De gloria coniugalium
The Silver Wall and the Gloria Patri
Tundale is led by divine power through a shining silver wall into a heavenly choir singing the Gloria Patri.
It was a wall of silver, shining bright, magnificent and beautiful. And yet no gate appeared in it at all. Not knowing how, he was brought through it by divine power; he entered, and looking around, he saw choirs of saints, exulting and saying: 'Glory to you, God the Father. Glory to you, Son; glory to you, Holy Spirit.'
The Radiant Choirs of the Married Saints
The men and women of the choir are described in their white, snow-like garments, joyful and persevering in praise of the Trinity.
Now these who were singing were men. And the women were clothed in white garments, and the most precious ones.1 And they were exceedingly beautiful, without any stain or wrinkle.✦ Joyful and cheerful, always rejoicing and exulting, and persevering in the praise of the holy and eternal Trinity.2 Now the brightness of the garments was like snow— freshly fallen.
A Litany of Heavenly Delights
The vision overflows with radiant light, harmonious music, and a cascade of virtues: brightness, delight, beauty, honor, health, eternity, unanimity, and equal love.
Struck by a ray of the sun. Indeed, diverse voices harmonizing. How musical a melody they rendered, and what sounds! Brightness. Delightfulness. Pleasantness. Cheerfulness. Beauty. Honor. Health. Eternity. Unanimity. All were equal, and so was their love.
The Fragrance of the Field and the Absence of Night
The surpassing fragrance and beauty of the place are described, with no night, no sadness, and all burning with love.
What can I say about the fragrance of that field where they were? For its surpassing beauty exceeded all spices and aromas, and that sweetness was most delightful. and a delightful fragrance. There was no night there.✦ Sadness was absent; all burned with love.
The Soul's Plea to Remain
The soul begs to stay in this rest, and the angel promises even greater rewards, prompting the soul to ask whose rewards these are.
Then the soul speaks. 'Please, my Lord — I beg you, let us stay in this rest.' The angel answered. 'Good for you.' Even though these things may seem great, you will see even greater rewards of the saints.' And the soul. 'Lord,' it says. 'Whose souls are these rewards for?'
The Reward of Faithful Married Couples
The angel reveals that these are the souls of married people who kept their marriage bed pure, governed their households well, and gave alms.
The angel said: Of married people — that is, of those who did not defile the marriage bed with the stain of illicit adultery. and kept the faith of lawful marriage, and managed their households well. and gave their temporal goods to the poor and to strangers, and bestowed them on churches. To them the just judge is going to speak at the final judgment.
The Voice of the Just Judge
The words of Christ from Matthew 25 are spoken: 'Come, you who are blessed' and 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.'
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, and receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.✦ I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me.✦
The Soul's Second Plea and the Promise of Greater Things
The angel urges the soul higher; the soul again begs to remain, and the angel replies that even though she does not deserve it, she will see something greater.
And he added: 'We still need to go higher, and to see the things that are above.' And the soul. 'Lord,' he said, 'if I have found favor in your eyes, let me remain in this rest. I don't want to go any higher, if it's your will; and it is most precious to me to remain with these.' I'm not looking for anything more, and I don't care to. I don't desire anything better.' And the angel. Even though you don't deserve it, you'll still see something greater than this.
The Journey Forward and the Saints' Welcome
They set out without labor, and the souls they pass bow their heads, greet Tundale by name, and praise God for her deliverance.
And after these words were spoken, they set out and didn't labor long, for the journey seemed to them no labor at all. And whomever they passed among in all the troops. With heads bowed, their heads. And with joyful faces, the souls they encountered would meet them with enormous gladness,3 and greeting her by her own name, they would call to her, and they glorified God who had set her free, saying, 'Praise to you, Lord, king of eternal glory, who do not wish for the death of the sinner. but that she be converted and live.'
A Prayer of Praise for Mercy
The saints conclude by praising God, who in mercy has rescued this soul from hell and set her free among the saints.
who according to your mercy. you have deigned to rescue this soul from the torments of hell, and to set it free in the company of your saints.
Read the original Latin
Erat enim murus argenteus. splendidus. multum atque decorus. Et anime quidem nulla in ea apparebat porta. nesciens tamen quomodo eam divina introduxit potentia; intravit et circumspiciens vidit choros sanctorum. exultantium et dicentium. 'Gloria tibi deus pater. gloria tibi fili; gloria tibi spiritus sancte.'
Hi vero qui cantabant viri. et femine erant vestiti candidis vestimentis. et preciosissimis. et erant pulcherrimi sine ulla macula et ruga. iocundi et hylares. gaudentes semper et exultantes; et in laude sancte sempiterneque trinitatis perseverarantes. Candor autem vestimentorum sicut nix. recens erat.
percussus solis radio. Voces vero diverse consonantes. quam musicum melos reddebant sonos. Claritas. iocunditas. amenitas. hylaritas. pulchritudo.
honestas. sanitas. eternitas. unanimitas. omnibus equalis erat et karitas.
De odore quid dicam illius campi; in quo erant isti? Superabat enim ommum odoramentorum et aromatum species ille dulcissimus. et delectabilis odor. Nox ibi non erat. tristicia aberat; dilectione cuncti fervebant.
Tunc ait anima. 'Placeat domine mi obsecro; ut in hac requie maneamus.' Respondit angelus. 'Bene tibi sit. licet ista videantur magna tamen maiora sanctorum videbis premia.' Et anima. 'domine' ait. 'quarum ista premia sunt animarum?'
Angelus dixit. 'Coniugalium illorum videlicet. et illarum qui maritale thorum illiciti adulterii macula non coinquinaverunt. et legitimi coniugii fidem servaverunt; sed et familias suas bene regebant. et bona sua temporalia pauperibus et peregrinis. et ecclesiis tribuebant. Quibus iudex iustus. in extremo iudicio est dicturus.
Venite benedicti patris mei possidete regnum vobis paratum ab origine mundi. Esurivi enim et dedistis mihi manducare; sitivi et dedistis mihi bibere; hospes fui et suscepistis me.'
Et adiunxit. 'Oportet nos adhuc ascendere; et illa que superius sunt videre.' Et anima. 'domine' inquit 'si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis; fac me in ista requie permanere. Nolo enim altius si tua fuerit voluntas ascendere; et cum istis carissimum est mihi perseverare. Non quero neque curo. nec melius habere desidero.' Et angelus.
'Licet non merearis; tamen his meliora videbis.'
Et post hec dicta profecti non multum laboraverunt; videbatur namque eis nullus labor. et quoscumque in omnibus turmis pertransibant. inclinatis. capitibus. et letis vultibus cum inmani gaudio anime occurrebant. et eam proprio vocantes nomine salutabant; et deum qui eam liberavit glorificabant dicentes. 'Laus tibi domine rex eterne glorie qui non vis mortem peccatoris. sed ut convertatur et vivat.
qui secundum misericordiam tuam. ab inferni cruciatibus dignatus es animam istam eripere; et sanctorum tuorum consortio liberare.'
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.5.27 — so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she might be holy and blameless.
- ↩Rev.22.5 — And there will be no more night, and they will have no need of the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
- ↩Matt.25.34 — Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
- ↩Matt.25.35-Matt.25.36 — For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in; Matt.25.36 — I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.
Notes
- 1 ↩Elliptical construction; 'preciosissimis' continues the ablative phrase from the previous sentence, referring to the garments.
- 2 ↩perseverarantes is a non-classical/medieval form of perseverantes.
- 3 ↩anime is morphologically ambiguous (nom. pl. or abl. pl.); taken here as nominative subject of occurrebant, with ablative absolute reading (inclinatis capitibus) as a separate participial phrase. Temporal reading of cum preferred over concessive.
Visions of Tondal (Les Visions du chevalier Tondal) companion
Tondal came back and changed how he lived daily. That's the whole point.
Chosen Portion builds the daily practice Tondal's vision demanded: a morning reading that keeps eternity in view.
The Visio was written 'for the edification of many' as a spur to daily amendment of life, and Chosen Portion supplies that daily spur with a morning reading and evening examen.
- A daily portion from historic texts on living well and dying well
- The complete 27-chapter Visions of Tondal in modern readable English
- A built-in daily examen prompt — 2 minutes at day's end