제52장 라베르나의 요한 형제가 본 환시와

 

제52장 라베르나의 요한 형제가 본 환시와 성 삼위일체의 도리를 완전히 깨달은 일

라베르나의 요한 형제는 이 세상의 일시적인 쾌락과 위로를 완전히 내버리고 자기의 모든 기쁨과 소망을 오직 하느님께 두고 있었기 때문에 어지신 하느님께서는 그에게 신비로운 위안과 계시를 주시되 특히 그리스도의 대축일들에 주셨다.

어느 해 그리스도의 성탄 축일이 가까워오고 있을 때, 예수 그리스도의 인간성을 통하여 하느님께로부터 어떤 위안을 얻게 되리라는 기대를 가졌다. 과연 성령께서는 성자가 스스로 낮추사 우리와 같은 인성을 취하시게 된 그리스도의 애덕에 대한 넘치는 사랑과 열성을 그 영혼 속에 불어넣어 주셨다. 그래서 요한 형제는 그의 영혼이 정말 육신을 벗어나 용광로처럼 타오르는 듯한 느낌이 들었다. 그 형제는 이 뜨거움에 견딜 수 없어서 몸부림치며 괴로워하다가 기진맥진하여 소리쳤다. 성령의 세찬 힘과 뜨거움으로 소리를 치지 않을 수가 없었던 것이다. 이 활활 타는 그 열이 밀어닥친 요한 형제는 구원에 대한 확신을 너무나 강하고 분명히 깨달았기 때문에 그때에 죽는다면 연옥을 거치리라고는 생각지 않았을 것이다.

이러한 사랑은 꼬박 반년이나 계속됐다. 이 애덕의 치열한 열정이 넘치는 사랑은 항상 계속된 것이 아니며, 하루 중에 몇 시간만 그랬다. 이 형제는 하느님의 위안과 방문을 수차례 방아서 자주 탈혼하였다. 이것은 이 전기를 처음 쓴 분도 직접 목격했다.

한번은 밤중에 하느님께 높이 들어올려져 탈혼되어, 여러 가지 질서를 바라보았다. 모든 피조물이 어떻게 그 창조주를 표현하고 있으며 또 하느님께서 어떻게 모든 피조물 위에, 안에, 밖에 그리고 곁에 계신가를 분명히 깨달은 그 형제는 성삼위 속에 한분 하느님을, 한 하느님 안에 성삼위를, 성부께 대한 순종으로 성자가 인간이 되게 한 그 무한한 사랑과, 그 환시에서 복되신 그리스도를 통하지 않고는 어떤 영혼도 하느님께 도달할 수 없으며 또 영원한 생명을 얻을 수 없음을 똑똑히 깨달았다. 그분이야말로 영혼의 길이요 진리요 생명이시다.

그리스도께 찬미. 아멘.

52 How Brother John Saw All Created Things in a Vision

Because the above-mentioned Brother John of Alverna had completely renounced all the passing pleasures and consolations of this world and had placed all his affection and all his hope in God, the divine Goodness granted him new consolations and wonderful revelations, especially when the great Feast Days of Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ came around.

So it happened once that when the Savior's Nativity was approaching, he was eagerly awaiting some consolation from God who knows how to give Its gifts as It wishes, as to time and place, without regard to "him that wills, or him that runs, but to God who shows mercy"-granted to Brother John, not the consolations that he was awaiting regarding the Humanity of Christ, but such a great and intense and fervent love for the charity of Christ, by which He had humbled Himself to take on our humanity, that it seemed to him as though his soul was drawn out of his body and his soul and heart were burning a hundred times more than if he had been in a furnace. Being unable to endure that burning, he became frightened and panted and shouted out loud, because owing to the excessive intensity of his love he could not restrain himself from shouting.

Now at the hour when he felt that ardent love, so strong and sure a hope of his salvation came over him that if he had died then, he would not have believed at all that he had to pass through Purgatory. And that great love lasted, with interruptions, for half a year. But the fervor lasted more than a year, to such a degree that sometimes for an hour he seemed to be dying.

And after that time he received countless visitations and consolations from God, as I several times observed with my own eyes and as many others frequently observed. For because of his overflowing fervor and love he could not conceal the visitations, and many times I saw him rapt in ecstasy.

Among them, one night he was raised to such a marvelous light in God that he saw in the creator all created things, both in Heaven and on earth, all disposed in their various realms, for instance how the choirs of blessed spirits are disposed under God-and also the earthly paradise and the Blessed Humanity of Christ. And he likewise perceived the lower realms. And he saw and felt how all created things are related to the Creator, and how God is above and within and without and around all created things.

Afterward God raised him above every creature so that his soul was absorbed and assumed into the abyss of the Divinity and Light, and it was buried in the ocean of God's Eternity and Infinity, to the point where he could not feel anything that was created or formed or finite or conceivable or visible which the human heart could conceive or the tongue could describe. And his soul was so absorbed in that abyss of Divinity and ocean or mass of light that it was like a drop of wine absorbed in a deep sea. so his soul saw nothing but God in all and above all, within all and without all things-yet three Persons in one God and one God in three Persons.

And he felt that eternal infinite love which led the Son of God to incarnate out of obedience to His Father. And by meditating and pondering and weeping on that path of the Incarnation and Passion of the Son of God, he came to unutterable insights. And he said that there is no other way by which the soul can enter into God and have everlasting life except through Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In that same vision there was also shown to him everything that was done by Christ from the fall of the first man until the entrance into eternal life of Christ, who is the head and leader of all the elect who have existed since the beginning of the world, who are, and who will be until the end, as has been announced by the holy Prophets.

To the glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.