Elisabeth of Schonau: The Complete Works by Anne L. Clark

Author:Anne L. Clark [Clark, Anne L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780809139590
Amazon: 0809139596
Goodreads: 2665009
Published: 2020-08-27T02:21:55+00:00

ELISABETH OF SCHONAU

First, let me analyze the mystery of the wheel and the bird and ladder, since you have already extensively given the beginning of its interpretation. If there is anything missing in your understanding, I will take care to address it. Then I will turn to what you have requested, according to how the Lord will prompt me.

I believe that you discerned correctly when you stated that the way which leads to life is positioned as if on a wheel going round.

What, indeed, is this world if not a wheel going round? Look at everything that is of the world and you will not find anything that is not subject to mutability, and mutability, by its turning, rolls down its subjects from one state to another. Now, indeed, through certain advances one is lifted up to better things, but then through various failings one sinks down to worse. In this state of changeableness, the good and the evil walk on the wheel, but in different ways.

Encountering the wheel, the good rise as long as they do not chase after temporal things with greed but turn the mind against such greed and strive to be above temporal things, trampling them in contempt. Thus they can be compared to the white bird rising on the wheel. Indeed, only those who are white in their innocence and winged with various virtues are strong enough to do this. But even they are like the aforementioned bird and are driven down somewhat by the force of the wheel, but by the grace of God they again return to the top, just as it is written, “Seven times the just person falls and rises” (Prv 24: 1 6). On the contrary, however, the evil ones, embracing with their whole mind the things that are of the world, necessarily walk the circuit with those things, in the manner of Samson, who through his love of a harlot was destined to be blinded at the millstone (Tgs 1 6:4- 1 9). They fall into that curse. My God, think of them like a wheel! Indeed, one who with extreme greed seizes hold of some part of the wheel, that is, of this world, then is drawn by it away from the state of rectitude, lifted up in pride, and carried around to many useless and depraved desires, and finally is rolled down into the depth of perdition, and is damned together with this world-isn’t such a person like a wheel? Thus, if we do not want to be carried around on this wheel and plunged into ruin, we must just barely touch it, like the bird rising against the wheel, using temporal things with the greatest restraint and extending the 1 50

THIRD BOOK OF VISIONS

wings of our virtue in constant motion by continually exercising them. Because the ascent of the just is exceedingly difficult, and those who strive toward the kingdom of God must necessarily embark upon it, seeing it in your trance, you rightly said, “Narrow and difficult is the way that leads to life” (Mt 7: 14).

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