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.
Fructus XI: Fruit XI. Justice of Judgment.
Jesus, the truthful witness.
- At the time of the future judgment, when God will judge the hidden things of hearts, fire will go before the face of the judge, the Angels will be sent with the trumpet, the elect will be gathered from the four winds of heaven, all also who are in the graves will rise by the power of the divine command, and all will stand before that tribunal of judgment. Then the hidden things of darkness will be brought to light, then the counsels of hearts will be revealed, then the books of consciences will be opened, and the book itself will be opened which is called the book of life. By this it will come about that at once and in an instant all the secrets of all men will lie open to all with such certain clarity that against the testimony of the truth speaking in Christ and of the conscience of each man likewise bearing witness, no path at all will lie open for denial, defense, excuse, or evasion, but each one will receive according to his works. "Great therefore is the demand laid upon us for uprightness, since we do all things in the sight of a Judge who beholds all things."
Jesus, the angered judge.
- When the sign of the omnipotent Son of God appears in the clouds, and the powers of heaven are shaken, and the fires of the world rush together for the burning of the world, and all the just are set at the right hand and the wicked at the left, the Judge of all will appear so angered against the reprobate that they will say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For he will put on justice as a breastplate and will take true judgment instead of a helmet. He will take equity for an invincible shield, but he will sharpen his dreadful anger into a spear, and the whole world will fight with him against the senseless, so that those who fought insolently against the Author of all things will then by the just judgment of God be fought against by all. "Then above the angered Judge will appear, below a dreadful chaos, hell lying open. On the right the sins accusing, on the left countless demons. The sinner so seized, where will he flee? Surely to hide will be impossible and to appear intolerable. For if the just man shall scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Enter not therefore into judgment with your servant, O Lord.
Jesus, the magnificent victor.
- When the sentence of damnation has been passed upon the reprobate, that they be burned with eternal flames, and all the enemies of Jesus Christ have been bound together as into a bundle, the omnipotent power of God will expose them, both in flesh and in spirit, to the voracity of the flames forever, so that they never perish and yet are burned and suffer forever, and the smoke of their torments shall ascend for ever and ever. Then the beast and the false prophet and those who received his image will be cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Then the elect will go forth to look upon the corpses, dead with a death not of nature but of punishment. Then the just shall wash their hands in the blood of sinners. Then at last the most victorious Lamb will make his enemies his footstool, when the wicked, entering into the lower parts of the earth, will be delivered into the hands of the sword and become portions for foxes, namely for the demons who seduced them by their deceits.
Jesus, the adorned bridegroom.
- When at last the face of the world has been renewed for the better, when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, that holy city Jerusalem, which had come down from heaven adorned as a bride, now prepared for the marriage of the Lamb, clothed also in a double robe, will be led into the palace of the heavenly court, and brought into that holy and hidden bridal chamber, she will be joined to that heavenly Lamb by so close a covenant that bride and Spouse become one spirit, and Christ will be clothed with all the beauty of the elect as with a coat of many colors, in which, adorned with all comeliness, he will shine, as covered with every precious stone. Then that sweet wedding song will resound, and through all the streets of Jerusalem Alleluia will be sung. Then the wise virgins, ready and prepared, will enter with the bridegroom to the marriage, so that, with the door shut, they may sit in the beauty of peace, in the tabernacles of confidence and in wealthy rest.