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Raptus Amoris [82]


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[166] ↓
Raptus Amoris.translation
XL.
Alu. paz. Bonauent. Ezech.8.
RAptus est mentis excessus, quo anima per vio-
lentiam quandam à sensibilibus auellitur &
ad diuinorum inspectionem & amorem eleuatur.
Est res hæc in initio plena timoris atque for-
midinis; quoniam anima in se existens nescit
quomodo, quasi à corpore seiungitur, & à suis
sensibus abscinditur, & in quandam regionem
peregrinam, sibique; penitus incognitam, non tam
ducitur, quam trahitur. in hoc autem posita est es-
sentia raptus, quod anima, contra modum suæ
naturæ ita celeriter & potenter ad superiora fera-
tur. habet quidem illa propensionem gratia con-
fortatam, vt Deum cognoscat, & diligat; sed ille
modus pergēdi in Deum sine adiutorio sensuum,
& cum tantâ spiritus vehementia, est illi prorsus
nouus, & à pusillitate naturalis conditionis alie-
nus. talis fuit raptus S. Francisci, qui visus est no-
cte, manibus ad modum crucis protensis, toto
corpore subleuatus à terrâ, & nubecul à quâdam
fulgente circumdatus, vt illustrationis mirabilis
intra mentem mira circa corpus perlustratio te-
stis esset. Emissa similitudo manus apprehendit eum in
concinno capitis sui; & eleuauit eum spiritus in-
ter terram & cœlum, & adduxit eum in Hierusa-
lem in visione Dei.translation

[166a] ↓

Leuauit se supra se. Ierem.1 translation

Lors cher Amour que tu m'appelles,
Espoir et Foy me seruent d'aisles.

[167] ↓
Rauissement de l'Amour.
XL.
Aynsi d'vn trait secret & d'vn pouuoir extreme,
Me vat ce cher amour rauissant à moy mesme
Et sortant mon esprit de la sphere des sens.
Rompons nostre prison, deliurons nous mon ame,
Laissons ce corps grossier, ne souffrons pas le blame,
De n'estre (l'ayant peu) sortiz de ces liens.

Dexad alma aca la carne,
Que la essentia del amor
Sin ella se ve mejor.

Hop' en Gheloof mijn vleughlen zijn/
Als Liefde raeckt het herte mijn.

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[166]

[166a]

[167]

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Translations

Rapture of love.
Rapture is the stepping out of the mind, by which through a kind of violence it is torn away from the world of senses and is lifted up towards introspection and love of matters divine. This is an event that is at first ridden with of fear and fright; because the soul, existing in itself in a way it does not know how, is as it were separated from the body and is torn from its senses and is not so much led as drawn to some region that is foreign and completely unknown to itself; herein, however, lies the essence of rapture, that the soul against the measure of its nature is borne so quickly and powerfully to the higher plane - it has that tendency bestowed on it by grace - that it comes to know God and love Him; but this way of going forth into God2 without the assistance of the senses and with such vehemence is utterly new to it, and does not belong to the feebleness of its natural condition. Such was St. Franciscus' rapture, who was seen at night, with his arms outstretched as if crucified, with his body completely lifted off the ground, and surrounded in some sort of flashing cloud, so that his physical appearance for all to see bore witness of the amazing enlightening within his mind. The semblance of a hand reached out to him and grabbed him by the nape of the neck, and the spirit lifted him up to the region between earth and heaven, and led him into Jerusalem in the vision of God.
He lifted himself above himself.

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Literature


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    Sources and parallels


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    References, across this site, to this page:


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    Iconclass

    The soul, holding a cross and an anchor, is flying towards sacred love which is represented as a light shining down from heaven

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    Comments

    commentary

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    Notes

    1
    Jer. 4:7.
    2
    'into God': translation required by grammar, but also the mystical experience is one of becoming one with, even identical to God.