De laudibus sancte crucis

THE EXPLANATION. | FIRST BOOK. FOLIO VI.

A red decorative initial A begins the prose. But this figure proclaims that the Cross of Christ encompasses all things in its four horns points or ends: whether they are in heaven, on earth, or beneath the earth. This includes all things visible and invisible, living and non-living. For the four horns or four locations of the Cross signify where rational creatures are found: that is, the celestial, the terrestrial, the infernal, and the super-celestial. Of these, the apostle Paul also speaks: "that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" Philippians 2:10. The testimony of Paul concerns three; let us also see the fourth. "Praise the Lord, you heavens of heavens, and you waters that are above the heavens, let them praise the name of the Lord" Psalm 148:4. Again, they speak of the celestial and others as super-celestial.

Or consider the four species of all creation: that is, being, living, feeling, and understanding, in which every creature subsists. For some things only exist, but they neither live nor feel nor discern, such as stones. Other things exist and live, but they neither feel nor discern, such as shrubs and all the sprouts of the earth. Others exist, live, and feel, but do not discern, such as brute animals, which have the power of feeling but lack the reason for understanding. Still others exist, live, feel, and discern, such as angels and men, who subsist in essence, live by life, feel by sense, and discern by intellect.

There are also the four affections emotions or passions of the soul itself, which living beings use for good or for evil. The ancients subtly discovered these, and later generations, approving their findings, accepted them: namely, fear and grief, desire and joy. If these are ordered and protected by the defense of the holy Cross, they prove to be salvation-bringing in religious men, although the folly of certain worldly wise men considered them to be vices. If that were so, and only sinners or the lost could have them, they could not rightly be called affections but diseases. But since such movements of the soul are found in the holy apostles and prophets, who would be so foolish as to believe those affections are vices? By these they pleased God, they who resisted vices more than other men.

Thus the apostle Paul speaks of fear: "But I fear lest as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtlety, so your senses should be corrupted from the charity which is in Christ" 2 Corinthians 11:3. The same man says confidently of desire: "I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ" Philippians 1:23. But concerning sadness, which others call grief, the same teacher of the Gentiles says: "For I have great sadness and continuous grief in my heart for my brothers who are my kinsmen according to the flesh" Romans 9:2. For writing to the Romans he says: "I rejoice in you, but I wish you to be wise in what is good and simple in what is evil" Romans 16:19. David the prophet also says of fear: "The holy fear of the Lord remains forever and ever" Psalm 19:9. Likewise: "Fear the Lord, all you His saints" Psalm 34:9. Concerning sadness he says: "I am saddened in my exercise" Psalm 55:2. Likewise concerning desire he says: "My soul has desired to long for your justifications at all times" Psalm 119:20 and "I have desired your salvation, O Lord" Psalm 119:174. Regarding joy, the same Psalmist, exhorting the saints of God, says: "Be glad in the Lord and exult, you just; rejoice, you just, in the Lord" Psalm 32:11. Therefore, whoever wishes to reprimand this fear or grief, this desire or this joy,

reprimands the apostle and the prophet himself. Through such affections, they not only pleased God but also exhorted others to the same. Those who were devoid of these affections were blamed among the criminal as being "without affection." Therefore, we do not sin by having these affections, but by using them poorly. For the essential property of human affections indicates the Creator of man; the quality of the affection, however, signifies a good or bad will. It is as if the movements which are "affections" in all people become "virtues" in those who use them well, and in those who use them poorly they become "passions" or "disturbances" or even "sicknesses," as some would have it. He uses them well who seeks to do not his own will but the will of God, so that he no longer lives for himself but for Him who redeemed him through the shedding of His blood on the Cross. Such a person can say with the apostle: "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I may live to God; I am fixed with Christ to the Cross. I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me. What I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself for me" Galatians 2:19-20.

All these things, therefore, correspond to the holy Cross, because on it Christ, the Creator of all, suffered. For the passion of Christ sustains heaven, rules the world, and pierces hell. In it, angels are confirmed, peoples are redeemed, enemies are crushed, existing things are established, living things are animated, feeling things are preserved, and understanding is enlightened. From it, fear drawn from punishment sets the faithful free; healthy sadness cleanses penitents from sins; desire for the good germinates the fruit of virtues; and the joy of life gladdens those trusting in hope. Indeed, the Author of all provided this holy machine for Himself and willed it to be constructed, so that in it He might restore and unite all things through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There are also two verses written on the Cross itself. The first is: O Cross, you who are dedicated to the known trophy of the Most High, descending from the top to the bottom. The other: O Cross, you who are the flesh of Christ, blessed in triumph, stretching from the right to the left of the Cross. There are also four verses in the square tetragon around the Cross. The first, which is above the Cross, is this: O Cross, you who excel in all and rule over heaven. The one below is this: O Cross, you who had granted the people to go from broken hell. The one placed on the right, that is, in the anachrosticida anacrostic, is this: O Cross, leader to the wretched and redemption to the wide world. And the one on the left, that is, in the telesticida telestic, is this: O Cross, banner to the holy and pious security for the age. It should be noted that we have placed the letter O, which has the likeness of a circle, in the four corners of the square and in the four horns of the Cross, as well as in the middle of the Cross. This was done to show that the holy Cross links all things together by its power, and joins in the veneration of Christ those things which are above and those which are below.