Mater Dei loquens domine Birgitte narrat aliqua ei de humilitate sua et filii sui dicens, quod sicut humiles fuerunt filius suus et ipsa, dum erant in mundo, ita et nunc humiles sunt, licet sint in celo.
The Eternal Humility of the Son
The Mother explains that Christ's humility remains unchanged from his birth to his current reign at the right hand of the Father.
The Mother says, "My Son possesses the same humility now, in the power of His divinity, as He did back then when He was laid in the manger." Even though he knew all things in his divinity as he lay between the two animals, in his humanity he said nothing. In the same way, even now, sitting at the right hand of the Father, he hears everyone who speaks to him with love and responds through the infusions of the Holy Spirit; to some he speaks through words and thoughts, and to others, as it pleases him, he speaks as if face to face.1
The Holy Life of the Holy Family
Mary reflects on her own humility and the virtuous, detached life she shared with Joseph in service to the Incarnation.
In the same way, I, who am his mother, am just as humble now in my body—which is exalted above all created things—as I was back then when I was betrothed to Joseph. However, you should know for certain that before Joseph married me, he understood through the Holy Spirit that I had vowed my virginity to God and that I was to remain immaculate in thought, word, and deed. He married me with the intention of serving me, regarding me as his lady rather than his wife. I also knew with absolute certainty in the Holy Spirit that my virginity would remain forever unharmed, even though, by a hidden dispensation of God, I was betrothed to a man. But after I agreed to the messenger of God, Joseph saw my womb swell by the power of the Holy Spirit and was terrified. He didn't suspect me of any wrongdoing, but remembering the words of the prophets who foretold that the Son of God would be born of a virgin, he considered himself unworthy to serve such a mother, until an angel commanded him in a dream not to be afraid, but to serve me with love. As for wealth, Joseph and I kept nothing for ourselves except what was necessary for life to honor God; we let go of everything else for the love of God. When the hour of my Son's birth arrived—which I knew perfectly well beforehand—I came to Bethlehem according to God's foreknowledge, bringing with me a perfectly clean garment, or swaddling clothes, for my Son, which no one had ever used before. In these, I first wrapped him who was born of me in all purity. Even though I was foreseen from eternity to sit on the most exalted throne and to hold honor above all creatures and all people, I still, out of my humility, didn't disdain to prepare and provide for the things that were necessary for Joseph and for myself.
Exalted Yet Humble
Mary concludes by affirming that her current exaltation does not diminish her humility or her role in interceding for the faithful.
In the same way, my Son was also subject to Joseph and to me. Just as I was humble in the world, known only to God and Joseph, so I am humble even now, sitting on the highest throne, ready to present the reasonable prayers of all to God. But I answer some through divine infusions, while to others I speak more secretly, just as it pleases God.
Read the original Latin
Mater loquitur: "Eadem humilitas est nunc in filio meo in potencia deitatis sue, sicut tunc fuit, quando reclinabatur in presepio.
Qui iacens inter duo animalia licet omnia sciret secundum deitatem, nichil tamen loquebatur secundum humanitatem.
Sic eciam nunc, sedens ad dexteram Patris, audit omnes loquentes ad eum cum caritate et respondet per infusiones Spiritus Sancti; quibusdam verbis et cogitacionibus, quibusdam quasi ore ad os loquitur, sicut ei placet.
Similiter ego, que sum mater eius, ita humilis nunc sum in corpore meo, quod est super omnia, que creata sunt, exaltatum, sicut tunc fui, quando Ioseph desponsata eram.
Verumptamen pro certissimo scire debes, quod Ioseph, antequam desponsauit me, intellexit in Spiritu Sancto me vouisse virginitatem meam Deo immaculatamque esse cogitacione, verbo et opere.
Qui ea intencione desponsauit me, vt seruiret michi, habendo me pro domina sua, non pro vxore. Ego eciam in Spiritu Sancto sciui certissime, quod virginitas mea perpetuo permaneret illesa, licet ex occulta dispensacione Dei viro desponsabar.
Sed postquam consensi nuncio Dei, Ioseph, videns vterum meum Spiritus Sancti virtute intumescere, expauit vehementer, non suspicatus contra me sinistrum aliquid, sed recordatus dicta prophetarum prenunciancium filium Dei nasciturum de virgine reputabat se indignum tali seruire matri, donec angelus precepit sibi in sompnis non timere sed cum caritate michi ministrare.
De diuiciis vero ego et Ioseph nichil reseruauimus nobis nisi necessaria vite ad honorem Dei; reliqua dimisimus propter amorem Dei.
Instante vero hora natiuitatis filii mei, quam ego optime presciui, veni secundum prescienciam Dei in Bethleem, deferens mecum mundissimam vestem seu panniculos pro filio meo, quibus nemo vmquam vsus fuerat ante. In quibus primo inuolui illum, qui natus est ex me cum omni puritate.
Et licet ab eterno preuisa sum sedere in sublimissima sede et honore super omnes creaturas et super omnes homines, nichilominus tamen ex humilitate mea non dedignabar parare et ministrare ea, que erant necessaria Ioseph et michi ipsi.
Similiter et filius meus subditus erat Ioseph atque michi. Sicut ergo humilis fui in mundo, cognita soli Deo et Ioseph, sic eciam nunc sum humilis, sedens in sublimissimo throno, parata presentare Deo omnium oraciones racionabiles.
Sed aliquibus respondeo per infusiones diuinas, aliquibus autem loquor secrecius, sicut beneplacitum est Deo."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'ore ad os' is a classic biblical idiom for intimate, direct communication, often rendered as 'mouth to mouth' or 'face to face'.
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