Visio Prima
The Vision of the Living Fire
The visionary experiences a revelation of the living God as a lucid fire and flame, witnessing the creation of the world and the fall of humanity.
I am a human being who doesn't know letters like the strong lions do, nor am I taught by their infusion, but I remain in softness—a fragile rib, imbued with a mystical breath. I saw what looked like a most lucid fire, incomprehensible, inextinguishable, entirely living, and existing as life itself. In it, however, was a flame of an airy color that burned ardently with a gentle breath, and it clung to that same lucid fire as inseparably as the internal organs cling to a human being. I saw that this thundering flame grew white-hot, and suddenly a dark, round air of great magnitude arose. The flame itself struck certain blows against it, drawing a spark from it again and again until the air was brought to perfection, and thus heaven and earth shone, full of instruction. Then, that same flame extended itself in that fire and heat toward a small clod of muddy earth lying in the depths, warming it until it produced flesh and blood, and breathed into it so that it became a living soul. Once this was done, that lucid fire offered, through the same flame burning ardently with a gentle breath, a most white flower to the human being, hanging in the flame as dew hangs on grass. The human sensed its scent with his nostrils, but did not taste it with his mouth, nor touch it with his hands, turning himself away in this manner and falling into the densest darkness, from which he could not raise himself. But those shadows in that air grew by dilating themselves more and more. Then three great stars appeared in those shadows, clinging to each other in their brilliance, followed by many others, both small and great, shining with much splendor, and then a certain massive star radiating with wondrous clarity and directing its brilliance toward the aforementioned flame. But a certain brightness like the dawn also appeared on earth; the superior flame was miraculously infused into it, though it was not separated from the aforementioned lucid fire, and in that brightness of the dawn, a great will was kindled. And when I wanted to consider the kindling of this will more diligently, a secret seal was placed upon me in this vision, and I heard a voice from on high saying to me: "You will not be able to see anything more of this mystery, except for what is granted to you for the miracle of believing."
The Call to Prophetic Witness
The visionary is commissioned by a divine voice to record these mysteries, despite her perceived weakness and the resistance of the learned.
I saw a brilliant man emerge from that same dawn-like glow; he poured his brightness into the darkness I mentioned, and as it reflected back, he was transformed into the redness of blood and the pallor of whiteness. He struck the darkness with such force that the man lying within it seemed to flash with that same pull, and so he stood up and came out. And so that brilliant man who came forth from the dawn, appearing in such brightness that no human tongue could describe it, reached toward the highest altitude of uncountable glory, where he radiated magnificently in the fullness of every kind of abundance and fragrance. And I heard a voice from that living fire I mentioned, saying to me: "You who are fragile earth, and in the name of a woman, unlearned in all the doctrine of carnal masters—that is, in reading letters according to the understanding of the learned—but only touched by my light, which touches you inwardly with a fire like a burning sun, cry out and tell and write these mysteries of mine that you see and hear in this mystical vision." Don't be timid, then, but speak what you understand in the spirit just as I speak it through you, so that those who ought to show my people the way of righteousness may be held in shame—those who, because of the perversity of their own ways, refuse to speak openly the justice they know, unwilling to abstain from their own evil desires, which cling to them as if they were mastered by them, causing them to flee from the face of the Lord and to blush to speak the truth. Therefore, little one, you who are inwardly taught by mystical inspiration, though you are suppressed by the male form because of the transgression of Eve, speak nonetheless of the fiery work that is shown to you in this most certain vision. For the living God, who created all things through his Word, brought back the wretched human creature, who had plunged itself into darkness, to faithful salvation through that same incarnate Word. What is this? For that most brilliant fire you see designates the omnipotent and living God, who in his most clear serenity is never obscured by any iniquity, remaining incomprehensible because he cannot be divided by any division, nor comprehended by any beginning or end or any spark of the knowledge of his creature, as he is, and existing as unquenchable; for he himself is that fullness which no end has ever touched, and he is entirely living, because no thing at all is hidden from him that he does not know, and he exists as life itself, for everything that lives takes its life from him, according to what Job, inspired through me, showed, saying: "Who does not know that the hand of the Lord has done all these things?"
The Microcosm of Humanity
The text explores the relationship between the Creator and the soul, defining humanity as a microcosm that mirrors the order of heaven and earth.
In His hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all human flesh. What does this mean? No creature is so dull by nature that it doesn't know the ebb and flow of its own fullness in the very things that make it fruitful. How so? The heavens have light, light has the air, the air has birds, and the earth nourishes green things, green things fruit, and fruit animals; all of which testify that they were placed there by a most powerful hand—that is, by the supreme power of the Ruler of all things. He has so fashioned all things within the possibility of His own virtue that nothing is lacking to them for their purposes. Furthermore, in the omnipotence of this same Creator lies the movement of all living and earthly things, such as cattle seeking the earth in earthly matters without having the rationality of God's breath within them, and the stirring of spirits who inhabit human flesh, in whom there is rationality, discernment, and wisdom. How so? The soul wanders among earthly causes, laboring in many distractions according to the demands of carnal habits. The spirit, however, raises itself in two ways: either through sighs, groans, and a longing for God, or by seeking the Lord, His guidance, and His choice in various matters as if by command, because it possesses discernment within its rationality. That is why humanity contains within itself a likeness of both heaven and earth. How so? Humanity possesses a circle where clarity, breath, and reason appear, just as the lights of heaven are marked in the sky; it has a spirit moving quickly through every sense and motion, just as the air contains birds; and it is a vessel of moisture where dampness is noted, and growth and birth appear, just as green things, fruit, and animals do on the earth. What does this mean? O human, you are entirely present in every creature, yet you forget your Creator; and while the creation subject to you obeys Him just as it was ordained to do, you transgress His commands.
The Mystery of the Incarnate Word
The vision explains the nature of the Word of God, the Incarnation, and the divine craftsmanship involved in the creation of all things.
But you see that this same fire holds within itself a flame of airy color, which burns ardently with a gentle breath and is so inseparably present to that bright fire as the vital organs are in a human being; this is the infinite Word, which exists in eternity before the creation of any creature, and which, in the heat of charity, was to be incarnate during the passing of fleeting time—miraculously, without the stain or burden of sin, through the power of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit in the dawn of blessed virginity—yet in such a way that, just as it was indivisibly in the Father before taking on flesh, so it remained inseparably in Him even after assuming humanity, because just as a human is not without a vital touch in the way of the heart, so His vital Word was not to be separated from the Father at all. And why is it called the Word? Because just as a master's commands are prudently understood by those who know and foresee his intent through a spoken word—which is transient in the earthly dust of humanity—so too, through the unspoken Word (which is intransient because it lives in eternity through an inextinguishable life), the power of the Father is truly known by the various creatures of the world that perceive and understand Him at the very origin of their creation. Just as a human's power and honor are known through an official word, so too the holiness and goodness of the Father shine forth through the divine Word. As for your seeing that flashing flame glow, it means that the Word of God shows His power as if burning with intensity, since all creation was founded through Him. It glowed when He was incarnate in the dawn and purity of virginity, and all virtues flowed from Him in the knowledge of God when humanity was brought back to life in the salvation of souls. But there also suddenly arose a dark and round air of great magnitude, which is an instrument for those in the darkness of imperfection—that is, those not yet illuminated by the fullness of creatures. It is round because it exists under the incomprehensible power of God, with the Divinity never absent; yet it rises in the supreme power of God, as if in the blink of an eye, lifted up by the divine will. The flame itself, like a craftsman, struck it with certain blows, drawing sparks from it again and again until that same air was brought to perfection. Heaven and earth shone with a full ordering when He who excels all creation—the supreme Word—showed the power of His strength in the creation of creatures that hold to servitude, drawing forth from His instrument the diverse species of creatures shining in the wondrous dawn of their condition. Just as a craftsman skillfully strikes his forms from the air until those same creatures shine in the beauty of their fullness, they possess the beauty and stability of their perfect creation, both above and below, because the things above shone from the things below, and the things below from the things above. The fact that this flame extended itself in that fire and heat toward a small lump of muddy earth at the bottom of the air means this: after other creatures were made, the Word of God—in the strong will of the Father and in the love of the Holy Spirit’s heavenly sweetness—looked upon the fragile material of humanity, with all its soft and tender frailty, held fast in the depths of its own insensibility and heaviness. It wasn't yet stirred by an effective and vital breath. By cherishing and warming it, the Word brought forth flesh and blood, infusing it with heat through His power; for earth is the carnal material of man, nourishing him with its fruit just as a mother nourishes her children with milk. God breathed into it so that man became a living soul, because He stirred it through His heavenly power and miraculously brought forth from it a man who could discern in both soul and body.
Obedience, Fall, and Redemption
The narrative details the failure of Adam, the promise of the prophets, and the ultimate victory of Christ over death and hell.
Once this happened, that bright fire offered to man himself—through that flame burning ardently with a gentle breath—the most radiant flower, hanging in that flame just as dew hangs on the grass; for after Adam was created, the Father, who is the most radiant light, gave to Adam himself, through His Word in the Holy Spirit, the sweet command of the most brilliant obedience, which clings to the Word itself in a great shower of fruitful virtue, because through that same Word the sweetest moisture of holiness distilled from the Father in the Holy Spirit, producing a great and abundant fruit, just as pure moisture descending upon the grass makes it fruitful for a great harvest. Man sensed its scent, but he didn't taste it with his mouth, nor did he grasp it with his actions. While he drew in the command of the law with the intelligence of wisdom as if with his nostrils, he didn't perfectly admit its power of intimate perfection into his mouth, nor did he fulfill it by the work of his hands in the fullness of blessedness. He turned away and fell into the densest darkness, from which he couldn't raise himself, because he turned his back on the divine command at the devil's suggestion, falling into the abyss of death because he didn't seek God in faith or in work. Consequently, weighed down by sins, he couldn't rise to a true knowledge of Him until He came who obeyed His Father fully and without sin. But those shadows grew in that field, expanding more and more; the power of death in the world always increased in the breadth of vices, as human knowledge moved into a diversity of manifold vices and foul sins emerging through error. But the fact that three great stars appeared in those shadows, clinging to one another in their radiance, after which many others—both small and great—shone with abundant splendor: these are the great lights in the image of the supernal Trinity, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, embracing one another both by faithful work and by the bond of the flesh, and repelling the shadows of the world with their proclamations, followed by many other prophets, both major and minor, radiating in great and admirable miracles. Then, however, a greatest star appeared, shining with wondrous clarity and directing its radiance toward the aforementioned flame. This is the preeminent prophet, John the Baptist, shining in great deeds through his most faithful and brilliant work, and demonstrating in them the true Word—that is, the Son of God—because he didn't yield to iniquity, but trampled it down strenuously and bravely in the works of justice. But the fact that a radiance like the dawn appears in that land, and that the higher flame is miraculously infused into it—without, however, being separated from the aforementioned luminous fire—means that God has planted a great splendor of glowing light in the place of created things; He sent His Word into it with perfect will, yet without being separated from Him, but rather gave Him as a bountiful fruit and brought Him forth as a great fountain, from which every faithful throat, drinking, no longer withers from thirst. Consequently, a great desire was kindled in that radiance of the dawn, because in the clarity of that blushing serenity, the power of a great and ancient counsel was made known, so that all the aforementioned legions and ranks of heavenly spirits marveled at this in that most luminous happiness. But you, O human, while you desire to know the eminence of this counsel more fully in a human way, a barrier of concealment stands against you. You ought not to probe the secrets of God more than it pleases the Divine Majesty to reveal for the sake of the love of those who faithfully believe. The fact that you see a most splendid man coming forth from the radiance of the dawn—who poured out his own brightness upon the darkness and is reflected back by it, who, having turned into the redness of blood and the paleness of whiteness, struck back at that darkness with such strength that the man who was lying in it appeared to shine at his very touch and thus came forth standing upright—this signifies the Word of God, inviolably incarnate in the purity of undefiled virginity, born without pain, yet not separated from the Father. How is that? When the Son of God was born into the world from a mother, He appeared in heaven in the Father, which is why the angels soon trembled and, exulting, sang together honey-sweet praises. This Son of God, having lived in the world without the stain of sin, sent the most lucid teaching of beatitude and salvation into the darkness of infidelity; but, rejected by the unbelieving people and led to His passion, He shed His rose-colored blood and tasted the gloom of death in His body. From this, overcoming the devil, He freed His elect from hell, who had been held captive and prostrate there, and by the touch of His redemption, He mercifully led them back to their inheritance which they had lost in Adam. When they arrived at their inheritance, drums and citharas and the whole concert of musicians were stirred up with countless beauty, because man, who had been lying in destruction, had now been raised up in beatitude and, freed by heavenly power, had escaped death, as I spoke through my servant Hosea: 'The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden; the pains of a woman in labor will come to him, he is an unwise son.' For now he will not stand in the contrition of the sons. I will free them from the hand of death; I will redeem them from death. I will be your death, O death; I will be your bite, O hell. What does this mean? The devil’s perversity and wickedness are bound so effectively that they cannot be released from the fire of God’s wrath, because He never saw the devil thinking rightly; and in the same way, those who faithfully fear God do not look upon him. For he always exalts himself against God, claiming to be God, always wandering against God, and because of this, he contradicts the Christian name. And so his malice is so deeply rooted that no medicine of reparation can make his sin—which he impiously committed in the most contemptible pride—worthy of salvation; therefore, he will remain in the endurance of pain, like a woman in labor suffering the affliction of despair, who doubts that she can live through the opening of her womb. For this unhappiness will always remain upon him because he has been cast out from blessedness, since the wisdom of the children flees from him who does not return to himself, just as the prodigal son, having returned to himself from his iniquity, went back to his father. Therefore, he will never have confidence in that contrition by which the children of salvation, in the death of the heavenly Son, crush the death of the most savage iniquity—the very death that the cunning serpent himself caused to boil over when he suggested to the first man a deceitfulness that the man did not know. But because the children of the Savior despise the most deadly poison of his suggestion and look toward their own salvation, I will free them from the slavery of idols—from the slavery, I say, of idols that hold deceit in the power of perdition, and in which the unfaithful exchange the honor of their Creator, wrapping themselves in the devil’s snare and performing their works according to his will. And so, I will redeem the souls of those who worship me—the souls, that is, of the saints and the just—from the punishment of hell, because no human being could ever be freed from the devil's chains, in which they are bound by the harshest death due to their violation of God's commandments, except through the redemption of Him who is to redeem His elect with His own blood. Where I will destroy you, O death, for I will tear out of you the very thing in which you think you live, so that you will be called a useless corpse, because you will lie prostrate in your own greatest strength, just as a body that is abandoned by the soul is cast down entirely to destruction. For the fountain of living water will suffocate you when happy souls are mercifully caught up into heavenly bliss through the new man, who will be innocent of poisonous deception. From this, I will also be your bite, O hell, to your own confusion, when My power in its great strength strips from you the spoils you fraudulently snatched; so that you too, O death, justly despoiled, will never again appear full in your riches, but will lie pierced with wounds and prostrate in filth, bearing your confusion forever.
The Glory of the Risen Lord
The vision concludes with the revelation of the Risen Christ's glory and the call for the faithful to embrace these mysteries.
But as you see that shining man who came forth from the dawn in such brilliant light—a light so intense that no human tongue can describe it—it shows that the Father’s glory shone upon the most august Body of the Son of God. He was born of the most beautiful Virgin and lay hidden in the tomb for three days to signify that there are three Persons in one Godhead. In this way, He received the Spirit and rose again in a radiant immortality that no human being will ever be able to explain in thought or word. The Father also showed Him to the heavenly choirs with His wounds laid bare, saying: 'This is my beloved Son, whom I sent to die for the people.' Because of this, an joy beyond human understanding was renewed within them, for the blind forgetfulness by which God was unknown was so cast down that the human capacity for reason, which had lain prostrate at the devil's urging, was raised to the knowledge of God; for through this supreme blessedness, the way of truth was shown to humanity, by which it was brought back from death to life. But just as the children of Israel, freed from Egypt, traveled through the desert for forty years before reaching the land flowing with milk and honey, so the Son of God, rising from the dead, showed Himself kindly to His disciples and the blessed women who longed for Him and desired with great yearning to see Him. He appeared to them for forty days to confirm them in faith so they wouldn't doubt, saying, 'We have not seen the Lord, so we cannot believe that He is our salvation.' He manifested Himself to them frequently to strengthen them so they wouldn't fall. The fact that it reached toward the highest altitude of immeasurable glory, where it radiates wondrously in the fullness of every kind of abundance and fragrance, means that the Son of God himself ascended to the Father, to whom—along with the Son and the Holy Spirit—belongs the highest and most excellent altitude of inexpressible joy and gladness; there, the Son appears gloriously to his faithful ones, who believe with a pure and simple heart that he is true God and man. For even then, the new bride of the same Lamb was presented to him in the various ornaments with which she must be adorned in every kind of virtue for the most difficult struggle of all the faithful people who are to fight against the cunning serpent. But whoever sees with watchful eyes and hears with attentive ears, let them offer the kiss of an embrace to these mystical words of mine that flow from me, the Living One.
Read the original Latin
Et ego homo litteras non callens more fortium leonum, nec docta ex infusione illorum, sed manens in mollitie, fragilis costa, imbuta mystico spiramine: vidi quasi lucidissimum ignem incomprehensibilem, inexstinguibilem, totum viventem, totumque vitam existentem, in se autem flammam aerei coloris habentem, quae leni flatu ardenter flagrabat; et quae idem lucido igni ita inseparabiliter haerebat ut in homine haerent viscera. Et vidi quod illa flamma fulminans incanduit, et ecce obscurus aer et rotundus multaeque magnitudinis repente exortus est, super quem ipsa flamma quosdam ictus dedit, toties ab eo scintillam educens donec aer ad perfectum deductus est et ita coelum et terra resplenduerunt plena institutione. Deinde etiam eadem flamma in igne et ardore illo extendit se ad parvam glebam limosae terrae jacentem in fundo actis eam calefaciens, ita quod carnem et sanguinem effecit, eamque spiravit ita quod in animam viventem effecta est. Quo facto, ille lucidus ignis praebuit per eamdem flammam leni flatu ardenter flagrantem ipsi homini candidissimum florem in flamma pendentem ut ros pendet in gramine, cujus quidem odorem homo naribus sensit, sed gustu oris non libavit, nec manibus attrectavit, hoc modo se avertens atque cadens in densissimas tenebras ex quibus se erigere non valuit. Tenebrae autem illae in illo aere magis ac magis se dilatando creverunt. Tunc tres magnae stellae in fulgore suo sibi cohaerentes in tenebris illis apparuerunt, post quas et aliae multae tam parvae quam magnae plurimo splendore fulgentes, ac deinde quaedam maxima stella mira claritate radians et fulgorem suum ad praedictam flammam dirigens. Sed et in terra quidam fulgor velut aurora apparuit; cui superior flamma mirabiliter infusa est, non tamen a supradicto lucido igne separata et in illo fulgore aurorae maxima voluntas accensa est. Cumque accensionem voluntatis hujus diligentius considerare vellem, in hac visione secretum sigillum mihi appositum est, audivique vocem ex alto mihi dicentem: De hoc mysterio non poteris quidquam amplius videre, nisi ut tibi propter miraculum credendi conceditur.
Vidique de eodem fulgore aurorae splendidissimum hominem egredientem, qui claritatem suam ad praedictas tenebras effudit et ab eis reverberatus est, et in ruborem sanguinis et in pallorem albedinis conversus tanta fortitudine tenebras percussit, ut homo ille qui in eis jacebat attractu illo apparens fulgeret, atque ita erectus exiret. Et sic splendidus ille homo qui de aurora egressus est, in tanta claritate apparens ultraquam humana lingua effari possit, in eminentissimam altitudinem innumerabilis gloriae tetendit, ubi in plenitudine omnimodae ubertatis et odoris magnifice radiabat. Et audivi ex praefato vivente igne vocem mihi dicentem: Tu quae es fragilis terra et in nomine femineo indocta in omni doctrina carnalium magistrorum, scilicet legere litteras secundum intelligentiam litteratorum, sed tantum tacta lumine meo quod tangit te interius cum incendio ut sol ardens, clama et enarra ac scribe haec mysteria mea quae vides et audis in mystica visione. Noli ergo esse timida, sed dic ea quae intelligis in spiritu quemadmodum ea loquor per te, quatenus illi verecundia teneantur qui populo meo deberent viam rectitudinis ostendere, sed ex perversitate morum suorum recusant aperte justitiam quam noverunt dicere, nolentes abstinere a malis desideriis suis quae illis ita adhaerent quasi ipsis dominentur, facientia eos fugere a facie Domini et erubescere loqui veritatem. Unde, o pusilla, animo quae interius es docta mystica inspiratione quamvis suppressa sis per virilem formam propter praevaricationem Evae; dic tamen igneum opus quod tibi demonstratur certissima visione. Vivens enim Deus qui cuncta per Verbum suum creavit, per idem Verbum incarnatum miseram humanam creaturam quae se demersat in tenebras, ad fidelem salvationem reduxit. Quid hoc? Nam ille lucidissimus ignis quem vides, designat omnipotentem et viventem Deum qui in clarissima serenitate sua nunquam ulla iniquitate offuscatur incomprehensibilis manens, quia nulla divisione dividi potest, aut initio aut fine aut ulla scintilla scientiae creaturae suae comprehendi sicuti est et exstinguibilis exsistens, quoniam ipse est illa plenitudo quam nunquam ullus finis tetigit ac totus vivens, quia nulla omnino res ipsi absconsa est quam nesciat, totusque vita existens, quoniam omne quod vivit ab ipso vivere sumit, secundum quod Job per me inspiratus ostendit, dicens: Quis ignorat quod omnia haec manus Domini fecerit?
in cujus manu est anima omnis viventis et spiritus universae carnis hominis . Quid hoc? Nulla creatura tam hebes est in natura sua quae vicissitudinem plenitudinis suae in illis causis ignoret, in quibus fructuosa consistit. Quomodo? Coelum habet lucem, lux aerem, aer volatilia et terra nutrit virentia, virentia fructum, fructus animalia; quae omnia testantur quod ea posuit fortissima manus, id est maxima potentia Dominatoris cunctorum, qui omnia in possibilitate virtutis suae ita operatus est quod eis nihil deest in usibus suis, et in omnipotentia ejusdem fabricatoris est motio cunctorum viventium et terrestrium, ut pecorum terram in terrenis quaerentium nec rationalitatem spiraculi Dei in se habentium, et excitatio spirituum qui humanam carnem inhabitant, in quibus est rationalitas, discretio et sapientia. Quomodo? Anima circuit in terrenis causis laborans in multis varietatibus secundum quod carnales mores expostulant. Spiritus vero erigit se in duobus modis, videlicet suspirium, gemitum et desiderium ad Deum habens, aut Dominum et regimen et optionem in diversis rebus quasi in praecepto quaerens, quia discretionem in rationalitate habet.
Unde etiam homo similitudinem coeli et terrae in se continet. Quomodo? Ipse habet circulum in quo apparet perspicuitas, spiraculum et rationalitas, velut in coelo notantur luminaria; habet spiritum per omnem sensum et motum celeriter meantem, ut aer volatilia etiam humoris receptaculum in quo notatur humiditas, apparet germinatio ac parturitio, sicut in terra virentia, fructificantia et animalia. Quid hoc? O homo, tu totus es in omni creatura et oblivisceris Creatoris tui; et subjecta tibi creatura obedit ei sicut illi constitutum est, et tu praecepta illius transgrederis.
Sed vides quod idem ignis in se flammam aerei coloris habet, quae leni flatu ardenter flagrat et quae eidem lucido igni ita inseparabiliter inest ut in homine sunt viscera, quod est in aeternitate ante tempora constitutae creaturae infinitum Verbum, quod in ardore charitatis sub decursum labentium temporum mirabiliter sine sorde et gravamine peccati per virtutem suavitatis Spiritus sancti in aurora beatae virginitatis erat incarnandum, ita tamen ut sicut ante susceptam carnem indivisibiliter fuit in Patre, sic etiam post assumptam humanitatem inseparabiliter in eo maneret, quoniam ut homo non est absque vitali tactu in via praecordiorum, sic a Patre non erat omnino separandum ejus vitale Verbum. Et quare dicitur Verbum? Quia ut per locale verbum quod in terreno pulvere hominis transitorium est, prudenter intelliguntur jussa praeceptoris ab iis qui sciunt et praevident jussionem praecipientis; ita etiam per illocale verbum quod per inexstinguibilem vitam quae vivit in aeternitate intransitorium est, vere cognoscitur vis patris a diversis creaturis mundi ipsum sentientibus et intelligentibus in ortu quo creatae sunt, atque ut per officiale verbum potestas et honor scitur hominis; sic etiam per divinum Verbum sanctitas et bonitas resplendet Patris.
Quod autem vides quomodo flamma illa fulminans incandet: hoc est quod Verbum Dei virtutem suam quasi exardescens ostendit, cum per ipsum omnis creatura condita est, et quasi incanduit, cum in aurora et candore virginitatis incarnatum est, et ex eo stillaverant omnes virtutes in agnitione Dei: cum homo revixit in animarum salvatione. Sed et obscurus aer et rotundus multaeque magnitudinis repente exortus est, qui est instrumentum eorum in obscuritate imperfectionis, scilicet nondum illustratum plenitudine creaturarum, et rotundum est, quia sub incomprehensibili potentia Dei est, divinitate nusquam absente, ipsum tamen in maxima potestate Dei surgens quasi in ictu oculi in superna voluntate elevatum, super quod ipsa flamma velut faber quosdam ictus dedit toties ab eo scintillam educens, donec idem aer ad perfectum deductus est, quia coelum et terra resplenduerunt plena institutione, quando ille qui excellit universam creaturam supernum Verbum in creatione creaturarum servitutem tenentium virtutem fortitudinis suae ostendit ab instrumento suo, diversas species creaturarum lucentes in mirabili ortu conditionis eorum educens, ut faber formas suas ex aere competenter excudit, usque dum eaedem creaturae in pulchritudine plenitudinis suae effulserunt; sursum et deorsum decorem et stabilimentum perfectae creationis suae habentes, quia superiora resplenduerunt ab inferioribus, et inferiora a superioribus.
Quod autem deinde eadem flamma in igne et ardore illo se extendit ad parvam glebam limosae terrae, jacentem in fundo aeris: hoc est quod, creatis aliis creaturis, Verbum Dei in forti voluntate Patris et in amore supernae suavitatis Spiritus sancti inspexit fragilem materiam mollis et tenerae fragilitatis humanitatis omnium tam malorum quam bonorum procreandorum hominum in imo insensibilitatis et ponderositatis suae detentam, et nec dum efficaci et vitali flatu excitatam, eam fovens et calefaciens carnem et sanguinem efficit in virtute calorem ei infundens, quoniam terra est carnalis materia hominis nutriens eum fructu suo, sicut mater lacte filios suos, eamque aspiravit Deus ita quod homo in animam viventem effecta est, quia ipsam per supernam virtutem excitavit atque in anima et corpore discernentem hominem mirabiliter ex ea eduxit.
Quo facto, ille lucidus ignis praebuit per illam flammam leni flatu ardenter flagrantem, ipsi homini candidissimum florem in flamma illa pendentem ut ros pendet in gramine, quoniam creato Adam Pater qui lucidissima lux est, dedit per Verbum suum in Spiritu sancto ipsi Adae dulce praeceptum clarissimae obedientiae adhaerentis ipsi Verbo in multo imbre fructuosae virtutis, quia per ipsum Verbum suavissimus humor sanctitatis a Patre in Spiritu sancto stillavit faciens maximum et plurimum fructum sicut purus humor super gramen descendens illud ad multum germen fecundat. Cujus quidem odorem homo naribus sensit, sed gustu oris non libavit, nec moribus attrectavit, quoniam ipse praeceptum legis cum intelligentia sapientiae quasi naribus attraxit, sed vim illius intimae perfectionis in os per fecte non intromisit nec opere manuum in plenitudine beatitudinis adimplevit, hoc modo se avertens atque cadens in densissimas tenebras ex quibus se erigere non valuit, quia divino praecepto suggerente diabolo terga dedit in barathrum mortis corruens, quia Deum non in fide nec in opere exquisivit. Unde ad veram cognitionem ejus peccatis gravatus surgere non potuit, donec ille venit qui Patri suo pleniter sine peccato obedivit. Sed tenebrae illae in illo acre magis ac magis se dilatando creverunt: potestas mortis in mundo semper in latitudine vitiorum sumpsit incrementum scientia hominis se movente in diversitatem multiplicium vitiorum et fetentium peccatorum per errorem emergentium. Quod autem tres magnae stellae in fulgore suo sibi cohaerentes in illis tenebris apparuerunt, post quas aliae multae tam parvae quam magnae plurimo splendore fulgentes: haec sunt in figuratione supernae Trinitatis magna luminaria, videlicet Abraham, Isaac et Jacob tam fideli opere quam carnis conjunctione se mutuo complectentes mundique tenebras annuntiationibus suis repercutientes, et eos subsequentes alii quamplurimi prophetae majores et minores in magnis et admirandis miraculis radiantes. Deinde vero apparens quaedam maxima stella mira claritate micans et fulgorem suum ad praedictam flammam dirigens, illa est praecipuus propheta Joannes scilicet Baptista fidelissimo et clarissimo opere in magnalibus coruscans, et in eis verum Verbum, id est Dei Filium demonstrans, quia iniquitati non cessit, sed eam in operibus justitiae strenue et fortiter calcavit.
Sed quod in terra illa fulgor velut aurora apparet, cui superior flamma mirabiliter infusa est: non tamen a supradicto lucido igne separata: hoc est quod Deus in loco generabilium rerum magnum splendorem rutilantis luminis plantavit, in illum Verbum suum perfecta voluntate mittens non tamen ab eo separatum, sed dedit ipsum, copiosum fructum, atque eduxit ipsum, magnum fontem ex quo omne fidele guttur bibens ultra siti non arescit. Unde et in illo fulgore aurorae maxima voluntas accensa est, quia in claritate rubentis serenitatis virtus magni et antiqui consilii cognita est, ita quod omnes praemissae legiones et coelestium spirituum acies hoc in lucidissima felicitate admiratae sunt. Sed tu, o homo, dum eminentiam consilii hujus humano more plenius scire desideras, claustrum occultationis tibi opponitur, quoniam secreta Dei non debes plus scrutari quam propter amorem fideliter credentium divinae majestati placet manifestari.
Quod autem vides de fulgore aurorae splendidissimum hominem egredientem, qui claritatem suam ad tenebras effudit et ab eis reverberatur, qui in ruborem sanguinis et in pallorem albedinis conversus tanta fortitudine tenebras illas repercussit, ut homo ille qui in eis jacebat ipso attactu apparens fulgeret atque ita erectus exiret: hoc designat Dei Verbum in candore intemeratae virginitatis inviolabiliter incarnatum, et sine dolore natum, nec tamen a Patre separatum. Quomodo? Cum Filius Dei natus est in mundo ex matre: apparuit in coelo in Patre, unde et angeli mox contremuerunt et exsultantes mellifluas laudes concinuerunt. Qui Filius Dei sine macula peccati in saeculo conversatus lucidissimam beatitudinis et salvationis doctrinam in tenebras infidelitatis emisit, sed ab incredulo populo abjectus, atque ad passionem ductus roseum sanguinem suum fudit et caliginem mortis corporaliter gustavit. Ex quo diabolum superans ex inferno electos suos qui in eo detenti et prostrati fuerant liberavit, atque eos tactu redemptionis suae ad haereditatem ipsorum quam in Adam perdiderant misericorditer reduxit. Qui dum in haereditatem suam pervenerunt, excitata sunt tympana et citharae omnisque musicorum concentus innumerabili decore, quia homo qui in perditione jacuerat, jam in beatitudine erectus mortem superna virtute liberatus evaserat, ut per servum meum Osee locutus sum: Colligata est iniquitas Ephraim, absconditum peccatum ejus: dolores parturientis venient ei, ipse filius non sapiens. Nunc enim non stabit in contritione filiorum. De manu mortis liberabo eos, de morte redimam eos.
Ero mors tua, o mors, ero morsus tuus, inferne . Quid hoc? In efficacia ligaturae alligata est perversitas nequitiae diaboli ut a zelo furoris Dei non mereatur solvi, quia nunquam illum recta cogitantem vidit, sic neque eum aspiciunt qui Deum fideliter timent. Nam se semper elevat contra Deum, se Deum esse dicens, semper errans contra Deum, et propter ipsum nomini Christiano contradicens. Et ideo malitia ipsius ita profundata est ut nulla medicina reparationis peccatum ejus quod in contemptibilissima superbia impie commisit, in salvatione dignum sit, unde et ipse erit in perduratione doloris sicut parturiens in afflictione desperationis quae diffidit quod in apertione uteri sui vivere non possit. Nam haec infelicitas semper super eum manebit quod a beatitudine ejectus est, quia filiorum sapientia fugit ab eo qui ad se non revertitur, sicut filius prodigus ad se reversus de iniquitate sua ad patrem suum rediit. Quapropter nunquam confidet in contritione illa qua filii salvationis in superni filii morte mortem saevissimae iniquitatis conterunt, quam ipse callidus serpens ebullire fecit cum primo homini dolositatem quam homo nesciebat suggessit. Sed quia filii Salvatoris venenum funestissimum suggestionis contemnunt et ad salutem suam respiciunt, de servitute idolorum liberabo eos, de servitute, inquam, idolorum quae fallaciam in potestate perditionis habent et in quibus infideles honorem Creatoris sui commutant, se in laqueum diaboli involventes et opera sua secundum voluntatem illius perficientes.
Et ideo animas illorum qui me colunt, animas scilicet sanctorum et justorum ab infernali poena redimam, quoniam nullus hominum poterit erui a vinculis diaboli in quibus durissima morte propter praevaricationem praeceptorum Dei vinctus est, nisi in redemptione illius qui electos suos proprio sanguine redempturus est. Ubi ad internecionem te, o mors, interficiam, quia in quo te vivere putas, hoc tibi extraham, ita quod inutile cadaver vocaberis, quoniam in fortissimis viribus tuis prostrata jacebis, sicut et corpus quod ab anima deseritur omnino ad interitum prosternitur. Nam fons aquae vivae te suffocabit, cum felices animae per novum hominem qui venenosae deceptionis insons erit misericorditer in superna beatitudine rapientur. Unde etiam ad confusionem tuam ero morsus tuus, inferne, cum potestas mea in magna virtute tibi spolia illa detrahet quae fraudulenter rapuisti; ita ut et tu, o mors, juste despoliata, nunquam deinceps plena in divitiis tuis appareas, sed vulneribus confossa et in foeditate prostrata jacens, confusionem tuam in perpetuum reportes.
Sed ut vides illo lucente homine qui de aurora egressus est in tanta claritate apparente ultra quam humana lingua effari possit, demonstratur quod augustissimum corpus Filii Dei ex speciosissima Virgine natum et per triduum in sepulcro reconditum, ad insinuandum quod tres personae sunt in una divinitate, paterna claritas infulsit, atque ita Spiritum recepit, et in fulgentissima immortalitate resurrexit quam nullus hominum cogitatione aut verbo explicare poterit. Quem et Pater nudatis vulneribus, coelestibus choris ostendit, dicens: Hic est Filius meus dilectus , quem misi ut moreretur pro populo: Ob quam rem supra humanum intellectum innumerabile gaudium in ipsis innovatum est quia caeca oblivio qua Deus nesciebatur sic depressa est ut rationalitas hominis quae suadente diabolo prostrata jacebat, ad agnitionem Dei elevata sit, quoniam per summam beatitudinem homini via veritatis ostensa est, in qua de morte ad vitam reductus est. Sed secundum hoc ut filii Israel ex Aegypto liberati per quadraginta annos desertum transeuntes, in terram lac et mel fluentem pervenerunt, ita Filius Dei a morte resurgens per quadraginta dies discipulis suis cum beatis feminis quae post ipsum suspirabant et magno desiderio videre desiderabant, se benigne ostendit, ad eas in fide confirmandas, ne dubitarent, dicentes: Nos non vidimus Dominum: ideo credere non possumus quod ipse sit nostra salus, sed frequenter manifestavit se illis, ad corroborandos ipsos ne caderent.
Quod vero in eminentissimam altitudinem innumerabilis gloriae tetendit ubi in plenitudine omnimodae ubertatis et odoris mirifice radiat: hoc est quod idem Filius Dei ascendit ad Patrem cui una cum Filio et Spiritu sancto eminentissima et praecellentissima altitudo inenarrabilis gaudii et laetitiae est, ubi idem Filius in abundantia praefulgentissimae sanctitatis et beatitudinis fidelibus suis gloriose apparet; qui ipsum puro et simplici corde verum Deum et hominem esse credunt. Nam etiam tunc nova sponsa ejusdem agni illi praesentata est in diversis ornamentis quibus ornanda est in omni genere virtutum fortissimi certaminis totius fidelis populi; qui contra callidum serpentem pugnaturi sunt. Sed qui vigilantibus oculis videt, et attentis auribus audit, hic mysticis verbis meis quae de me vivente emanant, osculum praebeat amplexionis.
Scivias (Know the Ways of the Lord) companion
Keep Hildegard in your mornings
Get the free 14-day Scivias reading plan, then continue with daily historic devotionals in the Chosen Portion app.
Hildegard's visions were meant to be read and prayed over daily by her community; Chosen Portion continues that pattern with a curated historic devotional reading each morning.
- Read all three parts of Scivias in curated excerpts — about 15 minutes a day for 14 days
- One reflection question and one short prayer per day, so you never wonder what to do next
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