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Now, by saying: The Bridegroom cometh, He shows us further what we
shall see. Christ, our Bridegroom, spoke this word in Latin: Venit.
And this word implies two tenses, the past and the present; and
yet here it denotes the future too.
And that is why we shall consider three comings of our Bridegroom,
Jesus Christ. In the first coming He became man, for man's sake,
out of love. The second coming takes place daily, often and many
times, in every loving heart, with new graces and with new gifts,
as each is able to receive them. The third coming we shall see as
the coming in the Judgment, or at the hour of death. And in all
these comings there are three things to be considered: the why and
the wherefore, the inward way, and the outward work.
The reason why God created the angels and man, was His
unfathomable goodness and nobleness whereby He willed to do it;
that the bliss and the richness which He is Himself might be
revealed to rational creatures, so that they might taste Him in
time, and enjoy Him outside time in eternity.
The reason why God became man was His incomprehensible love, and
the need of all men; for man had been corrupted by the Fall, and
could not amend himself.
But the reason why Christ, according to His Godhead and according
to His manhood, wrought all His works on earth, this reason is
fourfold: His Divine love which is without measure; the created
love, called charity, which He had in His soul through union with
the Eternal Word and through the perfect gift of His Father; the
great need of man; and the glory of His Father. These are the
reasons for the coming of Christ our Bridegroom, and for all His
works, both outward and inward.
Now, if we would follow Christ our Bridegroom in virtue, so far as
we are able, we must consider in what wise He was inwardly and the
works which He wrought outwardly; that is to say, His virtues and
the deeds of these virtues.
In what wise He was according to His Godhead, this is inaccessible
and incomprehensible to us; for it is that according to which He
is born of the Father without ceasing, and wherein the Father, in
Him and through Him, knows, creates, orders and rules all things
in heaven and on earth. For He is the Wisdom of the Father, and
they breathe forth one Spirit, that is, one Love, which is a
common bond between Them and all saints, and all good men in
heaven and on earth.
Of this condition we shall not speak any more; but we shall speak
of that condition which He had through Divine gifts and according
to His created manhood.[39] And this condition was manifold. For
as many inward virtues as Christ possessed, so many were His
inward conditions: for every virtue has its special condition. The
sum of the virtues and conditions in the soul of Christ, this is
above the understanding and above the comprehension of all
creatures. But we shall take three of them: namely, humility,
charity, and patient suffering, in inward and outward things.
These are the three chief roots and beginnings of all virtues and
all perfection.
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