Übersetzung
ausblenden
On the Lapsed
26.
This much about an infant, which was not yet of an age to speak of the crime committed by others in respect of herself. But the woman who in advanced life and of more mature age secretly crept in among us when we were sacrificing, received not food, but a sword for herself; and as if taking some deadly poison 1 into her jaws and body, began presently to be tortured, and to become stiffened with frenzy; and suffering the misery no longer of persecution, but of her crime, shivering and trembling, she fell down. The crime of her dissimulated conscience was not long unpunished or concealed. She who had deceived man, felt that God was taking vengeance. And another woman, when she tried with unworthy hands to open her box, 2 in which was the holy (body) of the Lord, was deterred by fire rising from it from daring to touch it. And when one, 3 who himself was defiled, dared with the rest to receive secretly a part of the sacrifice celebrated by the priest; he could not eat nor handle the holy of the Lord, but found in his hands 4 when opened that he had a cinder. Thus by the experience of one it was shown that the Lord withdraws when He is denied; nor does that which is received benefit the undeserving for salvation, since saving grace is changed by the departure of the sanctity into a cinder. How many there are daily who do not repent nor make confession of the consciousness of their crime, who are filled with unclean spirits! 5 How many are shaken even to unsoundness of mind and idiotcy by the raging of madness! Nor is there any need to go through the deaths of individuals, since through the manifold lapses occurring in the world the punishment of their sins is as varied as the multitude of sinners is abundant. Let each one consider not what another has suffered, but what he himself deserves to suffer; nor think that he has escaped if his punishment delay for a time, since he ought to fear it the more that the wrath of God the judge has reserved it for Himself.
"And receiving the blood as if some deadly poison," etc.; v. l. ↩
[They carried the sacred bread in this manner to invalids at home. The idea of "worshipping the host," therefore, could not have been possible.] ↩
Or, "a certain one." ↩
[The holy bread was delivered into the hands of the recipient. See Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagog., xxiii. 21.] ↩
[Luke xi. 20. The whole of scriptural teachings concerning these, requires renewed study. Consult Tillotson, Works, ii. 508, ed. 1722.] ↩
Übersetzung
ausblenden
Des Tombés
XXVI.
Je viens de parler d’une enfant, incapable de redire l’attentat dont elle avait été la victime; mais une autre fille plus avancée (89) en âge fut traitée avec bien plus de sévérité. Après avoir sacrifié aux idoles, elle se glissa en secret dans nos rangs; l’Eucharistie devint pour elle comme un glaive, comme un poison mortel. A peine le sang divin fut-il dans sa poitrine, que sa gorge se ferma, en lui causant d’affreuses suffocations. Ce n’était plus le bourreau c’était son crime qui la torturait; enfin elle tomba sur le sol en proie à d’affreuses palpitations. Son sacrilège ne resta pas longtemps impuni, et après avoir trompé les hommes, elle succomba sous la vengeance divine.
Une autre voulut ouvrir avec des mains impures la cassette où elle conservait la sainte Eucharistie; mais il en sortit une flamme qui la repoussa et l’empêcha de toucher le pain consacré.
Un chrétien, sortant des sacrifices idolâtriques, se présente à l’autel du Seigneur; il ose, avec les autres, recevoir l’Eucharistie; mais il ne peut la porter à sa bouche; en ouvrant ses mains il n’y trouve que de la cendre. Cet exemple nous montre que le Seigneur se retire lorsqu’on le renie. Ainsi la communion ne sert de rien aux indignes, puisque la sainteté de Dieu disparaît et que la grâce divine se change en cendre.