Christus reuelat sponse, qualiter propter tria bona, que erant in cordibus vacuis et mundissimis apostolorum, missus fuit in eos tripliciter Spiritus Sanctus et qualiter in hominibus plenis cupiditate et luxuria et superbia non ingreditur Spiritus Sanctus, et quod Christus vult primo vinum suum, idest verba sua istius libri, propinari amicis, qui ea publicabunt aliis postea.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Christ explains how the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in three ways because they were empty vessels prepared by virtue.
I, who speak with you, am the same one who, on this very day, sent the Holy Spirit upon my apostles and disciples. He came to them in three ways: first like a rushing torrent, second like fire, and third in the form of tongues. He came to them with the doors locked, because they were alone and because they possessed three virtues. First, they were fully committed to maintaining chastity and living temperately in all things; second, they had profound humility; and third, their entire longing was directed toward God, because they desired nothing but Him. They were like three clean but empty vessels; that’s why the Holy Spirit came and filled them. He came like a torrent, because He filled all their joints and every limb with divine delight and consolation. He came like fire, because with the fervor of divine love He set their hearts so ablaze that they loved nothing but God, and feared nothing but God. The third time, He came in the form of tongues. Just as a tongue stays inside the mouth and does no harm, but instead helps it speak, the Holy Spirit was within their souls, making them desire nothing but Me and even making them eloquent with divine wisdom. By His power, as if through the function of a tongue, they spoke every truth.
The Vessels of Sin
Christ contrasts the empty vessels of the apostles with the hearts of the wicked, which are filled with the filth of greed, lust, and pride.
Therefore, because those vessels were empty due to their longing, it was fitting that the Holy Spirit should come to them. For He cannot enter into those who are already full and stuffed. And who are those who are full, if not the people filled with every sin and filth? They are, in effect, like three wretched vessels. The first is filled with something like the foulest human waste, which no one can stand to smell because of its terrible stench. The second is filled with something like the vilest seed, which no one can stand to taste because of its bitterness. The third is full of what looks like the most corrupt blood and pus, which no one can bear to look at because of its abomination. In the same way, wicked people are full of worldly ambition and greed, which stink in my sight and in the sight of my saints worse than human filth. What are all temporal things but filth? Yet, miserable people take delight in this wretched, fleeting filth. The second vessel contains excessive lust and a lack of restraint in all their actions. This tastes bitter to me, like poison; for I cannot endure such people, and I cannot enter into them through my grace. For how could I, who am true purity, enter into those who are so unclean? How could I, the very fire of love, set ablaze those already consumed by such a vile fire of lust? The third is their pride and arrogance. It’s actually like corrupt blood and pus.1 This is what corrupts a person's inner and outer goodness, strips away the grace given by God, and makes a person hateful to God and neighbor. But anyone who has been filled in this way won't be able to be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Wine of Divine Wisdom
Christ compares His words to wine, which is first tasted by His close friends so that they may proclaim its sweetness to the world.
I am like someone selling wine. When someone wants to offer it, they first give it to their friends and those close to them to taste. Then, through the voice of a herald, they send out their own people, crying: 'We have tasted the wine, for it is good.' So, let everyone who wants to come forward! I have such excellent wine—that is, that sweetness which is beyond words. I have offered this to some of my close friends, letting them hear the words that come from my mouth. Among those proclaimers who were tasting the wine, there will be this one who comes to me today, carrying as it were three vessels to be filled. For he comes possessing the will to keep himself from all vanity, the will for all humility, and a longing for everything that is pleasing to me. For this reason, I have filled his vessels today. First, the wisdom of spiritual things will become clearer to him for understanding and more accessible for reflection than it was before. Second, I have filled him with my love, by which he will become more fervent than before for every good work. Third, I gave him a more discerning fear, so that he might fear nothing except me and what is pleasing to me.2 Therefore, so that they may also know how to proclaim the sweetness of my wine to others, they will hear my words—both those I have spoken and those that have been written—so that, having heard of my love and justice, they may become all the more diligent in their proclamation, the more carefully they taste the sweetness of that wine.
A Vision of Grace and Judgment
A specific vision given to a brother reveals the fall of a worldly prince and the promise of healing and advancement through divine grace.
This brother followed Lady Birgitta to Saint James. In the spirit, he saw the Lady crowned as if with seven crowns, and he also saw the sun entirely darkened. Filled with wonder, he heard a voice say clearly, "This darkened sun represents the prince of your land, who once shone like the sun; he will become utterly despised, a disgrace to everyone." The woman you see will hold the ear of grain of God's sevenfold grace, which the seven crowns you saw signify. And this will be a sign to you that you'll be healed of this infirmity, return to your own people, and be raised to a higher level. Upon his return, he became an abbot, advancing from strength to strength.
Read the original Latin
"Ego, qui loquor tecum, sum ille, qui tali die sicut hodie misi in apostolos et discipulos meos Spiritum Sanctum. Qui venit ad eos tripliciter: primo quasi torrens, secundo quasi ignis, tercio in specie linguarum.
Venit autem ad eos ianuis clausis, quia soli erant et quia tria bona habebant. Primo enim habebant omnem voluntatem tenendi castitatem et continenter in omnibus viuere; secundo habebant humilitatem precipuam, tercio totum desiderium ad Deum, quia nichil nisi ipsum desiderabant.
Isti erant quasi tria vasa munda sed vacua; propterea venit Spiritus Sanctus et repleuit eos. Venit autem quasi torrens, quia omnes artus et omnia membra eorum delectacione diuina et consolacione repleuit.
Venit quasi ignis, quia feruore diuini amoris sic incendit corda eorum, vt nichil diligerent nisi Deum, nichil timerent nisi Deum.
Tercio venit in specie linguarum, quia sicut lingua intus est in ore nec tamen nocet ori sed magis ad loquendum proficit, sic Spiritus Sanctus intus in anima eorum erat, qui eos nichil desiderare faciebat nisi me, qui eciam eos sapiencia diuina loquaces fecit. Cuius virtute tamquam officio lingue omnem veritatem loquebantur.
Ergo, quia ista vasa vacua erant propter desiderium, dignum fuit, vt veniret ad eos Spiritus Sanctus. Non enim ingredi potest ad eos, qui impleti sunt et pleni. Qui autem impleti sunt nisi illi, qui omni peccato et spurcicia pleni sunt?
Ipsi enim sunt quasi tria vasa pessima. Primum est plenum quasi fetidissimo stercore hominum, quod propter pessimum fetorem nullus potest odorare. Secundum plenum est quasi vilissimo spermate, quod nullus potest propter amaritudinem gustare.
Tercium est plenum quasi corruptissimo sanguine et sanie, que nullus potest videre propter abhominacionem.
Sic mali pleni sunt mundi ambicione et cupiditate, que fetent in conspectu meo et sanctorum meorum deterius quam stercus hominum. Quid sunt omnia temporalia nisi stercus? Hoc pessimo stercore cito perituro miseri delectantur.
In secundo vase est nimia luxuria et incontinencia in omnibus operibus. Hec autem amara est michi ad gustandum quasi sperma; non enim potero sustinere tales et minus per graciam meam ingredi ad eos.
Quomodo ego enim vera mundicia ad tam immundos ingrediar? Quomodo ego ignis ipse vere dileccionis inflammarem eos, quos tam prauus ignis luxurie inflammat?
Tercium est superbia et arrogancia eorum. Ipsa quippe est quasi sanguis corruptus et sanies.
Ipsa est, que hominem in bonis corrumpit intus et exterius, aufert graciam datam a Deo et reddit hominem abhominabilem Deo et proximo. Qui autem sic impletus fuerit, gracia Spiritus Sancti impleri non poterit.
Ego autem sum quasi homo habens vinum venale. Qui cum propinare voluerit, dat primo amicis suis et familiaribus ad gustandum. Deinde preconis voce mittit suos clamantes: 'Gustauimus vinum, quia bonum est. Omnes ergo, qui volunt, accedant!'
Sic ego habeo vinum optimum, idest dulcedinem illam, que ineffabilis est. Hanc ego quibusdam familiaribus meis propinaui auditis verbis, que de ore meo procedunt.
Inter istos proclamatores, qui vinum gustabant, erit iste, qui venit ad me hodie habens quasi tria receptacula implenda. Venit enim habens voluntatem continendi se ab omni vanitate, voluntatem ad omnem humilitatem, desiderium ad omne, quod michi placitum est.
Propterea impleui vasa sua hodie. Primo namque fiet sapiencia spiritualium lucidior ad intelligendum et apcior ad ruminandum quam prius. Secundo impleui eum caritate mea, qua feruencior fiet quam prius ad omne bonum.
Tercio dedi ei timorem discreciorem, vt scilicet nichil timeat nisi me et que michi placita sunt.
Ergo, vt eciam aliis clamare sciat dulcedinem vini mei, audiet verba mea, que locutus sum et que scripta sunt, vt audita caritate mea et iusticia tanto fiat in clamando sollicicior, quo diligencius vini dulcedinem gustat."
Hic frater dominam Birgittam ad Sanctum Iacobum sequebatur. Qui in spiritu vidit dominam quasi septem coronis coronatam viditque solem totum denigratum.
Qui miratus audiuit vocem clare dicentem: "Sol iste obscuratus significat principem terre vestre, qui sicut sol fulserat; erit despectissimus, obprobrium hominum.
Mulierque ista, quam cernis, habebit spicam septiformis gracie Dei, quam significant septem corone, quas vidisti. Et hoc erit tibi signum, quod tu sanaberis ab infirmitate ista et reuerteris ad tuos et eleuaberis ad alciorem gradum."
Qui rediens factus est abbas proficiens de virtute in virtutem.
Notes
- 1 ↩The term 'sanies' refers to a thin, unhealthy discharge from a wound or ulcer; 'pus' is the most direct modern equivalent for this medical metaphor.
- 2 ↩The term 'discreciorem' (more discerning) here refers to the gift of holy fear that distinguishes between worldly anxieties and the singular, reverent fear of God.
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