De reditu Domini ex jEgypto, et initio poenitentice Joannis Baptistce
The Return from Egypt
The Holy Family is called out of Egypt and returns to the land of Israel in obedience to the Angel.
The Return from Egypt. When nearly seven years had passed—the time the Lord spent as a pilgrim in Egypt—and Herod had died, the Lord was called out of Egypt. This is because, as the histories say, Christ was born in the thirtieth year of Herod’s reign, and Herod died in the thirty-eighth year of his reign. This happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet Hosea might be fulfilled: 'Out of Egypt I called my Son,' referring to his consubstantial Son.1 This is read literally regarding the calling and exodus of Israel from Egypt, who is also sometimes called a child and a son by the Lord. This authority, therefore, has a double literal sense, because it was verified literally regarding the people of Israel, called by the Lord out of Egypt; yet it applies more perfectly to our Lord Jesus Christ, because He is the natural Son of God, while others are sons by adoption. In the first year of Archelaus, the son of Herod, and in the eighth year of our Lord, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying to him: 'Take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel,' that is, into Judea. For those who were seeking the life of the Child—that is, His physical life—were dead: namely, Herod and his accomplices, and those who supported the death of the Lord, namely the Scribes and Pharisees. For, according to Josephus, Herod ordered many of the Jewish nobles to be killed upon his own death, so that he might force the Jews who hated him to weep at his death; or, Herod died literally, and the others died regarding their power. From this passage, therefore, according to Jerome, we understand that not only Herod, but also the priests and scribes, had meditated on the death of the Lord at that same time. But as Remigius says, by the fact that the Angel is said to have appeared to Joseph in a dream, it is mystically signified that those who rest from earthly cares and secular business deserve to be comforted by an angelic vision. Therefore Joseph, rising up like an obedient servant, took the Child like a concerned foster-father, and His Mother like a devoted companion, and began to return to the land of Israel through the desert.
The Desert and the Baptist
The journey through the desert serves as a meditation on Christ's early labors and the ascetic example of John the Baptist.
They go, therefore, and pass through the desert through which they came; go you also with them, offering help and service, and giving to them whatever you can. And on that very journey you can sympathize with them and look upon them as they are worn out and overcome by labor, having little rest, both by day and by night. Oh, how much that noble and delicate Child, the King of heaven and earth, labored for us, and how early He began! The Prophet foretold this in His person: "I am poor and in labors from my youth." He took on great hardships, arduous labor, and harsh bodily afflictions with the utmost constancy, and held Himself as if in hatred for the sake of our love. Certainly, this is the only labor we are discussing now. It is said, however, that near the end of that desert, the child John the Baptist had already begun to practice penance, even though he had no sin. It is said he sought the desert when he was seven years old, and that the place of the Jordan, where John himself baptized, is the same place where the children of Israel crossed when they came from Egypt through that very desert—near which place, in that same desert, John practiced penance. As one who would be a preacher of penance, he chose and sought out the hardships of the wilderness as soon as he could. He spent his early years there so that, by living in the deserts, he might lead an austere life and more easily detach both himself and his listeners from the love and allurements of the world, calling them back. He also did this so he might be freer to devote himself to contemplation, drawing upon the divine wisdom he would later pour out in his preaching. It is good, therefore, to follow his example and bear the yoke of the Lord from one's youth; while nature is still tender, it is good to accustom oneself to good things and to precede one's listeners in the actual practice of what is preached. From this we argue that no one should assume the role of a teacher of others before he has become perfect himself. John stayed in the desert, where the air is purer, the heavens are more open, and God is more familiar. Since the time for baptism and preaching hadn't yet arrived, he could be free for prayer, live in the company of angels, be nourished away from the malice of the many, and fear no one in his rebukes, having nothing on his conscience and being worthy of the faith he was about to preach and testify to regarding Christ. After all, no one can be a suitable witness for another unless he has first been one for himself. He fled the crowds and the tumult of the people so that he wouldn't contract any infamy from living among them, or any stain of scandal or sin. If he had remained in the world, he might have been corrupted by the malice and the ways of men. He fled the world, therefore, to guard his holiness and to ensure he wouldn't stain his life with even a light word or sin. For, according to Chrysostom, just as it's impossible for a tree planted by the roadside to keep its fruit until it's ripe, it's impossible for a person living in the midst of the world to keep their innocence until the end of their life. There are, however, certain trees that, even though they're planted in a garden—so that passersby cannot reach the trunk—still spread their branches out over the road and are bothered by those passing by; it's the same with religious who entangle themselves in worldly business.
The Model of the Religious Life
John the Baptist is presented as the leader of monks, and the reader is exhorted to pursue true interior perfection over mere outward appearance.
This child John is truly excellent and wonderful. For he was the first hermit. He is the beginning and the way for those who wish to live a religious life. Peter of Ravenna writes of his unique way of life: "While still a young child, he was led by the Spirit into the desert, and the weakness of his age—which the majesty of the Lord made fruitful—was no obstacle." John left the world, fled from people, ignored his homeland, rejected his parents, and fixed his gaze solely on the height of blessed contemplation of the Divinity. What a marvelous way of life, that a man who had barely entered the world should flee its glory, and not only forget the desires of the age, but be ignorant of them, establishing a perpetual fellowship with the Divinity! The hidden mountain retreats, the winding forests, and the vastness of the valleys below served as the child patriarch's home when night fell. Thus John, having outgrown his infancy and forgotten the nobility of his birth, gave himself entirely to the Divinity; he is the model of life, the purpose of monks, the beginning of hermits, and the affirmation of the whole religious life. Chrysostom says: "Just as the Apostles are the leaders of priests, so John the Baptist is the leader of monks, as the Hebrew scripture records and as is remembered to this day." Consider your dignity, monks: John is the leader of your dignity. The monk himself, from the moment he is born, lives in the desert, is nourished in the desert, and waits for Christ in solitude; he doesn't want to associate with people, but is tested in the desert with the angels. It's a blessed way of life to despise people, seek the angels, leave the cities, and find Christ in solitude. He didn't look for Christ in the temple, but in the desert; he separated himself from the crowd. For eyes that are waiting for Christ, it's not worth looking at anything but Christ. Blessed are those who imitate John, than whom no one born of women was greater. So says Chrysostom. Therefore, monks are unhappy if they don't follow John, their leader, but abandon their solitude and associate with people in the cities—for whom solitude is a prison and the town is a paradise. Jerome didn't feel that way, for he said: "Let others think what they will, everyone is judged by their own sense; for me, the town is a prison and solitude is a paradise." So says Jerome. Let the monk, therefore, recognize his name. In Greek, it is called 'monachos,' which in Latin means 'one.' In Greek, 'monachos' is also said to mean 'sad' in Latin; and so a monk is interpreted as someone who is 'one' and 'sad.' Let him sit alone in sorrow, attending to his own duty rather than usurping the duty of another. Yet if he wishes to teach, let him hear the counsel of Hugh, who says: "The simplicity of your habit, the plainness of your face, and the holiness of your conduct ought to teach men." You teach better by fleeing the world than by following it. He should also, according to the counsel of Gregory, always keep watch over the reverence of his habit in his thoughts and speech, so that he may perfectly abandon the things of the world, and what he shows to human eyes by his appearance, he may also demonstrate before the eyes of God by his character. Do not boast, therefore, that you are in solitude or in the religious life, or that you have been for a long time, unless you have lived well in it; for it will profit you nothing. Indeed, you will suffer great loss if you are called a hermit or a religious, yet do not live the life. For as Jerome says, it is not being in Jerusalem that is to be praised, but living well in Jerusalem. Hence Augustine says to the hermit brothers: "It doesn't profit us enough that we have sought out this place if we are the same as we could have been in the world." Does the dwelling of this secret place profit us at all, when malice reigns in us with tyrannical power, when anger rides over us, when the human eye induces in us a greater victory than the divine, when we believe we are outside the world as praiseworthy hermits, yet through the vices of various passions we keep the world enclosed within us, so that we who thought we were helping the world itself with our prayers, find it almost necessary to appear as if we are the ones in greater need of the world's intercessors? There is no doubt that the soul possessed by the desire for worldly pleasures cannot become the kingdom of God. And so, brothers, look at your calling: to come to the desert is a great perfection, but not to live perfectly in the desert is a great condemnation. What good is it if your surroundings are quiet, but your heart is full of restlessness? I ask you, what is the point if there is silence in the house, but a tumult of vices and a struggle of passions within those who live there; if our exterior is calm, but our interior is a storm? We didn't come to this place so the world would serve us, or so we could live in abundance and enjoy total peace. We didn't come for rest or security; we came for battle. We have stepped into the arena, and we are rushing to wage war against our vices, so that we might be tempered by the sword of the tongue, and so that we might not only refrain from causing injury, but also not immediately feel it when it's done to us—Augustine says this. But alas! Few religious are found today who progress from good to better, and ascend from virtue to virtue. Hence Bernard says: "You'll find it much easier for many secular people to convert to the good than for one religious to move on to something better." It is a very rare bird on earth who ascends even a little from the level they once happened to reach in the religious life. You must either ascend or descend: if you try to stand still, you'll fall.
Settling in Nazareth
The Holy Family settles in Nazareth to avoid the dangers of Judea, fulfilling prophecy and establishing the home of the Holy of Holies.
And again: "A person is certainly good who doesn't want to be better, and where you begin to stop wanting to become better, there you stop being good." So says Bernard. Joseph and Mary, with the child Jesus, crossed the Jordan and entered the land of Israel, just as the angel had commanded. The angel hadn't specified which part of the land of Israel, nor had he named any city specifically, so that Joseph, in his uncertainty, would have to return again. Through the angel's return to instruct him about the location, and through the angel's more frequent visits and conversations with him, Joseph would be made more certain and more comforted. The fact that Jesus returned to his own country reminds us that we, too, should hasten toward our own homeland. But when Joseph heard that Archelaus, the son of Herod the elder, was reigning in Judea in place of his father, he was afraid to go there, fearing Archelaus, the heir to his father's cruelty. He knew that Archelaus, as the primary successor, was more zealous for his father's cause, and that the full force of the persecution was raging in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas. The term 'Judea' is sometimes used for the entire land of the twelve tribes, as in the verse: 'God is known in Judea'; sometimes for only the land of the tribe of Judah, as in: 'Judea and Jerusalem, do not be afraid'; and sometimes for the land of the two tribes, namely Judah and Benjamin, as it is used here when it says that Archelaus reigned in Judea—a division of Judea after the death of Herod. The kingdom was therefore divided, and it was already being ruled by several people. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that, according to the more probable opinion, Herod made a will before he died in which he appointed his son Archelaus as his successor to the kingdom, though with the condition that he could not take the crown for himself except through the Roman Emperor. He came to Rome to receive the crown, but his two brothers, Herod Antipas and Philip—who were still alive after their father's death—also came to Rome, because their father had put his other three sons (his firstborn, Antipater, along with Alexander and Aristobulus) to death before his own miserable end, and they sought a share of their father's inheritance. Eventually, the Emperor and the Roman Senate, hoping to curb Jewish pride and prevent further rebellion, stripped them of the royal title and divided the kingdom into four parts, known as tetrarchies. They gave two of these—Judea and Abilene—to Archelaus, the eldest son. They gave the third, the region of Galilee across the river, to Herod Antipas, under whom John was beheaded and the Lord suffered. They gave the fourth, the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, to Philip, whose wife was taken by his own brother, Herod Antipas. So Archelaus was a diarch, while the other two were tetrarchs. Beyond Herod the Ascalonite and Herod Antipas, there was also a third Herod, known as Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus (who was the son of Herod the Ascalonite). This was the Herod who killed James, the brother of John, with the sword and imprisoned Peter. And because Archelaus had been appointed by his father, as much as lay in his power, to the entire kingdom of the Jews, he was more inclined to favor his father's actions, which is why Joseph was afraid to go into Judea. And being warned in a dream, specifically by an Angel, he went with the Child and His Mother into Galilee, where another son was ruling—namely Herod—who had previously been deprived of the portion due to him from his father, as far as it lay in his power; for this reason, Joseph stayed there with the Child more securely, for it was also the land of Israel, because Israel was living there. He arrived and lived in the city called Nazareth, so that Christ might be raised where He had been conceived, even though He was born in Bethlehem. He could live there more securely than in Jerusalem or Bethlehem, where Archelaus was staying. Chrysostom says: Jesus came to Nazareth not only out of fear of danger, but also moved by love for His homeland, so that He might live there more securely and pleasantly. This happened so that what was said by the Prophets might be fulfilled: 'He shall be called a Nazarene.' This is understood as a sequence of events, not as a cause, because the prophecy isn't the cause of the event; rather, the event is the cause of the prophecy's fulfillment. But Christ was called a Nazarene as much from the name of the place where He was conceived and raised as from the mystery of the Law, in which 'Nazarene' is interpreted as 'Holy,' and all the Scriptures testify that the Lord is Holy. Just as He chose the place where He would be born, He also chose the city where He would be raised while growing up. His name indicates that He, who is essentially the very fountain of holiness and raised in holiness, is rightly called the Holy of Holies, as if the Nazarene of Nazarenes. Nazareth means "flower of the field," "new sprout," or "holiness," and it is written that the Holy of Holies—the Nazarene—grew from the root of this sprout. From this fact—that Christ was called a Nazarene—His disciples and the Christians were first commonly known by the name of Nazarenes. But after Peter held the see of Antioch, they were called Christians by common consent, using the Greek name derived from Christ. Christ chose to be conceived and raised in Nazareth to show that His conception was "flowering" because it was without original sin, and His life was "flowering" because it was without actual sin. Hence Bernard says that the Flower from the root of Jesse loves a flowering homeland. In the fact that He left Egypt, came into Galilee, and lived in Nazareth, we are given an example that we must abandon the state of sin, pass from vices to virtues, and flourish in the perseverance of good works, so that we may thus be able to reach our heavenly homeland.
The Hidden Life of the Child Jesus
The chapter concludes with a reflection on the humble, domestic life of Jesus in Nazareth and a prayer for spiritual return to God.
Look, we have brought the child Jesus back from Egypt. Once he returned, the sisters of our Lady, along with other relatives and friends, came running and hurried to visit them. They, however, stayed in Nazareth and lived a life of poverty. There, Joseph followed his usual trade, while Mary worked at spinning, sewing, and other tasks as she was able; yet, she remained diligent and anxious in her care for her Son. For as Anselm says: "There is no knowledge that can penetrate, nor eloquence that can proclaim, with what sweetness of devotion she cherished the little Child, with what diligence and service she raised the Adolescent, and how she guided him as he grew into the strength of his years." And as she herself revealed to a certain devout person, many times when she held her Son in her lap, out of the overwhelming sweetness of her devotion, she would lean her head against his and shed such tears that she would bathe his head and his whole face with the tears of love, saying: 'O salvation and joy of my soul!' Who could hear this, or ponder it in their mind, and be able to hold back their tears? Consider the works of the infant Christ. From then on, until the boy Jesus was twelve, nothing is written about him or his parents. It is said—and it’s likely—that there is still a small spring in Nazareth where our Lady used to go, and from which the boy Jesus would often draw water to serve his mother, as he was subject to her. He who gives food to every living creature would therefore, as a supreme delight, sometimes bring water to his mother. He would even gather herbs in the fields, from which his mother would prepare their greens. The humble Lord performed such menial tasks for his mother, for he had no one else to serve or help him with his needs. He began to practice humility in good time, and later, boasting of it above all other virtues, he said: "Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." Anselm says: "What little good you think you'll gain if you contemplate him as a boy among boys in Nazareth, if you watch him serving his mother, if you see him assisting her as she works." PRAYER: O most gentle Jesus, who were born of the Virgin and withdrew into the regions of Egypt, and, being called from Egypt, returned to the land of Israel: call me back, Lord, your servant, who have been cast out from the sight of your eyes into the Egypt of this exile, wandering in the darkness of this pilgrimage. From the regions of Egypt, from the darkness of worldly conversation, bring me back in body, bring me back in mind, and bring me back in will. Make me abandon my vices and pass over to the virtues, and deign to lead me into the land of promise—now by faith, hope, and charity, but in the future by reality, vision, glorification, and truth. Amen.
Read the original Latin
REDiTu Ex iEoYPTo. — Gompletis autem fere septem annis , quibus Dominus peregrinatus est in iEgypto, et defuncto Herode, vocatus est Dominus ex iEgypto, quia sicut dicitur in historiis, tricesimo anno regni Herodis, natus est Chrl14J stus, et tncesimo octsvo anno re*> gni sm, mortmis est Herode& Hoc autem fiMmnn est, ut oonsecutrve acBmpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per Oseam prophetam : Ex JEgypto vocojH FUium meum, scilicet copsubstantialem. Hoc au~ tem de vocatione et exitu Isra^ de ^gypto , ad litteram legitur, qui etiam quandoque puer et filius a Domino appellatur. Ista ergo auctoritas habet duplicem sensum Htteralem, quia verificata est ad litteram, de populo Israel, vocato a Domino de ^Egypto; perfectius tamen de 'Oomino nostro Jesu Christo , quia ipse est Filiua Dei naturalis , alii autem sunt filii per adoptioncm. Primo ergo anno Archelai, senioria filii Herodis, et anno Domini octavo, apparuit Angelus Domini Joseph in sonmis dicens ei : Tolle Puerum et Matrem ^us, et vade in terram Israel, sciHcet in Judaeam; defuncti snnt enim, qui qucerebant animam Pueri, id est vitam corporalem, scilicet Herodes et complices ejus, et fautores in mortem Domini, scilicet Scribae et Pharisaei; quia, secundum Josephum, Hcrodes praecepit in morte sua, plures de nobilibus Judaeorum interfici, ut sic cogeret Judaeos qui eum oderant, flere in sua morte; vel Herodes mortuus est ad litteram , alii quoad potestatem. Ex hoc ergo loca, secundum Hieronymum, intelligimus non sohim Herodem, scd et sacerdotes et scribas, codem tempore, necem Domini fuisse meditatos. Ut autem ait Remigius, per hoc quod Angelus in somnis Joseph apparuisse dicitur, mystice dcsignatur, quod illi qui a curis terrenis et secularibus negotiis requiescunt, pcrfini Ahgelica visione mcrentur. Igitur Joseph consurgens, tanquam proroptus obediens, accepit P»erum, tanquam nutritius sollicitus> I et Mairem ejus, tanquam comcs obsequiosus, et coepit redire in terram IsraeL 2 Per desertuk TRANsrr.
— Vadunt crgo et transeunt per dcsertum, pcr quod venerunti Vadc et tu cum eis, auxiKum et servitium exhibens, et impendens ipsis in quibus poteris. Et in ipso itinere poteris compati eis et respicere ipsos fatigatos et labore devictos, et tam de die quam de nocte, parum quietis habentea. O quantum Puer egrcgius ac delicatus, Rex coeli et terrae, pro nobis kboravit,, et quam cito coeperit 1 Unde et Propheta in ejus persona praedixit : Pauper sum ego, et in lahoribus a juventMte mea, Penurias magnas:, labores arduos, et afflictiones duras corporis, constanti^ime assumpsit, et seipsum quasi odio pro amore nostri habuit. Certe solus hic labor, de quo nunc tractamus,. ad plenam redemptionem nostram suf&cere debuisset« 3 HlC JAM PCElfrnENTIAIC AGEBAT JoANNEs RAFnsTA, — Dicitur autem quod prope finem praedicti deserti, jam puer Joannes Baptista pcenitentiam agere coepcrat, cum tamen nullum peccatum haberet, quia dicitur petiisse desertum, dum septem annorum esset, et quod lo— cus Jordanis, ubi baptizavit ipse Joannes, esi ille ubi transicrunt frlii Israel , quando venemnt de iEgypto pcr ipsum desertum : prope quem locum, in eodem deserto, Joannes fecit poenitentiam. Praedicator poenitentiae futurus, quanto citius potuit, aspera solitudinis elegit et petiit, ubi primaevam aetatem transegit, ut vivens in desertis, vitam austeram duceret, et ab amore et iUecebris mundi, et se et auditores suos suspenderet facilius, et revocaret, et ut ibi contemplationi vacaret liberius, divinam sapientiam hauriendo, quam po^tea effudit praedicando. Bonum est igitur ejus exemplo, ab adolescentia jugum Domini portare; et dum natura tenera est, bonis se assuescere, et in praedicandis auditores actu praecedere. Ex quo sumitur argumentum , quod antequam quis perfectus fuerit, aliorum magisterium obtinere non debet.
Manebat Joannes in deserto , ubi est aer purior, coelum apertius, et famiiiarior Deus, ut quia nondum baptismi et praedicationis tempus advenerat, orationibus vacaret, et cum Angelis conversaretur, et extra multorum malitiam nutriretur, et neminem vereretur arguere, nihil sibi conscius, et esset fide dignus, qui Christum erat praedicaturus , et de ipso testificaturus. Nemo enim alterius testis esse potest idoneus, nisi prius fuerit suus. Fugit igitur turmas et tumultum populi; ne ex cohabitatione contraheret infamiam, vel vila aliquam maculam scandali vel deiicti. Qui si in mundo mansisset, forte malitia et conversatione hominum depravatus fuisset. Mundum itaque fugit, ut sanctitatem suam custodiret , et ne levi saltem verbo, vel peccato , vitam macularet. Nam, secundum Chrysostomum, sicut impossibile est arborem juxta viam positam , fructus usque ad maturitatem servare; sic hominem juxta mundum positum, usque in finem vitae innocentiam custodire. Sunt autem quaedam arbores, quae licet in horto sint plantatae, ita quod ad stipitem transeuntes non possunt attingere, tamen ramos suos per viam expandunt, et ideo molestantur a transeuntibus; sic est de religiosis in negotiis secuiaribus se implicantibus.
Excellens valde et mirabilis est puer iste Joannes. Ipse enim fuit primus eremita. ac principium , et via religiose vivere volentium. De cujus singulari conversatione Petrus Ravennas ita scribit : « Infra teneritudinem annorum beatus iste puer, Spiritu ducente, ad eremum ductus est, nec obstetit aetatis infirmitas, quam majestas Domini fecundavit. Reliquit Joannes mundum, homines fugit, patriam nescit), parentes aspernatur, et in solius divinitatis apicem beatae contemplationis figit obtuitus. Mira rerum conversatio , hominem vix mundum ingressum, mundi gloriam fugere, et secuii cupiditates non solum oblivisci , sed et nescire, perpetuum cum divinitate stabilire consortium! Recessus montium, silvarum anfractus, et vallium subterjacens vastitas, puero patriarchae domicilia, cum nox coegerat , praebuerunt. Sic Joannes aetatis supergressus infantiam, et nobilioris generis generositatem oblitus, soli vacat divinitati , forma vitae , monachorum propositum, anachoretarum prin- * cipium, totius religionis assertio.
» Unde et Chrysostomus : « Sicut sacerdotum principes sunt Apostoli, sic monachorum princeps Joannes Baptista est, quantum tradit Hebraeorum scriptura, et usque hodie in memoria est. Considerate, monachi , dignitatem vestram : Joannes princeps vestrae est dignitatis. Ipse monachus, statim ut natus est, in eremo vivit, in eremo nutritur, Christum expectat in solitudine , non vult cum hominibus conversari, in eremo cum Angelis probatur; felix ista conversatio despicere homines, Angelos quaerere, urbes deserere, et in solitudine Christum invenire. Christum non quaerebat in templo, sed in deserto; separavit se a multitudine. Oculis expectantibus Christum nihil aliud dignum est aspicere nisi Christum ; I felicessunt qui imitantur Joannem, quo major inter natos mulierum non fuit : » haec Chrysostomus, 5 81T, — Infellces ergo monachi sunt, qui Joannem principem suum non sequentes, solitudinem suam desenint, et in urbibus cum hominibus conversantur; quibus solitudo carcer est, et oppidum paradisus. Non sic Hieronymus sentiebat, qui dice* bat : o Viderint alii quid sentiant , unusquisque sensu suo dicitur , mihi oppidum carcer est, et solitudo paradisus : » haec Hieronymus. Agnoscat ergo monachus nomen suum : jx^vo? enim Graece, unus Latine, et Sypq Graece, tristis Latine dicitur : et ideo monachus, quasi unus et tristis interpretatur.
Sedeat solus et tristis, et officio suo vacet, alienumque officium non usurpet. Qui tamen si docere vult, audiat consilium Hugonis , qui dicit : <c Vilitas habitus tui , et simplicitas vuitus, et sanctitas conversationis tuae docere debent homines. Melius fiigiendo mundum doces , quam sequendo. » Qui etiam, secundum consilium Gregorii , reverentiam sui habitus, in cogitatione, in locutione, semper circumspiciat; ut ea, quae mundi sunt, perfecte deserat; et quod ostendit humanis oculis habilu, hoc ante Dei oculos moribus praetendat. Non ergo glorieris, quod in solitudine vel religione sis, aut longo tempore fueris, nisi in ea bene vixeris , quia nihil tibi proderit : imo magna damna patieris , si eremita vel religiosus vocatus, et vitam non agis : ut enim ait Hierony^uSf non Jerosolymis fiiisse, sed Jerosolymis bene vixisse, laudandum est. Unde Augustinus ad fratres eremitas : « Non enim satis prodest, quod istum locum expetivimus, si tales simus, quales in seculo esse poteramus. Numquid nobis habitatio hujus secreti aliquid prodest, quando tyrannico dominatu malitia in nobis regnat, quando ira superequitat , quando majorem nobis victoriam humanus oculus quam divinus inducit , quando laudabiles eremitae extra mundum nos esse credimus , et per diversarum passionum vitia , mundum intra nos inclusum tenemus, ita ut qui putabamus nos precibus nostris seculo ipsi succurrere, pene necesse sit ut videamur magis seculi intercessoribus indigere? Dubium quippe non est, quod ilM anima quae concupiscentia voluptatum possessa, efficitur mundanae conversationis , non possit effici regnum divinitatis.
Ideoque, fratres, videte vocationem vestram, Venirequidem ad eremum, summa perfectio est; sed non perfecte in eremo vivere, summa damnatio est. Quid enim prodest, si locus corporaliter quietus teneatur, et inquietudo in corde versetur? Quid, inquam, prodest, si in habitatione silentium , in habitatoribus sit vitiorum tumultus, et colluctatio passionum, si exteriora nostra serenitas teneat, et interiora tempestas? Non enim ideo ad locum istum venimus, ut nobis mun* dus famuletur, ut rebus omnibus abundantes , omni quiete fruamur, non utique ad requiem, nec ad securitatem; sed ad pugnam huc venimus, ad agonem processimus, ad exercenda cum vitiis bella properamus, ut linguae gladio retundamur, ut non solum non inferamus injurias, sed nec statim sentiamus illatas : » haec Augustinus, Sed heu ! pauci hodie religiosi reperiuntur, qui de bono in melius proficiunt, et de virtute in virtutem ascendunt. Unde Bernardus : a Multo facilius reperies multos seculares converti ad bonum, quam unum de religiosis transire ad melius. Rarissima avis in terris est, qui de gradu quem in religione setnel forte altigerit , tel parum ascendit. Aut ascendas, necesse est, aut descendas : si attentas stare, ut ruas, necesse est.
» Et iterum : a Mijiime pro certo est bonus, qui melior esse non vult , et ubi incipis nolle fieri melior, ibi desinis esse bonus : » haec Bernardus. 6 — Joseph autem et Maria, cum puero Jesu transeuntes Jordanem, venerunt in terram Israel, secundum Angeli jussionem. Non enim determinaverat Angelus, in quo Iqco terrae Israel, nec nominaverat aliquam civitatem determinate, ut, dubitante Joseph, iterum revertcretur, et ex reversione Angeli instruentis eum de loco, Joseph ex frQquentiori visitatione Angeli, et locutione cum eo, certior redderetur, et magis consolaretur. Quod Jesus in patriam suam reverteretur, nos quoque in patriam nostram festinare admonet. Audiens vero Joseph quod Arcbelaus, filius Herodis senior, regnaret in Judcea pro Herode, patre suo, timuit ilh ire, prae Archelao, paternae crudelitatis haerede, quia iile tanquam principalis magis pro patre zelabat, et omnis impetus persecutionis in Bethlehem ejusque iinibus desaeviebat. Judaea aliquando accipitur pro tota terra duodecim tribuum , ut ibi : Notus in Judaea Dcus; aliquando pro sola terra tribus Judae, utibi : Judcea etJerusalem, nolite timere; aliquando pro terra duarum tribuum,sciIicetJudae et Benjamin, ut hic dicitur quod Archelaus regnaret in Judcea, 7 DlVISIO JUDiEiE POST UORTEM Herodis. — Divisum ergo erat regnum, ct jam a pluribus regebatur. Ad cujus evidentiam est sciendum quod, secundum opinionem magis probabilem, Herodes moriens condidit testamentum, in quo ordinavit Archelaum filium suum regni sui successc^rem, ita tamen quod coronam sibi non imponeret, nisi per Romanum Imperatorem.
Ad sumendum igitur diadema, Romam venit, sed et £ratres ejus duo, scilicet He-* rodes Antipas, et Philippus , qui cum ipso post mortem patris superstites erant, quia alios tres filios, scilicet Antipatrem suum primogenitum, et Alexandrum et Aristobulum pater ante mortem suam miserabilem necaverat, etiam Romam venerunt, et paternae hereditatis partem petierunt. Tandem Impera* tor et Senatus Romanorum, voientes frangere Judaeorum superbiam, et auferre eis rebellandi occasionem, abstulerunt eis regium nomen, et diviserunt regnum in quatuor partes , scilicet tetrarchias, quarum duas, scilicet Judaeam et Abilinam dederunt Archelao, filio seniori; tertiam vero, scilicet Galilaeam regionem transfluentem,dederuntHerodi Antipae, sub quo Joannes est decollatus, et Dominus passus ; sed quartam, scilicet Ituraeam et Traconitidem regionem, dederunt Philippo, cujus uxorem abstulit ipse Herodes Antipas, frater ejus. Et sic Archelaus erat Diarcha; sed alii duo fiierunt Tetrarchce, Adhuc praeter Herodem Ascalonitam, et Herodem Antipam, supradictus etiaxu tertius Herodes, dictus Agrippa, &-lius Aristobuli, filii Herodis Ascalonitae fuit, qui Jacobum fratrem Joannis gladio occidit, et Petrum incarceravit. Et quia Archelaus fuerat a patre, quantum in se erat, in toto regno Judseorum substitutus; ideo magis favebot factis a patre, propter quod Joseph iimuit ir*e in Judaeam.
Et admonitus in somhis, per Angelum scilicet, ivlt cum Puero et Matre ejus in Galilaeam ubi dominabatur aliusfilius, scilicet Herodes, qui portione sibi debita a patre, quantum H7, in se erat, ante privatus fuerat, Propter quod Joseph ibidem cum Puero securius mansit ; quae et ipsa terra Israel erat, quia eam Israel incolebat. £t veniens, habitavit in civiiate qwB vocattir Nai^areth : ut ibi Christus nutriretur, ubi fuerat conceptus, licet in Bethkhem fuerat natus. Ibi enim securius habitare poterat quam in Jerusakm , vel Bethlehem, ubi Archelaus manebat. Unde Chrysostomus : a Venit igitur Jesus in Nazareth, non solum periculi timore, verum etiam patriae amore cogente, scilicet ut securius ibi habitaret, et gratius. » Hoc autem €Ktum est ut adimpleretur quoddictrnn est per Prophetas : Quoniam Na^forceus vocabitur, Hoc tit, tenetur consecutive, non causalitcr, quia prophetia non est causa eventus rei, scd eventus est causa impletionis prophetiffi. Na:(arceus autem Christus est nuncupatus, tam ex loci appellatione, ubi conceptus est et nutritus, quam ex sacramento Legis, secundum quam Nazaraeus Sancius interpretatur , et Dominum omnes Scripturae Sanctum dicunt, et testantur. Sicut ergo elegit locum in quo nasceretur, sic et civitatem, in qua coadolescens nutriretur. Cujus nomen est indicio, quod essentialiter ipse fons sanctitatis in sanctitate nutritus, Sanctus sanctorum, quasi Nazaraeus Nazaraeorum, recte dicitur.
Nazareth enim flos campi, vel germen novellum, vel sanctitas interpretatur, de cujus radice germinis, Sanctus sanctorum, id est Nazaraeus, ascendisse legitur. Unde «t ex hoc quod Christus dictus est Na^^arceus, discipuli ejus et Christiani, prius communi nomine coasueverunt Nazaraei vocari. Sed postquam Petrus Antiochenam sedem tenuit, communi consilio Graeco nomine, a Christo Christiani dicti sunt. In Nazareth ergo concipi et nutriri Christus voluit^ ut per hoc daret intelligi, quod florida fuit et ejus conceptiov quia sine peccato originali ; et ejus conversatio, quia sineactuall. Unde dicit Bemardus, quod amat florigeram patriam, flos de radice Jesse. In hoc autem quod dereliquit iEgjptum , et venit in Galiiaeam» halntavitque in Nazareth, datur nobis exemplum, quod statum culpee debemus deserere, et de vitiis ad virtutes transire, in pcrseverantiaque bonorum operum florere, ut sic ad patriam coelestem valeamus pervenire.
Ecce reduximus puerum Jesum de iCgypto. Eo reverso, sorores Dominae, aliique consanguinei et amici concurrunt, et ad visitandum eos festinant. Ipsi autem Nazareth remanent, et pauperem vitam ducunt. Ubi, more solito, Joseph operas fabriles locavit, et Maria filando, et suendo, et alias, prout potuit, laboravit, ac nihilominus circa Fiiium suum diligens et sollicita fuit. Ut enim ait Anselmus : « Nec est aliqua scientia, quae possit penetrare, nec eloquentia, quae possit praedicare, quanta dulcedinis sedulitate Parvulum foverit, quanta diligentia obsequioque Adolescentem, et in robur aetatis provexerit vadentem. "Et ut ipsamet cuidam devotae personae revelavit, multoties cum Filium suum gremio confoveret, prae nimia devotionis dulcedine, caput suum capiti Filii acclinans, tantas lacrymas effudit, ut caput et totam ejus faciem lacrymis amoris rigaret, et dicebat : O salus et gaudium animae mesl Quis haec audiens, vel mente tractans, se a lacrymis poterit contincre? » ^ lo Christi infantis offioa. — Exinde usque ad duodecimum annum pueri Jesu, non iegitur aiiquid dc ipso, vel cjus parentibus.
Dicitur tamen, et verisimile est, quod in Nazareth adhuc est fons parvus, ad quem Domina aliquando ibat, et de quo puer Jesus frequenter aquam hauriebat, et Matriministrabat, utpote qui subditus illi erat. Pro summis ergo deliciis, interdum aquam tribuit suae Matri, qui dat escam omni carni. Ubi etiam herbas in agris coUegit, de quibus Mater olera conficeret. Faciebat hujusmodi servilia Matri humilis Dominus ; non enim habebat alium servientem, vel juvantem in necessitatibus. In humilitate se tempestive exercere coepit, de quapostmodum prae ceteris virtutibus gloriando, dixit : Discite a me, quia miiis sum, et humilis corde. VndQAnselmus: a Nihilvesanitatis sestimes tibi accessurum, si eum apud Nazareth puerum inter pueros contempleris , si obsequentem Matri, si operanti nutritio assistentem intuearis. )> ORATIO O Jesu mitissime, qui de Virgine natus in partes iEgypti secessisti, et ab iEgypto vocatus, in terram Israel rediisti,revocame, Domine, servumtuum a vultu oculorum tuorum in iEgypto hujus exilii projectum, in hujus peregrinationis tenebris exulatum, ab iEgypti partibus, a mundanae conversationis tenebris reduc corpore, reduc mente, reduc et voluntate : fac me vitia deserere, et ad virtutes transire et in terram promissionis me digneris introducere, modo fide, spe, et charitate, in futuro vero re, specie, glorificatione et veritate. Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin text contains several orthographic errors (e.g., 'Gompletis', 'Chrl14J stus', 'tncesimo', 'fiMmnn', 'acBmpleretur', 'vocojH', 'FUium', 'copsubstantialem'). The translation assumes the intended meaning.
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