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Meditatio Amoris [60]


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Meditatio Amoris.translation
XVIII.
L. Iustin. August.
AGnosce, o anima, Amorem sponsi tui; obstu-
pesce dignationem Saluatoris tui. se inclina-
uit ad te, vt te eleuaret ad se: humiliauit se propter
te, vt te exaltaret in se: depressit se, vt in perpe-
tuum beatificaret te. Cum esset impassibilis Deus,
homo factus, infirmatus est propter te. potius
miserationem mirare quam pœnam: magis cha-
ritatem, quam formidinem lauda. non eris ingra-
ta, si beneuolentiam Redemptoris agnoscas, mæ-
stitiam itaque illius confitere, pauorem dilige, tæ-
dium venerare. de tuo hoc habuit non de suo, pro
peccato tuo doluit; fleuit quod non commisit; ex-
horruit quod non fecit. non enim fecit mortem
nec morientium perditione lætatur. ex his, mæro-
ris eius intellige causam, & gratias age, te agno-
sce in illo, pro illo lachrymare qui doluit propter
te. Ama amorem illius, qui amore tui, vulnera,
plagas, crucem, mortem ignominiosissimam a-
mauit, & suscepit. translation

[122a] ↓

Attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus.1 translation

Pleure belle ame au souuenir
De l'Amour que tu fis mourir.

123 ↓
Meditation de l'Amour.
XVIII.
Cet Amour immortel mourant pour toy bel ame,
Crois tu qu' il ait estaint, son ardeur, ny sa flame,
Ou qu' il ne viue plus dedans ce froid tombeau?
Quand biē cela seroit, pleure bel ame, pleure,
Car si tes pechéz font que ce feu d'Amour meure,
Tes larmes le fairont reuiure dans leur eau.

A qui jaze a quien amor
Por no poderlo la muerte
Degollo como mas fuerte.

Nu schreyt mijn siel/ beweent die doot
Van hem/ die stierf uyt liefdens noot.

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122

[122a]

123

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Translations

Meditation of love.
Acknowledge, dear soul, the love of your bridegroom; stand amazed that your Redeemer found you worthy of His attention. He leaned towards you, to raise you up to Himself. He humiliated Himself for your sake, so as to exalt you in Himself. He brought Himself down, so as to make you happy forever. While God could not suffer,2 He became human, he grew weak for your sake. Admire His compassion rather than His punishment, praise His affection more than His fear; you will not be ungraceful,3 if you acknowledge the benevolence of your Redeemer; speak openly therefore of His sorrow, love His fear, venerate His dejection. He went through this not for His own sake, but for your's; He felt sorrow not regarding His own sin, but your's; He wept about crimes He did not commit, He felt horror about what He did not do. For He did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the downfall of those who are dying. Understand from this the cause of His sorrow, and be grateful, recognise yourself in Him, shed tears for Him, who was sad because of you; Love His love, who out of love for you loved wounds, beatings, the cross, a most abject death, and took all these on His shoulders.
Watch out and see if there is any pain like mine.4

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Literature


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    Sources and parallels


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      Iconclass

      The soul shows the dead Christ, lying in front of a cave on a sarcophagus

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      Comments

      commentary

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      Notes

      1
      Lament. 1:12.
      2
      'impassive': the sheer transcendence of God is the reason that he cannot be affected by anything.
      3
      '[non eris] ingrata' refers to 'anima', hence the feminine form.
      4
      'Attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus', Lament. 1:12. 'behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow' (KJV). 'look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering' (New American Bible).