Tag: Anselm of Canterbury

Vellem iam quidem, et forte possem, illum esse verissime Patrem; hoc vero verissime esse Filium concludere. sed nec hoc negligendum existimo, an Patris et Filii, et an matris et filiae magis illis apta sit appellatio, cum in eis nulla sit sexus discretio. nam si idcirco convenienter est ille Pater, et proles eius Filius, quia uterque est Spiritus: cur non pari ratione alteri convenit esse matrem. alteri filiam, quia uterque est veritas et sapientia? an quia in his naturis, quae sexus habent differentiam, melioris sexus est patrem esse vel filium; minoris vero, matrem vel filiam? et hoc quidem naturaliter in pluribus; in quibusdam vero econtrario, ut in quibusdam avium generibus, in quibus femineus sexus semper maior et validior est; masculinus vero minor et infirmior. aut certe idcirco magis convenit summo Spiritui dici Patrem quam matrem, quia prima et principalis causa prolis semper est in patre. nam si maternam causam quolibet modo semper paterna praecedit, nimis est incongruum ut illi parenti adaptetur nomen matris, cui ad gignendam prolem nulla alia causa aut sociatur, aut praecedit. verissimum est igitur summum Spiritum Patrem esse prolis suae. quod si filius semper similior est patri quam filia; nihil autem similius est alteri quam summo Patri proles sua; verissimum est hanc prolem non esse filiam, sed Filium. sicut igitur proprium est illius verissime gignere, istius vero gigni, sic proprium est illius esse verissimum gignitorem, istius vero verissimum esse genitum. et sicut alter est verissimus parens, alter verissima proles; sic alter est verissimus Pater, alter verissimus Filius.
(Anselm of Canterbury, Monologion 42)

I would now like to infer, if I can, that the Supreme Spirit most truly is father and that the Word most truly is son. Yet, I think I ought not to by-pass [the following question]: is the appellation “father and son” or the appellation “mother and daughter” more befitting for them?, for there is no sexual distinction in the Supreme Spirit and the Word. For if the Supreme Spirit is suitably [called] father and its offspring suitably [called] son because each is spirit, then why is it not suitable, by parity of reasoning, for the one to be [called] mother and the other to be [called] daughter because each is truth and wisdom?* Is it [preferable to call them father and son] because among those natures which have a difference of sex it is characteristic of the better sex to be father or son and of the inferior sex to be mother or daughter? Now, although this is by nature the case for many [beings], for others the reverse holds true. For example, in some species of birds the female sex is always larger and stronger, the male sex smaller and weaker. But, surely, the Supreme Spirit is more suitably called father than mother because the first and principal cause of offspring is always in the father. For if the paternal [cause] always in some way precedes the maternal cause, then it is exceedingly inappropriate for the name “mother” to be applied to that parent whom no other cause either joins or precedes for the begetting of offspring. Therefore, it is most true that the Supreme Spirit is father of its own offspring. But if a son is always more like a father than is a daughter, and if no one thing is more like another than this offspring is like the Supreme Father, it is most true that this offspring is a son, not a daughter. Therefore, just as this Spirit has the distinguishing property of most truly begetting and this offspring of most truly being begotten, so the former has the distinguishing property of being the most true begetting one and the latter of being the most true begotten one. And just as the one is the most true parent and the other the most true offspring, so the one is the most true father and the other the most true son.

* “Spirit” is in Latin a masculine noun (“spiritus”); “truth” and “wisdom” are feminine nouns (“veritas,” “sapientia”).

(tr. Jasper Hopkins and Herbert Richardson, with their note)

This is part 3 of 3. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.

Cur taceam quae dicitis? ad quid celem quod proditis? cur abscondo quod facitis? matres vos divulgatis, filium me fateor. gratias ago: filium me genuistis cum Christianum me fecistis, tu per te ipsum, et tu per eundem ipsum: tu per doctrinam a te factam, et tu per doctrinam tibi inspiratam: tu per gratiam a te mihi concessam, et tu per gratiam ab illo acceptam. Paule mater, et te ipse genuit. pone ergo filium tuum mortuum ante pedes Christi matris tuae, quia filius eius est. immo iacta illum in sinum pietatis eius, quia plus ipse mater est. ora ut resuscitet mortuum filium, non tam tuum, quam suum. ora pro filio tuo quia mater es, ut vivificet filium suum, quia mater est. fac, mater animae meae, quod faceret mater carnis meae. utique si speraret, oraret quantum posset, nec cessaret donec impetraret si posset. certe si vis, non potes desperare; et si oras, potes impetrare. insta ergo ut anima mortua, quam tu vivam peperisti, vitae restituatur, nec cesses donec tibi viva reddatur. tu quoque, anima mortua per te ipsam, curre sub alas Iesus matris tuae, et conquerere sub pennis eius dolores tuos. postula ut plagas tuas confoveat, et ut confotis vita redeat. Christe mater, qui congregas sub alas pullos tuos, mortuus hic pullus tuus subiicit se sub alas tuas. nam lenitate tua exterriti confoventur, odore tuo desperantes reformantur. calor tuus mortuos vivificat, attactus tuus peccatores iustificat. agnosce, mater, filium tuum mortuum, vel per signum crucis tuae, vel per vocem confessionis tuae. refove pullum tuum, resuscita mortuum tuum, iustifica peccatorem tuum. exterritus tuus a te consoletur, a se desperans a te confortetur, et in integram et inseparabilem gratiam tuam per te reformetur. a te namque fluit consolatio miserorum, qui sis benedictus in saecula saeculorum. amen.
(Anselm of Canterbury, Oratio 10 ad Sanctum Paulum)

Why should I be silent about what you have said?
Why should I conceal what you have revealed?
Why should I hide what you have done?
You have revealed yourselves as mothers;
I know myself to be a son.
I give thanks that you brought me forth as a son
when you made me a Christian:
you, Lord, by yourself, you, Paul, through him;
you by the doctrine you made,
you by the doctrine breathed into you.
You by the grace you have granted to me,
you by the grace you accepted from him.
Paul, my mother, Christ bore you also;
so place your dead son at the feet of Christ, your mother,
because he also is Christ’s son.
Rather, throw him into the heart of Christ’s goodness,
for Christ is even more his mother.
Pray that he will give life to a dead son,
who is not so much yours as his.
St. Paul, pray for your son, because you are his mother,
that the lord, who is his mother too,
may give life to his son.
Do, mother of my soul,
what the mother of my flesh would do.
At least, if I may hope, I may pray as much as I can;
nor cease until I obtain what I can.
Certainly, if you will, you need not despair;
and if you pray, you are able to obtain.
Ask then, that this dead soul which you brought to life,
may be restored to life,
nor cease until he is given back to you, living.
*
And you, my soul, dead in yourself,
run under the wings of Jesus your mother
and lament your griefs under his feathers.
Ask that your wounds may be healed
and that, comforted, you may live again.
*
Christ, my mother,
you gather your chickens under your wings;
this dead chicken of yours puts himself under those wings.
For by your gentleness the badly frightened are comforted,
by your sweet smell the despairing are revived,
your warmth gives life to the dead,
your touch justifies sinners.
Mother, know again your dead son,
both by the sign of your cross and the voice of his confession.
Warm your chicken, give life to your dead man, justify your sinner.
Let your terrified one be consoled by you;
despairing of himself, let him be comforted by you.
and in your whole and unceasing grace
let him be refashioned by you.
For from you flows consolation for sinners;
to you the blessing for ages and ages. Amen.
(tr. Benedicta Ward)

This is part 2 of 3. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.

Sed et tu, Iesu, bone Domine, nonne et tu mater? annon es mater, qui tamquam gallina congregat sub alas pullos suos? vere, Domine, et tu mater. nam quod alii parturierunt et pepererunt, a te acceperunt. tu prius propter illos, et quos pepererunt, parturiendo mortuus es, et moriendo peperisti. nam nisi parturiisses, mortuus non esses; et nisi mortuus esses, non peperisses. desiderio enim gignendi filios ad vitam, mortem gustasti, et moriens genuisti. tu per te, illi iussi et adiuti a te. tu ut auctor, illi ut ministri. ergo tu, Domine Deus, magis mater. ambo ergo matres. nam etsi patres, tamen et matres. vos enim effecistis, tu per te, tu per illum, ut nati ad mortem renasceremur ad vitam. patres igitur estis per effectum, matres per affectum; patres per auctoritatem, matres per benignitatem; patres per tuitionem, matres per miserationem. ergo et tu mater, et tu mater: etsi quantitate affectus impares; in qualitate tamen non dissimiles. quamvis magnitudine benignitatis non coaequantes; voluntate tamen concordantes: licet plenitudine miserationis non convenientes; intentione tamen non disconvenientes.
(Anselm of Canterbury, Oratio 10 ad Sanctum Paulum)

And you, Jesus, are you not also a mother?
Are you not the mother who, like a hen,
gathers her chickens under her wings?
Truly, Lord, you are a mother;
for both they who are in labour
and they who are brought forth
are accepted by you.
You have died more than they, that they may labour to bear.
It is by your death that they have been born,
for if you had not been in labour,
you could not have borne death;
and if you had not died, you would not have brought forth.
For, longing to bear sons into life,
you tasted of death,
and by dying you begot them.
You did this in your own self,
your servants, by your commands and help.
You as the author, they as the ministers.
So you, Lord God, are the great mother.
*
Then both of you are mothers.
Even if you are fathers, you are also mothers.
For you have brought it about that those born to death
should be reborn to life –
you by your own act, you by his power.
Therefore you are fathers by your effect
and mothers by your affection.
Fathers by your authority, mothers by your kindness.
Fathers by your teaching, mothers by your mercy.
Then you, Lord, are a mother
and you, Paul, are a mother too.
If in quantity of affection you are unequal,
yet in quality you are not unalike.
Though in the greatness of your kindness
you are not co-equal,
yet in will you are of one heart.
Although you have not equal fullness of mercy,
yet in intention you are not unequal.
(tr. Benedicta Ward)

This is part 1 of 3. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

O Sancte Paule, ubi est illa nominata nutrix fidelium, fovens filios suos? quae est illa affectuosa mater, quae se ubique praedicat filios suos iterum parturire? dulcis nutrix, dulcis mater, quos filios paraturis aut nutris, nisi quos in fide Christi docendo gignis et erudis? aut quis christianus post te doctrina tua non est in fide natus et confirmatus? nam etsi benedicta fides ista ab aliis quoque apostolis nobis nata sit et nutrita: utique magis a te, quia plus omnibus in hoc laborasti et effecisti. cum ergo illi sint nobis matres, tu magis nostra mater.
ergo, Sancte Paule, filius tuus est mortuus iste. mater mortuus iste certe filius tuus est. dulcis mater, recognosce filium tuum ex voce confessionis; recognoscat ille matrem suam ex affectu compassionis. recognosce filium ex confessione christianitatis; recognoscat ille matrem ex dulcedine pietatis. offer, mater, tu quae iterum parturis filios suos, offer, mortuum filium tuum iterum resuscitandum illi, qui morte sua resuscitavit servos tuos. offer, mater, illi qui morte sua indebita revocavit reos suos a morte debita; offer illi filium tuum, ut revocet ei vitam perditam. per baptismum enim eductus a morte, per sterilitatem et pravitatem reductus est in mortem. mater famosi affectus, sentiat filius tuus viscera maternae pietatis. exhibe eum illi qui te resuscitavit, et viventem servavit. ora eum pro filio tuo, quia servus eius est: ora eum pro servo suo, quia filius tuus est.
(Anselm of Canterbury, Oratio 10 ad Sanctum Paulum)

O St Paul, where is he that was called
the nurse of the faithful, caressing his sons?
Who is that affectionate mother who declares everywhere
that she is in labour for her sons?
Sweet nurse, sweet mother,
who are the sons you are in labour with, and nurse,
but those whom by teaching the faith of Christ
you bear and instruct?
Or who is a Christian after your teaching
who is not born into the faith and established in it by you?
And if in that blessed faith we are born
and nursed by other apostles also,
it is most of all by you,
for you have laboured and done more than them all in this;
so if they are our mothers, you are our greatest mother.
*
So then, St Paul, your son is this dead man.
Mother, this dead man is certainly your son.
Dear mother, recognize your son
by the voice of his confession;
he recognizes his mother by her loving compassion.
Recognize your son by his confession of Christianity;
he recognizes his mother by the sweetness of goodness.
O mother, you who again give birth to your sons,
offer your dead son again, to be raised up by him
who by his death gives life to his servants.
O mother, offer your son to him
who by his death, which was not owing,
called back his condemned ones
from the death that was their due;
that he may call back to him the life he has lost.
By baptism he was led out of death;
by barrenness and corruption he is led back into death.
O mother, well known for your love,
your son knows the heart of a mother’s goodness.
Show him to God,
you who have brought him back to life
and cared for him living.
Pray to him for your son, who is his servant;
pray to him for his servant, who is your son.
(tr. Benedicta Ward)