De amore Christi et odio mundi
The Supremacy of Divine Love
The love of Christ is presented as the singular, transformative force that stands in direct opposition to the vanity of the world.
Remain in my love. The voice of Christ is sweet to hear and healthy for everyone to obey. The love of Christ is the joy of the mind and the paradise of the soul; it shuts out the world, conquers the devil, closes hell, and opens heaven. The love of Christ and the love of the world are opposites; they have nothing in common, and they can't live together. The love of Christ is Elijah’s chariot ascending into heaven; the love of the world is the devil’s carriage dragging you down to hell. Self-love is a wound to the self; forgetting the world is the discovery of heaven. The smooth talk of a fake friend does more harm than the harsh correction of a righteous person. The thoughts of the deceitful person invent lies, but the mind of the righteous person proceeds honestly in all matters.
The Fruits of Virtue and Vice
A series of aphorisms contrasting the spiritual outcomes of humility, peace, and obedience against pride, discord, and negligence.
You won't escape scandal if you're the one causing it for someone else. God, who guides and knows all things, doesn't let His little sheep wander and bleat for long; instead, He either strikes with the staff of fear to call them back, or He looks on them with the eye of love and leads them back to their conscience. Where there is peace and harmony, there is God and every good thing. Where there is strife and discord, there is the devil and every evil thing. Where there is humility, there is wisdom. Where there is pride, there is the root of malice. Conquer pride, and you'll find great peace. Where there are harsh words, the heart of charity is wounded. Where there is solitude and silence, there is the monk's peace. Where there is labor and discipline, there is the progress of the religious. Where there is laughter and looseness, devotion flees. The idle and talkative person is rarely pierced by compunction, and rarely pure from sin. Where there is prompt obedience, there is a joyful conscience. Where there is long-winded chatter, there is negligence in one's work. Where there is self-seeking, there is a lack of charity. Where the teaching of Christ flourishes, the soul's salvation grows.
The Discipline of Moderation
The importance of moderation, discretion, and silence in maintaining community harmony and personal devotion.
Where there is harmony among brothers, there is a sweet melody. Where moderation is kept, the virtue of harmony lasts longer. When discretion is used to correct the faults of others, no one has a right to complain, nor should they easily grow indignant at their superior. That is why someone says: Add moderation to everything; moderation is the most beautiful virtue. Where there is patience, there is a great victory over the enemy. When disturbance enters, peace quickly leaves the house. Close the door of your mouth, and weigh your words before you speak.
Truth and Deceit in the Heart
An exploration of how sincerity and truthfulness lead to spiritual security, while duplicity leads to moral decay.
Where there is faith and truth, there is the security of peace. Where there is deceit and wickedness, there is foolish thinking and blind judgment. Where there is love, there is the Holy Spirit. Where there is the slightest suspicion, there is frequent indignation. Where there is knowledge of the truth, there is joy for those who are upright in heart. Where there is a fabricated story, there often lies the betrayal of a friend. Where there is humble confession, there is easy attainment of forgiveness. Where earthly wisdom fails, there divine protection must be invoked all the more. Anyone who maliciously pretends to be unjust will meet a bad end. There is great peace for the person who acts well and prepares himself for patience. Woe to the person who is wicked in evil and fake in good, because no one is harmed more by his own iniquity than he is himself. Where there is duplicity, there is inconstancy and much wickedness. It goes well for the simple and just person who is without deceit, because God is with him, directing all his works on a straight path. If someone keeps his word poorly, who will easily believe him? But whoever changes his word for the better does not break the word of truth. It's delightful to hear good things, but it's more praiseworthy to put them into practice.
The Path of Contemplation
Practical methods for deepening devotion, including prayer and the constant remembrance of Christ's passion.
The best kind of conversation is the kind that improves your life. The fruit of good conversation is to abstain from sin and to make progress in virtue. The fruit of devout prayer is to unite your heart with God in the fervor of the Holy Spirit. The person who shuts out all vanity from himself prays devoutly. Whoever keeps the image of the Crucified before them quickly repels the devil's fantasies. A beautiful imagination for the soul is the constant remembrance of Christ's passion. Whoever considers the sacred wounds of Jesus daily softens, cleanses, and heals the wounds of their own mind. Whoever treats all earthly things as mud and desires no honors, gains purity of heart and is able to be free to attend to God.
The Sacrifice of Praise
The necessity of attributing all good works to God alone, exemplified by the humility of Mary and the Apostle Paul.
The person who deeply humbles themselves and carefully considers, laments, and weeps over their own failings is the one who truly praises and honors God. The true contrition of a humble sinner's heart is a great cry in the ears of God. Whatever good you do, do it for the praise of God. Whoever refers their own virtues and any good works of others simply, completely, purely, and freely to the praise and honor of God—ascribing everything to God and attributing nothing to their own merits or strength, but stripping and laying themselves bare of all things—that person thoroughly tramples and kills pride, envy, and vainglory. For people deprive themselves of eternal glory and honor if they rejoice in themselves rather than in God alone, the highest good. And so, the blessed Virgin Mary, rejoicing in her most devout canticle for the greatest gifts bestowed upon her, says: My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Whoever thinks they are something when they are nothing deceives themselves, as the Apostle Paul says. Even though he was caught up to the third heaven, he wasn't puffed up by it; instead, he faithfully attributed everything good he did, taught, and wrote to God, saying: “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
Read the original Latin
Manete in dilectione mea. Vox Christi vox dulcis ad audiendum: salubris omnibus ad oboediendum. Amor Christi iucunditas mentis, paradisus animae; excludit mundum, vincit diabolum: claudit infernum, aperit caelum. Amor Christi et mundi contrarii sunt: et nihil commune habent, nec simul commorari possunt. Amor Christi currus Eliae ascendens in caelum: amor mundi quadriga diaboli trahens ad infernum. Amor sui laesio sui: oblivio mundi inventio caeli. Plus nocet blanda locutio ficti amici: quam dura correptio hominis iusti. Cogitatio dolosi fingit mendacia: mens iusti recte procedit in causis.
Non evadet scandalum: qui alteri infert scandalum. Rector et cognitor omnium Deus non diu patitur oviculam suam errare et balare; sed aut baculo timoris feriens revocat: aut amoris oculo intuens ad conscientiam reducit. Vbi pax et concordia: ibi Deus et omnia bona. Vbi lis et dissensio: ibi diabolus et omnia mala. Vbi humilitas: ibi sapientia. Vbi superbia: ibi radix malitiae. Vince superbiam: et invenies pacem magnam. Vbi dura verba: ibi laeduntur caritatis viscera.
Vbi solitudo et silentium: ibi quies monachorum. Vbi ‘labor et disciplina: ibi profectus religiosorum. Vbi risus et dissolutio: ibi fugit devotio. Otiosus et verbosus raro compunctus: raro a delicto purus. Vbi prompta oboedientia: ibi laeta conscientia. Vbi fabulatio longa: ibi operis neglegentia. Vbi propria exquisitio: ibi caritatis defectus. Vbi doctrina Christi viget: ibi salus animae crescit.
Vbi fratrum concordia: ibi dulcis melodia. Vbi mediocritas servatur: ibi virtus concordiae diutius perseverat. Vbi discretio in corsripiendo culpas aliorum custoditur; ibi nemo iuste conqueri debet: nec facile praelato indignari. Vnde quidam. Omnibus adde modum: modus est pulcherrima virtus. Vbi patientia: ibi magna hostis victoria. Vbi turbatio intrat: ibi pax cito de domo recedit. Claude oris ostium: et pondera verba tua antequam loquaris.
Vbi fides et veritas: ibi pacis securitas. Vbi dolus et nequitia: ibi stulta cogitatio et caeca prudentia. Vbi caritas: ibi Spiritus sanctus. Vbi levis suspicio: ibi frequens indignatio. Vbi veritatis cognitio: ibi rectis corde laetitia. Vbi ficta narratio: ibi saepe amici deceptio latet. Vbi humilis confessio: ibi facilis veniae impetratio. Vbi terrena sapientia deficit: ibi divina protectio amplius est invocanda.
Quicumque malitiose iniusta praetendit: ipse malum finem consequetur. Pax multa bene agenti: et ad patientiam se praeparanti. Vae impio in malo et ficto in bono: quia nemini plus nocet iniquitas sua quam ipsa sibi. Vbi duplicitas: ibi inconstantia et multa nequitia. Bene simplici et iusto sine dolo: quia Deus cum eo dirigens omnia opera eius itinere recto. Qui verbum suum male servat; quis facile ei credet? Qui autem verbum suum in melius mutat: verbum veritatis non infringit. Delectabile est bona audire: sed laudabile magis opere exercere.
Optima collatio: vitae emendatio. Fructus bonae collationis abstinere a peccatis: et proficere in virtutibus. Fructus devotae orationis: unire cor suum cum Deo in fervore sancti Spiritus. Ille devote orat: qui omnia vana a se excludit. Qui imaginem Crucifixi sibi praeponit: diabolica phantasmata cito repellit. Pulchra animae imaginatio: passionis Christi iugis recordatio. Qui sacra Iesu vulnera cotidie pensat: mentis suae vulnera mitigat purgat et curat. Qui omnia terrena tamquam lutum vilipendit nec honores desiderat; cordis munditiam acquirit: et Deo libere vacare potest.
Ille Deum summe laudat et honorat; qui se ipsum profunde humiliat: et defectus suos caute considerat gemit et plorat. Magnus clamor in auribus Dei: vera contritio cordis ex ore humilis peccatoris. Quidquid boni facis: ad laudem Dei facias. Qui virtutes suas et aliorum quaelibet opera bona simpliciter et integre pure et libere ad laudem et honorem Dei refert: totum Deo ascribendo, nil meritis suis nec viribus attribuendo; sed ab omnibus se spoliat et denudat: superbiam invidiam et vanam gloriam funditus calcat et necat. Aeterna namque gloria et honore se privat: qui sin se et non in Deo solo summo bono gaudet. Ideoque beata virgo Maria pro maximis donis sibi collatis in suo devotissimo cantico iubilans dicit. Exultavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari meo. Qui se aliquid esse putat cum nihil sit: se ipsum seducit ait apostolus Paulus.
Qui in tertium caelum raptus, non est ex hoc elatus; sed quidquid boni fecit docuit et dictavit: hoc totum fideliter Deo attribuit dicens. Gratia Dei sum id quod sum.
The Little Garden of Roses & The Valley of Lilies companion
Fourteen readings down. The other 39 chapters are waiting.
Chosen Portion serves the complete Little Garden and Valley of Lilies — plus the Imitation — as daily portions.
These treatises were composed as brief daily counsels for a community's rhythm of reading, and Chosen Portion delivers them the same way: one short chapter each morning.
- All 53 chapters of both treatises in modern readable English
- A new short reading delivered every morning, no deciding what's next
- Complete both treatises in under two months at one chapter a day