De refectione quatuor millium hominum
The Danger of Vainglory
A reflection on the necessity of humility and the destructive nature of seeking human praise over divine approval.
And it is noted: He did all things well, because it isn't enough to do good things unless they are done well; and they are done well when God's help is sought and when human glory is avoided. Here, then, we are taught to flee from vainglory and to turn away from the boasting of men. If we ever do something worthy of praise, we shouldn't parade it or preach it to gain the favor of the crowd; rather, we should humbly hide and conceal it. And the whole thing turns out the opposite way: for those who want to hide their deeds are praised more than those who strive to show them off for the sake of vainglory. If you flee the glory of the world, it follows you; and if you pursue it, it will flee from you. Hence Augustine says: It is a great virtue for one who possesses virtues to despise glory, because its contempt is in the sight of God, but it is not open to human judgment. And whoever despises the judgments of those who praise him also despises the rashness of those who suspect him. Nor is it true virtue, unless it tends toward that end where the good of man is, than which there is nothing better. And so Chrysostom says: Vainglory is a crafty thing, and it blinds the minds of those who are caught by it to things that are otherwise perfectly clear. It’s a kind of deep drunkenness, and this passion makes it difficult for anyone captured by it to find their way back. It cuts the soul of those it captures off from the heavens, pins it to the earth, and won't let it look up to the true light. This passion breeds greed, envy, accusation, and treachery; it arms and irritates those who have suffered no wrong against those who have done nothing at all. Anyone who falls into this sickness knows nothing of friendship; they don't know how to be modest before anyone, but instead, casting all goodness out of their soul, they fight against everyone, remaining unstable and friendless. Let us be watchful, then, my beloved, and take hold of the sense of humility that God has given us. Let us despise the glory of the many, for nothing makes a person look so ridiculous and dishonorable as this passion, and nothing is so full of confusion. To crave glory is itself a lack of glory, while true glory is to despise it and not care about it at all, but to say and do everything according to what pleases God. In this way, we will be able to receive our reward from Him who watches over us diligently, once we are content with Him alone as our witness. But since we have such a Lord, I pray that we don't go looking for other inspectors—those who can do us no good, but who can harm us with their scrutiny and drain away all our hard work. But what reward would we get if we asked such a person to praise our work or act as our inspector? Let's have nothing to do with human eyes. For if we truly want to possess this glory, we will make use of it by seeking only the glory that comes from God—as Chrysostom says. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, who finally abandon the wicked, come through the Sidon of preaching, to the sea of contrition, the Galilee of confession, satisfaction, and transition, among the middle borders of the Decapolis of charity growing in the Decalogue, and take us aside from the crowd of many temptations. Send the finger of discernment into the ears of our intellect, and the taste of wisdom into the mouth of our heart's desire, so that the bonds of our tongue may be loosened for confession. Let us speak rightly, with word and deed in harmony with our will, and let us avoid the praises of men, so that the deaf may hear through conversion, and the mute may speak through confession. Amen.
The Compassion of the Lord
Jesus heals the infirm and expresses deep compassion for the crowd, teaching his disciples to care for the needs of the faithful.
Chapter 91: Feeding the four thousand. Matthew, chapter 15.1 Then Jesus went up onto the mountain and sat in a deserted place to rest, and at that time great crowds came to him, because they had come from many cities, towns, and villages to seek the healing of the sick; they brought with them the mute, the lame, the blind, and the weak, along with many other infirm people—which the Evangelist adds to include all kinds of infirmities not named here—and they laid them at the feet of Jesus, so that they might show their faith and devotion not only in word, but also in deed. Blessed are the feet of Jesus! They are where sins are purged, as when she stood behind him and wept at the feet of Jesus; where diseases are cured, as in this instance; and where holy words are learned, as when she sat at the feet of the Lord. And they are where joys are renewed, as when they came and held his feet. He healed them with a single word. For he who could create the whole world from nothing with a single word was able to heal them with a single word, so that the crowd... They marveled, seeing them all healed, and they glorified the God of Israel; because, according to Chrysostom, the multitude of those being healed and the ease of the healing filled them with amazement. For here he multiplied many miracles in a general way, and of various kinds, which could not be described in detail because of their multitude; for if they were explained in detail, they would fill one great book. Because of this, John says that if all the things Christ did were written down, the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. He lists here the multitude of the infirm, specifically mentioning four: the mute, the lame, the blind, and the weak. Spiritually, we have the mute, who lack good speech; the lame, who lack good works; the blind, who lack true knowledge; and the weak, who lack good will. And it should be noted that, according to Origen, there is first a weakness in the will, then blindness in the reason follows, and thus one limps in action; from these follows muteness regarding divine praise, but here they are ordered according to the magnitude of the harm. Where the Gloss says: "The mute are those who do not praise God; the blind are those who do not understand the way of life; the lame are those who go by the crooked paths of good work and do not walk straight; the weak are those who are infirm in good works." He heals the mute, therefore, when He loosens their tongues to praise their Creator; He illuminates the blind when He pours into those who are ignorant the knowledge of their salvation; He heals the lame when He directs their steps in the way of justice; He strengthens the weak when He makes the lazy and slothful work at the good with manly vigor. The crowds, however, marvel and glorify God when they praise Him for such transformations, which are the work of the right hand of the Most High. Where Rabanus also says: "He ascended the mountain, so that He might lift His listeners to meditate on heavenly and supernal things; and He sat there to show that rest is to be sought only in heavenly things." While He sits on the mountain—that is, on the height of the heavens—the crowds of the faithful approach Him with a devout mind, bringing with them the mute, the blind, and other infirm people, and they cast them at the feet of Jesus; for they submit their confessed sins to Him alone to be healed. He heals them in such a way that the crowd marvels and praises the God of Israel; when the faithful see those who were spiritually sick now enriched with various works of virtue, they sing praises to God. v 2 MERCY kux seq. coming. When a large crowd was with Jesus and had nothing to eat, He called His disciples together to talk about what He was about to do. According to the Gloss, Christ first took away the infirmities of the sick and only afterwards offered food to those who were healed; for sins must be removed first, and only then is the soul to be nourished by the words of God. The Lord wanted to call the disciples together first and speak with them for several reasons: first, according to Jerome, to give teachers an example not to always disdain consulting with those of lower rank, and sometimes to ask their advice on what needs to be done; second, according to the same author, so that from the conversation they might understand the greatness of the sign; third, so that the magnitude of His mercy might be shown, which could no longer remain hidden within. And He said to them: I have compassion on the crowd. Behold a word of wondrous sweetness and love, coming from the deepest marrow of the heart and reaching with its power even to our own depths. There is no one as merciful toward our miseries as our Creator, whose mercies are over all his works; he spoke this to the Apostles to lead and incline their hearts toward pity and mercy. According to the Gloss, he suffers with them as a true man and feeds them as God. And a twofold reason for his mercy is added, namely: long-suffering, because, look, they have already been supporting me for three days, waiting for the healing of those they brought, and they persevere with me, following me, listening to my words, and seeing my miracles; the other reason for his mercy is necessity, because they have nothing to eat, and yet they are not anxious, and so it is fitting to provide for them. From this, their devotion is clear, as is how much they clung to him with longing—hearing his sweet teaching, contemplating his gracious face, and seeing his miraculous works. They were so drawn to him that, as if rapt out of themselves, they weren't concerned about the lack of food. For three days they didn't return to their own homes, staying with Christ in a desert place, out in the open and without food; yet they couldn't fail in sustenance, because they were with Jesus the Savior. The provisions they had brought from home had already been consumed, and they couldn't acquire food in that desert place. He didn't perform this miracle on the first or second day, partly because they still had food, and partly because the miracle appeared more clearly when their food had completely run out. He said, if I send them away fasting, exhausted by such labor and hunger, they'll faint on the way, so refreshment is necessary for them. So great is the power of the Creator that if he were to abandon a creature, it would completely fail. Some of them came from afar and were far from their own homes, and perhaps had eaten very little the previous day; the fame of Christ had spread to remote places, and so many had come from a distance.
The Miracle of Multiplication
Christ miraculously feeds the four thousand with seven loaves and a few fish, demonstrating his power and the importance of thanksgiving.
The disciples said to Him, "Where could anyone find enough bread to satisfy these people in this wilderness?" It was as if they were saying, "This place is deserted and far from any village; therefore, we can't provide what is needed through human foresight." They said this out of a weak way of thinking; for they did not yet understand, nor did they believe in His power because of the previous miracles. And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" The Lord didn't ask because He was ignorant of what they had, but so that when they answered 'seven,' the fewer the loaves they mentioned, the more they would spread word of the miracle and make it better known; and also so that He might provide for them in a way that followed from their own answer. They said, "Seven," which was as good as nothing in view of such a great crowd; they also mentioned a few small fish—not many, nor large—because they were few in number and small in size. In this, the sobriety and temperance of the disciples is apparent, because they did not use meat, but fish, and those not large, but small, and only a few at that. All these things are said to further highlight the miracle, that such a great crowd could be satisfied by such a small amount of food; and this happened through the multiplication of the food in the hands of Christ. And He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. In the other feeding near the Passover, there was grass on the ground, but now the grass had withered because, according to Origen and many others, this miracle took place in winter—specifically on the day of the Epiphany—when the Lord performed many other miracles as well. He took the seven loaves and the small fish so they might be multiplied by the touch of His blessed hands, and He gave thanks—providing us an example of thanksgiving and showing that we differ from beasts. By recognizing from whom and what is given, we should offer thanks to the Father of lights, from whom comes every good gift and every perfect gift, as the apostle James says. He blessed them so they would grow by His blessing, and He broke them into small pieces to distribute among the many; yet now, one person alone tries to hoard everything that is broken by Christ for all those in need. He gave them to the disciples, not so they would keep them for themselves, but so that, as ministers, they would distribute them and set them before the crowd. Four thousand men ate, besides the women and children, and they were satisfied; and it’s no wonder, because they had a good provider. From the remaining fragments, the disciples also gathered seven full baskets to give to the poor; in this, it is clearly evident that they had been satisfied. See how much almsgiving and mutual sharing are worth, because things that are distributed grow and superabound, while things that are hoarded rot and create poverty! And He sent them away; for they were held fast by the great sweetness of His word and the intense wonder of Christ’s power, so that they would not have left unless Christ had commanded it.
Mystical Meanings of the Feeding
An allegorical interpretation of the miracle, exploring the spiritual significance of the loaves, the baskets, and the journey of the faithful.
This miracle mystically signifies that we cannot safely navigate this present life unless our Redeemer mercifully refreshes us with His own food. The crowd stays with the Lord for three days because this is the third age in which the grace of the Christian faith has been given: the first age was before the Law; the second, under the Law; the third, under grace. And because a fourth age remains, in which we are to reach the heavenly Jerusalem, He says He will refresh the crowd so they don't fail on the way; for in this present life we are, as it were, on a journey, traveling toward our homeland. So that the faithful don't fail on the way, they must be fed by prelates and teachers with the bread of the Eucharist and of doctrine, by which the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit is increased. And because the crowd had stayed with the Lord for this purpose—that He might heal the infirm—if you wish to be healed of your spiritual infirmities, follow the example of the crowd and stay with the Lord for three days: let the first day be the sorrow of contrition; the second, the shame of confession; the third, the labor of satisfaction. This is the three-day journey into the desert, so that a sacrifice pleasing to God may be offered. Or, according to the Gloss, the crowd stays with the Lord for three days when the multitude of the faithful, turning away from their sins through penance, convert themselves to what is good in deed, in speech, and in thought. Nevertheless, a manifold three-day period is found, namely: for the penitent, the active, the contemplative, the prelates, and the preachers: for the penitent, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; for the active, holy thought, true speech, and good action; for the contemplative, meditation, reading, and prayer; for the prelates, discernment in intellect, zeal in affection, and justice in effect; for the preachers, poverty, chastity, and obedience. Some come from nearby, like those who have kept their baptismal innocence; others come from far away, like those who have repented after many sins, because the more someone has wandered, the further they have drifted from God. But the disciples thought it was practically impossible for anyone to satisfy them with bread, since none could be found in the wilderness. In a moral sense, we should note that because the bread of the soul is the knowledge of truth and the love of what is good, it isn't actually found in the solitude of this present life. This world offers nothing that can feed and satisfy a hungry soul. The bread of worldly knowledge is mixed with many errors, because the truths available to the children of men are diminished; furthermore, the bread of love for created things carries many bitternesses. As Augustine says: "Every soul is miserable that is bound by the love of mortal things; it is torn apart when it loses them." Therefore, this isn't the bread of knowledge or of love that can satisfy our soul. When the Lord knew that the disciples had seven loaves and a few small fish, He took them into His hands, showing by this that He is the Lord and Creator of all bread and all things, for all the ends of the earth are in His hand. Then He gave thanks to God the Father, from whom all power comes, to show how much He Himself rejoices in the salvation of the human race, and to teach us to always give thanks to God for everything He has given us. Then He gave a blessing. In this, He gave them the power of multiplication; and because He broke the bread when He wanted to give it to the disciples, it signifies the opening of the Sacraments. with which the world was to be nourished; or even, he broke them to show that the multiplication of the loaves was to be accomplished by his own power. By giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd, he honored them, signifying that in bestowing the spiritual gifts of knowledge upon the Apostles, he willed that the food of life be distributed to his Church throughout the world through their ministry. And this is signified in the distribution of the loaves, as here; and above in the releasing of the dead, as there: "Untie him and let him go"; and in the bringing of the vehicles, as there: "Untie them and bring them to me." For by their ministry, both the bringing to faith occurs, and the releasing for reconciliation, and the distribution for nourishment. He gave loaves because bread is the food that sustains life; but the fish... ...he gave as a seasoning for the food, to show that the seasoning of a good example must be added to the bread of the word of God, for actions persuade more than words. They set them before the crowd, and in that setting-before, the loaves grew through the creation of new substance and the addition to them; they did not grow through rarefaction, for if they had, their body would have been more subtle and thinner than the body of others. As Augustine says: "Nothing is more absurd than to say that something grows without anything being added to it, and without it becoming rarefied." Let us, therefore, also strive to set the bread of divine knowledge we have received before others through preaching, lest they fail on the way through our negligence and perish from hunger. For converted sinners fail on the path of this present life if they are left fasting and empty in their conscience without the nourishment of doctrine. So that they don't grow weary on the journey of this pilgrimage, they must be fed with holy admonition. The difference between this feeding and the one with five loaves and two fish is that there, the five loaves represent the teaching of the Old Testament according to the five books of Moses; here, the seven loaves represent the teaching of the New Testament, in which the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit is more fully revealed and given. Furthermore, because of the seven beatitudes, the seven sacraments, and the seven virtues—the three theological and the four cardinal—those were barley loaves, while these were wheat, because the teaching of the New Testament is more delicious, more flavorful, and more manifest than that of the Old. There, the two fish represent the two figures who fed the people—the king and the priest who were anointed. Here, the few small fish represent the saints who have been worn down by the waves of the world; rescued from those turbulent waters, they offer us interior refreshment through the example of their lives and through the sleep of death and patience, and they season the teaching of the New Testament like bread. Scripture itself contains their faith, life, and sufferings; they are called 'small fish' because of their humility, but 'few' because of their perfection, for 'the number of fools is infinite,' and 'many are called, but few are chosen.' There they sat on the grass, but here they sit not on grass, but on the ground, to show that in the Old Law earthly things were promised, but in the New Law we are taught to despise and subdue them. For the guests of the New Testament are commanded to trample underfoot and leave behind riches, delights, and even the flesh itself, which is grass. For those who have cast off all worldly desire, the foundation of lasting hope holds them firm, like the barrenness of the earth, with no grass in between. There, there were five thousand men, corresponding to the number of loaves and the five senses to which they were attached; here, there are four thousand, who signify the spiritual, because of the perfection of the four Gospels or the exercise of the four cardinal virtues by which one lives spiritually in this life. The four thousand men who followed Christ also signify the multitude of those who believe in Christ from the four corners of the world. There were that many, excluding the children and women, who are not counted in the Law; for Christ sends no one away hungry, but wishes to satisfy everyone with his grace. There, he made the baskets equal to the disciples, so that just as there were twelve Apostles of Christ, there were twelve baskets of fragments; here, he made them equal to the loaves, so that just as there were seven loaves, there were seven baskets. The fact that the Apostles gathered the fragments after the crowds were satisfied and filled seven baskets happened for three reasons. First, it is a mystery: there are higher precepts and counsels of perfection that the common crowd cannot reach by keeping and fulfilling them, and their execution belongs properly to spiritual men. Therefore, the Apostles lift up and fill seven baskets—that is, the perfect who are enlightened by the sevenfold grace of the Spirit—yet the crowd is still recorded as being satisfied, because even if they cannot leave everything behind, they still make progress toward eternal life by hearing the commandments. Second, it is an example, so that we might give to the poor what we have left over, or what we take from ourselves by fasting. Third, it is a lesson, so that we may be instructed that for those who are merciful to the poor, temporal goods are multiplied. From this, it is understood that the poor feed those who give alms more than the other way around, whether by obtaining spiritual goods for them or by multiplying their temporal goods. Although, as we have seen, this feeding differs from the previous one in many ways, both were celebrated on a mountain; for the Scripture of both Testaments, when rightly understood, teaches us the height of heavenly precepts and rewards, and proclaims with a harmonious voice the height of Christ, who is the mountain at the summit of the mountains. 8. Consider now whom the Lord deigns to feed, and to whom He imparts the nourishment of His grace.
The Seven Loaves of the Spiritual Life
A detailed breakdown of the seven loaves as symbols for the stages of penance, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the virtues of the perfect.
Certainly, those who seek Him in the desert and persevere with Him for three days—which happens when the faithful, believing in the Trinity, contrite and having confessed their sins, make amends as best they can, turn themselves toward God in thought, word, and deed, and, while awaiting God's goodness, don't turn back when the necessity of temptation looms—are the ones who find Him. God has mercy on them and feeds them with seven loaves—that is, with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit—so that they don't fail on the journey of this world; for them, the seven graces signified by the seven remaining baskets are reserved to be given after this life, which are: the clear vision of God, enjoyment, and tension regarding the soul; and impassibility, agility, subtlety, and clarity regarding the body. Hence Ambrose says: "The food of heavenly grace is imparted, but pay attention to whom it is imparted." It isn't given to the idle, nor to those living in the city as if in a synagogue, or residing in secular dignity; but to those who seek Christ among the deserts. For those who don't turn away in disgust are the ones received by Christ. The Lord Jesus, therefore, distributes the food. He indeed wishes to give to all and denies no one, for He is the dispenser of all things. But when He breaks the loaves and gives them to the disciples, if you don't stretch out your hands to receive the food for yourself, you'll fail on the journey. You cannot blame the One who shows mercy and provides. He provides for those who stay with Him even in the desert, those who don't walk away on the first, second, or third day. He doesn't want to send them away hungry, nor does He want them to fail on the way. Therefore, don't fail in the discipline of God, and don't grow weary when He corrects you; don't grow weary now, and don't grow weary later—as Ambrose says. Consider also the simplicity and frugality of their table, and reject pleasure; for it is an enemy to both body and soul. Chrysostom says: 'Nothing is as hostile and harmful to the body as pleasure; for nothing so cuts away and subverts—that is, corrupts—it.' It punishes the feet first, which carried us to those ruinous feasts; then it binds the hands that serve the belly, because they brought such and so many foods. Many, however, have perverted even the mouth itself, and the eyes, and the head—as Chrysostom says. As Horace says: "Spurn pleasures; pleasure bought with pain is harmful." As for other points of meditation, they are clarified above in the other account of the feeding with the five loaves. Furthermore, these seven loaves are understood as the seven parts of penance: the first loaf is the careful amendment of a bad life; the second, a true and humble confession of one's failings; the third, a constant indignation against the excess one has committed; the fourth, an anxious fear of relapsing; the fifth, a desire to make further progress; the sixth, the imitation of holy men; and the seventh, the punishment of one's own evils and those of others. These are the seven ears of grain sprouting from a single stalk; they are the seven steps on the ladder by which one ascends to heaven, by which the guilt of the seven deadly sins is washed away, the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit is poured out, and the seven virtues are acquired. But along with these loaves there were a few small fish—at least two—which signify fear and love, which must be eaten along with these loaves. The first fish is the fear of the punishments of hell, and this is caught in the waters of hell; the second fish is the love and desire for eternal things, and this is caught in the river of paradise. They are called 'small fish' rather than 'fish' because fear is small, in that it makes a person small and humble, and love is small in relation to its current state, because it is small compared to the love of the life to come. In addition, you should know that there are seven mystical loaves for every state of life—namely, for beginners, those making progress, and the perfect—with which the Lord feeds the faithful according to the diversity of their states. Blessed Bernard proposes the first seven loaves to those in religious life who are just beginning, as they stand at the start of their conversion. The first is the bread of the Word, in which man's life consists, for: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." And to set aside the spoken word—by which God is read to have spoken at times to Moses, Abraham, and others, whether through angels, through Himself, or in some other way—for the present we can say that the Word comes forth from the mouth of God in two ways. In one way, it is immediate: when God speaks through an instinct to the human heart, inspiring it with what it ought to do. In this way, God speaks to sinners and worldly people, urging them toward repentance. In another way, God speaks through a person—a superior, a preacher, a teacher, or a friend—through whom, as if by a messenger, God transmits His words to a person's ears. There is also a third way God speaks to people, especially those in religious life: through Scripture, which is to be received in all things as the words of God, by whose inspiration it was written, specifically to feed those who read it with the bread of spiritual life. The second loaf, according to the same Bernard, is obedience, which well accompanies the first; for what good is it to hear the words of God if one is not willing to direct one's life according to them? The third loaf is meditation, and this well accompanies the two preceding ones; for after the words of God have been commended to the heart, and a person has resolved to obey them, it is necessary for that person to meditate continually on how to order their life according to God's good pleasure. The fourth loaf is the tears of those who pray, a loaf that is well joined to the one before it. For when a person meditates on the burden of their sins, the misery of this present life, the glory of eternal life, their own weakness, and God’s goodness toward them, the fire of devotion ignites in such meditation, the heart dissolves into tears of compunction, and then they run back to the refuge of prayer. The fifth bread is the labor of repentance, which is certainly necessary for beginners, even after the others already mentioned. As Augustine says, it isn't enough to change your ways for the better and turn away from evil deeds unless you also make satisfaction to God for what has been done through repentance, labor, and sorrow. The sixth bread is a joyful social unity. This is well called bread because it feeds and strengthens those living the spiritual life in a community—both for those in the cloister and those living in the Communion of the Church—as well as for other beginners. The seventh bread is the Eucharist; and this bread is sufficiently discussed elsewhere in various places. The seven breads of those who are progressing. Having set forth the seven breads of beginners, we must now taste the other seven for those who are progressing. It must be known that, as the Apostle says: 'It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who shows mercy.' Anyone who wishes to run in the way of spiritual progress must rely entirely on divine mercy and keep the mercies of the Lord already granted before the eyes of the mind with thanksgiving; in this way, they will always be able to progress toward better things. For this reason, blessed Bernard, reflecting on all the mercies of the Lord toward him, reduces them to seven breads. —with which the Lord has graciously deigned to refresh him. We, too, must feed on these same loaves if we want to make progress in the spiritual life, so that we may say with the Psalmist: "Let your mercies come to me, and I will live." The first loaf, or the first mercy according to Bernard, is being preserved from many sins into which one would have fallen had the mercy of God not guarded him. This loaf, according to the same Bernard, has three fragments: "I remember," he says, "that I was preserved from sins in three ways: by the removal of the occasion, by the strength given to resist, and by the health of my affections." The second loaf is God's merciful forbearance toward the sinner, because He delayed vengeance and considered mercy; this loaf also has three fragments: the patience He showed, the choice of predestination He willed to be fulfilled, and the excessive love with which He loved us. The third loaf is the mercy by which He turns one to repentance. This loaf also has three fragments: because it shakes the heart, stirring it to notice the wounds of its sins and to feel the pain of those wounds; it terrifies, leading one to the gates of hell and showing the punishments prepared for the wicked; and it gives hope to the understanding. The fourth loaf is the forgiveness of sins, namely, that God mercifully received the penitent. And this loaf also has three fragments, because, as Bernard says: "God has so completely indulged in T, and so liberally forgiven every injury, that He now neither condemns by taking vengeance, which is the first; nor confounds by reproaching, which is the second; nor imputes less, which is the third." The fifth bread is self-control against sin—or the strength to restrain oneself and live more uprightly, so as not to fall back into old ways. This bread also has three fragments, for this self-control faces three opponents: the flesh, the world, and the evil spirit. We don't have the strength to resist them on our own, but strengthened by this bread of divine mercy, we find that power in the Lord. The sixth bread is the grace of merit, by which God indulges a less-than-perfect way of life. Bernard says this grace consists primarily of three things, like fragments: hatred of past evils, contempt for present goods, and desire for future ones. The seventh bread is the hope of attainment, by which God grants even an unworthy sinner, who has so often experienced His goodness, the confidence to hope for heavenly things. This also has three fragments, according to Bernard: "I consider three things in which my whole hope consists: the charity of adoption, the truth of the promise, and the power of the reward." Seven breads for the perfect. Refreshed by the two sets of seven breads that blessed Bernard set before us—namely, those for beginners and those for the proficient—let us now hasten to taste the seven others to be set before us by the Holy Spirit, by which the souls of the perfect are nourished. These breads are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; happy is the soul that earns the right to be satisfied by them! These gifts are well described as bread, because they delightfully refresh the soul in the present and satisfy it in the future. The first bread is the fear of the Lord—a filial fear, I mean, for servile fear belongs to beginners. This is the chaste fear that makes a person dread being separated from God, and so they turn away from evil that is contrary to Him. But because it's also necessary to do good, the second bread follows: the gift of piety. Through this, the Holy Spirit prompts us to do good for the glory of God and for the benefit of all our neighbors. This is the piety that is useful for everything and comes from a devout heart, where God alone is found; physical exercise, however, without piety, is of little use. The third bread is the gift of knowledge. This gift accompanies the two mentioned before because, as Chrysostom says, no one can avoid evil unless they know it, nor can they do good if they are ignorant of it. This is provided through the gift of knowledge, by which a person gains the right judgment regarding earthly things, knowing what is harmful and what is helpful for salvation. The fourth bread is the gift of fortitude, which rightly follows knowledge. Once the evils to be avoided and the goods to be pursued are known through the gift of knowledge, we need the Spirit of fortitude to pursue what we've learned, both in overcoming evil and in undertaking good. The holy martyrs were endowed with this gift, and no torments could overcome them. The fifth bread is the gift of counsel, by which a person is directed—as if by counsel received from God—in matters where human reason isn't enough. And counsel rightly follows fortitude, because, according to Gregory, fortitude is greatly destroyed unless it is supported by counsel, because the more a person sees themselves as capable, the more virtue without restraint rushes headlong; and the mind that has lost its inner seat of counsel scatters itself outwardly through countless desires. The sixth bread is the gift of understanding, which follows the gift of counsel and does two good things in the soul: first, it illuminates the intellect to rightly grasp the counsel of the Holy Spirit speculatively; second, it purifies the affection to act practically upon what has been counseled. The seventh bread is the gift of wisdom, which follows the gift of understanding and all the other gifts, which are nothing without wisdom. Wisdom is the knowledge of divine sweetness experienced firsthand; that’s why it’s called wisdom, as if it were a "savory knowledge." For through the gift of wisdom, a person is helped not only to know divine things but also to taste them. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the crowd of those who repent. And [refresh] the beginners, the just, the proficient, the perfect, and those who contemplate, through the three days of contrition, confession, and... satisfaction, through victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, and through the bodily, imaginary, and spiritual vision of those who await pardon, grace, and glory. Refresh the first group through discerning care, caution, indignation, fear, desire, zeal, and vengeance. Refresh the second group through the spirit of fear, devotion, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, understanding, and wisdom. Refresh the third group through the three gifts of the soul and the four gifts of the body, in the present through hope, which will grow into the seven baskets of future blessedness. Amen. Part one, chapter 92.
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Et nOtanter dicitur : Bene omnia fecit, quia non sufficit bona facere, nisi bene fiant; bene autem fiunt, quando Dei adjutorium postulatur, et quando humana gloria fugitur. Hic ergo docemur vanam gloriam fugere, et hominum jactantiam declinare. Qui si aliquid dignum laude aliquando fecerimus, hoc non ad vulgi favorem extollere et praedicare, imo humiliter abscondere et celare debemus. Et hoc totum vertitur in contrarium : quia plus laudantur illi qui facta sua abscondere volunt, quam illi qui ea pro vana gloria manifestare contendunt. Si gloriam mundi fugis, ipsa te sequitur ; et si eam sequeris , ipsa te fugiet. Unde Augustinus : a Virtutes habenti magna virtus est contemnere gloriam, quia contemptus ejus in conspectu Dei est, judicio autem non aperitur humano. Et qui contemnit judicia laudantium, contemnit etiam suspicantium temeritatem. Neque estvera virtus, nisi quae ad eum finem tendit ubi est bonum hominis quo melius non est.
» Unde et Chrysostomus : a Versuta est et vana gloria, et ad ea quae valde sunt manifesta, excaecat mentem eorum, qui ab ea capiuntur. Ebrietas enim quaedam profunda est, ideoque difficile redycibilem eum qui captus est, facit haec passio. Haec eorum quae capiuntur animam abscindens a ccelis, terrae affigit, et lucem respicere veram non dimittit. Haec passio avaritiam genuit, livorem, accusationem, insidias ; haec eos qui nihil mali passi sunt, adversus eos qui nihil fecerunt armat et irritat. Neque amicitiam novit, qui in hanc aegritudinem incidit; non verecundari ob aliquem universaliter scit, sed ab animo ejus ejiciens bonum, ad omnes bellatur, instabilis et sine amicis existens. Vigilemus itaque, dilecti , et sumamus sensum humilitatis nobis a Deo datae. Contemnamus multorum gloriam , nihil enim ita derisibilem et dehonorabilem facit ut haec passio, nihil ita confusione plenum; quoniam glo*liam quidem cupere ingloriatio est, gloria autem vera est hanc despicere, et nullam ejus facere curam ; sed ad id quod Deo placet, omnia dicere et facere. Ita enim poterimus et mercedem recipere, ab eo qui nostra videt diligenter, cum eo solo contenti fuerimus inspectore.
Nos vero talem habentes Dominum r precor alios ne inquiramus inspectores, qui prodesse quidem nobis nihil, nocere vero ex inspectione eorum possunt, et omnem evacuare laborem nobis. Sed unde habemus mercedes suscipere, hunc vocemus laudatorem eorum quae fiunt, hunc inspectorem. Nihil nobis et humanis oculis sit. Si enim volumus et hac potiri gloria, tunc hac fungemur, cum eam quae a Deo est quaerimus solam : » haec Chrysostomus. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, qui finaliter malos deseris, veni per Sidonem praedicationis, ad mare contritionis, Galilaeae confessionis , satisfactionis et transmigrationis, inter medios fines Decapoleos caritatis in Decalogo proficientis, et apprehende nos seorsum a turba tentationis multiplicis. Mitte digitum discretionis in auriculas nostri intellectus, et gustum sapientiae in os nostri affectus, ut ad confitendum solvantur vincula Hnguae nostrae,. et loquamur recte, verbo et opere non discordante a voluntate, vitemusque laudes hominum, ut et surdi audiant per conversionem, et muti loquantur per confessionem. Amen.
CAPUT XGI De refectione quatuor millium hominum. Matthaei cap.
Deinde ascendens Jesus in montem, et desertum locum sedebat ibi, ad quiesendum, et tunc accesserunt ad eum turbae multae^ quia de multis civitatibus, et castellis* et villis venerant ad impetrandum sanationem inflrmorum , habentes secum mutos, claudos, cxcos, ac debiles, et alios multos infirmos, quod addit Evangelista ad includendum omnia infirmitatum genera , quae hic non sunt nominata; et projecerunt eos ad pedes Jesus, ut fidem et devotionem non solum verbo, fted et facto ostenderent. Felices pedes Jesus ! ubi peccata purgantur, ut ibi : Stans retro seais pedes Jesus, etc; ubi morbi curantur, ut hic ; ubi verba sancta discuntur, ut ibi : Qua> sedens secus pedes Domini, etc. ; ubi gaudia renovantur, ut ibi : Accesserunt et tenuerunt pedes ejus. Et curavit eos , solo verbo. Ille enim solo verbo poterat curare, qui totum mundum solo verbo de nihilo potuit creare, ita ut turba? mirarentur, videntes omnes sanatos, et glorificabant Deum Israel; quia, secundum Chrysostomum, multitudo eorum qui curabantur, et facilitas sanationis eos in stuporem mittebat. Hic enim in quodam generali multiplicavit multa miracula, et diversorum generuni, quae propter multitudinem in particulari describi non poterant, quia si in particulari eipiicarentur, unum magnum librum implerent; propter quod dicit Joannes, quod si omnia facta Christi essent scripta, totus mundus non posset capere libros, qui scribendi essent.
Ponit ergo hic multiplicitatem infirmorum, et specialiter tangit quatuor, scilicet : mutos, claudos, catcos, et debiles. Spiritualiter mutos habemus, ex defectu boni sermonis ; claudos, sx defectu boni operis; c&cos, ex defectu verae cognitionis; debiles, ex -defectu bonae voluntatis. Et notandum, quod, secundum Origenem, primo est debilitas in voluntate, deinde sequitur caecitas in ratione, et sic claudicat in operatione, et ex his sequitur mutitas a divina laude, sed hic ordinantur secundum magnitudinem nocumenti. Ubi Glossa : « Muti autem sunt, qui non laudant Deum; caeci, qui non intelligunt viam vitas; claudi, qui per devia boni operis, et non recte euntes; debiles sunt, qui infirmi sunt in bonis operibus. Mutos ergo curat, cum eorum linguas in laudem sui Creatoris solvit; ca*cos illuminat, cum ignorantibus cognitionem suae saiutis infundit; claudos sanat, cum in via justitiae gressus eorum dirigit; debiles fortificat, cum pigros et accidiosos operari bonum virili^ ter facit. Turbae vero mirantur et Deum glorificant, cum ex talibus mutationibus quae sunt dexterae Excelsi Deum laudant. » Ubi et Rabanus : « Ascendit autem in mon* tem, ut scilicet auditores suos erigat ad superna et coelestia meditanda; sedebatque ibi, ut demonstraret non nisi in coelestibus requiem esse quaerendam. Eo autem sedente in monte, id est in coelorum arce, accedunt turbae fidelium devota mente illi appropinquantes, ducentes secum mutos, et c&cos, et aKos infirmos, et eos ad pedes Jesu projiciunt ; quia peccata confitentes ipsi soli curandos subjiciunt.
Quos ita curat, ut turba* mirentur et magnificent Deum Israel, quia fidelcs quando viderint eos qui spiritualiter aegrotaverunt, diversis operibus virtutum ditatos, laudem Deo decantant. v 2 MlSERATIO kux seq. uentem. — Cum ergo turba multa esset cum Jesu, nec haberent, quod manducarent, convocatis discipulis, loquebatur cum eis de uoc quod facturus erat. Secundum Glossam, prius Christus infirmorum debilitates abstulerat, postea vero sanatis cibos offert; quia prius removenda sunt peccata, etpostea anima verbis Dei nutrienda. Voluit autem Dominus prius discipulos convocare, et cum eis loqui pluribus de causis : prima, secundum Hieronymum, ut magistris tribuat exemplum non semper spernere cum minoribus consiliari, et de agendis quandoque eos consulere; secunda, secundum eumdem, ut ex collocutione intelligant signi magnificentiam ; tertia, ut ostendatur magnitudo misericordiae suae, quae diutius intrinsecus latere non potuit. Et ait illis : Misereor super turbam. Ecce verbum mirae dulcedinis et amoris, procedens ex intimis cordis medullis, et pertingens suo vigore usque ad intima nostra.
Neque enim alius est qui nostris miseriis sit sic miserator, quemadmodum Conditor noster, Cujus miserationes super omnia opera ejus, Hoc verbum dixit Apostolis, ut eorum animos ad pietatem et misericordiam induceret et inclinaret. Secundum G/ossam, compatitur ut verus homo, pascit ut Deus. Et subjungitur ratio miserationis duplex, scilicet : longanimitas : Quia ecce jam triduo sustinent me, pro curatione suorum quos attulerunt exspectando, et perseverant mecum, me sequendo, verba mea audiendo, miracula videndo ; alia vero ratio miserationis est necessitas, quia non habent quod manducent, et tamen non sollicitantur, et ideo congruit eis providere. Ex quo patet eorum devotio, et quanto ei adhaerebant desiderio, audientes suavem doctrinam, contemplantes gratiosam faciem, videntes ejus opera mirabilia, ad quae in tantum afficiebantur, ut quasi extra se rapti, de alimoniae defectu solliciti non essent, et per tres dies ad loca propria non redirent, manentes cum Christo in loco deserto, et sub dio ac sine cibo; sed non poterant in victu deficere, quia erant cum Jesu Salvatore. Cibaria quippe quae de domibus suis apportaverant, jam consumpta erant, et in deserto loco victum acquirere non poterant; et ideo prima die vel secunda, hoc miraculum non fecit, tum quia alimenta adhuc habebant, tum quia miraculum magis apparuit quando eis victus omnino defecit. Et si, ait, dimisero eos jejunos, sic labore et fame affectos, deficient in via, et ideo refectio est eis necessaria. Tanta est Creatoris virtus, quod si creaturam desereret, omnino deficeret. Quidam enim ex eis de longe venerunt, et a domibus suis longe distabant, qui forte die praecedenti etiam parum comederant ; fama Christi a remotis diffusa erat, et ideo multi de longe venerant.
Et dixerunt ei di~ scipuli : Unde istos poterit quis hic saturare panibus in solitudine? Quasi dicerent : Locus est desertus et multum distans villae; et ideo non possumus per humanam providentiam necessaria habere. Ipsi hoc infirma cogitatione dixerunt; non enim adhuc intelligebant, neque virtuti ejus propter priora miracula credebant. Et interrogavit eos : Quot panes habetis? Non interrogavit Dominus quasi nesciens quid haberent; sed ad hoc, ut cum septem responderent, quo pauciores panes dicerent, eo magis miraculum diffamarent, et notius fieret; et ut ex eorum responsione de modo provideret. Qui dixerunt : Septem, quod erat quasi nihil respectu tantae multitudinis; et paucos pisciculos, non multos, nec magnos, quia pauci erant m numero, et parvi in quantitate. In quo apparet sobrietas et temperantia discipulorum, quia non utebantur carnibus, sed piscibus, et illis non magnis, sed parvis, et ipsis paucis. Omnia ista dicuntur ad majorem declarationem miraculi, quod ex tam parvo cibo potuerit tanta multitudo satiari; et hoc fuit per multiplicationem cibi in manibus Christi.
Et prcecepit turbce discumbere super terram. In alia pastione circa Pascha, herba super terram erat, nunc autem jam herba defecerat, quia, secundum Origenem, et plures alios, in hieme, scilicet in die Epiphaniae hoc miraculum factum est, quando et plura alia miracula per Dominum sunt facta. Et accipiens septem panes et pisciculos, ut multiplicarentur cantactu manuum beatarum, et gratias agens, in quo dedit nobis exemplum gratiarum actionis, ostendens nos differre a besriis; ut cognoscentes a quo, et quid datur, gratias Patri luminum referamus, a quo est omne datum optimum, et omnedonum perfectum, ut ait Jacobus apostolus, benedixit, ut benedictione sua crescerent, et fregit per minutias, ad distribuendum inter plures , sed modo unus solus totum colligere conatur, quod in omnes indigentes a Christo frangitur; et dedit discipulis, non ut sibi retinerent, sed ut tanquam ministri distribuerent, et turba* apponerent. Et manducaverunt quatuor millia hominum, absque mulieribus et parvulis, et saturati sunt; nec mirum, quia bonum provisorem habuerunt. De fragmentis quoque residuis sustulerunt discipuli septem sportas plenas, ut darent pauperibus; in quo bene apparet eos fuisse saturatos. Ecce quantum valet eleemosyna, et communicatio mutua, quia res distributae crescunt et superabundant ; coacervatae vero putrescunt, et inopiam faciunt! Et dimisit eos ; magna namque suavitate verbi, et admiratione vehementi virtutis Christi detinebantur, ita ut, nisi Christo jubente, non redirent.
Mystice hoc miraculo designatur, quod viam vitae praesentisaliter incolumes transire nequimus, nisi nos gratia Redemptoris nostri alimento suo misericorditer reficiat. Triduo autem turba Dominum sustinet, quia tertium tempus est quo fidei Christianae gratia data est : primum tempus est ante Legem ; secundum, sub Lege; tertium, sub gratia. Et quia restat quartum, quo ad coelestem Jerusalem venturi sumus, dicit se turbam reficere, ne deficiant in via; in praesenti enim vita quasi in via sumus, qua ad patriam pergimus. Ne igitur fideles in via deficiant, per^praelatos et doctores pane Eucharistiae etdoctrinae pascendi sunt; quo septiformis gratia Spiritus Sancti augetur. Et quia ad hoc turba sustinuerat Dominum, ut infirmos sanaret, ideo si infirmitates tuas spirituales vis sanari, exemplo turbae sustine Dominum triduo : ut primus dies sit dolor contritionis; secundus, pudor confessionis; tertius, labor satisfactionis. Istud est triduum quo in desertum itur, ut Deo gratum sacrificium offeratur. Vel, secundum Glossam, turba per triduum Dominum sustinet, cum multitudo fidelium peccata sua per poenitentiam declinans, ad bonum se in opere, in locutione, et cogitatione convertit. Invenitur nihilominus triduum multiplex , sci licet : poenitentium , operantium, contemplantium, praelatorum, praedicatorum : poenitentium , contritio, confessio, satisfactio; operantium, cogitatio sancta, locutio vera, actio bona; contemplantium, meditationis, lectionis, et orationis; praelatorum, discretio in intellectu, zelus in affectu, justitia in effectu; praedicatorum, paupertas, castitas, et obedientia.
Quidam autem de prope veniunt, ut qui baptismalem innocentiam servaverunt ; quidam de longinquo, ut qui post multa flagitia poenituerunt , quia quanto plus quis erravit, tanto longius a Deo quis recessit. Sed discipuli reputabant quasi impossibile quod quis eos saturaret panibus, qui non inveniebantur in solitudine.
Ubi moraliter notandum, quod cum panis animae sit cognitio veri, et amor boni, in rei veritate non invenitur in solitudine praesentis. seculi, unde quis esurientem animam pascat, et satiare possit. Panis enim veritatis mundanae scientiae multis est admixtus erroribus; quia diminutce sunt veritates, afiliis hominunu Rursus panis amoris creaturae multas habet amaritudines. Unde Augustinus : a Miser est omnis animus vinctus amicitia rerum mortalium ; et dilaniatur cum eas amittit. Nec est igitur hic panis cognitionis, nec amoris, qui animam nostram satiare possit. » Et cum Dominus cognosceret discipulos habere septem panes et paucos pisciculos, accepit eos in manus suas, in quo ostendit se panum et omnLum Dominum et factorem, quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines terwe ; deinde gratias egit Deo Patri a quo sibi potestas est, ut et ipse quantum de salute generis humani congaudeat ostenderet, et nos ad agendas Deo semper gratias de omnibus a Deo datis informaret. Deinde benedixit,. in quo virtutem multiplicationis eis dedit; quia vero fregit, cum dare vellet discipulis, apertionem designat sacramentorum,.
quibus nutriendus erat mundus ; vel etiam, fregit, ut multiplicationem panum sua virtute rlendam ostenderet. In eo autem quod dedit discipulis, ut turbae apponerent, eos honoravit, significans quod spiritualis dona scientiae tribuens ApostoHs, per eorum rainisterium voluit Ecclesiae suae per orbem vitae cibaria distribui. Et hoc signatum est ln distributione panum, ut hic ; et supra in solutione mortuorum, ut ibi : Solvite eum et sinite abire; et in adductione vehiculorum, ut ibi : Solvite et ad~ ducite mihi* Eorum enim minist»rio, et fit adductio ad fidem, et solutio ad reconciliationem, et diatributio ad refectionem. Dedit panes, quia panis est cibus quo suatentatur vita; pisces vero. dedit in condimentum cibi, ad ostendendum quod pani verbi Dei addendum est condimentum boni exempli; magis enim suadent opera, quam verba, Et apposuerunt turbaz, in qua appositione creverunt per novae materiae creationem, et ad illos additionem; non enim creverunt per rarefactionem, quia tunc corpus illorum fuisset subtilius et rarius corpore aliorum. Unde Augustinus ; « Nil absurdius quam dicere, quod aliquid crescat nullo superaddito, et non rarescat. y> Studeamus ergo et nos acceptum panem divinae scientiae, per praedicationem aliis apponere ; ne per nostram negligentiam in via deficiant, et fame pereanL Conversi namque peccatores in praesentis vitae via deficiunt, si in sua conscientia sine doctrinae pabulo jejuni et vacui dimittantur. Ne igitur lassentur in hujus peregrinationis itinere, pascendi sunt sacra admonitione.
HOC vero inter hanc refectionem, et iilam de quinque panibus et duobu& piscibus distat, quod ibi per quinque panes significatur doctrina V«teris Testamenti secundum quinque libros Moysis ; per septem pancs doctrina Novi Testamenti, in quo plenius et revelatur et datur septiformis gratia Spiritus Sancti. Item, propter septem beatitudines, et propter septem sacramenta, et propter septem virtutes, scilicet : tnes theobgicas et quatuor cardmalea ; ilii propterea hordeacei, isti triticei erant, quia deliciosior, sapidior, et manifestior est doctrina Novi Testamenti quam Veteris. Ibi per duos pisces, duae personae quae populum pascebant, intelliguntur, scilicet rex et sacerdos qui ungebantur; hic per paucos pisciculos inteiliguntur Sancti fluctibus seculi tunsi, qui de turbulentis fluctibus erepti, refectionem nobis internam exemplo suae vitae, ac sopore mortis ac patientiae praebent, doctrinamque Novi Testamenti tanquam panem condiunt; quorum ipsa Scriptura fidem, vitam, et passiones continet, qui dicuntur pisciculi, propter humilitatem ; sed pauci, propter perfectionem, quia : Stultorum infinitus est numerus, et : Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi. Ibi super fenum, sed hic non jam super feRum, sed super terram discumbit ; ad ostendendum quod in Veteri Lege terrena promittebantur, sed in Nova Lege illa contemni et subjugari docentur, quia convivae Novi Testamenti, divitias et delicias, ac etiam ipsam carnem, quae fenum est, calcare et relinquere jubentur; quos omni cupiditate aeternali remota, spei permanentis firmamentum, tanquam terrae sterilitas, nullo feno interposito, continet. Ibi fuerunt quinque millia hominum, juxta numerum panum, et juxta mimerum quinque sensuum quibus inhaerebant; hic quatuor millia, qui significant spirituales, propter quatuor Evangeliorum perfectionem, vel propter quatuor cardinalium virtutum, quibus in hac vita spiritualiter vivitur, exercitationem. Per quatuor etiam mitlia hominum, qui Ghristum sunt secuti, significatur mudtitudo credentium in Christum, de quatuor mundi partibus. Erant autem tot , exceptis parvulis et mulieribus, qui non numerantur jn Lege; neminem enim dimittit Christus jejunum, sed omnes vult sua gratia saturare. Ibi cophinos aequales discipulis fecit, ut sicut duodecim erant Christi Apostoli, sic duodecim fragmentorum cophini; hic vero panibus, ut sicut fuerant septem panes, sic septem sportae.
Quod autem, turbis saturatis, Apostoli fragmenta colligunt, et septem sportas implent; triplici de causa factum est. Primo, propter mysterium, quia sunt altiora perfectionis praecepta et consilia, quae communis turbar nequit servando et implendo attingere, quorum exsecutio respicit viros spirituales proprie; et ideo Apostoli sustollunt et implent septem sportas , id est perfectos septiformis Spiritus gratia iilustratos, jet tamen turba saturata esse memoratur, quia etsi sua reiinquere nequeunt, tamen audiendo mandata ad vitam sempiternam proficiunt. — Secundo, propter exemplum, ut ea quae nobis supersunt, vel quae jejunando nobis subtrahimus , pauperibus erogemus. — Tertio, propter documentum, ut ex hoc instruamur, quod illis qui sunt pauperibus misericordes, bona temporalia multiplicentur. Unde datur intelhgi, quod pauperes magis pascunt eleemosynarios, quam e converso, vel spiritualia bona eis impetrando , vel bona temporaiia multiplicando. Quamvis autem, ut visum est, haec refectio a superiori in pluribus distet, tamen utraque in monte celebrata est ; quia utriusque Testamenti Scriptura recte intellecta, altitudinem nobis coelestium praeceptorum et praemioruin docet, et altitudinem Christi, qui est mons in vertice montium, cansona voce praedicat. 8 &— TiTUR. — <• Considera nunc hic quos Dominus pascere dignatur, et quibus gratiae suae alimentum impar tiatur.
Utique qui in deserto eum quaerunt, et cum eo triduo perseverant; quod fit cum fideles Trinitatem credentes, ac contriti et confessi pro peccatis suis secundum posse satisfacientes, se ad' Deum in cogitatione, locutione, et opere convertunt; ac Dei bonitatem exspectantes, necessitate tentationis imminente, non recedunt. Quorum miseretur Deus, et pascit eos septem panibus, id est septem donis Sancti Spiritus, ne deficiant in via mundi hujus; quibus et septem dotes per septem sportas remanentes significatae, reservantur post hanc vitam dandae, quae sunt : clara Dei visio, fruitio, tensio quantum ad animam ; impassibilitas, agilitas, subtilitas, claritas quantum ad corpus. Unde Ambrosius : « Gratiae ccelestis impartitur alimentum, sed quibus impartiatur adverte. Non otiosis, non in civitate quasi in synagoga , vel seculari dignitate residentibus; sed inter deserta quaerentibus Christum. Qui enim non fastidiunt, ipsi excipiuntur a Christo. Dividit ergo escas Dominus Jesus. Et ille quidem vult dare omnibus, negat nemini; dispensator enim est omnium. Sed cum ille panes frangat et det discipulis, si tu manus non extendas tuas ut accipias tibi escas, deficies in via.
Nec poteris in eum culpam referre, qui miseretur et dividit. Sed his dividit qui cum eo etiam in deserto permanent, qui primo et secundo die, et tertio non recedunt. Non vult jejunos dimittere, nec yult ut deficiant in via. Noli ergo deficere in disciplina Dei, neque fatigeris cum ab eo increparis; ne fatigeris nunc, ne postea fatigeris : » haec Ambrosius. Considera etiam vilitatem et parcimoniam mensae eorum, et voluptatem sperne; quia inimica est et corporis et animae. Unde Chrysostomus : « Nihil ita corpori inimicum et nocivum est ut voluptas, nihil enim ita rescindit et suffbdit, id est corrumpit. Et primum pedes punit, qui portaverunt nos ad perniciosa illa convivia; deinde manus quae ministrant ventri ligans, quia talia et tanta attulerunt cibaria. Multi autem et ipsum os perverterunt, et oculos et caput : » haec Chrysostomus.
Unde et Horatius : Sperne voluptates, nocet empta do[ lore voluptas. De aliis ad meditationem pertinentibus patet supra, in alia pastione de quinque panibus.
Adhuc autem hic per septem panes intelliguntur septem poenitentiae partes : primus panis est malae vitae sollicita emendatio ; secundus, vera et humilis defectuum accusatio ; tertius, contra excessum commissum jugis indignatio; quartus, non relabendi anxia trepidatio ; quintus, amplius proficiendi afifectio; sextus, sanctorum virorum imitatio; septimus, suorum malorum et aliorum punitio. Istae sunt septem spicae, pullulantes in culmo uno; isti sint septem gradus in scala, per quam in ccelum ascenditur, septem peccatorum mortahum culpa diluitur, septiformis Spiritus Sancti gratia infunditur, et virtutum septenarius acquiritur. Sed cum istis ^panibus erant pisciculi pauci, saltem duo, qui significant timorem et amorem, qui cum istis panibus debent edi. Primus piscis est timor poenarum inferni , et iste capitur in aqtiis inferni ; secundus piscis est amor et desiderium aeternorum, et iste capitur in fluvio paradisi; et dicuntur pisciculi, non pisces, quia timor est parvulus, eo quod hominem parvulum et humilem reddat, et amor ratione status, quia parvus est respectu amoris futuri seculi. Insuper sciendum , quod sunt septem panes mystici cujuslibet status, scilicet : incipientium , proficientium et perfectorum; de quibus Dominus pascit fideles secundum diversitatem statuum eorumdem.
Primos septem panes beatus Bernavdus proponit claustralibus , qui geruntformam incipientium, quantum ad initium suae conversionis. Primus est panis verbi, in quo vita hominis est, quia : Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo, quod procedit de ore Dei: Et ut taceamus de verbo vocali, quo Deus aliquando locutus fuisse legitur Moysi, Abrahae, et aliis, sive per Angelos, sive per se, sive alio modo ; ad prassens dicere possumus quod verbum egreditur ex ore Dei dupliciter. Uno modo immediate, quando videlicet Deus loquitur per instinctum ad cor hominis, inspirando ei quid facere debeat; lioc modo Deus loquitur peccatoribus et hominibus mundanis, instigando eos ad poenitentiam. Alio modo loquitur Deus per aliquem hominem, scilicet praelatum vel praedicatorem, vel doctorem, vel aliquem amicum, per quem quasi per referendarium Deus verba sua transmittit ad aures hominis. Est et tertius modus quo Deus loquitur hominibus praecipue claustralibus, scilicet per Scripturam , quae ad omnia recipienda sunt, sicut verba Dei, cujus inspiratione sunt scripta, ad pascendum videlicet legentes pane vitae spiritualis. — Secundus panis , secundum eumdem Bernardum, est obedientia, qui bene comitatur primum; quid enim prodest verba Dei audire, nisi quis eis velit et secundum ea vitam suam dirigere? — Tertius panis est meditatio, et hic bene comitatur duos praecedentes; nam postquam verba Dei commendata sunt cordi, et eis homo statuit obedire , necesse est hominem continue meditari qualiter vitam suam secundum Dei beneplacitum disponat. — Quartus panis est orantium lacrymae , qui panis bene adjungitur praecedenti; .
cum enim meditatur peccatorum suorum sarcinam, praesentis indolatus miseriam, et vitae aeternae gioriam, suam imbecillitatem , et Dei erga se bonitatem, in tali meditatione exardescit ignis devotionis, et resolvitur cor in lacrymas compunctionis ; et tunc recurrit ad praesidium orationis. — * Quintus panis est labor poenitentiae, et hic panis utique necessarius est incipientibus, etiam post alios praemissos; quia, secundum Augustinum, non sufficit mores in melius commutare, et a malis factis recedere, nisi et de his quae facta sunt satisfacias Deo per poenitentiam, laborem et dolorem. — Sextus panis et jucunda unanimitas socialis, et hic bene dicitur panis, quia pascit et confortat in vita spirituali viventes in congregatione quantum ad claustrales, etiam viventes in communione Ecclesiae, et quantum ad alios incipientes. — Septimus panis est Eucharistia ; et de hoc pane satis dicitur aiibi in diversis locis. 1 1 Septem panes proficientium. — Prolatis septem panibus incipientium, consequenter degustandi sunt alii septem proficientium. Ubi sciendum quod, sicut dicit Apostolus : Non volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis est Dei; oportet enim currere volentem in via profectus spiritualis totaliter inniti divinae misericordiae, et de bonis jam praestitis misericordias Domini cum gratiarum actione jugiter ante mentis oculos habere; et sic semper ad meliora poterit proficere. Propter quod beatUs Bernardus omnes miserationes Domini erga se recogitans, reducit eas ad septem panes.
, quibus eum Dominus misericorditer reficere dignatus fuit. Et nos de eisdem panibus vesci debemus, si in vita spirituali proficere velimus, ut dicamus cum Psalmista : Veniant mihi miserationes tuce, et vivam. Primus panis, vel prima misericordia, secundum Bernardum, est praeservatio a multis peccatis, in quae incidisset, si eum Dei misericordia non custodisset. Hujus panis, secundum eumdem Bernardum, tria sunt fragmenta : « Tribus, inquit, modis a peccatis me memini p conservatum : occasionis subtractione, resistendi data virtute, et affectionis sanitate. » — Secundus panis est pia Dei dissimulatio circa peccantem, quia tardabat ultionem et indulgentiam cogitabat; habet et hic panis tria fragmenta, videlicet : longanrmitatem , quam exhibuit , electionem praedestinationis, quam impleri voluit, et caritatem nimiam, qua dilexit nos, — Tertius panis est miseratio, qua convertit ad poenitentiam. Hic etiam panis habet tria fragmenta; quia cor concutit, excitans illud ut advertat suorum vulnera peccatorum, et vulnerum dolorem sentiat; terret, deducens ad portas inferi, et praeparata iniquis supplicia monstrans; et spem dat intelligentiae. — Quartus panis est indulgentia peccatorum, quod videlicet Deus poenitentem eum mi-t sericorditer suscepit. Et hic panis habet tria fragmenta, quia, ut dicit Bernardus : « Sic ex toto Deus in T dulsit, et tam liberaliter omnem donavit injuriam : ut jam nec damnet ulciscendo, quod est primum; nec confundat improperando, quod est secundum; nec minus imputando, quod est tertium.
» — - Quintus panis est continentia a peccando, seu virtus continendi et emendatius vivendi, ne recidivum pateretur, Et hic panis etiam habet tria fragmenta ; nam haec continentia habet tres oppugnatores , scilicet : carnem, mundum et malignum spiritum, quibus resistere nostra virtute non valemus; sed pane isto divinae misericordiae confortati, habemus in Domino hanc virtutem. — - Sextus panis est gratia promerendi, qua videlicet minus bonae conversationi indulget. Quam gratiam dicit Bernardus in tribus maxime constare, tanquam fragmentis, videlicet : in odio praeteritorum malorum, in contemptu bonorum praesentium et desiderio futurorum. — Septimus panis est spes obtinendi , qua Deus donat homini indigno et peccatori de sua toties experto bonitate usque ad ccelestia speranda praesumere ; cujus etiam tria , secundum Bernardwn, fragmenta : « Tria, inquit, considero, in quibus tota spes mea consistit : caritatem adoptionis, veritatem promissionis , potestatem redditionis. » i-2 Septem panes perfectohum. — Refecti duobus septenariis panum, a beato Bernardo nobis appositis , videlicet incipientium et proficientium, festinemus nunc utcunque gustare septem alios a Spiritu Sancto nobis proponendos, quibus reficiuntur animae perfectorum, qui panes sunt septem dona Spiritus Sancti; felix anima quae his saturari meruerit ! Et bene haec dona nomine panum describuntur, quia delectabiliter reficiunt animam in praesenti, et satiant in futuro. Primus panis est timor Domini, timor, inquam, filialis; nam timor servilis incipientium est.
Et hic est timor castus, quo quis ex timore timet a Deo separari, et ideo declinat a maio, quod contrariatur Deo» — Sed quia oportet etiam benefacere, sequitur secundus panis, qui est donum pietatis, quo monet nos Spiritus Sanctus, ut operemur bonum ad laadem Dei, et ad utilitatem omnium proximorum; et haec est pietas quae ad omnia utilis est, et procedit ex pio corde, quo Deus tantum invenitur; corporalis autem exercitatio, scilicet sine pietate, ad modicum utilis est. — Tertius panis est donum scientias, hoc donum comitatur duo praedicta, quia, ut dicit Chrysostomus, nemo potest cavere malum, nisi cognitum , neque bonum facere quod ignorat; et hoc datur per donum scientiae , quo datur homini rectum habere judicium de istis inferioribus, ad cognoscendum quid noxium, et quid expediens sit ad salutem. — Quartus panis est donum fbrtitudtnis, et bene fortitudo sequitur scientiam; nam cognitis per donum scientiae qute mala cavenda sunt, et quae bona prosequenda, opus est Spiritu fortitudinis, quo possit prosequi quae cognovit, tam in vincendo mala, quam in aggrediendo bona. Hoc dono dotati fuerunt sancti martyres, quos nulla tormenta poterant superare. — Quintus panis est donum consilii , per quod homo dirigitur, quasi consilio a Deo accepto, in his ad quae humana ratio non sufficit. Et bene consilium sequitur fortitudinem, quia, secundum Gregorium, valde fortitudo destruitur, nisi per consilium fulciatur, quia quo plus se posse conspicit, eo virtus sine moderamine in praeceps ruit; et mens quae intus sedem consilii perdidit, foras se per desideria innumerabiliter spargit. — Sextus panis est donum intellectus, et illud donum intellectus sequitur donum consilii, et duo bona facit in anima : primum, quia illustrat intellectum ad sane capiendum consilium Spiritus Sancti speculative ; secundum , quia depurat affectum ad agendum practice consultum. — Septimus panis est donum sapientiae, quod sequitur donum intellectus, et omnia dona alia, quae sine sapientia nihil sunt.
Sapientia est cognitio suavitatis divinae per experientiam habita ; unde dicitur sapientia, quasi sapida scientia. Nam per donum sapientiae juvatur homo, non solum ad cognitionem divinorum, sed etiam ad gustationem eorumdem. ORATIO Damine Jesu Christe, miserere super turbam pcenitentiuni. et incipientium justorum, et proficientium, perfectorum et contemplantium per tridujum contritionis, confessionis et . satisfactionis, per victoriam mundi, carnis et diaboli, per visionem corporalem, imaginariam et spiritualem eKspectantium veniam, gratiam et gloriam. Refice primos per discretam soilicitudinem, cautelam, indignationem, timorem, desiderium, aemulationem et vindictam. Refice secundos per spiritum timoris, pietatis, scientiae, fortitudinis, consiUi, inteUectua et sapientiae. Refice tertios per tres animae, et quatuor corporis dotes, in praesenti quidem spe quae superexcrescat in septem sportas in futura beatiliidine.
Amen. PRIMjE partis caput xcii.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text reads 'XGI' (91) and 'cap.' (chapter). Given the context of the feeding of the four thousand, this refers to Matthew 15.
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