De orando et exspectando adventum JDomini, et de posterioribus signis adventus ejus, et consummationis seculi
The Necessity of Persistent Prayer
The author emphasizes that constant, humble, and tearful prayer is the primary remedy for the dangers of the end times.
After the Lord mentions our troubles and dangers, he consequently provides the remedy for them, which is prayer—premeditated, constant, and persistent; as it says in the Book of Chronicles: "Since we do not know what we ought to do, we have only this left to us." So that we may direct our eyes toward you. For the Lord had spoken of his future coming. He will come suddenly, and since the time is uncertain, he wants us to be alert and prepared, so that day doesn't find us unprepared. Among other things that prepare us to wait securely and worthily for the coming of the Lord, there is... steadfastness and persistence in prayer, so that we may implore the mercy of the just Judge; and the humility of the one praying, so that we may sway the Judge through humility and temper his rigor, because a humble prayer is always pleasing to him. Hence it says in Ecclesiasticus: "The prayer of the one who humbles himself will pierce the clouds, and it will not be comforted until it draws near; and it will not depart until the Most High looks down." The prayer of the proud, however, doesn't deserve to be heard; for the one who prays acknowledges his own defect, which is contrary to pride, since the proud person prefers to hide his defect rather than reveal it. The Lord teaches, therefore, that we must pray constantly and always, and never fail in prayer, because the persistent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. But who can pray always? Therefore, this should be understood as referring to the daily canonical hours established according to the rite of the Church, and we should pray always—that is, at the proper times and hours. In this way, 'always' does not mean a continuous span of time, since it must be interrupted by sleep and certain bodily needs, but it does mean an urgency of prayer at the times and hours suited for it. Or, certainly, whatever a righteous person does and says in accordance with God should be counted as prayer. For he prays always who always does good or perseveres in what is good; he doesn't stop praying unless he stops being righteous. For it is not only the tongue that prays, but also the heart, thought, desire, sense, purpose, eyes, and every good work. For if these cease to pray, any prayer of the tongue is useless. And in this way we can pray always and without interruption, and never fail in prayer. That is why Augustine says: "Whoever praises God with their tongue cannot do so always; but whoever praises God with their life, praises Him always." They are always able to do so. Prayer with tears, however, is of great value before God, because God loves it more and hears it more quickly; that is why the angel said to Tobit: 'When you prayed with tears, I offered your prayer to the Lord,' and the Lord said through Isaiah to Hezekiah: 'I have heard your prayer.' I have seen your tears. For, as Jerome says, prayer softens God, but a tear compels Him; the former anoints, the latter stings. And Bernard says: 'O humble tear, yours is the power, yours is the glory of the kingdom; you don't fear to enter alone before the face of the Judge; whatever you ask, you obtain; you impose silence on the accuser, and sometimes you snatch the sentence from the mouth of the Judge.' You conquer the unconquerable, you bind the Almighty: this is Bernard. To prove the effectiveness of persistent prayer, He told a parable about being heard through perseverance, using the example of an unjust judge who didn't fear God, didn't care about offending Him, and didn't fear public scandal—moved neither by the fear of God nor by human shame—and a widow asking to be vindicated against her adversary, meaning she wanted justice done against him. He heard her at last only because of her persistent pleading—her constant pestering wore him down—and he acted, overcome by the annoyance of what he didn't want to do out of kindness, moved to do justice not for the love of justice, but to avoid the nuisance of her complaints. From this, it's clear that some people today are worse than that judge, because they won't do justice for the oppressed out of fear of God, human shame, or any amount of persistence. The Lord proposed this parable to show how much more certain of being heard those should be who persistently call upon God, the fountain of justice and mercy. when before an unjust judge... the perseverance of the one praying moved Him; for the widow obtained the effect of her petition through the persistence of her prayers. For in the same way, God, who is good and just, will much more surely hear the prayers and bring about the vindication of His chosen ones who are under pressure and in tribulation and cry out to Him day and night—that is, those who pray persistently for their liberation and the declaration of divine justice. It must be noted: however, that the saints living on earth do not ask God for vindication against their adversaries by way of hell. It isn't about punishment, but rather that they might turn to justice and stop being evil, according to the saying in the Book of Proverbs: 'Turn the wicked, and they shall not be'—meaning they shall cease to be wicked. Alternatively, it means that once they have lost the power they now possess, they might stop persecuting the just. Or, it is because it belongs to the good to wish for spiritual and eternal goods for their persecutors, and in this way, to pray for them. But because temporal punishments are a kind of medicine, and are useful for the amendment of life and for the declaration of divine justice, it is therefore fitting for the saints to ask God for vengeance against their persecutors in this way—not out of a movement of anger, but out of a zeal for justice. And so, this is not contrary to what is said: 'Pray for those who persecute you,' and so on. Then, after the prayer, the Lord adds a question about faith, saying: "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man—that is, Christ himself—comes for judgment, do you think he will find faith on the earth?" It’s as if he were saying to them: "He’ll find very little, if we’re talking about faith formed by love."1 He asks about faith after the prayer because if faith fails, prayer perishes. For how will they call on him in whom they haven't believed? Therefore, let us believe so that we may pray; and let us pray so that the very faith by which we pray doesn't fail. The fact that the Lord asks whether he will find faith at his coming isn't because he is in doubt, for he knows all things; rather, he asks this to rebuke and reproach the multitude of the unfaithful, because at his coming he will find that many, seduced by the Antichrist, have fallen away from the faith, and in comparison to them, he will find few who have persevered in the true confession of faith. For then, according to Bede, the number of the elect will be so small that the ruin of the whole world will be hastened, not so much by the clamor of the unfaithful as by the coldness of others: "Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold and fail."2
The Threefold Coming of the Lord
The author explains the three comings of Christ—in the flesh, in the mind, and in judgment—and how they relate to the life of grace.
And because the Lord has thus warned the faithful against the coming of the Antichrist and his false prophets, and has further urged them to pray always in the midst of such evils while they await His coming, He now comforts them with the promise of His near arrival. You should know that there is a threefold coming of God our Savior: into the flesh, into the mind, and into judgment; the first two are comings of love. The third is a coming of fear; we celebrate the third because of the first, and the first because of the second. The liturgy mentions the coming to judgment at this time so that, through the fear it instills, we might prepare ourselves more diligently for the upcoming feast of the Lord's birth in the flesh. We observe the feasts of His coming in the flesh so that we might deserve to conceive the eternal Word in our minds; for this mental conception is the greatest grace of all the gifts conferred by grace upon the devout soul in this life, according to the common law. Hence, Augustine says that Mary was more blessed in conceiving Christ in her mind than in her flesh. Because, as Augustine also says, it is the role of fear to prepare a place, and because it introduces love just as a mother brings forth a child, the Church—while celebrating the Lord's coming in the flesh and in the mind, which are comings of love—also mentions in the liturgy His coming to judgment, which is a coming of fear. It does this so that through fear, love may be introduced, and through this we may be moved to the loving preparation of our own hearts, that we might say with the Prophet: 'By Your fear, O Lord, we have conceived and brought forth the spirit of salvation.' The Lord therefore comforts them regarding His near coming, because it won't happen immediately, but after a short time has passed following the tribulation of the Antichrist and the false prophets—which will last for three and a half years—and even after the death of the Antichrist himself, clear signs of the approaching judgment will appear. After that tribulation, and before these signs appear, there will be a short time, namely forty days or thereabouts, for the refreshment of the good and for the repentance of the wicked, in which those who were deceived by the Antichrist will be able to repent.
Signs of the Approaching End
A detailed exposition of the cosmic, elemental, human, and angelic disturbances that will precede the final judgment.
You should know that... before the final judgment, in every creature. it will appear. ... All of creation can be divided into four categories: the celestial, the elemental, the rational, and the intellectual. ... First, therefore, a disturbance is described in the celestial nature, namely: 'And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars,' in which there will be some unusual appearances that are contrary to their own nature; and that is why they are called signs that will be in them. For the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky—not from their own position, which is naturally impossible to happen, since the earth would not be sufficient for their magnitude and the celestial bodies remain in their own intact nature—but because of the excessive scintillation that will be in the air. They seem to fall from their own light, not because they are deprived of it—since it's natural to them—but because they are overcome by a greater light. These luminaries are said to be obscured and to fall by comparison with the greater light that follows, because at the glorious coming of Christ, when the true glory of light appears, all the lights of the world are compared to darkness and shadows; just as the stars do not appear when the sun rises, and a candle's light does not shine in the daytime. Hence Bede says: 'On the day of judgment, the stars will appear obscured, not because their own light diminishes, but because the clarity of the true light—that is, the supreme Judge—supervenes when He comes in His majesty, and that of the Father, and of the Saints and Angels. Yet nothing prevents us from truly understanding that the sun and moon, along with the other stars, will be deprived of their light for a time, just as it is known to have happened to the sun at the time of the Lord's Passion, for the moon at that time, though full, was hidden under the shadow of the earth.' Furthermore, after the day of judgment has passed and the glory of the future life shines forth, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, then what the Prophet Isaiah predicts will come to pass: 'And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days.' So says Bede. Mystically, the Church is beautiful as the moon, chosen as the sun, and she who illuminates the night for me. It is so that the star will then no longer appear to the wicked. In the manner of those raging, and it will yield to the pressure. They will fall unpunished, those who... That light will appear, and indeed the most firm faithful will be troubled. Wonderfully, the sun signifies the state of the perfect, for it is their nature to influence and illuminate others like the sun; the moon signifies the state of those making progress, whose role is to persist in virtuous outward exercises—which involve the changing nature of human actions—much like the moon, which among the planets has a special influence over the mutability of these lower things; the stars, however, signify the state of beginners, whose role is to lament past sins and guard against future ones, for stars purify the impure air with the emission of their rays, and by their power, the corruption of pestilence is removed from the lower world. In each of these states, certain signs must precede the conception of the eternal Word in the mind. For in the sun, we read that there occurred the sign of station, the sign of retrogradation, and the sign of obscuration. And in the sun, as it relates to representing the perfect, we understand: first, there must be a sign of station, which is the stability of the mind in God, so that it does not wander through various thoughts, according to the Psalmist's word: 'Cast your burden upon the Lord'; second, a sign of retrogradation through the alternation of contemplation and action, according to the word of the prophet Ezekiel: 'The living creatures went and returned,' for the living creatures—that is, the followers of evangelical perfection—go to the contemplative life, in which, because they cannot remain for long, they return to the active; third, a sign of obscuration through the emptying of one's own glory, so that in their own eyes they consider themselves to be nothing, just as the Apostle obscured himself, saying: 'I am the least of the apostles,' and he follows it with: 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' In the moon, for those making progress, there must appear a sign of conversion into blood, through a constant remembrance of the Passion, whence the prophet says to them in Lamentations: 'Remember my poverty.' And of wormwood and gall; and the person ought to respond with what follows there: 'I will remember and remember, and my soul will faint within me.' In the stars, however, as regards... For beginners, there must be a sign of falling and of one's own rejection through a humble recognition of multiple failings, concerning which fall it is said in Proverbs: 'A just man falls seven times a day.' And he will rise again. For he is justified by the grace of God at all times. This is signified by the number seven, which must be cleared through self-recognition; and then, after every fall, he always rises again through the lifting power of divine mercy, for as often as anyone groans for his own failings... ...so many times will he accumulate for himself the grace of divine propitiation. Yet if this isn't within our power in any state, it comes from the overflowing goodness of God; the Wise Man prays thus: 'Have mercy on us, O God of all.' And show us the light of your mercies; and he adds: 'Renew the signs and work new wonders.' Second, the disturbance in the created elements is described when he says: “And on earth, distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,” for from the pressure of the body... ...the heavenly elements will be shaken. The earth will be shaken by this commotion, and in the air there will be darkness, winds, thunder, lightning, and various storms. These will be generated. In the sea. Also, in the waves, spirits of storms will be generated, shaking the sea and the waves from within and from without, from the collision of which... ...it will be generated. A horrible sound will arise, and because of the excessive, chaotic agitation of the waters on every side, it will seem like the sound of confusion. And on top of this, even more will be added. A fire will go before the face of the Lord, so that the sea and everything else will be completely consumed, just as Peter says: 'The elements will be dissolved by heat, and the earth and all the works in it will be burned up.' Because of all this, people's hearts will be shaken with extreme terror, and they will be astonished, as if wanting to mourn, because of the horrible sound. Unable to see one another, they will press against each other as they run about, pushing and crowding, so that there will be a 'distress of nations,' and one will fall upon another from the rush of many people fearing to be swallowed by the waters and consumed by fire and storms. And for this reason, it is appropriately called 'distress,' as if it were a crushing of the calf of the leg. But the greatest cause of this distress will be the sound of the sea and the waves, because the sea will roar terribly in an unusual way, and the shores of the sea will be shaken more violently by the storm. Third, the disturbance in rational creation—that is, in humanity—is described when it adds: 'As men wither,' meaning they lose the vigor of their physical strength and color. In those days, people will become withered, dull, and stupid, as if out of their minds, and they will waste away within themselves. They won't speak to, hear, or pay attention to one another because of the fear of present evils and the expectation of even greater ones to come—a fear and expectation that will overtake the whole world. It’s as if to say: No nation or province will be exempt from these hardships. Regarding these, Isaiah says: It will happen suddenly, and immediately you will be visited by the Lord of hosts in thunder, in the shaking of the earth, in the great voice of a whirlwind and a storm, and in the flame of a devouring fire. And what David says about the wicked will be fulfilled: 'I sought, and his place was not found.' It’s as if to say: I sought the wicked... ...in the world, and I did not find him. For, with judgment impending, the heavens will repel the wicked with thunder and lightning, the air will drive him away through a whirlwind, the sea through a storm, and the earth will cast him out through a shaking; so that, finding no place in the whole world, he will be buried in the flame of a devouring fire. And. No. Fourth. The intellectual creation will be stirred when... For the Powers of the heavens— that is, the angelic Powers—will be moved. Indeed! And this movement will be manifold... they will be moved by that motion... of wonder, seeing... Acts and events. — I prefer to maintain the order. Natural; likewise. They will be moved by the divine will to perform miracles and transformations in the elements, and to strike terror into people at the coming of the Judge; likewise. They will be moved to seek the punishment of sinners and their separation, because they will separate the wicked from the midst of the just and cast them into the furnace of fire; likewise, they can be said to be moved by great fear, for they will see the whole world being judged, and Lucifer, who was their prince. Hence Chrysostom says that they will be moved and shaken most fittingly, seeing such a great transformation taking place, their fellow servants being punished, and the world of the earth... ...standing by at the terrible judgment.
The Call to Interior Judgment
The author urges the reader to judge themselves through compunction and repentance now, so as to avoid the terror of the final judgment.
The angels feel a sense of reverence and wonder toward God; they marvel at His majesty and behave like those who tremble. Regarding this fear, it is said in Job: 'The pillars of heaven tremble and are afraid at His nod,' or, as some translate it, 'at His coming.' What, then, will the shrubs of the desert do when the cedar of the paradise of Lebanon is shaken by fear? It’s no wonder, then, if people—who are earthly in nature and sense—wither away when even the angelic powers, secure in themselves, are moved. Morally, by the name of 'heavens' we can understand holy souls in whom God deigns to be conceived through grace and to dwell. It is said of them: 'Heaven is my throne,' for the soul of the just is the seat of wisdom. Thus, the virtues of heaven are the strengths of the soul. Just as the virtues of the physical heavens will be moved at the coming of judgment, so at the coming of the eternal Word into the mind, all the virtues and powers of the soul will be moved to operations that exceed their own. And the lower part of reason will be moved from the exercise of good work to the study of prayer and contemplation. Therefore, signs and wonders will precede the Judgment, marking God's wrath against sinners and showing His vengeance against the world. And just as the world is shaken when the Lord is offended by those who sin against Him, so too is all creation. God is stirred against sinners. And, according to Bede, just as trees tremble before they fall, giving signs of their movement, so too, as the end of the world approaches, the world itself trembles. They groan, and all creation groans with them. And as Chrysostom says, just as a man—who is a microcosm, or a little world—suffers great fantasies and disturbances when he is dying, so too does the macrocosm, or the greater world. Failing, it will be entirely shaken. For the way the greater world fails must be understood from the lesser. Note that the Lord briefly touched upon certain signs that will precede the day of judgment. It is said in scholastic history, however, that Jerome found fifteen signs in the Hebrew annals that will occur before the day of judgment; but whether those days will be consecutive or intermittent is not stated, and this point remains a matter of much doubt. On the first day, the sea will rise forty cubits above the height of the mountains, standing in place like a wall; on the second, it will recede so far that it will barely be visible; on the third, sea monsters—namely whales and creatures of that kind—will appear above the water and roar up to the heavens; on the fourth, the sea will boil. On the fifth day, the grass and trees will yield a bloody dew; on the sixth, all buildings will collapse; on the seventh, rocks will collide with one another; on the eighth, there will be a general earthquake; on the ninth, the earth will be leveled. On the tenth day, people will emerge from caves and come out like madmen, unable to speak to one another; on the eleventh, the bones of the dead will rise and stand upon their graves; on the twelfth, the stars will fall. Stars will fall from the heavens—according to some, only in appearance—and on the thirteenth, the living will die so that they may rise with the dead. On the fourteenth day, the heavens and the earth—that is, the surface of the air and the earth—will burn; on the fifteenth, a new heaven and a new earth will be made, and all people will rise. O heart of stone, if you are not softened by hearing these things, nor moved to repentance, you are harder than a rock, harder than adamant! For these terrible signs that precede show the even more terrible judgment that follows. Chrysostom says, "That judgment is terrifying." It is an inescapable punishment, and that torment is unbearable. If you don't want to face vengeance here, judge yourself, and demand an account of your sins from yourself. Listen to Paul, who says, "If we judged ourselves, we would not be judged." If you do this, you'll get ahead of the path and reach the crown. And, as Bernard asks, "How are we to demand vengeance from ourselves?" Mourn, groan bitterly, humble yourself, criticize yourself, and remember your sins in detail. For whoever does this will be so pierced with compunction that he won't consider himself worthy of life; but whoever considers this, will be softer than any wax. Don't think these things are trivial; gather them all together and write them down as if in a book. For if you write it down, God will erase it; just as if you do not write it down, God will both record it and seek out vengeance. It is much better, therefore, for us to record it and have it divinely erased, than for us to forget it and have God bring it before our eyes on that day. To prevent this, let's reflect on everything with diligence, and we'll find ourselves guilty of many things. How, then, is one to be saved, you ask? By setting the opposites against these things. Let's pay attention, then, and purge ourselves through all our wounds. In this way, we'll be able to obtain the forgiveness of our sins and enjoy the promised goods; so says Bernard. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, grant that I may imitate the signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars—that is, the examples of good works in You, the Sun of Justice, in Your Mother, the Virgin, and in all Your saints—so that there may be in the land of my flesh a distress of nations, that is, of uncircumcised movements, because of the confusion of the sound of confession and the sea of contrition and the fluctuating afflictions, while human desires wither away in me out of fear of hell and expectation of the glory that will come upon the whole world when You give to each according to their works; and may the powers of heaven, that is, the faculties of the soul, be moved from strength to strength, so that I may be found prepared at Your coming.✦ Amadeus.
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Postquam ergo Dominus aerumnarum et poriculorum meminit, consequenter horum remedium subdit, quod est oratio preemcditata, ac jugis ©t assidua; undeinlibroParalipomeuorum : Cum ignoremus quid agere debeamus^ hoG solum residui hahemus. ut oculos nos ros dirigamus ad te. Quia enim dixerat Dominus de suo futuro ailDE ventu. subito vnniet, cujus tempus ccrtum latel, sollicitos nos vult cs-e et disposiios, ne difs illa nos inveniat impaiatos. Inter cetera autem, quae nos praeparant, ut secure et di gne adventum Domini cx-pectemus, est op. itionis sediilitas et assiduitas, ut justi Judicis misericordam imploremus ; et orantis humilitas, ut Judicem per humiiitatem flectamus, et ejus rij^oreiu temperemiis, quia ei semperhumi ium placuitoratio. Unde in Ecclesiaslico : Oratio humiliantis se nubes penetrabit, et donec appropinquet non consolabitur ; et non discedetdonec aspiciat Altissimus. Oratio autem superborum exaudiri noQ meretur ; orans enim defectum proprium conritctur, quod superbiae repugnat, quoniam def^ctum suum magis celare quam prodere affectat.
Docet ergo Dominus quoniam oportet jugiter et semper orare, et ab oratione non defleere ; quia multum valet deprecatio justi assidua. Sed quis pot st semper orare? Ergo huc inteJligendum est de quotidianis horis canunicis, juxta ritum Ecclesiae constitutis, et oremus semper, scilicet pro tempore et horis debitis ; et sic semper non importat continuitatem temporis, quia oportet interrumpi tempore dormltionis et quarumdam nccessitatum corporis, sed importat in-^tantiam orationis temporibuset horis ad hoc congruis. Aut certe qnidquid justus facit et dicit, secundum Deum, ad orationem est reputandum. Nam semper orat, qui semper bene facit seu in bono perseverat ; nec desinit orare, nisi cum desinit justus esse. Orat enim non solum lingua; sed et cor et cogitatio, desiderium, sonsus, munus, ocuii, et omnis operatio bona. Haec enim si orare ces-avcrint, omnis linguae oratio inutilis est. Et hoc modo semper et sine intermissione possumus orare, et ab oratione non defieere.
Unde ait Augustinus : « Qui Deum laudat, hngua, non semper potest; qui moribus Deum laudat. semper potest. » Multum autem valet apud Dcum oratio cum licrymis, quia hanc Dcus magis diligit et citlus exauditj unde Augelus ad Tobiam : Quando orabas cum laerymis, ego obtuli orationem tuam Domino; et Dominiis per Isaiam ad Eze(-hiim : Audioi orationem tuam. vidi lacrymas tnas. Nam, ut ait Ilieronnmus, oralio Deum lenit, lacryma cogit; haec ungit, illa pungit. Un le et Bernardus : « 0 huinilis lacryma, tuaest potentiii, tui est re-rni gloria, anie fai-iem Judicis sola intrare non vereris, quidquid p itieris impctribis, accus itori silentium imponis, et quandoque sentcntiam ab ore Judicis rapis. vincis invincibilcm, ligas Omnipotentem : )> haec Bernardus.
Et ad prObandum efficaciam orationis assiduae, propouit parabolam de perseverantia in oratione et de ejus exiuditione, induceus exemnlum di» ju lice, qui Deum noa timebat ofTendere, et hommemnon reverebaturpublice scandalizare, nec divino timore movebatur, nec humano pudore; etde vidua petente vindicari de adversario suo, sciiicct ut faceret sibi justitiam de eo. Quam tandem ob solam importunitalem precum suvrum exaudivit, neeum suggillaret, id est suggerendo sua importunitate ofTMideret; et fecit victus taedio, quod nolebat facere benefiio, motus ad faciendum justitiam, non propter amorem justitiaa, sed ad evitatiouem siub inoIe4iae. Ex quo patet aliquos hodie peiores isto esse, quia nec Dei timore, nec hominum pudore nec aliqua importunitate volunt gravatis justitiam facere Hanc pinbolam Dominus ideo proposuit, ut ostcndat quanto certiores 'le exauditione esse iiebeaat qui Deura fontemjustitiaeet misericordiae perseveranter rogant. cum apud iaiqiium judicem v. iluerit perseverantia deprccantis ipsum ; quia per importunitatem precum obtinuit vidua petitionis efTectum. Sic enim multo fortius Deus, qui est bonus et justus, exaudiet preces, et faciet vindictam electorum suorum, in pressura et tribulatione existentium et clamantium ad se, die ac nocte, id e>t orantium iastaater pro sua liberatioue ct deciaratioae diviaft; juatitiae. Adverteudum ? 68 tamen, qiiod Sancti viventes in terra non petunt a Deo de adversariis vindictam per gehenn.
T poenam, sed quod conversi ad justitiam desinant esse mali, secundum illud libri Proverbiorum : Verte impios et non erunt, scilicet impii ; vel, quod amissa potestate quaiii nunc habent, desinant justos persequi ; vel, quia ad bonos pertinet bona spiritualia et aeterna suis persecutoribus optare, et hoc modo pro eis orare. Sed, quia poenae temporales sunt quaedam medicinge, et valent ad emendationem vitae, et addeclarationemdivinae justitiae, ideo ad Sanctos bene pertinet petere a Deo hoc modo vindictam de suis persecutoribus, non ex motu irae, sed ex zelo justitiae; et sic non est contra illud quod dicitur : Orate pro persequmtibus vos, etc.
Deindo post orationem, subjungitDominus de fide interrogationem, diceiis : Verumtamen Filius hominis^ scilicet ipse Christus, vcniens ad judicium, putas, inveniet fidem in terra? Quasi eis diceret : Parum inveniet, respective loquendo de fide formata caritate. Uefide postoralionem interrogat, quia si fides deticit, oratio perit. Quomodo enim invocabunt, in quem non crediderunt'] Ergo ut oremus, credamus ; et ut ipsa fides, qua uramus non deficiat, oremus. Quod autem quaerit Dominus an in advenlu suo inveniat fidem, hoc non facit dubitando, quia omnia novit; sed quaerit arguens et increpans intidelium multiludinem, quia in adventu suo multos ab Antichristo seductos reperiel a fide curruisse, respectu quorum paucos inveniet in vera fidei confessione perstitisse. Tunc enim, secundum Bedam, tanta erit raritas electorum, ut non tam obclamorem infidclium,quamohtorporemaliorumtotius jam mundi sit acceler;inda ruina : Quoniam eniin abundabit iniquitas , rcfrigescet et deficiet caritas multorum.
Et, quia sic praemimivit Dnminus fideles coutra adventum Antichristi et suorum pseudoprophctarum, ac insuper monuit eos orare semper in tantis malis, ad exspectandum adventum suum, nunc consolatur eos per suum propinquumadventum. Ubisciendum, quud cum triplex sit adventus Dei Salvatoris nostri, videlicet : in carnem, in mentem et in judicium ; primi duo sunt amoris. tertius est timoris ; tertium celebramus propter primum, et primumproptermedium. De adventu enim ad judicium mentio fit isto tempore in officio, ut timore nobis immisso ad venerendam futuram festivitatem Natalis Domini in carnem nus sollicitius praeparemus. De adventu in carnem ideo festa recolimus, quatenus per ea Verbum aeternum mentaliter concipere mereamur, dum ipsa mentalis conceptio est maxima gratia omnium donorum quse in hac vita, secundum legem communem, animae devutae per gratiam conferuntur. Unde dicit Augustinus, quod bt^atior fuit Maria concipiendo Christum mi;nte, quam carne. Et quia, idem Angustinus dicit, quud timoris ost praeparare locum, et quod introducit carilatem sicut foeta filium, ideo Ecclesia, celebrans adventum Domini in carnem, pariter etin mentem, qui sunt adventus amoris, simul mentionem facit in officio de adventu ejus ad judicium, qui est adventus timoris, ut videlicet per timorem introducatur, ac per ho:; nos moveamur ad amorosam nostri hospitii praeparat ionem, quatenus Verbo aeterno mentai iter ia nobis concepto, dicamus cum Prooheta: A timure tuo, Domiiie, concepimus et peperimus spiritum salutis. Consolatur ergo eos Dominus de suo adventu propinquo, quia statim nonimmediate, sed parvotempure elapso posttribulationem Antichristi et pseudoprophetarum, qu<T durabit per tres annus cum dimidio <'t etiam post mortem ipsius Antichrisli apparebunt signa manifesta propinqui judicii; quia post tribulationem illam, antequam appareant signa ista, erit tempus breve, scilicetquadragintadierum, vel circa, ad refrigerium bonorum, et ad poenitentiam malorum, in quo poenitere puterunt illi, qui per Antichristuni fuerunt decepti.
Et scieiiduni quod, apj)iO()in.] uante finaii jiidicio, in oinni creatura . ipparebiL tnr.) ati<). Universitas autem creaturarum reduci potest ad quatuor geneia, videlicet : ad naturamccelesiem, elementarem. ratiunalem, et intellectualem. Prirno ergo, describitur turbatio in natura coelesti, vidclicet : Et erunt signa in soleet luna^ et stellis, in quibus crunt aliqua apparentia insolita, et naturae suae repugnantia ; et ideo dicuntur signa quai in eis erunt. Sol enini 06scurabitw\ et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellse caclent de ccelo, non a situ suo, quod naturaliter impossibile est fieri, cum terra non sufliceret earum magnitudini, et curpora coelestia maneant in natura sua integra ; sed propter nimiam scintillationem quae erit in aere.
cadere videbiiiitur a suo Jumine, nnn quod eo priventur, cum sit eis nalurale, sed quia vincuntur amajori lumme. Haec cnim luminaria obscurari et cadere dicuntur, comparatione majoris lucis supervenientis, quia in glorioso Christi adventu, apparente verae gloria lucis, omnia mundi lumina tenebris comparantur et umbris; sicut stellae non a[)parent, sole oriente, et lumen candelae non lucet in die. Unde ait Beda : « Sidera in die judicii videbuntur obscura, non diminutione suae lucis accedente, sed superveniente claritate veri luminis, hoc est summi Judicis, cum venerit in majestate sua, et Patris, et Sanctorum et Angelorum; quamvis nihil prohibeat intelligi veraciter solem tunc et lunam cum sidenbus ceteris ad tempus suo lumine privari, quomodo de sule factum constat tempore Dominicae Passionis, lunaenimtunc lemporis, cum essetplena, sub abdito terrae latebat. Ceterum, peracto die judicii, et clarescente futurae gluria vitae, cuni fuerit coelum novum et terra nova, tunc fiet quod Isaias Propheta sic pi'aedicit : Et crit lux lunx sicut lux solis, et lux solis septempliciter sicut lux septern dierum : » haec Beda, — Mystice, Ecclesia pulchra ut bina, electa ut sol, et quae noctem miHidi illumtii. it ut stclla), tun'; noa apparebit impiis ultr. i rnodum saevientibus; et cedeiit pcrs. Mjuentihus ac cadent inulti qiii gr. iLia lulgere videbaiilur, cL ((uidem fideles lirmissimi tiirbabunlur.
— M iraliter vero, per solem status |)erfectorum designatur, eorum enim est ad modum solis influerc aliis et illuminare; per lunam sLatus proficientium significatur, ad quos pertinet exterioribus exercitiis viituosis, quae sunt circa mutahilitatem humanorum actuum, insistere,ad similitudincm lunie, quae inter planetas specialiter habet influentiam super mutabilitatem istorum inferiorum; per stellas vero sta tus incipientium accipitur, ad quos pertinet praeterita peccata deplangere et a futuris cavere; stellae enim emissione radiorum aerem impuruiu dcpurant, et earum virtute aufertur a mundo inferiori pestilentiae corruptek. in quolibet istorum statuum, ut Verbum aeternum concipiatur iu mente, debent certa signa praecurrere. In sole namque legimus accidisse signum statiunis, signum retrogradationis et signum ubscuraLionis. Et in sole, quantum ad perfectos figurandos, accipitur: primo debet esse si« gnum stationis, et hoc per mentis in Deo stabilitationem, ne variis cogitationibus evagetur, secundum iilud Psalmistae : Jacta cogitatum tuum super Dominum; secundo, signum retrogradalionis per cuntemplationis et actionis alternatiunem, secundum ilJud Ezechielis Prophetae : Animalia ibant et revertebantur: animalia enim, id est sectatores Evangehcae perfectionis, vadunt ad vitam contemplativam, in qua, quia diu imniorari non praevalent , revertuntur ad activam; teriio, signum ubscurationis per propriae gloriae exiuanitionem, ut in suis oculis nihil se esse repuLent, sic semetipsum obscuravit Apostolus, dicens : Ego sum minimus Apostolorum ; et sequitur : Gratia Dei sum id quod sum. In lunaquanLumail proficientes, debet apparere signum conversionis in sanguinem, per Passionis jugem recordationem, unde eis dicit Ghrim stns in Threnis : Reeordare pavpertatismese. et absynthii et fellis ; et respondere debet homo illud quod ibi sequitur : Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea. In stellis Yero qiiantum ad inr. ipientts, debet esse signum casus et proprige dejectionis per d<lertuum multipbcium humilem rerognilionem, de quo casu exfioni pole,4 illud Pruverbiorum : Septies in die cadetjustu^.
et resurget. Justilicatus enim per gratiam Dei omni tempore. quod perseptenarium numerum innuitur, debet radere per propriam recogniiionem, et tunc semper post lapsum resurgit per divinee miserationis sublevationem ; quoiies enim quis pro snis defectibus mgemuerit, t. ties divinae propitiationis graliam sibi amplius cuniulabit. Haec autem si^tra tacire in quolibet satu nonestex nobis, sed exsuperetfluentia divinse bonitatis ; i leo Sapiens sicorat: Miserere nostri, Dcs omnium. et oslende nobis lucem miserationum tuarum ; et subdit : hinova sifftm et immuta mirabHia.
Secundo, describitur turbatio in crealura elementai-i, cum dic. lur : Et in terris pressura gentium, prae confusione sonitus maris, et fluctuum Nam ex impressione corpi. rum ccelestium fiet commolio elementorum. Terra enim commolione conrmovebitur, et in aere caligo et venli, lonilrua et fuigura, curu-cationes et variae tempe. -tates generabuntur. In mr. ri quoque et in fluctibus, gcnerabunlur spinlus procellarum, et abintus et ab oxtr-a concutientes mareetflnctus, ex quorum conrraciione geuer. bitur ma.
\imiiset horribilis sonus, et prae nimia aquarum hinc inde agitalione ab-que ordiue, quasi sonus coniusionis trpparebit. Et insuper adiTit etiam inci. ndiurn ignis, qui prjecurr-et faciem Jl> dicis, ila ul mareet omnia ciedaniur coiisurrii omuino, diceute Petro: Elementa calure solventw\ et tcrra et omnia, quse in ea su7it opcra, ixurcntur. Ex quibus omnibus corda homiuum nimio terrore concutientur, et honiines attoniti quasi lugere volcnlc^, ct nropTor fcnohrashorrendx'^'^ ? (> mutuo videre non valentes, discurrendo se invicem prement, etimpingendo compriment,utfiatpressiiragentium, et ruatuuus superalium exconcursu multorum timentium ab aquis ab-orberi, et ab igneet tempestitibus consumi. etsecundum hocpropr-iedicitur pressura, qua-i premeus suram. Maximeautem bujuspressurfe causa erit soriitus maris et flurtuum, quia mare innsitato modo terribiliter fremet, et littiis maris vehemenlius agitabitur tempestate.
Tertio, describitur turbatio in creatura rationabilr, id est in homine, cum subditur : Arescentibus, id est deficientibus, hominibus, a vigore suae corporalis virtutis et colore ; in diebus enim illis elticientur homines aridi et pa esceutesetstupidi etvelut amentes, et coutabescent in seipsis, ila ut alter alierum non alloquatur, vel audiat seu attendat, prx timore^ scilicet malorum praesentium, et exspectatione maJorum adhuc re-tantium, qude, inquaui, timoi' et exspectatio supervenient universo orbi. Quasi dic-ret : IVec nalio, nec provincia excludelur ab his angustiis. De his autem sic dicit I>aias -. Eritque repente, et confestim visitabitur a Uomino exercituum in tonitruo, et commotione terrse, et voce magna turbinis ct tempestatis et ftammde ignis devorantis. Et nc implebiUir quod dlcit David de impio : Qudenvi et non est inventus locus cjus. Quasi diceret; Quassivi inipio ]t'(.' um in muado, et non invcni. INam, judicio imminente, coeliim toniiruis et fulguribus rep^ilet inipium, aer dopeJlet per turbinem, mare per temuestalem, terra eum ex<'uiiet per commotionem ; ut, in toLo mundo locum non inveniens sepeliaUir in ftamrna ignis ilevorantis iu in!
e!' no.
Quarto. pouilui turbaiioin creatura inteilecluali cum infcrtL^? : Nam Yiriutcs coilorum. , id est angelicae Potestates, movcbunlur. Il! e i;utem niotus erit mullipii' iter : qr. ia muvebuntur qnod;'m molu c. dmirationis viden^es iiiUFiit.
atos rfrprj-. - -^,-. I 1)E - ciJere praefer ordinom. natiiralem; itcm. movebuntur ex divitia voluntatead fariendum miraculo-as transmutalioncs in elementis, ad incutiendum hominibus terrcrem Judicis venieniis ; item. movcbuntur ad peccatorum viiidi«tam et separationem expetendo ;ib eis ultionem, qiiia separabimt malos de medio juslorum^ et mittent eos in caminum ignis ; item, po-sunt dici moveri ex magno timorc, videbunt eniiu totum orbem judicari, et Luciferuin qui corum princt'ps fuit. Unde dicit Chrysostomus, quod valde decenter commovebuntur et concutKmtur videntes tantam transmutjitionem fieri, et conservos suos puniri, et orbem terr. irum terribili assistentem jddicio.
Est autem in Angelis ti nor cujusdam reverentiaeet admiiationis respectuDei, quia scilicet admirantnr Dei, rnajestatem eis incurnpi ehen>ibi]em, etad modum tremcntium se habebunt, de tali timore dicitnr in Job : Columnx mli contremiscunt etpavent ad nutum ejus, V( 1, seciindum aiiquns, in adventu ejus. Qiiid eigo facii ni virgulta deserti, ubi timore concutitur cedrus Libani paradisi ? Cnde non cst mirum, si homines, qui in natura et sensu sunt terresires arescent cum eliam angelicae rotestates, quae de se securifi f^unt, movebuntnr. — iMoraliter, coelurum nomme possunt inteiligi animae sanctae, in quiims Deus per gratiam conCipi dignatur et habitaie, deqiiibusdicitur: CcElum mihi sedes est, anima enim justi sedes est sapicntiae. Hu. jus coeli virlutes sunt animae vires. Sicut autcm in adventu in judicium Viitutcs coelortim corporalium mi)vebuntnr ; sic in advciitu Veibi aetertii in menlem omnes virtuteset pott-nliaB animae movebuntur ad operationes suiierexcedente-. ; superinrqii" ei inferior pottio rationis movcbunlur dc exerciiio bonae operationis, ad studium orationis et conlemplatiotiis.
9 — Judicium erj^o divinumpraecedent signa et mirabiiia, iram Uei in puccatores designautia, et ad ostendcndam Dei parntam contra coe vindictam. Et sicut, ofTenso domino, turbaturcjus fa niliacontraofTcndentcs : sic crcatur. i Dci turl)alur contra pcccatores. Et, sccundum Bedam, quom 'do imimlsae ad casum arbores frag 'ris m()tusquc sui praemittcre solcniindicia; sic, termino mundi appropiiiquante, quasi pavcntia nut. int et g<munt elc nenta, et omnis creatura. Et, ut (\\cd('hrtjsostomus, sicui iiomo, eum moritur, patilur phantasias et turbationes maximas, qui est microcosmus, sivc minor miindus; sicm iciocosmus, sive maJMr mundu. -, deficiens totus conturbabitur. M odum enim deficiendi in majoii, mundo, ex minori oportet accipere.
Nota liic Dominum breviter quaedam tetigisse signadiem judicii praeccdcntia. Diciiur autem in sciiolastica historia quia Hieronymus, in annalibus iibris Hcbiaeorum invenit signa quindecim diernm ante diem judicii; scd utrum dies illi continui futuri sint, an vero interpolati, non e\pre>sit hoc autem multam habet dubielaicm. Priiia die eriget sr mire quadraginta cubitis super aliitudinem inonlium, slans in loco suo quasi murus; sccunda, in tantum descendet ut vix videri possit ; tertia, marinae beiluae, scilicet balenae et hujusmodi apparcntes supei' mare dahunt rugiius usque ad coelum; quarta. ariiebit marect aquae omncs; quinta, herbae et arbores dabunt rorem sanguineum ; sexta, omnia ruent aedificia^septima, petrae ad invicem collideiitur; octava, fiet generalis terrae molus; nona. aequabilur terra ; decima, exibunt homines de cavernis, atquc exibunt velut amentcs, ncc mutuo poterunt loqui; undccima, sui gcnt ossa mortuorum, et stabuntsuper sepulchra sua; duodecima, cadent. stclljje dc coelo secundum quosdam soluinmodo quoad apparcntiam ; tcrtiadccima , morienlur hotnines vivcntes nt cum morttiis resur^aiit; qu. irtadecima, ardebit coelum et tcrra, id est supcrlicies aeris et tenae: quintadccima, fiet ccelum novum etterra nova, etommis homines resui^gcnt. O cor qncjuam, si ad ha3c audita non mollins, nec ad poinitentiam provocaris, duriu=; os lapim dibus, durius adamante I Haec enim signa terribia quae praecedunt, terribilius judicium quod sequitur ostenduiit.
Ifnde Chrysostomus : « Terribile est illud judicium. et inevitabilis est poeni, et intoierabile illud tormentum. Si auLem vis neque hic dare vindiclam, decerne de te ipso, et expete a teipso noxas. Audi Paulum dicentem : Quod si nosmetipsos dijudicaremus, non utique judicaremur; si hoc feceris, viam praevenies, et ad coronam devenies. » Et, ut ait Bernardus : « Qualiter expetemus vindictam a nobismetipsis? Luge, ingemisce amare, humilia teipsum, vitupera te, rememora pcccatorum, secundum speciem. Qui enim facit hoc, ita compungetur, ut neque vita dignum seipsum esse aestimet ; qui autem hoc aestimat, cera omni mollior erit. Neque i^itur parva haec aestimes esse, sed congrecra omnia, et sic, ut in liJDros si-ribe.
Si enim lu scripseris, Deus delebit; sicut si tu uon, cripseris, Deus et inscribet et vindictam expetet. Multum igitur melius est a nobis inscribi et divinitus deleri, quam e contrario nobis oblivione tradentibus, Deum ea ante oculos nostros offerre, secundum diem illam. Ut igitur hoc non fiat, omnia cum diligeniia recogitemus, et inveniemus multis nosmetipsos obnoxios. Quaiiter igitur est salvari, ais ? Contraria his forinata ponentes. Attendamus igituret per omnia vulnera expurgemus. Ita cnim poterimus et ignoscentia delictorum potiri, et promissis perfrui bonis ; » Iisec Bcrnardus. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, da mihi imitari signa in sole, luna et stelJis, hoc est bonorum operum exempla in te Sole justitiae et matre Virgine, et in omnibus Sanciis tuis, ut fiat in terra carnahtatis meae pressura gentium, id est motuum incircumcisorum prae coulusione sonitus confes4onis et maris contritionis, ct fluctuantium afflictionum, arescentibus in me humanis concupiscentiis, prae timore gehennae et exspectatione gloriae quae supervenient universo orbi, quando unicuique secundum opera sua dabis ; virtutes etiam coelorum, scilicet potentiae animae moveantur de virtute in virtutem, ut paratus inveniar in adventu tuo.
AmcD.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.21.25-Luke.21.26 — There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, Luke.21.26 — People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'fide formata caritate' refers to the theological concept of 'faith formed by love' (fides caritate formata), meaning faith that is active and alive through charity.
- 2 ↩The Latin text contains a likely corruption 'quamohtorporemaliorumtotius', which has been rendered as 'as by the coldness of others' based on the context of 'torpor'.
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