Folio 38r - the raven, continued.
that he sees they have repented fittingly of their past sins. Indeed he expects and admonishes them first to change from the gaudiness of their present life into a sombre hue, through the sorrow of repentance, and only then to receive the nourishment they need, in the form of sermons on the the most complex subjects.
Although the raven sees that the mouths of its young are open, waiting to be fed, it first checks to see if their bodies are covered with black feathers. Equally, the discerning teacher will not dispense the inner mysteries to the minds of those of his disciples whom he considers have still not rejected this world. For as long as they do not rid themselves of temporal glory, they are starved of spiritual nourishment.
The raven brings back food in its beak to its open-mouthed offspring, as the teacher, drawing on the understanding which he has acquired, dispenses in words the food of life to his hungry pupils. The more sincerely, in his eyes, they abandon the glitter of the world to grow dark with the sorrow of repentance, the keener he is to give them refreshment in the form of instruction on higher matters.
When the raven's young clothe themselves in black feathers, they also give promise of flying, as the more the teacher's pupils despise themselves, the more their conscience is troubled because of their worthlessness, the greater is their promise of rising to a higher realm.
For this reason the teacher is careful to feed more quickly those who, as he can already tell from certain signs, have the ability to be of use to others. If he carefully preserves this judgement in his preaching, he will receive, by God's will, a greater opportunity for preaching. For when he knows how to share, out of love, the troubles of his disciples, when he can discern that the time is right for teaching, he will receive greater gifts of understanding not only for himself but also for those to whom he devotes his attention and his efforts.
On which subject it is said, plainly: 'Who provideth for the raven his food? When his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat' (Job 38:41). For when the young cry out to be fed, food is prepared for them by the raven, in the same way that righteous listeners, hungering for the word of God, receive as food from their teachers the greater gifts of understanding.
The raven's young, that is, the Next generation of preachers whom the preacher himself has raised up by his instruction, do not trust in themselves but in the strength of their Redeemer.
- Commentary
-
Commentary
Text
The raven feeding its young.
Comment
Added in margin, 'eos' [omitted from text].
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
-
Transcription
minus tribuit, quanto illos peccata preterita minus digne defle\re cognoscit. Expectat quippe atque ammonet ut a nitore vi\te presentis prius per penitentie lamenta nigrescant, et tunc demum\ congrua predicationis subtilissime nutrimenta percipiant. Corvus\ in pullis ora inhiantia respicit, sed ante in eis pennarum nigredine\ indui corpus querit, et discretus doctor interna misteria eorum sensi\bus non ministrat quos adhuc ab hoc seculo nequaquam se abiecisse con\siderat. Et quo se a temporali gloria non evacuant, eo a spirituali re\fectione ieiunant. Eisque inhiantibus in ore cibum revocat, dum ex\ ea intelligentia quam ceperit, esurientibus discipulis alimenta vite\ loquendo sumministrat. Quos tanto ardentius de superioribus reficit,\ quanto verius a mundi nitore nigrescere penitentie lamentatione\ cognoscit. Pulli autem dum nigro se pennarum colore vesti\unt, de se etiam volatum promittunt, quia cum magis discipuli abiec\ta de se sentiunt, quo magis sese despicientes affligunt, eo am\plius spem provectus sui in altiora pollicentur. Unde et curat doctor\ festinantius alere, quos iam per quedam iudicia [PL, indicia] providet posse\ et aliis prodesse. Que doctrine discretio dum caute a predicatore\ custoditur, ei divinitus largior copia predicationis datur. Dum enim\ per caritatem compati afflictis discipulis novit, dum per discretionem\ congruum doctrine tempus intelligit, ipse non solum pro se, sed etiam\ pro eis quibus laboris sui studia impendit, maiora intelligentie\ munera percipit. Unde aperte dicitur: Quis preparat corvo escam suam\ quando pulli eius ad deum clamant vagantes eo quod non habeat\ cibos? Cum enim pulli ut sacientur clamant, corvo esca prepara\tur, quia dum verbum dei boni auditores esuriunt, pro reficiendis\ eis maiora doctoribus intelligentie dona tribuuntur. Cuius pulli,\ id est predicatores ex eo editi, non in se presumunt, sed in viribus redemp\Translation
that he sees they have repented fittingly of their past sins. Indeed he expects and admonishes them first to change from the gaudiness of their present life into a sombre hue, through the sorrow of repentance, and only then to receive the nourishment they need, in the form of sermons on the the most complex subjects. Although the raven sees that the mouths of its young are open, waiting to be fed, it first checks to see if their bodies are covered with black feathers. Equally, the discerning teacher will not dispense the inner mysteries to the minds of those of his disciples whom he considers have still not rejected this world. For as long as they do not rid themselves of temporal glory, they are starved of spiritual nourishment. The raven brings back food in its beak to its open-mouthed offspring, as the teacher, drawing on the understanding which he has acquired, dispenses in words the food of life to his hungry pupils. The more sincerely, in his eyes, they abandon the glitter of the world to grow dark with the sorrow of repentance, the keener he is to give them refreshment in the form of instruction on higher matters. When the raven's young clothe themselves in black feathers, they also give promise of flying, as the more the teacher's pupils despise themselves, the more their conscience is troubled because of their worthlessness, the greater is their promise of rising to a higher realm. For this reason the teacher is careful to feed more quickly those who, as he can already tell from certain signs, have the ability to be of use to others. If he carefully preserves this judgement in his preaching, he will receive, by God's will, a greater opportunity for preaching. For when he knows how to share, out of love, the troubles of his disciples, when he can discern that the time is right for teaching, he will receive greater gifts of understanding not only for himself but also for those to whom he devotes his attention and his efforts. On which subject it is said, plainly: 'Who provideth for the raven his food? When his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat' (Job 38:41). For when the young cry out to be fed, food is prepared for them by the raven, in the same way that righteous listeners, hungering for the word of God, receive as food from their teachers the greater gifts of understanding. The raven's young, that is, the Next generation of preachers whom the preacher himself has raised up by his instruction, do not trust in themselves but in the strength of their Redeemer.
