Turbabatur sponsa, quia non pacienter et lete obediebat patri spirituali. Cui Christus dicit, quod, si ipsa habet propositum perfecte obediendi, quamuis aliquando voluntas reluctet, habet tamen sic obediendo meritum et purgantur peccata preterita. Ponit eciam Dominus hic arma spiritualia pugne, idest virtutes, quibus iusti pugnant et vincunt, iniusti vero ea proiciunt et vincuntur.
The Merit of Obedience
Christ comforts the bride regarding her struggles with obedience and impatience, assuring her that her desire to obey is a source of merit.
The Son speaks to the bride: "Tell me, why are you troubled?" Although I know everything, I still want to hear it from you, so that you, too, may know what I have to say in response." The bride answered him, "There are two things I fear, and two things that trouble me." First, because I'm too impatient in obeying and not cheerful enough in suffering. Second, that tribulation comes to your friends, and your enemies rule over them." The Lord answered: "I am in the person you have been given to for obedience; so, every hour and every moment that you consent in your will to obey and desire to obey—even if your flesh sometimes resists—will be counted for you as a reward and as a cleansing of your sins."
The Armor of the Soul
The Lord uses the metaphor of a soldier's equipment to explain how the wicked cast aside the virtues necessary for spiritual protection.
As for the second point—that you're troubled by the conflict among my friends—I'll answer you with an example. When two people are fighting and one throws away their weapons while the other stays fully armed, isn't it obvious that the one who discards their weapons will be defeated more easily than the one who gathers their weapons to themselves every day? It’s the same way now. For the enemy discards his weapons every day. In fact, there are three types of weapons most necessary for the fight. The first is what carries or bears a person, such as a horse and similar things. The second is what a person uses for defense, such as a sword. The third type of weapon is what protects the body, such as armor and similar things. But the enemies first lost the horse of obedience, by which they were moved toward every good. For it is she who maintains friendship with God and keeps the promised faith to the Lord. They also threw away the sword of divine fear, by which the body is drawn back from pleasure and the devil is separated from the soul, so that he might not draw near. They also lost the breastplate that would have protected them against arrows—that is, divine charity, which brings joy in adversity, defends in prosperity, brings peace in temptation, and soothes in times of pain.✦ Their helmet, which is divine wisdom, lies in the mud.✦ The armor of the neck—which is divine contemplation—has already fallen away. For just as the head is moved by the neck, so the mind ought to be moved by divine contemplation toward all things that belong to God. But divine contemplation has now fallen; therefore, the head lies in the lowest places and is tossed about by the wind. The armor of the heart is also far too weak; your love for God has grown so tepid that it’s barely visible and felt even less. The armor of the feet is also neglected and forgotten—that is, compunction joined with the resolve to amend—for they take pleasure in their sins and desire to persist in them as long as they can. The weapons of the arms—that is, good works—are hateful and empty to them; for they boldly do whatever they want, and they feel no shame.
The Vigilance of the Faithful
Christ contrasts the negligence of the wicked with the daily vigilance of his friends, who arm themselves with virtues to withstand the devil's attacks.
But my friends arm themselves with these weapons every day. They ride on the horse of obedience like good servants, setting aside their own will for the Lord’s command; they fight against vices in the fear of the Lord like good soldiers; and they endure everything that comes their way in love like good warriors, waiting for the Lord’s help. They arm themselves with divine wisdom and patience against those who slander and accuse them, like good recluses who distance themselves from the world. They are as agile and quick toward divine things as moving air, as fervent toward God as a bride toward her husband's arms, as swift and strong in passing over worldly pleasures as deer, as diligent in their duties as an ant, and as watchful as a sentry. Look, these are my friends, and this is how they arm themselves every day with the weapons of the virtues. Things that their enemies despise, and for that reason, they are easily defeated. The spiritual battle, therefore, which consists of patience and divine charity, is far nobler than any physical one and is much more hateful to the devil. The devil doesn't labor to take away your physical things; he labors to corrupt your virtues, to strip away your patience, and to destroy the stability of your virtues. Therefore, don't be troubled if things go against you, because a reward comes to you from these very trials.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur ad sponsam: "Dic michi, cur turbaris. Quia licet omnia scio, tamen te dicente cognoscere volo, vt et tu scias, quid respondeam tibi."
Cui respondit sponsa: "Duo", inquit, "timeo et de duobus conturbor. Primo, quia nimis impaciens sum ad obediendum et ad paciendum minus hylaris. Secundo, quod amicis tuis aduenit tribulacio et inimici tui dominantur eis."
Respondit Dominus: "Ego sum in eo, cui ad obediendum data es, et ideo quelibet hora, quilibet punctus, quo voluntate ad obediendum consentis et obedire voluntate vis, quamuis caro quandoque recalcitret, reputabitur tibi in premium et in purgacionem peccatorum.
Ad secundum, scilicet quod tu turbaris de contrarietate amicorum meorum, respondeo tibi per exemplum. Vbi duo inuicem pugnantes sunt et alter eorum proicit arma sua, alter vero munit se semper armis suis, numquid non ille facilius vincetur, qui proicit arma, quam qui cottidie colligit arma sua ad se?
Sic et nunc est. Nam inimici cottidie arma sua proiciunt. Tria quippe genera armorum sunt necessaria potissime ad pugnam. Primum est, quod hominem vehit seu portat, vtputa equus et similia. Secundum est, quo homo defenditur, vtputa gladius. Tercium genus armorum est, quod munit corpus, vt lorica et similia.
Sed inimici primo amiserunt equum obediencie, qua ad omne bonum promouerentur. Ipsa enim est, que cum Deo tenet amiciciam et seruat Domino fidem promissam. Proiecerunt eciam gladium timoris diuini, quo corpus a voluptate retrahitur et ab anima separatur dyabolus, ne appropinquet.
Perdiderunt et loricam, qua munirentur contra iacula, idest diuinam caritatem, que letificat in aduersis, defendit in prosperis, pacificat in temptacionibus, lenit in doloribus. Galea eorum, que est sapiencia diuina, iacet in luto.
Arma colli, idest diuina cogitacio, eciam iam deciderat. Sicut enim per collum mouetur caput, sic per diuinam cogitacionem mens ad omnia, que Dei sunt, deberet moueri. Sed iam cecidit diuina cogitacio; ideo caput iacet in infimis et agitatur a vento.
Arma quoque pectoris nimis infirma sunt, idest affectus ad Deum sic tepuit, vt vix videri possit et minus sentiri. Arma eciam pedum neglecta et oblita sunt, idest contricio cum proposito emendandi; gaudent enim in peccatis et desiderant in eis perseuerare, quamdiu possunt.
Arma brachiorum, idest opera bona, odiosa sunt eis et vana; audacter enim faciunt, que volunt, et non verecundantur.
Sed amici mei cottidie muniunt se armis. Currunt enim in equo obediencie tamquam boni serui, voluntatem suam propter imperium Domini relinquentes, pugnant contra vicia in timore Domini tamquam boni milites, sustinent in caritate omnia adueniencia tamquam boni bellatores, expectantes auxilium Domini.
Muniunt se diuina sapiencia et paciencia contra detractores et criminatores, quasi boni inclusi elongantes se a mundo.
Agiles sunt et celeres ad diuina tamquam aer mobilis, feruentes ad Deum tamquam sponsa ad brachia viri, veloces et fortes ad pertranseundum mundana oblectamenta quasi cerui, solliciti in agendis tamquam formica, vigilantes quasi speculator.
Ecce tales sunt amici mei et sic cottidie se armis virtutum muniunt. Que inimici contempnunt et ideo faciliter vincuntur. Pugna igitur spiritualis, que est in paciencia et diuina caritate, multo nobilior est corporali et dyabolo multo odiosior.
Non enim laborat dyabolus, vt auferat corporalia, sed vt viciet virtutes et auferat pacienciam et virtutum stabilitatem. Ideo non turberis, si amicis aliqua succedunt contraria, quia ex hiis prouenit eis merces."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.6.14-Eph.6.17 — Stand firm, then, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Eph.6.15 — and having shod your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace Eph.6.16 — In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph.6.17 — And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
- ↩Eph.6.17 — And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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