Authors: | |
Collection: | Sermones de tempore, pars hyemalis |
Code: | 3/6/2 |
Liturgical day: | T18/5 Thursday after Cinerum |
Thema: |
Ego veniam et sanabo eum (Matthew 8:7) |
Topics: | |
Concepts: |
Original: |
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Translation: |
Seven actions performed by the physician to cure the sick person symbolize the penitential itinerary (see below)
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IntroductionTrue conversion only due to God’s direct intervention («Sine me, nihil potestis facere»; John 15.5). This is true for the whole humanity, which was as an hospital full of people sick of incurable diseases, «propter quod de studio paradisi venit ille magnus medicus practicare et infirmos curare». The same is true for each sinful soul. Since the topic is complex (subtilis), the preacher explains it with using a medical simile by pointing out the seven actions that a doctor performs:
«Primo facies inspicitur
Secundo pulsus tangitur
Tertio urina attenditur
Quarto dieta precipitur
Quinto syropus immittitur
Sexto purgatio tribuitur
Septimo refectio conceditur» (f. o7r).
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Development
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1) Christ switches on the lamp of mercy and sheds light on the conscience (the face), so that one might know his/her sins. The example is that of the denial of Peter, who was called back by the crow of the rooster. The roster symbolises the preacher, since he shakes his wings (i.e. avoids sins and lives an exemplary life) and crows when the end of the night is close.
2) Checking the pulse = contrition. The five fingers of Christ’s hand are: fear, pain, loss, injury against God, angels and saints’ enmity.
3) Urine = confession, since it shows which is the illness: «Confessio est sicut urinale in quo urina peccatoris fetens ab interiori existens ostenditur confessori». The urinal needs to be clean, i.e. the confession needs to be clear and full. The confession must not expose the sins of other people (if the sin involves people that the priest might know, one needs to remain vague in the details), since one must «servare famam alterius in confessione». The confessor needs to be meek.
4) Diet = penance, which needs to fit with the specific sins. |
ISVF 262
Sermon without a proper division, since it presents imediately the seven points that details the image of Christ as physician of the soul as expression of the whole penitential process.
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