Works › Prayers on the Sunday Gospels of the Whole Year
Volume 13 · pp. 376–377
XXXI. On the Prodigal Son, Prayer
XXXI. De filio Prodigo, Oratio. Homo quidam habuit duos filios: et dixit adolescentior patri 1. Domine Pater, quia affectus meus adolescentior filius tuus, post longam peccatorum elongationem, post naturalium dissipationem, post gratuitorum consumptionem, post unius civium adhaesionem, post siliquarum appetitum, tandem in se reversus surgat per contritionem, dicat per confessionem quod non sit dignus vocari filius tuus, quia non honoravit imaginem patris, quia peccavit in caelum caelestibus terrena praeponens, et coram te omnia cernente: fac eum per condignam satisfactionem, sicut unum de mercenariis tuis pro aeternis laborantem. Cum adhuc longe sit per infirmitatem liberi arbitrii, respice misericorditer in ipsum per gratiam praevenientem, per gratiam cooperantem amplectere, et per gratiam consummantem osculare. Da ei per servos tuos Sacerdotes stolam primam innocentiae et remissionis peccatorum, annulum bonae operationis in manus, et calceamenta boni exempli in pedes ejus. Da ei vitulum hilaritatem conscientiae, saginatum virtutum pinguedine. Compesce majorem filium intellectum contemplativum, circa infirmos austerum: ne
XXXI. On the Prodigal Son, Prayer. A certain man had two sons; and the younger said to the father 1. Lord Father, because my affection, your younger son, after a long distancing of sins, after dissipation of natural things, after consumption of gratuitous things, after adherence to one of the citizens, after appetite for husks, at last having returned into itself, may rise through contrition, may say through confession that it is not worthy to be called your son, because it did not honor the image of the father, because it sinned against heaven by placing earthly things before heavenly things, and before you who discern all things: make it, through worthy satisfaction, as one of your hired servants laboring for eternal things. Since it is still far off through the weakness of free choice, look mercifully upon it through prevenient grace, embrace it through cooperating grace, and kiss it through consummating grace. Give to it, through your servants the Priests, the first robe of innocence and remission of sins, a ring of good operation for its hands, and shoes of good example for its feet. Give to it the calf, cheerfulness of conscience, fattened with the fatness of virtues. Restrain the elder son, contemplative understanding, austere toward the weak: lest
peccet per improperium servitii, jactantiam, ingratitudinem, stultam dedignationem, contemptum, improperium, et invidiam: sed potius gaudeat cum Angelis qui propter victoriam super principes tenebrarum, propter reparationem ruinae angelicae, propter ministerium factum, propter consummationem sui officii gaudent super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente. Amen.
lest he sin through reproach concerning service, boastfulness, ingratitude, foolish indignation, contempt, reproach, and envy; but rather let him rejoice with the Angels, who rejoice over one sinner doing penance because of the victory over the princes of darkness, because of the repair of the angelic ruin, because of the ministry accomplished, and because of the consummation of their office. Amen.
Notes
- Compare Luke 15:11-32. (Cf. Luc. XV, 11-32.) ↩
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