De caritativa correctione proditoris et egressu ejus
The Sorrow of the Lamb
Jesus is troubled in spirit not by fleshly misery, but by divine mercy and compassion for the lost.
Regarding the third point, listen with sorrow and sadness. For when Jesus had said these things, he was troubled—that is, he was saddened, not in a fleshly way, but in spirit; that is, spiritually and by the command of reason, because he himself, by his own spirit and power, brought this state of troubled proportion upon himself. And this trouble, existing in the sensitive part of his soul, was not contrary to reason, but rather in harmony with it. For it is virtuous to be troubled against vices; spiritual trouble looks toward pity and mercy, but fleshly trouble stirs up fury and anger. Jesus is troubled in spirit, then, and mercifully so: whether by sympathizing with the disciple who betrays him and perishes in the act, or to teach us how we ought to act when we see someone fall into a great sin. In this way, the saints are also troubled mercifully and out of love when they are pressed by the need to separate the weeds from the wheat before the harvest. Morally, then, he instructs prelates that they ought not to separate anyone from the threshold of holy Mother Church—no matter how flagrant their sins—except with great compassion and sorrow. Hence Augustine says: 'Let the Christian be troubled, certainly, not by misery, but by mercy; let him fear that men might perish, and let him be troubled when someone is lost to Christ.' Let him desire that men be won for Christ; let him rejoice when someone is won for Christ; let him fear for himself, lest he be lost to Christ; let him be saddened that he is a pilgrim far from Christ. Let him desire to reign with Christ; let him rejoice when he hopes that he will reign with Christ.
The Traitor at the Table
Jesus reveals the presence of a traitor among the twelve, warning against the sacrilege of approaching the Lord's table with malice.
While they were eating, he said, “Truly, I tell you, one of you twelve—who are always with me, whose feet I have washed, to whom I have promised so much, and who are about to betray me, your Lord, your Master, your Savior—one of you is a traitor; one of you in number, though not in merit; in body, though not in spirit; in appearance, though not in virtue.” Judas’s ingratitude was immense, for he betrayed his own table-companion, his Lord and provider; and so another Evangelist says, “But look, the hand of the one who is betraying me is with me on the table.” The Lord could say this same thing today about many priests who presume to approach the Lord’s table unworthily, and who, as far as it lies within them, betray the Son of God to be crucified again by the merit of their sins. By announcing his betrayer at the table, he signaled that many come to his table as traitors. Yet it is a greater sin to betray Christ, who reigns in heaven, to sinful members, than it was to betray him when he walked on earth to sinful Jews. Hence Bede says, “But even today, and forever, woe to that man who approaches the Lord’s table in malice, who comes with traps hidden in his mind, and who, polluted in his heart by some crime, does not fear to participate in the secrets of Christ’s mysteries!” For he, in the likeness of Judas, betrays the Son of Man—not, indeed, to sinful Jews, but to sinful members, namely his own, whom he presumes to violate with that inestimable and inviolable Body of the Lord. Woe, I say, to that man about whom Jesus—who is undoubtedly present at the most holy altars while the sacrifice is being offered, as he is about to be consecrated—is forced to complain to the heavenly ministers standing by him: “Look,” he says, “the hand of the one who is betraying me is with me on the table!” That is what Bede says. And, as Origen says, all those in the Church who plot against their brothers—with whom they have frequently shared the same table of the Body of Christ—are like this.
The Mercy of the Master
Christ offers multiple opportunities for repentance to Judas, demonstrating the divine patience that seeks to call the sinner back from ruin.
The Lord foretold the betrayal and in this way revealed the traitor for three reasons: first, to show Himself as God, who foresaw future events; second, to show that He suffered willingly, since He could have avoided the death He knew was coming; and third, to give the traitor himself a chance to repent, since he heard that he was not hidden from the Lord. Jerome says: "He who foretold the Passion also foretold the traitor, giving him a chance to repent so that, once he understood his thoughts and the hidden intentions of his heart were known, he might repent of his deed. Yet He didn't point him out specifically, so that he wouldn't become more reckless by being publicly exposed, but rather included the crime in a general statement, so that the one who knew his own guilt might repent." It should be noted that someone is usually drawn back from committing evil in four ways, and by the greatness of His mercy, the Lord tried to call the disciple-traitor back from such a crime to repentance: through shame, when He says, 'One of you will betray me,' and 'The hand of the one who is betraying me is with me at the table'; and through fear, by threatening punishment, when He says... "...but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man will be betrayed!" ...so that he who isn't won over by shame might be corrected by fear; through the offering of a kindness, when He receives him at His table and washes his feet; and through the expression of affection, in a gentle address, when He says, 'Friend, why have you come?' In this way, following Christ's example, a good leader ought to show kindness to his subjects, so that as much as it lies within him, he may call them back from their evil life. But Judas was not broken by any of these things, so that he might not betray the man whom he knew to be the Son of God. Therefore, for anyone who wishes to consider the Passion of Jesus Christ with devotion, the first thing that strikes them is the treachery of the traitor, who was so filled with the poison of deceit that he betrayed his Master and Lord; so inflamed by the fire of greed that he sold God for silver and valued the precious blood of Christ at the price of a cheap reward; so ungrateful, finally, that he sold to death the one who had entrusted everything to him and raised him to the height of apostolic honor; and so hardened that he could not be turned back from his conceived malice by the familiarity of the meal, the humility of service, the sweetness of conversation, or the tenderness of a kiss. What amazing kindness from Christ toward a stubborn disciple, from the Lord toward a most wicked servant! Yet, although the traitor’s wickedness was beyond explanation, the most sweet gentleness of the Lamb of God—given as an example to mortals—surpasses it beyond measure, so that human weakness can no longer say it has been overcome by a friend: 'For if my enemy had cursed me, I would have endured it; for behold, a man of one mind with me, who seemed to be a leader and an acquaintance, who ate the bread of Christ and took sweet food at that sacred supper, magnified his betrayal against him and lifted his heel against him, because he was trying to trample him underfoot.' So today, many prelates, clergy, and religious who live lavishly off the patrimony of the Crucified lift their heel against Christ in his members, trampling them and afflicting them with slander and unjust demands.
The Apostles' Humble Fear
The disciples react with holy fear and humility, questioning their own hearts, while Judas persists in his hardened impudence.
When Jesus said to them, "One of you who eats with me will betray me," these words pierced their hearts like a sharp blade, and an unbearable grief suddenly took hold of that holy group; saddened, they stopped eating and looked at one another, as if struck by a new sense of shock, wondering who he could mean. They were saddened not only because their Master was about to die, but because each of them feared for himself, wondering if he were the one who was to betray him. They were amazed, for each of them—except for Judas—felt entirely certain of the opposite regarding Christ’s words, and they thought the same of their companions as they did of themselves; yet, because of the certainty of Christ’s words, they trusted his statement more than their own consciences, and they did not doubt that the event would happen, but only about who would be the one to cause it. Deeply saddened, they began to ask, each for himself: "Is it I, Lord? Is it I who will betray you?" Certainly, the eleven Apostles knew they had thought of nothing like that against the Lord; but they trusted the Master more than themselves, and fearing their own frailty, they asked in their sadness about a sin of which they were not conscious, as it is said in the Psalm: "Who can understand his errors?" Everyone, no matter how holy, ought to fear for the future. And he himself answered, saying: "The one who dips his hand with me into the dish, or bowl, he will betray me." Behold the humility and patience of Christ, by which he admits his betrayer to the table and the dish. And, according to Jerome, the Lord’s patience appears miraculous in this: because although He had first said, "One of you will betray me," and the traitor persisted in his evil, He rebuked him more clearly, yet still did not identify him by name. Consequently, because of this word from Christ, they couldn't definitively figure out who it was, since all twelve were eating from the same dish around the Lord; the lesser disciples, however, were eating separately at another table. It was as if He were saying: "One of the twelve will betray me." From this, it’s clear enough that the other disciples were present. The fact that Matthew says "dish" and Mark says "bowl" indicates that one refers to the shape of the vessel, while the other refers to the fact that it was made of earthenware. A dish is a square vessel with equal sides—that is, edges and ends—whereas a bowl is an earthenware or clay vessel, suitable for holding liquid and many other things. Look closely now at the disciples, and have compassion for both the Lord and them, because they were in great sorrow. But that traitor, so these words wouldn't seem to apply to him, didn't stop eating. For while the others were saddened and drew back their hands, forbidding food to their own mouths, Judas, with the same recklessness and impudence with which he was about to betray the Master, put his hand into the dish with Him, so that by his audacity he might feign a clear conscience. You should know that the table itself was on the ground, and in the ancient manner, they sat on the floor for supper in a furnished upper room, reclining as if lying down. It is believed to have been square, made of several boards. According to the person who measured it in the Lateran Basilica in Rome, one side is two cubits and three fingers long, and the other is two cubits and a palm long. So, even though it was tight and cramped, it's believed that three disciples sat on one side, with the Lord humbly in the corner and John next to Him, so they could all eat from the same dish. Observe here the feast of humility and love, because the Master and Lord shares with those poor disciples—and with Judas the traitor—at the same table, with the same food and drink, and from the same dish and cup. Many religious people today don't act this way, and they aren't ashamed to live differently from their brothers.
The Weight of Eternal Loss
Christ pronounces the severity of the traitor's judgment, emphasizing the gravity of choosing eternal damnation over existence in God.
Jesus continues, foretelling the punishment of the traitor’s damnation: "The Son of Man goes, as it is written of him, to his Passion voluntarily: he has been betrayed." He did so because he wanted to, and when he wanted to; but woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Woe means he will perish eternally; in Sacred Scripture, 'woe' signifies eternal damnation. Although Judas did repent after the fact, it was useless, because he hanged himself out of despair. Hence Jerome says: 'Judas, not corrected by the first or second warning, does not pull back his foot from his betrayal; but the patience of the Lord nourishes his impudence, and therefore punishment is predicted, so that what shame had not conquered, the announced penalties might correct.' And so that we might understand the extreme severity of his punishment, he adds: 'It would have been better for him, if he had not been born—that is, in the womb—if that man, stained by so many and such great crimes, had not been a human being; he who killed his father, defiled his mother, betrayed Christ, and destroyed himself by hanging.' According to Jerome, it would have been better for him not to exist than to exist for torment; it is much better not to exist at all than to exist in evil, for 'good' here is understood as 'the lesser evil.' It is a lesser evil not to exist at all than to be damned. Even if it is not a lesser evil in terms of the added punishment—which does not deprive one of all created existence—it is a lesser evil in terms of mortal sin, which inseparably clings to the damned. It not only deprives one of a certain created existence, as punishment does, but also deprives one of the infinite good, namely, the divine. Because of this, existing in the misery of mortal sin eternally is worse than not existing at all. And because the other disciples had asked him in their sadness, he also asks him—the one whose conscience was gnawing at him—so that he wouldn't appear to be giving away the secret by staying silent; for if he had stayed silent while others were asking about this, he would have made himself look suspicious to them, which is why Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said: "Is it I, Rabbi?" He doesn't call him Lord, as the others do, because he had already thrown off the yoke of the Lord while the others remained under it. According to Jerome, he doesn't call him Lord, but Master, as if he had an excuse: if he denied the Lord, he at least betrayed the Master. And he said to him: "You have said it." As if to say, according to Rabanus: "You have betrayed yourself, not I." The traitor was convicted by the same reasoning as Pilate, that unjust judge. He doesn't expose him before them yet, nor did he make his sin public to others, but he made it known to the conscience of Judas that he knew his sin. He could move the mind of Judas through this word in a way hidden from the others, which is why it can be understood as: "I do not say it, but you say it." It can also be explained as an assertion of the heart, as if to say: "You ask with your mouth as if you were ignorant, but you say it in your heart, and you confirm that you are the traitor." Look, miserable man, you see that the Lord knows all things, and that your conscience cannot be hidden from him! Stop, then, and confess. Here we are taught to correct someone who is sinning first with gentleness; then, if they persist in sin, more severely; and finally, most severely. For the Lord left us this pattern: first He said, 'One of you is going to betray me'; second, 'The one who dips his hand into the bowl with me will betray me'; and third, 'You have said it.'1
The Beloved Disciple's Secret
John, resting on the Lord's chest, learns the identity of the traitor, illustrating the intimacy of the contemplative life.
There was one disciple, however—John, whom Jesus loved—who was reclining, that is, leaning back, and was so terrified by these words that he could not hold himself up; he was completely undone by fear, resting in the bosom or against the chest of Jesus, for he had leaned over, almost in front of his chest and near his mouth, resting himself upon the Lord as if leaning upon his beloved; and in this way, he was perfectly positioned to ask him something in secret and to hear the answer. When this question was being asked by each of them, Peter signaled to him and said, "Who is it he's talking about?" He didn't speak with words or sound, but only by a gesture of his body and a nod, telling him to ask the Lord in secret who it was he had spoken of; or perhaps he first made a sign, and then, not satisfied with just a nod, he spoke. It was out of reverence for Peter that, even though he was the greater and the prince of the Apostles, he didn't ask the Lord himself, but asked through the one who was lesser. And so, when John himself, stunned and deeply wounded in his heart, leaned even closer toward the Lord and rested against the chest of Jesus, he said to him in a low voice, "Lord." "Who is it?" The Lord Jesus answered him in a familiar way, as one uniquely beloved, but in a low voice so that the others wouldn't hear: "It is the one to whom I will hand the piece of bread dipped in the dish." Thus, he revealed his betrayer to John, his confidant, with an open sign, yet not by name, nor to everyone; in this, he teaches us that we ought not to expose the sins of our neighbors to others. According to Chrysostom, Christ did this—publicly identifying Judas as the traitor—to teach us that we shouldn't expose the hidden sins of others; for just as it's a mortal sin to falsely accuse an innocent person of a crime, it's also wrong to reveal another person's true but hidden sin. When he dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot—that is, he handed the traitor a mere dipped morsel, not the consecrated Sacrament, for it was not his own Body; because the one who was secretly plotting to betray the true Bread from heaven deserved to be revealed not by that, but by another dipped morsel. And it's for this reason that it's established that the consecrated Sacrament should not be given to the unfaithful, and also to counter the heresy that claimed the whole Christ is present under both species, and that he is not present under either one alone. The Lord reveals his traitor through the dipped morsel, perhaps signifying his duplicity through the dipping of the bread; for just as dipped bread has a different appearance and taste on the surface than it does inside, so Judas outwardly pretended to be a disciple of Christ and to love his Master, while inwardly he was his traitor and was plotting his betrayal. The Lord didn't tell Peter, nor did John himself, even though he had asked at Peter's nod; for Peter was so fervent that he would have immediately risen up against the traitor and killed him. But the Lord didn't want this, lest the dispensation of the divine plan be hindered. However, there is also a mystical reason why Peter entrusts the questioning to John. For Peter signifies the active life, and John the contemplative. Peter is therefore instructed by Christ through John, because the active life is informed by the contemplative regarding divine things. This serves as an argument and a figure showing that the contemplative doesn't involve himself in external acts, nor does he seek vengeance for offenses against God; instead, he groans inwardly, turns to God in prayer, and by drawing closer through contemplation and clinging to Him, he commits all things to His disposal. This should be understood as applying to a time of leisure when he has the abundance of the Spouse with him. Sometimes, however, the contemplative himself goes out to external tasks due to zeal for God and souls, or because of an impending duty. Similarly, when the Spouse withdraws for a time so that He might be sought more eagerly and held more strongly, and the contemplative doesn't feel his usual consolations, he returns to the active life so that he might, in this way, bear fruit for the Spouse. For it doesn't befit the contemplative... ...to be slothful. From this one may also gather that the contemplative ought not to reveal the secret of the Lord, unless perhaps the zeal for a brother's salvation urges it, or the instinct of a heavenly revelation dictates it. Look at the Lord’s kindness—how He holds His beloved disciple in His embrace, right against His chest; His great humility shines through in this. Oh, how tenderly they loved one another! And so, from that chest and embrace—that is, from the secret wisdom of the Lord, the Sacrament of His divinity, and especially the Gospel he wrote—he drew life, and drinking it in, he was filled. Hence Anselm says: "Who is this, I ask you, who rested against His chest and leaned his head into His embrace?" You are happy, whoever you are! Oh, I see it now—his name is John. O John, what sweetness, what grace and charm, what intimacy and devotion you drew from that fountain! There, surely, all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God are hidden; there is the fountain of mercy, the dwelling place of piety, the honeycomb of eternal sweetness. Where do you get all this, John? Are you somehow more exalted than Peter, holier than Andrew, or certainly more full of grace than all the other Apostles? It is the special privilege of your virginity, because you were chosen by the Lord as a virgin and were loved more than the rest. Rejoice now, you virgin; draw closer, and don't delay in claiming your share of this sweetness. If you cannot reach the higher things, leave the breast to John, where he gets drunk on the wine of joy in the knowledge of the Godhead; you, running to the breasts of His humanity, draw the milk by which you may be nourished—so says Anselm. Look also at the other disciples, deeply saddened at that word of the Lord, not eating, looking at one another, and not knowing what to make of it.
The Entry of Satan
Satan takes full possession of Judas after the morsel is given, marking the transition from temptation to total surrender to evil.
So when Jesus had given the dipped bread to Judas, after that morsel—by which he saw himself singled out—Satan entered into him; not for the first time, nor as something new, since he had already sold Christ beforehand, but to take fuller possession, as if Judas were now his own property, handed over to him to be brought into his service and dragged into whatever harmful acts he pleased, whereas before he had only entered into him as a stranger, to tempt and deceive him. He entered him to take him over completely, and having bound him with evil thoughts, he now possessed him through the very act of wickedness. For being ungrateful for Christ's benefits, he fell into the devil's power more than before; just as the Apostles, who had already received the Holy Spirit after the Resurrection when the Lord breathed on them, later received Him more fully on the day of Pentecost. We must understand that Satan entering a person can be interpreted in two ways: either he enters the body, as we see in the demon-possessed, and in this way he can enter a person essentially; or he enters the mind, in such a way that he essentially descends upon it, and in this way no one can enter a person except God alone. The rational soul doesn't have physical dimensions that would allow something to be inside it, as if contained within it. Therefore, nothing can be in it except what gives it being, which is there by His power. But where the power of God is, there also is the essence of God, for in God, power and essence are the same. Consequently, God is essentially in the soul, whose role alone it is to fill the nature or substance created by Him. Yet it is said that Satan descends upon the human mind through affection and the effect of malice—that is, insofar as a person, seduced by him, follows him to commit the evil he suggests. Thus, through fraudulent deception and malice, he is said to dwell in the one he fills. In this way he entered into Judas, so that he might possess him more fully and lead him to commit the evil into whose heart he had previously sent him to deceive him and lead him to give his consent to evil. Similarly, when a door is so strong that a thief cannot enter either by force or by stealth, he sometimes sends a small thief through a window, who later opens the door for the thief, and thus the thief enters. The devil is the thief; the strong house is the will; the petty thief, however, is an evil thought or a sinful pleasure. When the devil manages to enter through some self-satisfaction, he opens the door to consent; in this way, he enters and strips the soul of its goods. As Origen says: "We must be on our guard, lest the devil thrust some of his flaming arrows into our heart, for if he introduces them, he then lies in wait so that he himself may enter." Consider the fact that once the morsel was taken, Satan entered more fully into Judas; it is a great evil to be ungrateful and forgetful of a kindness after having been a table companion. Next, the traitor's permission is set forth, for he could do nothing except by Christ's allowance. That is why Jesus said to him, 'What you are doing, do quickly'—meaning, 'do it with your own will, for you'll do it soon enough.' It is well said, 'What you are doing,' because the crime of the will is counted as the deed itself. In what Judas is doing, the Lord is hastening toward the salvation of the faithful, though not for Judas's own sake. Many do good things just as Judas did, but it profits them nothing at all, because they don't intend to do good. Yet the Lord didn't drive Judas to the guilt of betrayal; rather, He showed that He thirsts for our salvation. Therefore, He doesn't say this by commanding or advising the crime, because a divine command or counsel cannot be about doing evil; instead, He only predicts and permits it, giving him power over Himself because He saw that Judas's mind, in its excessive desire to fulfill what he had begun, couldn't rest—yet he couldn't fulfill it unless the Lord Himself permitted it. The Lord also says this to reproach the crime of betrayal, so as to show that while He was bestowing benefits, Judas was plotting death.
The Departure and the Glory
Judas departs into the night, and Christ declares his glorification, prefiguring the final separation of the elect from the reprobate.
He says this, moreover, while longing for the work of our redemption; he was not so much rushing toward the destruction of the traitor as he was hastening toward the salvation of the faithful. When, therefore, he—that is, Judas—had received the morsel from the hand of the Lord, he went out immediately, specifically to seek the cohort that would capture Christ. In this it is signified that a priest who receives the Body of Christ unworthily is distanced all the more from God; because he has used a good thing badly, this presumption has increased his sin, so that, ungrateful for the Lord's benefits, he might withdraw from him more openly. It was night; the Evangelist noted this to show the opportunity the time provided for carrying out the betrayal, and also to denote the darkness of Judas's mind. Hence this fits the Sacrament well: for he who went out was a son of the night, doing the works of darkness; and he was going into the night, or rather, into darkness and death. Because, therefore, Judas did not profit from the company of the good, he was on that account worthy of a greater punishment. Chrysostom says: 'Just as the good and perfect are worthy of double honor because they have been made kind and have felt no harm from the wicked, so also the wicked are worthy of double punishment: both because they have been made wicked when they could have been made good—which is shown by those who have been made good—and because they have gained nothing from the good.' And what about the other disciples? After Judas left to arrange for Christ's death and the other disciples remained, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified," meaning that once the dark one was cast out, only the pure remained with their Purifier. "Now," he said, "because the darkness of night and shadows has withdrawn from my disciples, now the Son of Man is glorified in them; now he feels no darkness or shadows in them." Anselm says, "This, too, was part of your gentleness, Lord Jesus: that you didn't want to expose and shame that treacherous man openly among the brothers, but instead, after a gentle warning, you told him to hurry and do what he was preparing to do." In all this, his malicious fury was not turned away from you, but he went out and busied himself with his frequent wickedness. "Then your family, Christ, was glorified like an angelic society," says Anselm. The things that are signified can be understood here just as the things that signify them. "Now," he said, "the Son of Man is glorified in himself, in cause, not in effect; because the betrayal of the Passion has only just begun, by whose merit the glory of the Resurrection and Ascension is fittingly given to him; similarly, he is glorified in his mystical body, because the departure of the wicked Judas from the good signifies the final separation." And God was glorified in him, because he sought nothing but the glory of the Father. Judas’s separation from Christ and the Apostles prefigured the separation of the reprobate from the fellowship of Christ and the elect at the time of judgment; for then Christ’s great glory will appear, and the members will cling to the Head, while the chaff will be removed to be burned in unquenchable fire. As Augustine says: "When the unclean one had gone out, all the clean remained with their Cleanser." Something similar will happen when the weeds are separated from the wheat; the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Foreseeing this future event, the Lord said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified," as Judas departed like weeds being separated, while the holy Apostles remained like wheat. It was as if He were saying: "Look at what will happen in that glorification of Mine, where no wicked person will exist, and no good person will perish." PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, good Shepherd, who in many ways willed to call back Your disciple from his errors to repentance, call me back from all my wayward paths and errors. Give me, my Savior, the power and strength to overcome the devil who is constantly watching and fighting against me, so that he may not most wickedly drag me into the pit of darkness by his deceit; but rather, supported by Your help, may I arrive at the glory of light, where the righteous, glorified in the manner of the angelic society, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Circa tertium autemdolens, et moestusausculta. Cum enim hsec dixisset Jesus, turbatus, id est contristatuses^, non carnaiiter, sed spiritu, id est spiritualiter et ex imperio rationis, quia ipse spiritu suo, et potestate fecit in se istam proportionis turbationem ; et haec turbatio in parte sensitiva existens, non erat contrariarationi, scd magisconveuiens ei. Virtuusum enim est contra vitia turbari : spiritualis turbatio ad pielatem, et misericordiam spectat ; sed carnalis furorem et iram excitat. Spiritu igitur turbatur Jesus, et misericorditer : sive compatiendo disci[)ulo, qui eum tradit, et tradendo perit ; sive ut nos doceat quid agere debamus, quando in magnum facinns aliquem hominem ruere videmus : sic et Sancti misericorditer, et ex caritate turbantur, cum urget eos jam zizania a tritico ante messes se[)arare. Moraliter ergo instruit prselatos non debere, quantumcumque etiam flagitiosos, nisi cum magna compassione et dolore, a liminibus sanctae matris Ecclesiae separaTe. \Jnde Augustinus : « Turbeturplane Christianus non miseria, sed mi sericordia ; timeat ne pereant homines, conturbetur, cum perit aliquis Christo. Concupiscat homines acquiri Christo, laetetur, dum acquiritur aliquis Christo ; timeat et sibi, ne pereat Christo,contristetur se peregrinari a Christo. Concu[)iscat regnare cum Christo, laetetur, cum sperat se regnaturum esse cum Christo.
» Et edentibus illis,dixit : Amen dico vobis, quia unus vestrum duodecim, qui ubique mecum estis, quorum pedes lavi, quibus tanta promisi, me Dominum, me Magistrum, mc Salvatorem traditurus est; unus ex vobis, numero nou merito, corpore non animo, specie non virtute. Maxima ingratitudo Judae fuit tradeie suum commensalem, itno Dominum et nutritorem, unde et alius Evangelista sic dicit ; Verumtamen ecce manus tradentis me mecum est in mensa. Hoc idem posset Dominus hodie dicere de sacerdotibus multis, qui mensam Domini indigne attingere praesumunt, qui rursum quantum in se est merito peccatorum Fiiium Dei crucifigendum tradunt. Per hoc enim quod in mensa denuntiavit suum proditorem, designavit quod multi proditorieveniunt ad suam mensam. Majus autem peccatum est tradere Ghristum regnantem in coelis peccatoribus membris, quam ambulantem in terris peccatoribus Judaeis. Unde Beda : « Sed et hodie quoque, et in sempiternum, vae homini ilh, qui ad mensam Domini malignus accedit, qui insidiis mente conditis, qui praecordiis aliquo scelere poUutus mysteriorum Christi secretis participare non metulL! Et ille enim in exemplum Judae, Filium hominis tradit, non quidem Judaeis peccatoribus, sed tamen peccatoribus membris, videUcet suis, quibus illud inaestimabile atque inviolabile Domini CorpusvioIarepraesumit. Vae,inquam, illihomini de quo Jesus, qui altaribus sacrosanctisinter immolandum, utpote proposita consecraturus, adesse non dubitatur, adstantibus sibi ministris coelestibus conqueri cogitur : Ecce, inquit, manus tradentis me mecum est in mensa !
» haec Beda. Et, ut dicit Origenes, tales sunt omnes in Ecclesia, qui insidiantur fratribus suis, cum quibus ad eamdem mensam Corporis Christi frequenter fuerunt.
Praedixit autem Dominus de proditore, et sic eum quodammodo revelavit triplicide causa : primo,ut sic ostenderetse Deum, quifutura contingentia praevidebat ; secundo,ut ostenderet se spontanee pati, quia praecavere puterat mortem, quam praesciebat ; teitio, ut ipse proditor poeniteret, qui se non latere audiebat. Unde Uieronymus : « Qui de Passione praBdixerat, et de proditore praedicit, dans locum pcenitentiae, ut cum intellexisset sciri cogitationes suas, et occuita cordis consilia,poeDiteret eum facti sui ; et tamen non designat eum specialiter, ne manifeste coargutus imprudentior fiat, sed mittit crimen in numero, ut conscius poenitentiam agat : » haec Hiermymus. Et notandum, quod a mali perpetratione solet ahquis quatuor modis retrahi, quibus ex magnitudine misericordiae suae lentavitDominus proditorem discipulum a tanto scelere perpetrando ad poenitentiam revocare, scilicet : pudore, cum dicit : Unus ex vobis tradel me, et : Ecce manus tradentis me mecum est in mensa; timore, per comminationem supplicii, cum dicit : Fa? autem homini illi per quem Filius hominis tradetur! ut qui pudore non vincitur,timore corrigatur ; beneficii exhibitione, cum illum ad mensam suam recipit, et ei pedes Javat ; affectus ostensione, in blanda allocutione, cum dicit : Amice^ ad quid venisti? Sic exemplo Christi bonus praelatus subditisetiiim mahs debet exhibere beneficia, ut quantum in se est eos a sua revocet vita mala. Sed Judas nullo horum frangitur, ne hominem tradat, quem Dei Filium noverat. Passionem ergo Jesu Christi pie considerare voIenti,occurrit primum perfidia proditoris , qui tantae fuit fraudis venenorepletus,ut Magistrum et Dominum proderet ; tantae cupiditatis flamma succensus, ut Deum argento venumdaret, et pretiosum Christi sanguinem vilis mercedis pretio compensaret ; tantae denique ingratitudinis, ut eum qui omnia sibi commiserat et ad culmen apostohci honorisprovexerat, venumdaret ad mortem ; tantae duritiae, ut nec familiaritate convivii, nec humiiitate obsequii, necsuavitate colloquii, nec mulcebritate osculi, a concepta malilia potuit revocari.
0 mira benignitas Christi in discipulum durum, Domini in servum ne(|uissimum ! Verum licet inexplicabilis fuerit proditoris impietas, in immensum tamen eam exsuperat Agni Dei dulcissima mansuetudo in exempium data mortalibus, ut jam non dicat ab aniico exsuperata humana infirniitas : Seenim inlmicus meus malcdixisset mihi^sustinuissem utique^ quia ecce homo unanimis, qui dux videbatur et notus, qui panes Christi edebat, et in sacra illa coena dulces capiebat cibos, magnificabat super eum supplantationem, et levavit calcaneum suum contra eum, quia conabatur suppeditare ipsum. Sic hodie multi praelati, clerici et religiosi, qui laute vivunt de patrimonio Crucifixi, levant calcaneum contra Christum in membris suis, supplantantes ea, et affligentes calumniis, et exactionibus injustis.
Cum autem Jesus dixit eis : Unus ex vobis tradet me,qui manducat mecum, haec vox in cordaipsorum ut p:ladius acutus intravit, luctusque intolerabilis chorum illum sanctum tunc assumpsit; et tristati comedere cessaverunt, et inspiciebant semetipsos invicem, quasi novo stupore percussi, hgesitantes de quo diceret. Non solum propter mortem Magistri sui fiituram sunt contristati ; sed quia quilibet timebat de se, ne esset ille qui debebat eum tradei e. Erant ergo admirati, quia quilibet eorum praeter Judam seutiebatsetotaliter tirmatum in contrarium dicti ipsius Christi, et similiter de suis sociis, sicut de se cogitabat ; verumtamen propter firmitatem verborum Christi magis ejus dicto, quam suis conscientiis credebant, et non haesitabant de eventu rei, sed de illo per quem hoc eveniret. Contristdti ergo valde coRperunt singuli dicere, unusquisque pro se ; Numquid ego sum, Domine^ sciHcet, qui tradet te? Et certe noverant undecim Apostoli, quod nihil tale contra Dominum cogitaverant; sed plus Magistro quam sibi credebant, et timentes fragilitatem suam, tristes quaerunt de peccato cujus non habent conscientiam, utdiciturin Psalmo : Belicta quis intelligit? Quilibet etiam debet sibi timere de futuro, quantumcumque sit sanctus. Et ipse respondens, ait : Qui intingit mecum manum in paropside^ seu catino, hic me tradet. Ecce humilitas Christi et patientia, qua proditorem admensam et scutellam admittit.
Et, secundum Hieronymum^ in hoc mira apparet Domini patientia : quia primum dixerat : Unus ex vobis me tradet, perseveratque proditor in malo, manifestius arguit, et tamen nomine proprio non designat. Unde, per hoc verbum Christi, nun potuerant determinate perpenderequis esset, quia omnes duoilecim de eodem vase in circuitu cum Domino edebant ; minores autem discipuli seorsum in aUa mensa comedebant. Quasi diceret : Unus 61 duodecim me tradet. Et ex hoc satis apparet quod alii discipuli praesentes erant. Quod autem Matthaeus paro' psidem^ Marcus catinum dicit : unus quadraturam vasis, alter quod esset fictile opus designat. Est enim paropsis vas quadratum, habens pares apsides, id est latera et extremitates; catinus vero vas fictile, seu Juteum, ad immittendum liquorem et ad plura alia aptum Aspice nunc bene (liscipulos, et compatere tam Domino quam eis, quia in magno dolore sunt positi. Ille autem proditor ne verba haec ad eurn pertinere viderentur, comedere non cessavit. Ceteris enim contristatis ac retrahentibus manus, et interdicentibus cibos ori suo, Judas temeritate et impudentia, qua proditurus erat Magistrum, manum cum eo mittit in paropsidem, ut audacia bonam conscientiam mentiretur.
Et debes scire quod ipsa mensa erat in terra, et more antiquo in terra sederunt ad coenam in coenaculo strato, quasi jacendo recumbentes. Erat autem, ut creditur, quadrata, de pluribustamentabulisfacta ; et prout narravit ille qui eara Romae in ecclesia Lateranensi mensuravit : in uno quadro est duorum brachiorum et trium digitorum, et in alio duorum brachiorum et palmi ; ita quod licet stricte et arcte tamen, ut creditur, tres discipuli in uno quadro sedebant et Dominus humiliter in angulo, et Joannes juxtaeum erat, ita quod omnes de uno vase comedere poterant. Ubiadverte convivium humilitatis, et caritatis, quia cum pauperibus illis discipulis, et Juda proditore in eadem mensa, eodem cibo et potu, eodem catino et calice Magister et Dominus participat. Non sic hodie multi religiosi faciunt, qui dissimiliter a fratribus retici non erubescunt.
Et addit Jesus, praedicendo poenam damnationis traditoris : Filius quidem hominis vadit, ad Passionem voluntarie, sicut scriptum est de illo : Oblqtus est. quia ipse voluit et quando voluit; Vae autem homini illiy per quem Filius hominis tradetur ! Vse, id est aeternaliler peribit; quia vae in Scriptura sacra aeternam damnationem notat. Licet enim Judas post factum poenituerit ; hoc tamen inutiliter fuit, quia per desperationem laqueo se suspendit. Unde ait Hieronymiis : « Judas autem nec primo, nec secundo correptus , a proditione retrahit pedem ; sed patientia Domini nutrit impudentiam suam, etideopoena praedicitur, ut qucm pudor non vicerat, corrigant detiuntiata supplicia. » Et ne mitissimam poenam ejus intelligeremus, adjungit : Bonum erat ei, si natus, scilicet in utero, non fuisset homo ille, tot et tantis criminibus foedatus ; qui patrem occidit, matrem stupravit, Ghristum prodidit, seipsum suspenclio interemit. Quia, secundum Hieronymum, melius erat ei non esse, quam ad tormenta esse ; multo enim melius est non subsistere, quam male subsistere ; bonum enim in hoc loco accipitur pro minus malo. Minus autem malum est, non esse simpliciter, quam esse damnatum; quia, etsi non sit minus malum ratione poenae adjunctae, quae non privat totum esse creatum, yerumtamen minus malum est ratione culpoe mortalis, qu« inseparabiliter adhaeret damnalis; et ipsa non solum privat quoddam esse creatum sicut poena, sed etiam privat bonum infinitum, scilicet divinum : pro.
pter quod esse miserum, miseria culpae mortalis aeternaliter, hoc est pejus quam sit non esse simpliciter.
Et, quia ceteri discipuU eum tristes inlerrogaverant, interrogat euni et ipse qucm conscientia remordebat,ne tacendo secrimensuum prodere videretur ; si enim ipse aJiis de hoc quaerentibus tacuisset,suspectum se eisreddidisset, unde respondens JudaSy qui tradidit eum, dixit : Numquid ego sum, Rabbi ? Non vocat eum Dominum, sicut alii, quia jam a se excusserat jugum Domini, aliis sub ejus jugo remanentibus ; et, secundum Hieronymum,noii Dominum, sed Magistrum vocat, quasi excusationem habeatjSi, Domino denegato, saltem Magistrum prodidcrit. Et ait illi : Tu dixisti. Quasi diceret, secundum Rabanum : Tu prodidisti te,non ego. Eadem r^tione confutatus ©st proditor, qua Pilatus iniquus judicator. Nondum coram eis eum exprimit, nec deUctum suum in hoc aliis publicavit, sed conscientiai Judae se ejus dehctum sciresigniticavit. Poterat enim per hoc verbimi mentem Judae sic movere, (juod alios latebat, unde potest intelligi : Ego non dico, sed tu dicis ; vel, |)otest exponi de assertione cordis, qua^^i dicerct : Ore interrogas, quasi nescius, sed corde dicis, et ratum habes te esse proditorem. Ecce, miser homo, vides Dominum omnia scire, nec tuam conscientiam eum latere !
Cessa igitur, et confitere. Hic admonemur, ut peccantem, primo cum mansuetudine arguamus ; post, si peccaverit, gravius ; ad ultimum, gravissime. Hanc enim formam nolDis Dominus reliquit, qui primo dixit : Unus ex vobis me traditurus est ; secundo : Qui intimjit mecum manum in paropside, hic me tradet ; tertio : Tu dixisti.
Erat autem unus ex discipuUs, Joannes scilicet, quem diliyebat Jesus^ recumbens, id est reclinatus, sermonibus istis territus, et semetipsum sustinere non valens, eo quod terrore erat resolutus, in sinu, sive supra pectus Jesu, quoniam incHnate, ac quasi ante pectus, et prope os ejus, appodiavit se super Dominum, sicut innixus super dilectum suum ; et sic erat idonee positusad interrogandum aliquid secrete ab eo, et audiendum. Cum ergo ista quaestio a singuhs fieret, innuit huic Petrus, et dixit : Quis estde quo dicit? Id est non verbis et sonando, sed tantummodo nutu corporis, et innuendo, dixit ei ut secreto quaereret a Domino, quis esset de quo dixerat; vel, primo m^mY, et deinde non contentus nuiu, dixit. Nola Petri reverentiam,pro[)ter quam hcet niajor, et princeps Apostolorum, non interrogat Dominum per se,sed per minorem. Itaque, cum et ipse Joauncs stupefactus ac cordialiter gladiatus versus Dominum magis se incVmdins, recubuisset supra pectus Jesus dicit ei, sub missa voce : Domine. ^ qui, est? Respondit Dominus Jesus familiaDE riter ci,tamquam siiigulariter dilecto, scd submissa voce, ne alii audircut : llle est; cui ego intinctum panem porrexero. Sic igitur Joauni, iit secretario siio, proditorem suum expessit, aperto signo,nou tamen uomine, uec omuibus ; iu hoc nos instrueus uou debere crimina proximorum propalare aliis.
Ideo enim, secundum Chrysostomum, x\o\mi Cliristus Judam proditorem publicare, ut nos doceret quod peccatii occulta aliorum publicare nou debemns ; quia sicut est mortale peccatum innocenti falsum crimeu apponere, sic verum crimen occultum, aliis revelare. Et cum intinxisset panem, dedit Judse Simonis Iscariotse, id eststatun buccellatn tantum intinctam, non consecratam,proditori porrexii, qucecorpus suum nou erat; quia qui verum panemde coelo tradere iusidiose studebat, non illo, sed alio intincto revelari merebatur. Etideo statutura est,quod Eacharistia iiitiucta uon detur fideiibus, etetiam pro haeresi tollenda, quae dogmatizavit totum Christum sub utraque esse, et neutra tantumtorma. Dominus per buccellam intinctatn suum exprimit traditorem, fortassis per panis iutinctionem, illius significans tictionem; quia sicut panis intinctus habet colorem, et saporem in superficie alium quam interius, ita Judis simulabat se exterius Ghristi discipulum, et diligere Magistrum, cum tamen iuterius proditor ejus esset, et proditionem tractaret. Petro autem Dominus non dixit, nec ipse Joannes, quamvis ad nutum ejus quaesivisset; quia erat ita fervidus, quod statim in perditorem insurrexisset, et eum iuterfecisset. Sed hoc noluit Dominus, ne dispensatio consiliidivini impediretur. — Quod autem Petrus Joanfii interrogationem commiltit, habemus etiam rationem mysticam. Etenim per Petrum designatur vita activa; per Joannem, contemplativa.
Petrus ergo per Joaunem a Christo iustruitur, quia activa vita, de divinis, per contemplativam informatur. Unde habetur hic argumentum et figura, quod contemplativus nou intromittit se de actibus extriusecis, vindictam etiam non expetit de ipsis Dei ofTcnsis ; sed iude iuterius gemit, et per orationem ad Deum se convertit, ac fortius per contcmplationem approximans, cique adhaerens omnia suae dispositioni committit. Ethoc de tempore vacationisiuteIIigendum,cumcopiam Spousi habet apud se; nam aliquando ipse contemplativus ex zelo Dei et animarum, vel ratione officii iminiuentis, exterius exit; et similiter quando, Sponso, ut revocetur avidius et teneatur fortius, ad tempus recedente, non sentit solitas consolationes, iu aclivam se reducit,utvel sic Sponso fructificet. Nou enim decet conte. nplatorem esse desidiosum. Hinc etiam potest colligere quod contemplativus secretum Domini non debet revelare, nisi forte fraternae salutis urgeret zelus, vel supernaerevelationis dictaret instinctus.
NUUC CrgO conspice Domini benignitatem, quomodo dilectutn suum discipulum in sinu supra pectus suum retinet; in quo et magnahumilitas ejusclaret. 0 quam tenorrime se invicem diligebant ! Et ideo de pectore et sinu, id est secreto sapientiae Domini sacramentumdivinitatis, atque specialiter EvauiJ^elium quod scripsit, hauriebat, et bibens inehriatus est. Uude Anselmus : « Quisnam ilie est, rogo te, qui supra pectus ejus recubuit, et iu sinu ejus caput recliuat? Felix quicumque es ! 0 certe ecce jam video ; Joannes est nomen ejus. 0 Joannes, quid tibi dulcedinis, quid gratiae et suavitatis, qui<l himinis et devotionis hauriebas ab illo foiite? Ibi certe omnes thesauri sapientiae et scientiae Dei absconditi sunt;ibi fons misericordiae; il)i dominicilium pietatis ; ibi favus aeternaesuaviiatis.
Undetibi,o Joannes, omnia ista? Numquid, tu sublimior Petro, Audrea sanctior, autcerteomnibus Apostolis gratiosior? Speciale hoc privilegium virginitatis, quiavirgo es electus a Domino, atque inler ceteros magis dilectus. Jam uunc exsulta, virgo, accede propius, et aliquain hujus dulcedinis portionem vindicare uou difleras. Si potiora nou potes, dimitte Joanni pectus, ubi se cum vino laetitiae in divinitatis cognitione inebriat; tu currens ad humanitatis ubera, lac exprime quo nutriaris : » haBc Anselmus. Conspice ctiam alios discipulos multum moestos,ad praedictamvocem Domininon comedentes seseque invicem aspicientes, et super his consilium capere nescientes.
Cum ergo Jesus panem intinctum Judae dedisset, post buccellam, per quam se vidit designatum, intravit in eum Satanas, non tunc primo et de novo, cum jam Christum prius vendidisset, sed ad amplius, quasi proprium ac sibi jam traditum plenius possidendum, et suae servituti subjugandum, et ad quaecumque vellet noxia agendatrahendum,inquem ante introiverat, quasi alienum, ad tentandum et decipiendum. Intravit in eum, ut totum eum occuparet, et quem malignis cogitationibus obligaret, jam ipso impietatis opere possideret. Ingratus enim beneficiorum Christi, factus est in potestate daemonis magis quamante; sicut Apostoli, qui jam post resurrectionem acceperant Spiritum Sanctum,insufflante Domino, postea iterum ipsum plenius acceperunt in die Pentecostes. Ubi sciendum quod Satanam intrare hominem, potest dupliciter intelligi : quia vel intrare in corpus hominis, sicut patet in daemoniacis et sic potest essentialiter intrare in hominem; vel, intrare in mentem, ita quod menti essentialiter illabatur, et sic nullus potest intrare in hominem nisi solus Deus. Anima enim rationalis non habet dimensiones quantitatis ut aiiquid in ea esse dicatur, quasi infra dimensiones ejus contentum, et sic nihil potest in ea esse, nisi quod ei dat esse,quod est ibi pervirtutem suam; ubi aiitem est virtus Dei, ibi est et essentia Dei, in Deo enim idem est virtus et essentia,et ideo Deus essentialiter est in anima, cujus solius est implere naturam, sive substantiam ab eo creatam. Dicitur tamen Satan illabi menti humanae, per affectum et efrectummaiitiae, scilicet in quantum homo ab eo seductus sequitur eum ad perpetrandum malumquod su^gerit; etsic per fraudulentam deceptionem, et malitianfi habitare dicitur in eo quem implet. Ethoc modo intravit in Judam, ut plenius possideret, et ad perpiitrandum malum induceret, in cujus cor prius miserat ut deciperet, et ad praebendum assensum malo induceret. A simili, quando ostium est ita forte, quod latro nec violenter, nec Jatenler potest intrare, tunc quandoquelatrunculumperfenestramsubmittit, qui postea ostiumlatroniaperit, et sic latro intrat.
Latro est diabolus; domus fortis est voluntas; latrunculus vero, mala cogitatio vel delectatio. Quando ergo diabolus potest intrare per aliquam complacentiam, hic aperit ostium consensus; et sic diabolus intrat, et spoliat animam bonis suis. Unde Origenes : « Cavendum nobis est, ne diabolus intrudat in cor nostrum aliquid ignitorum telorum suorum, nam si introduxerit, insidiatur deinde,ut et ipseintroeat. » In hoc autem quod buccella sumpta, amplius introivit Satanas in Judam, perpende quantum est malum commensalem alicuius post esse ingratum, et beneficii immemorem.
Deinde ponitur proditoris f)ermissio, non enim poterat aliquid facere,nisi Christo permittente. Et ideo dixit ei Jesus : Quod facis, scilicet voluntate, fac, id est facies, citius. Et bene dicit : Quod facis, quia voluntatis crimen pro facto reputatur. Festinat Dominus in bonum salutis, fidelium quod Judas operatur, sed non sibi. Multi quippebonum ut Judas faciunt ; sed omnino nihil eis proficit, quia bonum facere non inlendunt. Non tamen Dominus impellil Judam ad proditionis culpam ; sed ostendit se sitire salutem nostram. Undenon dicit hoc, praecipiendo facinus, vei consulendo, quia praeceptumdivinum,veIconsiIium,non potest esse de faciendo malum; sed tantumpraedicendo et permittendo,dans ei in se potestatem, quia vidit ejus animum prae nimio desiderio implendi quod cceperat acceleratum, non posse quiescere ; sed implere non poterat, nisi ipse Dominus permitteret. Dicit etiamhocDominus, crimenproditionis exprobrando, ut ostenderet quod, dum ipse beneficia conferret, ille mortem intenlaret.
Dicit insuper hoc, ad opus nostrae redemptionisanhelando ; non tam in perniciem perlidi sseviendo, quam ad salutern tidelium festinando. Cum ergo accepisset ille, scilicet Judas buccellam de manu Domini, exivit continuo, scilicet ad quaerendum cohoriem quse Christum caperet. In quo si^^-niflcatur, quod sacerdos sumens Corpus Christi indigue, magis eiongatur a Deo, quia cnim bono male usus est, haec praesumptio peccatum auxit, ut ingratus beneliciis Domini, apertius ab eo recederet. Erat autem nox ; quod expressit Evangelista, ut ostenderet opportunitatem temporis ad peragendum proditionem, nec non ut denotaret in Juda mentis tenebrositatem. Unde congruit hoc bene sacramento: erat enim qui exiit filius noctis, faciens opera tenebrarum ; ibatque in noctem seu tenebras et mortem. Quia ergo Judas ex bonorum societate non profecit, ob hoc majori poenadignus fuit. Unde Chrysostomus : « Sicut boni et perfecti duplici sunt digni honore, quoniam et benigni sunt facti, et nihil a malis nocumenti senserunt; sic et mali duplici sunt digni pcena, et quia mali facti sunt, cum possent effici boni, quod ostendunt qui facti sunt boni, et quia nihil a bonis lucrati sunt : » haec Chrysostomus. lO ALiis DisciPULis ?
— Cum ergo exiisset Judas, ad procurandum Christi mortem, remanentibus aliis discipulis dixit Jesus : Nunc clarificatus est Filius homimis, id est, ejecto tenebroso, remanserunt soli mundi, cum suo mundatore. Nunc, inquit, quia caligo noctis et tenebrarum recessit a discipulis meis, nunc Filius hominis clarificatus est ineis; nunc nihil caliginis et tenebrarum sentit in ipsis. Unde Anselmus : « Hoc quoque erat mansuetudinis tuae, Domine Jesu, quod perfidum illum in coetu fratrum palam detegere,et confundere noluisti ; sed leviter admonitum, acceierare jussisti quod parabat. In omnibus his non est aversus furor ejus malignus a te, sed egressus foras satagebat circa Irequens maleficium. Tunc clarificata est familia tua, Ghriste, in modum societatis angelicae : » haec Anselmus. Possunt etiam hic res significantestamquam illae quae significantur accipi. Nunc^ inquit, clariflcatus est Filius hominis^ in se, in causa, non in effectu ; quia modo inchoata est traditio Passionis, cujus merito ex congruo datur ei claritas Resurrectionis et Ascensionis ; similiter in corpore mystico estclarificatus, quia Judae exitus malorum a bonis signat segregdtionem. Et Deus clanficatus est in eo, quia scilicet non quaesivit nisi gloriam Patris.
Hoc ergo facto separationis Judae a societate Christi et Apostolorum, praefigurata fuit reproborum separatio tempore judicii, a consortioChristietelectorum ; quia tunc apparebit gloria magna Christi, membraque adhaerebunt capiti, et paleae amovebuntur concremandae igni inexstinguibili. Unde ait Augustinus : « Exeunte immundo, omnes mundi, cum suo mundatore, manserunt. Tale aliquid erit cum zizaniis a tritico separatis, justi fulgebunt sicut solinregno Patris eorum. Hoc futurum praevidens Dominus, discedente Juda,tamquam zizaniis separatis, remanentibus tamquam tritico Apostolis sanctis : Nunc, inquit, clarificatus est Filius hominis. Tamquam diceret: Ecce in illa mea clarificatione quid erit, ubi malorum nullus erit, ubi bonorum nullus peribit : b haec Augustinus. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, pastor bone, qui discipulum tuum a suis erroribus ad poenitentiam multis modis revocare voluisti, revoca me ab inviis et erroribus meis universis. Da mihi, Salvator meus, potestatem et fortitudinem vincendi diabolum continue vigilantem, et contra me dimicanlem,ne me fraude sua nequissime trahat ad tencbrarum foveam; sed tuo adjutorio sufTultus perveniam ad claritatis gloriam, ubi jusU, in modum societatis angelicae clarificati fulgebunt sicut sol, in regno Patris eorum. Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin text contains a typo 'nolDis' which is corrected to 'nobis' (to us) for the translation.
The Life of Christ (Vita Christi) companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere