Lignum vitae
Bonaventure (1217–1274)
Bonaventure's Lignum vitae (Tree of Life): forty-eight meditations on the life, passion, and glorification of Christ, ordered as twelve fruits on a mystical tree, with a closing prayer for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Latin: Quaracchi critical text; English: new ScholaThomistica translation.
Prologue
Fructus I: Fruit I. The Glory of His Origin.
Fructus II: Fruit II. Humility in His Way of Life.
Fructus III: Fruit III. Sublimity of Virtue.
Fructus IV: Fruit IV. Fullness of Piety.
Fructus V: Fruit V. Confidence in Dangers.
Fructus VI: Fruit VI. Patience under Insults.
Fructus VII: Fruit VII. Constancy under Torments.
Fructus VIII: Fruit VIII. Victory in the Struggle of Death.
Fructus IX: Fruit IX. Newness of Resurrection.
Fructus X: Fruit X. Sublimity of Ascension.
Jesus, teacher of the army.
- When forty days had passed after the resurrection of the Lord, by no meaningless sign of mystery on that very fortieth day, as he ate together with his disciples, the kind Master went up to the Mount of Olives, and from there, as they watched, with hands lifted he was carried into heaven, and with a cloud coming between, which received him as he ascended, he was hidden from human sight. And so, ascending on high, he led captivity captive, and with the gate of heaven now opened, laying open the way for those who follow, he led the exiles into the kingdom, making them fellow citizens of the Angels and members of the household of God, so that he might both repair the angelic losses and heap up the honor of the eternal Father and show himself the triumphant conqueror and prove himself to be the Lord of hosts.
Jesus, lifted into heaven.
- While the Angels sang psalms and the Saints rejoiced, the God and Lord of Angels and men ascended above the heaven of heavens and flew upon the wings of the winds with wondrous swiftness of power, and sat at the right hand of the Father, being made so much better than the Angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they, and there he continually appears before the face of the most kind Father to intercede for us. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, who, standing at the right hand of the Majesty, would show to the face of the paternal glory the scars of the wounds which he bore for us. "May every tongue give thanks to you, Lord Father, for the unspeakable gift of your most abundant charity, who did not spare the only Son of your heart, but delivered him to death for us all, so that we might have so great and so faithful an advocate before you in heaven."
Jesus, giver of the Spirit.
- When seven weeks of seven days had also run their course from the resurrection, on the fiftieth day, with the disciples gathered together in one place with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, there came suddenly a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind coming, which descended upon the company of a hundred and twenty men and appeared in tongues of fire, because it supplied a word to the mouth, light to the intellect, and burning ardor to the affection. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in various tongues, according as the prompting of the same Holy Spirit directed, who taught them all truth and kindled them to all love and strengthened them in all virtue. For aided by his grace, enlightened by his teaching, and strengthened by his power, though they were few and unlearned, partly by fiery words, partly by perfect examples, partly by wondrous miracles, throughout the whole world "they planted the Church with their own blood." And the Church, cleansed, illumined, and perfected by the power of the same Holy Spirit, was made lovely to her Spouse and to his attendants, so that, adorned round about with great beauty and wondrous variety, she is terrible to Satan and his angels as an army set in array.
Jesus, loosing guilt.
- In this holy Church throughout the whole world, with the Holy Spirit working wondrously, manifold in its distinctions and one in its union, one high priest presides, Christ, as supreme hierarch, who with wondrous order, after the likeness of the city above, dispenses in her the offices of dignities, distributing the gifts of graces. For in her he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, others indeed as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, for the perfection of the Saints and the building up of the body of Christ. According to the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit he also gave seven sacraments as seven remedies for diseases, through whose administration he both bestows sanctifying grace and forgives sins, which are never loosed except in the faith and unity of the same holy mother Church. And since sins are purged in the fire of tribulation, therefore, just as God exposed Christ, the head of the Church, to the waves of sufferings, so he permits his body, namely his Church, to be afflicted for trial and cleansing even to the end of the age. Thus the Patriarchs, thus the Prophets, thus the Apostles, thus the Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins, and all who pleased God, passed through many tribulations in faithfulness. So also all the chosen members of Christ will pass through even to the day of judgment.