Sermon of the Reverend Father Friar Girolamo of Ferrara to the Brethren of San Marco on the Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Ungrateful, disobedient, sinful soul, I lifted you from the filth, from the mire of your sins, from the dregs of your iniquity, from the very gates of death, from your wicked habits, and from the ways of the world and, not by any merit of your own, I brought you into my most holy tabernacle—into the cloister of holy Religion—that you might proclaim and preach my praises to your brethren. You are my creation, my creature, and despite your countless negligences, I have exalted you, making you my instrument to proclaim my sweet love, my kindness, my infinite mercy, and my compassion to my beloved creatures and brides, the rational souls present here today. I have placed you here so that, through your obedience and the office granted to you by my grace, and through their humble reception of my burning words through your tongue, they might find some sweet consolation in my beloved, only-begotten Son, and at last, eternal life.
And you, ungrateful one, when the moment demands, remain silent. Like barren ground, you are dry, sterile, fruitless—you have become mute. Now, unseal your lips, raise your voice, excite your spirit, and shape the words. What are you doing? What are you thinking? Domine, audivi auditionem tuam et timui, Domine, opus tuum et expavi (O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid; Lord, I see your work and tremble HABACUC 3:2).
My Lord, my Creator, almighty Maker, hearing your wondrous voice, I am struck with awe; beholding what you have done today, I am utterly undone. No thought can contain this unheard-of and stupendous miracle; no voice can adequately declare your praises. I have no words, no name to convey your boundless love.
What thought, what voice could express the most high, incomprehensible, ineffable, unintelligible majesty of your uncreated, begotten, eternal Word? What intellect, what tongue could proclaim the mystery revealed today—the humility of the most high Word, the poverty of infinite majesty, the flesh of the ineffable and invisible God? Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis (For a child is born to us, a son is given to us ISAIAH 9:6) Today, a great one, and yet a small one is given to us: a Son, eternally begotten and temporally born; begotten in heaven of the Father without a mother, born on earth of a mother without a father, today given to humankind.
Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris vidit lucem magnam; habitantibus in regione umbrae mortis lux orta est his (The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen ISAIAH 9:2). The people, rather the whole world, that walked in the shadows of sin and ignorance, has today seen a great light. Today, the people has been suffused with a great splendor; today, a wondrous sun has risen for those dwelling in the shadowy depths of death's regions. Behold the day so long desired by the prophets.
Fear no longer, beloved ones, to walk through the forests or deserts. For it is written: the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the sheep shall dwell together, and a little child shall lead them.
Today, that child is born—the one who will humble the pride of the arrogant. Today, the transformation of the whole universe begins.
Come, O Magi from the East, drawn by the radiance of this little one. Humble yourselves before him, lay aside your crowns, bow low—prostrate yourselves on the ground—at his holy feet in a stable.
O Roman Empire, prepare yourself, for _puer parvulus minabit vos. O Emperor of Rome, O lion, O wolf, oppressor of the world, _puer parvulus minabit vos. Bow your head to the earth, kiss the feet of a fisherman, give him your crown, desire his words, obey his laws, and surrender the whole world to this child.
O princes, O lords, O philosophers, O wise ones of the age, fall silent. Close your mouths, seal your lips, and humble yourselves, for _puer parvulus minabit vos.
Be comforted, O world; you will be lifted from your sorrow. Be consoled, O human race; your cries have been heard. Rejoice, O soul; your sweet bridegroom has come.
Confitebor tibi, Domine, quoniam talis es mihi, conversus est furor tuus et consolatus es me. Ecce Deus Salvator meus; fiducialiter agam et non timebo (I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for you have shown kindness to me; your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me. Behold, God is my Savior; I will trust and not fear).
Take heart, beloved ones, for our hope is here. Find solace, O righteous ones; trust, O sinners: _haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris et dicetis in illa die: confitemini Domino et invocate nomen eius; cantate Domino quum magnifice fecit; annuntiate hoc in universa terra (you will draw water with joy from the fountains of salvation and say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; sing to the Lord, for he has done wondrous things; proclaim his deeds to the ends of the earth).
O you who thirst, O enlightened ones, O lovers: come to the fountain, rush to the sweet waters, come to the boundless sea of all graces! O you who have neither gold nor silver, you poor, naked, desolate, and afflicted souls: do not delay—hasten! Change your pace, strengthen your weakened knees, heal your weary feet, and cast off your doubt.
Here, no strength nor empire is needed; here, no gems nor treasures are necessary. Gold and silver have no worth in this place. Come, and you shall acquire without money, without price, and without exchange. Taste, and drink deeply of the heavenly wine and the sweet milk.
O sleepy soul, sluggish and senseless, rise now from your heavy slumber! Open your eyes, clothe yourself in the splendor of your garments. Rise from the mire, shake off the dust, gather the flowers, place the garland upon your head, and go to your Beloved. Loosen your bonds, O captive soul! Break the chains, cast off the iron shackles, quia ego ipse qui loquebar, ecce adsum(for I myself that spoke, behold I am here ISAIAH 52:7).
What then will you do, O sinful and barren soul? Look, consider: "How beautiful upon the mountains are hisfeet." O how glorious and radiant upon the mountains, upon the heights of contemplation, upon the summit of every perfection are the feet, the affections, the delights of the one who announces, who preaches this peace today, who proclaims this inestimable good, who preaches salvation, declaring to Sion: "Thy God shall reign!"
Lift your eyes to the heavens, open your ears, open your heart! Contemplate the angels, delight in their sweet melodies as they sing: Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the highest.)
Lower your gaze to the earth and see the shepherds gathered near the child, _reversi sunt glorificantes et laudantes Deum in omnibus quae audierant et viderant (And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them LUKE 2:20).
Turn your sight to the East and consider the great fervor of the Magi—their swift journey, their unshakable faith, and their bold voice proclaiming peace: _Ubi est qui natus est, rex Iudaeorum
(Where is he who is born king of the Jews? MATTHEW 2:2)
Be attentive, O soul! Enter into your heart, close your chamber, and gaze across the universe. Look to the East, glance to the West, contemplate the South, and consider the North: Qui sunt isti, qui ut nubes volant et quasi columbae ad fenestras suas, candidiores nive? etcetera (Who are these who fly like clouds, like doves to their windows, brighter than snow ISAIA 60:8)"
These are the preachers of peace, the announcers of salvation, the trumpets of heaven, the thunder of Paradise. In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum etcetera (Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world PSALM 18:5)".
O preacher, O herald, O resounding trumpet, ascend on high! Climb a mountain, raise your voice with strength. Lift your spirit; do not rest, do not falter. Cry out, echo, resound, and preach to my people: _Ecce Deus vester, ecce Dominus Deus in fortitudine veniet et brachium eius dominabitur; ecce merces eius cum eo et opus illius coram illo (Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him ISAIA 40:10).
O unbelieving Judea, O blind synagogue, O obstinate people—what are you doing? You slumber, you are weighed down by sleep. Behold your light! Open your eyes and see: you have the treasure within your own house. Surge, illuminare, Ierusalem, quia venit lumen tuum et gloria Domini super te orta est.
(Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee ISAIA 60:1).
Listen to the Magi: Go with them, seek the child, follow the star.
O barren one, desolate and abandoned, uncultivated and full of thorns; O hardened stone, O impious Gentile people! You who bear no spiritual children, who yield no fruit from holy works, you who slumber in darkness—lift up your head on high! See the new light that dawns before your eyes. Cast away the shadows, cleanse your heart, become the bride of Jesus, become the mother of virtue. Celebrate, rejoice, sing, and cry out: "Alleluia!" quum multi filii desertae magis quam ejus quae habet virum, dicit Dominus (for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord ISAIA 54:1).
If you were barren, now you shall become a mother, with more children than your first mother, the synagogue. Stretch wide the skins of your tent, expand them firmly; do not hold back. Lengthen the cords, strengthen the stakes, for your children will multiply so greatly that the net will strain to breaking. You will break forth to the right and to the left, and your children will spread throughout the whole earth.
Do not fear! You will no longer bear the shame of your youth. You will forget the years lost, and you will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For behold, the Lord, your Creator, espouses you today. Today, He crowns you, honors you, and celebrates a great feast for you. The mountains will move, the sea will be still, and the fountains will burst forth. My mercy will rest upon you; I will establish with you a sweet and everlasting covenant.
O blessed poor one, battered by every storm, deprived of heavenly consolation! Today, you will be raised on high. I will make your walls of diamond, your streets of sapphire, and I will fill you with every good and desirable thing. Your children will be perfect in love, splendent in wisdom, and serene in peace.Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus eius ab extremis terrae. Qui habitare fecit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum laetantem. (Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth ISAIA 42:10. He who makes the barren woman dwell in a home as a joyful mother of children PSALM 112:9)
Strengthen your weak hands, steady your trembling knees. Cry out with me, lift your voice, and proclaim: Confortamini, pusillanimis, et nolite timere : ecce Deus vester ultionem adducet retributionis; Deus ipse veniet, et salvabit vos. (Say to the fainthearted: Take courage, and fear not: behold your God will bring the revenge of recompense: God himself will come and will save you ISAIA 35:4).
Now the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear, the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing. The gates of heaven shall be flung wide, and the fountains of the earth shall burst forth.
O blessed Gentility (gentile nations), O blessed sterility—from where has such mercy come to you? Contemptible souls, abominable people, servants of stones—from where has such grace descended upon you?
The princes are stunned, the kings are humbled, the lords bow their heads to the earth. Laudate, caeli, et exulta, terra, iubilate, montes, laudem quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum et pauperum suorum miserebitur. (Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones ISAIA 49:13).
O souls imprisoned in the darkness of the earth, enclosed in the depths of limbo, lift your eyes! Cease your weeping, dry your tears, and cry out no more to the Creator, sing new songs of praise, turn your weeping into laughter, your lamentations into joy. Rejoice, break your chains, shatter the doors, for your long-awaited desire has been born—your hope, the love of your heart. O Isaiah, cry no more: _utinam dirumperes caelos et descenderes (That thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down!). Behold, He has inclined the heavens, broken the gates, opened the fountains, illumined the earth, and scattered the darkness.
Now the king of Babylon shall fall, now your oppressor shall be struck down, now your captor—the prince of darkness—shall be bound.
Raise this song as a parable against him: _quomodo cessavit exactor, quievit tributum? Quomodo cecidisti, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris? Corruisti in terram, qui vulnerabas gentes? qui dicebas in corde tuo _in caelum conscendam, super astra Dei exaltabo solium meum (How is the oppressor come to nothing, the tribute hath ceased? How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations? And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... ISAIA 14: 4, 12-13)
O heavenly spirits, come now and join us in celebration; rejoice upon the earth, honor mankind, and exult that your ruin shall be restored. New stones will be set in place, new structures raised, new doors adorned with shining pearls. And in the foundation, behold—a chosen cornerstone, precious, wondrous, and stupendous, a sight never before beheld by your eyes: Christ Jesus.
Rejoice, O heaven; exult, O earth; praise and tremble, O hell, for today something new has entered the world—a marvel unheard of, incomprehensible, yet sweet and delightful to all who taste it: _Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh JOHN 1:14).
What then shall I say of you, O most blessed and glorious Mother Mary? Shall I forget you today? Shall I not remember you? Who could fathom the joy of your heart, the sweetness of your mind, the great wonder you felt at yourself, your boundless consolation, your highest contemplations?
You gave birth, O Virgin, without pain, without suffering, untouched by any lament, just as you were untouched by any corruption. Instead, you bore him with great joy, surrounded by angels singing in exultation. O, how compassion stirred you, how it shook your heart when the most sweet child presented himself before you, when he laid himself humbly upon the earth, and you placed him gently in the manger within a stable!
O Blessed Mary, O fortunate girl, O glorious mother, immaculate and undefiled, mother and virgin, fruitful virgin—virgin before childbirth, virgin in childbirth, virgin after childbirth. Mother of your Creator, mother of your Maker, mother of your Shaper. Mother of your Father, indeed, mother of the Father of all creation.
Embrace your Lord, O Virgin, and kiss your God as much as your heart desires. Satiate yourself with the sweetness of his countenance; take him tenderly into your arms. Open your most pure breast, offer him your milk, and nourish with your celestial milk the one who nourishes the angels. Give the nourishment of your holy breasts to him who nourishes all of creation.
Quench with your sweet milk the thirst and hunger of him who satiates all the blessed souls. Swaddle him whom the world cannot comprehend, hold close him who embraces the world. Govern him who governs the universe, and sing to him your praises. Cradle him who upholds the world, soothe to sleep him who never sleeps, and keep watch over him who makes the heavens tremble.
Tell me, Mary, I beg you, how is your heart? Where is your soul? What does your tongue speak? What thoughts fill your mind? Surely, my Lady, my Queen, you could not reveal these mysteries to me, your unworthy servant—not because you do not know them, but because I would not be capable of understanding their depths.
O inestimable joy, ineffable sweetness, incomprehensible jubilation! O most sweet Mary, most glorious above all the blessed, I implore you by your boundless compassion, by this most holy day, by the ineffable mercy of your only-begotten Son, by your sacred womb that bore him, by your sweet breasts that nursed him, deign to turn the eyes of your clemency upon me, a wretched and ungrateful sinner, upon me, a miserable mortal, upon this dead and useless dog, upon this dust and ash scattered to the winds.
Do not turn away because of my uncleanness, my sins, my miseries—this decay, this filth, this mire, this wretched life of mine. Remember, O Mother, that for me, for my sins and miseries, you became Virgin and Mother. For my sake, you are the Mother of your Father. For my sake, you are the Mother of God. For my sake, in you, God was made man. For my sake, in you, the Omnipotent One was made mortal. For my sake, in you, _Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh.)
I implore you, therefore, by this ineffable mercy that dwells in you and extends even to me, that your wondrous glory might not turn away from my immeasurable misery. Pray to your Son, who for my sake became mortal within you—who became my Brother, your Son, your Spouse—that he may forgive my infinite sins, my ignorance, my ingratitude, and my countless negligences. Pray that he does not recall the time that has passed, that he forgets the injuries of my youth, that he cleanses me of every stain, and forgives every offense I have committed, even to this present hour.
O sweetest Mother, O most loving, O most clement, I, blinded by guilt, have become alienated—distant, remote, separated from my sweetest Creator. Because of my sin, I wander in darkness and see not the true light.
Take me back, I pray you, O good Jesus, by the depths of your mercy and by the merits of your sweet mother; free this captive soul, restore this lost spirit, gather this divided mind, illumine my darkness, so that I may sing with the Prophet: Nox illuminatio mea in delitiis meis quia tenebrae non obscurabuntur etc. (night shall be my light in my pleasures., But darkness shall not be dark to thee, etc PSALM 138:11-12).
O Jesus, true light of the world, you who have broken the rocks and set the earth ablaze, visitasti terram et inebriasti eam. Ubi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae, Domine? (You visited the earth and inebriated it. Where are your ancient mercies, O Lord? PSALM 64:10)
Behold how I find myself, dry and withered without your love. Jesus, let me languish in your sweet love; Jesus, let me die in your sweet love; Jesus, set your sweet fire aflame within my heart. Adiuro vos, filiae Hyerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum ut nuntietis ei, quia amore langueo. (I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love SONG OF SOLOMON 5:8)
O my Apostle, today I do not remember you; Jesus has silenced your words. Jesus has placed himself at the center, and for his sake, I have set you aside. Of you, I think nothing more than that you are his servant and friend. Whoever loves the Bridegroom loves the Bridegroom's friends. I do not read your letters for your sake, but out of love for the Bridegroom. If they did not speak of Jesus, I would have no desire to read them, no longing to see them; I would leave them to gather dust. I have no delight in any book where I do not find the most sweet Jesus. When you spoke to me of the Bridegroom, I listened eagerly, for I loved the Bridegroom. But now that he is present, I leave you and draw near to him. Without him, I would not love you, nor any of the saints in heaven.
Returning now to you, my Lord Jesus, and to you, my Lady Mary, I pray that on this day, you remember us who are gathered here in your name. Remember, my Lord, that for us, you took on flesh. Remember, my Lady, that for us, you became his mother. For us, my Lord, you became our brother; for us, my Lady, you became our mother. For us, my Lord, you were humiliated on earth; for us, my Lady, you were exalted in heaven.
Therefore, by this mercy, this goodness, this boundless compassion, we humbly pray: deign to open the heavens today, to descend into our hearts. Look upon us, O Jesus and Mary: behold the storm that surrounds us, the calamity that engulfs us, and the countless winds that enclose us. The whole world is overturned, every virtue extinguished; no living light remains. The earth is oppressed by every vice, to such an extent that unless you stretch forth your merciful hand, no remedy can deliver us.
O my Lord, O my Lady, remember this day when the heavens were torn apart and Paradise was brought to earth. _Manda Deus virtuti tuae; confirma hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis (Command thy strength, O God: confirm, O God, what thou hast wrought in us PSALM 67:29).
My beloved, stay in prayer and praise today; perhaps the heavens may open for us. Cleanse your hearts, make room for Jesus, and contemplate him with Mary in the manger. _Nolite inebriari vino sed impleamini Spiritu Sancto (And be not drunk with wine... but be ye filled with the holy Spirit EPHESIANS 5:18).
Begin a new life today. Say with the Prophet: Et dixi: nunc coepi etc. (I said: Now have I begun PSALM 76:11) and pray for me, a sinner, that God may deign to have mercy on me and make me his faithful servant. In turn, I will do the same for you, so that, being participants in the grace and love of this day, we may one day attain the perfect glory of the blessed, where we shall behold Jesus face to face, qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto est Deus benedictus et gloriosus per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen. (Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is God, blessed and glorious for infinite ages of ages. Amen.)
Sermon of the Reverend Father Friar Girolamo of Ferrara to the Brethren of San Marco on the Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Ungrateful, disobedient, sinful soul, I lifted you from the filth, from the mire of your sins, from the dregs of your iniquity, from the very gates of death, from your wicked habits, and from the ways of the world and, not by any merit of your own, I brought you into my most holy tabernacle—into the cloister of holy Religion—that you might proclaim and preach my praises to your brethren. You are my creation, my creature, and despite your countless negligences, I have exalted you, making you my instrument to proclaim my sweet love, my kindness, my infinite mercy, and my compassion to my beloved creatures and brides, the rational souls present here today. I have placed you here so that, through your obedience and the office granted to you by my grace, and through their humble reception of my burning words through your tongue, they might find some sweet consolation in my beloved, only-begotten Son, and at last, eternal life.
And you, ungrateful one, when the moment demands, remain silent. Like barren ground, you are dry, sterile, fruitless—you have become mute. Now, unseal your lips, raise your voice, excite your spirit, and shape the words. What are you doing? What are you thinking? Domine, audivi auditionem tuam et timui, Domine, opus tuum et expavi (O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid; Lord, I see your work and tremble HABACUC 3:2).
My Lord, my Creator, almighty Maker, hearing your wondrous voice, I am struck with awe; beholding what you have done today, I am utterly undone. No thought can contain this unheard-of and stupendous miracle; no voice can adequately declare your praises. I have no words, no name to convey your boundless love.
What thought, what voice could express the most high, incomprehensible, ineffable, unintelligible majesty of your uncreated, begotten, eternal Word? What intellect, what tongue could proclaim the mystery revealed today—the humility of the most high Word, the poverty of infinite majesty, the flesh of the ineffable and invisible God? Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis (For a child is born to us, a son is given to us ISAIAH 9:6) Today, a great one, and yet a small one is given to us: a Son, eternally begotten and temporally born; begotten in heaven of the Father without a mother, born on earth of a mother without a father, today given to humankind.
Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris vidit lucem magnam; habitantibus in regione umbrae mortis lux orta est his (The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen ISAIAH 9:2). The people, rather the whole world, that walked in the shadows of sin and ignorance, has today seen a great light. Today, the people has been suffused with a great splendor; today, a wondrous sun has risen for those dwelling in the shadowy depths of death's regions. Behold the day so long desired by the prophets.
Fear no longer, beloved ones, to walk through the forests or deserts. For it is written: the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the sheep shall dwell together, and a little child shall lead them.
Today, that child is born—the one who will humble the pride of the arrogant. Today, the transformation of the whole universe begins.
Come, O Magi from the East, drawn by the radiance of this little one. Humble yourselves before him, lay aside your crowns, bow low—prostrate yourselves on the ground—at his holy feet in a stable.
O Roman Empire, prepare yourself, for _puer parvulus minabit vos. O Emperor of Rome, O lion, O wolf, oppressor of the world, _puer parvulus minabit vos. Bow your head to the earth, kiss the feet of a fisherman, give him your crown, desire his words, obey his laws, and surrender the whole world to this child.
O princes, O lords, O philosophers, O wise ones of the age, fall silent. Close your mouths, seal your lips, and humble yourselves, for _puer parvulus minabit vos.
Be comforted, O world; you will be lifted from your sorrow. Be consoled, O human race; your cries have been heard. Rejoice, O soul; your sweet bridegroom has come.
Confitebor tibi, Domine, quoniam talis es mihi, conversus est furor tuus et consolatus es me. Ecce Deus Salvator meus; fiducialiter agam et non timebo (I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for you have shown kindness to me; your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me. Behold, God is my Savior; I will trust and not fear).
Take heart, beloved ones, for our hope is here. Find solace, O righteous ones; trust, O sinners: _haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris et dicetis in illa die: confitemini Domino et invocate nomen eius; cantate Domino quum magnifice fecit; annuntiate hoc in universa terra (you will draw water with joy from the fountains of salvation and say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; sing to the Lord, for he has done wondrous things; proclaim his deeds to the ends of the earth).
O you who thirst, O enlightened ones, O lovers: come to the fountain, rush to the sweet waters, come to the boundless sea of all graces! O you who have neither gold nor silver, you poor, naked, desolate, and afflicted souls: do not delay—hasten! Change your pace, strengthen your weakened knees, heal your weary feet, and cast off your doubt.
Here, no strength nor empire is needed; here, no gems nor treasures are necessary. Gold and silver have no worth in this place. Come, and you shall acquire without money, without price, and without exchange. Taste, and drink deeply of the heavenly wine and the sweet milk.
O sleepy soul, sluggish and senseless, rise now from your heavy slumber! Open your eyes, clothe yourself in the splendor of your garments. Rise from the mire, shake off the dust, gather the flowers, place the garland upon your head, and go to your Beloved. Loosen your bonds, O captive soul! Break the chains, cast off the iron shackles, quia ego ipse qui loquebar, ecce adsum(for I myself that spoke, behold I am here ISAIAH 52:7).
What then will you do, O sinful and barren soul? Look, consider: "How beautiful upon the mountains are hisfeet." O how glorious and radiant upon the mountains, upon the heights of contemplation, upon the summit of every perfection are the feet, the affections, the delights of the one who announces, who preaches this peace today, who proclaims this inestimable good, who preaches salvation, declaring to Sion: "Thy God shall reign!"
Lift your eyes to the heavens, open your ears, open your heart! Contemplate the angels, delight in their sweet melodies as they sing: Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the highest.)
Lower your gaze to the earth and see the shepherds gathered near the child, _reversi sunt glorificantes et laudantes Deum in omnibus quae audierant et viderant (And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them LUKE 2:20).
Turn your sight to the East and consider the great fervor of the Magi—their swift journey, their unshakable faith, and their bold voice proclaiming peace: _Ubi est qui natus est, rex Iudaeorum
(Where is he who is born king of the Jews? MATTHEW 2:2)
Be attentive, O soul! Enter into your heart, close your chamber, and gaze across the universe. Look to the East, glance to the West, contemplate the South, and consider the North: Qui sunt isti, qui ut nubes volant et quasi columbae ad fenestras suas, candidiores nive? etcetera (Who are these who fly like clouds, like doves to their windows, brighter than snow ISAIA 60:8)"
These are the preachers of peace, the announcers of salvation, the trumpets of heaven, the thunder of Paradise. In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum etcetera (Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world PSALM 18:5)".
O preacher, O herald, O resounding trumpet, ascend on high! Climb a mountain, raise your voice with strength. Lift your spirit; do not rest, do not falter. Cry out, echo, resound, and preach to my people: _Ecce Deus vester, ecce Dominus Deus in fortitudine veniet et brachium eius dominabitur; ecce merces eius cum eo et opus illius coram illo (Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him ISAIA 40:10).
O unbelieving Judea, O blind synagogue, O obstinate people—what are you doing? You slumber, you are weighed down by sleep. Behold your light! Open your eyes and see: you have the treasure within your own house. Surge, illuminare, Ierusalem, quia venit lumen tuum et gloria Domini super te orta est.
(Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee ISAIA 60:1).
Listen to the Magi: Go with them, seek the child, follow the star.
O barren one, desolate and abandoned, uncultivated and full of thorns; O hardened stone, O impious Gentile people! You who bear no spiritual children, who yield no fruit from holy works, you who slumber in darkness—lift up your head on high! See the new light that dawns before your eyes. Cast away the shadows, cleanse your heart, become the bride of Jesus, become the mother of virtue. Celebrate, rejoice, sing, and cry out: "Alleluia!" quum multi filii desertae magis quam ejus quae habet virum, dicit Dominus (for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord ISAIA 54:1).
If you were barren, now you shall become a mother, with more children than your first mother, the synagogue. Stretch wide the skins of your tent, expand them firmly; do not hold back. Lengthen the cords, strengthen the stakes, for your children will multiply so greatly that the net will strain to breaking. You will break forth to the right and to the left, and your children will spread throughout the whole earth.
Do not fear! You will no longer bear the shame of your youth. You will forget the years lost, and you will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For behold, the Lord, your Creator, espouses you today. Today, He crowns you, honors you, and celebrates a great feast for you. The mountains will move, the sea will be still, and the fountains will burst forth. My mercy will rest upon you; I will establish with you a sweet and everlasting covenant.
O blessed poor one, battered by every storm, deprived of heavenly consolation! Today, you will be raised on high. I will make your walls of diamond, your streets of sapphire, and I will fill you with every good and desirable thing. Your children will be perfect in love, splendent in wisdom, and serene in peace.Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus eius ab extremis terrae. Qui habitare fecit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum laetantem. (Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth ISAIA 42:10. He who makes the barren woman dwell in a home as a joyful mother of children PSALM 112:9)
Strengthen your weak hands, steady your trembling knees. Cry out with me, lift your voice, and proclaim: Confortamini, pusillanimis, et nolite timere : ecce Deus vester ultionem adducet retributionis; Deus ipse veniet, et salvabit vos. (Say to the fainthearted: Take courage, and fear not: behold your God will bring the revenge of recompense: God himself will come and will save you ISAIA 35:4).
Now the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear, the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing. The gates of heaven shall be flung wide, and the fountains of the earth shall burst forth.
O blessed Gentility (gentile nations), O blessed sterility—from where has such mercy come to you? Contemptible souls, abominable people, servants of stones—from where has such grace descended upon you?
The princes are stunned, the kings are humbled, the lords bow their heads to the earth. Laudate, caeli, et exulta, terra, iubilate, montes, laudem quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum et pauperum suorum miserebitur. (Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones ISAIA 49:13).
O souls imprisoned in the darkness of the earth, enclosed in the depths of limbo, lift your eyes! Cease your weeping, dry your tears, and cry out no more to the Creator, sing new songs of praise, turn your weeping into laughter, your lamentations into joy. Rejoice, break your chains, shatter the doors, for your long-awaited desire has been born—your hope, the love of your heart. O Isaiah, cry no more: _utinam dirumperes caelos et descenderes (That thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down!). Behold, He has inclined the heavens, broken the gates, opened the fountains, illumined the earth, and scattered the darkness.
Now the king of Babylon shall fall, now your oppressor shall be struck down, now your captor—the prince of darkness—shall be bound.
Raise this song as a parable against him: _quomodo cessavit exactor, quievit tributum? Quomodo cecidisti, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris? Corruisti in terram, qui vulnerabas gentes? qui dicebas in corde tuo _in caelum conscendam, super astra Dei exaltabo solium meum (How is the oppressor come to nothing, the tribute hath ceased? How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations? And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... ISAIA 14: 4, 12-13)
O heavenly spirits, come now and join us in celebration; rejoice upon the earth, honor mankind, and exult that your ruin shall be restored. New stones will be set in place, new structures raised, new doors adorned with shining pearls. And in the foundation, behold—a chosen cornerstone, precious, wondrous, and stupendous, a sight never before beheld by your eyes: Christ Jesus.
Rejoice, O heaven; exult, O earth; praise and tremble, O hell, for today something new has entered the world—a marvel unheard of, incomprehensible, yet sweet and delightful to all who taste it: _Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh JOHN 1:14).
What then shall I say of you, O most blessed and glorious Mother Mary? Shall I forget you today? Shall I not remember you? Who could fathom the joy of your heart, the sweetness of your mind, the great wonder you felt at yourself, your boundless consolation, your highest contemplations?
You gave birth, O Virgin, without pain, without suffering, untouched by any lament, just as you were untouched by any corruption. Instead, you bore him with great joy, surrounded by angels singing in exultation. O, how compassion stirred you, how it shook your heart when the most sweet child presented himself before you, when he laid himself humbly upon the earth, and you placed him gently in the manger within a stable!
O Blessed Mary, O fortunate girl, O glorious mother, immaculate and undefiled, mother and virgin, fruitful virgin—virgin before childbirth, virgin in childbirth, virgin after childbirth. Mother of your Creator, mother of your Maker, mother of your Shaper. Mother of your Father, indeed, mother of the Father of all creation.
Embrace your Lord, O Virgin, and kiss your God as much as your heart desires. Satiate yourself with the sweetness of his countenance; take him tenderly into your arms. Open your most pure breast, offer him your milk, and nourish with your celestial milk the one who nourishes the angels. Give the nourishment of your holy breasts to him who nourishes all of creation.
Quench with your sweet milk the thirst and hunger of him who satiates all the blessed souls. Swaddle him whom the world cannot comprehend, hold close him who embraces the world. Govern him who governs the universe, and sing to him your praises. Cradle him who upholds the world, soothe to sleep him who never sleeps, and keep watch over him who makes the heavens tremble.
Tell me, Mary, I beg you, how is your heart? Where is your soul? What does your tongue speak? What thoughts fill your mind? Surely, my Lady, my Queen, you could not reveal these mysteries to me, your unworthy servant—not because you do not know them, but because I would not be capable of understanding their depths.
O inestimable joy, ineffable sweetness, incomprehensible jubilation! O most sweet Mary, most glorious above all the blessed, I implore you by your boundless compassion, by this most holy day, by the ineffable mercy of your only-begotten Son, by your sacred womb that bore him, by your sweet breasts that nursed him, deign to turn the eyes of your clemency upon me, a wretched and ungrateful sinner, upon me, a miserable mortal, upon this dead and useless dog, upon this dust and ash scattered to the winds.
Do not turn away because of my uncleanness, my sins, my miseries—this decay, this filth, this mire, this wretched life of mine. Remember, O Mother, that for me, for my sins and miseries, you became Virgin and Mother. For my sake, you are the Mother of your Father. For my sake, you are the Mother of God. For my sake, in you, God was made man. For my sake, in you, the Omnipotent One was made mortal. For my sake, in you, _Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh.)
I implore you, therefore, by this ineffable mercy that dwells in you and extends even to me, that your wondrous glory might not turn away from my immeasurable misery. Pray to your Son, who for my sake became mortal within you—who became my Brother, your Son, your Spouse—that he may forgive my infinite sins, my ignorance, my ingratitude, and my countless negligences. Pray that he does not recall the time that has passed, that he forgets the injuries of my youth, that he cleanses me of every stain, and forgives every offense I have committed, even to this present hour.
O sweetest Mother, O most loving, O most clement, I, blinded by guilt, have become alienated—distant, remote, separated from my sweetest Creator. Because of my sin, I wander in darkness and see not the true light.
Take me back, I pray you, O good Jesus, by the depths of your mercy and by the merits of your sweet mother; free this captive soul, restore this lost spirit, gather this divided mind, illumine my darkness, so that I may sing with the Prophet: Nox illuminatio mea in delitiis meis quia tenebrae non obscurabuntur etc. (night shall be my light in my pleasures., But darkness shall not be dark to thee, etc PSALM 138:11-12).
O Jesus, true light of the world, you who have broken the rocks and set the earth ablaze, visitasti terram et inebriasti eam. Ubi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae, Domine? (You visited the earth and inebriated it. Where are your ancient mercies, O Lord? PSALM 64:10)
Behold how I find myself, dry and withered without your love. Jesus, let me languish in your sweet love; Jesus, let me die in your sweet love; Jesus, set your sweet fire aflame within my heart. Adiuro vos, filiae Hyerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum ut nuntietis ei, quia amore langueo. (I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love SONG OF SOLOMON 5:8)
O my Apostle, today I do not remember you; Jesus has silenced your words. Jesus has placed himself at the center, and for his sake, I have set you aside. Of you, I think nothing more than that you are his servant and friend. Whoever loves the Bridegroom loves the Bridegroom's friends. I do not read your letters for your sake, but out of love for the Bridegroom. If they did not speak of Jesus, I would have no desire to read them, no longing to see them; I would leave them to gather dust. I have no delight in any book where I do not find the most sweet Jesus. When you spoke to me of the Bridegroom, I listened eagerly, for I loved the Bridegroom. But now that he is present, I leave you and draw near to him. Without him, I would not love you, nor any of the saints in heaven.
Returning now to you, my Lord Jesus, and to you, my Lady Mary, I pray that on this day, you remember us who are gathered here in your name. Remember, my Lord, that for us, you took on flesh. Remember, my Lady, that for us, you became his mother. For us, my Lord, you became our brother; for us, my Lady, you became our mother. For us, my Lord, you were humiliated on earth; for us, my Lady, you were exalted in heaven.
Therefore, by this mercy, this goodness, this boundless compassion, we humbly pray: deign to open the heavens today, to descend into our hearts. Look upon us, O Jesus and Mary: behold the storm that surrounds us, the calamity that engulfs us, and the countless winds that enclose us. The whole world is overturned, every virtue extinguished; no living light remains. The earth is oppressed by every vice, to such an extent that unless you stretch forth your merciful hand, no remedy can deliver us.
O my Lord, O my Lady, remember this day when the heavens were torn apart and Paradise was brought to earth. _Manda Deus virtuti tuae; confirma hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis (Command thy strength, O God: confirm, O God, what thou hast wrought in us PSALM 67:29).
My beloved, stay in prayer and praise today; perhaps the heavens may open for us. Cleanse your hearts, make room for Jesus, and contemplate him with Mary in the manger. _Nolite inebriari vino sed impleamini Spiritu Sancto (And be not drunk with wine... but be ye filled with the holy Spirit EPHESIANS 5:18).
Begin a new life today. Say with the Prophet: Et dixi: nunc coepi etc. (I said: Now have I begun PSALM 76:11) and pray for me, a sinner, that God may deign to have mercy on me and make me his faithful servant. In turn, I will do the same for you, so that, being participants in the grace and love of this day, we may one day attain the perfect glory of the blessed, where we shall behold Jesus face to face, qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto est Deus benedictus et gloriosus per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen. (Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is God, blessed and glorious for infinite ages of ages. Amen.)