De sahbato Sancto^ in Passione Domim
The Sorrow of the Mother and Disciples
The disciples and the Mother of God gather in mourning, sharing their grief and memories of the Lord.
Look at the afflicted and sorrowful Mother, as if she were enduring the very anguish of tribulation. They sat together, looking at each other only with tears, as often happens to those weighed down by great pressure and calamity. The disciples arrived one after another, weeping themselves; finally, they stopped their tears and began to speak of their Lord. And with tears, the disciples reproached themselves for having abandoned Him. They recounted to one another what the Lord Jesus had done with them—one thing after another, in order. Therefore, look upon these things diligently and share in their sorrow. For they are in great affliction. For what is the Lady of the world, and of all peoples? These divine leaders were shut away in a small room, not knowing what they should do, except to confer together and comfort one another with the words and deeds of their Lord.
The Faith of the Blessed Virgin
Mary alone maintains the light of faith in the Resurrection, serving as the anchor for the Church during the Sabbath rest.
Our Lady remained always calm and peaceful, because she had the most certain hope in the Resurrection of her Son; and in her alone the faith of the Church remained on that Sabbath day, and that is why the day of the Sabbath is specially attributed to her. And for this reason, while other lights are extinguished, one candle is kept burning in the darkness, because the light of faith remained in the Blessed Virgin Mary alone. Hence Augustine says: 'The Virgin whom He brought forth did not grieve unjustly, but hoped and firmly believed that He would rise again on the third day, having conquered death, according to His promise.' For in her alone the faith of the Church stood during that three-day period. And while everyone else hesitated, she never lost the faith she had conceived by grace, which she had once received from God; she waited in certain hope for the glory of the Resurrection. Not so the others; the Lady herself could not rejoice, for her Son had suffered unjustly. On the Sabbath, they were silent, resting from their labors according to the Law's command; for it was necessary to keep the Sabbath, and at that time it was not permitted to buy or sell or do any such work. Hence the Sabbath itself is interpreted as rest or cessation. Great is the dignity of the Sabbath, because in it the Trinity rested. The Father rested from the work of creation, which was of great power; the Son, from the work of recreation, which was of infinite wisdom; the Holy Spirit rested today in the Virgin, which was of great and infinite goodness, because she stood firm while the rest—namely, the Apostles and the women—were falling away from the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Devotion of the Holy Women
The women prepare ointments to honor the body of Jesus, demonstrating their faithful service despite their limited understanding.
When the Sabbath had passed, however, and evening had come and the stars were appearing after the sun had set—at a time when it was lawful to work—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that, coming to prepare the ointments, they might anoint the most sacred body of Jesus. Observe them, therefore, diligently, and what they do, and how they walk, mourning in the manner of widows and orphans. They buy spices and, upon returning, prepare ointments to guard against corruption, as if they were unaware of that prophetic word: 'You will not let your Holy One see corruption.' Theophilus says: 'They didn't yet have the required faith, but were preparing spices and ointments for Him as if for a mere man, in the manner of the Jews, who showed such things to the dead.' Spices are so called—as if 'air-o-mata'—because they diffused their scent far and wide into the air; they signify the virtues that the women possessed in their way of life, and the fame of the Crucified, which was to be spread far and wide. Devoutly, therefore, those holy women who had served Him while He was alive—so that they might offer service with dutiful piety even to Him dead—bought spices and prepared ointments, so that, coming in devotion to visit the tomb, they might anoint Jesus, that is, His most sacred body; for they didn't want to approach the tomb on the evening of the Sabbath, as the onset of night was already upon them. Observe now how faithfully and devoutly they labor for their Lord with tears and sighs, as best they know how, and in such works they labored through the whole night, and had little or no rest. The Lady and the Apostles look on, and perhaps they help in whatever ways they can. You should help them, too, if you're permitted and able.
The Mystery of the Three Days
A theological reflection on Christ's state during the three days, the nature of the Hypostatic Union, and the liturgical shift in time.
Now we come to consider what the Lord did during the three days of His death. His body was in the tomb, His soul was with the holy Fathers in the underworld, and His divinity remained joined to both. Because the Passion did not touch Christ’s divine nature, but only His human nature, the separation of soul from body in His death occurred in such a way that the union of both body and soul with His divinity remained intact. For as Pope Leo says, the form of a servant and the form of God, which came together in unity, can neither be separated nor lose their faith; they have clung to each other so closely that, whether in His omnipotence or in His humiliation, the divine in Christ is never without the human, nor the human without the divine. Then what He had said about Himself was fulfilled: 'Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth.' For Christ’s three-day burial was prefigured in Jonah, who was in the whale for three days. According to Augustine, this must be understood synecdochically, meaning that a part is taken for the whole. For the Lord was in the tomb during the final part of Good Friday—by which the whole day and its night are already counted as past—and during the entire Sabbath, which includes the whole day and night, and during the first part of Sunday, namely the night following the Sabbath, by which the whole day is counted. And then it was changed regarding the order of observance, but not regarding the order of creation. Originally, the order was that day preceded night, since day was created first and night followed. But later, the Creator of time ordained that night would precede day, because the night in which He rose is joined to the day in which He revealed Himself. Hence Augustine says: 'Just as at first days were counted because of the fall of man, who was created in the light of grace, into the night of guilt; so now, because of the restoration of man through the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, they are rightly counted from the darkness of guilt into the light of grace.' Hence also Bede. The Lord, the author and ordainer of time, makes the final part of this night festive and bright with the light of the Resurrection. Indeed, from the beginning of the world's creation until now, the course of time was distinguished by day preceding night, following the order of the first creation. That is, the order of the first creation. But on this night, the order of time was changed. He revealed this to the people through the mystery of the Resurrection, and He washed them clean, filling them with joy and gladness. In that former order of time, it was established that day should follow night; and indeed, it was very fitting that night once equaled the day, because man, by sinning, fell from the light of paradise into the darkness and misery of this age. But now, it is most fitting that day follows night, since through faith in the Resurrection, we are led back from the darkness of sin and from the night of this life to the light of life, Christ. Hence the Cantor says: 'At the beginning of things, the day is counted as following the night, because at the rising of the first day of the Lord, night was made, and it was the natural day preceding the one that followed.' In the Passion, however, a change of order was made, so that the night is counted with the following day as a mystery, and the night precedes the day. Regarding this, it is said mystically: 'You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord,' and: 'The night has passed, and the day has drawn near.' The Lord wished to prefigure this change from natural computation to artificial in the Law; and therefore, he commanded that the observance of the Sabbath and the legal rites be made from evening to evening, as Peter Cantor notes. And thus, as it has seemed to some, they say this change was made on Good Friday, so that the night—namely, the night of the fifth day—was also that of Good Friday; others say it was on the night of the Resurrection, so that it was not that common night of the Sabbath and the Lord's Day, but rather the night of Christ's descent into hell. That was the hour when our Savior, bowing His head, gave up His spirit, and in His body, He descended in His divinity to the depths to despoil them. When, however, he descended to the depths, the angelic choir commanded the gates of the princes to be lifted up before his face.
The Harrowing of Hell
Christ descends to the underworld to liberate the holy Fathers, bringing light to those in the shadow of death.
The people of the saints, held captive in death, cried out with a lamentable voice: "That you might lead the prisoners out of their dungeons, our sighs called to you, our deep laments sought you." You are the hope of the desperate, a great consolation in torments. But who could describe in detail how much joy there was when Christ, the Sun of Justice, appeared to them; and for those living in the region of the shadow of death, the long-awaited brightness of a new light shone forth? The Lord stood with them there, and then they were in glory; for the vision of God is perfect glory. The thief was there too, to whom the Lord had said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." By the name of paradise, we mean the enjoyment of God and the divine vision, because after the Passion was finished, the thief himself, as well as the others who were in limbo, saw God in his essence. The fact that Christ entered hell and brought joy to the saints was prefigured by the three boys in the Babylonian furnace, where, at the arrival of the Angel, the fire was turned into the sweetness of dew. Those who were in the furnace were boys; likewise, in limbo, there were only the innocent and pure, for those who died before full satisfaction was made were purified in purgatory, and only then ascended to limbo. This was also prefigured by Daniel in the lions' den, to whom the Lord sent a meal through Habakkuk. The Lord kept Daniel unharmed by the lions and sent him refreshment through an angel; in the same way, God protected the Fathers in limbo from the demons and, finally, coming Himself, fed them with divine refreshment. The fourfold hell of punishments. It should be known that the term 'hell' is used in two ways: for the punishment itself, and for the place of punishment. In the first sense, it's said that the demons always carry hell with them. But when 'hell' is used for the place of punishment, it's distinguished in four ways. The first is the hell of the damned, where there is the punishment of sense and of loss—that is, sensible pain and the lack of the vision of God—and there are interior darknesses, meaning the absence of divine grace, and exterior ones, namely, physical ones. Above this is the limbo of the children, in which there is the punishment of loss, but not of sense, and there is both interior and exterior darkness. Above this is the place of purgatory, where there is punishment of sense and loss for a time; there are outer shadows there, but not inner ones, because through grace they possess an inner light. The highest place among these is the limbo of the holy Fathers, where there was the punishment of loss but not of sense; and there were outer shadows there, and the deprivation of divine grace. Christ descended to this place and freed his own, who were held there not because of their own personal guilt, but because of the guilt of their nature; and so he bit into hell, because he took away a part of it and left a part behind.
The Price of Redemption
An exploration of the justice of the Atonement, emphasizing Christ's voluntary sacrifice and the defeat of the devil.
By striking down the author of death, He completely destroyed death for the elect, so that the one who had no legal claim to the Head he attacked—by the injustice of demanding more than his due—would also lose what he seemed to have in the body he had deceived. Christ was impassible and immortal according to His divine nature, since suffering or death is the penalty for sin; yet He came without sin and lived without sin, though by His own power, He chose to be both mortal and passible. He also gave the reward of His death to the man for whom He endured all things: for suffering, impassibility; for death, immortality; for pilgrimage, an eternal homeland. As Pope Leo says: 'The wicked plunderer and greedy exactor persisted in his error.' He had no right to rise up against Him, demanding the penalty from Him in whom he found no guilt; and by the justice of demanding more than his due, he lost all the debt he was owed. That strong one's own malice is turned back upon his own head. With the prince of the world bound, his vessels are found. As Anselm also says: 'The God-man, though He did not owe death as a debt...' Because he was not a sinner, he gave himself of his own free will to the honor of the Father, and he allowed his life to be taken from him for the sake of justice. In this way, human nature gave itself to God the Father in him, of its own free will. It wasn't a debt he owed; rather, he did it to redeem himself in others. In cases where a debt was demanded of him, he had nothing to pay. In this way, that man redeemed all others, since what he gave to God of his own free will, he applied toward the debt that they owed. By this price, man is not redeemed from his sins only once; instead, as often as he returns with worthy repentance, he is received, as Anselm says. God did not deceive the devil, nor did he wish to deceive him; rather, the devil deceived himself by rising up against God. Hence the same Anselm says: 'Why, good Lord, why, pious Redeemer, powerful Savior, why did you cover such great virtue with such great humility?' Was it to deceive the devil, who drove man out of paradise? But Truth itself deceives no one. Whoever is ignorant, whoever does not believe the truth, deceives himself; whoever sees the truth and hates or despises it, deceives himself. But Truth deceives no one. Was it for this, so that the devil himself might be deceived? But Truth never deceives anyone; therefore, it doesn't intend for anyone to be deceived, even if it's said to do so when it permits it. For you took on human nature so that you might make yourself known. but so that you might reveal what was unknown. Truly, God. You showed yourself to be true man, and you demonstrated it by your works. A thing is hidden by its own nature, not deliberately concealed. It wasn't done so that it might be hidden, but so that it might be accomplished in its proper order—not to deceive anyone, but so that... ...it might happen just as it was fitting. And if it is called hidden, it means nothing other than that it hasn't been revealed to everyone. For even if the Truth doesn't manifest itself to everyone, it still denies itself to no one. Therefore. Lord, you didn't act this way to deceive, nor to let anyone deceive themselves; rather, you acted to do what needed to be done, and how it needed to be done, in truth throughout everything. Whoever, therefore, has deceived themselves in your truth, let them blame not you, but their own falsehood.
The Triumph of the Saints
Christ leads the saints from limbo to paradise, prefigured by Old Testament figures, while contrasting their joy with the state of the damned.
The aforementioned highest place—that is, the limbo of the fathers, to which Christ descended—was called Abraham’s bosom, because Abraham was there, caring for those to be set free. To whom this kind of liberation first belonged, but now the empyrean heaven is Abraham's home, because Abraham is already there. There is no passage from any of these places to another, except from the third to the fourth—that is, from purgatory to the limbo of the saints. Hence, when we sing, 'Deliver the souls of the faithful departed from the pains of hell,' 'hell' is used there to mean purgatory; just as it also means limbo when we say that Christ descended into hell, or destroyed hell. Therefore, according to Gregory, what the Lord promised before the Passion, He fulfilled in His Resurrection. 'If I am lifted up from the earth,' He says, 'I will draw all things to myself'—that is, the elect. For He drew all things, since among His elect He left no one behind whom He recognized as His own in faith and deeds. He stretched out His hands on the cross, lifted up from the earth; I beg You, kind Lord, do not leave me in the mire of desires. Draw me to You, so that I may be crucified with You, and dead to the world, I may live for You; indeed, I live no longer, but You live in me, Christ. Consider here, with close attention, how great Christ's kindness was in descending into the underworld—how great his love, how great his humility. He could have sent one of the angels of heaven to them, and had his servants set free and brought to him just as he pleased, if his love and humility had allowed it. He descended into the underworld in his own person, and the Lord of all visited them not as servants, but as friends; and he stayed there with them until near the dawn of the Lord's Day. The holy Fathers rejoiced at His arrival and were filled with immense joy, as all misery had been driven far away. They fell down and worshipped; then rising, they stood before Him in praise and song, with reverence and immense exultation. They remained in limbo, caught up in these praises, songs, and jubilation until near the dawn of the Lord's day, in the sight of the multitude of angels who were also there, rejoicing and celebrating with them. You too, stand by; break out into a voice of exultation and jubilation, and interpose your own prayers into the melody of the Saints. Oh, how sweet and pleasant it is to take part in such things, or at least to contemplate them from afar! Then, with the gates of the underworld shattered and the great devil bound, the Lord received them, leading them out from the depths with exultation. Proceeding joyfully before them with glory and triumph, accompanied by the army of the Saints, He returned to the heights and placed them in the paradise of delights and pleasure, which is in the East, at the ends of the sea. Then the true Samson, in dying, struck down the hostile army; and the Lamb without blemish, in the blood of His Testament, led the captives out of the pit in which there was no water. Then also the Angel snatched Lot and his family from Sodom, and enveloped the wicked in sulfurous fire. Then, too, the Angel devastated Egypt and freed the children of Israel from it. When the strong man fully armed—the devil—was guarding his courtyard, which is Limbo, Christ, being stronger, came upon him, entered his courtyard, and by his own Cross, overcame and bound him. Benaiah once illustrated this when he went into a pit to a lion and struck it down with his staff; in the same way, Christ went to the devil in the underworld and struck him down through his holy Cross. Christ, the strongest, is also signified by the strongest Samson, by whom the infernal lion—that is, the devil—was overcome and stripped of his power; and then humanity was freed from the diabolical captivity that had once been prefigured in the Egyptian captivity. The children of Israel, oppressed by Pharaoh in Egypt, cried out to the Lord for their liberation, and the Lord, in his mercy, freed them from captivity; so humanity, held by the prince of darkness, cried out to the Lord for its redemption, and having mercy on it, he set it free. God prefigured this liberation of humanity when he freed Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans. For the Chaldeans worshipped 'Ur'—that is, fire—as a god; when Abraham refused to do this, they threw him into the fire, but the true God whom he worshipped freed him from the fire; so too he redeemed the Saints from the underworld. God also prefigured this redemption of humanity when he freed Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom. Only the good were saved from Sodom, while the wicked perished in fire and sulfur; in the same way, Christ saved only the good from the limbo of the fathers, but he rescued no one from the hell of the damned. And the righteous are indeed set free with such great joy. But what do you think it's like for those remaining in the unquenchable fire, the undying worm, the palpable darkness, and the endless death—what unspeakable bitterness, what inconsolable sorrow, what utter damnation they endure? Woe to those who are given to experience this rather than to believe or fear it!
Final Contemplation and Prayer
Christ prepares to awaken His body, and the author offers a concluding prayer for mercy and salvation.
There was, however, a brief delay in paradise. He spoke to them—as well as to Elijah and Enoch, who recognized Him and rejoiced—saying that the time had come for Him to go, awaken His body, and take it up again. They all fell down and worshipped Him, begging Him to return quickly, because they longed so much to see His most glorious body. Grant also to me, most kind Lord, that I may see Your most glorious body with joy at Your second coming, and that I may rejoice eternally in Your vision with Your chosen ones; consider now how everything that Christ endured for us, He was willing to suffer for our benefit. Hence Jerome, gathering some of these things, says: "His shame has taken away our shame; His bonds have made us free; from the crown of thorns on His head, we have gained a crown of royalty; by His wounds we are healed; through His burial we rise again; and by His descent into the underworld, we ascend to the heavens." PRAYER: O good Jesus, Your ineffable mercy and pity are not yet satisfied unless You also penetrate the gates of hell to redeem Your captives. Therefore, that blessed and most holy soul of Yours descended to the underworld, leading the prisoners out from the darkness and the shadow of death. Descend now as well, merciful Jesus, through this ineffable pity of Yours, with Your grace and mercy upon the souls of Your servants, both men and women, my parents and relatives, my friends, benefactors, and those recommended to me, so that You may rescue them from the punishments they deserve for their sins and lead them to eternal joys. Amen. 65b1
Read the original Latin
i B, Maris ViRafflicta: el dolorosa:, tanqu tea angustias iribulationia hcEter□lE. Sedebant simul, aspicientes Ee tintum ad invicem cum lacrymis, sicut contingere solet magna pressura et calamitate gravatis. Succes£ive autem veniunt discipuii, ploraates et ipsi ; tandem cessantes a fletu, loqui de Domino suo incipiunt. el cum lacrymiE discipuri se redarguunt, quod eum dcreliquerunt. Et de his quce fecer^t Dominu5 Jesus cum eis, narrant ad itivicem : modo unus, modo alius, et sic per ordinem, Intuerc igitur eoa diligenter, et compatere, . quia in magna sunt afflictione. Quid enim e quod Domina mundi, et pnm , ct populorum. ducesque divini exet' in quadam domuncula reclusi, nescietites quid facere debcant, nisi quod coiiferuut, et se confbrtant dc verbis et fectis Domini sui.
Doraina taraen semper roente tranquilla et pacata stabat, quia certisBimaiti spem de Resurreclione Filii sui habebat; et in ca sola remansit lides EcclesiEe, in ipsa die sabbali, et propterea specialiter dies sabbati attribuitur ei. Et ideo, aliJB luminaribus exslinctis, una candcla in tenebris servatur accensa, quia lumen fidei in Bola remansit gine Maria. Unde Augustinu u Quem genuit Virgo, injustc n dolebati sperans autem et firmiler credens ipsum, secundum promissum, lertio die, morte devicia, resurgere. in hac enim sola interlm fides Ecclesiae in triduo illo stab&t. Et dum unusquisque vaciUaildo hEesitabat, htec quee fide concepit, fidem, quam semel a Deo suscepit, nunquam perdidit : speqtie cer ' siina Resurrectionis gloriam eispectavil ; n hic Augustmus, Non amen poterat ipsa Domina gaudentec Filii sui, passi injuste. Et sabbato quidem siluerunt, stcundum m datum Legis, id esl ab operibus quieverunt ; nam sabhatum cus' dire oportebat, et tunc neque v dere, neque emcre, neque quid talc aliquid fieri licebat. Unde et iplum sabbatum, requies, seu intermisfio inierprecatur. Magna est dignita sabbaii, quia in eo (ota Trinins requievit.
Najn Pnter requieTit, ab opere creationis, quod fuit magnse potentiae; Filius, ab opere recreationis, quod fuit infinitae sapientiae; Spiritus Sanctus requievit hodie in Virgine, quod fuit magnae et infrnitae bonitatis, quia ipsa stabat, ceteris sciiicet Apostolis et xnulieribus, a gratia Spiritus Sancti cadentibus. 2 * — Cum autem transisset sabkatum, sero facto, et stellis apparentibus, post solis occasum , cum operari erat licitum, Maria Magddlene et Maria Jacobi, et SiUome emertmt aromata ut venientes pro faciendis unguentis, corpus Jesu sacratissimum ungerent, Intuerc igitur eas diligenter, et quae faciunt, quomodo eundo et redeundo, mcestit^ Tuitibus more viduarum et orphanorum, incedunt. Emunt aromata et redeuntes parant se ad faciendum contra corruptionem unguenta , quasi nescientes illud propheticum : Non dabis Sanctum tuum videre corruptionem. Unde Theophilus : a Neque tamen fidem debitam adhuc habebant, sed ei quasi puro hominl aromata et unguenta parabant, more Judaeorum, qui talia exhibebant defunctis : » haec Theophil{is. Aromata dicuntur , quasi aeromata, quia difFirndebant longe lateque odorem in aerem, et significant virtutes, quas in conversatione mulieres habebant ; et famam Crucifixi, quae longe lateque diffundenda erat. Devote ergo muHeres illae et sanctae, quae fuerant viventi obsecutae, ut etiam mortuo pietate officiosa famulatum posseht impendere, emerunt aromata, et paraverunt unguenta, ut venientes roane ex devotione ad visitandum sepulchrum ungerenf Jesum , sctltcet ejus corpus sacratissimum ; neque enim vespere sabbati , praeoccupante jam noctis articulo, ncfire voluerunt monumentum. Conspke nunc quomodo fideliter et devote cum lacrymis et suspiriis pro Domino suo laborant, secundum quod melius sciunt. Et in hujusmodi operibus per totam noctem laboraverunt, et nihil vel parum quietls habuenmt.
Domina vero et Aposto« li aspiciunt, et forte adjuvant in quibus possunt. Adjuva et tu eas, si permitteris, et potes.
Venit hic in considerationem quid fecerit Dominus in triduo mortis suae. Corpus quidem ejus fuit in sepulchro; anima vero cum sanctis Patribus in limbo ; et deitas utrique conjuncta. Nam quia passio non attingebat in Christo divinam naturam sed humanam; ideo in morte Christi facta est sic divisio animae a carne, ut tamen salva esset unio tam camis quam animae cum divinitate. Ut enim ait Leo Papa, forma servi, et forma Dei,, quae in unitatem convenerunt, nec separationem possunt habere, nec fidem ; dum ita silnmet inhseserunt, ut sive in omnipotentiay sive in contumelia, nec divina in Christo careant humanis, nec humana divinis. Tunc impletum est quod de seipso dixerat : Sicutfmt Jonasin ventre ceti tribus diebus et tribus noctibus ; sic erit Filius hominis in corde terrce. Sepultura enim Christi triduana, in Jona, qui triduo fuit in ceto, fuit pnefigurata. Hoc autem de sepuhura Christi , secundom Augustinum, acciptendum est sinecdochice, sdlicet accipiendo partem pro toto. Fuit enim Dominus in sepulchro : per extremam partem paraceves, per quam tota dies cum sua nocte jam praeterita accipitur; et per tomm sabbatum^ quod integram dieQi et noctem compiectitur; et per primam partem diei Doounicae, sciHcet per noctem sequentem sabbauun, per quam tota dies Et si intclliDominici gitut les, et qushbet prsecadentetn.
Et lunc muiatus est quanlum ad ordinem observationis, sed quantiiin ad □rdinem creaiianis. Nam ante ordo erat, ut dies prtecederet noctem, quia primo creala est dies, et subsecuta esc nox; sed deinceps Creator temporum fecit, ut nox prsBcederet diem, quia nox qua surrexit, Bdjuncta cst diei qua se ostendiL. Unde Auguslinus : B Sicut primo compulabuntur dies proplcr hominis conditi lapsum a luce graiiee, in noctem culpie; ita nunc propter horainis reparationem, per Passionem el Resurrectionero Christi, a tenebris culpas in lucem gratiffi, roerito compuiantur. 1 Unde et Beda . - u Dominus, auctor ct ordinalar tcmporum, qui in ultiuia noclis hujus parte surdem Resurrectionis luce, testivam et coruscam reddil. Siquidem hucusque ab eiordio mundanEe crcationis , ita temporum cursus disCinguebantur , ut noctero dies prEecedcret, justa. ordinem videlicet primffi conditionis. Hac auiem nocte lemporuro ordo mutatus esl.
per myaierium Resurrectionis Dopulis ostendit, et participalo c aBlruiil, itibus, siroul ct gaudentibus ! noi illa sequentemporuro ordo sututus est, ut dies noctem sequatur, El quidem aptissinie quondam nox aequabalur diem, quia homo a lucc paradisi peccando lapsus in hujus scculi tenebras irumnasquc decidit; aptissime vero nunc dies sequilur noclem, quando per fidem Resurrelis, a peccali tenebris et U is ad luccm vit^, Chrislo lar», rcducimur. n Unde uj Cantor : u In exordio s rcrum, computatur dle : sequenti , quia in rergente I primaria □ Domini facta est nox, et ila tuit b naturalis, dies prascedens ci sequenti. In Passione ve facia est mutatio ordinis ut seilicet computetur n dens cum die sequentl pro rnysterio, noxque pr^ecedat diem ; ac super hoc dicaiur mysticc : Eratis enim aliguando tenebrx, nunc autem lux in Bomino; et : Nox preecessil, dies autem appropinquavii. Hanc autem commutationero nBturalis computationis in arlificialem, voluit Dominus prteligurare in Icgilimis; ideoque pra:ccpit observantiam sabbati , ct legalium fieri a vespera in vesperam : n haic Pelrus Cantor. Et aic, ut visum est, quidam dicunt hanc mulationem factam in Parasceve, ut nox, scilicet quinlfe feri^e fucrit etiam Parasceves; alii in noctc Resurrcctionis, ut noit illa communis fuerit sabbalo, ct diei Domin 1 ad t lendil 4 Descensus Christi ad inferos HUJOSQUE FiGua«. — llla ergo hora qua Salvator noslcr, inclinato capite, tradidit spirilum, corpore in divinitate ad inferna spotianda descendit. Cum autem ad inferos descenderel, et chorus angelicus ante faclem cjus portas principum tolli prxciperet.
Sanctorum populus qui icnebatur in morte captivus, voce lacrjmabili clamabat ; 65 1 Ut educeres vinctos de claustris, Te nostra vocabant suspiria, Te larga requirebant lamenta. Tu spes es effectus desperatis, Magna consolatio in tormentis. Sed qui per singula dicere valeat| quanta ibi laetitia fuerit, cum Christus Sol justitice eis apparuit; et habitantibus in regione umbrae mortis, diu novae lucis exspectata claritas radiavit ? Et stetit Dominus cum eis ibi, et tunc fuerunt in gloria; nam visio Dei, perfecta est gloria. Ibibem fuit et latro , cui Dominus dixerat : Hodie mecum eris in paradiso. Nomine paradisi notatur ibi Dei fruitio, et visio divina, quia, peracta Passione, tam ipse latro, quam alii, qui erant in limbo, viderunt Deum per essentiam. Istud quod Christus infernum introivit et Sanctos laetificavit, praefiguratam erat in tribus pueris in fornace Babyionis, ubi ad ingressum Angeli ignis versus est in suavitatem roris. Qui in fornace erant, fuerunt pueri ; sic in limbo non erant nisi innocentes et puri, qui enim ante plenariam satisfactionem decedebant, in purgatorio purgabantur , et tunc ad limbum ascendebant.
Istud etiam praefiguratum fuit per Danielem in lacu leonum, cui Dominus misit per Habacuc prandium. Dominus Danielem illaesum a leonibus custodivit, et per Angelum refectionem sibi misit; sic Deus Patres in limbo a daemonibus defensavit et'tandem ipse veniens divina refectione eos pavit. b Infernus pcenarum quadruplex. — Et sciendum quod nomen inferni sumitur dupliciter, sciiicet : pro pcena, et loco pcenae. Secundum primum modum dicitur, quod daemones semper infernum secum portant. Sed prout infernus pro loco poenae sumitur, sic quadrupliciter distinguitur. Unus, infernus damnatorum , in quo est poena sensus et damni, id est sensibilis poena et divinae visionis carentia, et sunt ibi tenebrce interiores, id est absentia divinae gratiae, et exteriores, scilicet corporales. Super istum est limbus puerorum in quo est poena damni, et non sensus, et sunt ibi tenebrae interiores et exteriores.
Super hunc est locus purgatorius, in quo est poena sensus et damni ad tempus, et sunt ibi tenebrae exteriores, et non interiores, quia per gratiam habent lucem interiorem. Supremus locus inter haec, est limbus sanctorum Patrum, in quo fuit pcena damni, et non sensus ; et fuerunt ibi tenebrae exteriores, et privationis gratiae divinae. Ad hunc locum Christus descendit, et suos, qui non propter reatum personae, sed propter reatum naturae detinebantur, inde liberavit; et sic infernum momordit, quia partem ejus abstulit, et partem reliquit.
Mortem vero, prostrato mortis auctore, quoad electos, penitus destruxit, ut ille qui nihil juris habebat in capite, quod invasit, per injustitiam plus petendi, etiam id perderet, quod habere videbatur in corpore, quod deceperat. Christus enim secundum naturam divinam impassibilis et immortalis fuit , quia passio vel mors poena est peccati, sed ipse sine peccato venit, et absque peccato vixit ; secundum potentiam vero et mortalis voluit esse et passibilis. Mercedem quoque suae mortis dedit homini pro quo omnia sustinuit : pro passione, impassibiiitatem ; pro morte, immortalitatem; pro peregrinatione, aeternam patriam. (Jnde Leo Papa : a Perstitit improbus praedo, et avarus exactor in eura. q^\ w>fej\ ipEiue habebat insurgere, ab illo JniqtiitatiE exigens ptEnam, in quo Qullain reperit culpam; et per justitiam pluE petendi, totiiiB debiti Eumnia vaaialur. Fortis ille nectimentum inaligm in caput ipsius retorquetur. Liguo mundi pnncipe, eapiivitdlis vasa reperiuntur. » Unde et Anselmui : u Vitam homoDeus, cum ei dcbito mori noii deberet.
quoniam peccalor noa eral, sponte sua dedit ad houorem Patris, cura eam sibi auferrl propter justitiam permisit. Dedit ilaque humana natura Deo Palri in iilo sponle . et non ei debito quod suum erat; ut redimerel se in aiiis. in quibus quod ei debito exigebatur, reddere oon babebat. Sic homo ille redemit omnes alios, cum quod spoQte dedit Deo, compulavit pro debito quod illi debcbant. Q,uo pretio non semel taotum homo a culpis redimilur , sed quoties cum digaa pcenitentia rcdieril, recipitur : n hcec Ansetmus. Non lamen Deus diabolum fefeUil, aul fallere voluit i sed diabolus sdpsum in Deum inaurgendo deeepit, Unde idem Anselmus : u Cur, bone Domine, pic Redemptor, potens Salvator, cur lantaro virtutcro operuisti tanta humililate? An ul falleres diabolum, qui &llenda homincm ^ecit de paradiso ~( Sed Litique Veritas nullum fallit ; qui ignorat, qui non credii veritalem, ipse se ftdlit, qui veritalem videt, et odit, vel contemnit, ipse se faliit Veritas autem nullum fallit.
An ideo, ut ipse diabolus se falleret 2 Sed ulique sicut Veritas nullum &llit ; ita noa intendit ut atiquis se fallat, quamvis hoc dicalur facere, cum permittit. Naa enim assumpsisti hominero, ut tc notum op>erires. sed UI ignotum aperircs. Veruro Deum. verum hominem te diiisii, el operibus ostendisli. Res per se fait occulta non studiose occultata. Non fiic est facta ul absconderelur, sed ul EUo ordine perfice ut aliquem deciperet, sed ut. quemadmodum oportebat, fierel.
Et st dicitur occultaia , non est aliud quam, non est omnibus revelata. Nam et si Veritas non omnibus se manifestat, nulli tamen se negal. Ergo. Domine, nec ut falleres, nec ut aliquis se fallerei, sic fedsti; sed ut faceres quod el quomodo facienduDi erat, in vcrilale per omnia persiiiisii. Qui ergo se fefellil in tua verilaie, non de te, sed de pro- ' pria quferatur falsilate : n haec Ail~ setinus.
Preedictus quoque locus supremuB, scilicet limbus palrum, ad quem Chrlstus deacendit, sintn Abrahs dicebatur, quia ibi Abraham fuil curo liberandis. cui primo hujusmodi liberalio e sed nunc ccelum empyreum s Abrahfe eal, quia ibi jam esl Abra- ■ ham. A nullo autem pra^ictoruni locorum est transilua ad alium nisi de terlio ad quarturo, hoc ei de purgBtorio ad limbum Sanctorum. Unde quando cantamus : Libera animas Jiddium defunctorum de pcenis infevni, sumitur ibi infernus, pro purgatorio; sicut et ibi ' sumitur pro limbo, quando Chri~< stuB dicitur ad inrerus desccndissc, vel infernum deslruxisse. Igitur, secundum Gregorium, quod ame Passioncm promisii, in Resurreaione sua Dominus adimplevit. Si exaltatus, inquil, fuero a terra, amnia trakam ad meipsum, i videlicet elecla. Omnia namque trO' xit, qui de eleclis suis apud ioferoB nullum reliquil, quos suos in fide et actibus recognovit. Expansit in critce maaibus, exaltatus a terra, obsecro ts, benigne Domine, noli me dimittere in cosno concupiscentiarum ; trahe me ad te, ut crucifigar tibi, et mundo mortuus, tibi vivam, vivam vero jam non ego, vivas autem in me, Christe.
Considera hic attente, quanta fuit Christi benignitas in infernum descendere , quanta caritas, quanta humilitas. Poterat enim unum ex Angelis cceli ad eos mittere, et facere ipsos servos suos liberari, et sibi prgesentari prout voluisset, si hoc suus amor et humilitas sustinuisset. Per seipsum ad inferna descendit, et non ut servos, sed ut amicos Dominus omnium eos visitavit; et ibidem usque ad diem Dominicum, prope auroram, cum eis stetit.
Jubiiavcrunt sancti Patres in suo adventu, et repleti sunt jucunditate immensa, omni miseria procul pulsa. Et procidentes, adoraverunt; et surgentes, stabant in laudibus et canticis coram eo, cum reverentia et ingenti exsultatione. Et in hujusmodi laudibus et canticis et jubilationibus stetenint in limbo usque prope auroram diei Dominicse, et in conspectu etiam multitudinis Angelo-* rum ibidem exsultantium et jubilantium cum eis. Assiste et tu, ac in vocem exsuhationis et jubilationis erumpe, Sanctorumque melodiae tuas preces interpone. O quam dulce et quam jucundum taiibus interesse, vel saitem a longe talia contemplari ! Tunc portis inferorum confractis, et diabolo magno aliigato, accepit eos Dominus cum exsultatione ab inferiseducens; et ante eos cum gloria et triumpho laetus procedens , Sanctorumque exercitu comitante ad superos rediens, posuit eos in paradiso deliciarum et voluptatis, qui est ad Orientem, in extremis maris. Tunc verus Samson moriens, hostilem exercitum prostravit; et Agnus sine macula in sanguine Testamenti sui, de lacu, in quo non erat aqua, vinctos eduxit. Tunc quoque Angelus Loth cum suis de Sodoma eripuit, et nefarios igne sulphureo involvit.
Tunc etiam Angelus ^Egyptum devastavit, et filios Israel inde liberavit. Cum ergo fortis armatus, scilicet diabolus, custodiret atrium suum , id est limbum , Christus fortior superveniens, atrium suum intravit, et ipsum per crucem suam devincens, alligavit. Istud Banaias olim in figura demonstravit, qui ad leonem in cisternam intrans, cum virga sua ipsum prostravit ; sic Christus imtravit ad diabolum in infemum, et per sanctam crucem prostravit ipsum. Per fortissimum etiam Samsonem, Christus fortissimus designatur, a quo infernalis leo, scilicet diabolus superabatur, et potentia sua privabatur; et tunc homo est liberatus de captivitate diabolica, quae olim fuit in captivitate iEgyptiaca praefigurata. Filii Israel in iEgypto a Pharaone oppressi, claroaverunt ad Dominum pro sua liberatione , et misertus Dominus liberavit eos de captivitate; ita genus humanum a principe tenebrarum detentum , clamavit pro sua redemptione ad Dominum, et mfisertus ejus, liberavit ipsum. Hanc liberationem hominis Deus praefiguravit, quando Abraham de Hur Chaldaeorum liberavit. Chaldaei enim Hur, hoc est ignem pro Deo colucrunt, quod cum Abraham renueret, ipium in ignem projecerunt, Deus autem verus quem ipse coluit, de igne eum liberavit; sic et Sanctos de inferno redemit. Hanc etiam redemptionem hominis Deus praefiguravit, quando Loth cum suis de subversione Sodomae liberavit.
De Sodomis tantum boni liberati fuerunt, mali autem igne et sulphure interierunt; tic Christus bonos tantum de limbo liberavit, de inferno autem damnatorum neminem eripuit. £t justi quidem cum tanta iaetitia liberantur. Sed quid putas indicibilis amaritudinis et inconsolabilis doloris, imo extremae damnationis accidit remanentibus in igne inexstinguibili, verme immortali, tenebra palpabili , morte infinibili ? Vae illis quibus datum est hoc potius experiri, quam credere, vcl timere!
Aliqua vero morula in paradiso facta. cum eis, et etiam cum Elia et Henoch, ipsum recognoscentibus et exsultantibus dixit eis ; quia erat tempus, ut iret ad excitantum et reassumendum suum corpus. Qui omnes procidentes, adoraverunt, rogantes ut cito rediret, quia gloriosissimum corpus suum videre plurimum aflFectabant. Da et tnihi, Domine benignissime, corpus tuum gloriosissimum in secundo adventu tuo eum gaudio videre, et de tua visione ceternaliter cum electis tuis gaudere, Considera nunc quomodo omnia qtiae Christus pro nobi» pcrtulit, pro nostra utilitate pati voiuit. Unde Hieronymus quaedam ex his colligens, sic dicit : « Opprobria autem ejus nostrum abstulere opprobrium ; vincula ejus , nos liberos fecerunt ; corona spinea capitis ejus, diadema regni adepti sumus; vulneribus ejus sanati sumus; sepultura ejus resurgimus ; et descensu ad inferos, ascendimus ad coelos. » ORATIO O bone Jesu, nec adhuc satiata est tuae inefiabilis clementia pietatis, nisi et inferni claustra penetrans tuos captivos redimas. Descendit igitur illa felix tua et sanctissima anima ad inferos, educens vinctos de tenebris et umbra mortis. Descendat et nunc, Jesu misericors, per hanc inefFabilem pietatem tuam, gratia et misericordia tua super animas famulorum famularumque tuarum, parentum et propinquorum meorum, familiarium, benefactorum et recommendatorum ; ut eas a pcenis quas pro peccatis suis merentur eripias, et ad gaudia aeterna perducas.
Amen. 65b
Notes
- 1 ↩This appears to be a manuscript folio or marginal reference marker rather than a sentence of text.
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