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← The Imitation of Christ/Book 3 · On Inward Consolation
Chapter 24Imit.3.24

De evitatione curiosæ inquisitionis super alterius vita.

Turn Away from Curious Inquiry

The disciple is warned not to be consumed by curiosity about others' lives, since each person must give an account only for themselves.

Son, don't be curious or carry around empty anxieties. "What does this or that have to do with you?"✦1 "You, follow me."✦2 What concern is it of yours whether that person is this sort or that, or whether someone else acts or speaks in a certain way? You don't need to answer for others, but you must give an account for yourself — so why entangle yourself in what isn't your concern?✦3

God Sees All; Entrust Yourself to Him

God declares His omniscience over all human thoughts and actions, inviting the soul to rest in His care while leaving troublers to face His justice.

Look — I know everyone, and I see everything that happens under the sun. I know what each person is really like, what they're thinking, what they want, and where their intentions are ultimately aimed.4 So then, entrust everything to me. But you — keep yourself in good peace, and let the one who stirs up trouble carry on as much as he likes. Whatever he does or says will come back upon him, because he cannot deceive me.

Guard the Heart from Worldly Attachments

The soul is urged to avoid distraction through fame, popularity, or personal attachments, which cloud the inner life.

Don't concern yourself with the shadow of a great name, or with being known by many, or with private affection for particular people: these things produce distractions and great darkness in the heart.56

Watch, Pray, and Open the Door

Christ promises revelation to the watchful soul and calls for prudence, prayer, and humility as the path to divine intimacy.

I would gladly speak my Word to you and reveal hidden things, if you watched diligently for my coming and opened the door of your heart to me.78 Be prudent, and be watchful in prayer, and humble yourself in all things.

Read the original Latin

Fili, noli esse curiosus nec vacuas gerere sollicitudines. Quid hoc vel illud ad te? Tu me sequere. Quid enim ad te, utrum ille sit talis, vel talis, aut iste sic agit, vel loquitur? Tu non indiges respondere pro aliis, sed pro te ipso rationem reddas: quid ergo te implicas? Ecce ego omnes cognosco, et cuncta, quæ fiunt sub sole, video, et scio qualiter cum unoquoque sit, quod cogitet, quid velit, et ad quem finem tendat ejus intentio. Mihi igitur committenda sunt omnia; tu vero serva te in bona pace, et dimitte agitantem agitare quantum voluerit. Veniet super eum quidquid fecerit vel dixerit, quia me fallere non potest.

Non sit tibi curæ de magni nominis umbra, non de multorum familiaritate, nec de privata hominum dilectione: ista enim generant distractiones, et magnas in corde obscuritates. Libenter tibi loquerer Verbum meum, et abscondita revelarem, si adventum meum diligenter observares, et ostium cordis mihi aperires. Esto prudens, et vigila in orationibus et humilia te in omnibus.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.21.22 — Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will for him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.'
  2. ↩John.21.22 — Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will for him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.'
  3. ↩Rom.14.12 — So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Possible echo of John 21:22 — 'What is that to you? Follow me.' The italic markup marks this as a candidate quotation/allusion.
  2. 2 ↩Direct echo of John 21:22 and the call narrative tradition (cf. Matt 4:19, Mark 1:17). Italic markup marks this as a candidate quotation.
  3. 3 ↩pro te ipso rationem reddas echoes the judgment motif of Rom 14:12 and 2 Cor 5:10 — each person renders account of themselves before God.
  4. 4 ↩The phrase 'cuncta quae fiunt sub sole' echoes Ecclesiastes language (cf. Eccl 1:3, 1:9, 2:11), reinforcing the vanity-of-human-endeavor theme.
  5. 5 ↩dilectione rendered as 'affection' per lexeme policy for dilectio; here the sense is disordered private attachment, not covenantal love.
  6. 6 ↩magni nominis umbra — 'shadow of a great name' — captures the emptiness of reputation without literalizing umbra as a metaphor the reader might miss.
  7. 7 ↩Opening the door to Christ echoes Rev. 3:20 ('Behold, I stand at the door and knock'). Status: candidate, pending Moses resolution.
  8. 8 ↩Verbum meum capitalized as 'my Word' — Christ speaking in persona, with scriptural resonance.