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Chapter 11VitC.1.11

Vita Caroli

A Dream on the Road to Tussyn

While traveling through Bohemia, the narrator receives a powerful dream vision of the parable of the hidden treasure from Matthew's gospel and, upon awakening, completes its exposition with divine help.

When we had come into Bohemia, it happened that we traveled from Boleslavia to Tussyn, and as sleep began to overtake us, a powerful vision came to us concerning that gospel: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field,' etc.✦ which is read on the feast day of Ludmilla. And so, beginning to imagine in dreams, I started on an exposition. Having awakened, I retained the concept of the first part of the gospel, and so, with divine grace helping, I completed it. It begins like this: 'The kingdom of heaven is like,' etc.✦

The Depths of Scripture and a Humble Offering

Acknowledging the unfathomable depth of the gospels through Paul's words in Romans, the narrator humbly offers his exposition to the brothers, asking them to receive it with pure and sincere hearts.

Brothers, no one can expound the eloquence of the holy gospels, because their understanding is of such depth that no one can fully reach their height, nor sufficiently narrate their meaning. As Paul says in his epistle: 'O depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!'✦ And likewise: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?'✦ Nevertheless, as much as has been given to me from above by divine mercy — from which every best gift and every perfect gift descends from on high, as James writes in his canonical epistle — I desire to describe something to you for the understanding of this holy gospel. I ask you, dearest brothers, to receive it and to contemplate it with the sincerity of a pure heart.✦

The Treasure, the Field, and the Contrite Heart

The exposition unfolds: the hidden treasure signifies the Holy Spirit found through love and grace, the field is the human heart, and only the truly contrite can find and guard this treasure from the devil, hastening to good works with joy.

Your beloved has heard, then, that in this present parable Matthew compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field — and by that treasure the Holy Spirit is signified not improperly, whom a person finds through love and the grace of Jesus Christ, who promised the faithful in the Gospel of John, saying: "I will ask my Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth."✦✦ By the field, however — or by the earth, in which that treasure is found — the heart of a person is signified, where a person sows good and evil works, which bear fruit for their soul hereafter, according to what has been sown there. In part, Luke hints at this, saying: "That which fell on good ground — these are the ones who, in a good and excellent heart, hear the word of God, retain it, and bear fruit in patience."✦ That treasure, moreover, is truly hidden from sinners and the unworthy, who do not wish to have knowledge or to do penance — and so they lose the eyes of grace, because, blinded, they cannot find that treasure. Of these the prophet says: "They have eyes, but they will not see."✦ But a person who is truly contrite finds that treasure through the grace of Jesus Christ, as was said above — because, according to the psalmic word: "A contrite and humbled heart God does not despise, but with his abounding mercy comforts it always and helps it," as is read in the psalm: "Delight in the Lord, and he will give you the petitions of your heart."✦✦ When a truly contrite person finds that treasure, they hide it in their heart, watching and fearing and guarding it — lest the devil, our adversary, who, as Peter says, prowls around seeking someone to devour, should snatch it from their heart.✦ According to this, it can be understood from what is read in the Gospel of Matthew: "Let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing."✦ But it should be noted that the phrase 'he goes in the joy of it' signifies haste — for we ought to hasten to good works.✦

Selling All: Renunciation, Confession, and Heavenly Treasure

Drawing on Luke and Matthew, the narrator explains that finding the treasure demands selling all one's sins through renunciation, confessing sincerely before a priest, taking up good works, and storing up imperishable treasure in heaven.

As the Gospel of Luke has it: "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, the lame, and the weak."✦ It follows from the earlier parable that once the man found the treasure, he went away and sold everything he had — namely his sins — through the renunciation of evil works.✦ To this is added what is written in Matthew, as recorded also in the Gospel of Luke: "Whoever has left behind all that he has," and again: "Unless anyone has renounced all that he possesses, he cannot be my disciple."✦✦ This selling and renunciation ought to take place in the marketplace — and not just any marketplace, but in the marketplace of conscience alone: through sincere confession, full contrition, and before a priest appointed for this by God, according to Christ's teaching: "Go, show yourselves to the priests."✦ James urges us toward this in his epistle, saying: "Confess your sins to one another."✦ For once he has sold those evil works and renounced them, he ought to take up good works and gain possession of that field — namely, the heart — which he ought to hold in love and patience, and in it store up the aforementioned treasure. If the treasure remains steadfast in the kingdom of heaven, he will possess it forever, according to Matthew's words: "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys."✦

Read the original Latin

Cum autem venissemus in Boemiam, contigit nos venire de Boleslavia in Tussyn, et cum sompnus nos cepisset invadere, supervenit nobis fortis imaginacio de illo evangelio: "Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in agro" etc. , quod legitur in die Ludmille. Et sic incipiens imaginari in sompniis incepi expositionem. Evigilans vero retinui conceptum prime partis evangelii et sic divina gratia adiuvante perfeci, que sic incipit: "Simile est regnum celorum" etc. Fratres, eloquium sanctorum evangeliorum nemo potest exponere, quia intellectus eorum tante est profunditatis, quod nemo potest ad eorum eminenciam plene pertingere, nec ipsorum sensum sufficienter enarrare. Quod Paulus in epistola ait: "O altitudo diviciarum, sapiencie et sciencie dei, quam incomprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et investigabiles vie eius." Et idem: "Quis enim cognovit sensum domini, aut quis consiliarius eius fuit." Tamen quantum michi datum est desuper a divina clemencia, a qua omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum desursum descendit, ut scribit Jacobus in canonica sua, ad intelligenciam istius sancti evangelii vobis aliquid describere cupio, quod vos, carissimi, fraterne rogo suscipere et puri cordis sinceritate contemplari.

Audivit namque vestra dileccio, quod Matheus in presenti parabola regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in agro assimilat, per quem quidem thesaurum non improprie spiritus sanctus designatur, quem homo invenit per caritatem et graciam Jesu Christi, qui promisit fidelibus in evangelio Johannis dicens: "Rogabo patrem meum, et alium paraclitum dabit vobis, ut maneat vobiscum in eternum, spiritum veritatis." Per agrum vero sive per terram, in quo thesaurus ille inuenitur, designatur cor hominis, ubi seminat homo bona et mala opera, quae referunt fructum anime sue inposterum, prout ibi seminavit, sicut a parte innuit Lucas dicens: "Quod autem cecidit in terram bonam, hii sunt, qui in corde bono et optimo audientes verbum dei retinent et fructum afferunt in paciencia." Thesaurus autem ille vere est absconditus a peccatoribus et indignis, qui nolunt cognicionem habere nec penitenciam agere, et sic perdunt oculos gracie, quod thesaurum illum invenire non possunt excecati. De quibus dicit propheta: "Oculos habent et non videbunt." Sed homo vere contritus invenit illum thesaurum per graciam Jesu Christi, ut supra dictum est, quia iuxta verbum psalmisticum: "Cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicit, sed sua exuberante misericordia illud consolatur semper et coadiuvat, ut legitur in psalmo: "Delectare in domino, et dabit tibi peticiones cordis tui." Thesaurum vero illum cum homo contritus invenit, abscondit eum in corde suo, vigilans et timens atque custodiens eum, ne diabolus, adversarius noster, qui, ut Petrus ait, circuit querens, quem devoret, ipsum aufferat de corde suo. Secundum quod potest intelligi, quod in evangelio Mathei legitur: "Nesciat sinistra tua, quid faciat dextra tua." Sed notandum est, quod "pre gaudio illius vadit," quod designat festinacionem, nam ad bona opera festinare debemus.

Unde in evangelio Luce: "Exi cito in plateas et vicos civitatis et pauperes et claudos, ac debiles introduc huc." Sequitur autem in superiori parabola, quod homo ille invento thesauro abiit et vendidit universa, que habuit, scilicet peccata sua, per renunciacionem malorum operum. Ad quod accedit, quod de Matheo in evangelio Luce scribitur: "Qui reliquit omnia sua," et illud: "Nisi quis renunciaverit omnibus, que possidet non potest meus esse discipulus." Que uendicio et renunciacio debet fieri in foro, et non in quolibet, sed in foro consciencie duntaxat, per puram videlicet confessionem, integram contricionem, et coram sacerdote per deum ad hoc deputato secundum doctrinam Christi: "Ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus." Ad quod Jacobus in epistola sua nos hortatur, dicens: "Confitemini alterutrum peccata vestra." Pro quibus quidem malis operibus cum ea vendiderit et ipsis renunciaverit, debet bona opera recipere et possessione agri illius, videlicet cordis, quem possidere debet in charitate et paciencia, et in eo thesaurum predictum recondere. Quem thesaurum in regno celorum, si perseverans remanserit, in eternum possidebit iuxta dictum Mathei: "Thesaurisate vobis thesauros in celis, ubi nec tinea nec erugo demolitur."

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  2. ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  3. ↩Rom.11.33 — Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how inscrutable his ways!
  4. ↩Rom.11.34 — For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor?
  5. ↩Jas.1.17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
  6. ↩John.14.16-John.14.17 — And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. John.14.17 — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he abides with you and will be in you.
  7. ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  8. ↩Luke.8.15 — But that on the good soil — these are the ones who, in a good and noble heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit in endurance.
  9. ↩Jer.5.21;Ps.115.5 — Hear this, O foolish people, and without understanding; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear. Ps.115.5 — They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see.
  10. ↩Ps.51.17 — Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
  11. ↩Ps.37.4 — Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
  12. ↩1Pet.5.8 — Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
  13. ↩Matt.6.3 — But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
  14. ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  15. ↩Luke.14.21 — And the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house was angry and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame.'
  16. ↩Matt.13.44 — The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  17. ↩Luke.14.33 — So therefore, none of you who does not say goodbye to all that he has can be my disciple.
  18. ↩Matt.19.27 — Then Peter answered him, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?'
  19. ↩Luke.17.14 — And when he saw them, he said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed.
  20. ↩Jas.5.16 — Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful as it works.
  21. ↩Matt.6.19-Matt.6.20 — Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matt.6.20 — But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.

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