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Author Topic: Concordantiae Caritatis  (Read 180 times)

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Concordantiae Caritatis
« on: Today at 05:05:59 AM »
The Concordantiae caritatis is a typological work by Ulrich von Lilienfeld (b. 1308), it contains a typological illustration and explanation of every Sunday and big feast day of the year. That is, two scenes from the Old Testament, and two scenes from the natural world. This is something that I think is lost today, that the medievals saw Christ in every animal and plant, not as a cute metaphor but as a very real reason for their existence. I intend on translating and posting the relevant portion for every Sunday. I hope you all enjoy! :)

Re: Concordantiae Caritatis
« Reply #1 on: Today at 05:33:03 AM »


On the Feast of the Holy Trinity

God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit; not three gods, but one God and three persons. For God the Father is a satisfying sweetness, that is, to the hungry and empty; he is the rain-water and the sweetness of the heart of mercy, and especially of charity. The Son is the light illuminating miserable and blind eyes; from whom proceeds the ray of understanding, wisdom, and knowledge. The Holy Spirit is also the joy making glad the sorrowful and afflicted, from whom comes freedom of conscience, the security of joy, and the fidelity of friendship. For there are three things in wine: substance, juice, and flavor; and though these are three in their diversity of equality, they are nevertheless one in the substance of unity. For just as the juice comes from its first substance, so the Son comes from the Father's substance; and just as the flavor comes from the first substance and its juice, so the Holy Spirit proceeds from the united nature of the Father and the Son.

Old Testament (Left)
In Genesis 18, it is read that Abraham saw three angels and worshiped one. For just as three were seen by the patriarch but one was worshiped, so according to the truth of the faith, God is judged by all the faithful as one in Godhead and three in personality, to be worshipped. Abraham, according to the scriptures, means a "multitude of mercy," and signifies any just person who instructs and guides the multitude of his senses and thoughts, as if they were children. When one has pleased God in the faith of Abraham, the Lord will reveal and show Himself to him as threefold in persons: namely, like a Father in effective protection, like a Son in wise nourishment, and like the Holy Spirit in graceful consolation. And then he will worship One; that is, he will rejoice in the praises of God alone, here in grace, and in the future perpetually in glory.

Old Testament (Right)
In Genesis 40, it is written that the king's cupbearer saw three vines and branches with fruit on a single trunk. For just as God is believed to be one in Godhead and three in persons, so a threefold fruitful branch is shown on one vine trunk. The king's cupbearer is any devout soul who, when free for contemplation, rests as if taking his fill of wine. Through this, he sees three vines; that is, the distinct qualities of the personalities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, arising from one trunk — that is, existing from the one essence and same quality of God — the fruit of whose branches gladdens the soul itself and provides a saving taste of eternal sweetness.

Nature (Left)
Pliny says that elephants gather at the full moon, bathe in the river, and, bowing toward heaven at the moon, return in this manner. The elephants signify us: living by the works of justice with a clean and robust mind, let us bow with diligent devotion at the sight of the full moon — that is, the incarnation of the Lord, which was made full by the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, out of the darkness of the Godhead — and let us bathe in the cleansing river of our tears, so that we may joyfully return anew to our heavenly places, which were previously stained by sins, through the help of the divinity and the trinity of personhood.

Nature (Right)
The Liber Rerum says that if anyone eats three fireflies all stirrings of lust are extinguished in them. The three fireflies are the three persons in the single essence of the divinity, which shine in the night; that is, they illuminate sinful and dark hearts. And whoever eats these — that is, whoever places the works of the Holy Trinity into their memory with fervent devotion — will, by God's grace, very easily overcome temptation by extinguishing all the heat of lustful temptations within themselves. Because the foundation of our faith will always stand firm against deception, based upon the threefold personality of the one divinity and the inseparable equality of the Godhead of that same trinity.


Re: Concordantiae Caritatis
« Reply #2 on: Today at 07:10:14 AM »


On the Feast of the Holy Trinity

God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit; not three gods, but one God and three persons. For God the Father is a satisfying sweetness, that is, to the hungry and empty; he is the rain-water and the sweetness of the heart of mercy, and especially of charity. The Son is the light illuminating miserable and blind eyes; from whom proceeds the ray of understanding, wisdom, and knowledge. The Holy Spirit is also the joy making glad the sorrowful and afflicted, from whom comes freedom of conscience, the security of joy, and the fidelity of friendship. For there are three things in wine: substance, juice, and flavor; and though these are three in their diversity of equality, they are nevertheless one in the substance of unity. For just as the juice comes from its first substance, so the Son comes from the Father's substance; and just as the flavor comes from the first substance and its juice, so the Holy Spirit proceeds from the united nature of the Father and the Son.

Old Testament (Left)
In Genesis 18, it is read that Abraham saw three angels and worshiped one. For just as three were seen by the patriarch but one was worshiped, so according to the truth of the faith, God is judged by all the faithful as one in Godhead and three in personality, to be worshipped. Abraham, according to the scriptures, means a "multitude of mercy," and signifies any just person who instructs and guides the multitude of his senses and thoughts, as if they were children. When one has pleased God in the faith of Abraham, the Lord will reveal and show Himself to him as threefold in persons: namely, like a Father in effective protection, like a Son in wise nourishment, and like the Holy Spirit in graceful consolation. And then he will worship One; that is, he will rejoice in the praises of God alone, here in grace, and in the future perpetually in glory.

Old Testament (Right)
In Genesis 40, it is written that the king's cupbearer saw three vines and branches with fruit on a single trunk. For just as God is believed to be one in Godhead and three in persons, so a threefold fruitful branch is shown on one vine trunk. The king's cupbearer is any devout soul who, when free for contemplation, rests as if taking his fill of wine. Through this, he sees three vines; that is, the distinct qualities of the personalities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, arising from one trunk — that is, existing from the one essence and same quality of God — the fruit of whose branches gladdens the soul itself and provides a saving taste of eternal sweetness.

Nature (Left)
Pliny says that elephants gather at the full moon, bathe in the river, and, bowing toward heaven at the moon, return in this manner. The elephants signify us: living by the works of justice with a clean and robust mind, let us bow with diligent devotion at the sight of the full moon — that is, the incarnation of the Lord, which was made full by the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, out of the darkness of the Godhead — and let us bathe in the cleansing river of our tears, so that we may joyfully return anew to our heavenly places, which were previously stained by sins, through the help of the divinity and the trinity of personhood.

Nature (Right)
The Liber Rerum says that if anyone eats three fireflies all stirrings of lust are extinguished in them. The three fireflies are the three persons in the single essence of the divinity, which shine in the night; that is, they illuminate sinful and dark hearts. And whoever eats these — that is, whoever places the works of the Holy Trinity into their memory with fervent devotion — will, by God's grace, very easily overcome temptation by extinguishing all the heat of lustful temptations within themselves. Because the foundation of our faith will always stand firm against deception, based upon the threefold personality of the one divinity and the inseparable equality of the Godhead of that same trinity.
Wonderful post. iCarlytradcath, like the TV show?

Re: Concordantiae Caritatis
« Reply #3 on: Today at 09:32:31 AM »
Wonderful post. iCarlytradcath, like the TV show?
Thanks! Yeah haha, it's an inside joke. I'm going to post the Corpus Christi one now actually.

Re: Concordantiae Caritatis
« Reply #4 on: Today at 10:12:47 AM »


The Feast of the Body of Christ
The Feast of the Body of Christ is celebrated generally by Holy Church on this fifth weekday [Thursday]. Because this food is wondrous, it is therefore of the highest novelty; and this is shown by its fourfold character: namely, verbal power, essential exemption, partial totality, and accidental permanence. Its effect is saving, and therefore of the highest utility, because it is preservative of spiritual life, generative of spiritual joy, and collaborative of spiritual strength. It is also a magnificent banquet, because it is of the highest majesty. Wherefore therein are considered the benefits of the highest love, the prodigies of the highest shepherd, and the astonishing privileges of the highest honor.Therefore, since this sacrament is the viaticuм of our pilgrimage, let us pray that we may be comforted by it as travelers here, so that through this we may attain perpetual joy on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen

Old Testament (Left)
In the Fourth Book of Kings, chapter 2, it is written that Elijah, having been caught up into heaven, left his cloak to Elisha, with which, touching the waters of the Jordan, he dried them up and passed through unharmed.
Elijah is Christ by reason of holiness; He was caught up into heaven in His ascension by the power of truth, but yet He left His cloak of merit and righteousness to Elisha, that is, to every faithful soul; that is, He gave the true body of Christ to be venerated under the appearance of bread, as if under a covering and a veil. And with this cloak, that is, the veiled sacrament, Elisha, that is, any devout Christian, if he receives it worthily, manfully overcomes and passes through without harm by this cloak not only the water of the Jordan, that is, certain tribulations, but rather all the waves of the sea, that is, worldly attacks.

Old Testament (Right)
In the Second Book of Kings, chapter 6, it is written: That David distributed to the whole multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted beef, and a cake of flour fried in oil.
David, meaning "strong hand", is Christ, according to his power, who is much more merciful from His supper to the whole multitude, namely of Israel, that is, to those who see God fully and to the other righteous ones, distributing a loaf of bread, that is, the pure corporality taken from the Virgin and bent under many sufferings; and also a piece of roasted beef, that is, the most bitter passion of His body; and likewise a cake of flour fried in oil, that is, His spiritual and corporal sacramental body, which provides confirming grace, because if it is prepared and anointed in mercy, it is distributed beyond royal munificence.

Nature (Left)
Ambrose, Pliny, and Isidore say: That if the blood of a lamb is offered to a raging leopard, it is immediately appeased.
The raging leopard is God the Father, angered by our sins, fiercely raging in His righteous judgment. If He sees the blood of the Lamb, the Immaculate One, that is, the body and blood of Christ His Son, offered to Him in the sacrament of the altar by an intercessor, that is, by any righteous person quickening sinners to righteousness or by a priest, nothing else remains but that He will immediately hold him as well-wishing and appeased without any intermediary.
Pliny says that birds living on raw flesh never drink, so men devoutly receiving the body of Christ can never receive waters, that is, health-bringing waters [in vain].

Nature (Right)
Augustine says: That is properly called a "worm" which is generated from clean and pure earth without any mingling of seed (semen), a fact to which John Naturalist also bears witness.
To this worm, the most pure flesh of Christ is not undeservedly compared. For His flesh was assumed from clean earth—that is, from the most holy Virgin—and was generated without the seed of man. Furthermore, at the Last Supper, under the appearance of most pure bread, it was commended by Christ to His disciples and the faithful by the authority of His divinity, in memory of His passion. Worms are also used as bait in fishing rods to catch fish.
It ought now to be clear to the devoted Christians that this Body must be venerated most devoutly. For we are gathered at the table with the body of Christ, in such a way that—if we are willing— with the grace of communion we can swiftly catch and overcome all the slimy, slippery and evil deceptions of the devil and the world.