you, but will instead help you grow in patience toward greater merit and a higher level of virtue. If it happens that you fall through impatience or unexpectedly, get back up quickly through repentance and contrition; then I will forgive your sins and give you the patience and strength to endure the devil's attacks. Second, if a tree is well-rooted, it doesn't have to fear the force of the winds. You should be the same; if your will is in line with my will, you shouldn't be troubled by the world's adversity—which is like the wind—but instead think to yourself that perhaps it's good for you to endure these hardships. Don't be troubled by being held in contempt or disgraced, because I have the power to exalt and to humble whomever I choose. Don't grieve over bodily suffering, because I have the power to heal and to strike, and I do nothing without a reason. But anyone who holds a will contrary to mine is troubled in this life, because they can't accomplish what they seek, and furthermore, they'll be punished in the future for their evil will. If only they would commit their will to me, they could have easily endured everything that came their way. Third, a well-rooted tree doesn't need to fear extreme heat; in other words, those who have a perfect will aren't withered in their love for God by the love of the world, nor are they pulled away from the love of God by any perverse impulse. But those who are unstable—their soul is quickly turned away from a good start and from the love of God, whether by the devil's suggestion, by the world's opposition, or by uselessly craving its vain love. That is why the person you're thinking of right now isn't a good tree. The root of this person's life is broken—specifically, the root that says, 'Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.' For while he took on the austerity of a continent life, the fire of charity within him has grown cold.
The Gardener's Patience
God explains His mercy toward the imperfect, acting as a gardener who prunes the fruitless to make room for the growth of virtue.
I helped this person because of my mother’s prayers, for he possessed three things: poverty in the midst of riches, physical infirmity, and a lack of worldly knowledge.1 This was my will: if they had stood patiently in these three things, they would have had eternal abundance, eternal health and beauty, and the knowledge and vision of God. To help him obtain these things, I gave him spiritual strength and inspired him with my will, yet his will remains contrary to mine. He only seeks my help half-heartedly. They worry about poverty, not for my sake, but for their own benefit. They are anxious about illness, so that they might not suffer pain. They worry about a lack of knowledge so they won't be looked down on by others. And so, through my hidden knowledge, she has gained these three things that used to trouble her, and has brought them into harmony with her own will. For she now has a greater abundance of physical necessities than before, she has more knowledge, and she has a greater reputation. Therefore, when the devilish mole touches you with temptation, you should fear a fall, because your primary will is broken. And so, if the love of the world heats up, you immediately wither away from what is good and move toward greed. But when trouble strikes, they’re hemmed in on every side like a tree shaken by the wind, lacking any stability and complaining about everything. If, however, honor comes their way, they're no less anxious about how to please everyone, how to be called good by everyone, and how to deal wisely with whatever troubles arise. See what great instability comes from the instability of a corrupted root! But what am I to do? I'm like a gardener whose garden has many fruitless trees and only a few good ones. If those good trees were to be cut down completely, who then would enter the garden? But if all the fruitless trees were to be pulled up by the roots, the garden would look terribly deformed from the pits and the digging up of the soil. That’s how I see it: if I were to take all the good people out of this world, who would be left to enter the holy Church? But if I were to remove all the wicked in a single moment, the garden would look terribly empty, and everyone would serve me only out of fear of punishment, not out of love. I act like a good gardener who grafts a new shoot onto a dry trunk; once it grows and takes firm root, he throws away the dry part and casts it into the fire. That is how I will act. I’ll plant a garden of sweetness and shoots of virtue for myself; as they grow, I’ll cut away what is dry and throw it into the fire.✦ I'll prune my garden so that nothing fruitless remains to hinder the new, fruit-bearing branches.
Witnesses of Grace
The chapter concludes with testimonies of specific brothers whose lives and deaths demonstrate the power of divine grace and the reward of patient suffering.
About a certain prior who felt compunction at the words of Christ and later became devout. This same prior saw Christ reaching out His hands toward him and saying: "Through this," he said, "the nails pierced the solid bone." Again, after that prior had died, Christ said: "That brother, your friend, is not dead but lives, because he fulfilled the name of a brother through his works." But you might ask: who is a true brother? I answer you: that person is a true brother who, as the common proverb says, carries all his belongings on his back, who desires nothing but God and knows how to be content with what is necessary, and who recognizes me—God made flesh—as his brother and loves me as a brother. Also concerning the same brother. Because this same brother found it difficult to believe in the grace given to Lady Birgitta, he saw in a vision the Lady and a fire descending from heaven into her. As he wondered at this and thought it was an illusion, he woke up, fell back asleep, and heard a voice clearly say twice: No one can stop this fire from spreading. For I myself, by my own power, will send this fire to the east and the west, to the north and to the south, and it will set many ablaze. After this, the same brother became a believer in these revelations and a defender of them. Also in the same chapter. A certain brother was ill for three years, to the point that his foot rotted and the marrow drained from it. He was so patient that he always kept Jesus in his heart and on his lips, saying: Jesus, most worthy God, have mercy on me! As he approached death, he cried out, "I desire, I desire, I desire." O my Desire, come! When he was asked what he desired, he replied: "I have seen God," he said, "and I rejoice and exult in the longing for Him and in the vision of Him to such a degree that, if I could live for a hundred years in this infirmity, I would be gladly content." After this, around midnight, the same brother died, rejoicing in the hands of his brothers. The following Sunday, however, the lady was caught up in spirit and heard: My daughter, because the masters and teachers are too proud to come to me, I gather the poor and the simple into the kingdom of heaven. For this poor and simple person has found today a wisdom greater than Solomon’s, riches that never fade, and a crown that is always growing and will never end. Tell that brother, too, who served her in her illness as an act of penance, that because of his service he'll be freed from temptations, will gain strength for spiritual things, will have a joyful end, and will keep watch in the rest of Lazarus.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquebatur ad sponsam: "Licet ego omnia scio, tamen dic michi tua propria loquela, qualis est voluntas tua." Respondit pro sponsa statim angelus, qui datus erat ei ad custodiam, dicens:
"Voluntas sua est, sicut legitur: 'Fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra!'" Respondit Dominus: "Hoc est, quod quero et volo, hoc est michi gratissimum obsequium.
Ergo, sponsa mea, oportet te esse sicut arborem bene radicatam, que tria mala adueniencia timere non habet. Primo, si arbor bene radicata fuerit, non perfoditur a talpa; secundo non concutitur impulsu ventorum; tercio non arescit ex feruore solis.
Arbor vero tua anima tua est. Huius radix principalis voluntas bona est secundum voluntatem Dei. De hac enim radice voluntatis tot virtutes procedunt, quot sunt radices in arbore.
Radix ergo principalis, de qua alie succrescunt, debet esse fortis et grossa; debet eciam profunde in terra esse radicata.
Sic voluntas tua debet esse fortis in paciencia, grossa in diuina caritate, profunde depressa in vera humilitate. Et si sic radicata fuerit voluntas tua, tunc non habet timere talpam.
Quid autem significat talpa subtus terram vadens nisi dyabolum, qui inuisibiliter animam circumuagatur et perturbat?
Hic radicem voluntatis, si fuerit instabilis ad paciendum, morsu suo findit et mordendo dissipat, quando affecciones prauas et cogitaciones immittendo cordi voluntatem tuam in diuersa rapit et facit te desiderare aliquid contra voluntatem meam.
Tunc vero viciata principali radice omnes alie radices viciantur et arescit truncus, idest, si voluntas tua et affeccio fuerit corrupta, eciam virtutes alie maculantur et displicent michi; ymmo eciam per voluntatem ipsam malam, nisi corrigatur penitencia, digna es dyaboli subdi dominio, quamuis voluntas non procedat ad effectum.
Si vero radix voluntatis fuerit fortis et grossa, rodere quippe potest eam talpa sed non findere, et tunc ex corrosione illa radix forcius succrescit iterum ad maiorem fortitudinem.
Sic dyabolus; si voluntas tua semper fuerit firma in contrariis et in prosperis, rodere quippe potest eam dyabolus, idest cogitaciones prauas immittere, sed si in illis resistitur et non consentitur voluntate, tunc non erunt tibi ad supplicium sed proficient tibi propter pacienciam ad maius meritum et virtutum sublimitatem.
Quod si forte contingat te ruere per impacienciam vel ex improuiso, consurge cicius per penitenciam et contricionem, et tunc ego remitto peccata et dabo tibi pacienciam et fortitudinem ad immissiones dyaboli tollerandas.
Secundo, si arbor bene radicata fuerit, non habet timere impulsum ventorum. Sic tu; si voluntas tua fuerit secundum voluntatem meam, non debet sollicitari de aduersitate mundi, que est tamquam ventus, cogitando tecum, quod forte sic expedit tibi, scilicet pati aduersitates.
Non debes conturbari de contemptu et obprobrio tuo, quia ego, quos volo, exaltare et deprimere possum. Non debes dolere de passione corporis, quia ego sanare et percutere possum, quia nichil facio sine causa.
Qui vero voluntatem habet michi contrariam, hic in presenti tribulatur, quia non potest perficere, quod querit, et adhuc in futuro pro voluntate mala punietur. Quod si voluntatem suam michi committeret, omnia faciliter potuisset adueniencia tollerasse.
Tercio arbor bene radicata non habet timere nimium calorem, idest, qui voluntatem habent perfectam, non siccantur ab amore Dei per amorem mundi, non retrahuntur ab amore Dei aliquo prauo impulsu.
Illi autem, qui instabiles sunt, horum anima a bono incepto et a caritate Dei cito euertitur, aut suggestione dyaboli aut contrarietate mundi aut ab amore eius vana inutiliter concupiscendo.
Propterea non bona arbor est ille homo, de quo tu nunc cogitas. Huius capitalis radix fracta est, scilicet 'Fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra.' Ipse enim assumpsit continentis vite austeritatem, sed refriguit in eo caritatis ardor.
Hunc ego iuui propter preces matris mee, quia habuit tria: paupertatem in diuiciis, infirmitatem in membris, defectum in sciencia.
Hec fuit voluntas mea, quod, si pacienter in hiis tribus stetisset, haberet eternam habundanciam, haberet et eternam sanitatem et pulchritudinem, haberet et cognicionem et visionem Dei.
Et ad hec optinenda ego iuui eum dando ei spiritualium fortitudinem, inspirando ei voluntatem meam, sed voluntas eius est voluntati mee contraria. Tepide requirit auxilium.
Angustiatur enim de paupertate, non propter me sed propter vtilitatem suam. Angustiatur et de infirmitate, ne paciatur dolorem. Angustiatur de defectu sciencie, ne ab aliis contempnatur.
Ideo ex occulta sciencia mea tria hec, ex quibus turbabatur, optinuit ad voluntatem suam. Habet quippe nunc maiorem habundanciam quam prius necessitatis corporalis, habet et maiorem scienciam, habet et maiorem reputacionem.
Propterea, cum talpa dyabolica tangit eum cum temptacione, timendus est ei casus, quia voluntas capitalis fracta est. Et ideo, si amor mundi incaluerit, statim arescit a bono et procedit ad cupiditatem.
Si vero ingruerit tribulacio, angustiatur ab omni parte sicut arbor concussa vento in nullo stabilis et ad omnia querulosus.
Si vero afflauerit honor, non minus sollicitabitur, quomodo omnibus placeat, quomodo ab omnibus possit vocari bonus et ad ingruencia possit occurrere sapienter. Ecce quanta instabilitas prouenit ex instabilitate radicis viciate!
Quid autem ego facturus sum? Ego sum quasi bonus ortulanus, in cuius orto sunt multe infructuose arbores et pauce bone. Si abscidantur penitus ille bone arbores, quis tunc intrabit ortum?
Si vero omnes infructuose arbores radicitus euellantur, nimis deformis apparet ortus ex fossis et suffossione pulueris.
Sic ego; si omnes bonos ad me de carne educerem, quis tunc ingrederetur sanctam Ecclesiam? Si vero omnes malos in vno puncto auferrem, tunc nimis deforme fosse apparerent in orto et tunc omnes seruirent michi ex timore pene et non ex amore.
Ideo ego facio sicut bonus insertor, qui surculum arido trunco inserit; quo crescente et firmiter radicato illud, quod aridum est, proicit in ignem.
Sic ego faciam. Plantabo quippe michi plantacionem dulcedinis et surculos virtutum: quibus succrescentibus abscidam, quod aridum est, et proiciam in ignem.
Et purgabo ortum meum, ne aliquid infructuosum remaneat, quod ramos nouellos et fructificantes possit impedire."
De priore quodam compuncto de verbis Christi, qui postea factus est deuotus. Hic idem prior vidit Christum extendentem manus ad eum et dicentem:
"Per istud", inquit, "solidum os intrauerunt claui." Item isto priore mortuo dixit Christus: "Frater ille, amicus tuus, non est mortuus sed viuit, quia operibus impleuit nomen fratris. Sed potes querere: quis est verus frater?
Respondeo tibi: ille est verus frater, qui secundum commune prouerbium omnia sua portat in dorso, qui nichil desiderat nisi Deum et nouit de necessariis contentari, qui me Deum factum carne fratrem suum agnoscit et diligit vt fratrem."
Item de eodem fratre. Cum idem frater difficilis esset ad credendum gracie domine Birgitte date, vidit in extasi dominam et ignem de celo descendentem in eam. Cumque miraretur et putaret illusionem expergefactus, iterum obdormiuit et audiuit vocem aperte bis dicentem:
"Nullus prohibere potest ignem istum, vt non egrediatur. Ego enim ipsa potencia emittam hunc ignem ad orientem et occidentem, ad aquilonem et ad austrum, et inflammabit multos."
Post hec idem frater factus est credulus reuelacionum et defensor earum.
Item in eodem capitulo. Frater quidam infirmabatur tribus annis ita, quod pes eius computruit et medulla inde fluebat. Qui tante paciencie fuit, quod semper Ihesum habebat in corde et ore dicendo:
"Ihesu, dignissime Deus, miserere mei!" Qui appropinquans morti clamabat: "Desidero, desidero, desidero. O desiderium meum, veni!"
Qui cum interrogaretur, quid desideraret, respondit: "Vidi", inquit, "Deum, et ex desiderio eius et visione gaudeo et exulto in tantum, quod, si centum annis viuere possem in ista infirmitate, libenter contentus essem."
Post hec idem frater circa mediam noctem exultans mortuus est in manibus fratrum. Sequenti vero dominica die domina rapta in spiritu audiuit:
"O filia, quia domini et magistri nolunt venire ad me humiles, ideo colligo pauperes et ydiotas in regnum celorum. Nam iste pauper et ydiota hodie inuenit sapienciam supra Salomonem, diuicias, que non veterascunt, et coronam, que semper augetur et numquam finietur.
Dic eciam illi fratri, qui ei pro penitencia sua seruiuit in infirmitate, quod propter seruicium eius liberabitur a temptacionibus et habebit fortitudinem ad spiritualia, finem quoque gaudiosum, et vigilabit in requie Lazari."
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.15.2 — Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'defectum in sciencia' refers to a lack of worldly or intellectual pride, often associated with the 'holy simplicity' valued in monastic tradition.
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