Two Books of Saint Ambrose of Milan, Bishop, On Jacob and the Blessed Life.

Latin Text from public domain Migne Editors, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.

Translated into English using ChatGPT.

Table of Contents Book One Chapter I. Chapter II. Chapter III. Chapter IV. Chapter V. Chapter VI. Chapter VII. Chapter VIII. Book Two Chapter I. Chapter II. Chapter III. Chapter IV. Chapter V. Chapter VI. Chapter VII. Chapter VIII. Chapter IX. Chapter X. Chapter XI. Chapter XII.

Book One

Chapter I.

To the discipline of virtues and the necessary restraint of passions, it is necessary to have prudent speech and a mind focused on reason; and although reason cannot completely eliminate desire, it can still moderate even the strongest impulses.

1. Necessary for good discipline is a speech filled with wisdom and prudence; and the mind, focused on reason, precedes virtues and restrains passions. For virtue is teachable. Indeed, it is acquired through study and learning, and it is lost through dissimulation. Otherwise, if a necessary good speech were not for correction, the Law would never say: 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' (Exod. XX, 14). But because naked speech is useful for warning, it is weak for persuading, therefore the consideration of right reason must be applied; so that what a good speech prescribes, reasoned discussion may fully persuade. For we are not bound to obedience by a slavish necessity, but by voluntary choice, whether we lean towards virtue or incline towards fault. And therefore either a free inclination leads us into error, or the will calls us back, following reason. However, the most serious passion of fault is concupiscence, which reason softens and suppresses. It can soften, but it cannot eradicate; because the mind, which is capable of reason, is not the master of its own passions, but their suppressor. For it is impossible for one who is easily provoked not to become angry; but it is possible for one to restrain oneself with reason, to control one's anger, and to refrain from seeking revenge; just as the Prophet teaches us, saying: Be angry, and do not sin (Psalm 4:5). He allows what is natural; he condemns what is sinful.

Therefore, all temperance derives its origin from others, not from itself, and therefore it is secondary. For it is either acquired from natural things or from useful things. Therefore, it either regulates natural things or advocates for usefulness. Ultimately, it does not suppress desire; instead, it prevents us from being slaves to desire. For who is so great that they can remove bodily movement, unless it is only he who was able to say about the unfruitful fig tree, that is, the wickedness of the Jews: Behold, three years have passed since I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I do not find any; cut it down then. To which the servant replied: 'Leave it for this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' (Luke 13:7-9). He rightly referred the matter to the Lord, for he could not claim for himself the power to remove the temporary decline, but he reserved it for the Lord.

Finally, whom among men shall we consider better and stronger than the holy David, who could not take for himself the water he desired from the Bethlehem lake, which was cut off by the enemy army, but could he mitigate it? For we cannot find that it was lacking for others. That is, with so great a number of soldiers, when he certainly could have had much less water shortage than the king from other sources; having endured a certain irrational desire, he desired that water which was surrounded by the enemy's fortification, from which it could not easily be brought without great danger. Therefore he said, 'Who will give me a drink from the well that is in Bethlehem at the gate?' And when the three men were found who had cut through the enemy's camp and brought the water that he had desired so eagerly, knowing that the same water had been obtained at the risk of others' lives, he poured it out to the Lord, so that it would not seem that he was drinking the blood of those who had brought it. This incident shows that desire indeed comes before reason, but reason resists desire. Therefore, David underwent suffering so that he might desire irrationally. But that is praiseworthy, which he wisely thwarted with a rational remedy. While I praise men who blushed at the desire for their king and preferred to bring an end to their own modesty or the danger to their own safety, I praise him even more who blushed at his own desire and purchased the blood of a dubious fate with a worthy price, as if he poured out water to the Lord with his victorious desire restrained, so as to show that he could restrain his desire with the comforting word.


Therefore, the sober mind can restrain and suppress impressions of even the most severe emotions, and cool down the fervor of intense desires, redirecting its motions and spurning passions through the guidance of right reason. For when God created man and implanted in him customs and senses, He then imposed on his motions the kingly rule of the mind, so that all the senses and motions of man would be governed by its strength and power. He added as a favor to his creation, that he would inform their mind with divine teachings and instruct them in wisdom, by which they could recognize what should be avoided and choose what should be embraced. Therefore, the mind, holding true to the discipline of wisdom, is instructed in the Law through which it learns which passions it should subject itself to.

Chapter II.

Saints show that temperance moderates the passions of the soul and the body, as demonstrated by the examples of the patriarchs, and then, having been commended for its dignity by reason, the same temperance is fortified by divine precept.

But the passions, like leaders, are natural pleasure and pain, which the others follow. For these encompass all, of which both are passions not only of the body, but also according to the soul. And because we have said that other passions are subordinate to these, before pleasure is desire, after pleasure is rejoicing: before pain, however, is fear, after pain is sadness. But agitation of the soul is a common passion, both of pleasure and of pain. I will pass over other things, that is, pride, greed, ambition, strife, envy, which are passions of the soul: I will also pass over the insatiable desire to devour, and the indulgence in luxury and sensuality, which vices are closely tied to the body and operate according to it. And rightly does temperance, which first moderates the mind with sobriety and self-control, inform the soul; then also the abstinence from pleasures restrains the reins of bodily passion. Therefore, the Law restricts the permission of foods (Leviticus 11:4ff), the abundance of feasts, not only to cut off luxury, but also to open the way of handling reasoning by contemplating the commandment that cuts off the enticements of gluttony and other desires, and restrains bodily passions and impulses. Therefore, temperance is a prior correction, the teacher of discipline.

6. Having set out from here, the holy Jacob received the birthright that his brother did not have (Gen. XXV, 33); and having been preferred with his brother's consent, he taught by his own judgment that the intemperate should be considered worthless for the rest. Having set out from here, Joseph tamed the heat of youth, and having been tempted by adulterous allurements, he strengthened his mind through the induction of right reason. Finally, although he was strong and vigorous, he preferred to support himself through the use of reason, saying to the wife of his master: If my master does not know anything in his house except me, and he has given into my hands all that he has, nothing except you, who are his wife, has been taken away from me; and how can I do this evil deed and sin before God (Gen. XXIX, 8 and 9)? This is therefore the treatment of right reason which the Greeks call 'logismus,' by which the mind intent on wisdom is strengthened. For reason is beautiful, because it should neither be ungrateful for the kindness of its master, nor can sin be hidden. For it commits sin, as God bears witness, against Him who cannot be hidden.

Therefore, reason is good, which often removes hostile emotions and separates the pain of injury. Finally, it often softens the victor in battle, delays the sword aimed at the enemy, and saves the one who begs for death; because just reason persuades sparing the defeated. For who is a better teacher about excluding or mitigating the pain of injury than the patriarch Jacob, who, reproaching his own sons Simeon and Levi, says: 'You have made me odious, so that I seem cruel' (Genesis 34:30). And indeed, they had taken revenge for the wrong done to their sister, who had been violated in a shameful manner against the laws of their country; and Jacob, the teacher of discipline and guardian of modesty, could not approve of the committed crime: but he preferred to restrain them with reason, knowing that reason could temper their indignation.

8. Temperance, therefore, is what cuts off desires. God commanded that this be held by the first humans, saying: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, you shall not eat; and you shall not touch it, lest you die (Gen., II, 17). And because it was not retained, therefore the transgressors of excellent virtue became exiles from paradise, and devoid of immortality. This Law teaches it, and infuses it into the affections of all (Exod. XX, 4, and elsewhere).

Chapter III.

To be taught moderation, wisdom, and discipline by the Lord; that following this is an exhortation to study; also, that our faults should be attributed solely to our own will, by which we either serve sin or righteousness; and finally, which servitude should be preferred over the other.

However, the Lord Himself teaches her, and Scripture testifies to wisdom and discipline. Concerning temperance, it is mentioned in the Law (Exodus XX, 4, and elsewhere): and regarding other matters, it is written in the book of Job: Is not the Lord the one who teaches understanding and discipline (Job XXXIII, 16)? And in the Gospel, the Lord Himself says: Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart (Matthew XI, 29). And elsewhere, He says to His disciples: Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew XXVIII, 19). But where were the disciples called? Or what else did they learn from Christ except to practice the precepts of virtue? Lastly, David says: Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10). Surely the fear of God is among the virtues; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, through which one acquires the proper form of doctrine, of which Paul says: But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). Therefore, teaching enables us to attain righteousness. Therefore, righteousness can be acquired through learning. Let us therefore strive to conform to the teachings of the Gospel. The smallest amount of study is often considered the greatest. For in study, everything is present, through which obedience is employed, which either leads to sin or adds to grace. This drew us to death in the first Adam, and called us to life in the second Adam.


10. There is no reason why we should attribute our troubles to anyone else but our own will. No one is subject to blame unless they have deviated from their own will. Those who resist do not commit a crime: only voluntary acts follow the envy of crimes, since we attribute them to others. Christ has chosen a voluntary soldier for himself, while the devil auctions a voluntary servant for himself. No one possesses anyone bound by the yoke of servitude, unless they have first sold themselves to the debt of sins. Why do we accuse flesh as if it were weak? Our limbs are weapons of injustice, and weapons of justice. You have seen a poor man receiving injustice, you have protected him; your limbs are weapons of compassion, by which you have avenged the poor man from injustice. You have seen a needy man, you have bestowed gifts upon him, your right hand has pushed death away from your chest. You have seen him who is led to death, you have rescued him, for it is written: Rescue those who are being led to death (Prov. 24:11): your limbs are weapons of justice, if you have not allowed a man to perish unjustly. You saw a woman, chastised your body, mortified desires, turned away from the seductive eyes of a prostitute, deserted her, your limbs are the weapons of chastity. On the other hand, if your eye saw a woman to desire her, you opened a wound, impressed a weapon on your body, your limbs are the weapons of sin. You saw the possessions of orphans, and you expelled them from their paternal seats, you moved the boundaries that your fathers had set, your limbs are the weapons of injustice. Therefore, the mind is the author of sin, but the body is the servant of the will. Therefore, let not our will sell us.

The Apostle proclaims: Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as servants for obedience, you are servants of the one whom you obey, whether of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness (Rom. 6:16)? Therefore, if we serve either sin or righteousness, let us consider in which part servitude is more tolerable, and which part brings forth more fruit. But what fruit can there be in death? For the wages of sin is death; and therefore, there is no fruit in it, but rather a loss of dignity; for the things we have done, we are ashamed of. But to serve justice is freedom. For he who is called a servant in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise, he who is called free is a servant of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22). Both conditions are excellent, to be under Christ, under whom there is precious servitude and glorious freedom. Precious servitude, as if compared to the price of so great blood: but glorious freedom, which no servitude of guilt, no bonds of sins, no burdens of crimes, no dealings of degenerate vices, add to the yoke of slavery.


12. Learn humility, O man, and recognize the power of apostolic authority. If you call yourself a slave, you are free; if you boast of being free, you are a slave. For even he who is redeemed as a slave has freedom, and he who is called as a free man should recognize it as a good thing to be a servant of Christ, under whom slavery is safe and freedom is secure. Who, as it were, asserts that Paul is a fool in this matter? For he knew how to distinguish between a freedman and a free man, and therefore he did not merely skim over it, but he stated specifically: For he who is called as a slave in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord; likewise, he who is called as a free man is a servant of Christ. Indeed, we are all Christ's freedmen, no one is free. For all are born in servitude. Why do you assume the arrogance of freedom in a slave-like condition? Why do you claim noble titles, a servile inheritance? Do you not know that the fault of Adam and Eve has enslaved you? Do you not know that Christ has redeemed you, not bought you? You have not been redeemed with gold or silver from your empty way of life inherited from your fathers, but with the precious blood of the Lamb (I Pet. I, 18 and 19). The Apostle Peter exclaims. Therefore, you are redeemed by the Lord. You are a servant who was created, you are a servant who was redeemed, and you owe servitude to the Lord and to the Redeemer. Do not consider the freedom under Christ as inferior to freedom. It is equal in dignity, superior in protection, equal in favor, more cautious against falling, more safeguarded against pride. In this way, you have received freedom so that you should remember your emancipator and know that proper obedience must be given to your patron, lest your freedom be revoked by an ungrateful person. What could be happier for you, who reign under the Lord and serve under a patron?

Chapter IV.

When God gave man the Law and added grace, two questions arise: How is the Law good if it brings about death? And how is it that death, which the Law brings about, does not affect us?

13. But what is it that the Lord has not bestowed upon you? He gave the law, he revealed sin, he added grace. For the law denounced sin, but it could not completely restrain it on a slippery slope. For I knew sin that I did not know. I knew that concupiscence is sin, and with this occasion of knowledge, the air of sin was accumulated; for the sin that seemed dead to me before because of my ignorance, revived in me: but I am dead with the wound of sin; for the knowledge of guilt which seemed advantageous to me, this harmed me, so that I would know that I could not avoid it. For sin betrayed, and through the good of its own denunciation, it embittered envy. Therefore, sin has become excessive for me; because it is compounded by the denunciation of the command. Indeed, guilt increases when it is exposed and not avoided. So how can a good command, which is death to me? Or how can it not be death to me, that by demonstrating the good of its own meaning, it has worked death in me? For it is certain that death has come to me, while I recognize the sin that I commit, as the Lord himself says: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin (John 15:22).


14. So why are you amazed, then, if the Law is death to certain people, since the coming of the Savior Lord is also death, through whom we have been redeemed? For the unbeliever seeks death from grace, but the grace of the commandment remains. Indeed, just as the knowledge of poisonous drinks is completed in the discipline of medicine, so the divine commandment leads to eternal life. However, just as for someone who misuses harmful potions, the knowledge of them turns into harm and danger, and the more he knows the poisons, the more he realizes he is in danger, so the form of the commandment is the author of death for those who interpret the Law wrongly and cannot avoid the sins that have been made known and prohibited. Just as a remedy, even if not good for an imprudent or intemperate person, is still good, so too a good command, even if not good for an intemperate person. Therefore, a good command can be deadly for someone. Therefore, let us respond to the first proposition: because there can be a good command that brings death to me; good by nature as a saving precept; death by intemperance of the flesh.

15. And because we have said that the commandment is good, which to me is death, let us now discuss how it is not death to me, which though it is good, has nevertheless caused death to me. For the Apostle said: Therefore what is good, to me is death. God forbid. But sin, in order that it may appear sin, has caused death to me through what is good (Rom. VII, 13). So let us consider each point. Surely the commandment is of the Law: But the Law is spiritual, the grace of which I see, the beauty I praise, the form I proclaim, the precept I admire: but because I am sold under sin, being carnal, I am drawn unwillingly to fault. For indeed, as if I were a slave, guilt dominates. Therefore, I hate the crime, and I commit it. The mind hates, the flesh desires; yet I, in both, who agree with the Law in my mind and do not want in the flesh, do this. Therefore, I consent to the good commandment; and the good mind, which chooses what is good, agrees. It is good for judgment, but weak for resistance; because it contradicts the appetite of the body, and drags it captive to the enticements of error.

16. In which danger there is one remedy, that which the Law was not able to free, may be freed by the grace of God. For it is thus written: Wretched man that I am, who will free me from this body of death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord (ibid. 4 and 25). And so, it happens that although the sin which lay hidden, that is, my concupiscence which I did not think was a sin, has brought about death to me, while it is exposed and has become the sin itself beyond measure (for it was sin even though it was not known, but it was accumulated by knowledge, and took on the form of a commandment as an increase in error, and passed into the nature of an offense), nevertheless, it is not death to me, to whom it is ready to flee to Christ, through whom we are freed from every danger of death. Therefore, the second proposition is also absolute, because the command of the Lawgiver is not given to me, even though it brings about death. For what disturbs us is our own weakness, but what we escape is through Christ.

Chapter V.

By what reason does the law not suffice, but grace through the gift of Christ's death is necessary; with whom we also must die, rise, and live?

So, to return to the beginning of this speech, a good mind is one that engages in rational thought and pursues wisdom; however, it struggles greatly with the flesh of death, and often the allure of the flesh overpowers the reason of the mind. And so, the Lord first gave the Law, to which the mind of man submitted and began to serve, in order to be subjugated: but the flesh was not subject; for the wisdom of the flesh is not subjected to the Law and opposes its precepts. For it was not able to follow virtue, being given over to desires and entangled in carnal allurements. Therefore, we must strive to hold on to the grace of God. The mind, therefore, is good if it attends to reason; but it is incomplete unless it has the guidance of Christ. For the Lord Jesus came, who nailed our passions to the cross of his suffering, forgave sins; in his death we have been justified, so that the whole world may be cleansed by his blood. Finally, we have been baptized in his death.


18. Therefore, if in his death our sins are forgiven, then also, the passions of sin in us should die in his death and be held captive by the nails of his cross. If we are dead in his death, why are we again called back to the things of the world as if we are alive? What do we have to do with the elements of this world? What do we have to do with desires? What do we have to do with indulgence and debauchery, to which we have died with Christ? But if we are dead in Christ, we have also risen with Christ; therefore, let us live with Christ; let us seek the things that are above, not the things that are corruptible and earthly. Christ rising from the dead left the old man affixed to the cross, he resurrected the new man. Christ died therefore, so that we might die to sin, and rise to God. Our flesh is dead, why does it revive again to sin? Why does it obey sin again? Why does sin reign again in the dead, when the end of sin is death? We are dead in the flesh, we are renewed in the spirit. Let us walk in the spirit, for we have received the spirit of Christ. But if the Spirit of Christ is in us, then the flesh is dead to us because of sin: but the spirit is alive because of justification.

19. Thus what was impossible to the Law has been fulfilled, if we walk in the spirit, if we bury the passions, if we do not dissolve the cross of this body, if we do not rewrite the certificate of sin that was erased on the cross of Christ, if we do not put on the old garment of the old man that we have taken off. For it is written in the Song of Songs: I have taken off my tunic, how will I put it on? I have washed my feet, how will I defile them? (Song of Songs 5:3) Therefore, if our bodily members have been mortified, why do its vices sprout? Therefore, the Law did not prevail because it did not mortify the flesh; it passed away like a shadow because it did not give color; it also overshadowed us from the sun of righteousness because it accumulated sins. Therefore, it also hindered.

Chapter VI.

The fruits of a promulgated law are the confession of sin, humility, and indeed grace itself, and a pledge of charity: to which is added an exhortation to gratitude, along with a enumeration of the benefits granted to man.

So what was the need for the Law to be promulgated if it was not going to benefit? We already had the law of nature; for each person had the law written in their heart. We did not keep that law: why was another added, in whose works the flesh cannot be justified? A bond was added, not a solution; the recognition of sins was added, not the remission. We all sinned, who could claim an excuse through ignorance: the mouth was stopped for everyone.


However, it was beneficial for me; I began to confess what I was denying: I started to recognize my sin and not cover up my injustice. I began to proclaim my injustice to the Lord, and you forgave the wickedness of my heart. But also this benefits me, that we are not justified by works of the Law. Therefore, I have no basis for boasting in my works, I have no reason to boast; and so I will boast in Christ. I will not boast because I am righteous, but I will boast because I am redeemed. I will boast, not because I am free from sins, but because my sins have been forgiven. I will not boast because I have profited, nor because anyone has profited me, but because Christ is my advocate before the Father; because Christ's blood has been shed for me. My guilt has become the reward of my redemption, through which Christ has come to me. Christ tasted death for me. Guilt is more fruitful than innocence. Innocence made me arrogant, guilt made me humble.


So you have the means by which the Law has been beneficial to you. But you say that sin has abounded through the Law. But where sin abounded, grace also abounded. You died to sin, therefore the Law no longer hinders. You rise through grace, therefore the Law has been beneficial, for it has acquired grace. You have also received the pledge of Christ's love, for he who died for you is your advocate and preserves the reward of his own blood, and he who reconciled the sinner to the Father much more commends the innocent and protects the subject who has united with the guilty.


So, will you not repay the kindness with obedience? He made you an heir, he made you a co-heir; an heir of God, a co-heir of Christ: he poured the spirit of adoption into you. Count these things, and join them not so much to the bond of debt, as to the preservation of the gift received. You are a co-heir of Christ, if you suffer with him, if you die with him, if you are buried with him. Take on his sufferings, so that you may truly deserve to be above sufferings with the same. See how he has forgiven your past sins, so that nothing you do will harm you, since you have sinned. See how he encourages you not to lose what you have received. The goal of this short labor is a crown of eternal fruit: tolerable suffering, immeasurable reward. What troubles you? The rejection of lowly status? But in the future, you will have a glorious nobility of devotion and faith. Is your income meager, your sustenance meager? But you will have riches of eternal recompense, of which you will never be in need. Does not the loss of children affect you? You will receive perpetual ones, whom you have taken on temporarily, and it will be said of you: Blessed is he who has offspring in Zion and domestics in Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:9). The sufferings of this present time are unworthy, it says, of the future glory (Romans 8:18). Scripture tells you.

24. Add to this, that the blessed life is not diminished by these adversities of worldly troubles or bodily sufferings, but rather is proven. Add that it either does not feel the loss of possessions or hides the expenses of obligations with a strong mind, absorbing the pain. Add that one who is always in the harbor of tranquility does not experience shipwrecks. What about the fact that labor is common to you with every creature; because the world itself endures the bondage of corruption for your sake; because there is a shared fellowship with the saints in this toil and expectation? The Sun recognizes its setting, the Moon its waning, the stars their course, while the redemption of our whole body is awaited.

But you fear the uncertain twists of life and the snares of your adversaries, even though you have the help of God, and you have such great favor from Him that He did not spare His own Son for you (Rom. VIII, 32). Scripture uses beautiful words to declare the loving purpose of God the Father towards you, who offered up His Son to death. And the Son could not bear the bitter agony of death. What was in the Father, He did not keep for Himself: He offered up everything for you. What was in the fullness of divinity, He did not lose Himself, and He redeemed you. Consider the love of a father. He, out of his love and as if dying, took on the danger, and as if orphaned, bore the grief; lest the fruit of redemption would perish for you. Such was the zeal of the Lord for your salvation, that he nearly endangered himself in order to gain you. He took on our losses for your sake; in order to insert you into divine things and consecrate you to heavenly things. He even added marvelously: For all of us he handed over his beloved Son; in order to show that he loves everyone so much, that for each, he would give up his Beloved Son. For whom, therefore, he has given what is above all things, can it be possible that he has not given everything in him? For he has received nothing, who has granted the author of all things.

26. Therefore, there is nothing that we should truly fear being denied; there is nothing in which we should doubt the perseverance of divine generosity, which has been so long-lasting and unceasing; that it first predestined, then called; and those whom it called, it also justified; and those whom it justified, it also glorified. Will it be able to abandon those whom it has supported with such great benefits up to rewards? Among so many benefits of God, should we fear any accusations or traps from an accuser? But who would dare to accuse those chosen by divine judgment? Surely God the Father, who granted them, can revoke his gifts; and those whom he has adopted, can he cast them aside from the grace of paternal affection? But there is fear that the judge may be more severe. Consider who the judge is. Indeed, the Father has given all judgment to Christ. Therefore, can that very one condemn you, whom he redeemed from death, for whom he offered himself, and whose life he knows to be the reward of his own death? Will he not say: What is the benefit in my blood (Psalm 29:10) if I harm the one whom I myself saved? Then you consider the judge, but do not consider the advocate. Can he not pronounce a harsher sentence, who does not cease to intercede so that the grace of paternal reconciliation may be bestowed upon us?

Chapter VII.

We ought to have this charity in ourselves, so that we may not be separated from Christ by any adversity, since blessed life is not diminished with them: for blessed life is found in those in whom life is perfect; and in what it consists. Finally, a perfect man is placed above all falls and hardships.


27. But even if heavy trials threatened us, we should by no means be separated from Christ. Why do we not also endure hard and bitter things for Him, who undertook such unworthy things for us? And so charity ought to be in us, that we may not be called back from Christ by any dangers. For it is written: 'Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it' (Song of Songs 8:7); because love passes over the torrent. No storm, no deep peril, no fear of death or punishment can diminish the power of charity. In these things we are tested, in these things a happy life is found, even if it is overwhelmed by many dangers.

28. For a wise person is not broken by bodily pains, nor is he disturbed by discomforts; but he remains happy even in hardships. For the adversities of bodily life do not diminish the gift of a happy life, nor do they detract from its sweetness; because happiness in life does not consist in bodily pleasure, but in a pure conscience free from any stain of sin, and in the mind of one who knows that what is good, even if it is harsh, delights him; but what is indecent, even if it is pleasant, does not soothe him. Therefore, the cause of living well is not bodily pleasure, but the prudence of the mind: not the flesh which is subject to passion, but the mind which judges that nothing pleases better than the honesty of advice and the beauty of works. Therefore, it is the interpreter of a blessed life. For prudence or reason is better than the judgement of passion, and what judges is more excellent than what is subject to judgement. For it is not possible for what is unreasonable to be better by reason. Therefore, he who follows Jesus has his own reward in himself, and in his affection, reward and grace; even if he endures hardships, he is blessed in his character, blessed in the very dangers, as the Lord declared, saying: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matt. 5:10).

29. Therefore, the blessed life is in humans, but specifically in those in whom life has been perfected. However, this perfected life is not sensory, but rather rational according to the activity of reason and the vivacity of the mind. In this, there is not a mere portion of man, but rather a perfection that is not so much in the condition of man as in the operation. For it is this that makes one blessed. Therefore, what is good for this man, if not himself, what he has, and this good is present to him and will be the cause of future goods? Regarding this good, Solomon said: Drink water from your vessels, and from the fountains of your wells. Let the water overflow from your own fountain; let it run through your streets. Let them be for you alone, and let no outsider be a partner with you. Let your own fountain of water be for your exclusive use (Prov. V, 17 and 18). Therefore, make use of your internal good.

Moreover, the greatest testimony of this good is that one who possesses it requires nothing else. For what does one who despises lower things require? Let it cling to the most excellent, as it is written: 'Be a friend of nobility, and may a thankful child converse with you.' (Dionysius Cato, Distichs 19) Let friendship go before you, and may it be with you at all times. For friendship is the good of virtues, and love of the highest good. Therefore, that perfect person seeks nothing else but the alone and excellent good. And he says: One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and contemplate the delight of the Lord (Psalm 27:4). And indeed, do not despise him as narrow and needy, because he is content with the companionship of one good thing. For, being surrounded by the friendship of this person, there will be abundant joy. Indeed, this person abounds towards happiness and the possession of good things; and therefore desires nothing else. For he who has everything expects nothing as if it were new. For nothing is good that he does not possess: he does not delight in excess, but in necessary things, and that which is necessary to him is not for himself, but for the flesh that cleaves to him: and he indulges in what does not deviate from the purpose of the inner man, and he makes both one, and he reconciles the inner man with God in accordance with the outer man, so that in both there is one spirit.


31. Therefore, this man of purpose is neither diminished by his expenses, nor broken by adversity, nor hindered by obstacles, nor saddened by the loss of his loved ones. For the Apostle says to inform you: But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope (I Thess. IV, 12). For he comforts himself with the faith in the resurrection and the grace of future reward, and does not receive with a saddened mind that which he clings to God and takes joy in the divine excellence. But whoever is saddened by these things is not saddened according to God. And what is not according to God, this is full of foolishness. Therefore, the sadness of this world is far from perfection, which is not according to God, and all bodily anxieties. For this kind of mental and substantial induction is not counted as a bodily habit, and some exterior use of nature, while at the same time opposing the pleasures of the body, the very fragility of nature, the hardships, the expenses, the insults, an invincible mind should maintain unwavering constancy; so that it may tear apart the body itself, and strip off the senses of the flesh, which desires to hold the palm of blessedness, whose fruit is not in the portion of one, but in the participation of many, and if possible, in the participation of all virtues.


Therefore, a perfect person is unaware of the troubles of this body or the adversities of the world, and does not feel afraid that others may kill them. For a more perfect life is not defined by lacking these things, but by despising them. For if it were defined in such a way that a happy life could be found without these events, free and empty, surely no one could be defined as happy when faced with these events. Therefore, these things are separate, and the only requirement in evaluating a happy life is that its definition should be based not on external things, but on the possession of true good; since one who possesses it despises other things and does not seek them.

Chapter VIII.

The wise person is delighted in such a way by the health of the body or by children, that if they were to lose them, they would still consider themselves happy; since they desire nothing besides the highest good. Therefore, they do not fear their own or their loved ones' captivity, bodily ailments, and other adversities, because neither is anything taken away from their happiness nor added to their favorable circumstances.

33. I now inquire whether a wise person delights in bodily health. We cannot deny that they delight according to nature, and they prefer not to feel any pain rather than to feel pain; unless perhaps for the sake of Christ, for whom, if the situation demands it, they readily accept bodily weakness and offer their whole body to death. However, even apart from the cause of faith and justice, if health is lacking, their mind is not affected, nor is their body broken by pain, which can be solaced by the perfection of virtues.


34. I also ask whether he takes pleasure in his children? Who would deny that? For it is not a hard and unfeeling person that is sought, but a perfected one. Yet even if he were to lose his children, he would not be any less happy, nor any less perfected. For what is perfected is happy. Moreover, if he endures adversity rather than enjoying success, he is often considered more perfected in this regard: although neither the absence nor the presence of external comforts or bodily pleasures tends to diminish or add anything to virtue. But for most, it was more praiseworthy to endure adversity bravely than to have not encountered it. However, these things are valued by appearance, not by weight.

35. That profound thing, a just man desiring nothing, except that one and splendid good, directing himself towards this alone, considering this one thing as the ultimate good: not desiring any other thing with it, but always desiring solely itself, finding delight in this; if something else, such as the sweetness of children, is added to it and delights him, that is not lost, but is joined to it. For the things that accompany happiness do not diminish it, since they cannot increase it; because that full and inviolable thing remains, into which the soul has entered and inserted itself, etc. Virtue always remains steadfast amidst adversity and pleasant things; neither adversity diminishes its perfection, nor do pleasant things add to its perfection. For what does someone who reaches the summit feel about the loss of trivial things or gains?

And indeed, what is considered most serious by most people, he will not think himself miserable if he himself or his son were to fall into captivity. For he will bear with tolerable patience what nature has given him or what seems to be the will of God. In fact, the righteous man said: 'The word which the Lord has spoken is good' (2 Kings 20:19). And he said: 'Let peace and faith be in my days' (Ibid). Indeed, this righteous Ezechias did not rejoice in the affliction of captivity for his children, but he could not oppose the will of the Lord, and therefore he accepted his commandments with equanimity as a servant.' It should be added that which could be considered as deserving of distinction in captivity by virtue. For the blessed Jeremiah in captivity was no less blessed, nor was Daniel, nor Ezra, nor the blessed Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, than if they had not fallen into captivity; for they were led into captivity in order to bring comfort to the people in their present circumstances, and to bring hope of escaping captivity. For it is the perfection of a virtuous man to sustain the fellowship of human nature with the courage of the mind, and to lead others to better things. They do not succumb to those things which seem terrible and fearful to most people, but rather, like a brave soldier, they endure the attacks of the gravest misfortunes and undergo conflicts, and like a wise helmsman, they steer the ship in the storm, avoiding shipwreck by plowing through the waves rather than by avoiding them. He is not fearful in persecution, nor softer in tortures, lest he provoke the one tormenting him: but rather like a strong athlete, who repels the one striking him, if not with slaughter, certainly with the whip of speech; who despises the tortures feared by many, saying: Their arrows have become the wounds of infants (Ps. 63:8); who, even when wrestling with the gravest of pains, does not present himself as pitiable; but rather shows himself like a light in a lantern, shining even amidst harsh storms and the most violent winds, and the strength of his soul cannot be extinguished. He is not soft in the face of injuries to his own, nor anxious about the tomb of his body, to which he knows heaven is owed; he is not more degraded in the captivity of the civic commoners; but like a strict judge, condemning the faithlessness and errors of the infidels, like Daniel who exposed the thefts of the priests and refuted their superstitions, showing that they were not based on any truth, but were overshadowed by deceit. Such a man is truly perfect, who desires to do good to all and for nothing bad to happen to anyone; and if anything happens against his will, he himself does not lose anything of his own happiness.


37. But perhaps someone might think that sickness and physical weakness are obstacles to fulfilling one's duty, because they cannot proceed with any manual labor or accomplishments. However, they will not see these as just obstacles: on the contrary, they will rebuke and accuse someone who mourns them pitifully, as if they were lazy, because they prioritize physical well-being over virtue of the soul, and they desire things that serve them, even though they possess the ability to command others to a greater extent. They groan in poverty, even though they have the power to surpass the wealth of the world; for the faithful, the entire world is a source of riches. They lament their lowly status, even though they should despise royal powers and command the rich and powerful. For this is the life of the righteous, who should also estimate their common possessions; indeed, even divide to the poor, dispense to the needy, restrain their own pleasures, reduce expenses, apply frugality, maintain moderation in prosperity, patience in adversity, tolerance in sorrow, magnanimity in danger, be ignorant of constant health, not be shaken by the fear of imminent death, nor consider him more excellent to whom according to nature children, relatives, health, happiness, and abundance have overflowed, than one to whom they have been lacking, nor weigh the merits of the world's external things, but the merits of virtue within the household.


Moreover, who denies that this form is just; so that one fears nothing, dreads nothing, except for the losses of virtue, and compresses the empty fears of others, which they have from anxiety over dangers, fear of death, weakness of the body; so that it teaches to be dissolved from the body, and that it is much better to be with Christ; so that it shows that the works are not hindered by the weaknesses of the body, but are increased; and they are not commended by the splendor of noble birth, or the support of relatives, or wealth, but by good love. For neither was Elijah less blessed than Moses; while the former was in need of food, a meagre diet, without children, without expense, without companions; the latter was the leader of the people, joyful with offspring, clothed with power, and they both founded a equal worth of diverse lineage, as it is declared in the Gospel (Matthew 17:3), when they shone forth with the Lord Jesus in the glory of the resurrection. For it seems that he gave equal reward to his witnesses of glory as if they were equal to these things. Elisaeus was no less blessed than David, for one was subject to kings while the other was endowed with royal power, and both attained a similar grace of prophetic sanctification.

What is lacking to the one who possesses that good, and always has as a companion and partner, virtue? In what state is he not powerful? In what poverty is he not wealthy? In what low birth is he not illustrious? In what leisure is he not industrious? In what weakness is he not vigorous? In what illness is he not strong? In what peaceful sleep is he not embraced, which virtue does not abandon even when he is resting? In what solitude is he not surrounded, which blessed life embraces, which grace clothes, which the garment of glory illuminates? He is no less happy when he is idle than when he is working, and no less glorious when he is asleep than when he is awake; for he is just as safe and healthy when he is asleep as when he is awake. When, however, can someone appear to be on holiday, whose mind is always active? When, however, can someone be alone, who is always in the company of that good thing, of which the Prophet says: 'We shall be filled with the good things of your house' (Psalm 64:5)? When can someone be desolate, whose conversation is in heaven? When one does not conform to his own beauty and the sole good, even if he is free in body, let him still elevate his mind. And just as one accustomed to playing the lyre would abandon it if he were to see it in disarray, with strings loosened and broken, and its use interrupted, and he himself would not seek its melodies but would soothe himself with his own voice: so too will this person allow his idle body to lie down, while delighting his heart, soothing himself with the remembrance of a good conscience, alleviating himself with divine oracular pronouncements and prophetic scriptures, embracing that sweet and pleasant soul, embracing it with his mind; to whom nothing sad can happen, since he always aspires to divine presence, and he himself is present to himself, suffused with the highest tranquility of mind.

Book Two

Chapter I.

Having transitioned from the previous book to this one, it shows that the holy Jacob was also blessed in exile: and it demonstrates that the definition of blessedness is most fitting for him.


1. In the previous book, we discussed the precepts of virtue. Now let us utilize the examples of illustrious men who, placed in the highest dangers, did not lose the blessedness of life, but rather acquired it. Was not Jacob also blessed when he left his homeland? Indeed, he was truly blessed, as he undertook the hardships of exile in order to mitigate his brother's anger. For if he is blessed who avoids sin, certainly he cannot be denied blessedness who alleviates another's fault, turns away from crime. So he avoided the prepared parricide by voluntary exile, and by doing this he sought safety for himself and pardoned his innocent brother. Therefore, divine grace accompanied him everywhere, so that even when he slept, he acquired the gift of a blessed life. For he saw the mysteries of the future and heard divine oracles (Gen. XXVIII, 5, 12 and following). He was a good worker in his sleep, and rich in poverty, who obtained both inheritance and marriage through the same task of a hired life (Gen. XXIX, 22, 29 and following). The same brotherly affection, an excellent reconciler, competed with gifts and services (Gen. XXXII, 13 et seq.); in order to exclude all indignation, to avert the pain of offense, showing that he was not less in exile, who could give what he had not received.

But I hurry too much towards lower things and skip over more useful things, when first it must be defined what it means to be blessed. For it is written: Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). With this Scripture signifying that he is blessed who separates himself from the company of the faithless (for it is impiety not to recognize as the author of life and a certain parent of salvation, if one either remains in sin or persists in luxury and lust), it also indicates that he who meditates in the law of the Lord day and night will be like a tree that will bear fruit in its season (Ibid., 2 and 3). The highest merits are the rewards, this is the reward of merits.

What of these things that pertain to the merit of beatitude was lacking to the holy Jacob, who was so far from the company of the wicked that from him the faithful people received their name, being called Israel (Gen. XXXII, 28) : because he beheld God with the eyes of his inner mind, abstaining from sin, sober from all lustful indulgence, to the extent that he absorbed himself in hard work and neglected the security of leisure? Is it not beautifully and truly said concerning him that he will also bear fruit in his own time, of which it is written: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a full field (Gen. XXVII, 27) . For he was perfect in every flower of virtues, and exuded the grace of sacred blessing and heavenly bliss. He is indeed the field blessed by the Lord: not this earthly one, or rough with woods, or rocky with torrents, or marshy with stagnant waters, or barren of crops, or useless for vines, or infertile with stony gravel, or gaping and dry from drought, or soaked with blood, or uncultivated with thorns and brambles: but that field, of which the Church says in the Canticles: I have adjured you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and fortitude of the field (Song of Solomon 2:7). For this is the field of which the Lord says: 'And the appearance of the field is with me' (Psalm 49:11). In this field is found that grape which, when pressed, shed blood and cleansed the world. In this field is that fig tree under which the saints will rest, refreshed by the sweetness of spiritual grace. In this field is that fruitful olive tree, flowing with the ointment of the Lord's peace. In this field flourish pomegranates, which cover many fruits under the protection of one foundation of faith and nourish them with the embrace of charity.


Therefore, Jacob enjoyed these fruits, who followed God through dangers and believed himself to be safe in His guidance everywhere. For although the smell of the field is sweet and pleasant, because it is the smell of nature, nevertheless it exhaled the grace of virtues in the holy Patriarch. How restrained was his moderation, who did not seek food prepared for himself, but immediately granted it to his brother who asked for it, from whom he received the primacy of blessings (Gen. 25:30 et seq.)! How pious he was toward his parents, so that he deserved to be prefered over his older maternal brother with affection, and be consecrated by the gift of paternal blessing (Gen. XXVII, 8 et seq.)! How religious, so as to refuse to harm his brother! How respectful, so as to fear disobeying his father! How honorable, so as not to deny his mother what was commanded!

Chapter II.

Jacob excuses his parents, and through their example, teaches how other parents should behave towards their children. Then he reveals why Jacob has also succeeded, and what mysteries his blessing contains.

5. However, even parents should not be excused for abandoning us, because they have preferred a younger son to an older one. At the same time, care must be taken that no one, while following their example, has an unfair judgment between their children; so that they think one should be loved, the other should be disregarded. For from this fraternal hatred is aroused, and a crime of parricide is made from the despicable gain of money. The same measure of piety should nourish offspring. Nevertheless, let it be that one may seize something more for himself in regard to a more charming or similar affection, an equal form of justice should be around all. It is more advantageous to the beloved one to whom the love of brothers is sought; but it is more taken away from the one who is burdened by unjust preeminence with envy. Esau was threatening to kill his brother, not being called back by brotherly kinship or the reverence of his parents from his murderous intent; and he was grieved that the blessing had been snatched away from him, which he must certainly prove himself worthy of by gentleness, not by wickedness.

6. But Rebecca, too, did not prefer the child to the child as if he were a just man, but as if he were an unjust man. For indeed, before her pious mother, she esteemed the mystery of the pledge: she did not so much prefer him to her brother as offer him to the Lord, whom she knew could preserve the gift bestowed upon her; in this she also consulted the other, whom she was protecting from divine offense; lest she be involved in a more serious guilt, if she were to lose the favor of the blessing received.

7. However, let there be a good competition between parents. Let the mother bring affection, let the father bring judgment. Let the mother lean towards the younger one with tender piety: let the father preserve the honor of the elder according to nature. Let him honor more, let her love more: as long as each supports the other, let both not conspire against one, and deceive the other. Let there be equality in different competitions, and let equal love and gratitude be given to both parents through different efforts: let one compensate for what the other diminishes. Thus the pious patriarch Isaac and holy Rebecca competed with one another, not to make either of them inferior, but to make both equal (Gen. XXV, 28).

However, the one who was preferred by the oracle emerged victorious: diligence defeated slowness, gentleness overcame harshness. While one seeks a wild prey in rough hunting, the other presented the gentle food of character, the domestic grace, the tender meekness, and the sweet feasts of piety to his pious father. Whatever may happen pleases more in our souls than whatever you may think should be sought after. Jacob approached the sheep and brought the offspring of innocence and the gifts of sacred prophecy, for he believed that no food was sweeter than Christ, who was led as a sheep to slaughter and as a lamb to sacrifice. He considered this food useful either for the common parent or for the people, whose image he bore, because it was a future remission of sins.

9. Therefore he received the robe of his brother because he surpassed him in old-age wisdom; therefore the younger brother stripped the older brother because he surpassed him in the dignity of faith. This robe Rebecca brought forth as a figure of the Church and gave it to her younger son, the robe of the Old Testament, the prophetic and priestly robe, the royal robe of David, the robe of Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah, kings; and she gave it to the Christian people, who knew how to use it having received it; for the Jewish people had it without use, and did not know their own ornaments. This robe was lying in the shadow, cast aside and neglected. It was obscured by the dark haze of impiety and could not be fully explained in the narrow heart of the Jewish people. The Christian people put it on and it shone brightly: illuminating with the brilliance of their faith and the light of their righteous deeds. Isaac recognized the familiar scent of his kind, he recognized the robe of the Old Scripture, but he did not recognize the voice of the old people; and therefore he knew it had been changed. For she remains today with the same robe, but the confession of the more devout people has started to be sung; and rightfully it is said: 'The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.' And he smelled the smell of her garments (Genesis, 27:22 & 27). And perhaps this is because we are justified not by works, but by faith; because the weakness of the flesh is an impediment to works, but the brightness of faith obscures the error of actions, which deserves the forgiveness of sins.

Chapter III.

After the blessing of the younger brother, why did the older brother arrive; and when he pressed and obtained to be blessed himself, was he condemned to serve the brother? Where the discussion is about servitude and true freedom.


10. After the blessed celebration, the elder brother arrived (Ibid., 30). This declares that the kingdom of the Church was given in predestination before the Synagogue, but the Synagogue entered in order to abound in sin; and when sin abounded, grace abounded even more, so that it may be clear that the diligent soldier of the heavenly kingdom ought to be a candidate; to anticipate the blessing, and to claim the prerogative of his commendation. Where the younger son is not marked by the father but praised, as Isaac says: Your brother came with deceit and took your blessing (Ibid., 35). For cunning is good, where the theft is blameless; but blameless theft is piety, because the kingdom of heaven is forcibly taken, and those who force it plunder it. The fathers celebrated the Passover in haste, those who ate the lamb in haste without delay; and holy Joseph, with the intention of a pious deceit, summoned and kept his brother Benjamin (Gen. XLII, 20, and XLIV, 1 et seq).


11. And yet, he himself, in order to be blessed, coerced and obtained it (Gen. XXVII, 38, 39); but he obtained that blessing which was consistent and suitable with the previous one, so that he would serve his brother. For indeed, he who could not command and rule another, ought to serve, so that he may be ruled by the more prudent. For it was not becoming for the holy Patriarch to subject his son to a condition of servitude: but as a good father, when he had two sons, one intemperate, the other prudent and sober, he appointed the sober one to have authority over the intemperate, and he established that the foolish one should obey the prudent one; for the foolish cannot willingly be a disciple of virtue, nor endure in diligence, because the foolish one changes like the moon: and rightfully he denied him the freedom of his own will, lest he would float like a ship in waves without a pilot: but he subjected him to his brother, as it is written: A fool serves a prudent man (Prov. XI, 29). Therefore, he rightly submitted himself to him, in order to improve his attitude towards ruling. Therefore, he said: 'By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother.' (Gen. XXVII, 34). For indeed, kindness is the mistress of cruelty, and gentleness surpasses harsh actions.

Everyone serves who does not have the authority of a pure conscience: anyone who is either broken by fear, ensnared by pleasure, led astray by desires, provoked by anger, or cast down by sorrow. For every passion is servile; for he who commits sin is a slave to sin, and what is worse, a slave to many: whoever is subject to vices has bound himself to many masters, so that it is hardly possible for him to escape servitude. But he who is the arbiter of his own will, the judge of his own counsel, the interpreter of his own decision, who restrains the desire of the flesh, who does what he does well, and he who does well acts rightly, and he who acts rightly acts blamelessly and without reproach, having power over his own actions; he is truly free. For he who does everything wisely, and lives as he wishes, he alone is free. It is not fortune that makes a slave, but disgraceful folly. (Proverbs VII, 2). Finally, the wise servant rules over foolish masters, and skilled servants will lend to their masters. What will they lend? Not money, but wisdom, as the Law also says: You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (Deut. 15:6). For the Jew lent the oracles of the divine law to the proselyte. But since he himself could not see the mysteries of the Law, and did not know the oracles he had, who lent the letter to the nations, he now borrows the grace of spiritual doctrine from them: and rightly is he subject to servitude; for he who borrows is a servant, as if he were bound by the interest of the lender: but he who imparts the interest of pious doctrine is the prince, as the Law says: You shall be the prince of many nations: and princes shall not be of them. (Ibid.) For a prince is he who rules, who also possesses the principality of wisdom, which the people of the Jews had. But because he could not save what he taught, he must learn what he did not know how to teach.

This is therefore what the patriarch Isaac said: You will serve your brother. But when you have removed and freed yourself from his yoke on your neck (Gen. XXVII, 40), he is signifying two future peoples, one the son of a handmaid, the other of a free woman (for the letter is a servant, but grace is free), and that people who adheres to the letter will be a servant as long as they follow the interpreter of spiritual doctrine. Then also what the Apostle said will come to pass: That the remnants may be saved according to the choice of grace (Rom. IX, 27). Serve your brother, therefore: but then you will feel the benefit of servitude when you begin to obey your brother willingly, rather than forcibly.

Chapter IV.

Esau threatens his brother's death, for which reason the instructions for appeasing envy are proposed. Jacob, setting out to Laban, is refreshed on his journey by an appearance of angels and afterwards is enriched with possessions.

From here arose envy, and Esau threatened that after their father's death he would kill his brother. But if that were to happen, let us learn from Rebecca how to provide, so that envy does not incite anger, and anger does not lead to parricide. Let Rebecca come forth, that is, let patience be introduced, a good guardian of innocence, let her persuade us to give way to anger. Let us retreat for a while, until with time indignation softens, and forgetfulness sneaks in to cover the offense. Therefore, she endures patiently without fearing exile, but rather accepts it eagerly: not so much to avoid the danger of her safety, as to turn away the incentive for wrongdoing. The loving mother also tolerates her most beloved son being absent, providing him with more than she harmed him: however, she takes care of both, so that she may protect one from danger and the other from guilt.

15. We have heard what intemperance has said about bodily drunken desires; let us consider what true virtue does. It requires nothing but God's grace: it follows only that highest good, it is content only with it, from which we have received everything; but we contribute nothing to it, for it needs nothing, as David says: I said to the Lord: You are my God; for you do not need my goods (Psal. XV, 2). For what does he need, who abounds in all things, and who bestows all things on us, and supplies everything without any lack?


16. And Jacob went on, and slept, which is a sign of a peaceful soul: and he saw the angels of God ascending and descending (Gen. XXVIII, 11), that is, he foresaw Christ on earth, to whom a host of angels descended and ascended, offering service to their own pious Lord (Matth. IV, 11).

17. And he came to a well, to drink from his vessels, and from the fountains of his wells, and the water overflowed from his fountain (Gen. XXIX, 2). For the fountain of life is in the hands of the righteous.

18. And he came to Laban, and fed his sheep. Unaccompanied wickedness resides: wisdom does not neglect the duty of governing (Gen. XXIX, 19, et XXX, 28 et seq.) : she does not know how to be empty-handed in the affairs of others, she does not know how to be an exile among foreigners. For how can she be an exile who everywhere maintains her own rights, and possesses in herself what she owns?

19. The just man enters as if a hired servant; and he is the ruler, who, with the brilliance of many and excellent virtues, gathers a flock shining with the ministry of Evangelical preaching; in order to present to the thirsting sheep the rod of storax, and the nut, and the plane, found, by which, desiring the prefigured mysteries of the most blessed Trinity, they would not form colorless offspring by the conception of a pious mind. Good sheep, which have produced offspring of good works not unworthy of the sacred faith. By the staff is meant the evening offering and sacrifice, which is offered to God the Father in the psalm. By the rod of the priest, the gift of Christ is bestowed (Psalm 139:2). For this rod of Aaron, which blossomed when it was stored away, shone forth with the priestly grace of sanctification (Numbers 17:8). By the plane tree, the spiritual fruitfulness is signified; for to this tree the vine is joined, so that in its joyful companionship it may bring forth abundant fruit. Indeed, the gifts of the passion of the Lord, along with the grace of the Spirit, are accustomed to grant the forgiveness of all sins.

Chapter V.

Jacob returns to his homeland by divine command because of the envy of Laban and his sons. If this were to arise, how should it be avoided: and by what means can a wise man never be empty. After this, the mystery is explained to Laban, who investigates the good fortune of his daughter's husband Jacob and his wives.

20. And so, as Scripture says, he became rich, nourishing a very good flock for Christ, whom he adorned with the title of faith and the glory of his virtuous variety. Thus, he did not consider himself to be limited, as he was wealthy in faith, and he was called the most opulent of Laban's sons to provoke envy, as he had augmented his own flock with the addition of another flock. And God said to him: Return to the land of your father and to your people; and I will be with you (Gen. XXXI, 3), showing that nothing was lacking to him in whom there was the fullness of all things: this alone to abound perfectly, to consist in all things, and to refer all things back to Him. Nothing is superfluous that is necessary, to whom faithful peace supplies, by which it reconciles what was first contradictory. It is not surprising if he has peace, who has established the pillar and anointed to God, which is the Church (Gen. XXXV, 20). For the pillar has been called the firmament of truth (I Tim. III, 15). It is anointed by those who pour the ointment of faith in Christ and mercy in the poor.

21. Now let us consider what kind of man a just person should be if envy arises. First, he should avoid it; for it is better to leave without a quarrel than to stay with discord. Secondly, he should possess those things that he can take with him; so that he cannot be held captive by an adversary, but rather say: 'See if anything of yours is with me' (Gen. XXXI, 32 et seq.). And Laban searched, but found nothing of his own with Jacob. A great and truly blessed man is he who could not lose anything of his own, who has nothing belonging to others, that is, he has nothing less, nothing superfluous. So he is perfect, to whom nothing is lacking: just, to whom nothing is excessive. For this is the essence of justice, to maintain a balance. How great is the virtue of whose association brings profit, not loss? This is to be perfect, to give the greatest benefit to those attached to oneself, and to bring no harm.

22. Finally, the one who desired to harm him could not dismiss him empty. For a wise man is never empty, always having the garb of prudence, who can say: I clothed myself with justice and put on judgement, as Job said. For these are the internal coverings of the mind, which no one else can take away, unless they strip someone of their own fault. Finally, Adam, thus stripped, was found naked: but Joseph, even with his outer garment discarded, was not naked, for he had preserved the garments of virtue. Therefore, never empty is the wise person. For how can one be empty, who receives from the fullness of Christ, and preserves what has been received? How can one be empty, whose soul is filled, who keeps the garments of received grace? It is to be feared that anyone may lose the covering of innocence, lest the impious and sacrilegious persecution, having gone beyond the bounds of justice under the impression of wickedness, snatch away the garment of the soul and mind. And this does not easily happen, unless one first puts off the voice of their own iniquity. Wherefore David also saith: If there be iniquity in my hands… let me deservedly fall out of the reach of my enemies: let the enemy persecute my soul, and take hold of it (Psalm 7:4-5).

23. Therefore, no enemy can capture your soul unless it has first become empty. Therefore, do not fear those who can accumulate treasures of gold and silver. They take nothing from you. They take away what you did not have: they take away what you could not possess: they take away what did not adorn your soul, but weighed it down: they take away what did not enrich your heart, but rather oppressed it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21), as you heard in today's reading. Many people include their gold in their series of doors, but they do not trust their ships and locks: they employ many guards, but they themselves are often more afraid of the guards than anyone else: many people lie with buried gold; their gold is underground, and their heart is underground. Therefore, be careful not to bury your heart in the earth while you are still alive. Therefore, thieves are not to be feared for this gold. The pawnbroker is the one you must beware of, who searches the substance of your soul, if you have contracted any weighty debts of sin, who encloses your heart in the ground, who buries your soul in that mound of earth where you have hidden your gold, who bends your mind under heavy interest charges, and buries it in a grave from which no one rises. Follow the holy Jacob, who had neither any vices of others, nor was he empty and void of his own virtues, who was filled with the fruit of righteousness. But these are moral lessons.

24. That mystical thing, which came to him as Laban, that is, whitened, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and he began to demand his [Jacob's] own [goods] from him. Jacob answered him: Recognize if there is anything of yours with me (Gen. 31:32), that is, I have nothing of yours. Search if you recognize anything of your vices and sins. I have taken nothing from you, I have no association with your deceitful tricks, I reject everything of yours like a contagion. And Laban searched, and found nothing of his own. Blessed is the man, in whom the enemy finds nothing that he can claim as his own: in whom the devil offends nothing that he can recognize as his own! This seemed impossible in a man, but it was a type of him who says in the Gospel: The prince of this world comes, and finds nothing in me (John 14:30). For whatever is of the devil is nothing, and cannot have any perpetuity or substance.


However, He is the one who was prefigured in Jacob, the Lord Jesus, of the two married men, that is, a certain companion of Law and grace, who loved the virgin Rachel before, and loved her as a predestined spouse with pious affection. But since Leah, like the Law, entered secretly and crept in as the Synagogue, which, due to the blindness of the mind, could not see Christ, the grace of the holy Rachel abounded above her, who before anything else sought after this marriage, which already then with the interpretation of her name indicated the future primacy of the Church. (Gen. XXIX et seq.) Blessed Rachel, who removed the reproach from her childbirth: blessed Rachel, who concealed the worship and errors of the pagans, who declared that their idols were full of uncleanness. Let no one believe that reverence for the father's piety was violated because she sat while her father stood; for it is written: 'He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me' (Mt. 10:37). Where the cause of religion was at stake, faith should have the seat of judgment, and perfidy should stand as the defendant.

Chapter VI.

The angels see Saint James on the journey. The same angel, meeting his brother, bows down seven times. Finally, he sleeps in the camp, to seek harmony from him. The meaning of all these things is revealed.

26. These things have been proven to the extent that the holy Jacob encountered the angels of God as he set out. Finally, he saw the camps of God approaching and said: These are the camps of God (Gen. XXXII, 1-2). For when divine help is sought, it is usually given to those who are faithful and perfect. And so Jacob, aiming for reconciliation with his brother, humbled himself, acquired favor through acts of service, and even thought that he should buy his brother's favor with gifts. He met his brother with gifts, wives, and children, so that even if his brother were to be offended, he might be moved by the obligations of kinship.


27. And he worshiped seven times on the ground (Gen. XXXIII, 3). What does this mean? The law says: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him (Deut. VI, 13); the ethics worship the intemperate, the angry, the threatening, the murderous crime. Did he worship the ground, the one made of human blood, infused with serpent venom, or the unfortunate sand, or the one abhorred by hard and rough rocks? What does it also mean that he worshiped seven times? The solution would be in doubt, if it were not for what Peter asked in the Gospel: 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him: 'Not only seven times, but seventy-seven times' (Matthew 18:21-22). By the prophetic inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the holy Patriarch signifies that in the coming times, not only up to seven times, but even up to seventy-seven times, forgiveness should be granted to a brother. Through this contemplation, Esau forgave the injury he believed he had received from his brother, and even though he had been wounded, he returned to grace. For this reason, the Lord Jesus took on flesh and came to earth, in order to bestow upon us multiplied forgiveness of sins.


Finally, seeking reconciliation from his brother, he slept in the camp. Perfect virtue has the tranquility and stability of rest; therefore, the Lord reserved His gift for the more perfect, saying: I leave you peace; I give you My peace (John 14:27). For it belongs to the perfect not to be easily moved by worldly matters, not to be disturbed by fear, not to be agitated by suspicion, not to be shaken by terror, not to be harassed by sorrow: but rather, to calm the unchanging mind, like a safe seashore against the rising waves of worldly storms, with steadfast faith and unwavering devotion. This firmament, Christ introduced into the minds of Christians, bringing internal peace to the souls of the righteous; so that our heart is not troubled, nor our mind disturbed. The Apostle, the teacher, affirmed that this peace is above every mind, saying: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Therefore, the fruit of peace is not to be disturbed in one's heart. In conclusion, the life of the just is calm, while the unjust is full of unrest and disturbance. Therefore, the wicked is afflicted more by his own suspicions than by the blows of others; and the wounds in his mind are greater than those on the body of one who is beaten by others.

It is great to have inner peace and be in harmony with oneself. Outward peace is sought either by the anxious providence of the emperor, or by the hand of the soldiers, or it comes as a result of successful wars, or through the annihilation of some barbarians if they turn their weapons against themselves in hostile motion. In this peace, our virtue counts for nothing, only the outcome matters. Certainly, the glory of that peace is attributed to the emperor; the fruits of this peace are in us, which are in the minds of individuals, which are held by their emotions. The greatest fruit of this peace is that it repels the temptations of spiritual wickedness more than it repels hostile weapons. This peace is loftier, as it excludes the allurements of bodily passions and mitigates disturbances, more than that which calms barbaric attacks. For it is better to resist an enemy within you who is closed off than one who is removed.

Chapter VII.

Jacob wrestles with God and limps from a touched thigh nerve. His brothers avenge the violence done to Dinah, which Jacob disapproves of. He is commanded to dwell in Bethel, which foreshadows the Holy Church.

30. So Jacob, who had cleansed his heart from all envy and harbored a peaceful disposition, after he had rejected all his possessions, remained alone and wrestled with God (Gen. XXXII, 24 and 25). For whoever neglects worldly things comes closer to the image and likeness of God. For what is it to wrestle with God, if not to engage in the struggle of virtue, to contend with the superior, and to become a better imitator of God than others. And because his faith and devotion were invincible, the Lord revealed to him secret mysteries, touching the width of his thigh (Gen. 32:25); because from his seed the Lord Jesus was to descend from the Virgin, who was neither unequal nor unequal to God; the width of the thigh signified the cross of him who astoundedly died, because the forgiveness of sin, spread throughout the whole world, would be beneficial to all who, astonished by their own body and given sleep, would grant resurrection to the dead. Hence not undeservedly rose the sun of holy Jacob, upon whose race the saving cross of the Lord shone brightly; for he is the sun of justice, who beholds God; for he is the eternal light.

But Jacob limped from his hip: For this reason, the sons of Israel do not eat the tendon to this day (Gen. XXXII, 32). Oh, if they had eaten and believed! But because they were not going to do the will of God, they did not eat. There are also those who take it this way, that Jacob limped from one hip because, with two peoples flowing from his generation, the wonder of one was already declaring himself to be about to become about the grace of faith. He is therefore the people who limped in the astonishment of treachery.

32. Finally, not long after the revelation of this kind, when Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, had been violated and her virginity defiled by the son of an alien, her brothers, who did not understand the mystery, killed the aliens who were offering a partnership of faith through the union of their families out of a desire for revenge. However, Jacob, who loved compassion with moral gentleness, foresaw by a mystical spirit the sacrament of gathering from the nations for the Church and reluctantly and sorrowfully accepted that scene of completed vengeance. To the one prophesying the coming of the Lord Jesus, a divine response was given: Arise, go up to the place Bethel (Gen. XXXV, 1), which means 'house of bread,' where Christ was born, as the prophet Micah testified, saying: And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. From you shall come forth a ruler, who will be the shepherd of my people Israel, whose origins are from ancient times (Mic. V, 2). Truly, the house of bread is the house of Christ, who has come to us as the bread of salvation from heaven, so that no one may hunger while seeking the food of immortality. There the Patriarch is commanded to dwell, there to make an altar to the God who appeared to him. There he received foreign gods and hid them under the terebinth tree. There also Rachel was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. There Jacob also set up a pillar on his monument (Gen. XXXV, 1 et seq.).

How many mysteries there are, because of the Church of God that exists for you, in which God appears and speaks with His servants. There the idols of the nations are taken away and hidden. For the faith of the Church has abolished all observance of paganism. But why has it hidden under the lentisk tree, I wonder? Certainly, that kind is unfruitful. There, therefore, are the gods of the nations, where there is no fruit. There the earrings of the pagans are buried, which were given by Jacob, so that they may become accustomed to hearing a new language; let them not know the sound of ancient treachery, let their ears become deaf to sacrilege, and let them be cleansed for grace. Daniel rightly discovered there the false testimony against Susanna. There he wanted to still place his roots of deceitfulness, but he could not hide, for he was exposed by a prophetic spirit. The error of the priest, however, is fitting for the true confession, for he declared the defiled chastity there, where the idols of the Gentiles are buried. But the truth of the Church did not cover up deceitfulness, but concealed it, and shut the ears of the Gentiles.


Conveniently, holy Rachel is also buried there; because all those who are baptized in Christ are buried with Christ. For thus are we taught by the Apostle, saying: For we are buried with him by baptism into death; that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom. VI, 4). Therefore, every error of the Gentiles is truly hidden when one is washed from vices; for the old man, nailed to the cross, no longer knows how to serve the old sin. Moreover, a column is also placed above Rachel's monument; because the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth.

Chapter VIII.

Concerning the praiseworthy old age of Saint James, in which he foresees future uncertain events and the end of his life; and he also arranges his affairs.

Jacob grew old, although he had already grown old in character. But the vigor of youth and the tranquility of old age contended in him. For old age is also green with grace, and youth is gray with wisdom, of which Scripture says: Old age is honored. And, the age of old age is an immaculate life. This was the life of Jacob, who surpassed the time of long-lasting old age with good works, so that he could enjoy the fruit of his labor ahead of time and not fear the later years. Indeed, blessed is the young person who lives well, but blessed is also the old person who has lived well. For what the young person hopes for, the old person has attained: what the old person has been, the young person wishes to be. Certainly, here in the restless sea, as its course continues for a longer time, it is tossed by waves: but the old person is like in a harbor, so in the station of old age. Jacob was therefore of this kind, who held, with the intact and secure key of grace, the scarcely hoped for blessings for the young people, already closed and sealed. But what you actually possess is more valuable than what you still hope for. There was, therefore, the old man Jacob, to whom young people, struck by the adversities of a certain time, would seek refuge like a harbor: he himself, however, placed as if on the lookout of this life, presented with anxious affection, and far in advance foresaw remedies for uncertain things.

36. Finally, there was famine in the whole land (Gen. XLII, 1 et seq.), and the old man, who the eager young men did not know, first listened to whether he had heard. He was the first to advise his sons to go to Egypt and buy the necessary goods (Gen. XLIII, 11). He was also willingly accepting the advice of the young men to send his younger son along. And when they reported to him that his son Joseph was alive, though his body was broken, but his spirit was vivid, he did not wait for his son to come to him, but he himself went to his son (Gen. XLV, 28). For the measure of order does not outweigh piety. Therefore, she felt no obstacles of weary old age as she proceeded. Piety indeed alleviated the labor. But when her sons, having obtained the fruit, after a somewhat long period, namely seventeen years, which is a short time compared to the longevity of that Patriarch, knew that the end of her life was approaching. She called her son Joseph and bound him to be the heir of his generation, so that he would not be buried in Egypt. And having received faith, when he was soon after weakened and his son Joseph came to him, he sat on the bed, as if having regained strength, and blessed the twelve patriarchs and prophesied.

Chapter IX.

Jacob, being very close to death and blind, is still shown to be happy: his commendation is manifold, but it is especially highlighted due to the blessings of the Patriarchs; and finally, it is concluded that he, nor any other saint, should be considered less happy because of their sufferings.

Let some now say that Jacob was not blessed, when in the days of his death he had almost more conversations with God than with men: not blessed when his eyes were burdened with old age, and he could not see. For to some, blindness seems to be a heavy affliction. But even then Jacob was blessed, because he discerned with his spirit what he could not discern with his eyes and sight. He saw the future, though he was thought not to see the present. Finally, Joseph himself also erred, when he applied his right hand to his older son and his left hand to Jacob, his younger son, in order to maintain the order of the blessing according to the order of age: he extended his right hand over the younger grandson and his left hand over the older grandson, and when his son wanted to switch his right hand to the older Manasseh, he responded: I know, my son, I know, and he will also become a great nation, and he will also be exalted, but his younger brother will be greater than him. And he added the reason for the preference, saying: 'His seed will be a multitude of nations' (Gen. 48:18ff). Even though his physical sight was impaired, he saw better in order to teach those who could see. For who sees better than one who sees Christ? Or who can say that his eyes were impaired when he saw the shining Church in Christ? Is it not clear, then, that weakness cannot hinder blessedness? He, hindered in the gift of sight, and weary in strength of body, leaving his body on his bed as in a tomb, rose up within himself, far from others, gathering himself within himself, and withdrew from present things, mingling himself with future ages of the last days. For it is written: 'I will announce to you what will happen to you in the last days' (Gen. XLIX, 1).

What, then, was lacking to him to whom God was present, who had said to him going to set out: I will go down with thee into Egypt: and I will bring thee back again at last (Gen. XLVI, 3 et 4)? Nor was He wanting, when the Holy Ghost spoke in him. Who is so mighty in his own home as that man in a foreign land? Who so abundant in plenty as he in famine? Who so strong in his youth as he in his old age? Who so active in business as he in leisure? Who is as swift on the race course as he is in bed? Who is as joyful in the bloom of youth as he is on the verge of death? Who is as wealthy in his kingdom as he is in a foreign place? In short, he blessed the kings. And rightfully so, for he was not poor who desired nothing. He was not poor who did not consider himself poor. And who would call him poor, whose conduct was worthy of the whole world? And therefore, his conduct was in heaven. But truly rich in the riches of simplicity and sincerity, adorned more with the beauty of the soul than of the body, which does not know decay, vigorous in age, to whom it was permitted, when he wished, to depart from this earthly prison and penetrate with the vigor of his heavenly mind, exulting in spirit, when he entrusted the final resting place of the tomb. For he presumed not to be closed in an earthly tomb, but to be received in a heavenly dwelling; and therefore, he entrusted the tomb as if it were for another: yet he considered that death secure as immortality for himself. He seemed to be bound by a physical impediment and, while awake, he anticipated future events with emotion, speaking of the persecutors of the Lord, who were the authors of wickedness from the tribe of Simeon and Levi: 'Let not my soul enter into their council; let not my heart join their assembly' (Gen. 49:6). But who is as strong in virtue as this one is in weakness, who said: 'Cursed be their anger, for it is proud and reckless; and their fury, for it is unyielding'? I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Ibid. 7).

39. But who is as melodious in songs as he is in words, who is heard throughout the whole world, who is listened to by all ages? Who has spoken such sweet harmony of the seven different voices as he has by the grace of the sevenfold Holy Spirit? Though he may be weak in his physical body, he raises himself up in spirit, and uplifting his spirit, he does not seek the harmony of his body, which is like the broken strings of a lyre, but allows it to lie idle on the ground. But he was delighted by an internal song, and he delighted in singing prophetically, saying: Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hands will be on the backs of your enemies; the sons of your father will bow down to you. Judah, you are a lion's cub; you climbed up from the prey, my son; you lay down to rest as a lion, and as a lion's cub. Who will rouse him (Gen. XLIX, 8 et seq.)? And below: He will wash his robe in wine, and his tunic in the blood of grapes. His joyful eyes from wine, and teeth whiter than milk. What sweeter melody, what more delightful sound, than the remission of sins and the resurrection of the dead? This song holy David, that divine instrument of voice, and interpreter of the Lord's words, sang with a spiritual harp. With these melodies, he soothed his exalted soul and mind. With this song, he softened the harshness of this worldly life, with this sound, he mollified the hardness of the age, with this psaltery, he broke the terror of death, with the sweetness of these strings, he trampled on hell.


40. But let us also hear other things which the holy patriarch Jacob, with that wonderful organ of his mind, exclaimed: Naphthali is a spreading vine, producing beauty in its shoots. Joseph, my son, has been enlarged; my son has been enlarged with desire; my son has been enlarged with zealous appetite; my son has become younger; return to me. (Ibid. 21 et seq.). And further: He prevailed over the blessings of the everlasting hills, and the desires of the eternal hills. (Ibid., 26). What is sweeter than a blessing? What is more precious than eternity? And the words themselves are a song, and in the words are great rewards of prayers, the heights of merits.

What is sweeter than Saint Joseph, who freed us from the disgrace of the sacrament of the Lord's cross? For just as Christ became a curse in order to remove the curse of the Law; and became sin in order to remove the sin of the world: so he became a disgrace in order to remove the disgrace of the Gentiles; but that disgrace of Christ was valued more precious than the treasures of Egypt. And therefore Moses left the court of Pharaoh the King, and chose the disgrace of faith, to which the seas divided themselves in disgrace. Therefore, Jesus, the vine of the Nephilim, sent his spirit throughout the world, in order to infuse the abundance of the spiritual cup into all peoples. He himself was exalted, having a name above every name, because he offered himself for all to death, therefore he heard from the Father: Return to me. Jacob spoke, and God was heard. He blessed, and God spoke, saying to the Son: Return to me, that is, return after the passion. Return to your throne, return with triumph, return to me, so that the dead may follow you as you rise, and with your power and example, may also rise, so that you become the firstborn from the dead, and sit at the right hand of the Father. And the Son said: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power of God (Matthew 26:64).

Would anyone deny that Jacob was blessed at the very moment of his death, when he was pouring forth divine prophecies? Would anyone deny that Joseph was blessed in prison, where he interpreted dreams by the spirit of wisdom, revealing the truth and the sequence of future events? Would anyone deny that Isaiah was blessed when he was sawn in half? Jeremiah, when he was thrown into a pit? Daniel, when he stood unharmed among the lions, with the prophet's meal brought to him by an angel? Certainly, they were blessed not because they ate a meal that did not belong to them, but because they closed the mouths of the lions with their merits. But who would not declare the mother of the Maccabees blessed, who added an eighth martyrdom to the funeral of her seven sons for the glory of heavenly triumph?

Chapter X.

How much praise is deserved by the priest Eleazar for enduring punishments steadfastly, for which he should truly be considered blessed.

43. Nor will I pass over you, Eleazar, the high priest, but you must be prayed for, since you are a priest's priest; both an elder skilled in the law and a teacher who lived a long life. When you were offered to the prosecutor Antiochus, you were not captured by his temptations, nor were you swayed by his rewards, nor were you broken by the severity of his punishments. Finally, he resorted to flattery, thinking that his torments could overcome you. 'I blush,' he said, 'at your gray hair, I revere your old age, I admire your prudence. Why do you think you should abstain from the good foods that nature provides?' Relax this stubbornness of yours, wake up at some point, while you still prefer to persuade than to force; lest, defeated, you make yourself subject to punishments that you refute with reason. To this, the old man responded: We, Antiochus, are not led by intention, but by reverence for the Law, which commands abstaining from pork. You consider it a most beautiful creature; nevertheless, you cannot deny that temperance is more powerful than pleasure, that obedience to the law is superior to transgression. But if you think this is a trivial matter, to eat pork: he who disregards the law in small things, how will he hold to it in great things? Or if this creature is precious; you will be avenged, when we are deprived of that which is most beautiful. But our abstinence is a discipline of chastity. For we learn to cut off luxury, to conquer desires, to exclude lusts, to resist the pleasures of the body. It is also an exercise of fortitude, not to yield to punishments for the Law. Justice and prudence also require that we reserve what we have chosen to follow with fear of God, even in the face of death. Who will demand food for the free? But who will make himself a laughingstock in order to serve this, and not be laughed at? I am not so old that the strength of my spirit does not rejuvenate.

Suspensus itaque cum hinc atque inde graviter verberaretur, nec jam ferrent senilia membra verberum poenas, lassatis carnificibus atque extensoribus, in terram deflexus inflexibilem mentem gerebat. Et quidam seu longaevam miseratus aetatem, seu tentamentis circumvenire desiderans: Responde, inquit,tantummodo te manducaturum: nos te escae ejus immunem praestabimus. At ille clamans: Nequaquam, inquit, contingat mihi, ut fiam senex incentivum juvenilis erroris, qui huc usque eram forma salutaris instituti. Am I going to deceive myself with illusions, so I can profit from a short-lived life and devote all the labors of my existence as a small provision for old age? Old age should be a haven, not the shipwreck of a previous life. I will not deny you, O sacred laws of the fatherland; I will not renounce you, venerable institutions of our forefathers; I will not tarnish you, priestly robes; I will not openly defile you with the dust of treachery, O gray hair! In short, through enduring torment, he has become the master of perseverance for others, having been chosen as an example of weakness. Therefore, blessed is he in whom torments could not overcome reason. Is he not blessed, who could be a conqueror of punishments by the strength of his soul, and preserve his passion unscathed in such great waves of suffering through the remedy of piety?

Chapter XI.

The remarkable patience and fortitude of the seven brothers of the Maccabees, to whom an eighth mother was added, who obtained the reward of a blessed life through their sufferings.

45. After this, seven boys were compelled, along with their mother, to endure torture (2 Maccabees 7:1ff). It is permissible to insult a tyrant, who, while cunningly thinking that it must begin with an old man, chooses a teacher through whom he might make his disciples stronger, and provokes them, like children, with rewards to commit wrongs, and pressurizes them with terrors to fear. But those boys, not unworthy of such a leader, respond: Why do you despise or deceive us like children? But faith is mature, and discipline is strong. Certainly try, subject those whose favors you wish to the punishment of childhood viscera, you will not find childish hearts: nor will the machines of torture be more powerful than the legitimate guards of observation. Whom old age conquers, youthfulness of old age will surpass. We follow the father of the son, the disciples follow the teacher. Gather the offered instruments of punishment: they bring meditation of patience, not the terror of infancy, while they are seen.

46. He ordered the eldest to be chosen. But he, laughing, said: rightly, you preserve the order of nature. But why do you think that God's law should be violated? And indeed, we are all the greatest in piety: but nevertheless, I am glad that I have begun it. What are you looking for, tyrant? I confess that we serve the Supreme God, and you teach us what we should do. If you want to extract the truth with such stubbornness, why can't we think that we should hold it with all our virtue? What more? Various kinds of punishments are employed. But piety conquered the fury of cruelty: the soul was excluded, not religion.

47. Second came forward, and he did not fail in fulfilling the duties of his pious confession, not unworthy of his brother (Ibid., 7 et seq). And when the membrane of his head was being removed, he responded: Indeed, you may remove the membrane, but I have a spiritual helmet which you cannot remove. And truly, no one can remove this helmet, as the Apostle later taught in the Church of the Lord: For the head of a man is Christ (I Cor., XI, 3). And we are members of Him (Ephes., V, 30). The boy rightly foresaw that apostolic doctrine with divine inspiration. Fierce beasts tore off the skin of his head and raged with panther-like fury. But he, fainting, said: How sweet it is to die for religion, how pleasant is all the bitterness of death for piety; for the reward of these labors remains! Yours are, O king, more severe torments: you are more fiercely tormented by your own punishments; for you see yourself being conquered in power.


48. And after this, when he had passed away, he ordered a third to be brought forward (2 Maccabees VII, 1, 10 et seq.). And when some tried to deceive him, while others sought to frighten him, he responded to him: I will not do your will, I will not succumb to your command. By the blessed suffering and nobility of my brothers, I will not deny my loyal brotherhood. Apply any tortures you wish, by which you may accomplish this more forcefully, in harshness of punishments, that you may receive greater evidence of our loyalty. Therefore, he ordered his tongue to be cut off. But he, shouting, said: You are defeated, Antiochus, who order the instrument of speech to be cut off. You confess that you cannot respond to reason, and you prove that the lashes of our tongue are greater than your blows. For we do not fear your blows, you cannot endure the lashes of our voice; but these are the lashes of piety, your lashes are the lashes of treachery; but even with the tongue removed, it will lash you more severely, falling upon you with its weighty murmur. Do you think, Antiochus, that you will escape if you take away my voice? God hears even those who are silent, and He hears even more. Behold, I have opened my mouth, I have loosened my tongue, cut off my tongue; but you will not cut off my steadfastness, you will not take away my courage, you will not obliterate my reason, you will not snatch away the testimony of truth, you will not silence the cry of my heart. If my tongue is cut off, the blood will cry out, and it will be said to you: The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me (Genesis 4:10). For He hears the voice of blood, He who hears the inner thoughts, even though darkness may cover and walls may surround. Let the wicked say, because no witness stands by him: God explores everything, sees everything; nor is there any crime that can hide from the judge of all, who knows everything before they happen. What words do we give? Wounds are more talkative: even if wounds are covered, even if a scar is hidden, faith is not hidden. And yet you do not applaud when you take away someone's tongue, you snatch away the confession of praise. We have already praised God enough with words, now let us praise Him with suffering.


49. And with him killed, he ordered the fourth to be bound to the wheel, so that by its turning all his limbs would be loosened (Ibid. 13). But when he was being tormented cruelly, he said: You dissolve the limbs of the body; but you join grace to suffering and do not take away solace from death. For the voice of thunder is in the wheel, because in the good and unhindered course of this life a heavenly oracle resounds, just as it resounded in the sons of thunder, John and James. And so, I recognize more clearly what I read: For the wheel runs within the wheel and is not hindered (Ezek. 1:16-17). For he passes his life without any offense in any passion, and even within these things the wheel runs. The Law runs within grace, and obedience to the Law is within the course of divine mercy: for the more it turns, the more it is proven. It is better here to endure adversity from the impious, so that there we may find consolation from the Lord. And he, completing his course, broke off his spirit and poured forth his victorious soul.

When Quintus was being burned, having first cut himself, he ordered fires to be brought close to him, and flames to be placed beneath him. Blood flowed from his wounds, and with his ulcerated flesh exposed, the blood extinguished the flames themselves. Meanwhile, amidst the crackling of the fire, he could be heard saying: 'Thanks be to You, Lord, for allowing us to say: We have passed through fire.' And as your same Prophet says elsewhere: 'You have tested us with fire, just as silver is tested by fire.' I will stand for you like gold purified by fire; and if there was any fault, the fire has burnt it away. Therefore, also he, transformed from corruption to incorruption, breathed life.

Moreover, six catapults were brought forward (2 Maccabees 7:18-19). But he said, 'Do not err in vain and attribute this to your power, that you exercise these things against us. The punishment for our sins is such that we sinners are punished. And thanks be to the Lord, that here we are required to pay for our double sins, so that consolation may be given to us there. But thanks also to you, for being so harsh and merciless, that through such punishments the Lord, against whom we have sinned, may show mercy to our people.' We also endured hardship while being delighted by the sufferings of faith. And he, torn by harsh and rough punishments, was brought to his brothers.

52. The younger one out of the brothers surpassed them, and now he was ashamed that Antiochus had been a mockery to his immature age. Therefore, desiring to deceive him with tricks, he promised him honors, riches, his friendship, and a share in his secret plans. But his pious mother advised her son, saying to him and to the others: 'I do not know how you entered into my womb, nor did I give you breath, nor did I form your limbs: but these are the gifts of the almighty God. Antiochus, seeing his mother worried because she feared for his safety, also began to persuade him to withdraw from his plan. But she, in her native tongue, said to her son: You alone remain, my son, the greatest of my hopes; you were the last to close my deliveries, you will be the last to close my joys. Have mercy on me, who carried you in my womb for so many months; do not ruin my old age in an instant, do not dim the triumphs of your brothers, do not leave their holy companionship, do not abandon our partnership. They still await those triumphs. Look up to the heavens, from where you drew your spirit, to the Father of all; look down to the earth, which provided you with nourishment; look to your brothers, who seek a companion; look to your mother, who gave you milk; repay the reward for your pious blood; do not be separated from your brothers, do not be separated from your mother. The wealth and honors that Antiochus promises are temporary; the everlasting crown is bestowed by Almighty God. The Lord gave me seven days of light, and on the sixth day I closed, with very good works of all. You owe me, son, that which I labored in those six, to find rest in you on the seventh, as if already resting from the works of the world. Therefore, the young man hurriedly said: 'Why do you endure?' (cf. Ibid., 30 and following). And shouting many things, because he could not at all be separated from the companionship of his brothers, whose funerals were much more blessed than the commands of the king, when he was pressing the king with insults, and he himself, tormented by bitter types of tortures, completed the task of this life.


53. The most recent mother was offered to death. Who would deny her blessedness, who, as if fortified by seven gifts, feels no invasion of death among the bodies of her children? Who, I say, would doubt her blessedness, who, surrounded by seven towers, raised her head to the seat of paradise; who, encircled by seven sons, not only led the most sacred choir to God with melodious voices, but also brought forth their passions to sing praises to the Lord on heavenly altars? How good is this faithful birth, how safe is this harbor of piety, how splendid is this lamp shining with the seven-fold light of the Church, and supplying oil to all the lights from the eighth womb! Concerning these, it is beautifully said, 'Give a part to seven, and even to eight' (Eccles. 11:2), because they obtain a share in grace in both numbers, nourished in the Law, crowned by grace, seven as in the Sabbath, eight as in the Gospel, with the pious mother added as a supplement to the passion, who in such sons both conceived and gave birth to the complete form of piety.

Chapter XII.

A commendation of the most elegant blessed parent of those seven sons who were martyrs.

54. The words of the holy woman who said to her sons come to mind: I gave birth to you, I poured the milk of life into you, do not lose your nobility. Other mothers use martyrdom to call their sons back, not to call. But she placed maternal affection in this, if she would advise her sons not temporal life, but eternal life. Therefore, the pious mother witnessed the struggles of her sons; and although she was shaken by the compassion of a mother's heart, she still suppressed her sorrow with a desire for piety. And when Antiochus was offering, although he could choose the salvation of his sons, he preferred danger: and, suppressing the groans of nature, he wished the punishments to be increased for his sons, so that death might approach more quickly. We see the mother's prayers turned towards her sons; lest she leave any of them as survivors, but acquire all of them as dutiful heirs of death.

But not even the younger sons had such a parent, who encouraged each other, who said with one zeal and a certain sharpness of mind: We will overcome the attack of adverse death. For we will truly live when we are dead. Let no one abandon the order of compassion, let no one withdraw from the triumphant battle. We have dedicated our souls not to man, but to the Almighty God. We fight not for man, but for the author of all things. This battle is such that he who is more gloriously defeated will be victorious. Therefore, no one was afraid, no one trembled, and none of the brothers were more sluggish towards death: but all ran to death through bitter tortures as if on the path to immortality; and the mother, seeing the ranks of her sons united, offered herself as a devoted soul offering her own body's members in her sons, and seemed to undergo torments wished for herself through her own limbs.

The sons, wounded by the torture devices, were falling, dead, one on top of the other. Bodies were rolling over bodies, heads were being severed from heads. The place was filled with the corpses of the sons, but the mother did not weep, she did not lament; she did not close the eyes or the mouths of the dying. She did not wash their wounds, knowing that they would be more glorious if they were seen disemboweled and covered in a mixture of dust and blood, like the victorious warriors who return from war, who bring back trophies from their enemies. She did not mourn the dead or attend the funeral, unless she considered it a part of her own death. What sweeter songs did she produce on her lyre than the dying children sang in such dire circumstances? For the lamentations of nature burst forth, even against their will. You would see the bodies of the dead laid out in order like the strings of a harp, and you would hear the seven-stringed psaltery resound with triumphant groans. Those enticing songs of the Sirens did not attract the listener in the same way: for they dragged towards shipwreck, while these drew towards the victory of sacrifice. Nor did the swan songs soothe the ears and souls in that way, for swans by the order of nature die, but these were dying out of love for piety. Nor do the hoarse murmurs of doves in a hidden grove resonate like the last words of the dying, which resounded with the greatest sweetness. Nor does the moon shine among the stars in that way, as a mother shines among her children, and when she led them to martyrdom, she shone, and when she embraced the victors among her children.


O true mother, stronger than diamond, sweeter than honey, more fragrant than a flower! O unbreakable bond of love! O truly powerful charity, like harsh death, like the jealousy of hell for devotion and faith! No floods of passion could exclude your charity, no rivers of bitterness could drown it. Just as the ark in that flood of the whole world was carried unharmed through the vast spaces of the earth: so too you, immovable in your piety against the waves of such great passions, have withstood them, and when you could have chosen the salvation of your children, you did not want to.


58. With what affection shall I honor you, holy mother, devoted pledges? With what pen of my speech shall I describe your form and likeness of souls? You stood among the royal armies, by whom the whole world was subdued, whom even India, fleeing to the secret depths of the farthest sea, did not avoid; and you alone, without any military conflict, achieved victory over the proud king. The only weapons of piety prevailed in you: the tyrant received his punishment, both because he could not conquer you and because he was slain by a cruel death.